Making MHPs More Resilient – Bioengineering Project in Tatopani Concludes Installation

Utilizing nature-based solutions to help protect renewable energy infrastructure is a key focus of our Innovation Lab Nepal Project. Early last month (5th June), construction of the first installation in the mountainous Jumla District was successfully completed. Smreeti Rokka and Susmita Satyal from our project partner, RECOFTC, reflect on the installation:

Tatopani Rural Municipality in the Jumla District is home to a diverse population enriched with unique cultures, traditions, and biodiversity. Despite these strengths, the infrastructure in the area remains relatively underdeveloped. The entire municipality depends on a single micro-hydropower plant: The Girikhola Jaalpadevi MHP. Though the national electricity grid has reached the region, it is yet to be extended to the entire Municipality. The Girikhola MHP was established in 2019 and has a generation capacity of 200 kW. Currently, it benefits approximately 2,200 households across Tatopani. This plant has significantly improved the quality of life for local residents. 

However, the MHP is at serious risk of being damaged due to potential landslides above the powerhouse. Additionally, the river flowing alongside the operator house, had been continuously causing scouring of the adjacent lands and posed a threat of flooding, which could severely impact the infrastructure.

Condition of river before intervention

Slope above powerhouse before intervention

Due to these vulnerabilities and the critical role the MHP plays in the community, the site was selected for intervention under the WISIONS Innovation Lab in Nepal. As part of the sustainable landscape management component, RECOFTC Nepal implemented bioengineering structures to reduce the risks to these critical MHP infrastructures. The installation of this nature-based solution was carried out in collaboration with the Girikhola Jaalpadevi Rural Electricity Cooperative Limited.

Key activities included the construction of four retaining walls, each 5 meters long, and six crib walls, using layered bamboo poles fixed with bamboo pegs.

Retaining and crib wall above powerhouse

We installed a total of 35 gabion boxes; placed directly behind the powerhouse and along the riverbank. Additionally, we built three bamboo wattling fences behind the powerhouse to slow surface runoff and trap sediments.

Gabions along river after intervention

To enhance long-term stability, live branches of Salix (bains), Peepal, and Dhatelo seedlings were planted on and around the crib walls. Most construction materials, except bamboo, were sourced locally, and community labor was engaged in the implementation under the technical supervision of a field consultant.

Plantation of crib wall

A post-project completion meeting was held at the Tatopani Rural Municipality office on 5th of June 2025, where representatives from the Tatopani rural municipality, Soil and Watershed Management Office, the Micro-Hydropower Plant (MHP), and RECOFTC participated. The initiative was well received by all local stakeholders, including the MHP chairperson, ward representatives, and the Soil and Watershed Management Office. During this meeting, a four-party agreement was signed, reinforcing a collective commitment to the sustainability of the intervention.

Post-project completion meeting

Their active engagement and the signing of the agreement with RECOFTC demonstrated strong ownership and a shared intention to integrate similar nature-based solutions into future development plans. To ensure the long-term sustainability of the intervention, each stakeholder body nominated one representative to oversee the monitoring and maintenance of the site. Feedback indicated strong potential for replication, especially through the use of native materials like Salix to improve ecological integration. For example by Dharmaraj Jaishi, resident of Tatopani-4:

We had never seen such a structure anywhere in Jumla before, and we truly hope it will help mitigate the landslide risk on this hill slope. Our region has many similar high-risk areas, so we also hope that the local government will replicate these kinds of structures elsewhere.

Additionally, we recommended that such bioengineering practices be institutionalized in local government planning, and that regular monitoring be carried out to assess the performance of vegetative components, with shared responsibility across the MHP, local government, and watershed office. 

The project in Tatopani also underscores the importance of ensuring community ownership of the installation. Strengthening this mechanism, such as by linking voluntary involvement in the installation to livelihood benefits like training stipends, is crucial for ensuring the long-term maintenance of the structures.

MHP before and after intervention