The Stream, September 19: Hydropower and Climate Change

The world’s dams are unprepared for climate change conditions, ClimateWire reported, citing a recent study published in the journal PLoS Biology. Over the last few decades, hydropower facilities in the West have become more mismatched with their ambient environment. How can East and South Asian dam builders adapt to a changing climate?

The water level at the Bhakra Dam in northern India has exceeded capacity due to a heavy inflow from the upstream Beas River, The Financial Express reported. Bhakra is among a slew of dams in the region that are brimming with water, threatening to flood surrounding areas.

Monsoon rains, floods and mudslides in Thailand have killed at least 98 people, destroyed or damaged more than 300,000 homes and flooded about 1.3 million acres of farm land since July, Reuters reported.

Gabon will spend $197 million to ease a shortage of water and electricity in the capital city of Libreville and nearby areas, according to Bloomberg.

Is the disaster at Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant symptomatic of a wider malaise in the country’s energy sector? The Economist reports on a Trade Ministry employee who exposed the controversial practices he had experienced while working on Japan’s energy policy, including business utility companies buying academics, media and regulators.

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