Nepal's hydropower ambitions face climate reality check

Nepal's ambitious hydropower expansion has been hailed as a key engine of economic growth and a renewable energy source, but a devastating August flood exposed its vulnerabilities. The flood, triggered by a glacial collapse on the China-Nepal border, claimed over 1,400 lives and left thousands missing, with over 410 megawatts of power generation capacity - about 10 percent of Nepal's system - out of commission.

More than 90 percent of Nepal's electricity comes from hydropower, but extensive damage has raised concerns about energy security in the face of intensifying climate and geological risks.