The importance of emergency management programmes for Nepalese dams and hydro projects

摘要

In Nepal, the goal of economic development through hydropower expansion is driving a new era of dam construction. In a mountainous, seismically active area like Nepal, natural hazards that can initiate a dam failure are varied and significant. The lack of consistent, formal operation and maintenance practices, combined with the impacts of climate change, significantly increase the risk to hydropower projects and dams and downstream communities. In addition, the continued population growth and increased development downstream of dams is increasing, compounding the consequences of dam failure. All of these factors point to the fact that dam safety risks in Nepal are significant and can be expected to increase in the future as more and larger projects are constructed.