Framing hydropower as green energy: assessing drivers, risks and tensions in the Eastern Himalayas

Ahlers, R.; Budds, J.; Joshi, D.; Merme, V.; Zwarteveen, M.

doi:10.5194/esd-6-195-2015

Articles | Volume 6, issue 1

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-195-2015

© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

Climate Change and Environmental Pressure: Adaptation and...

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-195-2015

© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 6, issue 1

Research article

|

15 Apr 2015

Research article |

| 15 Apr 2015

Framing hydropower as green energy: assessing drivers, risks and tensions in the Eastern Himalayas

R. Ahlers, J. Budds, D. Joshi, V. Merme, and M. Zwarteveen

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Total article views: 5,960 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)

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PDF: 2,435
XML: 252
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Views and downloads (calculated since 13 Nov 2014)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Nov 2014	81	33	2	116
Dec 2014	45	108	8	161
Jan 2015	15	17	2	34
Feb 2015	10	19	0	29
Mar 2015	7	9	3	19
Apr 2015	89	70	4	163
May 2015	41	32	2	75
Jun 2015	57	21	0	78
Jul 2015	32	21	1	54
Aug 2015	23	14	1	38
Sep 2015	23	18	1	42
Oct 2015	33	10	3	46
Nov 2015	32	9	2	43
Dec 2015	17	15	2	34
Jan 2016	34	22	0	56
Feb 2016	31	28	2	61
Mar 2016	19	18	1	38
Apr 2016	10	9	0	19
May 2016	16	14	2	32
Jun 2016	8	12	1	21
Jul 2016	6	12	2	20
Aug 2016	8	13	0	21
Sep 2016	7	7	0	14
Oct 2016	8	7	2	17
Nov 2016	10	8	1	19
Dec 2016	3	8	0	11
Jan 2017	21	16	0	37
Feb 2017	22	12	0	34
Mar 2017	27	13	0	40
Apr 2017	41	31	2	74
May 2017	21	18	1	40
Jun 2017	31	9	0	40
Jul 2017	24	13	3	40
Aug 2017	13	13	0	26
Sep 2017	18	10	0	28
Oct 2017	11	13	0	24
Nov 2017	14	31	0	45
Dec 2017	12	22	1	35
Jan 2018	7	12	0	19
Feb 2018	14	11	5	30
Mar 2018	18	20	0	38
Apr 2018	24	19	2	45
May 2018	18	13	0	31
Jun 2018	24	18	1	43
Jul 2018	21	18	2	41
Aug 2018	15	13	1	29
Sep 2018	16	9	5	30
Oct 2018	23	12	10	45
Nov 2018	27	24	5	56
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Jan 2019	19	5	3	27
Feb 2019	10	8	2	20
Mar 2019	14	7	2	23
Apr 2019	13	7	1	21
May 2019	16	4	3	23
Jun 2019	24	9	3	36
Jul 2019	14	6	2	22
Aug 2019	18	6	1	25
Sep 2019	10	1	1	12
Oct 2019	19	6	0	25
Nov 2019	30	15	0	45
Dec 2019	21	13	4	38
Jan 2020	24	6	1	31
Feb 2020	19	5	0	24
Mar 2020	12	7	0	19
Apr 2020	11	12	0	23
May 2020	6	10	1	17
Jun 2020	28	11	1	40
Jul 2020	47	34	32	113
Aug 2020	11	15	3	29
Sep 2020	13	16	0	29
Oct 2020	17	19	0	36
Nov 2020	18	8	3	29
Dec 2020	29	20	2	51
Jan 2021	30	19	1	50
Feb 2021	16	28	0	44
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Apr 2021	23	15	0	38
May 2021	20	24	2	46
Jun 2021	21	16	2	39
Jul 2021	12	13	0	25
Aug 2021	13	18	1	32
Sep 2021	24	24	1	49
Oct 2021	37	60	2	99
Nov 2021	35	51	1	87
Dec 2021	60	54	4	118
Jan 2022	28	26	0	54
Feb 2022	33	22	2	57
Mar 2022	25	17	1	43
Apr 2022	19	23	1	43
May 2022	23	17	0	40
Jun 2022	24	22	2	48
Jul 2022	25	14	1	40
Aug 2022	24	10	1	35
Sep 2022	15	21	0	36
Oct 2022	28	18	2	48
Nov 2022	38	18	1	57
Dec 2022	20	25	1	46
Jan 2023	23	28	1	52
Feb 2023	22	9	0	31
Mar 2023	30	33	1	64
Apr 2023	10	42	3	55
May 2023	17	31	2	50
Jun 2023	11	17	1	29
Jul 2023	15	6	1	22
Aug 2023	17	45	1	63
Sep 2023	16	14	2	32
Oct 2023	53	34	3	90
Nov 2023	20	10	1	31
Dec 2023	24	10	0	34
Jan 2024	16	10	4	30
Feb 2024	11	24	2	37
Mar 2024	23	38	5	66
Apr 2024	32	27	5	64
May 2024	32	22	2	56
Jun 2024	31	26	3	60
Jul 2024	40	19	6	65
Aug 2024	40	9	2	51
Sep 2024	25	14	1	40
Oct 2024	45	6	1	52
Nov 2024	24	14	0	38
Dec 2024	32	3	1	36
Jan 2025	32	7	0	39
Feb 2025	32	14	3	49
Mar 2025	23	10	2	35
Apr 2025	47	20	0	67
May 2025	27	16	3	46
Jun 2025	58	13	6	77
Jul 2025	51	24	1	76
Aug 2025	44	8	2	54
Sep 2025	52	15	0	67
Oct 2025	50	22	3	75
Nov 2025	45	31	5	81
Dec 2025	3	0	3

Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 13 Nov 2014)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Nov 2014	81	33	2	116
Dec 2014	45	108	8	161
Jan 2015	15	17	2	34
Feb 2015	10	19	0	29
Mar 2015	7	9	3	19
Apr 2015	89	70	4	163
May 2015	41	32	2	75
Jun 2015	57	21	0	78
Jul 2015	32	21	1	54
Aug 2015	23	14	1	38
Sep 2015	23	18	1	42
Oct 2015	33	10	3	46
Nov 2015	32	9	2	43
Dec 2015	17	15	2	34
Jan 2016	34	22	0	56
Feb 2016	31	28	2	61
Mar 2016	19	18	1	38
Apr 2016	10	9	0	19
May 2016	16	14	2	32
Jun 2016	8	12	1	21
Jul 2016	6	12	2	20
Aug 2016	8	13	0	21
Sep 2016	7	7	0	14
Oct 2016	8	7	2	17
Nov 2016	10	8	1	19
Dec 2016	3	8	0	11
Jan 2017	21	16	0	37
Feb 2017	22	12	0	34
Mar 2017	27	13	0	40
Apr 2017	41	31	2	74
May 2017	21	18	1	40
Jun 2017	31	9	0	40
Jul 2017	24	13	3	40
Aug 2017	13	13	0	26
Sep 2017	18	10	0	28
Oct 2017	11	13	0	24
Nov 2017	14	31	0	45
Dec 2017	12	22	1	35
Jan 2018	7	12	0	19
Feb 2018	14	11	5	30
Mar 2018	18	20	0	38
Apr 2018	24	19	2	45
May 2018	18	13	0	31
Jun 2018	24	18	1	43
Jul 2018	21	18	2	41
Aug 2018	15	13	1	29
Sep 2018	16	9	5	30
Oct 2018	23	12	10	45
Nov 2018	27	24	5	56
Dec 2018	17	7	6	30
Jan 2019	19	5	3	27
Feb 2019	10	8	2	20
Mar 2019	14	7	2	23
Apr 2019	13	7	1	21
May 2019	16	4	3	23
Jun 2019	24	9	3	36
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May 2020	6	10	1	17
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Jul 2020	47	34	32	113
Aug 2020	11	15	3	29
Sep 2020	13	16	0	29
Oct 2020	17	19	0	36
Nov 2020	18	8	3	29
Dec 2020	29	20	2	51
Jan 2021	30	19	1	50
Feb 2021	16	28	0	44
Mar 2021	23	25	2	50
Apr 2021	23	15	0	38
May 2021	20	24	2	46
Jun 2021	21	16	2	39
Jul 2021	12	13	0	25
Aug 2021	13	18	1	32
Sep 2021	24	24	1	49
Oct 2021	37	60	2	99
Nov 2021	35	51	1	87
Dec 2021	60	54	4	118
Jan 2022	28	26	0	54
Feb 2022	33	22	2	57
Mar 2022	25	17	1	43
Apr 2022	19	23	1	43
May 2022	23	17	0	40
Jun 2022	24	22	2	48
Jul 2022	25	14	1	40
Aug 2022	24	10	1	35
Sep 2022	15	21	0	36
Oct 2022	28	18	2	48
Nov 2022	38	18	1	57
Dec 2022	20	25	1	46
Jan 2023	23	28	1	52
Feb 2023	22	9	0	31
Mar 2023	30	33	1	64
Apr 2023	10	42	3	55
May 2023	17	31	2	50
Jun 2023	11	17	1	29
Jul 2023	15	6	1	22
Aug 2023	17	45	1	63
Sep 2023	16	14	2	32
Oct 2023	53	34	3	90
Nov 2023	20	10	1	31
Dec 2023	24	10	0	34
Jan 2024	16	10	4	30
Feb 2024	11	24	2	37
Mar 2024	23	38	5	66
Apr 2024	32	27	5	64
May 2024	32	22	2	56
Jun 2024	31	26	3	60
Jul 2024	40	19	6	65
Aug 2024	40	9	2	51
Sep 2024	25	14	1	40
Oct 2024	45	6	1	52
Nov 2024	24	14	0	38
Dec 2024	32	3	1	36
Jan 2025	32	7	0	39
Feb 2025	32	14	3	49
Mar 2025	23	10	2	35
Apr 2025	47	20	0	67
May 2025	27	16	3	46
Jun 2025	58	13	6	77
Jul 2025	51	24	1	76
Aug 2025	44	8	2	54
Sep 2025	52	15	0	67
Oct 2025	50	22	3	75
Nov 2025	45	31	5	81
Dec 2025	3	0	3

Latest update: 02 Dec 2025

Short summary

Ambitious hydropower plans in the Eastern Himalayas prominently involve the private finance sector. We question the framing of hydropower as green energy, interrogate its links with climate change, and examine its potential for investment and capital accumulation and show a number of serious contradictions. Impacts cannot be simply predicted, controlled or mitigated. More focus on political economic drivers and geo-ecological uncertainties infused with localized understandings is sorely needed.