Deadly floods in Nepal last week severely damaged 12 hydropower plants in the Trishuli River basin, resulting in the loss of more than 10% of the country's total power generation capacity. The state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority, which owns six of the damaged facilities, has assured households that supply remains adequate.
However, the floods, which killed over 1,300 people and left thousands missing, have prompted calls for a re-evaluation of Nepal's reliance on hydropower. Rajan Dhakal, a spokesman for the Nepal Electricity Authority, acknowledged that with climate-related disasters becoming more frequent, "the time has come for a rethink of our hydropower policy."
Nepal generates almost 100% of its electricity from hydropower, exporting nearly $200m (£147m) annually to India and Bangladesh. While the country has expanded its hydropower infrastructure, with 225 plants currently in operation and hundreds more planned, experts are questioning the strategy. Renewable energy expert Kushal Gurung stated, "We should not be putting all our eggs in one basket in these dangerous times," advocating for diversification into solar and wind energy.
Preliminary investigations suggest a collapsed glacier and its bedrock caused last week's flash flood. Former Energy Minister Kulman Ghising described the deluge as a "once-in-a-century" event, highlighting lessons for plant design and site selection to improve resilience and implement early-warning systems.