The event included launch of the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol. The protocol is a tool that allows all those involved in planning and building of a hydropower plant to assess its impact and minimise the detrimental effects at all points in the process.

“Dam building is a complex process. It affects communities, ecosystems and economies, and often pits their interests against one another. With pressure to create safe, low-carbon energy sources, we can expect dramatic expansion of hydropower. But we can mitigate the conflicts if we thoughtfully and thoroughly assess potential environmental, economic and social impacts,” said WWF Water Security Leader Dr Joerg Hartmann.

The Protocol is the result of intensive work from 2008 to 2010 by the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Forum, a multi-stakeholder body with representatives from: social and environmental NGOs, governments, commercial and development banks, and the hydropower sector, represented by IHA.

Under the Protocol, projects would be ranked on a scale of one to five according to their likely effects on biodiversity, ecology, hydrology and erosion as well as on broader issues regarding regional planning, cultural heritage and effect on local inhabitants.

The protocol, which is voluntary, has faced some criticism because a poor rating may not prevent a project from going ahead.