The second day of the 2017 World Hydropower Congress featured the first set of focus sessions on key hydropower topics, the launch of a new tool for reporting on hydropower's carbon footprint, and a virtual reality experience on flood preparedness.

Launch of the G-res tool: a new tool for measuring carbon footprint of reservoirs

Yves Prairie, UNESCO chair of global environmental change, speaks during the morning session on GHG reporting on day two of the congress, in which the G-res tool was launched. G-res enables decision-makers and stakeholders to better estimate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the introduction of a reservoir into a landscape. Find out more here.

Hydropower and interconnections in Africa: no challenges without opportunities

Callixte Kambanda, chief infrastructure specialist at the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA), spoke during this morning's opening session on hydropower and interconnections in Africa. He told delegates that "where there are challenges, there are also opportunities", and discussed how USD 33 billion could be saved by 2040. After the session Mr Kambanda told IHA how the congress had spurred a new partnership between ICA and GEIDCO. Interview coming soon.

The Nature Conservancy presents 'hydropower by design'

The Nature Conservancy's Jeff Opperman was a speaker in another morning focus session on strategic basin planning. He discussed the concept of 'hydropower by design', an approach by The Nature Conservancy to "reengineer old dams, remove or avoid others and better plan for those that will occur in the future". Jeff and Michelle Lakly write about the concept here.

Virtual reality experience: flood preparedness and disaster relief

In a special lunchtime session, Pablo Suarez, associate director for research and innovation at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, presented an innovative mechanism to support flood-prone communities. By using hydrological data at the Nangbeto hydropower project in Togo, artifical intelligence has been developed to anticipate flood risks. Delegates learned about the initiative by participating in a virtual reality experience placing them in the shoes of disaster relief decision-makers. Read more about the initiative here.

Renewables working together: hybrid renewable energy systems

Umakant Panwar, chairman of Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd. (UJVNL), was a speaker in a session exploring hybrid renewable energy systems, featuring examples of innovations in the integration of renewable technologies. Mr Panwar spoke about how UJVNL has been working todays the implementation of a renewable energy policy in India, to ensure that hydropower at all scales is classified as renewable and can make its best possible contribution towards the future energy mix.

Electricity storage: a changing landscape

Sakari Oksanen, deputy director general at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), spoke in one the day's closing sessions on renewable energy storage. IRENA recently collaborated with IHA to write an article on the topic of electricity storage, featured in the 2017 Hydropower Status Report. You can read the article here.

IHA General Meeting: the community comes together

IHA members gathered at the end of day two for the association's General Meeting, which takes place every two years at the congress. Members heard from staff about IHA's key activities during the 2015–17 period. For more information about IHA, download the 2016–17 Activity and Strategy Report.

The 2017 World Hydropower Congress is taking place in Addis Ababa on 9–11 May 2017. Find out more here.