Organized jointly by

Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS)Government of Nepal

andWWF Nepal

The Global Conservation Organization

Kathmandu, Nepal22nd March 2007

Proceedings of the Workshop on

World Water Day 2007Coping with Water Scarcity

Organized jointly by

Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS)Government of Nepal

andWWF Nepal

The Global Conservation Organization

Kathmandu, Nepal22nd March 2007

Proceedings of the Workshop on

World Water Day 2007Coping with Water Scarcity

© WWF Nepal 2007

Published by WWF Nepal.

Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication must mention the title and credit the above-mentionedpublisher as the copyright owner.

Compiled by:Ajay B. Mathema, Consultant - Koshi River Basin Management, WWF Nepal

Editorial support:Neera Shrestha Pradhan, Program Manager-Freshwater, WWF Nepal

Cover photo: © WWF NP / Neera Shrestha PRADHAN

Citation: WWF Nepal, 2007, Workshop on Koshi River Basin Management, January 3, 2007,

Kathmandu, Nepal

Opinions expressed in the presentations and discussion sessions of this volume do not necessarily reflect

those of WWF Nepal.

It is indeed our pleasure that Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), incollaboration with WWF Nepal, the Global Conservation Organization, has celebrated the WorldWater Day on 22 March 2007 by interacting with the stakeholders on the theme of this year’sWorld Water Day “Coping with Water Scarcity”. The theme highlights the ever-increasingsituation of water scarcity and calls for the sustainable, effective and efficient management ofthis limited resource.

The growing stress on water resources in the world due to population growth, rapidindustrialization, and environmental degradation create formidable challenges for sustainableand effective management of this resource. These challenges need to be addressed bytranslating Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles into practice.

WECS has prepared the Water Resources Strategy, 2002 (WRS) adopting the concept ofIWRM for the development and management of water resources. Further, in 2005, NationalWater Plan (NWP) has been prepared in order to implement the activities identified by WRS. Ibelieve that, successful implementation of the NWP will provide the positive result insustainable development of water resources.

Finally, I would like to thank WWF Nepal for supporting WECS to organize the interactionprogram for sharing the experience gained by various agencies, individuals and water expertsin WRM in general and Koshi river basin in particular. I am confident that the outcome of theinteraction program will help in formulating the implementation plan for the Koshi River BasinManagement (KRBM).

Ram Krishna TiwariSecretaryWater and Energy Commission SecretariatGovernment of Nepal

Foreword

W O R L D W A T E R D A Y 2 0 0 7 III

.

World Water Day inspires us to ask “Are we using water wisely?” The theme of World Water Day2007 - “Coping with Water Scarcity” calls us to streamline our approach in managing andconserving freshwater resources, which are becoming scarcer everyday.

Nepal is one of the richest nations for water resources. Despite high expectations, thecontribution of water resources to the country’s poverty alleviation is negligible - only a fractionof its potential has been utilized. On one hand, majority of the population, particularly in remoteareas, are still deprived of services like drinking water, irrigation, and electricity. On the otherhand, inadequate conservation and management of watershed and river basins have resultedin degradation of freshwater ecosystems.

The Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) has emerged as a new concept with a shiftfrom the sectoral approach to integrated approach in water management for the wise use of thewater resources. It calls for an intersectoral and multidisciplinary approach to maximizeeconomic and social benefit from resource utilization in an equitable manner withoutcompromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.

The National Water Plan 2005 endorsed by the Government of Nepal has adopted IRBM as theprinciple theme for development of the water resources. The Water and Energy CommissionSecretariat (WECS) is piloting the IRBM approach in the Koshi River Basin. This is the firstinitiative of its kind in which WWF Nepal is committed to support WECS.

World Water Day is an important occasion to inspire others and commit ourselves toconserving water, the source of life!

Anil ManandharCountry RepresentativeWWF Nepal

Foreword

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.

Foreword ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- v

Abbreviation/ Acronym ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- vi

1 Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1

2 World Water Day 2007 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

2.1 Celebration of WWD 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

2.2 Technical Session ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

2.2.1 Part A: The KRBM Initiative ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

2.2.2 Part B: Experience Sharing ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8

2.3 Concluding Session ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

2.4 Outputs ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12

Annex 1: Implementation Framework of KRBM ------------------------------------------------------------ 13

Annex 2: List of Participants ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14

Annex 3: Program Schedule ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16

Annex 4: Glimpses of the Program --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17

Table of Contents

W O R L D W A T E R D A Y 2 0 0 7 VII

Abbreviation/Acronym

DOED Department of Electricity DevelopmentDOF Department of ForestDOI Department of IrrigationDNPWC Department of National Parks and Wildlife ConservationDWIDP Department of Water Induced Disaster PreventionEDC Electriciry Development CentreGLOF Glacial Lake Outbrust FloodGON Government of NepalICIMOD International Centre for Integrated Mountain DevelopmentIRBM Integrated River Basin ManagementIUCN The World Conservation UnionIWMI International Water Management InstituteIWRM Integrated Water Resources ManagementKRBM Koshi River Basin ManagementMOWR Ministry of Water ResourcesNWP National Water PlanUNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and DevelopmentWECS Water and Energy Commission SecretariatWRS Water Resources StrategyWSSD World Summit for Sustainable DevelopmentWWD World Water DayWWF Nepal The Global Conservation Organization

W O R L D W A T E R D A Y 2 0 0 7VIII

W O R L D W A T E R D A Y 2 0 0 7 1

The United Nations General Assembly in 1992 adopted the resolution by which22 March of each year was declared World Day for Water in conformity with therecommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment andDevelopment (UNCED) for conservation of Fresh Water Resources. Since thenthe World Water Day has regularly being observed, in which the nationalgovernments devote the Day, as appropriate in the national context, toconcrete activities such as the promotion of public awareness through thepublication and diffusion of documentaries and the organization of conferences,round tables, seminars and expositions related to the conservation anddevelopment of water resources and the implementation of therecommendations of Agenda 21.

World Water Day ThemeEvery year the World Water Day (WWD) is celebrated with a theme that wouldemphasize on importance of water, and on interventions required to improve itsmanagement and conservation. Following table presents chronological order ofthe World Water Days along with their themes.

1 Background

Table 1: Chronological order of previous WWDs and their theme(UN-Water 2007)

Year Theme1994 Caring for Our Water Resources is Everyone's Business1995 Women and Water1996 Water for Thirsty Cities1997 The World's Water: Is There Enough?1998 Groundwater: the Invisible Resource1999 Everyone Lives Downstream2000 Water for the 21st Century2001 Water and Health2002 Water for Development2003 Water for Future2004 Water and Disaster2005 Water for Life (2005 - 2015)2006 Water and Culture

This year the World Water Day 2007 has been celebrated with the theme of“Coping with Water Scarcity”.

Background

W O R L D W A T E R D A Y 2 0 0 72

Coping with Water Scarcity - IntegratedApproach for Water Management

This year the World Water Day has shed light onincreasing scarcity of water and necessity ofcoping strategy to address this challenge. Water isessential for all socio-economic development aswell as for maintaining ecological balance. Thegrowing population along with increased pace ofdevelopment calls for increased allocation of waterleading to tensions, conflicts among users, andexcessive pressure on the environment. Accordingto UN-Water (2007), the water use has beengrowing at more than twice the rate of populationincrease in the last century, and although there is noglobal water scarcity as such, an increasing numberof regions are chronically short of water. Accordingto its prediction, by 2025 about 1,800 million peoplewill be living in countries or regions with absolutewater scarcity, and another two-third of the world’spopulation could be under stressed conditions.

Addressing water scarcity calls for an inter-sectoraland multidisciplinary approach to water resourcesmanagement. The Integrated Water ResourcesManagement (IWRM) has been identified as thetool that can integrate needs to take into accountdevelopment, supply, use and demand and toplace the emphasis on people and ecosystemsthat sustain them. This tool can ensure thecoordinated development and management ofwater and related resources in order to maximizeeconomic and social welfare in an equitablemanner without compromising sustainability of vitalecosystems.

National and International efforts forIWRM

Effective implementation of IWRM calls for theactions at local, national, and river basin levels. It

also calls for actions at global and internationallevels. The international community hadresponded to water scarcity in World Summit forSustainable Development (WSSD) inJohannesburg in 2002 with a commitment toadopt the short-term target of developingintegrated water resources management andwater efficiency plans 2005, with support todeveloping countries, through actions at alllevels. In particular, the Johannesburg Plan ofImplementation called for preparation ofstrategies and programs for IWRM at river basinand watershed levels.

In 2002 the Water Resources Strategy (WRS)was prepared to address necessity of includingstrategic thinking in the sectoral and periodicplans for water resources development. It wasfollowed by preparation of the National WaterPlan (NWP) in 2005. NWP 2005 was developedto operationalize the output objectives of theWRS, which introduced the concept ofIntegrated Water Resources Management(IWRM) as the principle theme for waterresource development in Nepal.

KRBM – first IWRM initiation in Nepal

Water and Energy Commission Secretariat(WECS), GON, in association with IWMI Nepaland WWF-Nepal, has initiated formulation of“Koshi River Basin Management (KRBM)” topilot IWRM at the level of river basin. TheKRBM is the first of its kind initiative, which isattempting to operationalize the National WaterPlan 2005. The KRBM targets to make optimumuse of Koshi basin’s water and relatedresources for promotion of socio-economicdevelopment for the benefit of all people in thebasin, especially the poorest, while maintainingthe ecological balance.

W O R L D W A T E R D A Y 2 0 0 7 3

WECS/GON and WWF Nepal, have jointly organized the World Water Day(WWD) 2007 – Coping with Water Scarcity in Kathmandu, Nepal on 22 March2007. This year’s theme highlights the increasing significance of water scarcityworldwide and the need for cooperation to ensure sustainable, efficient andequitable management of scarce water resources, both at international andlocal levels.

The main objective of the workshop was to promote the message of the WorldWater Day 2007 amongst the stakeholders from different sectors in Nepal.Specifically the program intended to:

Call for cooperation and coordination among stakeholders in effectivelyimplementing “Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)” for bettermanagement and development of water resources as a coping strategy toincreasing water scarcity;

Release of the educational materials on the KRBM program. Thesematerials are intended to generate awareness on importance of managingthe Koshi basin with in the conceptual framework of IWRM;Initiate integration of the stakeholders that are already working in KoshiRiver Basin.

The program discussed on Nepal’s efforts in management and conservation ofthe water resources. An elaborated discussion on the modality of Koshi RiverBasin Management was also undertaken. The major part of the program wasdevoted to a workshop with the paper presentations from Government and Non-Government Organizations about their on-going activities, plans, and program,which are complementing to the theme of IWRM in general, and to KRBMparticular.

All together, 11 papers were presented by the stakeholders working in waterresources and conservation sectors on the program. And about 70 participantsfrom Government, Non-Government, International Agencies, and PrivateSectors have participated in the program.

2 World Water Day 2007World Water Day 2007

W O R L D W A T E R D A Y 2 0 0 74

2.1 Celebration of WWD 2007

Honorable Minister of State for Water Resources,Mr. Gyanendra Bahadur Karki inaugurated theprogram. On the occasion, Honorable Minister re-emphasized on the commitment of the Governmentin supplying potable water to every citizen of thecountry; and also to optimize utilization waterresources for irrigation and hydroelectricity

Dr. Umesh Nath Parajuli, Joint Secretary of WECS/GON welcomed the participants to celebrate theWorld Water Day 2007. Dr. Parajuli made a briefpresentation to familiarize the participants with thetheme of the World Water Day 2007 - “Coping withWater Scarcity”. Dr. Parajuli noted that this WWD2007’s theme stressed on increasing integrationand cooperation among stakeholders from local toglobal levels to ensure sustainable, efficient, andequitable management of water resources underthe scenario of increasing water scarcity. However,efficient water management can not solely meanfocusing on management of water supply anddemand, but it should also needs to addressrelated issues of conservation of ecosystem,equity and rights in society, and inter-sectoralcooperation and coordination. Therefore, the water

generation. He further added that, the Governmentof Nepal has adopted the Integrated WaterResources Management (IWRM) in its WaterResources Strategy and National Water Plan 2005to develop and manage water resources.

The program was chaired by Mr. Ram KrishnaTiwari, Secretary of WECS/ GON.

W O R L D W A T E R D A Y 2 0 0 7 5

management can no longer continue to be asectoral approach, but it has to adapt to anintegrated approach consisting in Integrated WaterResources Management (IWRM) and IntegratedRiver Basin Management (IRBM). Dr. Parajulifurther said though NWP 2005 has already adaptedIWRM/IRBM; it is a relatively new concept. Dr.Parajuli also informed that as a first initiation of itskind, WECS in support of WWF Nepal has initiatedpiloting of IWRM in the Koshi River Basin. Dr.Parajuli concluded his presentation calling for thecooperation and commitment to implement IWRMin Koshi basin in order to cope with water scarcityand subsequently move ahead in building the newNepal.

On this occasion Honorable Minister for Statereleased the educational materials on Koshi RiverBasin Management (KRBM) prepared jointly by

WECS and WWF Nepal. The educational materialconsisted of a poster on Koshi River Basin and anillustration flyer on approach of KRBM. Thesematerials are intended to be circulated among localstakeholders of KRBM to familiarize them with theconcept and approach of KRBM.

Addressing the program, Vice Chairman of NationalPlanning Commission, Honorable Dr. JagadishChandra Pokharel has appreciated the collaboratingeffort of WECS with WWF Nepal in planning andimplementing IWRM concept in the Koshi RiverBasin of Nepal. This collaboration will sets anexample of the initiative undertaken by theGovernment of Nepal and Non-GovernmentOrganization to bring developmental andenveronmental conservation activities hand inNepal. Dr. Pokharel also emphasized the necessityof bringing in all concerned stakeholders under one

Figure 1: Educational materials for KRBM (a) KRBM Poster and (b) flyer on approach of KRBM

W O R L D W A T E R D A Y 2 0 0 76

umbrella for sustainable management of waterresources for the optimum benefit to the Nepalese.

Dr. Ghana Shyam Gurung, Conservation ProgramDirector of WWF Nepal, emphasized thesignificance of water not only for mankind but alsofor the wildlife and nature. Hence, this water dayguides us towards integrated approach of watermanagement to balance these demand. WWFNepal supports the initiative undertaken by WECSfor Koshi River Basin Management to pilot IWRMapproach.

Mr. Ram Krishna Tiwari, chairman of the programinformed that WECS has been regularly celebratingthe World Water Day and this year’s program isorganized jointly with WWF Nepal. He further added

2.2.1 Part A: The KRBM initiative

Implementation Arrangement of IWRM in KoshiRiver Basin

Presented jointly by Mr. Sanjay Dhungel, Sr. Div.Eng., WECS/ GON and Ms. Neera ShresthaPradhan, Program Manager-Freshwater, WWFNepal.

This presentation was intended to provide anoverview of the KRBM initiatives and discuss onits implementation framework. Ms. Neera ShresthaPradhan made first part of this presentationfollowed by Mr. Sanjay Dhungel.

Koshi basin is one of three largest river basins inNepal, which drains 17 districts – 12 in Easternand 5 in Central region – of Nepal. The Koshi basincan be divided into 7 major sub-basins on thebasis of elevation and drainage network.

The KRBM initiative has targeted “to makeoptimum use of Koshi basin’s water and relatedresources to promote socio-economic developmentfor the benefit of all people in the basin, especially

that though Nepal is rich in water resources, thecountry is yet to overcome the challenge of waterscarcity by improving its technical andmanagement capability. Mr. Tiwari concluded theinaugural session stressing on the need forstronger commitment for cooperation to implementthe IWRM concept.

2.2Technical session

The technical session consisted of two parts,namely: (a) familiarization of the KRBM initiative,and (b) sharing experiences of stakeholders fromwater resources and related sectors. One of thetargets of this session was to consolidate effortsof stakeholders working in Koshi basin into theKRBM initiative.

W O R L D W A T E R D A Y 2 0 0 7 7

the poorest, while maintaining the ecologicalbalance”.

Three stages have been envisioned within theimplementation framework for the KRBM initiative,namely (a) partnership building, (b) formulation ofKRBM plans and programs, and (c) implementationand monitoring. The first two stages are discussedin detail in this presentation.

The KRBM implementation framework in presentedin the annex 1.

Stage 1 – Partnership buildingThree sets of stakeholders and their mutualcooperation are essential in ensuring equitableparticipation in formulation of KRBM plans andprograms. They are:

(a) Multi-stakeholder Forum (MSF) whichprovides a platform for relevant stakeholdersand local community to participate informulation of strategic program; build

consensus on the program; provide feedback;and implement KRBM.

(b) Working Group consists of organizations andinstitution which can facilitate in developmentand implementation of the programs within theframework of KRBM

(c) Core team consists WECS and KRBM initiatingorganizations, which will provide strategic focusand policy guidance to the KRBM initiative.

Stage 2 – Formulation of the KRBM plans andprogramsThe formulation of KRBM plans and programs hasto take two thematic directions, namely – (a)enabling environment and (b) strategic program.

(a) Enabling EnvironmentThe management of resources in a scale of riverbasin is a complex task consisting of interrelatedand multidimensional issues. Furthermore it alsorequires participation of various sectors andmultitude of stakeholders. The successfulimplementation of KRBM necessitates building of

Figure 2: Sub-basin of the Koshi River Basin

W O R L D W A T E R D A Y 2 0 0 78

enabling environment both at planning andimplementation stages. Following initiatives areconsidered for building enabling environment forKRBM:

Partnership building to ensure participation ofall the sectors and stakeholders in formulationof vision and programs for the KRBM initiative.Policy and legislation formulation – settingspolicies and legislative framework to supportimplementation of KRBM programs.Institutional Setup and their strengtheningand capacity building– In line with the NWP2005, KRBM implementation will necessitatesstreamlining and strengthening of institutionalsetup from grass-root to central level.

(b) Strategic ProgramThe central challenge of the KRBM initiative is tomaintain balance between equitable socio-economic development and environmentalconservation. Therefore, it has adopted the tool ofIRBM, which focuses on achieving three strategicprinciples, also known as 3-E pillars, namely: (a)Economic Efficiency, (b) Environmental(ecosystem) sustainability and (c) Social Equity.

Following methodology for formulation of KRBMplans and programs has been proposed:

Sampling of sub-basins within Koshi basin, inwhich formulation of plans and programs will becarried out.Formation of User Groups and strengthening oftheir capacity building in IRBMFormulation of strategic plans and program inconsultation with the User GroupsScaling up of the plans and program developedin sample sub-basin to the Koshi River Basin.

IRBM is relatively a new concept to Nepal. TheKRBM initiative has provided an opportunity toenrich our knowledge in streamlining our practice ofresources utilization by maintaining critical balancebetween economic efficiency, ecologicalconservation and social equity.

2.2.2 Part B: Experience Sharing

All together 8 presentations were made to shareexperiences of Government and Non-Governmentagencies working in water resources andconservation sectors within the Koshi basin. Thesummary of the presentations are presented below:

A. Hydrological information for Coping withWater Scarcity- Dr. Keshab Sharma, Department of Hydrology andMeteorology (DHM)

Dr. Keshab Sharma gave an overview of growingscarcity of water in Nepal. Due to several factorsincluding population growth, the water available percapita in Nepal has gone down from about 30,000m3 during 1970s to less than 5000 m3 at themoment. Therefore, Dr. Sharma stressed on thenecessity of water accounting for precise waterallocation, which is also necessary to meet thetargets set by the National Water Plan 2005.

Dr. Sharma also provided information on on-goingactivities of DHM, which mainly consisted of datageneration and monitoring in 4 thematic areas – (a)Water Resources, (b) Weather Forecasting, (c)Flood Forecasting, and (d) Climate.

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Concluding the presentation, Dr. Sharma informedthat DHM has about 60 meteorological and 28hydrological stations in the Koshi basin. He furtherimformed that DHM has also undertaken studies inthe areas of flood hazard mapping, hydrologicalmodeling for change climate scenarios and floodforecasting.

B. Water Induced Disaster- Mr. Naveen Mangal Joshi, Department of WaterInduced Disaster Prevention (DWIDP)

Mr. Naveen Mangal said that DWIDP came intoexistence as a department in only 2002 to utilizethe knowledge and experiences gain from DTPCand DMSP projects. The DWIDP is mandated towork as a focal agency for river training, landslidesand slope stabilization.

Mr. Joshi informed that Water Resources Strategy(WRS) 2002 has envisioned roles of DWIDP withinthe strategic output of “Security”,which consistedfollowing activities:

Water related disaster management policy andprogramsRisk vulnerability mapping and zoning programDisaster networking and information systemCommunity level disaster preparednessRelief and rehabilitation measureActivation of inundation committeeFlood, drought, landslide/debris flow, GLOF andavalanche mitigation

C. Hydropower Development in the KoshiBasin vis-a-vis studies being carried out byDOED- Dr. Sanjay Sharma, Department of ElectricityDevelopment (DOED)

Dr. Sanjay Sharma informed that DOED wasupgraded from Electricity Development Centre (EDC)to the status of department in 2000, with the primaryresponsibility of promoting private sector involvementin electricity generation.

Dr. Sharma further discussed on the hydropowerpotential of the Koshi basin, which was estimated tobe 25% of the total techno-economically feasiblehydroelectric potential of Nepal. The Koshi MasterPlan study undertaken in 1985 identified about 52hydropower projects with more that 10 MW installedcapacity, and prioritized Sun Koshi MultipurposeProject along with other thirteen projects for theimplementation. However, only small part of it, about130 MW is being generated from the Koshi basin.

Dr. Sharma updated the participants with the currentdevelopment of two major projects in the Koshi basin– Sapta Koshi Multipurpose project and Sunkoshi-Kamala Diversion scheme.

D Conservation in the Koshi Basin- Mr. Jhamak Bahadur Karki, Department of NationalParks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC)

Mr. Jhamak B. Karki informed that the Koshi basinconsists of 3 national parks - Langtang, Sagarmatha,

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and Makalu-Barun and Kanchenjunga ConservationArea in mountain region and one widdlife reserveKoshi Tappu in Terai region. Mr. Karki also informedthat DNPWC has been undertaking numerousprojects in the Koshi basin in support of WWFNepal, they are:

Inventory of High Altitude Wetlands (HAWs)Cultural and Religious Significance of HAWsSacred Himalayan Landscape

Within the Koshi basin, DNPWC in support of WWFNepal is in process to declar Gokyo Lake Seriesand Gosai Kunda Lake series as the “High AltitudeRamsar wetlands” for their long term conservation.

of Koshi basin have not been utilized to itspotential. Furthermore the study also revealedexistence of significant seasonal and temporalvariation in water availability. Mr. Ranjitkarconcluded the presentation by stressing on thenecessity of preparing comprehensive strategicplan for utilization of water resources in the basin,with maximum participation of the stakeholders.

F. Water and Food- Mr. H.P. Ishar, Water and Energy CommissionSecretariat (WECS)

Mr. Karki also expressed the interest andcommitment of DNPWC to work together withWECS and WWF Nepal in their KRBM initiative.

E. Basin Wise Water Resources and WaterUtilization in Koshi River Basin- Mr. Gautam Rajkarnikar, Water and EnergyCommission Secretariat (WECS)

Mr. Gautam Ranjitkar discussed on the study on“Basin Wise Water Resources and Water Utilizationin Koshi River Basin” carried out by WECS in 1999.Mr. Rajkarnikar informed that Koshi basin hasenormous mean annual flow of 1,638 m3/sec, andavailability of the about 19,000 m3/sec per capita.Despite of huge water availability, water resources

Mr. H. P. Ishar informed the audience on therelationship between water and food at the globalscale. He informed that agriculture is the largestwater consumer with about 70% of accessiblefresh water resource is diverted for irrigation andabout 3000 lts. of water is consumed to grow a Kgof food. It was further estimated that the demandfor cereal with 1997 – 2025 will increase by 50%increasing demand for water in agriculture.Therefore, water scarcity is inevitable from thisperspective as well. Mr. Ishar concluded that one ofthe challenges to address water scarcity is also tofind ways of growing more food with less water.

G. ICIMOD’s Activities in Koshi River Basin- Mr. Rajendra Shilpakar, ICIMOD

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Mr. Rajendra Shilpakar highlighted on the ICIMOD’sactivities in the Koshi basin, they are:

Water Management Information System,GLOF and Flash Flood Study,Upstream Watershed Conservation to EnsureSustainability of Water Service Downstream,Integrated Strategy on High Altitude WetlandsConservation

Mr. Shilpakar discussed on the strategic fit ofthese activities within the KRBM initiative.

H. Coping with Water Scarcity- Mr. Bhawani Kharel, IUCN, the WorldConservation Union

Mr. Bhawani Kharel informed about IUCN’sactivities in the Koshi basin, particularly in (a)Tinjure, Milke and Jaljale (TMJ), and (b) Koshi

Tappu (KT). The TMJ has focused on improvingnatural resources management of the area,whereas KT focused on conservation of thewetland system. Mr. Kharel recommended

integration of these two activities into the KRBMinitiative.

I. Melamchi Water Supply Project- Mr. Anil Bhadra Khanal, Melamchi Drinking WaterSupply Project

Mr. Anil Bhandari discussed on the on going effortsto improve drinking water supply for theKathmandu Valley. The average daily water demandof the Kathmandu Valley is about 220 million litresper day (MLD) with annual growth of 7% per year.Currently water supply deficit of the valley is 80MLD in dry season and 110 MLD in dry season. Inorder to meet water deficite of the valley, theMelamchi Water Supply project has targeted tobring in 170 MLD of water from Melamchi Valley inthe first phase with future addition of 340 MLD.

Mr. Bhandari informed the project hascomplimented the construction activities of theproject with social upliftment program andinstitutional restructuring to improve water supplymanagement.

2.3 Concluding session

Mr. Sital Babu Regmee, Joint Secretary, WECS/GON concluded the program. He expressedsatisfaction on the discussion generated by the

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would help to move forward in improving ourapproach by adapting IWRM/IRBM inmanagement of water and related resources. Mr.Regmee appreciated the presentations made byparticipating organizations and said that nowthey have paved the way for their integration inthe KRBM initiative. Mr. Regmee also ensuredthat the suggestions and comments made inthis workshop will be worked out and discussedwith local stakeholders at basin and sub-basinlevel. And they will be reflected in formulation ofvisions and program for the Koshi River Basin.

2.4 Outputs

Followings were the overall outputs of the program:A national level program has been successfully organised to celebrated the World Water Day2007 and disseminate its message of “Coping with Water Scarcity” to the variousstakeholders from Government, Non-Government, International Agencies, Private Sectorsetc.The program was successful in disseminate the concept of IWRM/IRBM, the thematic toolrecommended by WWD 2007, for improving management of water and related resourcesamong the institutions working in the various developmental sectors - water resources,conservation, environment, etc.The implementation framework for the KRBM was discussed in the session, and wasappreciated by the participants.The experiences shared by the participating institutions working in the Koshi basin, throughpresentation and discussion, were useful in integrating them into the KRBM initiative.

workshop. The issues pointed out by thepresentations and discussion generated by them

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ANNEX 1: Implementation Framework of KRBM

Enabling Environment Strategic Program (3 E)

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Plan and Program development for KRBM

KRBM Programs implementation program and projectsMonitoring

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ANNEX 2: List of Participants

SN Name Organization1 K. P. Sharma DHM2 Laxmi P. Manandhar DNPWC3 Jhamak B. Karki DNPWC4 Sriram Lacoul DOED5 Sanjaya Sharma DOED6 Jaya Keshar Maskey DOED7 Sunil B. Malla DOED8 Murali Dhar Pokharel DOED9 Madhu Sudan Poudel DOI10 S. M. Baisyat DOI11 J. L. Shrestha DOI12 Naveen M. Joshi DWIDP13 K. R. Dahal DWIDP14 Iswor Man Tamrakar DWSS15 Sarad Aryal ECR-TM16 Bhi K FAO17 Siddhi Pratap Jha GWRDP18 Rajendra Shilpakar ICIMOD19 Bharat KC Image Channel20 Marleen Noomen ITC21 Bhawani Prasad Kharel IUCN22 Dhruba Pant IWMI23 S. N. Poudel JVS24 Karna Onta JVS/CARE25 Krishna Thapa Kantipur Publication26 Mathura Dangol Ministry of Water Resources27 Dharma Raj Belbase MLD2 Naina Dhakal MOAC29 Chundamani Joshi MOEST30 Rajan Raj Pandey MOPPW31 Keshab Dhoj Adhilari MOWR32 D. P. Jaishy MOWR33 Jitendra Ghimire MOWR34 Pradip Raj Pande MOWR35 Upendra Prasad Bhattarai MOWR36 Anil Bhadra Khanal MWSDB37 Harsha R. Sanjyal Nawatalash38 Kishor Narayan Shrestha Nepalnews39 Amit Poudel SAZ Media40 Bhudanesh Kumar Pradhan SIREN41 Bheem Raj Rai The Mountain Institute42 Deep Bahadur Adhikari WECS43 Umesh Nath Parajuli WECS44 Manohar Shrestha WECS

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45 Rajendra Kshatri WECS46 Ganesh Prasad Aryal WECS47 Kiran P. Giri WECS48 Madhav Dev Acharya WECS49 Janaki Karmacharya WECS50 Suresh Raj Uprety WECS51 Gopal Lal Amatya WECS52 Khem Lal Shrestha WECS53 Madhu Prasad Bhetuwal WECS54 H. P. Ishar WECS55 Gautam Rajkarnikar WECS56 Ghana Shyam Gurung WWF Nepal57 Neera Shrestha Pradhan WWF Nepal58 Eliza Sthapit WWF Nepal59 Ajay B. Mathema WWF Nepal60 Rameshnanda Vaidhya61 Shital Babu Regmee62 Suraj Acharya63 Kedar Sital64 Ashok

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ANNEX 3: Program Schedule

Time Activities08:30 - 09:00 Registration with Tea

09:00 - 10:30 Inaugural Session

10:30 - 11:00 Tea and Snacks

11:00 - 11:10 Presentation on Implementation Arrangement of IWRM in Koshi River Basin by Mr. Sanjay Dhungel, Sr. Div.Eng., WECS and Ms. Neera Shrestha Pradhan, Program Manager-Freshwater, WWF Nepal

11:10 - 11:20 Presentation by Dr. Keshab Sharma, DDG, Department of Hydrology and Meteorology

11:20 - 11:30 Presentation by Mr. Naveen Mangal Joshi, Sr. Div. Eng., Department of Water Induced Disaster Management

11:30 - 11:40 Presentation by Dr. Sanjay Sharma, Sr. Div. Eng., Department of Electricity Development

11:40 - 11:50 Presentation by Mr. Jhamak B. Karki, Ecologist, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation

11:50 - 12:00 Presentation by Mr. Gautam Rajkarnikar, Sr. Div. Eng., WECS

12:00 - 13:00 Discussion

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch

14:00 - 14:10 Presentation by Mr. Hari Prasad Ishar, Sr. Div. Eng., WECS

14:10 - 14:20 Presentation by Mr. Suman Sharma, Chief, Melamchi Drinking Water Supply Project

14:20 - 14:30 Presentation by Mr. Bhawani Kharel, Sr. Program Officer, IUCN

14:30 - 14:40 Presentation by Mr. Rajendra Shilpakar, Project Officer-Himal Wetlands Inventory, ICIMOD

14:40 - 15:30 Discussion

15:30 - 15:45 Conclusion and Closing

15:45 - 16:00 Tea

Date : March 22, 2007, ThursdayTime : 8:30 - 16:00Venue : Hotel Malla, Lainchour, Kathmandu

ANNEX 2: Glimpses of the program

WWF is the world’s largest and most experiencedindependent conservation organization, with almost5 million supporters and a global network active inmore than 90 countries.

WWF's Mission is to stop the degradation of the planet'snatural environment and to build a future in which humanslive in harmony with nature by:• Conserving the world's biological diversity;• Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is

sustainable; and• Reducing pollution and wasteful consumption

WWF NepalProgram OfficePO Box 7660, Baluwatar,Kathmandu, Nepal.Tel: 4434820, 4434970, 4410942Fax: 977-1-4438458Email: info@wwfnepal.orgWeb: www.wwfnepal.org, www.panda.org

Water and Energy Commission (WEC) was established in 1975with the objective to develop water and energy resources of thecountry in accelerated and sustainable manner. The permanentsecretariat of WEC, Water and Energy Commission Secretariat(WECS) was established in 1981.

The primary responsibility of WECS is to assist Government ofNepal, Ministry of Water Resources and other related agenciesfor formulating plan and policies in the water and energy sector.

The Water Resources Strategy and The National Water Planmandated WECS as the central planning and coordinatingagency in the water resources sector to plan and coordinate thewater resources related activities adhering to the river basinconcept and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)principles.

Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS)Government of NepalSingh Durbar, Kathmandu, NepalTel: 4211415, 4211417E-mail: wecs@mos.com.npWeb: www.wec.gov.np

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