1. Hydropower generation and water management under change
Arthur Mynett & Miroslav Marence
UNESCO-IHE
Round Table – Business in Water Scare Areas
the importance of conflict sensitive management strategies
Den Haag, 29 March 2016

2. UNESCO-IHE – Institute for Water Education
UNESCO-IHE is the largest international graduate education institute in the field of water. The institute confers fully accredited MSc degrees and promotes PhDs.
Since 1957 the Institute has provided graduate education to more than 15,000 water professionals from over 162 countries, the vast majority from the developing world.
140 PhD fellows are currently enrolled in water-related research. The Institute carries out numerous research and capacity development projects throughout the world.

3. Hydropower as multipurpose driver

4. Sharing the basin – potential conflicts
1978
214 international basins
Today
263 international basins (breakup of the Soviet Union and Balkan states, better digital mapping technology)
Examples
Nile - shared by 10 countries
Danube - shared by 17 countries
Water could act as unifier or irritant in the basin

5. Key issues in water disputes
Quantity - Competing claims for a scare resource
Water allocation for different users and uses such as ecosystem needs and individual livelihoods can lead to disputes
Quality - Unclean water poses serious threats to human and ecosystem health
Pollution and excessive levels of salt, nutrients or solids make water inappropriate for drinking, industry and even agriculture.
Degradation becomes a source of conflict between those who cause it and those affected by it.
Timing - Timing of water flow is often critical and operational patterns of dams have competing interests
In winter dams may release water upstream for hydropower
In summer water is needed downstream for irrigation

6. Conflict potential – Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Situation:
Ethiopia is building a huge dam on Blue Nile 55km upstream birder with Sudan
Capacity over MW, reservoir over 60 billion cubic meters
Filling of reservoir needs several years – concern of downstream countries Sudan and Egypt
In operation change of flooding regime and availability of water (possibility for other uses in Sudan – concern of Egypt)
Rational solution by cooperation
water is conserved (stored) in area with less evaporation and more water available in region
additional electrical energy
compensations and compromises in filling and operation
Potential for cooperation

7. Conflict potential – Aral Sea Basin
Situation:
Energy demand strong during winter (heating and cotton processing) in Kyrgyzstan (upstream) and irrigation during summer Uzbekistan (downstream).
During Soviet time not a problem because of unique politics and compensations.
After independence no coordination in use and conflicts
Additional conflict by planned Rogun dam (highest in world) and HPP
Conflict points
Climate change and water scarcity
Upstream countries control water availability of lower countries especially during summer
Potential for cooperation: first step set in a conference analyzing environmental concerns, bringing international awareness and finding solutions to settle water scarcity

8. Hydropower in shared basins – good practice
On basin level:
cooperation
real time data collection and database
early warning systems
scenario simulations
New project development:
By including all stakeholders and priorities in design and also operation prediction minimising conflict potentials
Priorities: drinking water – food/irrigation – energy
Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol - Sustainable design and operation of hydropower
HSAP actively included representatives of: environmental NGOs (WWF, The Nature Conservancy), social NGOs (Oxfam, Transparency International), development banks (The World Bank), governments (China, Zambia, Germany, Iceland, Norway), and the hydropower sector.

9. UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
Postgraduate Education, Training and Capacity Development in Water, Environment and Infrastructure