Seven Parties in the region proposed projects targeting hydropower development.

Hydropower development is another area in which several Parties share common project priorities.

China's tenth five year Energy Development Plan (2001) gives priority to hydropower, optimization of thermal power, development of the electricity grid and increased use of nuclear power.

Many Parties have already exploited hydropower potential.

(1) Hydropower dam project in Adralala (Benin Togo)

China plans to double its hydropower capacity to over 120 GW by 2010 and to build more hydropower projects for at least another 20 years.

Sweden, with its hydropower, is even lower, at 0.9 kg.

The political stakes are high, and China s hydropower interests are strong.

Austria currently produces more than half of its electricity by hydropower.

Although the integrated programme had undoubtedly proved effective, there were some inadequately funded and unfunded activities and projects that had great potential to give impetus to rural development, including hydropower projects and skills development.

In 2000, 88 per cent of Brazil's electricity was generated from hydropower.

Hydropower is another option that may be considered on a regional basis.

Experts reckon that only a quarter of China s hydropower has yet been tapped.

Africa has great hydropower potential but only 7 has been exploited so far.

(1) Training, Consultation, Awareness for Small Hydropower in Mozambique, Uganda, Nigeria and Zimbabwe

Other Georgia proposed 10 renewable energy projects targeting hydropower and geothermal energy sources.

Biomass (along with hydropower) can be used to smooth the fluctuations inherent to wind and solar.

Harvests may halve and rivers on which irrigation and hydropower depend may become a mere trickle.

Colombia has hydropower potential amounting to 25,000 MW and potential from other renewables amounting to 1,200 MW.

Chinese capital is behind several large scale investments in hydropower, mining, timber, agriculture, transportation, and infrastructure in the region.

With its industry now dominating the global hydropower equipment market, China has also emerged as the largest dam builder overseas.

Actually hydropower accounts for less than 12 percent of total electricity production in Egypt in 2010 (14 out of 121 billion kWh), so that a temporary reduction of 25 percent in hydropower production translates into an overall temporary reduction in Egyptian electricity production of less than 3 percent.

For many Parties the most important renewable option is the extension of their hydropower programmes, mainly through additional small scale hydro projects.

These problems are exacerbated by the forestry industry and big infrastructure like wind parks or hydropower that cut off reindeer herding routes and pastures.

a In the context of Renewables 2004, renewable energy sources and technologies include solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, biomass energy including biofuels, and geothermal energy.

In Costa Rica, the Instituto Costarricense de Electicidad keeps track of climate parameters in areas close to hydropower, geothermal and wind projects in the country.

Globally, however, solar and wind are only a small part of total renewables less than 7 in 2010. Hydropower is a much bigger player, at 17 .

In 2006, out of a total electricity production of 139 TWh, electricity from hydropower accounted for 61 TWh (44 ), and nuclear power delivered 65 TWh (47 ).

Brazil has also constructed 205 small hydropower stations generating 865 MW of power and 40 other stations are being constructed to generate an additional 504.9 MW.

The electricity sector in Venezuela is one of the few to rely primarily on hydropower, and includes the Guri Dam, one of the largest in the world.

In 2008, renewable energy (mainly hydropower and various forms of wood energy) was high at 31 compared with the EU average of 10.3 in final energy consumption.

By 2000, China had constructed 40,000 rural hydropower stations with an installed capacity of 24.8 GW and was generating about 80 million MWh of electricity per year.

While almost half of Africa's 53 countries could profitably produce hydropower, only 7 of this potential is reached because of poor infrastructure and the high costs of initial investments.

Brazil reported that more than 90 per cent of its electricity generation was from hydropower, which explains why its energy sector was not the biggest source of GHG emissions.

Infrastructure , 46.1 percent of energy in Japan was produced from petroleum, 21.3 percent from coal, 21.4 percent from natural gas, 4.0 percent from nuclear power, and 3.3 percent from hydropower.

Thirdly, between 2000 and 2008, China increased its wind power generating capacity from 340 MW to 10 GW, hydropower from 79.35 GW to 163 GW, and nuclear power from 2.1 GW to 9.1 GW.

Nearly half of reporting Parties (52 of the 122) are implementing, or are considering the implementation of, small hydropower applications in order to increase their energy supply to meet their pressing needs for power.

We highly value the assistance of the donor community, including grant aid, soft loans and foreign investment, such as the assistance of the World Bank in the construction of the Nam Theun 2 hydropower dam.

The result, beyond the health benefits for all, has been a proven record of economic growth one only has to look at investment in hydropower to see the positive impact of water management projects on many economies.

Sweden, with its hydropower, is even lower, at 0.9 kg. And, while Germany is abandoning domestic production of nuclear energy for political reasons, we can bet that it will nonetheless continue to import electricity from France s nuclear plants.

It will be able to increase exports of clean, run of the river hydropower to India, thereby earning foreign exchange in a manner that is sustainable and that can fill government coffers to fund education, health care, and infrastructure.

In early 2005, three years after a new law on environmental impact assessments (EIA s) was passed, the State Environmental Protection Bureau (SEPA), ordered the halt of 30 large projects, including 26 hydropower plants that had failed to submit proper EIA s.

The key point is that France and Germany, and many other European countries including the Scandinavian countries, with their considerable wind and hydropower potential are all recognizing that the world as a whole will have to move away from a fossil fuel based energy system.

A 20 member commission was formed by presidential order in August, ahead of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi s visit to Beijing, to review proposed hydropower projects on the Irrawaddy River, assessing the potential benefit to Burmese citizens and making recommendations on whether they should proceed.

This would reduce the current evaporation of more than 10 billion cubic meter per year, but it would also reduce the ability of the Aswan High Dam to produce hydropower to the tune of a 100 MW loss of generating capacity for a 3m reduction of the water level.