Glacial collapse wipes out 10% of Nepal’s hydropower, prompting climate-risk overhaul

A massive rock-and-ice collapse along the China-Nepal border killed more than 1,400 people, left thousands unaccounted for, and knocked 410 MW—about one-tenth of national capacity—out of Nepal’s grid. The incident destroyed seven existing hydropower projects and damaged six under construction, prompting the suspension of electricity exports to India and Bangladesh. Senior vice-president Uttam Bhlon Lama of the Independent Power Producers’ Association said the country must rethink its dam-building spree, while minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha urged the sector to learn from the damage and adopt risk-reduction measures.

The World Bank and the World Weather Attribution group linked the collapse to long-term warming, glacier retreat and geological instability. Experts now advocate moving powerhouses to higher ground, improving evacuation shelters, and adding solar capacity to reduce reliance on vulnerable hydropower. The event underscores broader Himalayan climate threats affecting water supplies for hundreds of millions downstream.