Climate Risk Assessment on Hydropower

This webinar took place on 10 March 2021. It is the fifth in a series of webinars on climate-resilient water management approaches. More information at https://agwaguide.org/training/webinar-series-climate-resilient-water-management-approaches/.

As the impacts of climate change continue to stress our critical infrastructure systems, how do we adequately assess those risks and enhance resilience in light of uncertainty? The latest webinar in the series on “Climate Resilient Water Management Approaches” focuses on the climate-water-energy nexus, drawing upon experiences and lessons learned in South Asia. Presenters will share two different approaches to climate risk assessments recently applied in Sri Lanka and Nepal, followed by an interactive panel discussion featuring questions from the audience.

Kelsey Harpham of the International Centre for Environmental Management (ICEM) will present her experience implementing a comprehensive analysis of infrastructure vulnerability in transport, water, and energy sectors by integrating a “top-down” climate science approach with a “bottom-up” stakeholder-driven approach in Sri Lanka’s Kelani River Basin. The ADB-supported project analyzed risks from climate change impacts at national, sub-national, and local scales — including implications for hydropower production. Peter Droogers of FutureWater, who also worked on the project, will join the panel discussion.

In the second presentation, Divas Basnyat of the Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI), will discuss his work assessing the future impacts of climate change on Nepal’s hydroelectricity sector and the associated findings. The program sought to build resilience through a combination of vulnerability assessments, institutional analyses, and identification of potential adaptation options. Dibesh Shrestha of NDRI will join in the panel discussion.