Hydro - Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Introduction

An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an assessment of the possible impact - positive or negative - that a proposed project may have on the environment, considering natural, social and economic aspects. The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision makers consider the ensuing environmental impacts to decide whether to proceed with the project.

Environmental Impacts of Small Hydro Power Projects

Small, run-of-the-river projects are free from many of the environmental problems associated with their large-scale relatives because they use the natural flow of the river, and thus produce relatively little change in the stream channel and flow. The dams built for some run-of-the-river projects are very small and impound little water - and many projects do not require a dam at all. Thus, effects such as oxygen depletion, increased temperature, decreased flow, and rejection of upstream migration aids like fish ladders are not problems for many run-of-the-river projects.

Case Studies

• Environmental Impacts of Small Hydro Power Projects - India

This paper outlines the advantages of SHP, barriers in the development of SHP, EIA process in India, regulatory framework, EIA of SHP projects, case studies of EIA of six SHP projects in the state of Uttarakhand, their impacts on ecological resources & human environment and EMP. It is concluded that there has been low to medium impacts of the projects on the surrounding environment.

Further Information

• Hydro Portal on energypedia
• EIA in Wikipedia
• EIA in the European Commission
• EIA in a Transboundary Context - Espoo Convention
• Environmental Assessment by the World Bank
• Environmental Assessment by the Asian Development Bank
• Small Hydropower Systems (Dept. of Energy USA, 2001)