IHA Sustainability (IHAS) will partner with local stakeholders in Colombia to launch a long-term initiative to promote the development of sustainable hydropower. The capacity building programme is funded by the Department for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

Through a series of online training and self-assessments, the programme is designed to support authorities, investors and developers to implement international good practices in hydropower development using the Hydropower Sustainability Tools.

Hydropower in Colombia

With 70 per cent of Colombia’s energy supply being hydroelectricity, the country has the third largest hydropower installed capacity in South America, adding up to 12 GW in 2019. Due to hydropower energy, Colombia has positioned itself at the forefront of clean and sustainable energy systems worldwide, and is advancing towards its target to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by 20 per cent by 2030.

Generally, energy infrastructure in the country are secure and resilient, and environmental rules and regulations are strongly reinforced by the National Authority for Environmental Licenses (ANLA) that delivers environmental licenses to projects such as hydropower developments.

According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, 125 hydropower projects representing 5.6 GW of installed capacity were in the pre-feasibility stage in 2018.

Capacity building in sustainability

Hydropower projects allow us to benefit from a renewable source of electricity that can boost socio-economic development. However, as such projects inevitably impact the environment and communities in which they are built, it is crucial to identify and manage these impacts in line with good international practices.

Many developing countries lack the institutional capacity and in-house resources to ensure that hydropower projects are developed and managed responsibly and sustainably, and deliver benefits locally and regionally. These may lead to inadequate management of environmental and social aspects, thus stinting positive development outcomes and dividing local communities over the merits of hydropower.

Our capacity building programmes aim to fill this gap by strengthening institutional capacity within local regulators, developers and project owners, as well as promoting the long-term viability of project benefits.

Background

IHAS will incorporate sustainability principles in the design, planning and operation of hydropower projects in Colombia. The programme aims to improve understanding and ownership of sustainable good practice in the region through the application of the Hydropower Sustainability Tools.

The programme will be delivered through a series of sustainability trainings, technical workshops and self-assessments. Participants will include local stakeholders from the public sector and regional development institutions, project developers and operators, as well as civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations involved in hydropower development, from Colombia.

Starting in 2022, the programme will allow participants to become proficient in the use of the Hydropower Sustainability Tools through the following activities:

  • Certified User Training on sustainability performance measurement using the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) and the Hydropower Sustainability ESG Gap Analysis Tool (HESG)

  • Training on international good practices

  • Accreditation training for local candidates

  • Assisted project assessment using HESG

  • Technical workshops

The outcome of the programme is for hydropower in Colombia to be planned and developed more sustainably, and to provide a common language for key decision-makers, communities and NGOs to discuss sustainability issues in the region.

Further information

Learn more about our other capacity building programmes

Learn more about Colombia’s hydropower potential

Learn more about Switzerland’s development projects in Colombia

Contact us

For any enquiries on this initiative and training opportunities, please contact us at sustainability@hydropower.org