Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Micro Hydro Dam Project Planned

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

TEGUCIGALPA, Jul 4 2011 (IPS) - The government of Honduras and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are studying the construction of 50 micro hydroelectric dams over the next five years. The dams would be located in sites of environmental significance and would not only provide electricity to nearby communities, but also form part of a network of watersheds and ecological corridors accompanied by the recovery of forested areas, Social Development Secretary Hilda Hernández told Tierramérica.

The project area would encompass 150,000 hectares of forests and potentially benefit some 200,000 families, she added.

This integrated management of ecosystems and watersheds would contribute to development in the local communities through the generation of electricity and sustainable use of natural resources, UNDP representative Luca Renda told Tierramérica.