Hydropower Development and Ecosystem Services in Central America
Peer Reviewed
Date issued
March 2013
Subject
Biodiversity;
Environmental Policy;
Natural Resources Management;
Renewable Energy;
Water Supply and Sanitation
JEL code
Q2 - Renewable Resources and Conservation;
Q5 - Environmental Economics;
Q57 - Ecological Economics: Ecosystem Services • Biodiversity Conservation • Bioeconomics • Industrial Ecology
Category
Technical Notes
This paper provides an overview of the characteristics of Central American rivers and related freshwater ecosystem services, discusses trends in hydropower development and known environmental and social consequences, and offers suggestions for finding a balance between hydropower and the protection of other freshwater ecosystem services, based on experiences from the region.
