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This article is based on the freely available data of the web-based hydropower map HYPOSO, which the authors compiled. Only the Ugandan river network and associated hydropower potential are highlighted here, using freely available geospatial datasets. The main objective was to assess Ugandan river and stream hydropower potential, compare it with previous assessments, and identify potential sites for small hydropower plant installation. GIS techniques were extensively used to analyse hydrological and other related geospatial data. The stream-reach power potential was determined based on channel slope, the length between tributaries, and the average flow derived from a specific runoff distribution map. Stream profiles extracted from the river network’s digital elevation model were validated against previous assessments. Uganda’s hydropower potential was determined in various patterns, and its values were compared with prior estimates. Around 500 potential high-energy intensity stream reaches and new potential areas for small hydropower plant development were identified in this country, considering a range of characteristics. Statistical datasets were analysed, and their straightforward summaries were presented. These summary characteristics of hydropower potential are necessary for decision-makers to foster hydropower development in this country.

Assessment of hydropower potential is the most important part of renewable sources balances. Quantification of the feasibility of hydropower plants realization is essential for estimating production of these kind of renewable energy sources. The quantitative assessment is most often based only of theoretical, technical and economic potential, which does not compare with real potential allowed to get from the river. The main scope of the paper is to show the course of action to estimate the effective potential of hydropower. Estimating the effective potential was done by research of actual legal procedures which allow the small hydropower plants realizations. The Upper Vistula water region in South Poland has been selected as an example area because of the highly recognized procedural conditions and many years’ experiences of the author. However the presented course of the analysis seems to be universal for investments in other regions in Poland and also in the other countries. The study case showing the main course, calculations and results of theoretical, technical and proposed effective potential of hydropower was based on Szreniawa river as an example. The resulting “effective potential of hydropower” provides the actual view on the hydropower generation capacity of the river and brings the actual values in prognosis and other computational appraisal. The comparison of results shown a very low value of actual potential with real possibilities of small hydropower plant realizations. The quantitative assessment based only of theoretical and technical potential of hydropower provides the overoptimistic results.

Sub-Saharan Africa has been at the epicenter of an ongoing global dialogue around the issue of energy poverty. More than half of the world’s population without access to modern energy services lives there. It also happens to be a sub-continent with plentiful renewable energy resource potential. Hydropower is one of them, and to a large extent it remains untapped. This study focuses on the technical assessment of small-scale hydropower (0.01–10 MW) in Sub-Saharan Africa. The underlying methodology was based on open source geospatial datasets, whose combination allowed a consistent evaluation of 712,615 km of river network spanning over 44 countries. Environmental, topological, and social constraints were included in the form of constraints in the optimization algorithm. The results are presented on a country and power pool basis.

As the effects of climate change are becoming severe, countries need to substantially reduce carbon emissions. Small hydropower (SHP) can be a useful renewable energy source with a high energy density for the reduction of carbon emission. Therefore, it is necessary to revitalize the development of SHP to expand the use of renewable energy. To efficiently plan and utilize this energy source, there is a need to assess the future SHP potential based on an accurate runoff prediction. In this study, the future SHP potential was predicted using a climate change scenario and an artificial neural network model. The runoff was simulated accurately, and the applicability of an artificial neural network to the runoff prediction was confirmed. The results showed that the total amount of SHP potential in the future will generally a decrease compared to the past. This result is applicable as base data for planning future energy supplies and carbon emission reductions.

To achieve sustainable development of hydroelectric resources, it is necessary to understand their availability, variability, and the expected impacts of climate change. Current research has mainly focused on estimating hydropower potential or determining the optimal locations for hydropower projects without considering the variability and historical trends of the resources. Herein, the hydropower potential variability from reconstructed streamflow series estimated with a non-parametric gap-filling method and geographic information systems (GIS) techniques are analyzed. The relationships between hydropower and large-scale climate variability, expressed by sea surface temperature, are explored. Finally, we project hydropower potential through 2050 using 15 global circulation models with representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5. We used four watersheds in central Chile as a case study. The results show significant interannual and inter-basin hydropower potential variability, with decreasing trends over time modulated by alternating positive and negative decadal trends; these modulations exhibit greater intensities than the general trends and are attributable to climatic oscillations such as El Niño. Future scenarios indicate high hydropower availability and a possible over-investment in hydroelectric plants in two of the four studied watersheds. Results show the need to improve the current policies that promote hydropower development including hydropower resource variability in order to achieve optimal, sustainable hydropower development worldwide.

Regional hydroclimatic variability and change can affect water resources and hydropower generation. It is essential to assess hydropower potential under current and future climatic conditions to inform the design and operation of hydropower infrastructures. Here, we employ an integrated modeling framework to assess the impact of projected hydroclimatic conditions on water resource systems and hydropower generation. The integrated framework samples climate model outputs under different scenarios to force a hydrologic model and produces streamflow projections. The projected streamflows are inputs for the future hydropower potential assessment. We implement the framework in the central Himalayan river basin. Our results demonstrate substantial spatiotemporal variability in different water balance components (precipitation, evapotranspiration, and water yield) under current and future climatic conditions. For the Himalayan Tila river basin, the annual average energy production is expected to increase under future hydroclimatic conditions (up to 39% in Tila-2 hydropower project, suggested by ensemble mean). This increase in energy is driven mainly by the increased streamflow projections, particularly during the dry season and in the late century. Our results highlight the impacts of hydroclimatic variability in hydropower productions and are of practical use to provide decision-relevant information for designing and operating hydropower infrastructures. The integrated modeling framework presented here is region-specific; however, the approach is reproducible, and the overall insights are generalizable across the Himalayan region.

A standardized range system based on carefully selected multi-criteria is proposed in this work to assess the feasibility of hydropower implementation. A thought process has been developed as a simple-to-use and easy-to-understand methodology. Today, due to the broad concern for the natural environment, the use of renewable energy sources has become globally popular. Subsequently, such solutions as the application of renewable energy for electricity generation are often considered the most environmentally friendly installations. Unfortunately, no methodology to assess the possibility of hydropower plant realization in either scientific or industry literature has been put forward, and this constitutes a blatant failure. The proposed range system has been designed to use selected information (head, available flow, fish migration, hydrotechnical infrastructure, protected areas, environmental flow, status of surface water body), which is available through a variety of sources that are easy to obtain. From analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of this research method, it was recognized that it is worth propagating and recommending for the practical estimation of the hydropower potential. The author believes that the novel contribution of the paper, which is the innovative range system, will be accepted for common use.

The article examines the potential of the infrastructure of water resources of the Kyrgyz Republic through the prism of the economic sustainability of the country, as well as issues of management and use. Water resources management is crucial for the further development of Kyrgyzstan. This includes improving the efficiency of water use in agriculture, responsible and sustainable development of hydropower resources, ensuring access to clean water for all segments of the population. The problems facing the water resources of Kyrgyzstan are noted, which, with the right policies, can use its water resources to promote economic growth and improve the well-being of its citizens. The potential of the water resources of the Kyrgyz Republic, which play an important role in the economic and political security of not only our country, but also the entire region of Central Asia, is considered. The water resources of the Kyrgyz Republic are completely formed on its own territory, and this is the political, economic and strategic advantage of the country. Kyrgyzstan is the only country in Central Asia with impressive water and hydropower resources. This should be Kyrgyzstan’s biggest chance as a “water power”.

The present study examines the possibilities for developing the use of small hydropower plants (SHP) in Slovakia, focusing on the principles of sustainability and compliance with European and national legislation. At present, there is a tendency for the construction of hydroelectric power plants to intervene in the river environment, with the potential to exert a substantial impact on the flow of the river and disrupt the surrounding ecosystem. A potential strategy for minimizing environmental impact would be the construction of SHPs, which require less construction work. The Hornád river sub-basin, located in eastern Slovakia, was selected as the study area. The spatial and hydrological data were processed using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. The hydrological characteristics of the area were determined through the utilization of a digital terrain model (DMR 5.0). The results of the hydrological analyses were then combined with environmental constraints to identify suitable locations for small hydropower plants. The theoretical and technical potential and gradient were calculated for individual sections of watercourses. It is estimated that approximately 61% of watercourse sections have a gradient greater than or equal to 10 m, which represents suitable conditions for the development of small hydropower plants. The presence of a stable flow regime engenders optimal conditions for the utilization of hydropower in the designated location. The study emphasizes the importance of environmental protection of the area, the resolution of property rights issues, and the streamlining of permitting processes. The results of the study contribute to energy planning at the regional level and confirm the effectiveness of using GIS in determining locations for small hydropower plants. Concurrently, emphasis is placed on the necessity to incorporate environmental and legislative imperatives within the overarching strategy for water energy development.

Globally there is already a lot of pressure on water resources because of climate change, economic development, as well as an increasing global populace. Many rivers originate in the mountains, where snowfall fluctuations and the global climate’s inherent unpredictability affect the hydrological processes. Climate change sensitivity has been recognized in recent years and would affect hydropower, such as humidity, cloudiness, and precipitation, that are considered; global warming emerges as one of the most important contributors to climate change. The Yangtze River supports rich biodiversity and provides important ecosystem services for human survival and development. In addition, climate changes, particularly short-term and long-term precipitation and temperature fluctuations, influence the snow regime and the hydrological development of river flow response at the basin and sub-basin scales. More precise this review focused to understand the hydropower potential, freshwater fisheries, and hydrological response of snow dynamics in snow-dominated basins.