22 July 2019: WWF and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have launched a research report that argues that solar and wind power and energy storage technologies can meet the world’s energy needs while preserving the health and connectivity of river systems. The report highlights the scope for renewables to serve developing countries while avoiding construction of hydropower dams on some of the world’s major rivers, such as the Amazon, Mekong, and Irrawaddy rivers.

Announcing the report, WWF highlighted a global study published in the science journal Nature. The study showed that, of rivers measuring more than 1,000 kilometers in length, just 37% remain free-flowing. TNC drew attention to the recommendation of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) to protect and restore river connectivity in the interests of maintaining freshwater fisheries and the well-being of local riparian communities. Noting that dams and reservoirs are the major cause of river habitat fragmentation, WWF highlighted that the falling costs of renewable energy can make electricity systems affordable for populations that previously lacked such access.

The 104-page report titled, ‘Connected and Flowing: A Renewable Future for Rivers, Climate and People,’ finds that more than 3,700 hydropower dams are currently being planned, including large ones in Cambodia, Tanzania, and Brazil. The authors argue that, in comparison, wind and solar energy technologies are low-cost and low-impact, as well as being low-carbon, and could meet global renewable energy targets many times over. The report contains examples of countries that have successfully navigated a transition to ecologically-friendly alternatives, such as the use of “small hydro” in Switzerland, strategic dam removal in Maine, US, and uptake of solar and wind energy in Chile.

The authors recommend that governments reassess their plans for hydropower to factor in the full value of rivers, and create competitive frameworks to accelerate the renewable energy revolution and help meet the international commitments of the SDGs, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). They call on developers and financial institutions to facilitate the transition to renewables by supporting more comprehensive upstream planning and improving their own project assessments by using sustainability protocols and safeguards.

SDG target 7.1 aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services, while target 7.2 seeks to increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The report was launched ahead of the seventh World Hydropower Congress in Paris, France, from 14-16 May 2019. [Publication: Connected and Flowing: A Renewable Future for Rivers, Climate and People] [UN-Water Report Webpage] [WWF Press Release]