Do small hydropower projects pose a threat to rivers and their ecosystem?

Rivers play crucial roles in maintaining and supporting ecosystems and processes, from their headwaters to their estuary

An aerial view of a small hydropower project (SHPs) in the Western Ghats, Karnataka. More than 1,000 small hydropower projects have been built nationwide–and 6,474 more sites have been identified for further development–based on the belief that these projects do not harm the environment and local communities.

Mount Abu, Rajasthan: India is promoting small hydropower projects (SHPs)–defined as hydropower facilities of less than 25 megawatt (MW)–on the assumption that they are socially beneficial and more environment-friendly than larger ones. However, an assessment of the impact of two SHPs in