Nepal flood puts Himalayan dams and hydropower plants under scrutiny

A major flood in Nepal has intensified debate over the wisdom of constructing dams and hydropower plants in the Himalayan mountains, with specialists warning that such projects may carry significant and underappreciated risks.

The disaster has thrown into sharp relief the tension between the region's vast potential for electricity generation and the dangers posed by large-scale construction in one of the world's most geologically volatile landscapes.

Experts are now calling for a broader reassessment of how hydropower development is planned and regulated across the Himalayas, arguing that the Nepal catastrophe may be an early warning of challenges to come as the pace of such construction accelerates.