Evolution of Watershed management in Nepal

1. NAMASTE and
WELCOME

2. Evolution of watershed Management
in Nepal
Manoj Neupane
AFUHetauda
manoj.neupane@nepal.gov.np
(Advance Watershed Management)
SWM 601

3. Outlineofthepresentation
1.Introduction
2.objectives
3.Methodology
4.Finding and
discussion
5.Conclusion
6.Recommendation
7.References

4. Introduction
• A watershed is the area within a drainage divide
for which all water falling upon is drained through
a common stream of to a common point.
• It seeks to promote interactions among multiple
stakeholders within and between the upstream
and downstream locations of a watershed (Pandit
et al., 2007)
4

5. Introduction.....
• The process of formulation and implementation of
WM policies and programs in Nepal was influenced
by actors at international, national, district and
local level (Pandit et al., 2007)
• Watershed management is a holistic approach of
managing water and its related resources."5 Ja"
5

6. Objectives
• To know about the Watershed Management
• To know about the Evolution of watershed
management in Nepal
6

7. Methodology
7
Secondary data
- Different literatures, journals & thesis reports
- Other related materials from different sources
- Consultation with the experts on the field

8. Finding and discussion
8
• Watershed management taught in 1932 by
Joseph Kittredge at the University of Caifornia.
Era of
Rainfall
Era of
Infiltratio
n
Era of ET
Era of Water
quality
(Robert
Horton)
Rainfall
input and
Stream
output
Hydrological
cycle vs
Rainfall-runoff
relation
Before 1930 1930-1950 1950-1970
with focus
on non-
point source
pollution
1970-1990

9. Finding and discussion....
9
Third Five
yr plan
(1965-70)
DSCWM
1974
Eighth Five
yr
plan(1992-
96)
Subwaters
hed
approach
adoption
Trishuli
watersh
ed
Program
expanded in 5
DR
USAID,
Swiss/German
and EU
Phewa
watershed
(FAO)
One watershed,
several intervention
(HMG,1998)

10. Finding and discussion
10
• Hubbard Brook Experiment in Forest in New
Hampshire recognized that the small
watershed is a natural unit for management
(Borman & Linkens, 1967)
• UNCED, held in Rio-Jeneiro in 1992 made a
concept of SD popular with agenda 21.
• Chapter 13 includes a program area entitled
"Promoting Integreted watershed
Development"
Traditional engineering
approach to water
resource management
Intergrated
watershed
management

11. Evolution of Watershed Management in Nepal
1965-1970 (Third Plan) Realization of the importance of soil and Water Conservation
1970-1975 (Fourth Plan) Estd. Of Department of Soil & Water Conservation (DSWC)(1974) Unde
Ministry of Forests
1975-1980 (Fifth Plan) National Forests Policy comes into effect(1976)
Shivapuri Watershed Area Development Board created (1976)
Nepal Remote Control Centre 1979 established in DSWC
Policy to execute soil and watershed conservation extension and educatio
programmes nationwide promulgated
Regional Development Concept in Soil conservation and watershe
management (SCWM) introduced fourteen WM projects implemented in fou
regions
Concept of integrated WM introduced
River control work continued
11

12. Evolution of Watershed Management in Nepal
1980-1985 (Sixth Plan) Environmental impact assessment( EIA) initiated for developing
projects
DSWC’s name changed to Department of Soil Conservation and
Watershed Management (DSCWM)
River control work transferred to Ministry of Water Resources
Name of Ministry of Forests changed to Ministry of Forests & Soil
Conservation (MFSC)
Soil Conservation Act 1982 and Regulations 1985 came into effect
High-level National Resources Conservation Commission( NRCC)
formed under MFSC
Environment Impact Study Project 1980 established under DSCWM
1985-1990 (Seventh
Plan)
EIA of development projects made mandatory
Environment Division estd. In DSCWM (later transferred to MFSC)
25-yr Master plan for the Forestry Sector, Keeping SCWM into priority
programme, came into effect, 1988
National Conservation strategy (1988) with higher emphasis on
SCWM, endorsed by Gov
NRCC re-formed as Council of National and Cultural Resources (CNCR)
under National Planning Commission 12

13. Evolution of Watershed Management in Nepal
1992-1997 (Eighth Plan) Tendency to expand SCWM offices in the districts increased with
political interests and priorities
Ministry’s name changed to Ministry of Forests and Environment,
1992
Environment Division was created in the Ministry and later dissolved
Ministry again renamed as Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation
1997-2002 (Ninth Plan) Nepal Environment Protection Action Plan 1998, with priority to
SCWM, came into effect
Forest Sector Policy 2000 emphasized people’s participation, private
sector, including NGO and civil society involvement, and Integrated
WM approach or strategy prioritized in the policy
45 permanent and 10 district soil conservation offices established
2002-2007 (Tenth Plan) Churia/ Siwaliks emphasized
People’s participation, integrated WM, people’s awareness programs,
land productivity, flood control and income generating programs
emphasized
Concept of user groups such as formation of CDGs/ CDCCs continued
to develop to mobilize people’s participation in SCWM programs 13

14. Evolution of Watershed Management in Nepal
2007-2010 (Three
Year Interim Plan
Livelihood improvement and poverty reduction of poor,
dalits , women and disadvantaged groups emphasized
Implementation of participatory and income generation
activities in watershed Management
The territorial office of DSCWM expanded to 56
2010-2013
(Approach Paper of
Three Year Interim
Plan
Focused on the development of watershed management
through basin and landscape concepts
More focus given to livelihoods improvement, environment
protection, income generation, participation and poverty
reduction of poor, marginalized community, women and
dalits
14

15. Watershed
Management in
Nepal
Before 1970s 1970-1990 1990-2010 2010-2015
Activity
based
Project based Program based Climate Resilience
& IRBM
• FYM
• Multi-cropping
• Pond
construction
• Kulekhani/Fewa
watersheds
• Integrated RD
projects:
Mahakali, Rapti,
sagarmatha
• Chure conservation
• Environmental
Assessments
• Watershed Services
• CCA
• Water Induced
Disaster Mitigation
• Wise use of water
resources 15
(Aryal, 2018)

16. 16
4 river basin
Approach; Koshi,
Karnali, Gandaki and
Mahakali
Proposed sub-basin
approach through 23 offices
River
basin
Approach
Finding and Discussion.......
(Poudel, 2019)

17. 17
Finding and discussion....
(DSCWM,2018)

18. Several Legislation related to WS management
• In Nepal, watershed management is covered in
seven pieces of legislation:
 Soil and Watershed Conservation Act,
1982
 Land Act, 1964
 National Parks and Wildlife Conservation
Act, 1973
 Environmental Protection Act, 1996
 Forest Act, 1993
 Water Resource Act, 1992 and
18

19. Issues and Challenges in WM
• Lack of specific policy guidance and regulatory
mechanism
• Contestation between Acts and Organizational
functioning
• Issues in Inter-sectorial coordination in the
implementation
• Upstream and downstream conflicts/ distribution of
benefits (Pandit et al., 2007)
• Frequency of disaster events and issues like climate
change
• Landuse change/ Deforestation
• No clear financing mechanism
• Inadequate strengthening the technical aspects in
terms of integrating hydrogeology and biophysical
aspects into watershed design (Reddy et al., 2017) 19

20. Conclusion
• Watershed is the area within a drainage divide for
which all water falling upon is drainded through a
common stream to to a common outlet.
• Watershed management came into mainstreaming
after third five year plan in Nepal.
• There is lack of specific policy mechanism and
contestation between the acts and policies.
• Several donor agencies helped to implement
Watershed program in the past.
• Watershed management has shifted from issue
solving project based approach to Integrated
watershed management.
• Watershed management is being done through 4
basin and 23 sub-basin as per Federalism. 20

21. Recommendation
• WS management has to be holistically integrated
in line with the sustainable development.
• Contested laws and regulation should be made
congruent.
• Inter sectoral coordination should be given due
importance.
• Different national, regional and district level
status analysis of watershed management should
be done.
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22. References
22
Bormann, F.H. & Likens, G.E. (1967) Nutrient cycling: Hubbard Brook
watersheds, Science, 155,pp.424-429.
HMG (1998)The Ninth Plan (1998-2004).Singhadurbar Kathmandu: National
Planning Commision.
Pandit, B. H., Wagley, M. P., Neupane, R. P., & Adhikary, B. R. (2007).
Watershed Management and Livelihoods: Lessons from Nepal. Journal of
Forest and LIvelihoods.
Pudasaini, B.P. 2003. VDC Approach- A Key to Success in Participatory
Watershed Management. A paper presented in the Regional Workshop on
Watershed Management: A South Asian Perspective, 19- 21 November
2002, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Reddy, R., Saharawat, Y. S., & George, B. (2017). Watershed Management in
South Asia: A synoptic review. Journal of Hydrology, 4-13.

23. References
Shambhu Paudel, P.P. (2019). Restructing Integretated Watershed
Management Models for the Federal Democratic Regime of Nepal. Journel of
Forest and Natural Resource Management, 1.
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