Capacity Building Programmes

IHA Sustainability (IHAS) has played a leading role in promoting good practices in hydropower development through our donor-funded capacity building programmes.

The intended impact is that more sustainable hydropower is planned and developed thanks to strengthened institutional capacity, enhanced skills to manage ESG issues, and increased access to climate finance investments.

Through a participatory and two-way learning approach our programmes are focused on developing in-country resources to measure and guide performance in line with the Hydropower Sustainability Standard and Tools. The approach aims to promote stakeholder ownership with practical face-to-face workshops, e-learning and webinars, and on-site support in project assessments.

Our work with SECO

IHAS and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) have launched a long-term initiative to promote sustainable hydropower development in partner countries. The work is delivered through a capacity building programme and a fund for the realisation of sustainability assessments for promising hydropower projects.

The capacity building programme is delivered from 2020 to 2024 across four countries: Indonesia, Albania and the Western Balkans, Tajikistan and Central Asia, and Colombia.  The programme aims to strengthen in-country resources and improve ownership of good practice in sustainable hydropower among national and regional stakeholders.  

The work is built on the previous engagement with stakeholders in Ghana and Indonesia, which resulted in an increased local expertise, project assessments and creation of new tools and guidance documents.

Our work with the World Bank

The World Bank has been a guiding force in the development of the Hydropower Sustainability Standard and Tools since their creation. The Bank was an observer to the forum that drafted the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol between 2007 and 2010, and currently sits on the tools’ governance committee. The Bank has applied the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol to eight of its projects across four regions, and worked to increase institutional knowledge among governments.

Recognising the value of the tools, the World Bank issued a report titled Using the Hydropower Sustainability Tools in World Bank Group Client Countries to encourage developers and operators to adopt the tools, undertake training and commission independent assessments.

In 2018, IHAS updated the Hydropower Sustainability ESG Gap Analysis Tool (HESG) to align with the World Bank and IFC standards to support hydropower developers in meeting World Bank funding requirements and assist World Bank staff in their operations.

In collaboration with the World Bank, IHAS has successfully strengthened cooperative management and development within the Zambezi Basin.

In 2020-2021, the World Bank was a member of the Global Standard Working Group that developed the Hydropower Sustainability Standard under a mandate from the HS Council. As a member of the Governance Committee, the Bank has been in support of the launch of the Hydropower Sustainability Standard.

Our work with Norad

IHAS has previously worked with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) under a capacity building programme in Nepal and Myanmar.

Work with us

To learn more about our capacity building programmes and explore opportunities to work together, please email us at sustainability@hydropower.org