From mountains to megaregions: A powershed analysis of the Third Pole hydropower boom |
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| Institution: | 1. Loyola Marymount University, Department of Urban and Environmental Studies, 4326 University Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90045, United States;2. Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Geography, Deutschhausstr. 10, 35037 Marburg, Germany |
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| Abstract: | Hydropower is booming in Asian river basins originating on the Tibetan Plateau and adjoining mountain ranges – often referred to as the “Third Pole.” These plants generate significant power for Asia’s megaregions; they also dramatically alter environments, economies, and livelihoods in mountainous regions. Yet, current understanding of these developments is limited to specific rivers or countries, obscuring the important relational drivers and characteristics of the boom. In this article, we deploy a novel powershed framework – defined as the material and socio-political infrastructure linking electricity supply and demand areas – to analyze and compare the regional power geographies that shape Third Pole hydropower development. Using this framework, we identify ten powersheds across China, Southeast Asia, and South Asia basins that incorporate the vast majority of new hydropower generation. Our analysis reveals a clear trend towards developing large-scale hydropower in the mountains for the purpose of exporting electricity to megaregions. These powersheds are complex and in flux, crossing political and basin boundaries in ways that defy traditional hydropower analyses. This article thus reveals power export to be the main driver of the boom and its characteristics; it also provides a framework for analyzing power geographies worldwide. |
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| Keywords: | Hydropower Powershed Dams Asia Third Pole China |
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