Review on Governance in Hydroelectric Projects and Impacts on Natural Resources

Abstract

This article reviewed the literature to highlight how governance in hydroelectric enterprises is configured and the impacts on natural resources resulting from this type of energy production. The methodological procedures were based on the PRISMA recommendation (Main Items for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) and indexed articles were used from the SCOPUS database. It was evidenced that more than 1/3 of the studies were conducted in Brazil, highlighting the potential of the Amazon region of the country for the construction of hydroelectric dams. Four essential subjects were identified as to be observed by the governance of these enterprises: stakeholder participation, habitat fragmentation, social impacts, and impacts on fish species. These subjects constitute three categories that synthesize governance in hydroelectric projects and the impacts on natural resources: energy policies – which generate benefits for the private sector and contemplate very little the local communities and the environment; water resources and fish - the impacts are related to the type of enterprise to be built, which can compromise the migration and reproduction of fish, in addition to the increasing concentration of nutrients in reservoirs and changes of the water quality; and biodiversity and ecosystem – which are affected by the fragmentation and alteration of natural habitats caused by dam floods.