Can Nepal’s hydropower boom withstand a changing Himalaya?

As floods and landslides expose the vulnerabilities of hydropower projects, Nepal’s push to generate 30,000 MW by 2035 raises urgent questions about safety, sustainability and who benefits from the country’s rivers.

On the morning of August 26, Bal Bahadur Majhi, 50, was clearing firewood, rocks, and sand from the tunnel at the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project in Timure. The plant diverts part of the river into the tunnel and uses its steep drop to generate electricity.