Introduction to the project
These days, many of us rely heavily on the continuous availability of electricity and we have a hard time imagining how our lives would be without it. This dependency comes at an environmental cost, as the burning of fossil fuels increases the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, thereby affecting the global climate. The ongoing transition to more sustainable energy sources aims to reduce these emissions and limit the associated environmental impact as part of the ambition to become carbon-neutral. Within this transition, hydropower is a well-known and popular alternative to the burning of fossil fuels due to its simplicity and relatively low cost. Unfortunately, also hydropower installations tend to have an impact on the environment. Think, for instance, about a dam that acts as a physical barrier that doesn't allow fish to migrate upstream. But it goes further than that, with changes in flow pattern, more sedimentation and erosion, and nutrient retention to name a few. In short, even though hydropower is considered to be a sustainable energy source, there are certain environmental impacts that should be considered.
The HydroCORE project starts from the notice that hydropower infrastructure can impact the environment and uses this notice as a basis to perform its activities, while using the Paute river basin in Cuenca (Ecuador) as study area. The focus is directed towards local impacts through the study of abiotic (e.g., flow pattern, erosion, chemical profile) and biotic (e.g., macroinvertebrate assemblage) characteristics and extends towards more global influences (e.g., potential emission of carbon dioxide). As a result, the project entails a combined approach of fieldwork, remote sensing, and modelling to bring different data sources and insights together. This website is oriented towards the dissemination of the project activities, including field experiences, (preliminary) results, and presentations. More information will surely be added soon, but feel free to have a look at the posts below or navigate through the different topics!
