| EFFECT OF HYDROPOWER AND IT LIFE CYCLE; | | | | provide various forms of water-based recreation for |
| CENTRALBASEFORUM | | | | locals and tourists. Land owned by the hydroelectric |
| Hydropower is a clean, domestic and renewable | | | | company is often open to the public for hiking, |
| energy source, which converts kinetic energy from | | | | hunting, and skiing. Therefore, hydropower reservoirs |
| falling water into electricity, without consuming more | | | | contribute to local economies. All these benefits of |
| water than is produced by nature. It depends upon | | | | hydropower energy have made it the leading source |
| the movement of water from areas of higher | | | | of renewable energy. Worldwide, about 25% of all |
| elevated to areas of lower elevation. | | | | electricity is generated by hydropower. The |
| Among the advantages of hydropower energy we | | | | advantages of hydropower are therefore convincing, |
| can mention the low operating costs, because the | | | | but there are some serious drawbacks that are |
| fuel, water, comes free to charge. This contributes | | | | causing people to reconsider its overall benefit. |
| to provide inexpensive electricity, because no fossil | | | | Hydropower plants can significantly impact the |
| fuels are required to produce the electricity, and the | | | | surrounding area and provoke opposition for |
| earth’s hydrologic cycle naturally replenishes the | | | | numerous social, environmental, economic and safety |
| “fuel”supply. Hydropower is also one of the | | | | reasons. The main reasons for opposition worldwide |
| most efficient ways to generate electricity; modem | | | | is the huge number of people that have been evicted |
| turbines can convert as much as 92% of the | | | | from their lands and homes to make way for |
| available energy into electricity. Hydropower energy | | | | reservoirs. It is estimated that the construction of |
| produces no greenhouse gases or other air pollution. | | | | hydropower plants have displaced about 32 to 63 |
| Beside, it leaves behind no waste. And, unlike other | | | | million people, usually poor people who are further |
| energy sources such as fossil fuels, water are not | | | | impoverished economically and suffer decline, high |
| destroyed during the production of electricity-it can | | | | rates of sickness and death and great psychological |
| be reused for other purposes. | | | | stress. |
| Hydropower is very abundant; anywhere rain falls, | | | | The livelihoods of people downstream of dams can |
| there will be rivers. If a particular section of river has | | | | also be severely affected, through the destruction of |
| the right terrain to form a reservoir, it may be | | | | fisheries, the contamination of water supplies and the |
| suitable for dam construction. Moreover, since water | | | | loss of seasonal floods, which bring fertile silt and |
| is a natural recurring domestic product and is not | | | | water to agricultural land. Dam reservoirs can also |
| subject to the whims of foreign suppliers, there is no | | | | become breeding ground for waterborne diseases |
| worry of unstable prices, transportation issues, | | | | such as malaria, leishmaniasis and schistomiasis. Now, |
| production strikes, or other national security issues. | | | | can we consider hydropower to be a |
| Hydropower is very reliable and convenient because | | | | “clean”source of energy? I believe the |
| it can respond quickly to fluctuations in demand. A | | | | answer is no as the destruction of forest cover as |
| dam’s gates can be opened or closed on | | | | well as the emission from reservoirs (particularly in |
| command, depending on daily use or gradual | | | | the tropics) resulting from the slow decomposition of |
| economic growth in the community. The production | | | | inundated vegetation, make a significant contribution |
| of hydroelectricity is often slowed in the nighttime | | | | to global warning. These impacts on people whose |
| when people use less energy. When a facility is | | | | homes are not directly threatened by inundation are |
| functioning, no water is wasted or released in an | | | | frequently overlooked or under-estimated by dam |
| altered state; it simply returns unharmed to continue | | | | designers, while the benefits of large dams are |
| the hydrologic cycle. | | | | frequently exaggerated. A realistic analysis of the full |
| One feature of hydropower, which is often | | | | cost-economic, ecological and social-versus the |
| overlooked, is that the reservoir of water resulting | | | | benefit, in a many cases leads to the conclusion that |
| from dam construction, which is essentially stored | | | | the services they provide could be provided by other |
| energy, can support fisheries and preserves, and | | | | more efficient and sustainable means. |