Development of Hydropower and the Environmental Impacts of Hydroelectric Dam Construction in China

The Hill School, 860 Beech Street, Pottstown PA 19464, USA

^* erick.sun.us@outlook.com

Abstract

The need to mitigate climate change and reduce carbon emissions has resulted in an increasing demand for the transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. Hydropower, in particular, has emerged as a prominent and extensively developed source of renewable energy in recent decades. This specific renewable energy harnesses the kinetic energy of falling or fast-flowing water to generate electricity. Despite being a dependable, adaptable, and cost-effective energy source, previous studies have highlighted the detrimental ecological effects of hydropower, ranging from altered land use to the disruption of natural habitats in the vicinity of dams. The main purpose of this study is two-fold. First, the change of renewable energy, particularly hydropower, is evaluated from 2000 to 2020 in China and globally, highlighting the leading role of hydropower in renewable energy generation. Second, this study aims to investigate the environmental influences of large hydroelectric dam construction and perform a case study of the Three Gorges Dam in China. The Pearson's linear correlation analysis was utilized to identify the association between hydropower and climate, and biodiversity, individually. Although dam construction can boost hydroelectricity generation, it can also have adverse effects on the regional climate and result in substantial depletion of biodiversity. This study will shed light on potentially reliable strategies to optimize the advantages of hydropower and minimize the negative environmental impacts of large-scale dam construction.