The 2016 Hydropower Status Report is now available to download from the International Hydropower Association (IHA).
Building on statistics published by IHA earlier this year, the report highlights that 33.7GW of new installed hydropower capacity was commissioned in 2015, including 2.5GW of pumped storage. At the end of 2015, the world's total installed hydropower capacity reached 1212GW, including 145GW of pumped storage.
Alongside comprehensive hydropower statistics, the report provides detailed regional analysis and insights into global developments and trends in the sector, including the expected impacts of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate action.
The full report includes in-depth reviews on key issues in hydropower development and policy, such as financial trends and climate resilience, as well as sustainability topics such as resettlement and indigenous peoples. The report also includes regional overviews and country profiles which cover developments in the sector around the world.
The 2016 Hydropower Status Report is built on data from IHA's global hydropower database, which has been developed in close collaboration with regulators, ministries and electricity associations, as well as the world's station owners and operators. This database contains information on over 11,000 of the world's hydropower stations.
"The 2016 Hydropower Status Report reflects a dynamic sector that is evolving to meet the challenges of the energy transition, which has been accelerated further by the recent international commitments," commented Richard Taylor, chief executive of IHA. "IHA continues to identify and advance hydropower's role in enabling clean energy systems, responsible freshwater management and solutions for climate change."
