IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v93y2016icp599-607.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Environmental sustainability of run of the river hydropower projects: A study from western Himalayan region of India

Author

Listed:
  • Kumar, Deepak
  • Katoch, S.S.

Abstract

Run of the river (RoR) hydropower projects are generally considered more environmentally sustainable as compared to their reservoir based counterparts. Further, impacts of these projects are supposed to be in proportion to their installed capacity. Large numbers of this category of hydropower projects in different size ranges are coming up in Himalayan regions. Un-sustainable construction/operation practices adopted during development and/or running of these projects are posing an environmental threat to this fragile and youngest mountain range of the world. This research paper presents a public perception cum data collection study on the environmental impacts of small and large RoR hydropower projects located in western Himalayan region of India. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect the primary data pertaining to intangible impacts while secondary data was collected to analyse tangible environmental parameters. The study concludes that every environmental impact of SHPs is not 'small' as compared to LHPs. Ignoring the environmental impacts of SHPs may not be a good practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Kumar, Deepak & Katoch, S.S., 2016. "Environmental sustainability of run of the river hydropower projects: A study from western Himalayan region of India," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 599-607.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:93:y:2016:i:c:p:599-607
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2016.03.032
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148116302166
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2016.03.032?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Malesios, Chrisovalantis & Arabatzis, Garyfallos, 2010. "Small hydropower stations in Greece: The local people's attitudes in a mountainous prefecture," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(9), pages 2492-2510, December.
    2. Kumar, Deepak & Katoch, S.S., 2015. "Sustainability suspense of small hydropower projects: A study from western Himalayan region of India," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 220-233.
    3. Kaldellis, J.K., 2008. "Critical evaluation of the hydropower applications in Greece," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 218-234, January.
    4. Gleick, Peter H., 1992. "Environmental consequences of hydroelectric development: The role of facility size and type," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 17(8), pages 735-747.
    5. Bhutto, Abdul Waheed & Bazmi, Aqeel Ahmed & Zahedi, Gholamreza, 2012. "Greener energy: Issues and challenges for Pakistan—Solar energy prospective," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 2762-2780.
    6. Murni, S. & Whale, J. & Urmee, T. & Davis, J.K. & Harries, D., 2013. "Learning from experience: A survey of existing micro-hydropower projects in Ba'Kelalan, Malaysia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 88-97.
    7. Kosnik, Lea, 2008. "The potential of water power in the fight against global warming in the US," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 3252-3265, September.
    8. Egre, Dominique & Milewski, Joseph C., 2002. "The diversity of hydropower projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(14), pages 1225-1230, November.
    9. Kaunda, Chiyembekezo S., 2013. "Energy situation, potential and application status of small-scale hydropower systems in Malawi," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 1-19.
    10. Morimoto, Risako, 2013. "Incorporating socio-environmental considerations into project assessment models using multi-criteria analysis: A case study of Sri Lankan hydropower projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 643-653.
    11. Bahadori, Alireza & Zahedi, Gholamreza & Zendehboudi, Sohrab, 2013. "An overview of Australia's hydropower energy: Status and future prospects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 565-569.
    12. Bhutto, Abdul Waheed & Bazmi, Aqeel Ahmed & Zahedi, Gholamreza, 2012. "Greener energy: Issues and challenges for Pakistan-hydel power prospective," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 2732-2746.
    13. Sternberg, R., 2008. "Hydropower: Dimensions of social and environmental coexistence," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 12(6), pages 1588-1621, August.
    14. Kumar, Deepak & Katoch, S.S., 2015. "Small hydropower development in western Himalayas: Strategy for faster implementation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 571-578.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Huang, Sunhua & Zhou, Bin & Bu, Siqi & Li, Canbing & Zhang, Cong & Wang, Huaizhi & Wang, Tao, 2019. "Robust fixed-time sliding mode control for fractional-order nonlinear hydro-turbine governing system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 447-458.
    2. Kumar Sharma, Ameesh & Thakur, N.S., 2017. "Assessing the impact of small hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir: A study from north-western Himalayan region of India," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 679-693.
    3. Kumar Sharma, Ameesh & Thakur, N.S., 2017. "Energy situation, current status and resource potential of run of the river (RoR) large hydro power projects in Jammu and Kashmir: India," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 233-251.
    4. Irfan Rashid & Ulfat Majeed & Sheikh Aneaus & Juan Antonio Ballesteros Cánovas & Markus Stoffel & Nadeem Ahmad Najar & Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat & Sonam Lotus, 2020. "Impacts of Erratic Snowfall on Apple Orchards in Kashmir Valley, India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-14, November.
    5. Mayeda, A.M. & Boyd, A.D., 2020. "Factors influencing public perceptions of hydropower projects: A systematic literature review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    6. Konneh, Keifa Vamba & Masrur, Hasan & Konneh, David A. & Senjyu, Tomonobu, 2022. "Independent or complementary power system configuration: A decision making approach for sustainable electrification of an urban environment in Sierra Leone," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PD).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kelly-Richards, Sarah & Silber-Coats, Noah & Crootof, Arica & Tecklin, David & Bauer, Carl, 2017. "Governing the transition to renewable energy: A review of impacts and policy issues in the small hydropower boom," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 251-264.
    2. Wagner, Beatrice & Hauer, Christoph & Schoder, Angelika & Habersack, Helmut, 2015. "A review of hydropower in Austria: Past, present and future development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 304-314.
    3. Kumar, Deepak & Katoch, S.S., 2015. "Sustainability suspense of small hydropower projects: A study from western Himalayan region of India," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 220-233.
    4. Ptak, Thomas & Crootof, Arica & Harlan, Tyler & Kelly, Sarah, 2022. "Critically evaluating the purported global “boom” in small hydropower development through spatial and temporal analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    5. Anuja Shaktawat & Shelly Vadhera, 2021. "Risk management of hydropower projects for sustainable development: a review," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 45-76, January.
    6. Sharma, Ameesh Kumar & Thakur, N.S., 2015. "Resource potential and development of small hydro power projects in Jammu and Kashmir in the western Himalayan region: India," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1354-1368.
    7. Kumar Sharma, Ameesh & Thakur, N.S., 2017. "Assessing the impact of small hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir: A study from north-western Himalayan region of India," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 679-693.
    8. Kumar, Deepak & Katoch, S.S., 2015. "Small hydropower development in western Himalayas: Strategy for faster implementation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 571-578.
    9. Kumar, Deepak & Katoch, S.S., 2014. "Harnessing ‘water tower’ into ‘power tower’: A small hydropower development study from an Indian prefecture in western Himalayas," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 87-101.
    10. Năstase, Gabriel & Şerban, Alexandru & Năstase, Alina Florentina & Dragomir, George & Brezeanu, Alin Ionuţ & Iordan, Nicolae Fani, 2017. "Hydropower development in Romania. A review from its beginnings to the present," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 297-312.
    11. Kumar Sharma, Ameesh & Thakur, N.S., 2017. "Energy situation, current status and resource potential of run of the river (RoR) large hydro power projects in Jammu and Kashmir: India," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 233-251.
    12. Elke Kellner, 2019. "Social Acceptance of a Multi-Purpose Reservoir in a Recently Deglaciated Landscape in the Swiss Alps," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-22, July.
    13. Mayeda, A.M. & Boyd, A.D., 2020. "Factors influencing public perceptions of hydropower projects: A systematic literature review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    14. Tabi, Andrea & Wüstenhagen, Rolf, 2017. "Keep it local and fish-friendly: Social acceptance of hydropower projects in Switzerland," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P1), pages 763-773.
    15. Sharma, Naveen Kumar & Tiwari, Prashant Kumar & Sood, Yog Raj, 2013. "A comprehensive analysis of strategies, policies and development of hydropower in India: Special emphasis on small hydro power," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 460-470.
    16. Ghimire, Laxman Prasad & Kim, Yeonbae, 2018. "An analysis on barriers to renewable energy development in the context of Nepal using AHP," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 129(PA), pages 446-456.
    17. Qureshi, Tahir Masood & Ullah, Kafait & Arentsen, Maarten J., 2017. "Factors responsible for solar PV adoption at household level: A case of Lahore, Pakistan," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 754-763.
    18. Abbas, Tauqeer & Ahmed Bazmi, Aqeel & Waheed Bhutto, Abdul & Zahedi, Gholamreza, 2014. "Greener energy: Issues and challenges for Pakistan-geothermal energy prospective," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 258-269.
    19. Iqbal, Jamshed & Khan, Zeashan Hameed, 2017. "The potential role of renewable energy sources in robot's power system: A case study of Pakistan," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 106-122.
    20. Wajahat Ullah Khan Tareen & Zuha Anjum & Nabila Yasin & Leenah Siddiqui & Ifzana Farhat & Suheel Abdullah Malik & Saad Mekhilef & Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian & Ben Horan & Mohamed Darwish & Muhammad Aamir &, 2018. "The Prospective Non-Conventional Alternate and Renewable Energy Sources in Pakistan—A Focus on Biomass Energy for Power Generation, Transportation, and Industrial Fuel," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-49, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:93:y:2016:i:c:p:599-607. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.