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1 Pandey, Vishnu Prasad; Sharma, Akriti; Dhaubanjar, Sanita; Bharati, Luna; Joshi, I. R. 2019. Climate shocks and responses in Karnali-Mahakali basins, western Nepal. Climate, 7(7):1-24. (Special issue: Social-Ecological Systems, Climate and Global Change Impacts) [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/cli7070092]
Climate change adaptation ; Risk analysis ; River basins ; Climatology ; Weather hazards ; Drought ; Rain ; Flooding ; Hailstorms ; Crop losses ; Strategies ; Mountains ; Households ; Animal diseases / Nepal / Karnali River Basin / Mahakali River Basin / Mohana River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049418)
(2.29 MB) (2.29 MB)
The Himalayas are highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, as it consequently increases the vulnerability of downstream communities, livelihoods and ecosystems. Western Nepal currently holds significant potential as multiple opportunities for water development within the country are underway. However, it is also identified as one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, with both an increase in the occurrence of natural disasters and exacerbated severity and impacts levels. Regional climate model (RCM) projections indicate warmer weather with higher variability in rainfall for this region. This paper combines bio-physical and social approaches to further study and understand the current climate shocks and responses present in Western Nepal. Data was collected from 3660 households across 122 primary sampling units across the Karnali, Mahakali and Mohana River basins along with focus group discussions, which provided a rich understanding of the currently perceived climatic shocks and related events. Further analysis of climatology was carried out through nine indices of precipitation and temperature that were found to be relevant to the discussed climate shocks. Results show that 79% of households reported experiencing at least one type of climate shock in the five-year period and the most common occurrence was droughts, which is also supported by the climate data. Disaggregated results show that perception varies with the region and among the basins. Analysis of climatic trends further show that irregular weather is most common in the hill region, although average reported frequency of irregular weather is higher in the mountain. Further analysis into the severity and response to climatic shocks suggest an imminent need for better adaptation strategies. This study’s results show that a vast majority of respondents lack proper access to knowledge and that successful adaptation strategies must be adapted to specific regions to meet communities’ local needs.
2 Sharma, Akriti; Karki, Emma; Eriyagama, Nishadi; Shrestha, Gitta; Jeuland, M.; Bharati, Luna. 2020. Whose river is it?: an assessment of livelihood and cultural water flow requirements for the Karnali Basin. Ecology and Society, 25(3):22. [doi: https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-11763-250322]
Environmental flows ; River basins ; Livelihoods ; Sociocultural environment ; Assessment ; Water management ; Flow discharge ; Water levels ; Ecosystems ; Biodiversity ; Water pollution ; Water use ; Fisheries ; Irrigation ; Household consumption ; Tourism ; Riparian zones ; Local communities ; Women ; Sustainable development ; Socioeconomic aspects / Nepal / Karnali Basin / Terai Region / Hill Region
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050015)
https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol25/iss3/art22/ES-2020-11763.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050015.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050015.pdf
(1.07 MB) (1.07 MB)
The term “environmental flows” refers to a combination of features, including quantity, quality, and timing of water flows required to sustainably maintain a river’s health, balancing both ecological and societal needs. Incorporating basic human livelihood and sociocultural aspects in environmental flow assessments alongside ecological concerns provides a more holistic perspective on water flow management. Here, we provide an assessment that complements an ecosystem functioning lens by focusing solely on quantifying the flows associated with livelihood activities and spiritual water requirements of local riparian communities in the Karnali basin in Western Nepal. This assessment is based on the first social survey related to environmental flows conducted in the Karnali basin. We collected data using mixed methods, including social surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, across six locations in the Karnali basin that provide us with a rich and dynamic perspective on the relationship between rivers and their surrounding communities, and the challenges faced by those communities. Among the subsistence and spiritual requirements of local communities are uses for activities that include drinking, small-scale irrigation, domestic needs, fishing, and ceremonial usage. All communities we visited most strongly associated the following activities with water flow variation: small-scale irrigation, fishing, ceremonial usage, domestic needs, and tourism. The water flows required for these key activities were quantified, and results from the six sites are presented in the form of a qualitative scale of minimum water levels (ranging across poor, acceptable, and ideal) required to meet vital local needs. The minimum acceptable water flow requirement to satisfy social criteria is just > 20% of the mean annual runoff at the visited locations. These requirements are particularly vital to consider, given ongoing efforts to tap the vast hydropower potential in Nepal through construction of major storage projects. Such projects would change the flow regime of affected rivers and potentially raise concerns that existing demands might be compromised.
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