Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hydroelectricity Sector in Nepal

This policy brief examines the vulnerabilities of Nepal's hydropower sector to current climate variability and future climate change. It finds that while future impacts are uncertain, the increase in climate-induced hazards like floods and sediment loads poses a major risk. The report advocates for a shift toward a more balanced power mix with more storage projects and recommends a tailored, 'low-regret' adaptation approach that integrates climate risk screening into the project development cycle.

• Current climate and hydrological variability, rather than future climate change, represents a primary immediate challenge for Nepal's hydropower sector. Existing plants, particularly smaller run-of-river (RoR) projects, show high vulnerability to this variability, which results in significant economic impacts.
• Future climate change impacts are characterized by high uncertainty due to a lack of reliable long-term hydro-meteorological data and the complex topography of Nepal. While temperature increases are a robust finding across models, projections for precipitation are highly uncertain, particularly regarding winter months.
• The most significant risks posed by climate change are increased climate-induced hazards. These include higher sediment loads, extreme floods, and geo-hazards such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and landslide-induced dam outburst floods (LDOFs). GLOF risks are particularly acute for plants located within 50–100 km downstream of critical glacial lakes.
• Nepal's national power system suffers from an inefficient power mix and a mismatch between supply and demand, leading to high economic costs and a reliance on power imports from India. The system is dominated by RoR projects; the study suggests that increasing the share of storage-type reservoir projects is necessary to meet future demand and improve stability.
• Adaptation must be tailored to the specific context, plant type, and vulnerability of each project rather than using a 'one size fits all' approach. The study identifies three types of adaptation: immediate actions for current risks, 'climate smart planning' for new investments over the next decade, and long-term monitoring and research.
• There are several 'low-regret' adaptation options that provide immediate benefits and build future resilience. For current plants, these include non-technical options like improved hydro-meteorological data, early warning systems, and insurance. For planned plants, options include flexible designs (e.g., space for future spillways) and the selection of robust equipment that performs well across various flow regimes.

APA

Basnyat, D. B., & Watkiss, P. (2017). Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hydroelectricity Sector in Nepal. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/hydroelectricity-in-Nepal-final-WEB.pdf

Chicago

Basnyat, Divas B., and Paul Watkiss. Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hydroelectricity Sector in Nepal. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2017. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/hydroelectricity-in-Nepal-final-WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Basnyat |first1=Divas B. |last2=Watkiss |first2=Paul |title=Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hydroelectricity Sector in Nepal |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=May 2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/hydroelectricity-in-Nepal-final-WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{basnyat2017adaptation, author = {Basnyat, Divas B. and Watkiss, Paul}, title = {{Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hydroelectricity Sector in Nepal}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/hydroelectricity-in-Nepal-final-WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }