Promoting Small Hydropower Resources

Updating and disseminating the World Small Hydropower Development Report and creating pilot project initiatives

A pioneer in small hydropower technology with nearly 50,000 installations throughout the country, China is sharing its extensive experience with rest of the world. With the support and guidance of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Center on Small Hydropower (IC-SHP) in Hangzhou, China is leading small hydropower expansion globally. To fast track this initiative, the Government of China collaborated with UNIDO to initiate this project, which began in 2013 and was successfully completed in 2019. The project aimed to provide development information about all aspects of small hydropower to benefit countries in need. 

The 2016 World Small Hydropower Development Report built on the first publication in 2013 and was the result of a significant collaborative effort between UNIDO, IC-SHP and professionals from around the world. Over 230 experts and scholars in the field from government institutions, research institutes, universities, colleges and hydropower companies contributed to the country and regional reports. Analysis of the status of small hydropower development in each country included the following aspects: an overview of the electricity sector, small hydropower capacity and potential, renewable energy policy and barriers to small hydropower development. Other issues covered in country reports include information on the power grid structure, electricity tariffs and future short-term projects, as well as incentives, policies and plans for renewable energy development. 

While working on the 2016 Report, interactions with professionals and government representatives from various countries generated interest in small hydropower projects, which has already resulted in several additional projects under South-South cooperation. During his visit to IC-SHP, former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his appreciation for the project’s impacts. Following the launching ceremony, a group of countries from Africa, led by the Secretariat of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, established collaborations to scale up small hydropower and grow business on the continent. Similarly, a new centre on small hydropower facilitation was proposed in Colombia. 

With the publication of the World Small Hydropower Development Report every three years, UNIDO and IC-SHP China share and disseminate the latest information on the status of small hydropower across the world. This flagship initiative of UNIDO is expected to boost productivity, industrialization and regional economic development. It is the compilation of valuable information on global small hydropower and serves as a crucial guide for policymakers and investors. With its first publication of in 2013, the second edition in 2016 and the third in 2019, UNIDO and IC-SHP are supporting sustainable development on a global scale. The progress, benefits and good practices seen at the international level will build confidence for and empower many countries with the potential resources to adopt suitable strategies and policies to explore this technology. Many African countries, including Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, have included small hydropower in their priority plans. 

Using small hydropower for industrial development is in itself an innovative approach to solving development challenges. With little investment, the project disseminates information on small hydropower and is able to benefit countries by bringing together a number of stakeholders to provide manageable technological solutions for energy generation. Small hydropower therefore enhances local economies and supports poverty reduction in providing energy access to many households. Its use also benefits the environment, women and children and provides economic opportunities to local residents. Within the framework of South-South cooperation, the project contributed to knowledge-sharing and technology transfers between China and the countries developing this technology. A new South-South initiative to promote small hydropower was undertaken in 2020 by China and five recipient countries: Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria and Peru. China also provided support for small hydropower projects in Ghana and Zambia. 

Within the framework of inclusive and sustainable industrial development, UNIDO and its IC-SHP counterpart aim to scale up sustainable small hydropower development for productive uses in interested countries. The various types of equipment and accessories are sourced from several places; most are basic in nature and available in almost every country. In some cases, they are sourced from nearby countries. This is achieved by providing technical assistance in resource assessment, conducting feasibility studies and developing technical and business proposals. 

Small hydropower technology is environmentally friendly, simple to operate and proven to be effective in different local contexts. For this reason, small hydropower projects could easily be replicated in a number of developing countries. China has recently provided support for these projects within the context of South-South cooperation. Many others, including Colombia, Haiti, Mongolia, the Philippines and the Sudan, are currently seeking to collaborate with UNIDO in this regard.