Emissions from tropical hydropower and the IPCC

Fearnside, Philip M.

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2015.03.002

Cited by 138 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…Figure 3 shows that six of the reservoirs (Cachoeira do Caí, Cachoeira dos Patos, Sinop, Bem Querer, Colider and Marabá) have a significant number of simulations that result in emission factors that are comparable to those of thermal power plants. The simulation results confirm that using life cycle emission estimates from hydropower currently available in the IPCC report to aid decision-making may result in unintended consequences (Fearnside 2015a).…”

Section: Emission Factors: Hydropower In the Amazon Versus Other Soursupporting

confidence: 65%

Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from future Amazonian hydroelectric reservoirs

Faria

Jaramillo

Sawakuchi

et al. 2015

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Brazil plans to meet the majority of its growing electricity demand with new hydropower plants located in the Amazon basin. However, large hydropower plants located in tropical forested regions may lead to significant carbon dioxide and methane emission. Currently, no predictive models exist to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions before the reservoir is built. This paper presents two different approaches to investigate the future carbon balance of eighteen new reservoirs in the Amazon. The first approach is based on a degradation model of flooded carbon stock, while the second approach is based on flux data measured in Amazonian rivers and reservoirs. The models rely on a Monte Carlo simulation framework to represent the balance of the greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that results when land and river are converted into a reservoir. Further, we investigate the role of the residence time/stratification in the carbon emissions estimate. Our results imply that two factors contribute to reducing overall emissions from these reservoirs: high energy densities reservoirs, i.e., the ratio between the installed capacity and flooded area, and vegetation clearing. While the models' uncertainties are high, we show that a robust treatment of uncertainty can effectively indicate whether a reservoir in the Amazon will result in larger greenhouse gas emissions when compared to other electricity sources.

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Section: Emission Factors: Hydropower In the Amazon Versus Other Soursupporting

confidence: 65%

Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from future Amazonian hydroelectric reservoirs

Faria

Jaramillo

Sawakuchi

et al. 2015

Environ. Res. Lett.

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“…Amazonian hydroelectric dams are commonly justified on the basis of providing renewable energy and avoiding carbon emissions, while supplying energy needed for economic development. Recent scientific reviews have considered environmental impacts of damming Amazonian rivers [1][2][3] , but regrettably, the effects of dams have mainly been assessed through studies undertaken only in the vicinity of each dam 4 . Such a local-scale approach generally ignores the far larger, basin-scale, geomorphological, ecological, and political dimensions that will determine the future productive and environmental condition of the river system as a whole.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Damming the rivers of the Amazon basin

Latrubesse

Arima

Dunne

et al. 2017

Nature

642

473

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SummaryMore than 100 hydropower dams have already been built in the Amazon basin and numerous proposals for further dam constructions are under consideration. The accumulated negative environmental effects of built and proposed dams, if constructed, will trigger massive hydrophysical and biotic disturbances that will impact the Amazon basin's floodplains, estuary, and sediment plume. By introducing a Dam Environmental Vulnerability Index (DEVI) we quantify the current and potential impacts of dams in the basin. The scale of foreseeable environmental degradation indicates the need for collective action among nations and states to avoid cumulative, far-field impacts. We suggest institutional innovations to assess and avoid the likely impoverishment of Amazon rivers.

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“…It was also unusual that the conflict over dams was openly acknowledged and even used as a justification and starting point for negotiation, rather than hidden behind diplomatic formulas as was the case at global climate conferences (Brinkerhoff, ; Conca, ; Park, ). In the context of global climate governance, the status of (hydropower) dams remains disputed, with some advocating hydropower as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change (Berga, ; El‐Fadel, Chedid, Zeinati, & Hmaidan, ), and others questioning the quality and scientific independence of favorable studies, including those used by IPCC (Fearnside, ).…”

Section: The Wcd and Global Environmental Governancementioning

confidence: 99%

Debating dams: The World Commission on Dams 20 years on

Schulz

Adams

2019

WIREs Water

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The World Commission on Dams (WCD) was a global environmental governance forum that worked between 1998 and 2000 to try to resolve long-standing controversies between supporters and opponents of large dams. Its objectives were to assess the development effectiveness of large dams and to develop best practice guidelines for large dam construction and management, based on an extensive review of scientific evidence and wide-ranging stakeholder consultation. This paper reviews literature discussing the WCD, to understand its influence on the debate on large dams and beyond. We find that its influence is debated within four main contexts: (a) interpretations of stakeholder responses to the WCD report and recommendations; (b) the persistence of the kinds of impacts of large dams that gave rise to the Commission's work; (c) the different visions for appropriate follow-up strategies; and (d) insights from the WCD experience in the context of global environmental governance. Within these four contexts, we identify diverse opinions and directions of post-WCD development and sources of disagreement on its merits and legacy, ranging from calls for its full implementation to dismissal and opposition. Commentators also differ in their assessment of whether the WCD sparked truly novel insights and propositions for dam decision-making or whether it simply represented one among many other elements in the broader debate on dams. Most commonly, the WCD's work is cited in the context of persistent negative social and environmental impacts of dams: neither the impacts nor the controversy over large dams have ended. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water Engineering Water > Sustainable Engineering of Water K E Y W O R D S dams, global environmental governance, hydropower, World Commission on Dams

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Emissions from tropical hydropower and the IPCC

Cited by 138 publications

References 79 publications

Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from future Amazonian hydroelectric reservoirs

Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from future Amazonian hydroelectric reservoirs

Damming the rivers of the Amazon basin

Debating dams: The World Commission on Dams 20 years on

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