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Nepal floods expose risks to hydropower in a warming Himalayas
Officials say the damage cut about 10% of Nepal’s power capacity and left hundreds of workers unaccounted for as rebuilding questions grow.
- Workers in central Nepal are clearing debris from a flood-ravaged power station serving more than 20,000 people, with up to 900 workers unaccounted for across a dozen hydropower projects following last week's catastrophic floods.
- Climate scientists warn that the Himalayan region is warming faster than many other parts of the world, increasing risks from unstable slopes and glacial degradation that force infrastructure planning to account for increasingly frequent disasters.
- Nearly $760 million in average annual losses occur from disasters in Nepal, where $124 billion of infrastructure faces climate-driven risks and 700 megawatts—about 10% of national capacity—are currently offline.
- Jakob Steiner, a geoscientist at the University of Graz, urged authorities to focus on "rebuilding for resilience, not just replacement" by emphasizing continuity of services and improved early warning systems.
- Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, warned that large structures can become "force multipliers" during disasters, arguing Nepal should prioritize decentralized solar power and stricter land-use rules.
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Associated Press News+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Nepal floods expose risks to hydropower in a warming Himalayas
As rescuers in Nepal struggle to find hundreds of workers in the tunnels that were buried in last week's flooding, attention has focus on where to rebuild crucial hydropower projects.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources5
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Left, 40% Center
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Left, 40% of the sources are Center
40% Center
L 40%
C 40%
R 20%
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