Banking News – Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has stated that preparedness efforts must be intensified to cope with the El Niño crisis. He emphasized that all agencies must remain prepared to face the drought and dry season caused by the impact of an extremely strong “Super El Niño” expected to enter Nepal after 8 weeks.

Addressing a national seminar on Super El Niño and climate risk organized by the Secretariat of the Water and Energy Commission and the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology on Friday, Minister Shrestha stressed the need to remain vigilant in a timely manner about the serious impact that El Niño, which will be visible from October to February, will have on Nepal’s hydropower, irrigation, and overall food security.

“Early warning and preparedness are essential. Without this, farmers suffer. But no one is exempt from this. When farmers cannot focus on their production, it directly affects food security. It also affects energy because most hydropower generation is run-of-river based. Already water is insufficient during the dry season. What happens when water becomes even more scarce due to its impact? Or on the other side, what if our glacial lakes melt and cause disasters? So this is a serious issue,” he said.

Minister Shrestha informed that according to the international meteorological agency (NOAA), the most powerful El Niño so far is arriving with over 90 percent probability this year, and its impact will be visible from October to February. He stated that this will affect the electricity system. He noted that the main import period for winter (November to April) and the peak time of El Niño coincide, posing a risk that both Nepal’s hydropower generation and electricity imports from India could be affected simultaneously.

Minister Shrestha also expressed concern that most irrigation systems are monsoon-dependent, leading to water shortages during the dry season, which will significantly impact the production of winter crops such as wheat and barley. He stated that efforts must be made in forecasting and preparedness. “Unlike sudden disasters, drought is a slow-onset disaster. So instead of declaring a state of emergency after damage occurs, we must take advance planning and policy measures based on pre-determined criteria,” he said. He emphasized that the Energy and Agriculture Ministries must work jointly to integrate irrigation and agriculture against this crisis.

Minister Shrestha also stated that Nepal has been bearing the impact of climate change caused by developed countries. “I also want to tell the international community that news about blocking oil at the Strait of Hormuz makes big headlines. But Nepal is suffering from climate change and carbon emissions. It’s like being poisoned without eating. The international community must pay attention to this,” he said. He stated that climate change is an issue affecting future generations, the economy, energy, and everything else, and urged everyone to be serious on this sensitive issue.

Although the time has been short, the Energy Ministry has shown urgency in preparing for a potential major disaster, and the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has made good preparations, Minister Shrestha emphasized that everyone must unite to face the El Niño crisis. He informed that the ministry had already prepared a Tarai-Madhesh Drought Resilience Strategy in Jestha to cope with the potential crisis, and monitoring of groundwater has been initiated in 22 districts of Tarai.

He also directed the Water and Energy Commission to prepare a sectoral emergency framework before the end of Ashwin. Similarly, Minister Shrestha stated that the Energy Commission, in coordination with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the Department of Irrigation, the Department of Water Supply, the Nepal Electricity Authority, and the Department of Electricity Development, will establish a Water-Energy Drought Monitoring Mechanism for coordination.