Developing Lal Bakaiya watershed management plan

Background

The phenomenon of Too Much and Too Little Water will impact close to 40 million (10 million upstream, 30 million downstream) people, living within the transboundary Koshi River Basin (KRB). Because of the growing presence of erratic climate patterns, and cascading hazards, the socio-economic development of people within the basin is highly jeopardized.

HI-GRID focuses its efforts on mitigating these risks by working in 28 municipalities of two provinces with the Lower Koshi River Basin. The end outcome of the project is:

• Municipalities integrating GEDSI responsive DRR practices within their planning and budgeting practices
• Innovative DRR solutions (like Nature Based Solutions) and GRID-based value chains and enterprises are scaled up within other municipalities in Nepal

As part of the HI-GRID project, ICIMOD is formulating a watershed management plan for the Lal Bakaiya River, drawing upon the successful approach used in developing the Nibuwa-Tankhuwa Watershed Management Plan (NTWMP) in Dhankuta. This plan can be instrumental in minimizing the issues of too less water in the upstream and too water in the downstream. Furthermore, under Nepal’s BRCRN project[1] , this river system has not been considered, as other river systems of Madhesh and Koshi Province are included. Implementing this plan will also assist the government in addressing the gaps in the river system. The methodology applied in NTWMP involved an integrated watershed management approach, incorporating a series of multi-stakeholder consultation workshops and comprehensive field surveys, such as household surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), and site assessments. Remote sensing data and secondary information supplemented the collected data. These aspects were crucial in developing a plan that effectively mitigates the challenges associated with too little and too much water.

The primary aim of the Lal Bakaiya Watershed Management Plan (LBWMP) is to reduce water-related issues through strategic interventions. By leveraging scientific insights and community input, the plan aims not only to optimize water usage but also to enhance the resilience of local communities to water-related challenges. This holistic approach ensures that the management plan is not only technically robust but also socially and economically viable, reflecting the diverse needs and aspirations of stakeholders involved. By adapting successful methodologies and integrating local knowledge, this initiative seeks to foster long-term environmental sustainability and socio-economic development in the watershed area.

In this setting, an event is organized by ICIMOD’s DRR Intervention, within Action Area on Managing Cryosphere and Water Risks under the Strategic Group on Reducing Climate and Environment Risks and is supported by HIGRID project to formally initiate the process for the Lal Bakaiya Watershed Management Plan.

Lal Bakaiya watershed:

The Lal Bakaiya watershed is situated in the central southern region of Nepal. Geologically, it comprises of three physiographic zones: the Terai and Bhabar to the south, the Chure hills encompassing the Dun Valley in the central area, and the Mahabharat range to the north. Over time, there has been significant land use and land cover change in the Bhabar region and the Chure hills. Following the eradication of malaria in 1956, there was a substantial migrating to the Chure, Bhabar, and Dun Valley areas. This migration has led to increased population density in districts such as Makawanpur, Bara, and Rautahat. Encroachment by settlement and cultivation[2] has heightened runoff and sediment transportation processes, resulting in more frequent and severe flash floods and subsequent property losses. The Lal Bakaiya watershed area encompasses a total of seven local governments (figure 1), including one sub-metropolitan city, four municipalities, and two rural municipalities as shown in table 1.

Table 1: Local governments in Lal Bakiya Watershed area

Objectives

The primary objective of the workshop is to formally initiate the process for the Lal Bakaiya Watershed Management Plan. The specific objectives are as follows:

• Finalizing the key stakeholders for the sustainability of the plan.
• Exploring major issues[3] within the watershed area through a consultative process.
• Introducing and launching the formal preparation process for the Lal Bakaiya Watershed Management Plan.

Expected outcomes

This workshop will serve as the foundation for formally initiating the research and planning process for the watershed management plan. It will focus on identifying the primary challenges within the watershed boundary, thereby guiding targeted scientific research in these areas. Additionally, the workshop aims to identify key stakeholders essential for ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of the plan.

Expected participants

• 3 each from local governments
• 2 from MANDWI
• 2 from SEN
• 5 locals and provincial government
• 2 central government’
• 4 ICIMOD

Agenda

References

[1] https://brcrn.gov.np/

[2] Ojha, D. P. (1983). History of land settlement in Nepal Tarai. Contributions to Nepalese studies, 11(1), 21-44.

[3] Potential issues include disasters such as floods, soil erosion, landslides, forestry-related challenges, climate change, livelihoods, and others.