The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and Blue Water Intelligence (BWI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to launch the Hydro Nepal Project.

The project is a significant step towards digitising Nepal’s river basins to optimise its hydropower resources and enhance preparedness for hydrological risks, the French embassy in Kathmandu said in a statement on Friday.

The project aims to support Nepal’s long-term vision for low-carbon energy development by digitising basin data and providing advanced hydrological insights, including river discharge forecasts, flow duration curves, and flow frequency analysis, even for ungauged rivers.

“With the use of AI-powered hydrological modelling, Hydro Nepal will improve data acquisition for hydropower projects,” reads the statement.

Collaborating with academic institutions such as Tribhuvan University’s Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (CDHM), the project aims to enhance understanding of hydrological processes in the Himalayan region, considering the impact of climate change on hydropower generation.

The MoU was signed between NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising and BWI CEO Jeremy Fain in the presence of French ambassador Virginie Corteval.