Micro dams in Nepal…read more

What are micro dams?
Nepal is a LEDC in the Himalayas, it has a limited
economic resources and struggles to generate
electricity to provide power to stimulate the
economy. One of the most important resources in
Nepal is hydroelecltric power. However Nepal does
not have the funds to build a huge dam. 'micro'
hydropower plants, built on small rivers, have been
successful in the country. Already, 2,000 micro-
dams produce nearly 1/6th of the total electricity
produced by hydroelectric plants in Nepal.…read more

How do the micro dams work?
Micro-hydro plants basically just divert flowing river
water, with no significant dams, and use the forces of
gravity and falling water to spin turbines that
generate power before churning the water back into
the river for its journey downstream. In these "run of
the river" systems water is channelled off through
small canals, stored briefly in a settling tank to
separate sediment, then dropped through a steep
pipeline that delivers it into a turbine. The juice
produced by the turning turbine is wired directly to
local users.…read more

Benefits of Micro dams
The 323 operational RERL facilities alone now create
more than 600 full-time equivalent jobs and about
2,600 people have been technically trained on how
to operate a facility. However micro-hydro's
employment impact goes further and includes
specialized training to help spread electric access
benefits throughout the community. Under the
program more than 34,000 people, including 15,000
women, have been trained in larger efforts to develop
capacity on renewable energy, manage local micro-
hydro units and cooperatives, and initiate other
environmentally related activities.…read more