Adaptation to climate change in the hydroelectricity sector in Nepal

This policy brief outlines a climate risk assessment (CRA) for Nepal's hydroelectricity sector, identifying three primary adaptation strategies—immediate resilience actions, climate-smart planning for new plants, and long-term monitoring—to address high uncertainties in climate projections and hydrological variability.

• Planning for adaptation in Nepal's hydroelectricity sector is complicated by the country's complex hydrology, significant elevation changes, and high uncertainty in climate model projections.
• The study proposes three categories of adaptation to be implemented over the next five to ten years: immediate low- and no-regret actions for existing plants, 'climate smart planning' for new plants using flexible or robust designs, and investments in monitoring and research for future planning.
• The most significant climate-driven threats to hydropower in Nepal are expected to be increased hazards, specifically geo-hazards like glacial lake outburst floods, extreme floods, and sediment load.
• Effective adaptation requires a non-uniform approach tailored to specific vulnerabilities and contexts, supported by an institutional framework that integrates climate change into sector policies.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2017). Adaptation to climate change in the hydroelectricity sector in Nepal. https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-adaptation-climate-change-hydroelectricity-sector-nepal

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Adaptation to climate change in the hydroelectricity sector in Nepal. 2017. https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-adaptation-climate-change-hydroelectricity-sector-nepal.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Adaptation to climate change in the hydroelectricity sector in Nepal |date=14 June 2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-adaptation-climate-change-hydroelectricity-sector-nepal |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2017adaptation, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Adaptation to climate change in the hydroelectricity sector in Nepal}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, month = jun, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-adaptation-climate-change-hydroelectricity-sector-nepal}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }