Accelerating Sustainability by Hydropower Development in China: The Story of HydroLancang

Abstract

Sustainable development is a shared responsibility. Accelerating sustainability of water-energy-people nexus and building a common awareness of issues pertaining to sustainable development are essential for any sort of success in this direction. Hydropower has been a useful sustainable energy for development, yet highly controversial. This paper reviews the overall situation of hydropower development and China's energy reforms and policies, accompanied with a case study of hydropower development the Lancang River by the HydroLancang, aiming to illustrate the two opposite sides of hydropower development-economy and environment. The paper concludes with a neutral view of hydropower as the necessary facilitator for development. Water is a shared responsibility. Hydropower might not be the optimum solution to eliminate the tension between human demand of energy and finite natural resource and the rising pressure of climate change worldwide, but it serves well as an "Electricity Bridge" before better alternatives become available. This is a more balanced view of hydropower rather than two extreme viewpoints that present themselves: on the one hand, exaggerated claims of the human power to tame the wild river, and, on the other hand, the idealistic fantasy of preserving nature by abandoning all human activity.

How bacterioplankton community can go with cascade damming in the highly regulated Lancang–Mekong River Basin

“…In recent decades, many large rivers worldwide have suffered from increasing anthropogenic disturbances as a result of social and economic development (Grumbine & Xu, ); and river damming is one of the largest anthropogenic disturbances (Winemiller et al., ). Dam constructions, especially integrated cascade development along large rivers, coordinate hydropower generation, water supply, flood control, shipping and irrigation within the catchment (Zhang, ). However, highly regulated rivers have generated inevitable hydrological alterations through space (Kummu & Varis, ).…”

“…The Lancang River is the upper reaches of the Lancang–Mekong River, with a length of 2,161 km and a catchment of 167,487 km 2 (Zhang, ), and it exhibits potentially abundant hydropower as the elevation drop along the river is more than 4,700 m (Liu et al., ). At present, a 21‐cascade damming scheme has been planned for the mainstream of the Lancang River, along which seven dams have already been constructed and are in operation: Miaowei, Gongguoqiao (GGQ), Xiaowan (XW), Manwan (MW), Dachaoshan (DCS), Nuozhadu (NZD) and Jinghong (JH) (Winemiller et al., ).…”

Sedimentary microeukaryotes reveal more dispersal limitation and form networks with less connectivity than planktonic microeukaryotes in a highly regulated river

“…The Lancang River is the upper section of the Lancang–Mekong River and has a length of 2,161 km and a catchment of 167,487 km 2 , which is the largest transboundary river in Southeast Asia (Zhang, 2017). The river flows across diverse climatic regions from alpine meadow to tropical rain and monsoon forests and is subject to varying natural environment conditions (Zhao et al., 2012).…”

Quantitative Evaluation of the Sustainable Development Capacity of Hydropower in China Based on Information Entropy

“…CO 2 emissions are related closely with energy usage, from a life cycle perspective, the CO 2 produced during construction and operation of hydropower projects is seldom, comparing to the use of non-renewables. Studies have also shown that the potential of hydropower development in the world economy can reduce GHG emissions (13%) and avoid SO 2 emissions greater [30,39]. So, hydropower is a green energy source that contributes less GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions and reduce pollution during the operational phase [40,41].…”

“…The overnight cost of a hydropower plant does not include interest during construction (Insulation Distribution Connection). As a result, in terms of the unit cost of electricity generation, hydropower is still higher than all currently available energies [30]. Besides, investments in infrastructure (access roads, dams and canals), communications and skill building in large projects can support regional economic development [31].…”