Energy and The Environment in Nepal

Abstract

Nepal has a large potential for hydroelectric energy but its development is capital intensive and difficult. Present energy use relies overwhelmingly on traditional biofuels and over-exploitation of biomass resources is causing considerable environmental damage. Energy planning in Nepal aims at increasing supplies while lowering environmental impacts through development of alternative sources of energy, fuel switching, and more attention to emissions control.

WITHDRAWN: Building disaster resilience in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems: The role of social learning in public private partnerships

“…Through applying approaches as "living with floods", before developing an area, potential maladaptations can be identified, and as such, costs for adjusting the maladaptation is avoided. The main concern is often how to establish required innovative financing and investment mechanisms for the management of ecosystem services, for example forests in upstream areas which could reduce flooding substantially downstream [120,101]. Engaging in platforms such as the The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity -TEEB (www.teebweb.org) is a way to exchange lessons learnt in this area with others who face the same challenge and have found a solution.…”

Household energy consumption: Community context and the fuelwood transition

“…Rapid population growth and lack of supply of alternative energy sources in Chitwan has caused extensive use of biomass energy sources like fuelwood and agricultural residue. Fuelwood is currently being consumed at rates higher than are sustainable, causing forest encroachment and local environmental degradation (Metz 1990; Pandit and Thapa 2003, 2004; Rijal 1999; Sharma 1991; Varughese 2000). An estimate of supply and demand for Chitwan suggests a net shortage of 326,683 tons of fuelwood for the year 2007 alone (Rijal 1999).…”

“…An estimate of supply and demand for Chitwan suggests a net shortage of 326,683 tons of fuelwood for the year 2007 alone (Rijal 1999). Although Nepal has a large economic potential for hydropower generation (42,000 MW), because of the poor economy only about 0.5% of this potential has been harnessed (Sharma 1991, 1996). Thus, in the absence of economically feasible alternative energy sources, residents in Chitwan are likely to continue to rely on biomass energy sources such as fuelwood to meet their energy demands.…”

Responses to Flood Disaster: Use of Indigenous Knowledge and Adaptation Strategies in Char Village, Bangladesh

“…Besides, the dissolution of glaciers in the foot of Himalayan-Hindu Kush region, owing to tangible climate change impact may also contribute to an escalation in flash floods in the mountainous zones, and those areas are situated at the foothills (Rahman, 2014). Due to rapid increase of population in the Indian Subcontinent for the present century has resulted in a rushing of deforestation in the hills of Nepal to meet the cumulative demand for fuel wood and food (Bajracharya, 1983), (Ives, 1989;Sharma, 1991), Deforestation of steep slopes is presumed to lead to enhanced soil erosion and landslides during monsoon precipitations. For this reason, the overwhelming floods in the downstream regions, such as in Bangladesh is increasing day by day (Munna, 2007).…”