Hydropower-Social Aspects of Sustainability

Hydropower schemes have the ability to significantly reduce poverty and enhance quality of lif e in t he co mmunities t hey ser ve.Access to electricity pr o motes new econo mic activity,empowers women by reducing domestic and repetitive chores such as firewood collection,i mpr oves healt h and education ser vices,and provides a cleaner and healthier home environ ment.Hydropower infrastructure,such as reservoirs,also provides multiple-use benefits,particularl y t hrough increased availability,reliability and quality of fresh water supplies and reduced flood risks.(https://www.daowen.com)

Local co mmunities are i mpacted by the change associated wit h new hydr o pr ojects.To be sustainable these schemes need to recognize entitlements and share benefits with directly affected people.The goal should be to ensure t hat all individuals and co mmunities affected by develop ments gain sustainable benefits.