O verall global hydropower capacity increased by 13.5 GW to reach 1,412 GW with pumped storage hydropower (PSH) contributing 6.5 GW to reach 182 GW. Despite this growth, there is a concerning trend of decreasing investment in the power source, risking global energy systems' ability to meet decarbonisation targets by 2050. Up to 2030, around 25 GW per year is required for hydropower to contribute to the ‘tripling up’ of renewables objective agreed at COP28, followed by a doubling of that rate to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. IHA has evaluated the ‘Big 100’ pipeline of projects currently in development. Their assessment suggests that achieving accelerated project delivery is feasible in the early years of the next decade. Eddie Rich, CEO IHA commented, “Hydropower is the backbone to a reliable energy and water system. As well as providing electricity, it provides storage, flexibility, reliability to support solar/wind, access to clean water, irrigation, and drought and flood control.” Top regions for installed hydropower capacity China, Brazil, US, Canada, and Russia lead in installed hydropower capacity. China alone accounted for nearly half of the new capacity added in 2023. Europe is largely HYDROPOWER The latest World Hydropower Outlook by the International Hydropower Association (IHA), reports significant global capacity growth in 2023, emphasising its pivotal role in energy resilience. Shivani Dhruv reports. In Africa, hydropower supplies 40% of sub-Saharan Africa’s electricity. JULY 2024 | www.africanreview.com Image Credit: Adobe Stock Challenges facing hydropower 17