In a recent BBC article, Kelly Ng and Navin Singh Khadka look at how Nepal’s heavy dependence on hydropower has been exposed by the devastating floods that struck the country’s northern region.
The article explains that almost all of Nepal’s electricity comes from hydropower. The sector has transformed the country’s energy supply over the past decade, helping Nepal move from lengthy daily power cuts to almost continuous electricity. Nepal now has 225 hydropower plants with more than 3,900MW of installed capacity, while hundreds of additional projects are being built or planned.
The recent floods, however, have raised questions about the risks of relying so heavily on one energy source. Twelve hydropower plants in the Trishuli River basin were severely damaged, wiping out more than 10% of Nepal’s total power generation capacity. More than 1,300 people were killed and thousands remained missing, while workers and residents were also believed to be trapped inside mud-filled tunnels.
The article points to growing environmental risks in Nepal’s mountain regions. The high-altitude areas of the Himalayas are warming faster than the global average, while preliminary investigations into the floods have pointed to a collapsed glacier and its bedrock as a possible cause. Scientists caution that it is still too early to establish a firm link between this particular disaster and climate change.
The BBC report also looks into the calls for Nepal to diversify its energy sources. Experts suggest greater use of solar and wind power could strengthen the country’s energy resilience, although others note that hydropower remains Nepal’s major competitive advantage.
The recent Rasuwa-Tibet flood disaster has prompted calls for stronger early-warning systems, more resilient hydropower plants and closer cooperation between Nepal and international organizations as climate-related risks grow.
Acknowledgement: This summary was generated using AI writing tools as part of my AI exploration process. For more information, check out the original article listed below.