Last week, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) published a new report titled, “Leveraging Local Capacity for Small-scale Hydropower”.
The report highlights the transformative potential of small-scale hydro to strengthen local capacities and livelihoods. Through a comprehensive value chain analysis, the report sheds light on local employment opportunities at all stages of implementation, from initial planning and manufacturing to ongoing operation and maintenance. The authors point out that small-scale hydro requires primarily low- to medium-level technical skills and locally available materials, making it well suited to leverage local talent and build capacity in transferable vocational skills.
The report also highlights the potential to catalyse rural economies through productive uses of electricity in rural enterprises and agricultural processing.
Further, the analysis integrates holistic socio-economic aspects of small-scale hydro, also addressing opportunities to advance gender equality as well as climate adaptation and mitigation through the conservation of surrounding watersheds.
Read the report here.