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Hydropower infrastructure in Andean headwaters: Combining Observations and Remote sensing to analyse Environmental impacts

Descrizione del progetto

Indagare l’impatto ambientale dell’energia idroelettrica amazzonica

Quella idroelettrica è una fonte energetica diffusa che non produce emissioni di gas a effetto serra, ma ha un costo notevole per le specie acquatiche negli ecosistemi fluviali. Il progetto HydroCORE, finanziato dall’UE, si propone di monitorare, analizzare e illustrare le ripercussioni dell’energia idroelettrica basata sui bacini nel corso superiore del bacino del Rio delle Amazzoni. Tramite sensori remoti, test della qualità dell’acqua e una modellizzazione del fiume Paute in Ecuador, il progetto proporrà una procedura standard per valutare sistemi fluviali simili. Migliorare la comprensione delle ripercussioni dell’energia idroelettrica sulle specie selvatiche dell’ambiente fluviale potrebbe contribuire a rendere questo sviluppo più sostenibile per l’ambiente a livello globale.

Obiettivo

Hydroelectric power is a popular alternative to burning fossil fuels, especially within the Amazon river basin. However, no single hydropower installation is without any environmental impact. By damming a river, significant alterations do occur in the hydrological connectivity, which reverberate in the river’s morphological state and physicochemical conditions. Moreover, consequent changes in the structure and functioning of the aquatic community have a tendency to negatively affect various ecosystem services, thereby putting local societies at risk and undermining the goal of sustainable development. Various qualitative global assessments have certainly helped illustrating opportunities and threats, but have failed to be compatible with local management needs and ecological perspectives. Therefore, the aim of this research is to monitor, analyse, evaluate and illustrate the impacts of reservoir-based hydropower infrastructure on the morphology, hydrology and quality of Andean headwaters within the Amazon river basin by combining (i) remote sensing, (ii) process-based hydrological modelling and (iii) water quality assessment based on field campaigns with a high temporal resolution. Additional focus is directed at the interaction with climate change, including the contribution through emissions of greenhouse gases (field measurements) and the challenges under future climate conditions (modelling). To do so, the Paute river basin (Ecuador) is selected as study area to (i) overcome the local data scarcity, (ii) develop a protocol for evaluating similar systems and (iii) preserve the uniqueness of these headwater ecosystems. Project activities and obtained results will be publicly accessible and continuously disseminated online and in-person. As such, this research will increase local and global understanding of and reduce the environmental impacts associated with reservoir-based hydropower installations.

Campo scientifico (EuroSciVoc)

Parole chiave

Programma(i)

Argomento(i)

Meccanismo di finanziamento

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships

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Invito a presentare proposte

(si apre in una nuova finestra) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01

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Coordinatore

UNIVERSITEIT GENT
Contributo netto dell'UE
€ 255 902,48
Indirizzo
SINT PIETERSNIEUWSTRAAT 25
9000 Gent
Belgio
Regione
Vlaams Gewest Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen Arr. Gent
Tipo di attività
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Collegamenti
Costo totale
Nessun dato

Partner (1)