Assessment Of Adaptation Measures To Climate Change In The Paute River Watershed And Its Hydropower Plants
Abstract
Climate Change may impact ecosystem sensitive sectors such as hydropower generation, which is vital for energy supply in Latin America and in Ecuador. Since the Paute-Molino Hydropower Plant is Ecuador’s largest energy generation facility; strategies and measures for adapting to Climate Change in the Paute River Watershed and its hydropower plants are necessary. An assessment of adaptation options to Climate Change was performed. The results show that the top ten options are mainly related to Integrated Natural Resources Management (INRM), Improved Plant Operations and Ecosystems Conservation. These adaptation options can bring important benefits such as reducing current vulnerabilities, addressing likely climate impacts, delivering other non climate related benefits to the local population; and mitigating GHG emissions. The challenges for Hidropaute in order to adapt to Climate Change are: i) taking a proactive role and getting more involved in the implementation of coordinated programs for managing the entire watershed; ii) keeping Plant Factor (PF) at least the same than in past “normal” years during the dry season; while taking advantage of a likely stronger seasonality in order to promote more energy production during the wet season.
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Citation
Abril, M. C. (2011). Assessment Of Adaptation Measures To Climate Change In The Paute River Watershed And Its Hydropower Plants (Unpublished report). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.