Big concerns with small projects: Evaluating the socio-ecological impacts of small hydropower projects in India
| Autor: | Shishir Rao, Siddarth Machado, Anup Prakash, Suman Jumani |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Conservation of Natural Resources
Resource (biology) 020209 energy Elephants Geography Planning and Development India 02 engineering and technology Interview data Socio ecological Electric Power Supplies Report 0202 electrical engineering electronic engineering information engineering Animals Humans Environmental Chemistry Environmental policy Baseline (configuration management) Small hydro Ecology business.industry Environmental resource management General Medicine Environmental Policy Socioeconomic Factors General level Respondent Business |
| Zdroj: | Ambio. 46:500-511 |
| ISSN: | 1654-7209 0044-7447 |
| Popis: | Although Small Hydropower Projects (SHPs) are encouraged as sources of clean and green energy, there is a paucity of research examining their socio-ecological impacts. We assessed the perceived socio-ecological impacts of 4 SHPs within the Western Ghats in India by conducting semi-structured interviews with local respondents. Primary interview data were sequentially validated with secondary data, and respondent perceptions were subsequently compared against the expected baseline of assured impacts. We evaluated the level of awareness about SHPs, their perceived socio-economic impacts, influence on resource access and impacts on human-elephant interactions. The general level of awareness about SHPs was low, and assurances of local electricity and employment generation remained largely unfulfilled. Additionally most respondents faced numerous unanticipated adverse impacts. We found a strong relationship between SHP construction and increasing levels of human-elephant conflict. Based on the disparity between assured and actual social impacts, we suggest that policies regarding SHPs be suitably revised. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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