![\"main_640px-nepal\"](\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/main_640px-nepal.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Dr S. M. Wahid and Dr Arun Shrestha, hydrologists from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), argue Nepal needs regional cooperation on disaster warning systems and development of water resources.<\/p>\n
Chinadialogue (CD): Nepal has plenty of water, yet there is a shortage of water for domestic and agricultural use. Why is this the case?<\/strong><\/p>\n S. M. Wahid (SW):<\/strong> Nepal is a mountainous country with ample water resources but the majority of these resources cannot be used, as they are made up of, for example, concentrated rainfall or torrents created when ice dams break.<\/p>\n Nepal has a monsoon climate and its winters are very dry, with hardly a drop of rain. Then in summer there is a huge quantity of rain. This means the country has 40,000MW of hydropower potential \u2013 153 times what we currently import from India.<\/p>\n The problem with managing water in Nepal is that if the wet season becomes wetter, we will suffer more floods, while if the dry season becomes dryer (according to IPCC scenarios) there will be even less water for farming.<\/p>\n Although there are floods in the plains, the situation is worse for people in the mountains, where disasters are harder to predict. Also, water resources flow away faster in the mountains, and without water it\u2019s impossible to farm. So people are moving away and will continue to do so in the future. Many people have already moved to Kathmandu, putting huge pressures on infrastructure and resources. We need to take action quickly.<\/p>\n Alongside migration, population growth is also exacerbating the problem of water shortage. In the Nepalese part of the Koshi basin (a river which flows through China, Nepal and India), the population is set to increase by 45% by 2050.<\/p>\n CD: What is causing the depletion of water resources?<\/strong><\/p>\n SW:<\/strong> The biggest reason is people moving from the mountains to the plains.<\/p>\n For generations, people have relied on water from springs, but the number of springs is slowly decreasing, with some completely drying up. Why? In the past people living in the mountains built small reservoirs or ponds for their own use. That water would seep through the ground and flow out at a lower altitude, forming a spring. But so many people have moved from the mountains that those reservoirs aren\u2019t being maintained and the springs are drying up.<\/p>\n But people don\u2019t realise that without those ponds, the springs further down dry up.<\/p>\n Now the plains are so crowded, building reservoirs are necessary to provide water and reduce migration from the mountains.<\/p>\n CD: What can be done about frequent natural disasters and water shortages?<\/strong><\/p>\n SW:<\/strong> The public lacks relevant information and understanding. People in the mountains need to know about possible disasters. But that\u2019s a common problem. Climate change is already happening too fast for people to keep up with, and what the people of Nepal need most now is better technical support and information on disasters.<\/p>\n We need to establish reliable channels to bridge that information gap. Many of Nepal\u2019s rivers flow across international borders, and that means countries need to work together to predict what disasters will happen where. We also need early warning systems and training so that people can act promptly.<\/p>\n To solve the water shortage, we need reservoirs, both big and small. Our water is unevenly distributed over the year, and so storage is particularly important and there\u2019s huge potential for doing this. The Koshi River basin alone could store 8 billion cubic metres of water and there is only a demand for 6 billion.<\/p>\n CD: There have been reports that, given the particular geology of the region, reservoirs and dams could increase the chances of landslides. What\u2019s your view?<\/strong><\/p>\n SW:<\/strong> Our project \u2014 the Koshi Basin Water Management Project \u2014 hasn\u2019t yet looked at the link between landslides and reservoirs. But we can assume that there are some areas prone to landslides, and others that aren\u2019t. Reservoirs are essential for Nepal, so we\u2019ll just have to make sure we build them well. Of course, we do need more research into the links.<\/p>\n CD: Nepal has huge hydropower potential, but the country\u2019s engineering capacity is weak. What are the main concerns about hydropower development?<\/strong><\/p>\n Arun Shrestha (AS):<\/strong> A lack of know-how is a problem for dam building in Nepal, but it\u2019s not the biggest problem. One of our main concerns is FUNDING<\/a>. Nepal should consider getting international funds to construct hydropower.<\/p>\n