Reporter’s Blog: Nepal earthquake – Powering the country one year on

It’s hard to believe it has been a year since Nepal was struck by a devastating earthquake: the day that changed everyone’s lives forever. More than eight million people were affected and thousands killed and injured after a 7.8 magnitude quake hit the beautiful Himalayan country. It affected people’s daily lives: basic commodities like food […]

Blog: Thank you for helping us Re-Energise Nepal

It has been just over nine months since Nepal was struck by a devastating earthquake. The country crumbled in just a few minutes, killing more than 8,000 people and millions more were affected by the broken infrastructure. That meant no power, no heat, no water and very little hope. Nepal was already plagued by power […]

Nepal granted $20m for power sector reform

The World Bank has granted funding worth $20 million (£13m) to reform the power sector in Nepal. The project is expected to help strengthen the capacity of power sector agencies in the country as well as develop hydropower generation and transmission line projects. The funding will support the Upper Arun Hydroelectric Project and the Ikhuwa […]

Nepal-India ink deal for oil pipeline

A new pipeline project to export petroleum from India to Nepal has been approved. India’s Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Nepal’s Minister of Commerce and Supplies Sunil Bahadur Thapa singed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this week. The 41km pipeline will stretch from Raxaul in India to Amlekhgunj in Nepal. The Himalayan […]

Editorial: Spokes, sweat, saddles and fat blokes expending energy for charity

Well the training is done and the time has come for our wobbly guts to be crammed into lycra. If you haven’t vomitted and are still reading, you’ll know this is all in a good cause. Geoff and I along with some friends from the energy sector will be biking 100 miles on Sunday, as […]

Editorial – Help us help Nepal

It can’t have escaped your notice that Nepal has been devastated by two earthquakes. The charities are out there helping feed and clothe people. Medical supplies are on their way as is emergency shelters, tents and sleeping bags. But what people need more than anything is power. Power to heat and light homes, cook food, […]

Tap hydropower potential, World Bank tells Nepal

Nepal is being urged to tap its hydropower potential to solve the nation’s energy crisis. The World Bank said it is a “core task” for the country, which still faces power cuts of at least eight hours a day. It will also help in boosting public income through electricity trade with neighbouring India, it added. […]

Blog: A murky view from the top of the world

I was ecstatic! A month in my home country after three and a half years of not having seen my family. It was supposed to bring a breath of fresh air. Except it didn’t (literally!). As I walked out of Nepal’s international airport to see some of my family members waiting impatiently, I was struck […]

Saving lives with solar at Nepal blood bank

Aid charities are building a blood bank in Nepal’s capital city which can withstand earthquake-induced power cuts – with solar panels. Blood supplies need to be kept chilled in fridges but in quake-prone Kathmandu, power supplies are a daily occurrence. Backed by the charity British Red Cross, the Nepalese Red Cross Society is building a new blood […]

Climate change could slash South Asia’s GDP by 9% – report

South Asia could see economic losses of up to 9% of its GDP every year by the end of the century if the world continues to invest in fossil fuels. That’s according to a new report form the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which predicts the collective economy of six countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the […]