Nepal floods expose risks to hydropower in a warming Himalayas

Nepal experienced severe flooding this week, leading to the closure of several hydropower stations and leaving over 20,000 people without electricity. Over 10% of the nation's power capacity was affected by the disaster, which also resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of people missing. Risk experts are now urging authorities to rethink their approach to rebuilding infrastructure, focusing on resilience rather than simply replacing damaged structures.

They suggest incorporating redundancy in systems, selecting safer locations for construction, and enhancing early warning systems. Nepal's infrastructure is particularly vulnerable due to its location in the rapidly warming Himalayan region, where glaciers are melting at an accelerating rate and permafrost is degrading. Climate scientists warn that the increased frequency of extreme weather events in the region is causing infrastructure to face heightened risks.