Small Hydro Development in the Indian Himalaya : Implications for Environmental Assessment Reform

India is promoting the vast hydropower potential of the Himalayan region, and the northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are encouraging small, medium and major hydro projects. Our research examined the approval processes for small hydro in these states with a view to making recommendations for policy improvements. We describe local understandings of project impacts, review public participation in project approvals, and discuss extending the national environmental assessment law to small hydro. We used a retrospective case study of three hydro projects, semi-structured qualitative interviews, a review of policy and project-specific case documents, and field observations. We found that residents of affected communities held similar views respecting the positive and negative impacts these projects might have, whether the impacts occurred or not. We canvassed predicted impacts such as job creation, increased access to electricity, improved local infrastructure, loss of cultural assets, and removal of trees. Further, the case study revealed opportunities for earlier, more decentralized, and more active participation in small hydro approval processes. We conclude that the legal exemption for small hydro has left an important gap in India’s environmental assessment regime. Improved project-level assessments, catchment-based cumulative effects assessments, and better local involvement are needed for small hydro development.