The HSAP: Weakening Global Dam Standards
A new industry effort threatens to undermine the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams (WCD). The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) is a voluntary, non-binding scoring system to assess the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of dams. This fact sheet examines how the HSAP works, some of its shortcomings, and why it could end up greenwashing destructive dams.
Participation in creating the HSAP was limited to a self-selected group of industry representatives, government agencies, financiers, and large non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Meanwhile, Southern civil society organizations and dam-affected people were largely excluded.
Despite HSAP’s weak guidelines and non-binding nature, the International Hydropower Association (IHA) is asking governments and dam builders across the world to adopt the Protocol. In some cases, such as the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme and the European Water Directive Framework, the HSAP threatens to replace the WCD recommendations. In other cases, IHA's "Sustainability Partners" may use the HSAP as a public relations gimmick to greenwash destructive dams.
What you can do
The HSAP threatens to weaken, not improve, the social and environmental responsibilities of the hydropower industry. You can do your part to prevent this from happening.
- Download the full fact sheet (English)(Português)(Español)(Chinese)(Russian)(Vietnamese)(Turkish)
- Check the List of HSAP Members from your country
- Read and endorse our critique of the HSAP
- Read a blog on the HSAP by Policy Director Peter Bosshard
