Context of hidden water resources

[Dinesh Panday]

Dear All 

Greetings on this afternoon 

Let me introduce, I am Dinesh Panday, B.Sc. in Agriculture (2011) from the Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Currently working as Nepal Representative in YPARD (http://ypard.net/).  I hope you all are doing well and I am getting updates with current issues of water resources. Thanks to The Small Earth Nepal and associated organizations for this e- discussion. Here I would like to share in the context of hidden water resources.  I appreciate yours suggestions and active participation in this forum. 

Statistical figures indicate that there is plenty of water in Nepal, however, increasing population and industrial expansion, together with a growing demand from urbanization and irrigation sector is to continue to result in increased competition for water. Similarly, our water sources are facing many environmental hazards.

Irrigation is the basic infrastructure for agriculture development. But only 69.48 percent of total irrigable land has irrigation facility and only 50 percent of land year round facility. So, farmers entirely depend upon monsoon rain. In this regard, I conferred with Deepak Raj Joshi’s sharing.

Monsoon clouds bring torrential rainfall to the southern slope of the Himalayas, which causes landslides and flash floods in the middle hills and floods in the terai plains and will continue to become a growing threat to the country which is being accelerated by geological processes and human interventions.

There are inefficient activities from government and concerned stakeholders. To cope with farmer’s problem, most of the irrigation projects constructed by the government divert water from medium size rivers originating from the middle hills. The unreliable river flows coupled with the inefficient management appear to be the factors contributing to poor performance of the irrigation systems.

It is realized that the goal of optimizing the beneficial utilization of water in all its dimensions can only be achieved by analyzing water basin concept where even one system’s drainage can be another system’s water supply. The concept of water harvesting is also crucial and effective for proper management of present and upcoming water shortages problems.  Similarly use of groundwater is another accessible resource in the Terai.

I agreed with notion of Shovana Maharjan, in the context of regional cooperation.  Nepal’s four major rivers, Koshi, Gandak, Karnali and Mahakali contribute about 71 percent of the Ganges dry season flows and 41 percent of the total annual flows.  Nepal and India have separate agreements for Koshi, Gandak and Mahakali. Similarly, India and Bangladesh have Farakka Treaty on the sharing of the Ganges waters, Regional cooperation especially on the water resource development and management will be possible through negotiations.

Taking with Maharjan’s word “Cooperation between countries, sharing water is must to prevent any inter-basin water conflict. Sharing of water should be in equitable basis, not on power or economic status”. And as concluding parts from the Ground water in Kathmandu Valley, it needs to invest in water resources monitoring, research and conservation under an effective institutional set up and leadership.  Since the vision of the future is that Nepal’s poverty can be eliminated by water resources development led through agricultural and allied activities.

 

 

[Saroj Chapagain]

Dear all,

I am Saroj Kumar Chapagain, working as Postdoc researcher at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. Working in the field of Water and Sanitation sector, the ongoing discussion is quite new but interesting for me. The discussion has found a good opportunity to learn much more on the issues related to Transboundary water cooperation issues.

 

I would like to thank to SEN for organizing the great event. I also like to thank to all who have shared their valuable thought/information and ofcourse moderators who have nicely organized the event. The discussion is certainly valuable to enhance the existing understanding (especially for those like me who have not much ideas in this sector) in this issues.

 

Thank you.

 

Sincerely yours

Saroj

 

 

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From: Dinesh Panday <relorte...@gmail.com>
To: urban...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, 17 March 2013 5:14 PM
Subject: [e discussion: Water Cooperation] Context of hidden water resources

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URBANWATER is an online group created by Nepal National Water Week (NNWW) to conduct e discussion on the theme of World Water Day. NNWW has been celebrated in Nepal to commemorate the World Water Day (22nd March) and World Meteorological Day (23rd March) organizing a week long programs since 2008.
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[Rabin Malla]

Dear all,

I am Rabin Malla working at CREEW. I really appreciate and agree to the opinion and thought put forth in this e-discussion forum. In addition, I would add the following.

With changing global environmental scenarios the various problems and issues on them are becoming more a global concern day by day. Many government and stakeholders are trying to cooperate and resolve them. These are appropriate times for initiating and strengthening mutual cooperation for transboundary issues of water and other environmental issues.

For the trans boundary issues of water, water environment at the source should be conserved and protected. So ensuring management at local level first is very important. It is very well often said "Think globally and act locally". Then we can use water at downstream in a more sustainable way. Mechanism for this purpose should also be given top priority as previously said formation of "inter-governmental Panel". Concept based on PES can be issue of research whether  govt./people at trans boundaries are willing to pay in some forms??? 

Best regards,

Rabin Malla