DAMBAR KRISHNA SHRESTHA

Kathmandu: Nepali hydro-engineers are leaving the country for jobs in conflict-affected Afghanistan, where there is a high demand for a skilled workforce.

"Experienced Nepali hydro-engineers are in demand," says an official at the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) who has returned from Afghanistan. He worked in KFW Bank in Afghanistan for a year. KFW has invested billions of dollars in the hydro sector.

According to the official, half a dozen Nepalis are employed in major positions in hydro projects, with two engineers overseeing many such projects in Afghanistan. They are paid a minimum of US$5,000 a month, and some are paid as much as US$25,000 a month.

Afghanistan is getting aid from all over the world. Donors have made a huge investment in short-term hydropower projects. "The risk is high but a year of income is enough for a year's expenses," says hydro-energy expert Dambar Bahadur Nepali.

In Nepal, the project head of a hydropower project is usually paid about Rs 200,000 (about US$2,500) a month. But Nepali hydro-engineers with two years of experience in the field are poached by foreign hydropower companies. "A project needs 8 to 10 engineers," says Nepali. "Big projects require at least 30 engineers. NEA engineers take unpaid leave to work in foreign companies due to the attractive pay and perks."

Nepal produces about 400 hydro-engineers annually.