The Central American nation ofCosta Rica is powered by almost 100% renewable energy including around 80 per cent from hydroelectric generation
DESPARDES — The Government of Costa Rica A) will host the next World Hydropower Congress event B) with focus on sustainable hydropower development C) and will bring together decision-makers, experts and innovators to set priorities for the sector thru the lens of Climate Change (COP25).
The Central American host country is 98 percent renewable energy including around 80 per cent from hydroelectric generation. Its Minister of Environment and Energy, Hon. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez made the announcement at the UN climate conference (COP25) in Madrid, Spain.
The country has become a global leader in renewable electricity by using hydro, wind, solar, geo and bio energy resources. It has built a system that provides renewable electricity while ensuring social and human rights. These technologies will play a key role in the next phase of climate commitments under the UN Climate Convention.
“We are happy to share our experience with the region and the world, as we move away from fossil fuels and toward a net zero world by 2050,” the Minister said.
Governments, international organizations, financial institutions, research, non-governmental organizations, and industry will also attend.
Organized by the International Hydropower Association (IHA), the event will be held in San José, 26-28 May 2021, under the theme ‘Renewables working together in an interconnected world’.
Frontline states of Climate Change Effect regions (north and south of the Equator) are expected to attend.
“Pakistani scholars (both institutional and non-institutional) should also attend as hydro is on the frontburner in the region along with renewables and of course climate change”, says Engr. Riaz Chaudhry, CEO of Pakistan-based consulting firm BE2C2.
According to Irshad Salim, a business consultant and advisor, “We have the soft and hard infrastructure, an enabling environment, recognizable and recognized issues, and solutions at work even if they all may not be integrated as a whole. With global financing related to Climate Change and Renewables already on the horizon, our efforts can all be aligned as a socio-economic ladder”.
“The same is by and large true about water-resourced states like the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar — the sets of related issues among them make them all together South Asia region’s larger contour of Climate Change” hot spot.”
According to him, both hydro and non-fossil combined are not only renewables but natural and eco-friendly and therefore a sustainable solution basket going forward. “Fossil fuels are somewhat the future’s stranded assets in the race between the two resource chains”, he added.
