The International Hydropower Association (IHA) has today published the first draft of the Bali Statement on Powering Sustainable Growth for public feedback.  

Download the Consultation Draft here.

You can provide feedback on the Consultation Draft in this short survey.

Building on the San José Declaration on Sustainable Hydropower, made in 2021, the Bali Statement focuses on hydropower’s role in enabling thriving, low carbon economies bolstered by renewable energy, setting out three calls to action for governments and financial institutions.

The International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) 2023 Changing Role of Hydropower report highlights that most of the remaining untapped hydropower potential today can be found in developing regions – and if this is developed alongside other renewables, it can be a driver of large-scale sustainable industrial growth.

Although the global hydropower community has committed to the development of sustainable projects through adopting both the San José Declaration on Sustainable Hydropower and the Hydropower Sustainability Standard, the Bali Statement stresses that this commitment alone is not enough.

It stresses the need for policy and regulatory frameworks to match the ambition of global climate goals and for financial mechanisms to be implemented that encourage new development.

The draft Statement puts forward recommendations for accelerating the development of sustainable hydropower alongside other renewables. It will now be subject to a wide-ranging consultation with governments, the private sector, international financial institutions and civil society organisations, which will run until Wednesday 13th September 2023. The final Bali Statement will be published at the close of the 2023 World Hydropower Congress in Bali on 2 November 2023.

More information will be made available on the consultation in two public webinars, hosted by IHA on Thursday 27 July, presenting the key points of the draft Statement.

The morning webinar will be hosted at 9:30 BST - register here.

The afternoon webinar will be hosted at 16:30 BST - register here.