Capacity building for minimizing human induced impacts on water resources in Nepal and Bhutan
Abstract
The conservation of the environment including water resources takes an important role in both Nepal’s and Bhutan’s development strategy. Conservation and maintenance of the pristine status of the environment is being tackled with high priority, which is also reflected in the national legislation. However and as in other parts of the world, their river basins and its waters provide goods and services that are used by humans with an increasing trend. Freshwater bodies and land resources are exploited by human since the time immemorial for the betterment of the society such as hydropower generation, aquaculture and irrigation. In Nepal, empowerment of local fishers has begun since 1970s by utilizing many freshwater bodies such as Lake Phewa and Kulekhani reservoir through fisheries. From the historic time, some of the local tribal communities, fisherman were known for only fresh water fishing for subsistence. Similarly, in Bhutan some communities are heavily dependent on land and aquatic resources. However, at present they are diverting their livelihood to other activities like agriculture and daily wages labour. Local people in the watersheds of these freshwater bodies are adopting intensification of agriculture with high inputs of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Intensive agricultural and hydropower activities enhances economic growth for local people, whereas ecological and environmental degradation is increasing. However, the shift from traditional fisheries to agricultural intensification or to commercial fish farming and their linkages among poverty and environmental degradation requires not only systematic and holistic approach but also capacity enhancement of stakeholders. This will provide a better understanding of land and water use, fisheries management, pollution and their social/economic impact on nature and habitat degradation. The main objective of the research is to enhance the capacity of the stakeholders through a transdisciplinary approach linking natural resources use and ecological degradation using environmental assessment approaches. To address the issue on the main objective, three specific objectives are developed: To develop environmental impact assessment strategies for Nepal and Bhutan. To evaluate resource allocation and distribution among various users including gender and marginalized communities. To enhance the capacity of partner universities and stakeholders. To identify climate smart protection and mitigation strategies for sustainable land and water management.
keywords River Fish Landuse Hydropower
Publikationen
Project staff
Andreas Melcher
Priv.-Doz. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Andreas Melcher
andreas.melcher@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-93411
Project Leader
01.10.2016 - 31.03.2017
Florian Alexander Peloschek
Dipl.-Ing. Florian Alexander Peloschek Bakk.techn.
Sub Projectleader
01.10.2016 - 31.03.2017
BOKU partners
External partners
Royal University of Bhutan
none
partner
Kathmandu University, School of Science
Chhatra SHARMA
partner