Learning and exchange visit on springshed management

About the visit

In collaboration with the Department of Water (DoW), Bhutan, we are organising an exchange visit aimed at building the capacities of DoW officials. The visit is intended to strengthen partnerships and jointly develop strategies for springshed research, implementation approaches, and scaling modalities in Bhutan.

The visit is supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)-funded Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP) under the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this visit include:

• Enhance knowledge and understanding of the six-step protocol for spring revival and springshed management
• Observe and co-learn NbS implementation status and approaches in Nepal, particularly on springshed management and wetland management, and challenges faced by implementing partners and communities
• Develop a shared understanding of the concepts and methodology for reviving springs through community interactions and sharing of success stories
• Discuss appropriate approaches to scale springshed management as NbS in Bhutan

Background

Springshed management remains one of the key work areas at ICIMOD. This approach has been implemented in selected sites in Nepal through collaborative efforts involving municipalities, communities, and non-governmental organisations. The outcomes of these pilot initiatives have been promising, successfully addressing local water insecurity challenges faced by communities. There is a possibility to establish a novel modality of implementation involving the local municipality, multiple partners, and the local communities.

Springshed management is also a Nature-based Solution (NbS), ensuring holistic management of water sources and resources (surface and groundwater). It generates wider co-benefits such as biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management, sedimentation reduction, livelihoods diversification and climate action. Within the ongoing HI-REAP programme, we intend to upscale springshed management as an NbS strategy across our member countries in the region.

In a recent stakeholder consultation, we reached a consensus on the critical issue of water insecurity affecting all gewogs (a group of villages in Bhutan). The significance of scaling springshed management and the need to build the capacity of DoW officials through cross-exchange visits have been widely acknowledged.

About the Department of Water, Bhutan

DoW serves as the leading agency for springshed management in Bhutan. The department has the mandate to develop policies, and guidelines for integrated water resource management, advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), conducting water resource research, and fostering networks and collaborations to facilitate knowledge exchange. Its vision is to ensure safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable water resources through adaptive, integrated, and enhanced management practices. This pursuit aims to achieve environmental, social, and economic security for national well-being and ecosystem integrity.