Hydropower use in Pakistan: Past, present and future

Energy is an essential ingredient of socio-economic development and economic growth. Electricity is a basic part of nature and it is one of the most widely used forms of energy. Hydropower is perceived as an environment-friendly, low-cost source of electricity that relies on proven technology. Pakistan has been an energy-deficient country historically. The installed electricity generation capacity is 19,547 MW presently out of which 6599 MW comes from hydropower. The identified hydropower potential in the country is approximately 41,722 MW. The Government is accordingly giving priority to hydropower generation projects in both public and private sectors. Recent power policies have attracted good response from private entrepreneurs. Several projects are in different stages of implementation. Micro-hydropower development in the northern part of the country is benefiting the previously under-privileged communities. This article presents an overview of hydropower development in Pakistan.