The on-paper hydropower boom: A case study of corruption in the hydropower sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dogmus, Özge Can; Nielsen, Jonas Østergaard

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106630

Cited by 16 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The development of SHP has boomed since the late 20th century to meet the energy demands of rapidly growing communities worldwide. This growth has mainly occurred under the misguided assumptions that SHP is an environmentally benign, low-carbon energy source that contributes to social and economic vitality in the local community (Dogmus andNielsen 2020, Hennig andHarlan 2018). The upfront costs of SHP are often much cheaper than that of LHP, which makes SHP construction highly enticing to developing countries, especially for areas without access to the power grid (Hennig and Harlan 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This phenomenon has been highly motivated by the desire to fulfill international agendas such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially as resources become more stressed under climate change (Dogmus andNielsen 2020, Geoffrey et al 2018). Reaching these development and policy goals frequently make participating countries eligible for significant international funding, further providing ostensible benefits of SHP construction (Dogmus and Nielsen 2020;Panayotou 2013). As of 2018, more than 82,000 SHP has been constructed worldwide (Couto and Olden 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some scientists have suggested that the notion of a global boom is misused as the boom has been located in a few specific regions (Dogmus and Nielsen 2018). Regions where intense development of SHP persists include Eastern and Central Europe, Latin America, Africa, India, Nepal, and a handful of countries in Asia but none have installed capacities that compare to China (Couto and Olden 2018;Dogmus and Nielsen 2020;Inset 2010). In Bosnia and Herzegovina, SHP planning has boomed in efforts to provide a "clean" source of energy for the developing region but also is highly motivated by fulfilling international agendas and the potential rewards that follow.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Bosnia and Herzegovina, SHP planning has boomed in efforts to provide a "clean" source of energy for the developing region but also is highly motivated by fulfilling international agendas and the potential rewards that follow. In practice, realized development of SHP has been compromised by rife corruption in the form of bribes, concessions being granted without submitting official permitting applications, and conducting insufficient environmental impact assessments or not (Dogmus and Nielsen 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In sum, dams can make communities more vulnerable to droughts and flooding if they believe more water is available than actually is. Competition over these inaccurately accounted for resources could lead to social conflict (Dogmus andNielsen 2020, Lange et al 2019).…”

Section: Hydrological Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate Change Exacerbates the Impacts of Small Hydropower Projects

Armond¹

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Despite a growing understanding of its impacts, hydropower remains a principal source of renewable energy around the world. While the tide is turning against large hydropower projects because of their documented effects on biodiversity, agriculture, communities, and greenhouse gas emissions, small hydropower projects (SHP) are still considered by most governments and funding entities to have few or no detrimental impacts. Subsequently, SHP has been promoted as a viable energy strategy, particularly in developing countries. The myth of SHP's small impact has been perpetuated in part because most SHP projects do not require an environmental impact assessment, obscuring impacts from stakeholders and decision makers. In this paper, we underscore the need for a formal environmental review process for SHP projects. In addition, we highlight specific impacts that are uniquely exacerbated by climate change (in this study, changes to precipitation and temperature), which are often overlooked even when environmental impacts are considered. We identified four significant SHP project impacts: (1) barriers to migration, (2) hydrological stress, (3) alteration of downstream conditions, and (4) degradation of the surrounding ecosystem, and examined how they might be affected by a changing climate. In each instance, we determined that the shifts of temperature and precipitation expected under climate change were likely to increase negative impacts. Without a standard, rigorous process for evaluating SHP projects and assessing their interactions with climate change, projects run the risk of harming ecosystems and communities and stranding investors. v AcknowledgementsIf I had the time and space to appropriately acknowledge everyone who has assisted or supported me somewhere along my academic and professional journey, I would need another two years and could produce another manuscript's worth of writing. It is all very emotional and overwhelming to think about now but I will try my best to push through it. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Karina Nielsen. From the very first conversation, it became clear that Karina and I were kindred spirits in a way. Both of us hailing from the northeast USA with big dreams and an unwavering confidence in ourselves that is characteristic of those who call the region home. Like Karina, I came from humble beginnings and I just knew a journey to the West Coast was one that was as equally terrifying as it was promising. We came in search of our true selves and opportunity, but I believe I speak for us both when I say we found so much more than we could have imagined or hoped for. From Karina, I learned the values of perseverance, aiming high, and to have faith in yourself and your vision even when others may not be able to see what you see. This instilled in me an ability to reject traditional approaches for the sake of conformity, to push boundaries where I felt necessary, and to trust in my own abilities and to define my life and what success looks like for myself. Many tim...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%