30 January 2013: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has issued a press release regarding efforts within Nepalese communities to implement small-scale hydroelectric projects with UNDP support. Since 1996, UNDP has supported nearly 400 micro-hydro power plants, which have brought electricity to nearly half a million people in the poor and rural areas of Nepal.

According to UNDP, micro-hydro power plants are well suited to Nepal, which has vast water resources but whose mountainous terrain makes connection to a national power grid a challenge. The rural electrification rate in Nepal is 34 percent.

UNDP requires community involvement at all stages of the projects, from diverting water to stringing power lines. Shoko Nodo, UNDP Country Director in Nepal, explained UNDP’s approach to micro-hydro is “to put community people at the center of the project so that they are the driver to introduce this technology, then also maintain and then have full ownership.” The piece further notes that villagers help to place pipes as part of the hydroelectricity projects that on average produce 30 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power a Nepalese village.

As a result of their increased access to electricity, Nepalese villagers have started new businesses, powered classrooms and taken steps to improve public health. For instance, one micro-hydro plant powers a medical clinic’s x-ray machine and refrigerator, which is used to store vaccines.[UNDP Story] [UNDP Nepal Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihood project]