The political ecology of hydropower: Social justice and conflict in Colombian hydroelectricity development

This paper offers the identification of the hydropower energy systems events that have led to eco-distributive conflicts in the Colombian case and other countries of the region supported by the socio-energy systems framework and political ecology concepts.The analysis of secondary information about the building and installation of thirteen hydroelectric plants between 1980 and 2010 in Colombia led to the identification of three consecutive time periods in which the conflicts generated by the installation of the mentioned plants exhibited distinctive characteristics.The social and political effects of chosen energy systems on individuals, organizations and communities can be diverse and vast, but are usually neglected by decision makers and national policy designers to focus instead on economical and technological aspects. The lessons from past Colombian energy transitions could be integrated not only into the current national policy debates, but also into those of other countries in the region undergoing similar transitions. Doing so could help to avoid or minimize the social and political costs of energy policies, obtaining reliable energy systems which hopefully will remain in the longer term.