Back to news
15 Jun 2016 | News

Payment for Ecosystem Services for Drinking Water Schemes in Dhankuta, Koshi Hills, is Becoming a Reality

1 min Read

70% Complete

After a yearlong effort through an action research by ICIMOD’s Koshi Basin Programme (KBP) and its partner Green Governance of Nepal (GGN) to identify the role of upstream watershed areas in maintaining the quantity and quality of water flow downstream, a ‘letter of intent’ was signed recently in Dhankuta Municipality of eastern Nepal.

The letter is a significant agreement that gives high value recognition to work towards strengthening the upstream-downstream linkage through research on water systems and siltation patterns in upstream watershed areas, consultations with communities about water demand and water economic value, negotiating payment amount and facilitate an institutional arrangement of payment of freshwater ecosystem services (also known as PES).

The signing of the letter of intent was considered a significant step, which the local communities both from the upstream watershed villagers Nibuwa and Tankhuwa and downstream Dhankuta town residents as well as the government agencies had been highly anticipating.

The letter was presented during a one-day stakeholders’ workshop on 8 June 2016 in Dhankuta by the municipal authority in presence of over 50 including 7 female representatives from various government line agencies and community leaders from the watershed community.

During the event, the municipal authority expressed its commitment to pay for the upstream ecosystem water services to the upstream watershed communities while different line agencies committed to streamline their conservation and development activities in the upstream watershed.

Local Development Officer Ganesh Prashad Dahal highlighted the need of PES and investment in conserving upstream ecosystem. He hoped that the local level implementation of PES in Dhankuta would be a source of knowledge and learning for national level PES implementation.

Tirtha Prashad Dhital, chief executive officer of Dhankuta municipality acknowledged the research support from ICIMOD and committed to utilize the research findings to manage local water supply in the municipality.

The participants shared that they have identified priority activities for implementation, in particular to conservation of watershed, water source protection and diversifying livelihoods options in affected areas.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related Content

Continue exploring this topic

12 Jan 2015 News
International Mountain Day 2014 Celebrations in ICIMOD’s Member Countries

China On the occasion of International Mountain Day 2014, the Chinese Committee on International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (CNICIMOD) organized ...

25 May 2015 News
ICIMOD to lead SAARC CCI’s climate-related activities

Participants from ICIMOD attended the 62nd Executive Committee and 20th General Assembly of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Chamber ...

27 Jan 2016 KSL
A Need to Protect Nepal’s Diverse Resources

Nepal harbours abundant biodiversity. Diversity exists largely due to the unique climatic conditions and geography in the Himalayan range. Indigenous ...

8 May 2015 News
ICIMOD maps earthquake-affected settlements to aid relief and recovery efforts

Responding to a request from the Ministry of Home Affairs, ICIMOD has deployed a task force made up of GIS ...

22 Sep 2017 Solar Pumps
Nepali Engineers Explore New Irrigation Systems

Thirty irrigation engineers—10 of them women—from DOI participated in the training. Titled Energy Efficient Irrigation Systems using Solar Pumps, the ...

25 May 2016 Himalica
Pilot Village Bee Farmers from Bhutan and Nepal Learn about Honeybee Management

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) conducted a hands-on beekeeping training for Apis cerana bee entrepreneurs from Bhutan ...

26 May 2015 News
Indian farmers meet local entrepreneurs in Dadeldhura

ICIMOD and the Central Himalayan Environmental Association (CHEA) organized a five-day visit for the farmers/ beekeepers and the staff of partner organization ...

16 Nov 2015 HKPL
ICIMOD Supports International Conference on Mountain and Climate Change

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) through its Cryosphere Initiative co-organised the International Conference on Mountain and Climate ...