Doce razones para excluir a las grandes represas hidroeléctricas de las iniciativas renovables

The report presents twelve reasons why large hydroelectric projects are incompatible with the goals of renewable energy initiatives. It contends that these projects fail to alleviate poverty, divert funding from cleaner decentralized technologies, and often suffer from underestimated costs and overestimated benefits. The text highlights severe social and environmental impacts, including the forced displacement of 40 to 80 million people and the emission of greenhouse gases from reservoirs. It further argues that large dams increase vulnerability to climate change, are inflexible and costly to build, and are not truly renewable due to sedimentation.

• Large hydroelectric projects do not contribute to poverty eradication, unlike decentralized renewable projects. In several countries, massive dams exist while large portions of the population lack electricity: 70% of Ghanaians, half of Paraguayans, and small fractions of populations in Zambia and Zimbabwe remain without power despite hosting some of the world's largest dams.
• Including large dams in renewable energy initiatives diverts critical funding from 'new renewable energies'. For example, a single proposed project in Mozambique, the 1,300 MW Mphanda Nkuwa dam, could absorb between $441 and $735 million in carbon credits over 21 years, a sum that could potentially support 206 new renewable energy projects.
• Promoters of large dams consistently underestimate costs and overestimate benefits. A World Bank study of 66 dams found an average inflation-adjusted cost overrun of 27%, while a World Commission on Dams (WCD) study of 45 multipurpose dams showed an average overrun of 63%. Additionally, 35 out of 63 large dams reviewed by the WCD generated less energy than announced.
• Large dams increase vulnerability to climate change because they rely on historical hydrological patterns that are no longer reliable due to unpredictable floods and droughts. Furthermore, they do not provide the benefit of technology transfer, as the technology is already well-established in the Global South.
• The social and environmental costs of large dams are severe: 40 to 80 million people have been forcibly displaced to make way for 48,000 large dams. Environmentally, 60% of the world's largest river system is fragmented, contributing to the extinction or vulnerability of up to 35% of freshwater fish.
• Large reservoirs can emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases through the decomposition of organic matter. In tropical countries, some hydroelectric plants may have a greater impact on global warming than natural gas plants producing the same amount of electricity.
• Large hydroelectric projects are characterized by slow, inflexible, and increasing costs. They often suffer from 'site exhaustion' and take significantly longer to build than estimated; one World Bank study showed an average construction delay of 14 months beyond the pre-construction estimate.
• Large dams are not truly renewable due to sedimentation, which reduces reservoir storage capacity by 0.5-1% annually. This means 240 to 480 new large dams would need to be built every year just to maintain global reserve capacity.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2003). Doce razones para excluir a las grandes represas hidroeléctricas de las iniciativas renovables. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/12Reasons_esp.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Doce razones para excluir a las grandes represas hidroeléctricas de las iniciativas renovables. 2003. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/12Reasons_esp.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Doce razones para excluir a las grandes represas hidroeléctricas de las iniciativas renovables |date=November 2003 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/12Reasons_esp.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2003doce, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Doce razones para excluir a las grandes represas hidroeléctricas de las iniciativas renovables}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2003}, month = nov, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/12Reasons_esp.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }