A GIS-based assessment of maximum potential hydropower production in La Plata basin under global changes

摘要: Abstract Population growth, economic development, urbanization, changes in hydrological regimes and land use are the main drivers affecting allocation exploitation of water resources. The pressure exerted by these global on five countries -Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay Uruguay- located La Plata Basin over last decades has raised need for assessing trends future electricity demand energy production basin. aim this research is to assess whether (and when) shortage vulnerabilities terms hydropower generation be expected basin next decades. methodology proposed focused two aspects reach objectives: 1) assessment twenty years (1987–2008), order establish growing thirty years; 2) computation maximum potential using newly developed Arc-GIS based tool VAPIDRO-ASTE. calculation have been applied River its tributaries: Paranaiba, Grande River, Tiete, Paranapanema, Iguacu, Uruguay, Negro Parana. first outcomes show that high potential. About 40% already used produce supply energy. Out remaining 60% potential, about 25% could hardly exploited because environmental issues or low cost/benefit ratio. Thus, estimated residual 35% calculated.