Good Luck ti Lubhu Water Resource Committee

Lubhu water resource committee was constituted after the intervention from the nec-peri-urban research team at Lubhu. The team is committed to improve the water services at Lubhu and aims in establishing water security in this VDC. On August 25^th, 2012, Lubhu Water Supply and Sanitation Committee had its first general assembly. I represented the Nec peri-urban research team.

Participating in the VDC as an invitee was a refreshing experience as I was going to back to the field after a short gap after the source conservation campaign. More to that, it was really good to see that the Water Supply Committee constituted (after the initiation of the Peri-urban Water Security Project) in the area has been persistently functioning and exploring every possible alternative to overcome decades long water insecurity at Lubhu.

The half a day program constituted local people from different wards with a good converge of both male and female and had of the presence of  VDC Secretary. -Since, it was the wedding season, participation from the women was a little doubtful. However, despite their hectic schedule, a good number of them have turned up for the event. This is due to the significant activity of providing good water services to the Lubhu residents. From project perspective, I was satisfied for selecting Lubhu as the Pilot Intervention Site.

During the program, the key functionaries of the committee disseminated the information on the current status of the committee, activities conducted since its initiation and the constraints in achieving water security at Lubhu. They have also provided the details of various organizations which are supporting us in this endeavor. Additionally, the Committee not only acknowledged Nepal Engineering College and the project team for the continuous support and guidance; but also appealed the local community to support the Committee in its journey towards establishing water security.

The committee elaborated how the activities of the committee have currently been affected due to limited budget disbursement from the Governmental Annual Budget. It was said that the impact is not only in delaying the construction of the water related infrastructures, but the knock on effect has been on the entire project planning and decision making for the further activities. The social unity and determination in achieving water security has come to light when a local individual Mr. Basudev Kumar Shrestha provided NRs. 200,000 to the committee on loan. This helped in the progression of the construction of the reservoir..

However, the committee is still under the financial constraints and has been exploring for the possible support.

We, the Peri-urban Research team express our  hearty thanks to the LUBHU residents for their continuous support in achieving water security at Lubhu.

Newspaper article published in National English Daily Nespaper THE RISING NEPAL on 21st July 2012 Changing Climate: Records of Kathmandu Shows Warming Trend

Climate change is primarily resulted from human-made activities resulting greenhouse gases emissions and appearing as an increase in temperature and variability in precipitation. According to NASA (2009), in total, average global temperatures have increased by about 0.8°C (1.4°F) since 1880 (the year that modern scientific instrumentation became available to monitor temperatures precisely). World Meteorological Organization (2011) reported over the ten years from 2001 to 2010, global average temperature is 0.46°C (0.83°F) above the 1961-1990 average. This is the highest ever recorded for a 10-year period since the beginning of instrumental climate records.

The general trend in the Nepal record is quite similar to what has been found in the global records although the magnitude of trends are different, suggesting that the climate variations and changes in Nepal are impacted by global climate change. Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) estimated from 1977 and 1994, the mean annual temperature to have increased by 0.06°C, and is projected to increase by another 1.2°C by 2030, 1.7°C by 2050, and 3.0°C by 2100. Analysis on rainfall data from station records all over Nepal show distinct cyclic characteristics  but does not reveal any significant trends, as observed in temperature records.

Nepal Engineering College under the research grant of International Development Research Center, Canada, analyzed various attributes of rainfall and temperature for seven stations of Kathmandu (Khumaltar, TIA, Godawari, Changu Narayan, Naikap, Panipokhari and Sankhu) selected considering their proximity to the peri-urban research sites of the ongoing project.

The analysis of temperature record showed a clear decrease in number of days below 0°C and increase in number of hot days (> 30°C). The highest and the lowest temperature of both daily Tmin (Minimum Temperature) and daily Tmax (Maximum Temperature) showed an increase. This increase in temperature was the lowest for the summer season and the strongest for fall and winter season. Tmin showed an average increase of 0.04°C per year and Tmax showed on average an increase of 0.05°C per year. More clearly, days and nights are both becoming warmer and cool days and cool nights are becoming less frequent. Similarly summer days with maximum temperatures above > 30°C are also increasing.

While the changing trend of temperature can be expressed in terms of the mean over time and the amount of variance about the mean, other meteorological variables require more complicated statistical calculations. For instance, rainfall is episodic. Considering WMO statement, in certain parts of the world especially in the arid regions of the world precipitation are likely to decrease whereas in the northern hemisphere the likelihood is that the precipitation would increase.  In Nepal, much of the annual rainfall falls in a short rainy season. Analysis on rainfall data from station records all over Nepal does not reveal any significant trends.

The analysis of rainfall data from the above mentioned seven stations for understanding the long term rainfall trend in Kathmandu showed no clear increasing or decreasing trend in the number of days with rainfall. Similarly, the trend for the total annual rainfall is not clearly defined. Upon concentrating the analysis for monsoon period (June to September), no defined trend could be drawn. An increase in the number of extreme rainfall events (daily rainfall > 50mm) was found but concerning the intensity of rainfall conducted for monsoon period in the study no recognizable pattern could be concluded.

Uncontrolled urbanization and spreading infrastructure in Kathmandu has contributed to reduced agriculture land, increasing congestion, and environmental degradation associated with the poorly managed disposal of solid and industrial wastes and other forms of pollution. An increased frequency of extreme weather events attributed to anthropogenic climate change can make the prospects for environmental sustainability and human security disconcerting for example in unplanned land p. Increases in seasonal temperatures are likely to affect agricultural production and yield. Higher temperatures have also been associated with an increase in diarrhea, mild winters tend to increase rodent-borne diseases, and can also increase dengue-fever transmitted by mosquitoes. Though the amount of rainfall has not undergone decline, the water availability has been declining. This decline is commonly perceived to be ensued from declining rainfall. Therefore, strengthening the adoptive strategies in Kathmandu need activities investigating knowledge, expertise and resources to raise awareness against the challenges of pressure on resources and environment associated with urbanization, changing climate and the compounded effects.

Newspaper article published in national English Daily Newspaper THE RISING NEPAL on 4th May 2012

Novel approaches for water management

The current water demand in Kathmandu valley has been estimated to be 320 MLD (recent estimation 350 MLD, unpublished). The existing capacity of KUKL, the current water supply in the wet season (Jun/July to Jan/Feb) is only about 105.17 MLD which during dry season (Feb/March to May/June) further reduces down to 75.72 MLD, making the average water supply 95.36 MLD (KUKL, 2009/10 Third Anniversary). While current water services in the urban areas continue to underperform, the peri-urban VDCs have spearheaded towards community initiations innovating ways to facing intractable problems of water management. The water management in these peri-urban areas have revamped through community determination. One particularly interesting case relates to Godawari VDC where water supply services handled by Godawari Drinking Water and Sanitation Users Committee initiated in 1994 A.D. With the registration of two natural spring sources, this distributing water to over 390 households. This organization has been functioning as an independent local organization, mobilizing financial resources through contributions made by the water users for the infrastructure development and water tariff collected from among the users based on the volume of water consumed to ensure equitable share of water services. Similarly, Matatirtha VDC, well known for its water endowment has established eight different communities managed water supply schemes financially stabilized through community investments and governmental funds allocated for local development. Apart from these, the VDC has been collecting revenue from the neighboring Tinthana and Naikap VDCs in exchange of the water service provided, significant part of which has been invested in supporting these community managed schemes. This hilly VDC has been supplying water from three spring sources lying in the low lands through lifting- storage and distributing for certain hours on a daily basis. While the majorities of the existing community managed schemes in the VDC have been operating through household based private water networks, Dharapani Drinking Water Scheme in this VDC has continued to serve the community through public stand post focusing the households unable to afford the private water connections. Considering the growing water demand, this has added deep tube well to expand its water services through ground water extraction.

Changunarayan, Jhaukhel and Duwakot VDCs in Bhaktapur district have been working synergistically to overcome the challenges of water sector. Initiated in 1982, Changunarayan-Jhaukhel-Duwakot water supply started functioning in 1993 through public tap connections and extended its service to household metered tap connection since 1994 onwards. The water services started with 75 household level taps has now expanded to cover approximately 1000 households and approximately 300 to 400 additional tap connections are in the process of getting approved. Construction of an additional sump well in the well field of Manohara River has been completed with the aim of expanding the water services.

Dadhikot VDC in the same district has five drinking water schemes currently in operation, of which the largest scheme is Dadhikot-Uttisghari Community Water Supply and Sanitation Scheme serving 1400 households. The construction of piped drinking water scheme in the VDC started only after 1984. Though these schemes received external assistance of some form in the initial construction and development, there have been also substantial community investments in their construction. Dadhikot, being easily accessible and located close to Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, continues to be the preferred destination for new settlers. Increase in the population and rapid pace of urbanization led to search for alternative source of water and there has been significant increase in the number of schemes developed in the VDC after 1995. In order to keep pace with the growing demand of water, construction of a deep tube well was carried out in 2008 at a cost of NRs. 17,600,000. The construction of an additional 200 m3 water reservoir has been completed and currently local communities have been outsourcing to undertake watershed conservation program for the sustainable management of drinking as well irrigational water requirements.

Lubhu is a traditional Newar settlement. While the traditional water structures playing pivotal role in water arrangement are on the verge of extinction, the VDC in its own does not hold any reliable water source to revitalize these systems. The intractable challenge forward was to obtain water from neighboring VDC and equitably distribute in view of rapid population growth and simultaneously growing water demands. The people in the VDC managed to divert water supply from Chapakharka spring located in Bisankhu Narayan VDC. The Chapakharka spring source has been in use since 1981and supplies water to five VDCs- Lamatar, Sirutar, Bisankhu Narayan, Tikathali and Lubhu. Water from this spring is supplied through public stand and monitored by Users' Sub- Committee. To meet the deficit water needs, the VDC has developed another water supply system with water tapped from Dovan River. At present, total of 52 public taps have been installed, each serving approximately 100 households. The quality of this water is poor and the user committee has been exploring the possible financial assistance for developing a filtration tank and water treatment facility at Dhovan River so that quality of water supply from this source could be improved.

From the foregoing discussion, it is clear that while the state crafted initiatives have floundered, several community led innovations, both technical and institutional have emerged. In the light these findings, appears the essence of exploring efficient and flexible innovations for community participation in urban water management.

Training programme and Exposure Visits on Rainwater Harvesting

One of our Research Associates, Ms Anushiya Shrestha from Nepal Engineering College, attended a training programme organised at the Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR) training centre in Darewadi from 18th to 27th October 2010. Participants came from different countries like Nepal, Indonesia, Yemen, Switzerland, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan and Burundi.

The training included presentations, demonstrations, field visits and interactions with the local communities aimed in enhancing the skills and approaches for community –based watershed management.

Facilitators from WOTR introduced the concept of watershed along with genesis of watershed development concepts. They also shared WOTR’s experiences and the way it has influenced the way resources are allocated for the overall watershed development strategy at the local, state and national level.

The vision and conceptual framework of WOTR inspiringly described watershed development as the interrelated activities of conservation, regeneration and judicious utilization of all the resources- land, water, vegetative, animal and human- within a particular watershed. Watershed development seeks to bring about an optimal equilibrium in the eco space between natural resources, man and animals.

 The training session involved mutual interactions among the participants and the facilitators with sharing of the understanding and experiences from diverse parts of the world.   The program also clearly revealed that the changes that watershed development projects bring into the lives of people can best be represented through the model villages, one of them being, Darewadi. The development processes involved in the implementation of the watershed was initiated through capacity building phase.

The crux of the training provided insight, while implementing process of capacity building, it needs to be kept in mind that the capacity building activities do not or should not discontinue at the end of the temporal phase of capacity building, but continue through the entire period. This included creating awareness regarding basic concept of watershed through multiple exposure visits.

The training also provided information about the application of information technology for developmental planning. Screening of films documented by WOTR during different projects made the evenings very entertaining and informative. The programme closed with exposure visits to organic farms based on “Natueco Methodology” and a visit to historical and archeological sites in Ahmednagar.