Experts call for resilient rebuilding of Nepal's flood-damaged hydropower

Workers in central Nepal have been clearing thick mud from a flood-damaged power station in an effort to restore electricity for more than 20,000 residents. The floods that hit Nepal and China this week knocked out roughly one-tenth of Nepal’s power capacity and buried dozens of hydropower tunnels, leaving many workers trapped, according to the Independent Power Producers’ Association.

Geoscientist Jakob Steiner said authorities must reassess reconstruction plans for existing and pending projects, noting that the tunnels used to access hydropower infrastructure are large enough for trucks but were overwhelmed by the floodwaters. "Authorities have to take a hard look in the mirror now and ask how they will be rebuilding in these places," Steiner said.

Ramraj Narasimhan, senior director of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, urged a focus on continuity of services rather than trying to make every structure indestructible. He suggested incorporating redundancy, alternative routes, backup power, improved early-warning systems and financial tools such as insurance to speed recovery.

The coalition estimates that $124 billion of Nepal’s infrastructure is exposed to climate-driven disasters, with average annual losses near $760 million, far exceeding the resources of the national disaster fund. Climate scientists highlighted that the Himalayan region is warming faster than many other areas, increasing the risk of floods, landslides and debris flows that threaten run-of-river hydropower sites built in narrow river corridors.

Steiner added that while smaller floods can be mitigated with diversion structures, events of the magnitude seen this week can overwhelm physical defenses, making early warning essential. He noted that the flood was detected at the China-Nepal border but reached downstream hydropower sites quickly, raising questions about the timeliness of alerts.

Himanshu Thakkar of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People called for environmental, social and disaster-risk assessments that reflect each valley’s specific hazards, stronger land-use regulations and greater accountability. He warned that large hydropower structures can act as "force multipliers" by adding debris and altering river channels, and suggested expanding decentralized solar power as part of Nepal’s energy mix.

The disaster underscores the challenge of not only rebuilding quickly but also deciding what infrastructure to place back in flood-prone corridors.