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graphic analyses since no information on their geographic locationwas available. The hydroelectric plants may be found in differentphases: Operational, Under Construction, Planned and Under Study(THP1). This analyses groups those under construction and operationalas ‘Actual’ and those projected and under study as ‘Planned.’Amazonia as a wholeAs of 2012, the RAISG database contains information regarding417 hydroelectric plants (MHP2). 171 are in operation or underconstruction the great majority of which (120) have a capacity of lessthan 30 MW (PCHs). The remaining 246 plants have been includedin national energy plans, most of which (179) are PCHs, producingless than 30 MW (GHP1). The majority of hydroelectric plants aresituated in the southern part of Amazonia, followed by the easternand western regions. Few hydroelectric projects were recorded inthe central and northern regions.If all the planned hydroelectric units were constructed, therewould be a 144% increase in the number of units currently in operationor under construction. The increase in the number of PCHswould be 149% and the number of UHEs 131%. This data suggeststhat much of the future use of the water resources of Amazonia maybe committed to generating electricity.Twelve hydroelectric plants with a capacity higher than 300 MW were identified (seven in operationand five under construction). The most important hydroelectric plant in operation is the Guri HydroelectricPlant located in Venezuela with a capacity of 10,325 MW (THP2), while Belo Monte, in Brasil, isthe hydroelectric plant under construction has the highest projected capacity (11,233 MW).Twenty-five (37%) of the 67 projected UHEs will have a capacity of more than 300 MW. Half ofthese will be built in Brasil (13). The largest will be located in the Pongo de Manseriche, situated on theMarañon river (Perú) with a projected capacity of 7,550 MW (THP3).MHP2. Hydroelectric plants in Amazonia, by type and activity phaseAmazonia in each countryBrasil has the highest number of hydroelectric plants with 340 recorded (81.5% of the regionaltotal), 109 of which are in operation or under construction and another 231 planned. Next is Perú, with33 hydroelectric plants in operation or under construction and 11 planned, making a total of 44. Boliviahas a total of 14 hydroelectric units (ten in operation and four planned). In the other countries less thanten hydroelectric plants are found with Guyana the only country in which no hydroelectric plant wasrecorded (MHP3 and THP4).BHP1. From the Andes to Amazonia: water in the mountain forestsAndean Amazonia covers a transition area between the Andes and the Eastern Mountain Range (Cordilheira Real Oriental: CRO), defining a series of upland ecosystems,whether montane or high jungle forest (2200 to 600 m above sea level), before expanding across the vast Amazonian plain or low jungle, characterized by areasof flooded forest. Peru and Bolivia account for 75% of the Andean Amazonia where the montane forest is a very important transition zone, though in general little known.The particularity of the CRO is its climate producing high rainfall, amid steep escarpments, permanent cloud cover and forest soils that have been subject to deforestationand changes in use type.However the enormous availability of water resources in these basins is a factor that explains the expansion of the frontiers for hydroelectric generation and for drinkingwater and irrigation in the Andes. Although the enormous hydroelectric potential of upland Amazonia is little exploited even today, pressure is increasing on these basinsfrom medium and large scale (> 100 MW) hydroelectric generation projects, as well as the channeling of water to cities on the Pacific side, as in the Ecuadorian casewhere around 30 hydroelectric projects are registered, along with other multi-use projects for channeling drinking water to cities like Quito (supplying up to 80%) and forirrigating flower farms and agroindustrial zones.We can also observe protected areas that from their outset recognized the importance of the water services of the montane forests of the Amazonian side: here it shouldbe noted that the rivers rising in the Andes deposit their sediment-rich waters in the lowland basins of Brazil, crossing international boundaries on the way, as in the caseof Ecuador whose Amazonian hydrographic systems are shared with Peru and Colombia.One aspect that should be investigated in depth is the public institutional framework available for the administration and management of water resources in the Amazonbasin and in the montane forests in particular, since this area represents a transition zone between the Andes and the Amazonian floodlands, where the water resourcesare now seen as a factor in local development. Here future projects for hydroelectric generation, potable water and irrigation could provide a system of remunerative paymentsfor the integrated management of the watersheds that regulate the hydrological cycles and deal with the excess of sediments produced by these and other largescaleprojects. Finally very specific legislation is needed, such as an institutional framework and public policies that take into account local climate patterns, the fragilityof terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and the human safety aspects in a zone with high vulnerability from heavy rainfall and the alteration in climate systems seen overthe last decade. (Víctor López/EcoCiencia)THP1. Phases of hydroelectric plants per country in AmazoniaCountry* Under Study Planned Under Construction OperationalBolivia X XBrasil X X X XColombia XEcuador X XGuyane Française XPerú X XSuriname XVenezuela X* Without information for Guyana.GHP1. Distribution of hydroelectric plants in Amazonia, by type and situation (threat)THP2. Hydroelectric plants with capacity > 300 MW in operation and under construction in AmazoniaCountry Name Capacity (MW) Sub-basinOperationalVenezuela Guri 10,325 CaroníBrasil Tucuruí I e II 8,370 TocantinsVenezuela Tocoma 2,260 CaroníVenezuela Macagua I 2,190 CaroníVenezuela Caruachi 2,160 CaroníBrasil Lajeado (L,E,Magalhães) 902 TocantinsBrasil Peixe Angical 452 TocantinsUnder ConstructionBrasil Belo Monte 11,233 XingúBrasil Santo António 3,150 MadeiraEcuador Coca Codo Sinclair 1,500 NapoBrasil Estreito 1,087 TocantinsEcuador Sopladora 487 PastazaTHP3. Hydroelectric plants with capacity >300 MW projected in AmazoniaCountry Name Capacity (MW) Sub-basinPerú Pongo de Manseriche 7,550 MarañonBrasil Jirau 3,450 MadeiraBolivia Río Madera 3,000 MamoréBrasil Marabá 2,160 TocantinsPerú Inambari 2,000 Madre de DiosPerú Paquitzapango 2,000 TamboBrasil Teles Pires 1,820 Teles PiresBolivia El Bala 1,600 BeniPerú Rentema 1,525 PastazaBrasil Serra Quebrada 1,328 TocantinsBrasil Santa Isabel 1,087 AraguaiaPerú Sumabeni 1,074 MantaroBrasil Araguanã 960 AraguaiaBolivia Cachuela Esperanza 900 BeniPerú Cuquipampa 800 MantaroPerú Vizcatán 750 MantaroBrasil São Manoel 746 Teles PiresBrasil Tupiratins 620 TocantinsPerú Tambo-Pto, Prado 620 TamboBrasil Ipueiras 480 TocantinsBrasil Sinop 461 Teles PiresPerú Chaglla 360 HuallagaBrasil Tabajara 350 Ji-Paraná ou MachadoBrasil Colider 342 Teles PiresBrasil Água Limpa 320 Das MortesTHP4. Quantity of hydroelectric plants per country in Amazonia, by type and phaseCountryPlannedActualPCH UHE total PCH UHE totalTotalBrasil 176 55 231 87 22 109 340Perú 2 9 11 31 2 33 44Bolivia 1 3 4 1 9 10 14Ecuador 10 10 10Venezuela 6 6 6Colombia 1 1 1Guyane Française 1 1 1Suriname 1 1 1General total 179 67 246 120 51 171 417THP5. Quantity of hydroelectric plants per macro-basin in Amazonia, by type and phaseMacro-basinPlannedActualPCH UHE total PCH UHE totalTotalMiddle-Lower Amazonas 63 16 79 30 4 34 113Upper Amazonas 2 13 15 29 12 41 56Western Northeast Atlantic 5 5 5Guyanas/Amapá 13 6 19 3 3 22Madeira 28 6 34 24 14 38 72Negro 1 1 1Orinoco 6 6 6Paraná 54 4 58 20 6 26 84Parnaíba 2 2 2Tocantins 14 20 34 16 6 22 56General total 179 67 246 120 51 171 417THP6. The ten sub-basins with the highest number of hydroelectric plants in Amazonia, by type and phaseSub-basin (country)PlannedActualPCH UHE total PCH UHE totalTotalJuruena (Brasil) 17 2 19 10 10 29Arinos (Brasil) 21 1 22 22Do Sangue (Brasil) 12 4 16 3 3 19Teles Pires (Brasil) 5 6 11 8 8 19Guaporé (Brasil, Bolivia) 4 4 13 1 14 18Ji-Paraná (Brasil) 10 1 11 5 1 6 17Palma (Brasil) 2 3 5 10 10 15Candeias do Jamari (Brasil) 13 13 1 1 14Tambo (Perú) 2 2 9 2 11 13Amapá-Costa (Brasil, Guyane Française) 11 1 12 12General total 95 20 115 58 5 63 178MHP3. Quantity of hydroelectric plants per country in AmazoniaBy BasinThe Amazonas (Middle-Lower) macro-basin has the highest number of hydroelectric plants inoperation, under construction or planned, followed by the macro-basins of the Paraná, Madeira, Tocantinsand Upper Amazonas rivers (MHP4 and THP5).The sub-basins with the largest number of current and planned hydroelectric plants are theJuruena (29), Arinos (22), Do Sangue (19), Teles Pires (19), Guaporé (18) and Ji-Paraná (17) basins,among others. As shown in map MHP5 and table THP6, these plants are situated in the southern partof Amazonia, mainly in Brasil.MHP4. Quantity of hydroelectric plants per macro-basin in AmazoniaRAISG 40Amazonia under Pressure – Hydroelectric PlantsHydroelectricPlants – Amazonia under Pressure 41 RAISG