Back to news
10 Feb 2016 | News

Assessing Nepal’s Hydropower Potential

1 min Read

70% Complete

A joint initiative to aid the Government of Nepal (GoN) in developing internationally accredited environmental impact assessment (EIA) guidelines and procedures for the hydropower sector was launched 3 February 2016.Nepal’s Ministry of Population and Environment (MoPE), the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) came together for Kathmandu event. With the support of ICIMOD’s Koshi Basin Programme and the Government of Australia, more than 60 representatives from various sectors, including the Ambassador of Australia, participated and contributed in the workshop.

In his opening remarks, chief guest of the workshop Australian Ambassador to Nepal HE Mr Glen White highlighted hydropower’s potential in the country’s economic development. Ambassador White said the consultative process would aid the development of internationally accepted EIA guidelines to promote sustainable hydropower in Nepal.

In her opening note, IFC Country Manager for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal Wendy Jo Werner highlighted the hydropower sector as a priority sector for IFC investment in Nepal, and said collaboration with the Government of Nepal and ICIMOD will help to promote international investment.

ICIMOD’s Laxmi Dutt Bhatta highlighted the need to balance ecosystem health with development in river basins to promote sustainable progress in Nepal and the larger region.

Mr Vijay Kumar Mallick, Secretary of Nepal’s Ministry of Population and Environment, chaired the opening sessions. In his opening remarks, Mr Mallick, on the Government’s behalf, assured all concerned that his ministry is committed to the effective implementation of EIA in all sectors, including hydropower, and asked for ICIMOD and IFC support to update EIA guidelines for hydropower sector. He also highlighted the dire need for energy in Nepal for overall economic development.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

DFID and ICIMOD Come Together for Cleaner Bricks in Nepal

Nepal’s Clean Brick Initiative has been consolidated by the signing of an accountable grant arrangement between the 

Homestay Congress 2020: Pioneering dialogue for regional homestay development in the Kangchenjunga Landscape

Homestays serve as an essential aspect of rural tourism in the Kangchenjunga Landscape (KL). They integrate sustainable resource utilization (especially ...

8 Apr 2016 News
Landscape Journey in Myanmar

A multidisciplinary team was organised in the Mu Lar-Nam Ru watershed area of Putao district in Kachin, Myanmar late February ...

10 Feb 2015 News
Myanmar to lead the way with ecotourism in protected areas

On 19–21 May 2015, the Government of Myanmar launched its ambitious Ecotourism Policy and Management Strategy for Protected Areas, developed ...

Professional Exchange Programme

Dema Yangzom, an engineer from the Department of Hydro-Met Services (DHMS) in ...

14 Dec 2015 News
Bhutan – On the Road to Complete its National Level Data for Forest

  Bhutan is a landlocked kingdom characterised by high mountainous terrain and extensive forest cover. Over seventy percent of the country ...

25 May 2015 News
ICIMOD to lead SAARC CCI’s climate-related activities

Participants from ICIMOD attended the 62nd Executive Committee and 20th General Assembly of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Chamber ...

3 Jan 2017 News
ICIMOD Celebrates International Mountain Day 2016

[caption id="attachment_7730" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Speakers-cum-panelists at the knowledge forum. (Photo credit: Jitendra Bajracharya/ICIMOD)[/caption] On ...