Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
falls as torrential showers that can cause local flooding, mudﾭ
flows, and landslides. Because of the almost constant summer
cloud cover, temperatures are somewhat milder than during
the drier spring and early autumn.
WATER RESOURCES
Nepal is rich in water resources. Many streams begin in Tibet
and flow southward into Nepal, where they join tributaries that
begin in the country's own snowcapped Himalayas. All streams
eventually join the mighty Ganges (Ganga) River in India.
Major drainage systems, from west to east across the country,
include the Karnali, Gandaki, and Kosi rivers. The western part
of Nepal is drained by the Karnali river system. Major tributarﾭ
ies include the Bheri and Seti rivers.
The Gandaki River, which flows through central Nepal
(also called the Narayani in Nepal and the Gandak in India)
is one of the country's major streams. It, too, has a number of
tributaries. The river has been harnessed to produce hydroﾭ
electric energy and also is an important source of water for
irrigation. It has scoured one of the world's deepest canyons,
the Kali Gandaki Gorge (also called Andha Galchi). The Ganﾭ
daki flowed across the area before the Himalayas began to form.
As the mountains gradually rose, the river was able to cut its
way downward through the rock. In this way, over a period of
millions of years, it was able to create the spectacular canyon.
(The same physical process is responsible for Arizona's Grand
Canyon of the Colorado River. As the Colorado Plateau graduﾭ
ally rose over a period of millions of years, the river cut through
the rock to form the canyon.) The Kosi river system drains the
eastern part of Nepal; its main tributary is the Arun.
Nepal's rivers are very fast flowing. Within fewer than 100
miles (160 kilometers), they cascade down thousands of feet
of steep terrain. This presents several economic opportuniﾭ
ties. First, few countries in the world have greater potential
to develop hydroelectric resources. Today, about 80 percent
