Managing Environmental and Social Impacts of Hydropower in Bhutan
Development of Bhutan’s untapped hydro power resources has the potential to spur economic growth, rapidly increase export revenue,reduce poverty, and bring about sustained improvements in human development. The Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) has...
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| Format: | Report |
| Language: | English en_US |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2016
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/08/26663936/managing-environmental-social-impacts-hydropower-bhutan http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24914 |
| Summary: | Development of Bhutan’s untapped hydro
power resources has the potential to spur economic growth,
rapidly increase export revenue,reduce poverty, and bring
about sustained improvements in human development. The Royal
Government of Bhutan (RGoB) has,therefore, embarked on an
ambitious plan to develop the renewable hydropower
resourcesin the country. Large hydropower plants generating
1,606 MW are already operational,and new plants with an
additional capacity of3,658 MW are under construction and
expectedto be commissioned by 2018 and 19. According to
these plans, the RGoB will commission closeto 12,600 MW of
new hydropower by the end of the next decade, becoming by
far the highest hydropower producer per capita in the world.
The findings of this study are framed in the
Bhutanesecontext and focus on recommendations that are
relevant for Bhutan. The study has found that the main
impacts of hydropower development in Bhutan relate to
aquatic biodiversity and are cumulative,meaning that they
are not of immediate concernbut should get priority
attention once the development of hydropower accelerates.
This study has identified a number of gaps inthe management
of E&S impacts and rankedthem according to relevance for
Bhutan. In conclusion, despite due awareness and a
goodregulatory framework for managing the E&Simpacts of
hydropower in Bhutan, challengesremain in the upstream
planning and in the implementation of the assessment and
mitigation of impacts, mainly because of the lack of
capacity among key government institutions to ensure quality
and enforce good practices. Addressing the capacity
constraints, and providing keyinstitutions with the tools,
structures, and skills necessary for proper E&S
management of hydropower would benefit the sustainability of
Bhutan’s natural and cultural values, as well as its
hydropower and economic development. |
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