Asian countries lead the world today in hydropower generation, with more growth projected in coming years. Indeed, the International Energy Agency estimates that global hydropower capacity will double between now and 2040, with half of that new development to take place in Asia.
Emerging economies in particular are under extraordinary pressure to harness the power offered by their rivers and other natural resources. But while hydropower dams are often hailed as sources of clean energy and economic transformation, they are not without tradeoffs, especially when development takes the form of a series of single projects, without consideration for the cumulative impacts on river systems as a whole -- and the communities and ecosystems that depend on them.
