小型水电站有损生态系统.docVIP

Researchers conclude in a new report that a global push for small?hydropower（水力发电）projects, supported by various nations and also the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, may cause unanticipated and potentially significant losses of habitat and biodiversity. An underlying assumption that small hydropower systems pose fewer ecological concerns than large dams is not universally valid, scientists said in the report. A five-year study, one of the first of its type, concluded that for certain environmental impacts the cumulative damage caused by small dams is worse than their larger counterparts. ? The findings were reported by scientists from Oregon State University in the journal Water Resources Research, in work supported by the National Science Foundation. ? The conclusions were based on studies of the Nu River system in China but are relevant to national energy policies in many nations or regions -- India, Turkey, Latin America -- that seek to expand hydroelectric power generation. Hydropower is generally favored over coal in many developing areas because it uses a renewable resource and does not contribute to global warming. Also, the social and environmental problems caused by large dam projects have resulted in a recent trend toward increased construction of small dams. ? The Kyoto Protocol, under Clean Development Mechanism, is funding the construction of some of these small hydroelectric projects, with the goal of creating renewable energy thats not based on fossil fuels, said Desiree Tullos, an associate professor in the OSU Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering. ? The energy may be renewable, but this research raises serious questions about whether or not the overall process is sustainable, Tullos said. ? There is damage to streams, fisheries, wildlife, threatened species and communities, she said. Furthermore, the projects are often located in areas where poverty and illiteracy are high. The benefit to these local people is no