Ensure Sustainable Hydropower Generation

For a cash-strapped country like Nepal, hydropower holds the potential for economic development. Nepal is rich in water resources. There are over 6,000 rivers across the country. As per a study conducted by the World Bank, the country has the potential to generate 83,000 megawatts of electricity and around 44,000 megawatts of electricity is technically feasible to generate. As per a study conducted in 2019 by the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat on how ten rivers, including the Gandaki, Koshi and Karnali, could be tapped for hydroelectricity, irrigation and drinking water by 2050, the gross hydropower potential is 72,544 megawatts, with the major rivers - Gandaki, Koshi and Karnali - accounting for 94 per cent of the gross potential. The country has now 2,800 megawatts of installed capacity. This goes on to show that the country can generate much more electricity in the days ahead.