Energy-Water-Climate Planning for Development Without Carbon in Latin America and the Caribbean

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the viability of hydroelectric power as a low-carbon energy source for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) under the framework of "development without carbon" (DWC). It analyzes the intersection of energy needs, water availability, and climate change, highlighting how shifting precipitation and glacial retreat threaten hydropower reliability. The document advocates for integrated planning using the Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) and Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) tools to manage the water-energy nexus.

• Hydropower is a dominant electricity source in the LAC region, providing 46 percent of its electricity, which is significantly higher than the global average of 16 percent. However, only 21 to 38 percent of the region's hydroelectric potential has been realized.
• Regional hydropower production varies greatly: the Southern Cone produces the most (484,458 GWh), accounting for 68 percent of total electricity production. The Andean Group generates 71 percent (165,859 GWh) of its electricity from hydropower, while the Caribbean relies very little on it due to limited surface water.
• Rising temperatures over the last 30 years have caused critical glacial retreat in Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. Small Andean glaciers are expected to disappear within the next 15 years, which will negatively impact water availability and hydropower generation.
• Future temperature projections for the LAC region indicate a warming trend of 0.4°C to 1.8°C by 2020 and 1.0°C to 7.5°C by 2080, with the most significant warming expected in the Southern Cone and Andean Region.
• Climate change introduces significant uncertainty in precipitation, which limits the effectiveness of forecasts for energy planning. Projections for 2080 in the Andean Region range from a 20 to 40 percent reduction to a 5 to 10 percent increase.
• Many existing hydropower facilities in LAC are vulnerable because they were designed based on climatic patterns that are now changing. In the Southern Cone and Andean Group, conventional hydropower is already susceptible to rainfall anomalies caused by El Niño and La Niña.
• Hydropower requires significantly more water than other energy sources, using 17 liters per KWh compared to 1.9 for coal and 2.6 for nuclear, although it returns water to the system after generation.
• The Stockholm Environment Institute is integrating two tools—Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) and the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system (LEAP)—to create a combined framework for water-energy nexus planning. WEAP focuses on water resource allocation and adaptation, while LEAP focuses on energy policy and mitigation.
• Biofuel production as a low-carbon alternative may increase water stress in certain regions. Studies in the Dominican Republic (Yaque del Sur) and Peru (Rio Chiura-Piura) indicate that water availability may limit the expansion of energy crops for bioethanol.

APA

Escobar, M., López, F. F., & Clark, V. (2011). Energy-Water-Climate Planning for Development Without Carbon in Latin America and the Caribbean. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/sei-development-without-carbon-ph2.pdf

Chicago

Escobar, Marisa, Francisco Flores López, and Victoria Clark. Energy-Water-Climate Planning for Development Without Carbon in Latin America and the Caribbean. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2011. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/sei-development-without-carbon-ph2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Escobar |first1=Marisa |last2=López |first2=Francisco Flores |last3=Clark |first3=Victoria |title=Energy-Water-Climate Planning for Development Without Carbon in Latin America and the Caribbean |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=November 2011 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/sei-development-without-carbon-ph2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{escobar2011energywaterclimate, author = {Escobar, Marisa and López, Francisco Flores and Clark, Victoria}, title = {{Energy-Water-Climate Planning for Development Without Carbon in Latin America and the Caribbean}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2011}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/sei-development-without-carbon-ph2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }