Hydropower, also known as water power, is the use of falling
or fast‐running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting
the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a water source to produce power. Hydropower is a
method of sustainable energy production. Hydropower is now used principally for hydroelectric
power generation, and is also applied as one half of an energy storage system known as pumpedstorage
hydroelectricity. Hydropower is an attractive alternative to fossil fuels as it does not directly
produce carbon dioxide or other atmospheric pollutants and it provides a relatively consistent
source of power. Nonetheless, it has economic, sociological, and environmental downsides and
requires a sufficiently energetic source of water, such as a river or elevated lake. International
institutions such as the World Bank view hydropower as a low‐carbon means for economic
development.