HIGHLIGHTS OF RAINWATER HARVESTING CONFERENCE FOR LIVELIHOOD, COMMUNITY AND ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE��Authors: Ramdeep Sah & Sandila Shrestha��Presenter: Ramdeep Sah�Smart WASH Solutions�Kathmandu, Nepal�

background

• Many households in Nepal’s mid-hills suffer from water shortages during the pronounced dry season.
• Increased population and groundwater depletion has also reduced the sources of water.
• Haphazard urbanization has resulted to urban flooding.
• Pokharis and protecting intake areas of springs and dhunge dhara . Traditionaly
• RWH provides water security to the household and contributes to water in the community, ponds cooling surrounding areas and providing water for animals and plants:
• RWH projects in 164 communities & 11,314 tanks (Laia Domenech/WHO)
• Some private sectors are promoting RWH ( Coca: Cola Foundation, Smart Pani, Best Pani, Kanchan Pani Etc)

​

5/14/2023

Presentation Outline

• Background
• Policy and Legal Framework
• Conference Background
• Key Findings
• Conclusion and recommendation
• Outcomes

​

​

​

5/14/2023

background

• 20% (out of total 34,368) of Government schools lack improved water and sanitation facilities (UNICEF)
• 19% lacking separate toilets for girls and boys and menstrual hygiene management facilities.
• Average National Toilet to school girl ratio - 1:127 (WaterAid, 2016) irrespective of 1:25 (WHO) and 1:50 (GoN)

​

​

5/14/2023

Policy and Legal Framework

5. Update policies, laws, guidelines and manuals.

​

background

• Regional High-level Meeting on Rainwater Harvesting, Kathmandu, May 28-30, 2009
• The International Conference on “Water, Environment and Climate Change: Knowledge Sharing and Partnership” in April 2018 featured a special day on Rainwater Harvesting
• Smart WASH Solutions organized a national conference on “Rainwater Harvesting for Livelihood, Community and Ecosystem Resilience” in 2019 and has kept regional contacts and also conducted National conference on “Rainwater Harvesting: Addressing Water Security and Climate Impacts” on 2023
• 88 This presentation mainly focus on summary of conference 2019 recommendations.
• Different organizations / Institutions with all together 500 participation

​

​

​

​

5/14/2023

Conference Background

1. A press meet was held before the national conference
2. Key note speech, 30 technical presentations, panel discussion exhibition and poster presentations were made during the conference.
3. Poster presentation
4. Exhibition : Rainwater harvesting technology, pipes fittings, Rain Water Recharge system
5. Side meeting with key stakeholders ( Municipalities, MoWS, I/NGOs and Private sectors , investers Etc ) on RWH policy and planning

​

Conference Background

1. Also, there was poster presentation competition involving Bachelors’ and Masters’ Degree students.
2. Separate municipal session was conducted involving mayors, deputy mayors and representatives from local level of Kathmandu Valley along with the related stakeholders to make them discuss and aware on existing situation/status of RWH and its challenges. There were 3 papers on RWH Guidelines, Promoting Rainwater Harvesting Policy at Local Level Government and Existing Management on RWH.

Key findings

1. RWH should be promoted to improve livelihood, community and ecosystem resilience

(Rani Bari ,Kathmandu)

​

Recharge trenches

Recharge wells

Household Recharge

Key findings

Multipurpose use of RWH-Integrated Water Resource Management and Ecosystem Conservation.

( Bardibas)

​

​

​

​

​

​

Plastic ponds

Sprinkle Irrigation

Key findings

3. RWH should be scaled up at all levels- HH, community, school, municipality and watershed level.

​

RWH in Sarada School, Bhaktapur

RWH in Yuva Prativa H.S., Lalitpur

Key findings

4. Management of RWH should include-conservation, water quality and disaster management issues.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Urban flooding

Water harvesting for disaster risk reduction ( Bardibas)

Concluding and recommendations

1. Rainwater harvesting to be promoted as a viable option to overcome water poverty, improve livelihood, community and ecosystem resilience

2. There is need of paradigm shift in the following areas:

a. Paradigm shift from the traditional thinking of a single purpose of augmenting domestic water supply to a multipurpose use of rainwater and as an important part of integrated water resources management and at the same time for ecosystem conservation;

b. Rainwater harvesting should be promoted at all levels, such as household, schools , community, municipality and watershed levels;

c. Rainwater harvesting should not be limited to rural areas, rather it is increasingly more important to urban areas, benefiting poor and rich equally;

​

Concluding and recommendations

d. Management of rainwater harvesting systems should include conservation, water quality as well as disaster management issues;

e. Land use zoning and enforcement is a key to sustainable water management.

3. The various papers presented suggest as :

1. To scale up new technologies and data on RWH
2. Use indigenous technologies by using modern scientific tools and technologies
3. Attract and support the private sector.
4. Encourage international collaboration .
5. Water Quality should be priority area focus on SDG
6. Government should prepared to update policies, laws, guidelines and manuals; – giving due considerations to the federal structural consisting
7. Priority on Awareness and inclusion of curricula in educational institutions

​

outcomes

• This Conference offers a great opportunity to set up a National Rainwater Harvesting Alliance to create the knowledge base, national networking, strengthen advocacy and push for rainwater harvesting in policies and acts.
• Recharge Kathmandu program implemented since 2020.
• Data generation, publication, R & D, rehabilitation of pond, stone taps, recharge pit and awareness program
• Around 300 ponds constructed for disaster risk reduction in Mahatorri, khotang and other hilly areas
• Municipalities has separated significant budget for water recharge ponds and pits ( Dhulikhel Bhaktpur , Lalitpur ,Paanchkhal, Dharan, Tinau, Butwal, Palpa, Rupandehi) and has provided tax exemption for RWH promotion
• Dam-based rainwater harvesting (such as DHAP dam in Shivapuri for Bagmati river, Mahadev Khola Dam (Changunarayan) for drinking water supply to Kathmandu constructed.
• 2500 HH level Water harvesting system ( Gokarna to Guheshwori) was installed by Bagmati river Basin improvement project supported by ADB.

​

5/14/2023

Acknowledgements

• SARNET
• Lanka Water Forum
• Smart WASH Solutions

​

5/14/2023