Nepal's Energy Secretary Warns of Future Risks Due to Extreme Weather Events

Kathmandu. Chiranjibi Chataut, the Secretary (Energy Affairs) of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, stated that the future itself is at risk as extreme weather events, including floods and landslides, are increasing due to climate change. 

Speaking at an event organized on the occasion of World Meteorological Day 2026, Secretary Chataut emphasized the necessity of early warning systems for hydro-meteorological events and climate-resilient infrastructure development to combat the effects of climate change. He expressed the view that lives of citizens can be saved from weather-related events if scientific data is effectively transformed into early warnings.

“Potential loss of life and property from floods, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods can be reduced by converting scientific data into timely early warnings,” he said.

Secretary Chataut pointed out that multilateral cooperation is indispensable for making hydro-meteorological services modern, reliable, and effective. He also stressed the need to strengthen coordination between the government, technical bodies, and stakeholders. He emphasized prioritizing the strengthening of early warning systems, expanding the use of technology, and institutional collaboration for climate risk reduction.

Senior Meteorologist Raju Dhar Pradhananga and Senior Hydrologist Ram Bikesh of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology jointly presented a working paper, providing information on the development process of the weather system from observation to service, the use of technology, and future plans.

They stated that the weather forecasting system, from observation to service for weather-related early warnings, has been strengthening recently. They added that it is effectively contributing to disaster risk reduction through observation, analysis, forecasting, and service.

The working paper presented at the event marking World Meteorological Day 2026 mentioned that effective forecasting is impossible without accurate weather observation. Senior Meteorologist Pradhananga noted that collecting reliable data is essential as the weather directly impacts sectors such as aviation, agriculture, health, daily life, and disaster management.

According to him, data is being collected in real-time through automatic and ‘manual’ weather stations, radar, satellite, and radiosonde systems across the country. The collected data is quality-tested and analyzed to prepare forecasts.

Pradhananga stated that data is being provided to various government agencies and stakeholders through the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) system. “This is helping in decision-making for transport, agriculture, infrastructure development, and disaster management,” he said.

Currently, forecasting services for 12 hours, 24 hours, three days, and weekly are operational. Furthermore, special weather services for the aviation sector, mountaineering forecasts, agro-meteorological services, and special warning systems are also in operation. According to the department, the use of technology has increased significantly in recent years, and the accuracy of forecasts has been improved through automatic weather stations, advanced satellites, radar systems, and high-capacity computer systems.

The department stated that the impact-based forecasting system, initiated in 2021, has made the dissemination of early warnings effective, especially in high-risk areas during the monsoon season. Information was also shared at the event that future plans include expanding services to five to seven days of forecasting, decision support systems, artificial intelligence-based analysis, and mobile apps.

Hydrologist Ray emphasized the need to increase investment in the early warning system, stating that potential risks have been mitigated and loss of life and property has been reduced due to flood-related early warnings.