This page has been accessed 30,491 times. Abbasi, T. at al. The hydroelectric life cycle produces very small amounts of greenhouse gasses.

MHP generated electricity can be useful for agro-processing and small service business (mills, shops…), which generate jobs and income.

Using Hydro Power Plants for Flood Prevention, http://www.icrepq.com/ICREPQ%2709/340-hueso.pdf, http://www.esha.be/fileadmin/esha_files/documents/SHERPA/Environmental_Barometer_SHP.pdf, https://energypedia.info/index.php?title=Socio-economic_and_Environmental_Impacts_of_MHP&oldid=201852.

International Conference on Small Hydropower – Hydro Sri Lanka, 22 – 24 October 2007.

(2007): Social and Environmental Impacts of a Mini-hydro Project on the Ma Oya Basin in Sri Lanka.

In addition, most of these projects were built years ago, when construction costs were low. MHP improves the access to information and telecommunication (via TV, radio, mobile phones). The greatest benefit from the USACE hydropower program is the abundant low-cost energy the projects contribute to electric power grids. Thoradeniya, B. et al. Latter also improves the communities’ social life, since community gatherings at night are possible and it benefits from electrical devices such as TV and radio.
Hydroelectric-production facilities are indeed not perfect (a dam costs a lot to build and also can have negative effects on the environment and local ecology), but there are a number of advantages of hydroelectric-power production as opposed to fossil-fuel power production. “Approximately 20% of the world’s electricity was produced by hydroelectric plants in 2006, representing about 88% of the electricity from renewable sources.” There are many types of fuels and energy, but it can normally be categorized into two groups: Renewable resources and nonrenewable resources. As new and improved hydropower technologies continue to be developed, hydroelectricity has the chance to become an even cleaner source of power.

However they tend to create small, shallow pools which can cause problems such as sedimentation as well as eutrophication and can thus affect water quality and lead to greenhouse gas emission. It should be noted, that some features might be considered positive in socio-economic terms but negative in environmental terms and vice versa.

Moreover aquatic species can be affected negatively in terms of migration and change of habitat condition[5]. The environmental impact of hydroelectric generation is complicated and necessitates examining the lifecycle of a hydropower plant. In many instances, such as the Three Gorges Dam in China, entire communities have also had to be relocated to make way for reservoirs [ 3 ]. As recent evaluation studies on MHP projects and the along going electricity supply suggest, particularly socio-economic impacts of the plants are to be considered positive.
Compared to large hydropower projects, micro hydropower (MHP) schemes have relatively low negative environmental and socio-economic impacts. Due to the enhanced technical equipment, more doctors and teachers are attracted to the mostly remote areas, which further improve health and education services[1][3].

Since MHP and PHP schemes do not require a reservoir and divert only part of the stream water away from a portion of the river to power the turbine, they only have little impact on the flora and fauna of the vicinity.

In: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 15 (4), 2134-2143.

Mostly, this type of power is taken from dams placed on rivers and streams, making the dams the biggest factor in impacting the environment. These are crucial inputs for raising awareness and allowing the creation of networks and interest groups. Moreover, women’s and children’s work load decreases, since they spend less time on energy related household tasks such as the collection of fire wood and water gathering. 2.Instantly we can switch off and on the power generation.

González et al. Hydroelectric power plants may affect fish is a complex interaction between numerous physical and biological factors. The impacts of hydropower schemes depend on the way they are designed. Furthermore women and children have more productive time which can be used for studying and thus education is improved. The communities’ safety in general improves due to street lighting at night. 3. Latter reduce water borne diseases due to contaminated surface water. The energy generated through hydropower relies on the water cycle, which is driven by the sun, making it a renewable power source, making it a more reliable and affordable source than fossil fuels that are rapidly being depleted.