Vulnerability of hydropower projects to climate change

Gaseous emissions from fossil-fuelled electricity generation are major contributors to climate change. Limiting the extent of such change will depend, among other things, on the continuing and increased use of renewable sources, including hydropower. Paradoxically, climate change itself may alter the availability of this natural resource, adversely affecting the financial viability of both existing and potential schemes. A model is described to assess the relationship between changes in climate and the viability, technical and financial, of hydropower development. A case study is presented, both to validate the model and to predict the impact of climate change on a large potential scheme in Africa