Reducing greenhouse gas emissions of Amazon hydropower with strategic dam planning

Rafael M. Almeida; Qinru Shi; Jonathan M. Gomes-Selman; Xiaojian Wu; Yexiang Xue; Hector Angarita; Nathan Barros; Bruce R. Forsberg; Roosevelt García-Villacorta; Stephen K. Hamilton; John M. Melack; Mariana Montoya; Guillaume Perez; Suresh A. Sethi; Carla P. Gomes; Alexander S. Flecker

doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12179-5

Nature Communications (Sep 2019)

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions of Amazon hydropower with strategic dam planning

Rafael M. Almeida,
Qinru Shi,
Jonathan M. Gomes-Selman,
Xiaojian Wu,
Yexiang Xue,
Hector Angarita,
Nathan Barros,
Bruce R. Forsberg,
Roosevelt García-Villacorta,
Stephen K. Hamilton,
John M. Melack,
Mariana Montoya,
Guillaume Perez,
Suresh A. Sethi,
Carla P. Gomes,
Alexander S. Flecker

Affiliations

Rafael M. Almeida: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University
Qinru Shi: Cornell University, Institute for Computational Sustainability
Jonathan M. Gomes-Selman: Department of Computer Science, Stanford University
Xiaojian Wu: Cornell University, Institute for Computational Sustainability
Yexiang Xue: Cornell University, Institute for Computational Sustainability
Hector Angarita: Stockholm Environment Institute Latin America
Nathan Barros: Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora
Bruce R. Forsberg: National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA)
Roosevelt García-Villacorta: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University
Stephen K. Hamilton: W.K. Kellogg Biological Station and Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University
John M. Melack: Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California at Santa Barbara
Mariana Montoya: Wildlife Conservation Society Peru
Guillaume Perez: Cornell University, Institute for Computational Sustainability
Suresh A. Sethi: USGS New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University
Carla P. Gomes: Cornell University, Institute for Computational Sustainability
Alexander S. Flecker: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12179-5
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Some dams produce large amounts of GHGs and it is important to see whether future dams will satisfy sustainable energy goals. Here the authors estimate the range of GHG emission intensities expected for 351 proposed and 158 existing Amazon dams and find that existing Amazon hydropower reservoirs collectively emit 14 Tg CO2eq per year, and that if all proposed Amazon dams are built, annual emissions would increase 5-fold.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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