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Climate change threatens hydropower energy security in the Amazon basin

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A new paper in Global Environmental Change led by Rafael Almeida examines the implications of climate change for hydropower production in the Amazon Basin. Projected changes in river discharge regimes will have serious implications for the reliability and cost-effectiveness of hydropower in many locations, suggesting that alternative energy sources such as wind and solar would be wise investments in place of an excessive dependence on hydropower alone. Excerpts from a press release and link to the open-access paper are below.

From EurekaAlert! press release:

Hydropower is the dominant source of energy in the Amazon region, the world’s largest river basin and a hotspot for future hydropower development. However, a new Global Environmental Change study warns that in the coming decades, climate change-driven reductions in precipitation and river discharge will diminish the Amazon’s hydropower capacity.

The study’s authors examined 351 proposed hydropower projects in the Amazon basin. Their findings suggest that hydrologic shifts by midcentury will reduce hydropower generation at many locations. As river discharge becomes increasingly variable and hydropower output declines, alternative energy sources like solar and wind are expected to become ever more important.

Lead author Rafael Almeida, a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University who was formerly a visiting graduate student at Cary, explains, “Run-of-river hydropower dams are designed to operate within a particular range of flows. Flows that are too low won’t generate power, and flows that are too high must be ‘spilled’, causing problems, and not generating extra power. As the Brazilian Amazon experiences more variability in precipitation, with higher ‘highs’, lower ‘lows’, and fewer periods of optimal flow, it will mean proposed hydropower plants will operate at full capacity less often.”

Link to full paper.

Chapter 3.3 – Climate change impacts on Native American water resources: engaging in culture-based solutions

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Impactos das mudanças climáticas nas águas dos povos Nativos Americanos: engajamento em soluções baseadas na cultura

O capítulo 3.3 – seção 3 do livro, versa sobre uma pesquisa coordenada pelo grupo da Dra. Karletta Chief, sobre o impacto do derramamento da mina Gold King no Rio San Juan. Foram investigados os impactos do derramamento sob a perspectiva do povo Navajo. Apontou-se 42 atividades, incluindo as artesanais e artísticas, de subsistência e de recreação – uma perspectiva muito mais ampla do que a do rio como um recurso exclusivo de recreação. Nesse tipo de pesquisa, uma abordagem participativa é fundamental. Assim, esse relato traz a experiência da comunicação bilateral, que foi facilitada pelas sessões de escuta nas quais a comunidade pode ouvir e dar voz a suas preocupações.

O texto destaca que os povos necessitam preparar-se com urgência para os impactos das mudanças climáticas, ao mesmo tempo, as medidas de adaptação devem estar acopladas às agendas tribais existentes para que sejam bem-sucedidas. Sabe-se que muitas vezes, os povos indígenas são deixados de fora da discussão, mas as sessões de escuta são uma maneira de mudar isso, pois possibilitam que os mesmos se tornem protagonistas das soluções que as áreas indígenas precisam.

Para ler o texto completo acesse o link: https://www.editorafi.org/19rios

Ressaltamos que para cada capítulo a versão em português é seguida imediatamente pela versão em inglês.

Climate change impacts on Native American water resources: engaging in culture-based solutions

Chapter 3.3 – section 3 of the book, describes research on the impact of the Gold King mine spill in the San Juan River, coordinated by Dr. Karletta Chief. Spill impacts were investigated from the perspective of the Navajo people. 42 activities, including craft, artistic, subsistence, and recreational activities were identified – a much broader perspective than that of the river as an exclusively recreational resource. In this type of research, a participatory approach is essential. Thus, this report brings the experience of bilateral communication, which was facilitated by listening sessions in which the community can hear and voice its concerns.

The text highlights that people urgently need to prepare for the impacts of climate change. At the same time, adaptation measures must be coupled with the existing tribal agendas in order to be successful. It is known that indigenous peoples are often left out of the discussion, but listening sessions are a way of changing this, enabling them to become protagonists in the solutions that indigenous areas need.

To read the full text, access the link: https://www.editorafi.org/19rios

We emphasize that for each chapter the version in Portuguese is followed immediately by the version in English.