scholarly journals Hydropower in the Context of Sustainable Energy Supply: A Review of Technologies and Challenges

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiyembekezo S. Kaunda ◽  
Cuthbert Z. Kimambo ◽  
Torbjorn K. Nielsen

Hydropower is an important renewable energy resource worldwide. However, its development is accompanied with environmental and social drawbacks. Issues of degradation of the environment and climate change can negatively impact hydropower generation. A sustainable hydropower project is possible, but needs proper planning and careful system design to manage the challenges. Well-planned hydropower projects can contribute to supply sustainable energy. An up-to-date knowledge is necessary for energy planners, investors, and other stakeholders to make informed decisions concerning hydropower projects. This is basically a review paper. Apart from using expert knowledge, the authors have also consulted extensively from journals, conference papers, reports, and some documents to get secondary information on the subject. The paper has reviewed the world energy scenario and how hydropower fits in as the solution to the global sustainable energy challenge. Issues of hydropower resource availability, technology, environment and climate change have been also discussed. Hydropower is sensitive to the state of environment, and climate change. With global climate change, though globally the potential is stated to slightly increase, some countries will experience a decrease in potential with increased risks. Adaptation measures are required to sustainably generate hydropower. These are also discussed in the paper.

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-158
Author(s):  
Umer Khayyam ◽  
Rida Bano ◽  
Shahzad Alvi

Abstract Global climate change is one of the main threats facing humanity and the impacts on natural systems as well as humans are expected to be severe. People can take action against these threats through two approaches: mitigation and adaptation. However, mitigations and adaptations are contingent on the level of motivation and awareness, as well as socio-economic and environmental conditions. This study examined personal perception and motivation to mitigate and adapt to climate change among the university students in the capital city of Pakistan. We divided the respondents into social sciences, applied sciences and natural sciences, using logistic regression analysis. The results indicated that students who perceive severity, benefits from preparation, and have more information about climate change were 1.57, 4.98 and 1.63 times more likely to take mitigation and 1.47, 1.14 and 1.17 times more likely to take adaptation measures, respectively. Students who perceived self-efficacy, obstacles to protect from the negative consequences of climate change and who belonged to affluent families were more likely to take mitigation measures and less likely to take adaptation strategies. However, mitigation and adaptation were unaffected by age, gender and study discipline.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelbari Elmariami ◽  
Wedad Elosta ◽  
Mohamed Elfleet ◽  
Yusef Khalifa

Abstract Wind offers Libya an abundant, domestic, and currently untapped carbon free energy resource. This paper describes LCA model of assessment for the identified wind farm near the coastal city Zawia in Libya. The city has been affected by GHG emissions associated with Oil refinery facilities for the last five decades. The model study investigates the life cycle energy performance of the wind farm and the environmental impact category indicators at midpoint level, specifically; acidification and climate change. LCA was conducted to the proposed utility-scale wind farm with total estimated power of 20 MW, the assessment was conducted using the principles of the international standards ISO14040 and 14044. The results demonstrated that the amount of CO2 that can be avoided from the proposed wind farm would be about 2 MtCO2. The other emissions that could be avoided are 352.7 kg CH4 and 63.5 kg N2O. This would contribute to the alleviation of global climate change and global sustainability energy system which is recommended by UN SDG7.


2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anika Nasra Haque ◽  
Stelios Grafakos ◽  
Marijk Huijsman

Dhaka is one of the largest megacities in the world and its population is growing rapidly. Due to its location on a deltaic plain, the city is extremely prone to detrimental flooding, and risks associated with this are expected to increase further in the coming years due to global climate change impacts as well as the high rate of urbanization the city is facing. The lowest-lying part of Dhaka, namely Dhaka East, is facing the most severe risk of flooding. Traditionally, excess water in this part of the city was efficiently stored in water ponds and gradually drained into rivers through connected canals. However, the alarming increase in Dhaka’s population is causing encroachment of these water retention areas because of land scarcity. The city’s natural drainage is not functioning well and the area is still not protected from flooding, which causes major threats to its inhabitants. This situation increases the urgency to adapt effectively to current flooding caused by climate variability and also to the impacts of future climate change. Although the government is planning several adaptive measures to protect the area from floods, a systematic framework to analyze and assess them is lacking. The objective of this paper is to develop an integrated framework for the assessment and prioritization of various (current and potential) adaptation measures aimed at protecting vulnerable areas from flooding. The study identifies, analyzes, assesses and prioritizes adaptive initiatives and measures to address flood risks in the eastern fringe area, and the adaptation assessment is conducted within the framework of multi-criteria analysis (MCA) methodology. MCA facilitates the participation of stakeholders and hence allows normative judgements, while incorporating technical expertise in the adaptation assessment. Based on the assessment, adaptive measures are prioritized to indicate which actions should be implemented first. Such a participatory integrated assessment of adaptation options is currently lacking in the decision-making process in the city of Dhaka and could greatly help reach informed and structured decisions in the development of adaptation strategies for flood protection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 02021
Author(s):  
Ivan Holúbek ◽  
Marián Tóth ◽  
Tomáš Rábek ◽  
Johana Jakabovičová

Research background: Globalization is a powerful engine of structural changes in national, regional and global economies. Except for positive economic effects, globalization also has negative effects. One of them is the deterioration of the global environmental situation and the ongoing global climate change. Purpose of the article: The paper focuses on the current global financing trends to mitigate the effects of climate change. Generally financial funds come from international, national and regional actors. Governments have a range of funding mechanisms and resources at their disposal. Within the EU, these are the Structural Funds, investment funds and the financing from European Investment Bank. At the national level, it is financial assistance from state budgets and local government budgets. Methods: The paper provides literature review of the possibilities of financing climate change at the national and international level and, using analysis and synthesis, points to future trends and sources of financing climate change. We also analyse the proposal of Common agricultural policy 2021-2027 and effects on Slovak agriculture. European Commission wants member states to use up to 40% of the budget for environmental goods and climate change. Slovakia might have problems to spend the allocation due to the fact, that most of the money will be voluntary schemes. Farmers will have the option to participate. Findings & Value added: Agriculture is seriously exposed to the adverse effects of climate change as agricultural activities are directly depending on climate conditions. The article analyses in detail the possibilities and sources of financing adaptation measures in the Slovak agricultural sector.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-83
Author(s):  
Lyudmila Levkovska ◽  
Alla Omelchenko

It is substantiated that the development of scientific and technological progress since the middle of the last century has led to intensive industrialization that, together with globalization processes, has resulted in global climate change. Nowadays, combating global warming is one of the most challenging and urgent tasks of humanity. Sweeping changes in natural systems, primarily an increase in the frequency and duration of droughts, floods, melting glaciers and rising water in the seven seas, biodiversity loss, etc., are the effect of global temperature rise. There is also a deterioration of living conditions and standards of the public, declining food security, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The research outlines the main trends in climate change. It is clarified the impact of climate change on the environment, man, society, and economy. The authors emphasize the significance and role of local actions towards adapting to the effects of climate change, which may become a tool for reducing climate risks in a global environment. It is justified that the challenge of climate change is addressed by joint efforts of each state of the world economic space. The effects of climate change and adaptation measures within economic realms are regarded by relying on global experience. The purpose of the article is to determine strategic guidelines for implementing adaptation measures to the impact of climate change to guarantee global environmental security. The research is based on a systems approach to solving the issue of guaranteeing global environmental security. In this context, it refers to the stimulation of constant economic modernization and the development of a new economic structure of the 21st century aimed at searching for effective mechanisms and tools promoting the measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. First of all, this means the implementation of energy-saving technologies, which will reduce the energy intensity of production and thus, increase economic energy efficiency and enhance global environmental security.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 4839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Coilín ÓhAiseadha ◽  
Gerré Quinn ◽  
Ronan Connolly ◽  
Michael Connolly ◽  
Willie Soon

Concern for climate change is one of the drivers of new, transitional energy policies oriented towards economic growth and energy security, along with reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and preservation of biodiversity. Since 2010, the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) has been publishing annual Global Landscape of Climate Finance reports. According to these reports, US$3660 billion has been spent on global climate change projects over the period 2011–2018. Fifty-five percent of this expenditure has gone to wind and solar energy. According to world energy reports, the contribution of wind and solar to world energy consumption has increased from 0.5% to 3% over this period. Meanwhile, coal, oil, and gas continue to supply 85% of the world’s energy consumption, with hydroelectricity and nuclear providing most of the remainder. With this in mind, we consider the potential engineering challenges and environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the main energy sources (old and new). We find that the literature raises many concerns about the engineering feasibility as well as environmental impacts of wind and solar. However, none of the current or proposed energy sources is a “panacea”. Rather, each technology has pros and cons, and policy-makers should be aware of the cons as well as the pros when making energy policy decisions. We urge policy-makers to identify which priorities are most important to them, and which priorities they are prepared to compromise on.


Author(s):  
Bair Gomboev ◽  
◽  
Bair Tsydypov ◽  
Aleksandr Ayurzhanaev ◽  
Svetlana Puntsukova ◽  
...  

The assessment of ecosystem services of the forest is presented as the most important part of natural resources in the Selenga river basin located in the territory of Inner Asia. The analysis of the dynamics of forest fires, which are one of the consequences of global climate change, is presented. The adaptation measures in the forestry sector to this change are considered.


2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-6
Author(s):  
Syunsuke Ikeda ◽  
◽  

As pointed out by Assessment Report 4 of IPCC, global climate change will increase the magnitude and frequency of water-related disasters such as flooding, surge and drought. In addition to this the social changes such as population problems in Japan will aggravate the vulnerability to the disasters. Two concepts to cope with the water-related disasters triggered by climate change are adaptation and mitigation. Though abatement of GHG gas emissions has been eagerly argued, Japan should be more concerned with and take the initiative both for mitigation and adaptation. As adaptation measures for water-related disasters, 3 measures are proposed in this paper; building disaster-awareness societies, building physical/social structures, and adaptation R&D. In addition to them, it is necessary to bring reconstruction of the national land into medium- and long term views as paradigm shift. In this paper, the following recommendations are proposed for the adaptation: the Japanese government should be aware of the importance of adaptation and strongly promote adaptation to mitigate water-related disasters, and the government should also cooperate in establishing adaptation in sustaining development of Asian monsoon areas and development programs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 164 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bano Mehdi ◽  
Julie Dekens ◽  
Mathew Herrnegger

AbstractThe Ruhezamyenda catchment in Uganda includes a unique lake, Lake Bunyonyi, and is threatened by increasing social and environmental pressures. The COSERO hydrological model was used to assess the impact of climate change on future surface runoff and evapotranspiration in the Lake Bunyonyi catchment (381 km2). The model was forced with an ensemble of CMIP5 global climate model (GCM) simulations for the mid-term future (2041–2070) and for the far future (2071–2100), each with RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. In the Ruhezamyenda catchment, compared to 1971–2000, the median of all GCMs (for both RCPs) showed the mean monthly air temperature to increase by approximately 1.5 to 3.0 °C in the mid-term future and by roughly 2.0 to 4.5 °C in the far future. The mean annual precipitation is generally projected to increase, with future changes between − 25 and + 75% (RCP8.5). AET in the Lake Bunyonyi catchment was simulated to increase for the future by approximately + 8 mm/month in the median of all GCMs for RCP8.5 for the far future. The runoff for future periods showed much uncertainty, but with an overall increasing trend. A combination of no-regrets adaptation options in the five categories of: governance; communication and capacity development; water, soil, land management and livelihoods improvement; data management; and research, was identified and validated with stakeholders, who also identified additional adaptation actions based on the model results. This study contributes to improving scientific knowledge on the impacts of climate change on water resources in Uganda with the purpose to support adaptation.


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