Does Small Run-of-River Hydro Power Development in Turkey Deliver On Its Sustainability Premise?

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn responding to the threat of climate change, securing adequate energy reserves while conserving ecosystems constitutes one of the greatest challenges that contemporary societies face. Drawing on frame analysis and sustainability frameworks, this article examines the complex nature of conflicts over small run-of-river hydropower (SHP) developments that were initiated in response to energy, economic, and climate security issues in Turkey. We argue that controversies over SHPs arise when three goals of sustainability are not adequately reached at once: economic development, ecological preservation, and equity. Failing to balance these three sustainable development goals in SHP projects results in three sources of conflicts. Thus, we further argue that controversy over SHP is a controversy over property, resources, and development conflicts.