Presentation
Climate Change and Hydropower Development along the Brahmaputra River in Northeast India
Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting
(2015)
Abstract
Recurrent destructive floods along the Brahmaputra River are a major challenge for the people of Northeast India, particularly in the state of Assam. Climate change is expected to further exacerbate this challenge, as melting Himalayan glaciers and changes in the South Asian monsoon lead to an increase in the frequency and magnitude of floods. At the same time, the Brahmaputra has become the focus of India's hydropower development efforts, with over 130 dams slated to be built along its course in the next decade. While these hydropower projects could provide flood protection for the people of Assam, political and economic factors have led dam builders along the Brahmaputra to prioritize the maximization of hydroelectricity production over reservoir size and flood protection capacity. Using the Ranganadi Hydroelectric Project as a case study, this project seeks to understand how dams built on the Brahmaputra River affect the vulnerability of local riparian communities to floods, and their capacity to adapt to them. Preliminary results suggest that dams increase the vulnerability of downstream communities to floods, while also rendering their traditional adaptation methods and knowledge less useful for coping with them. With more than 400 hydroelectric schemes planned in the Himalayan region as a whole, understanding the impacts of dams in the context of climate change and shifting hydrological baselines is key for the long-term sustainable development of the region.
Disciplines
Publication Date
April 24, 2015
Location
Chicago, IL
Citation Information
Costanza Rampini. "Climate Change and Hydropower Development along the Brahmaputra River in Northeast India" Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting (2015) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/costanza-rampini/14/