USAID increases private sector investment in Nepal's hydro development

摘要

USAID is working with the Nepalese Government to create an appropriate climate for increased private sector investment, to help the country develop more of its vast hydro potential. This article gives a brief overview of the current work programme in Nepal, as well as the resulting social and economic benefits for the country where only about 20 per cent of the population have access to an electricity supply. Nepal has 43 000 MW of economic hydropower potential, but less than 2 per cent has been developed since investment needs grossly exceed government resources. The majority of Nepal's population lack access to modern energy sources, especially electricity, so the country must rely on bio-fuels, mainly wood, to meet its energy needs, with serious consequences for Nepal's forests and soils. The lack of electricity is a major constraint to economic development and poverty alleviation. The challenge lies in how to transform Nepal's immense water resources into economic wealth in an environmentally sound and socially sustainable manner. Since 2001, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been working with His Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMG/N) to create a favourable climate for private sector investment in developing the country's extensive hydropower resources.