Hydropower development in Nepal

This paper provides an overview of a 100 year history of hydropower in Nepal. The importance of hydropower in Nepal is highlighted and major issues that the country has to consider for the development of hydropower have been analysed in detail. It is the only resource available to generate electricity, both for large export projects and small village mini grid projects in almost any part of the country. The challenges of demand and supply fluctuations, mainly due to the seasonal fluctuation of river discharges, are also described. An analysis of river flow trends shows that the impact of river flow has to be analysed river by river, as the trends are not consistent throughout the country. The social and organisational issues and their relationship with the political stability in the country have also been discussed.