DHM and IPPAN Sign MoU to Develop Early Warning System for Hydropower Projects

Kathmandu — The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) and the Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an early warning system aimed at minimizing flood and landslide damage to hydropower projects.

The five-year agreement was signed in the presence of Energy Minister Deepak Khadka during a program organized in Kathmandu on the occasion of National Monsoon Day. Ministry Secretaries Suresh Acharya and Sarita Dawadi, DHM Director General Kamal Ram Joshi, and IPPAN Chairman Ganesh Karki signed the MoU.

Minister Khadka stated that while the cost of implementing such systems may increase project expenses, the long-term benefits far outweigh the cost. He emphasized the importance of early warnings in preventing significant physical and human losses. Energy Secretary Acharya and other government officials called the agreement “historic” and significant for disaster risk reduction.

Under the agreement, real-time rainfall and water level data will be provided by DHM to IPPAN and its member projects from Jestha 15 to Asoj 15 (May 29 – October 1). The data will be classified by river basin and include three-day forecasts. It will be shared via Application Programming Interface (API) and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) systems.

IPPAN Chairman Ganesh Karki said the early warning system could reduce both project damage and insurance claim burdens. He highlighted that even a project 28 km from last year’s Kathmandu floods suffered damage due to the lack of timely warnings. With access to up to seven days’ advance notice, significant risk reduction is expected, he added.

The MoU also mandates the sharing of data from private-sector-installed warning systems to the department’s servers. New equipment installations must meet DHM’s technical specifications. Data confidentiality is required, and sharing with third parties is restricted.