Fed by the snows and glaciers of the Himalaya and the seasonal rains of the South Asian monsoon, Nepal’s rivers represent one of the world’s greatest untapped sources of hydroelectricity. Yet despite the mounting energy needs of Nepal and its power-hungry neighbors China and India, the country has been unable to seize advantage of its hydroelectric potential to date, largely due to a combination of ongoing political unrest and environmental sustainability concerns. In the following report, produced under the auspices of the Stimson Environmental Security Program, author Madeline Bergner with the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy (University of Virginia) analyzes the different policy choices and pathways that lie ahead for Nepal as it seeks to harness the power of its mighty rivers.