The International Hydropower Association has announced the Blue Planet Prize will be awarded in 2017.

The prize recognises projects for their contribution to sustainability in hydropower. Roy Adair, IHA vice president and chair of its sustainability committee, made the announcement during the closing ceremony of the 2015 World Hydropower Congress in Beijing.

Recognising the challenges facing projects developed within different contexts, the award will be made to a project that has either demonstrated excellence in sustainability, or has significantly improved the manner in which projects are developed in the country or region. Only projects from Least Developed Countries will be eligible for consideration under the second alternative.

The prize will be assessed on its performance in respect of the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol – a tool that measure the sustainability of hydropower projects across a range of environmental, social, economic and technical considerations. Find out more here. Full details of the criteria and processes for the Blue Planet Prize will be announced in June 2015.