Local responses to too much and too little water in the greater Himalayan region
Living with Water Stress in the Hills of
the Koshi Basin, Nepal
*
Institute for Social and Environmental Transition-Nepal
Key messages
• Decentralised systems, such as rainwater harvesting, offer incremental solutions to addressing emerging water stress
but require larger policy shifts to scale up and acheive a significant impact.
• Access to and flow of information, goods, and services into and out of an area is a necessary condition for being
able to respond to stresses.
• Social capital and the presence of multiple institutions help to support adaptation.
• Diversification and access to alternative sources of livelihood emerged as a central strategy for helping people adapt
to stress, whether induced by climate change or other ongoing change processes.
• The variety of income sources, not the level of income, seems to be important for adaptation.
Introduction
Study Sites – The study was conducted in three districts
The study in the Koshi Basin of Nepal examined both
in the hills of the basin: Sankhuwasabha, Dhankuta,
wet and dry sites and the mosaic of vulnerability that
and Kabhre. A fourth district, Sunsari in the Terai,
leaves people coping with the effects of climate-induced
could not be visited during the study period due to
stresses and hazards. Although the study examined the
severe flooding. The study sites were the four villages
impacts of both flood and extended drought – too much
of Okharbote in Sankhuwasabha, Maunabudhuk
or too little water – people generally consider that water
and Danda bazaar in Dhankuta, and the dry valley
availability has declined overall in the last decade.
of Panchkhal in Kabhre. Okharbote in the High
Himal physiographic region of Nepal is typical of
The people of the hills and Terai of Nepal’s Koshi basin
an area receiving high rainfall (>5,000 mm/year).
are already experiencing climate-related hazards, such
Maunabudhuk in the High Mountain region receives
as erratic monsoons, floods, and extended periods
moderate rainfall (~2,000 mm). Danda bazaar and
without rainfall. They recognise that with changes in
Panchkhal in the Middle Mountain region receive low
the climate, they will need to diversify their crops,
(~1,000 mm) rainfall.
agricultural practices, and livelihoods to cushion the
impacts.
The sites had different accessibility. Okharbote village is
about a seven-hour walk from the Dhankuta-Basantapur;
Study area – The Koshi is Nepal’s largest river system
Maunabudhuk and Danda bazaar are on the Dharan
draining almost a third of the country (Figure 4). It
Dhankuta road; and Panchkhal is located about 50 km
encompasses a great diversity in topography, climate,
northeast of Kathmandu.
vegetation, demography, and culture (Table 1). The
inhabitants of the Koshi basin face multiple hazards,
Precipitation and replenishment of springs –
such as droughts, floods, landslides, and earthquakes.
Precipitation patterns in the Koshi basin are directly
In Nepal, the Koshi basin is home to about five million
associated with the South Asian monsoon, with about
people living in eighteen districts, four of which are in
80% of the annual precipitation falling between June
the Terai. The area is contiguous with the Koshi area of
and September. Due to the great variation in the
Bihar, India.
topography, the spatial and temporal complexity of
* A documentary film ‘In the Grip of Drought’ on this case study is available on a separate DVD from ICIMOD.
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