Harnessing the power of water

Just got back from a spectacular 11 day trek in the Anapurna region of Nepal, to learn of the horror that has gripped Haiti. It’s getting increasingly difficult to cut yourself off from the outside world these days. You pretty much have to go somewhere as remote as the Himalayas.

Even where I was, in the region of the Anapurna Base Camp, globalization is steadily encroaching. For those of us whose lives are ever-complicated by the world’s interconnectedness, a brief escape from the constant flood of news and information is bliss.

But in places where information and resources are so hard to access (everything from a bottle of coke to basic construction materials is carried up the mountain on somebody’s back), one really sees the benefit of spreading good ideas. I’m thinking especially of the access to hydro and solar power which has become widespread in the Anapurna region over the past few years.

Nepal is rich in water resources, and a number of families and trekkers’ tea houses have constructed their own tiny hydro power plants along the banks of the plentiful streams in the area. These are simple sheds fed with stream water which enters in a tube, spins a turbine to generate the power and then is channeled back in the river.

A typical hydropower shed

These are low impact, de-centralized sources of clean energy. Each plant generates something between one and four kilowatts, which means that while cities like Kathmandu cope with six hours of load-shedding a day, these places have a small but steady stream of constant power.

Having access to reliable sources of lighting and heat brings other benefits, too. Now, there’s that much less kerosene to be lugged up steep trails — which is a fire hazard to boot. Plus residents no longer have to gather firewood, depleting the forests. Pretty cool.