Nepal

DRP NEPAL 2023: Vibrant debate about Hydro Projects

January 21, 2024 SANDRP1 Comment

This provides an overview of Dams, Rivers & People related issues in Napel in just concluded 2023. While export of hydropower to India is central this year following Nepal PM’s June 2023 visit to India. Pancheshwar, the most ambitious of the projects have seen no real progress in spite of repeated statements. An agreement signed with India to export upto 10000 MW of hydropower in ten years has raised lot of hopes in both countries. The electricity trade has indeed expanded significantly in 2023. There is also renewed hope for Nepal succeeding in export of hydropower to Bangladesh via India, but this still needs some concrete success.

However, most interesting is the vibrant debate in Nepal media about adverse economics, impact on environment, biodiversity and disasters, in addition to displacement risk for thousands of people. Some called it costly madness. It also notes that climate change does not even figure in decision making process. The overview begins with that debate.

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Dams, Rivers & People overview of Nepal 2020

December 31, 2020 SANDRP1 Comment

This report provides and overview of key developments in Nepal about Dams, Rivers, Environment and people in 2020, we had provided similar overview in 2019 [i] too. We have divided the overview into these sections: Hydropower projects, Power Trade, Governance, River Sand Mining, Monsoon 2020 dominated by Landslide news, Climate Change, India-Nepal issues dominated by Pancheshwar and border dispute issues, Nepal China issues.

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Nepal

NEPAL DRP Overview 2019

January 30, 2020January 30, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

RIVERS

China not to alter course of rivers flowing into Nepal China has agreed not to deliberately change or cause to change the course of any trans-boundary rivers flowing into Nepal. This comes under an Agreement on the Boundary Management System reached with Nepal during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kathmandu in October 2019. All the major rivers including the Karnali, Kali Gandaki, Budhi Gandaki, Trishuli, Sunkoshi, Bhotekoshi, Tamakoshi and Arun originate in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China. Nepal as well as the northern part of India could be seriously affected if any dams or diversion projects are built in upper riparian Tibet. “Both sides shall, as far as possible, prevent the boundary rivers from changing their courses. Neither side shall deliberately change or cause to change the course of any boundary river,” states Article 7 (1) of the Agreement. Continue reading “NEPAL DRP Overview 2019” →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP News Bulletin 16 April 2018: HOW Citizens can use mobile app to monitor Rivers

April 16, 2018April 16, 2018 SANDRPLeave a comment

MOBILE APP FOR RIVER MONITORING: HUGE POTENTIAL FOR CITIZENS IN INDIA? If you added up the length of all the streams around the world, the total would be at least 89 million kilometers [Downing et al., 2012]. More than half of the global stream channel network is likely intermittent (i.e., the streams do not have flow year-round [Datry et al., 2014]), yet most streamflow monitoring stations are located on perennial streams. Continue reading “DRP News Bulletin 16 April 2018: HOW Citizens can use mobile app to monitor Rivers” →