Many look at the world’s melting ice and see glacier basins as half-empty. Swiss researchers see them as half-full of opportunities for hydropower and freshwater storage. 

Since Ethiopia announced the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in 2011, there have been disagreements between Egypt and Ethiopia on the filling and operation of the dam.

Humans have been harnessing the energy of river currents for centuries, using water wheels spun by rivers initially to process grains and cloth.

Hydropower provides clean electricity to millions in Africa. It’s the largest source of renewable energy on the continent and accounts for nearly one quarter of total electricity generation in sub-Saharan Africa.

Africa’s hydropower has long been seen as a cornerstone of energy access and economic development, from the new Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to the Kariba Dam, built in the 1950s to serve Zambia and Zimbabwe. But a new study suggests that with the rise of alternative renewables and more climate-driven risk for water resources, up to two-thirds of possible future hydropower plants in Africa are not worth the investment.