Some initiatives aimed at enhacning transboundary cooperation: SAWI and PCCP??

[vishnu pandey]

As we ar discussing on enhancing cooperation potetnail in the Ganges basin, it may worth to mention and discuss on following two initiatives;

 

1. PCCP (from potential conflict to cooperation potential): it was initiated by UNESCO some time ago. If anyone is aware of works by this initiative in the Ganges basin and share with us, it would be highly appreciated. 

 

2. SAWI (South Asian Water Initiative): if there are anybody associated/involved with SAWI activities, is it possible to highlight some of its activites aimed at enhacing cooperation potential in the Ganges basin?

 

As this discussion would continue only until 18th March, we are requesting you all to participate actively and hurry up to post your opinions and comments.

 

With many thanks

Vishnu Prasad Pandey

Moderator

[Dr. Rijan Bhakta Kayastha]

Dear All,

I am Rijan Bhakta Kayastha, Coordinator of the Himalayan Cryosphere, Climate and Disaster Research Center (HiCCDRC), Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel.

The HiCCDRC is a Lead Institute in SAWI Project which is executed through ICIMOD. Other partners of the project are Sharda University, New Delhi, India and Kabul University, Kabul Afghanistan. We have selected two river basins for case studies, Langtang Khola basin in Nepal and Kafni River basin, Uttarakhand in India. Both are glacierized river basins and part of Ganges river system. We are at the end of one year project and main outcomes are current hydrological regime and future scenario of discharge from those river basins using downscaled climate data.

The other one project of similar nature in which I am working as a South Asia Project Manager is the Contribution to High Asia Runoff from Ice and Snow (CHARIS, http://nsidc.org/charis/). CHARIS project aims to systematically assess the role that glaciers and seasonal snow play in the freshwater resources of High Asia. This assessment will be crucial in helping to forecast the future availability and vulnerability of water resources. The project’s objectives, to determine how much water in the rivers of High Asia comes from seasonal snow melt and how much comes from glacier ice melt, will be met in collaboration with Asian partners. The work will provide critical regional-scale information for planning downstream irrigation, hydro-power generation, and general consumption. The Asian partner courtiers are Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

The University of Colorado, Boulder is the Lead Institution of CHARIS which is supported by a grant from USAID titled “Establishing a Collaborative Effort to Assess the Role of Glaciers and Seasonal Snow Cover in the Hydrology of the Mountains of High Asia.”

Regards,

Rijan

 

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Rijan Bhakta Kayastha, D. Sc., Assistant Professor

Coordinator: Himalayan Cryosphere, Climate and Disaster Research Center (HiCCDRC)
Coordinator: Cryosphere Monitoring Project - KU
South Asian Project Manager- Snow and Ice Melt Hydrology Project (CU/USAID)
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering
School of Science
Kathmandu University
Dhulikhel, Kavre
P.O. Box 6250 Kathmandu, NEPAL
E-mails: ri...@ku.edu.np and rijank...@gmail.com
Skype: rijankayastha
Phone: 977 11 661399 Ext. 1209 Mobile: 977 98511 35959
Fax: 977 11 661443
http://www.ku.edu.np/env/Brief_CV-Rijan.doc

[Om Raut]

Hi everyone,   I am Om Raut, a Water Resources Engineer now working as a freelance consultant, currently working for a Joint Venture of CANARAIL-DB-SMEC-ACE for a Railway Project in Bangladesh.   I would like to add one issue for discussion in this forum (although we are at the final phase), namely the importance of building reservoirs on all major rivers at the foothills of Siwaliks for optimal utilization of water resources by both Nepal and India. The modality of sharing the cost, benefit and any environmental damage should be worked out between Nepal and India keeping in view the fact that the flood control and low water augmentation and regulation of flow is a substantial benefit that would acrue to the downstream riparian country, India in this case.   These reservoirs could of the size ranging in height of the dam from 25 meters in smaller Southern rivers such as Bagmati, Kamala, Babai, etc to more than 250 meters in the case of larger rivers such as Koshi High Dam, Pancheshwar and the Karnali Multipurpose Project.   In this context, I would like to provide a glimpse of Karnali Multipurpose Project.   Karnali River with the total catchment area of 45,000 km2 drains about 1/3rd of the country and one of its tributaries, Humla Karnali originates from Tibet near Mansarobar. The average annual discharge of the river is about 1300 m3/s. There have been a series of studies and at least 4 sets of Feasibility Study Reports by four  different International Consulting Companies starting with Nippon Koe in early sixties and the latest report being by HPC in the early niteties were produced. They are all catching dust at different locations (NEA and WECS LIbrary) including the personal libaries of various people who were at some position of government responsibility connected to this Project during this period. Because of this timing hardly anything in available on the internet.   In 1980, there was an agreement with India to carry out necessary preparatory groundwork to build this Project. As a result of which UNDP agreed to finance the cost required to  produce 250 engineers and an agreement was signed between then HMG, Mininstry of Water Resources and then University of Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee) to enroll a batch of 50 students every year for five years. I was one of those belonging to the first batch.   When we came to Nepal after completing bachelors of civil engineering in 1984, I had the opportunity to work as a counterpart engineer with the Consultant, Himalayan Power Consultants (HPC) a joint venture of four north American Consultants led by ACRES.   The study was monitored by India through 2 levels of committees, a technical committe called "Committee on Karnali", which comprised of the technical experts of both the countries and there was a secretary level committee called the " Karnali Committee."   The finding of HPC study was that the Karnali Multipurpose project would be optimal with the following features: 270 m rock fill dam at Chisapani about 1 km upstream of the present Karnali bridge; 10,800 MW (600 MW x 18) Hydropower Project at 16.67% plant capacity factor for peak energy only (operating only 4 hours a day). A reregulating dam 500m d/s of the main dam, which would aslo house the intakes at both sides for Irrigation Canals, which would provide round the year irrigation to all the land lying between Mahakali and West Rapti; At the time of the study, it would have been the second largest hydropower project after only Itaipu (12,600 MW). Since then the Three Gorges with 22,000 MW has been commissioned and at least 3 more of larger than Karnali are under construction in China.   With 20-hours a day load shedding, and hardly anythingadded  to the system in last 10 years and no plan in pipeline in next 10-years except political gimmick, where will we be in terms of reliable energy base, which is the vital prerequisite for economic development.   The irony of Karnali is that we had multiparty democracy just after the HPC study conluded and with the coming of democracy, everything about Karnali including the bi-national committees vanished in the thin air. During the last days of Deuba, it resurfaced shortly, when there was talk about giving it to Enron, which eventually collapsed within about 6 months of that talk.   I think all of us should take up this issue to a level of intense discussion, focussing on all aspects of it, technical, macroeconomic, environmental and its long-term short-term impacts, the terms of sharing benefits and costs, the transboundary implications and the entire gamut of issues.   Thank you. Om Raut | International Hydrologist CANARAIL/SMEC/DB/ACE JV Reginal Cooperation and Integration Project - Rail Component Dhaka, Bangladesh ____________________________________________________     Disclaimer: The information contained in this e-mail and any attached file is confidential. It is intended solely for the addressee, and may not be used, reproduced, disclosed or distributed without sender's permission. Sender accepts no liability for loss or damage (whether caused by negligence or not) resulting from the use of any attached files. --- On Thu, 14/3/13, vishnu pandey <e_vishn...@yahoo.com> wrote:

[Suchita]

Namaste Everyone, 

I am Suchita Shrestha, graduate of Environmental Science. 

I thought it would be worth mentioning one of the important initiative done between our very neighbouring countries i.e. India and Bangladesh.The initiative "Ecosystem for Life" -A Bangladesh – India Initiative (Dialogue for Sustainable Management of Trans-boundary Water Regimes in South Asia. We can learn from the initiative.

 It not only help to develop a shared vision and understanding of food, livelihood and water security issues. The approach are:

1. collaborative research and developing joint research based policy options

2. creating a regional knowledge hub

3. enhancing the capacity of civil society stakeholders in both countries to participate in the management of natural resources through dialogue. 

This initiative is the true example of how we can engage the scientific community and civil society in the South-Asian transboundary issues. 

Thank you

With best regards

Suchita Shrestha