Water - Sustainable Infrastructure

Sustainable Hydropower Infrastructure

A decade of learning about environmental and social risks has shifted the definition of sustainable hydropower infrastructure. Standards for environmental and social management of hydropower projects have been shaped by the World Commission on Dams, follow-up work by the UN Dams and Development Program, sustainability initiatives by both industry and non-industry organizations, and the requirements of financing institutions.

Key Challenges
It is now recognized that hydropower must be developed in the context of broader development goals, notably:

	responsible environmental management (e.g., ecosystem services and social impacts both upstream and downstream of facilities, and linkages, with a focus on ecosystem services);
	leveraging regional development opportunities for social inclusion, poverty alleviation, and social development (e.g., social infrastructure, benefit sharing with the poor and local communities, beyond compensation);
	integrated water and energy management (e.g., more informed and transparent trade-offs across economic, social, and environmental values);
	institutional development (e.g., compliance sustainability of operations).

World Bank Safeguards
Forty-four World Bank hydropower projects approved since 2003 support almost 9,700 MW of capacity. The World Bank requires all projects that they fund to remain in compliance with its quality standards (safeguards). The World Bank's environmental and social safeguard policies are designed to prevent and mitigate undue harm to people and their environment in the development process. Bank projects and programs have substantially increased their effectiveness and development impact as a result of these policies. Safeguard policies have often provided a platform for stakeholders to participate in project design, and have been an important instrument for building ownership among local populations.

The World Bank works in partnership with national governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector to support and plan quality hydropower projects that will succeed in financial, environmental, and social terms.