30 years of advancing sustainable hydropower, together

Hydropower was first harnessed to generate electricity at Cragside House in Northumberland, England, where it powered a single lamp in 1978 – marking the birth of hydroelectric power. By 1882, the world’s first plant supplying electricity to multiple homes and businesses opened in Wisconsin, USA. Within ten years, hundreds of hydropower stations were operating across the globe.

Major government-backed projects like the Hoover Dam (1936) helped the USA to heal and recover from the Great Depression. The dam provided jobs for thousands, revitalised local economies, and laid the foundation for long-term development through flood control, irrigation and renewable electricity – demonstrating hydropower’s potential as both an engine of recovery and a multi-purpose strategic national asset.

In the postwar era, low-cost hydropower became central to development across Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Backed by governments and international funders, major dams like Bhakra-Nangal (India) and Akosombo (Ghana) powered electrification, irrigation and industries such as aluminium smelting. Seen as symbols of progress, they also raised early social and environmental concerns that would shape future debates on sustainable development.

Environmental movements raised concerns about the impacts of dams on ecosystems, river flows and displaced communities. These critiques, often rooted in specific cases, sparked wider debates about how hydropower could be developed more responsibly, and (along with financial constraints) led to a decline in development in the late 1980s and 1990s, as many projects were delayed or cancelled worldwide.

The Rio Earth Summit marked a turning point in global environmental governance, establishing sustainable development principles that influenced all infrastructure sectors, including hydropower. The conference advanced debates on balancing economic growth with environmental protection and social equity. This growing focus on sustainability laid the foundation for future efforts to address these challenges and promote responsible hydropower development.

On 16 November 1995, IHA was officially founded at a UNESCO assembly. Professor Emil Mosonyi, who had led discussions with leading hydropower organisations, became IHA’s first President, with Richard M. Taylor as Executive Secretary. With founding members including Stucky Consulting Engineers, IHA soon grew active in over 50 countries, uniting the sector around shared principles for sustainable hydropower development.

The World Commission on Dams report, released in November 2000, highlighted growing scrutiny of environmental and social impacts in hydropower development. While challenging for the sector, it marked a turning point. IHA responded by engaging with the UNEP-led Dams and Development Project to shape better practices for sustainable hydropower development and restore confidence in the sector.

IHA launched the Blue Planet Prize to recognise hydropower projects that exemplify sustainable development, and in 2001, the King River project in Tasmania, Australia, became its first recipient. Over more than two decades since, the prize has honoured projects globally, including in Costa Rica, Iceland, India, Nepal, Canada, Brazil and South Africa, highlighting excellence across diverse regions and contexts.

IHA published its first Sustainability Guidelines in 2004, reshaping how the hydropower industry planned, developed and operated projects and building recognition of the sector’s role in climate action and sustainable development. That same year, IHA co-founded the REN Alliance, securing hydropower’s place in the renewables movement and paving the way for the formation of the Global Renewables Alliance in 2023.

In 2005, China Three Gorges – the world’s largest hydropower plant – joined IHA, signalling the importance and influence of IHA at a global scale. The project exemplifies hydropower’s multipurpose benefits, with its primary function being flood control. In 2010, it averted an estimated RMB 26.6 billion in flood damage, highlighting hydropower’s vital role in climate resilience.

IHA launched its first Sustainability Assessment Protocol in 2006, setting out a framework to measure project performance. The initiative sparked the formation of a multi-stakeholder forum, including NGOs, banks, governments and industry, to build consensus on defining sustainable hydropower, laying the groundwork for what would become a global standard.

IHA hosted its first World Hydropower Congress in Antalya, Turkey, in 2007, bringing together global leaders to exchange knowledge and shape the future of sustainable hydropower. The event established a biennial tradition, with subsequent congresses held across six continents, growing into the sector’s leading platform for collaboration and agenda-setting.

Following three years of cross-sector collaboration and global testing, the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol was formally launched in 2010. Governed by the new Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Council, the Protocol marked a major step forward in building shared standards, and eventually paving the way for the development of the Hydropower Sustainability Standard a decade later.

IHA published its first Hydropower Report in 2013, providing a global snapshot of development trends and challenges in the sector. Widely cited and downloaded, the report evolved into the Hydropower Status Report and, eventually, the World Hydropower Outlook, becoming an essential resource for policymakers, investors and practitioners.

In collaboration with the UNESCO Chair for Global Environmental Change, IHA launched the G-res Tool in 2017 to help hydropower developers, operators and decision-makers estimate net greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater reservoirs. Drawing on data from over 200 sites, the tool applies a robust scientific methodology developed with research partners UQÀM, SINTEF and LUKE, replacing IHA’s earlier measurement guidelines.

Following extensive consultation, IHA enhanced its sustainability tools to support stronger project performance. New Guidelines on Good International Industry Practice defined expected standards, while an ESG Gap Analysis Tool helped developers align with good practice. The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol was also updated to include climate mitigation and resilience, enabling projects to demonstrate low-carbon impact and future-proof design.

At the 2019 World Hydropower Congress in Paris, IHA launched the Hydropower Sector Climate Resilience Guide to help developers and investors prepare for extreme weather and shifting hydrological patterns. The same year, IHA’s Board appointed Eddie Rich as CEO, bringing in a leader with deep experience in brokering transformative partnerships across industry, government and civil society.

Amid the Covid-19 crisis, IHA brought together 16 organisations to outline guiding principles for resilient energy infrastructure. A widely cited position paper highlighted hydropower’s role in delivering reliable, clean energy in times of crisis. IHA also launched the Hydropower Sustainability Training Academy and issued new guidance on Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) to support Indigenous rights in project development.

The Hydropower Sustainability Standard is launched to certify projects that meet international good practice in environmental, social and governance performance. Building on a decade of development, trials and consensus-building, the globally recognised certification scheme enables governments, communities, investors and developers to assess sustainability across the project lifecycle, driving continuous improvement.

In 2022, IHA launched the ongoing #WithHydropower campaign to spotlight hydropower’s critical role in delivering net zero and grid stability. Backed by global energy leaders, the campaign brought the sector together with the first Global Hydropower Day on 11 October – a new annual moment to celebrate the positive impacts of sustainable hydropower on people and communities around the world.

Two landmark initiatives mark a step-change for sustainable hydropower. The inaugural World Hydropower Outlook sets out a roadmap for net zero, tracking global development progress and holding policymakers to account. Meanwhile, the Hydropower Sustainability Alliance is launched to champion global uptake of the Hydropower Sustainability Standard and strengthen capacity for delivering sustainable, high-performing projects worldwide.