5 September 2018

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the International Hydropower Association (IHA) have signed a partnership agreement to support sustainable development involving hydropower across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The memorandum of understanding agreed by the heads of the two organisations seeks to expand opportunities for the exchange and adoption of good industry practices with the goal of enhancing the technical, social, economic and environmental performance of new and existing projects.  

The IDB provides loans, grants and technical assistance for major renewable energy projects and champions research into climate change and sustainability, innovation and social inclusion.

IHA is an international non-profit association established under the auspices of UNESCO. With members in more than 100 countries, the association’s mission is to advance sustainable hydropower by building and sharing knowledge renewable energy systems, freshwater management and climate change solutions.

On signing the agreement, IDB´s Infrastructure and Energy Sector Manager Agustin Aguerre said: "One of the key drivers for this collaboration is that both institutions have a strong focus on supporting sustainable development. The focus in this particular case is hydropower. We are thrilled to work with IHA in the development of solutions, programmes and the advancement of hydropower as one of the cleanest energy sources that will foster the Latin American and the Caribbean’s advancement.”

IHA Chief Executive Richard Taylor said: “IHA is delighted to partner with the Inter-American Development Bank. The bank was an important voice in the development of the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol, the internationally recognised tool for assessing hydropower’s performance. This new agreement will expand opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing and support the adoption of good practices in the planning, financing, development, operation and modernisation of hydropower projects.”

The partnership agreement follows a joint IDB-IHA international workshop which was held last week to build knowledge on how digital systems are advancing hydropower operations, maintenance and modernisation in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The workshop on 27 and 28 August was hosted by the Joint Technical Commission of Salto Grande, a major binational hydropower project on the Uruguay River between Argentina and Uruguay. To find out more please visit the event webpage.

The role of digital systems in advancing hydropower operations will be on the agenda of the World Hydropower Congress, to be held in Paris between 14 and 16 May 2019. The conference is organised in partnership with UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme. Register your interest at www.hydropower.org/congress