Towards Effective Water Governance for Integrated River Basin Level Planning and Management in Nepal

Project Summary:

Water underpins Nepal’s productive sectors, rural livelihoods, and some key public services that are foundational for resilience such as water supply and energy. Also, the agriculture sector alone contributes one-fourth of GDP and Nepal’s rivers generate over 90 percent of total domestic electricity supporting irrigation. Due to these factors, proper management of water is vital for a greener, more resilient, and more inclusive economy. Yet, water resources remain underutilized due to high seasonal variability combined with inadequate infrastructure and management, which manifests in lower agricultural output, high energy imports, as well as high human disease burden and coping costs. The project aims to support the Nepal Government in the delivery of the Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development (GRID) agenda through improved water sector governance at the river basin level.  

List of Activities:

• Assessment of enabling environment, institutional framework, and management instruments
• Identify the status of water use and IWRM activities in the basin 
• Participatory planning and consensus building for IWRM

Outcomes:

Output 1:

• Report on identified gaps in the legislative and institutional framework
• Report on recommended reforms to institutionalize frameworks for coordination, consensus building, implementation, and evaluation of IWRM-related plans
• Report on Identified gaps in capacity and tools necessary for basin information systems and monitoring, basin action plans, and strategic long-term planning

Output 2:

• Report on the Rapid-assessment Identification of key issues and priority areas for IWRM implementation in selected basins 
• Status Report of existing or past IWRM activities in selected basins 
• Complete the Stakeholder Map at the basin level in selected basins

Output 3:

• Framework for stakeholder participation to build consensus among stakeholders 
• Workshops and knowledge exchange sessions/visits with key officials to Korea (3-5)
• Published blogs and other multi-media content

Outcomes:

Implementation of the activities will result in: (i) Improved awareness among IWRM practitioners, policy-makers and stakeholders on the significance of integrated management of water; good practices and critical factors to be addressed in its institutionalization; (ii) Rules for coordination and consensus building is created; (iii) Approach to institutionalize continuous, inclusive stakeholder participation in IWRM developed); and (iv) Partnerships formed with IWRM experts and institutions.

Collaboration with K-Partners and Others:

• Embassy of the Republic of Korea
• Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water)
• Korea Environment Institute (KEI)
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)