Secure and clean energy for 30,000 people in Nepal

One in 10 people in Nepal do not have reliable access to electricity. The problem is particularly acute in rural areas, with around three million people affected by energy shortages. This limits their use of lighting and the internet, and they have to heat their homes using wood and biomass instead of electricity or gas. In addition to making everyday life more difficult, this increases their health risks, for example due to the toxic flue gas released when cooking on traditional stoves.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is supporting the Nepalese Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) in securing the electricity supply throughout the country. As Nepal’s mountainous terrain makes it difficult to expand the central electricity grid, GIZ is working on behalf of the German Development Ministry to establish a decentralised system that uses renewable energy. Over 30,000 people are already benefiting from a reliable supply of clean energy produced, for example, by domestic solar-powered, photovoltaic and biogas systems.

Digital administration for rapid implementation

To continue expanding the supply of renewable energy, GIZ has developed a digital platform that supports Nepalese municipalities with their energy and budget planning. Municipal employees can use a smartphone to collect energy data, for example about energy needs and consumption. The data is fed into the platform, where it is evaluated to identify deficits in the electricity supply. This improves the situation because it enables municipalities to expand the energy supply in line with people’s needs and focus to a greater extent on renewable energy technologies.

The project is showcased in GIZ’s most recent Evaluation Report, which was published on 29 March. This year’s report draws together the results of over 200 project evaluations conducted in the past few years. The Evaluation Report is published every two years.