A man sits on a hilltop overlooking the flood-ravaged valley and damaged buildings half-buried under silt and debris, following the devastating flash floods, in Nuwakot district, Nepal, September 2, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The wake of the August 26 flash floods in Nepal, which devastated several towns and villages, killed more than a thousand people, and left several more unaccounted for, follows a familiar pattern that emerged after the Chamoli floods, the South Lhonak Lake disaster, and the Thame floods: a call to rethink development in the region in light of risks exacerbated by climate change.
At the centre of this narrative sits hydroelectric power, whose infrastructure has received the region’s most attention and investment.
Estimates have revealed that the latest catastrophe extensively damaged at least 13 hydroelectric power projects along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors and one solar power plant. According to the United Nations Development Programme, about 15 power projects with a planned capacity of 470 MW that were under construction were also damaged.
Published – September 10, 2026 08:30 am IST
