Opinion | How Nepal’s hydro betrayed its farmers
Summary
Nepal's abundant water and hydropower resources are failing to address food security due to poor agricultural infrastructure, declining farm land, and energy being exported rather than used to modernize farming.
Key Points
- Nepal's agriculture sector has seen minimal income growth while its agricultural land area is declining at 1.75% annually.
- Nepal imports a significant and growing amount of food products, contributing to a large trade deficit.
- Although Nepal has abundant hydropower and electricity exports, rural agricultural areas lack infrastructure for electrification and mechanization in farming.
- The energy export deal benefits Indian farmers in Haryana, while Nepalese farmers face vulnerabilities due to lack of reliable electricity and irrigation.
