IHA’s blog on Drought Management

The International Hydropower Association (IHA) recently released a blog titled "Drought Management: The Functions of Hydropower." While climate change projections suggest increased risks for hydropower as temperatures rise, the blog emphasizes the unique role hydropower infrastructure can play in mitigating drought impacts.

According to the IHA, even though droughts can affect hydropower generation, reservoirs associated with these projects offer crucial capabilities:

• Basin Resilience: Reservoirs can store water during wet seasons, creating a buffer during dry periods. This stored water can then be released to maintain water flow in rivers and maintain critical ecological functions.
• Socio-Economic Benefits: During droughts, hydropower can continue to generate electricity, providing a reliable source of power for homes, businesses, and vital infrastructure. This helps maintain economic activity and social well-being even during dry spells.

The blog highlights the economic significance of hydropower's role in drought mitigation. Moreover, a previous assessment estimated the combined annual economic benefits of hydropower's flood and drought control functions globally at a staggering 314.88 billion USD, representing 0.35% of global GDP.

To learn more about the drought mitigation capabilities of hydropower, you can read the full IHA blog post here.

Figure - Global GDP exposure to droughts for the historical period and the 2030s and 2050s under different climate scenarios. Taken from Sun et al. (2022).