Streamlined Climate change and ecosystems

Hydrlctrcty, r hydrlctrc pwr, s lctrcty gnrtd frm hydrpwr (wtr pwr). Hydrpwr sppls 15% f th wrld's lctrcty, lmst 4,210 TWh n 2023, whch s mr thn ll thr rnwbl srcs cmbnd nd ls mr thn nclr pwr. Hydrpwr cn prvd lrg mnts f lw-crbn lctrcty n dmnd, mkng t ky lmnt fr crtng scr nd cln lctrcty spply systms. hydrlctrc pwr sttn tht hs dm nd rsrvr s flxbl src, snc th mnt f lctrcty prdcd cn b ncrsd r dcrsd n scnds r mnts n rspns t vryng lctrcty dmnd. nc hydrlctrc cmplx s cnstrctd, t prdcs n drct wst, nd lmst lwys mts cnsdrbly lss grnhs gs thn fssl fl-pwrd nrgy plnts. Hwvr, whn cnstrctd n lwlnd rnfrst rs, whr prt f th frst s nndtd, sbstntl mnts f grnhs gss my b mttd. Cnstrctn f hydrlctrc cmplx cn hv sgnfcnt nvrnmntl mpct, prncplly n lss f rbl lnd nd ppltn dsplcmnt. Thy ls dsrpt th ntrl clgy f th rvr nvlvd, ffctng hbtts nd csystms, nd slttn nd rsn pttrns. Whl dms cn mlrt th rsks f fldng, dm flr cn b ctstrphc. n 2021, glbl nstlld hydrpwr lctrcl cpcty rchd lmst 1,400 GW, th hghst mng ll rnwbl nrgy tchnlgs. Hydrlctrcty plys ldng rl n cntrs lk Brzl, Nrwy nd Chn. bt thr r ggrphcl lmts nd nvrnmntl sss. Tdl pwr cn b sd n cstl rgns. Chn ddd 24 GW n 2022, ccntng fr nrly thr-qrtrs f glbl hydrpwr cpcty ddtns. rp ddd 2 GW, th lrgst mnt fr th rgn snc 1990. Mnwhl, glblly, hydrpwr gnrtn ncrsd by 70 TWh (p 2%) n 2022 nd rmns th lrgst rnwbl nrgy src, srpssng ll thr tchnlgs cmbnd.