Hydropower: A Catalyst for Regional Cooperation & Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

Sustainable hydropower’s role in supporting regional development was highlighted today by the International Hydropower Association (IHA), and other stakeholders, during a side event at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP17) in Durban.
 
The event, entitled: Hydro Regional Cooperation for Mitigation and Adaptation: How can hydropower support regional cooperation and help climate mitigation and adaptation?, took place in the CCR Expo Convention Center, with four main objectives:
·         to foster knowledge exchange among national policy-makers and other key hydropower stakeholders;
·         to raise awareness of hydropower as a key back-up technology supporting other renewable energy source development;
·         to realise the strategic, synergistic importance of regional cooperation for hydropower development and hydropower development for regional cooperation
·         and, to constructively use experienced gained of financing institutions and recent hydropower projects to overcome the financial challenges of hydropower development.

“As we’ve heard from many stakeholders today, hydropower has a crucial role to play in fostering regional cooperation and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Coordinated and harmonised regional development of hydropower, river-basin initiatives, power pools and other transmission networks, through public-private partnerships encourages and strengthens regional economic communities.” said Cameron Ironside, Programme Director, International Hydropower Association.
 
“At the same time, hydropower infrastructure, such as reservoirs, offer multiple advantages including enhanced water security, flexibility in water resource management, and providing flood mitigation and water storage for irrigation and other purposes.” he continued
 
Mr E. Branche, Senior Engineer Economist, Electricité de France (EDF), who also served as a moderator for the event, opened the session by looking at broader regional initiatives and the proposed Inga project, followed by Mr D. Sislen, Sector Leader for Sustainable Development, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, at the World Bank on: Financing issue: World Bank experience, and Ms Hela Cheikhrouhou, Director, Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department, at the African Development Bank, who presented on: Financing issue: African Development Bank experience.
 
Mr S. Scheppers, Senior General Manager, Eskom SOC, presented the view of Eskom in a presentation ESKOM: Stat and large utility as potential off taker, after which Mr J. Coppens, Project Director Aluminium Southern Africa, BHP Billiton, South Africa,  gave a presentation entitled: BHP Billiton : an energy intensive consumer as a potential off-taker.
 
Mr Cameron Ironside, IHA, then presented on: Sustainable hydropower for regional development, with the session concluding with a presentation by Mr C. Philibert, Senior Analyst, International Energy Agency (IEA) entitled: Storage hydropower as a back-up for variable renewable energy sources.
 
IHA is actively participating in the Climate Change Conference to ensure that negotiations fully recognise the important contribution that sustainable hydropower can make in fostering effective regional cooperation,  and helping to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
 
The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is taking place in Durban, 28 November to 9 December.  It represents an opportunity for world decision-makers to make positive steps towards addressing the interrelated challenges of climate change, poverty reduction and sustainable development.
 
IHA partners with governments, NGOs, finance organisations and others to organise and facilitate events and initiatives tailored to enhance regional cooperation in hydropower development.   Other recent examples include: The Global Workshop on Regional Cooperation for Hydropower Development at the IHA 2011 Congress on Advancing Sustainable Hydropower in Iguassu, Brazil, and Hydropower for Sustainable Development held in Addis Ababa in March 2011.
 
IHA
www.hydropower.org