Your search found 20 records
1 Jodha, N. S.; Shrestha, S.. 1993. Towards sustainable and more productive mountain farming. ICIMOD 10th Anniversary Symposium on Mountain Environment and Development Constraints and Opportunities, 1-2 December 1993. ii, 53p. + annexes.
Farming systems ; Mountains ; Sustainable agriculture ; Agricultural policy ; Food security / Nepal / China / Pakistan / India
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: P 2993 Record No: H013718)
2 Shivakoti, G.; Shrestha, S.. 2005. Analysis of livelihood asset pentagon to assess the performance of irrigation systems: Part 1 – Analytical framework. Water International, 30(3):356-362.
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: PER Record No: H038407)
3 Shivakoti, G.; Shrestha, S.. 2005. Analysis of livelihood asset pentagon to assess the performance of irrigation systems: Part 2 – Application of analytical framework. Water International, 30(3):363-371.
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: PER Record No: H038408)
4 Aihara, Y.; Shrestha, S.; Kazama, F.; Nishida, K. 2015. Validation of household water insecurity scale in urban Nepal. Water Policy, 17(6):1019-1032. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2015.116]
Water security ; Water scarcity ; Water supply ; Households ; Urban areas ; Gender ; Women ; Psychological factors ; Public health ; Socioeconomic environment / South Asia / Nepal / Kathmandu Valley
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047431)
(0.19 MB)
Water security is one of the central global issues today. This study aimed to describe and test the validity and reliability of a household water insecurity scale, and to assess the impact of household water insecurity on psychological distress among 371 women living in urban Nepal. A household interview survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Approximately 70% of the participants experienced collecting less water than they needed. Four domains of household water insecurity emerged from the principal components factor analysis: (i) difficulties in house-work related to water, (ii) lost opportunity costs and social interactions related to water, (iii) an insufficient safe water supply, and (iv) difficulties in basic activities related to water. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the domains of ‘lost opportunity costs and social interactions’, ‘difficulties in house-work’ and ‘difficulties in basic activities’ were associated with psychological distress among women. The impact of household water insecurity on psychological distress differed by water supply service levels. The current household water insecurity scale is a simple instrument which can be used to prioritise the target population for water interventions. Further research should be conducted towards the development of a universally applicable measurement tool.
5 Bastakoti, Ram C.; Sugden, Fraser; Raut, M.; Shrestha, S.. 2017. Key constraints and collective action challenges for groundwater governance in the eastern Gangetic Plains. In Suhardiman, Diana; Nicol, Alan; Mapedza, Everisto (Eds.). Water governance and collective action: multi-scale challenges. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. pp.131-142. (Earthscan Water Text)
Collective action ; Groundwater ; Water governance ; Water management ; Water policy ; Water availability ; Shallow tube wells ; Deep tube wells ; River basins ; Groundwater irrigation ; Water use ; Farmers ; Land ownership ; Pumps / India / Pakistan / Bangladesh / Nepal / Bihar / West Bengal / Gangetic Plains / Indus-Ganges Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048354)
(180 KB)
6 Salam, P. A.; Pandey, Vishnu Prasad; Shrestha, S.; Anal, A. K. 2017. The need for the nexus approach. In Salam, P. A.; Shrestha, S.; Pandey, V. P.; Anal, A. K. (Eds.). Water-energy-food nexus: principles and practices. Indianapolis, IN, USA: Wiley. pp.3-10.
Sustainable Development Goals ; Water resources ; Water availability ; Water use ; Energy consumption ; Energy resources ; Food consumption ; Economic development ; Renewable energy ; Household consumption ; Fossil fuels
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048456)
The water, energy, and food resources share a lot in common; they have strong interdependencies and are inadvertently affected by action in any one of them. Therefore, the nexus approach (integrated policies related to water, energy, and food) is required in the face of growing concerns over the future availability and sustainability of these resources. The nexus approach can help achieve at least some of the “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” (e.g., SDG 2, 6, 7, 12, 13, 15). This chapter discusses trends in availability and consumption of the three key resources (i.e., water, energy, and food) and interactions between them, and finally provides some reasons why the nexus approach can help achieve social and economic development goals.
7 Pandey, Vishnu Prasad; Shrestha, S.. 2017. Evolution of the nexus as a policy and development discourse. In Salam, P. A.; Shrestha, S.; Pandey, V. P.; Anal, A. K. (Eds.). Water-energy-food nexus: principles and practices. Indianapolis, IN, USA: Wiley. pp.11-20.
Ecosystems ; Policy making ; Development ; Integrated management ; Water resources ; Water management ; Environmental protection ; Food security
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048457)
The key resources that sustain life and the ecosystem (e.g., water, food, energy, and others) are linked in many ways. Action in one sector might have impacts on others, thus forming a policy nexus among them. The relationships between the resources were realized long back; however, the nexus concept is still evolving as a policy and development discourse with the involvement of many actors. It is generally considered as a “multicentric” approach, the advancement of “water centric” Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). This chapter presents a systematic review on how the nexus concept emerged and is now spreading to cover wider sectors; it then discusses key actors involved in raising the profile of the nexus as a policy and development discourse.
8 Salam, P. A.; Shrestha, S.; Pandey, Vishnu Prasad; Anal, A. K. (Eds.) 2017. Water-energy-food nexus: principles and practices. NJ, USA: Wiley; Washington, USA: American Geophysical Union (AGU). 252p.
Water resources ; Water management ; Energy resources ; Food resources ; Food security ; Nexus ; Development policy ; Policy making ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Developing countries ; International cooperation ; International waters ; River basins ; Rural areas ; Climate change ; Carbon footprint ; Crop production ; Rice ; Cultivation ; Research institutions ; Riverbanks ; Filtration ; Case studies / South Asia / South Africa / Western Asia / USA / Southeast Nepal / Tanzania / Uganda / Rwanda / Burundi / Democratic Republic of the Congo / Kenya / Ethiopia / Eritrea / South Sudan / Republic of the Sudan / Egypt / Bangladesh / California / Nile Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048731)
9 Shrestha, S.; Adhikari, S. 2017. Assessment of water, energy, and carbon footprints of crop production: a case study from Southeast Nepal. In Salam, P. A.; Shrestha, S.; Pandey, V. P.; Anal, A. K. (Eds.). Water-energy-food nexus: principles and practices. Indianapolis, IN, USA: Wiley. pp.181-190.
Crop production ; Water resources ; Food security ; Energy resources ; Irrigation systems ; Cereal crops ; Rice ; Maize ; Wheat ; Carbon footprint ; Seasonal cropping ; Monsoon climate ; Land use ; Agriculture ; Soil types ; Emission / Southeast Nepal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048747)
10 Shrestha, P. K.; Shakya, N. M.; Pandey, Vishnu Prasad; Birkinshaw, S. J.; Shrestha, S.. 2017. Model-based estimation of land subsidence in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk, 8(2):974-996. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2017.1289985]
Land cover ; Subsidence ; Estimation ; Groundwater extraction ; Aquifers ; Water supply ; Development projects ; Hydrology ; Models ; Calibration ; Meteorology ; Forecasting ; Flow discharge ; Recharge ; Valleys ; Population growth ; Urban areas / Nepal / Kathmandu Valley
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048977)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19475705.2017.1289985?needAccess=true
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048977.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048977.pdf
(2.21 MB) (2.21 MB)
This study is the first to assess land subsidence in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Land subsidence simulations were based on a fully calibrated groundwater (GW) flow model developed using a coupled surface–subsurface modelling system. Subsidence is predicted to occur as a result of deep aquifer compaction due to excessive GW abstraction. The north and north-east areas at the periphery of the GW basin are hotspots for this subsidence. The estimated subsidence is most sensitive to changes in land cover within the recharge areas. The model shows the Melamchi water supply project assists in the control of subsidence to some extent. In the absence of land subsidence measurements, this paper highlights the location and the potential levels of the subsidence hazard which will be useful for hazard prevention management. Additionally, this work provides a basis to design field investigations, monitoring networks for land subsidence and upgrading the present GW monitoring network. Although the study has presented a preliminary analysis, a more comprehensive model inclusive of clay subsidence is required to address the subsidence vulnerability of the central densely populated core of the valley, which reflects the need for a comprehensive database of the hydrogeology in the valley.
11 Aslam, R. A.; Shrestha, S.; Pandey, Vishnu Prasad. 2018. Groundwater vulnerability to climate change: a review of the assessment methodology. Science of the Total Environment, 612:853-875. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.237]
Water resources ; Groundwater recharge ; Climate change adaptation ; Assessment ; Indicators ; Aquifers ; Contamination ; Rain ; Sea level ; Soils ; Sensitivity analysis ; Models ; Social aspects / USA / Egypt / Thailand / Timor-Leste / Dauphin Island / Nile Delta Aquifer
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048979)
(5.02 MB)
Impacts of climate change on water resources, especially groundwater, can no longer be hidden. These impacts are further exacerbated under the integrated influence of climate variability, climate change and anthropogenic activities. The degree of impact varies according to geographical location and other factors leading systems and regions towards different levels of vulnerability. In the recent past, several attempts have been made in various regions across the globe to quantify the impacts and consequences of climate and non-climate factors in terms of vulnerability to groundwater resources. Firstly, this paper provides a structured review of the available literature, aiming to critically analyse and highlight the limitations and knowledge gaps involved in vulnerability (of groundwater to climate change) assessment methodologies. The effects of indicator choice and the importance of including composite indicators are then emphasised. A new integrated approach for the assessment of groundwater vulnerability to climate change is proposed to successfully address those limitations. This review concludes that the choice of indicator has a significant role in defining the reliability of computed results. The effect of an individual indicator is also apparent but the consideration of a combination (variety) of indicators may give more realistic results. Therefore, in future, depending upon the local conditions and scale of the study, indicators from various groups should be chosen. Furthermore, there are various assumptions involved in previous methodologies, which limit their scope by introducing uncertainty in the calculated results. These limitations can be overcome by implementing the proposed approach.
12 Tirupathi, C.; Shashidhar, T.; Pandey, Vishnu P.; Shrestha, S.. 2019. Fuzzy-based approach for evaluating groundwater sustainability of Asian cities. Sustainable Cities and Society, 44:321-331. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2018.09.027]
Water resources ; Groundwater ; Sustainability ; Evaluation ; Towns ; Models ; Fuzzy logic ; Water stress ; Water policy ; Legislation ; Stakeholders ; Knowledge management ; Institutions ; Indicators ; Monitoring / Asia / India / Pakistan / Thailand / Vietnam / Myanmar / Hyderabad / Lahore / Bangkok / Ho Chi Minh City / Yangon
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048981)
(5.42 MB)
The objective of this research is to develop a fuzzy-based groundwater sustainability index (FGSI) model to evaluate the sustainability of groundwater system at selected cities in Asian.
The new Mamdani type fuzzy-based inference system known as FGSI was developed. It contains five components and twenty-four indicators, which covers five dimensions of sustainability, namely, environmental, social, economic, mutual trust, and institutional. The FGSI model offers a novel combination of indicators, which covers aspects of groundwater quality, quantity, and management. An attempt was made to develop a robust index for estimating the groundwater sustainability. The model was evaluated for selected cities in Asian with different difuzzification methods, and compared with the conventional method. The centroid defuzzification method produced well diversified results compared with other methods, including conventional method. The overall groundwater sustainability of Hyderabad of India was estimated as highly sustainable and, Lahore of Pakistan, Bangkok of Thailand, Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam and Yangon City of Myanmar were estimated as moderately sustainable. The FGSI model may help to policy and decision makers to provide a reliable and resilient sustainable management system in the cities by identifying the indicators for the improvement.
The new Mamdani type fuzzy-based inference system known as FGSI was developed. It contains five components and twenty-four indicators, which covers five dimensions of sustainability, namely, environmental, social, economic, mutual trust, and institutional. The FGSI model offers a novel combination of indicators, which covers aspects of groundwater quality, quantity, and management. An attempt was made to develop a robust index for estimating the groundwater sustainability. The model was evaluated for selected cities in Asian with different difuzzification methods, and compared with the conventional method. The centroid defuzzification method produced well diversified results compared with other methods, including conventional method. The overall groundwater sustainability of Hyderabad of India was estimated as highly sustainable and, Lahore of Pakistan, Bangkok of Thailand, Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam and Yangon City of Myanmar were estimated as moderately sustainable. The FGSI model may help to policy and decision makers to provide a reliable and resilient sustainable management system in the cities by identifying the indicators for the improvement.
13 Lee, E.; Jayakumar, R.; Shrestha, S.; Han, Z. 2018. Assessment of transboundary aquifer resources in Asia: status and progress towards sustainable groundwater management. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 20:103-115. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2018.01.004]
International waters ; Water resources ; Aquifers ; Sustainability ; Groundwater management ; Groundwater assessment ; River basins ; Legal frameworks ; Institutions ; International cooperation ; Socioeconomic development ; Case studies / Asia / Cambodia / Greater Mekong Subregion
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049055)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581817301684/pdfft?md5=4160abeb23650d516fa570e7ae18d8b7&pid=1-s2.0-S2214581817301684-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049055.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049055.pdf
(1.32 MB) (1.32 MB)
Study region: Asia.
Study focus: Internationally shared aquifers (Transboundary aquifers; TBAs) are recognised as an important water resource in Asia. Despite their importance, studies on the assessment of TBA resources have received less attention in comparison to transboundary rivers. A lack of expertise, experience, and institutional support has restricted the cooperative and sustainable management of the shared aquifer resources. This study attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the status of transboundary groundwater resources in Asia, including the TBA inventories, socio-economic implications, and future perspectives. Specifically, the study focuses on the progress of the assessment of TBAs in Asia as a result of the Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management Initiative (ISRAM).
New hydrological insights for the region: In Asia, TBAs have played a major role in providing freshwater resources and sustaining socio-economic development. Since 2000, many regional cooperative initiatives have achieved considerable progress in developing TBA inventories of Asia, but the level of understanding of the shared aquifer systems remains limited, particularly for the developing countries. Legal and institutional frameworks for regional TBA cooperation are vital, and many countries in Asia have come to recognise the need to cooperate with their neighbours in dealing with TBA governance. Sustainable and equitable management of TBA in Asia requires an increasing effort from different sectors and countries in order to reach mutual acceptance of effective cooperation.
Study focus: Internationally shared aquifers (Transboundary aquifers; TBAs) are recognised as an important water resource in Asia. Despite their importance, studies on the assessment of TBA resources have received less attention in comparison to transboundary rivers. A lack of expertise, experience, and institutional support has restricted the cooperative and sustainable management of the shared aquifer resources. This study attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the status of transboundary groundwater resources in Asia, including the TBA inventories, socio-economic implications, and future perspectives. Specifically, the study focuses on the progress of the assessment of TBAs in Asia as a result of the Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management Initiative (ISRAM).
New hydrological insights for the region: In Asia, TBAs have played a major role in providing freshwater resources and sustaining socio-economic development. Since 2000, many regional cooperative initiatives have achieved considerable progress in developing TBA inventories of Asia, but the level of understanding of the shared aquifer systems remains limited, particularly for the developing countries. Legal and institutional frameworks for regional TBA cooperation are vital, and many countries in Asia have come to recognise the need to cooperate with their neighbours in dealing with TBA governance. Sustainable and equitable management of TBA in Asia requires an increasing effort from different sectors and countries in order to reach mutual acceptance of effective cooperation.
14 Matheswaran, K.; Khadka, A.; Dhaubanjar, Sanita; Bharati, Luna; Kumar, S.; Shrestha, S.. 2019. Delineation of spring recharge zones using environmental isotopes to support climate-resilient interventions in two mountainous catchments in far-western Nepal. Hydrogeology Journal, 27(6):2181-2197. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-019-01973-6]
Water springs ; Groundwater recharge ; Artificial recharge ; Climate change ; Isotope analysis ; Stable isotopes ; Deuterium ; Highlands ; Catchment areas ; Hydrogeology ; Hydrometeorology ; Rainfall patterns ; Precipitation ; Flow discharge ; Altitude ; Monsoon climate ; Dry season / Nepal / Shikarpur / Banlek
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049195)
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10040-019-01973-6.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049195.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049195.pdf
(6.57 MB) (6.57 MB)
Though springs are the primary source of water for communities in the mid-hills of Nepal, an in-depth scientific understanding of spring systems is missing, preventing the design of effective climate-resilient interventions for long-term sustainability of springs. This study marks the first attempt to combine environmental isotopes analysis with hydrometric and hydrogeological measurements to identify dominant recharge zones for springs in two mountainous catchments—Banlek and Shikarpur—in Far-Western Nepal. In total, 422 water samples collected from rainfall, springs and streams between March 2016 and March 2017 were analyzed for their isotopic composition (d18O and dD). Isotopic composition of rainwater shows seasonality, suggesting that different sources of water vapor cause rains in monsoon and in dry season. Rainfall responses of individual springs were used to identify connections to unconfined and deeper groundwater strata. The isotopic composition of springs in the two catchments ranges from -9.55 to -8.06‰ for d18O and -67.58 to -53.51‰ for dD. The isotopic signature of the spring sources falls close to the local meteoric water line for the corresponding season, indicating strong rainfall contribution to springs. Altitudinal isotopic gradients suggest mean recharge elevation of 2,600–2,700 m asl for springs in Shikarpur, which lies beyond the surface-water catchment, and a recharge elevation of 1,000–1,100 m asl for Banlek, which partially extends beyond the surface-water catchment. The demarcated recharge zones will be used by government agencies to implement recharge interventions to increase the resiliency and reliability of springs in Far-Western Nepal.
15 Shrestha, S.; Neupane, S.; Mohanasundaram, S.; Pandey, Vishnu P. 2020. Mapping groundwater resiliency under climate change scenarios: a case study of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Environmental Research, 183:109149. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109149]
Groundwater table ; Resilience ; Water levels ; Climate change ; Impact assessment ; Forecasting ; Water resources ; Groundwater recharge ; Water demand ; Groundwater extraction ; Aquifers ; Precipitation ; Temperature ; Hydrology ; Models ; Case studies / Nepal / Kathmandu Valley
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049539)
(4.24 MB)
Groundwater resources of Kathmandu Valley in Nepal are under immense pressure from multiple stresses, including climate change. Due to over-extraction, groundwater resources are depleting, leading to social, environmental and economic problems. Climate change might add additional pressure by altering groundwater recharge rates and availability of groundwater. Mapping groundwater resilience to climate change can aid in understanding the dynamics of groundwater systems, facilitating the development of strategies for sustainable groundwater management. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the impact of climate change on groundwater resources and mapping the groundwater resiliency of Kathmandu Valley under different climate change scenarios. The future climate projected using the climate data of RCM's namely ACCESS-CSIRO-CCAM, CNRM-CM5- CSIRO-CCAM and MPI-ESM-LR-CSIRO-CCAM for three future periods: near future (2010–2039), mid future (2040–2069) and far future (2070–2099) under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios were bias corrected and fed into the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), a hydrological model, to estimate future groundwater recharge. The results showed a decrease in groundwater recharge in future ranging from 3.3 to 50.7 mm/yr under RCP 4.5 and 19–102.1 mm/yr under RCP 8.5 scenario. The GMS-MODFLOW model was employed to estimate the future groundwater level of Kathmandu Valley. The model revealed that the groundwater level is expected to decrease in future. Based on the results, a groundwater resiliency map of Kathmandu Valley was developed. The results suggest that groundwater in the northern and southern area of the valley are highly resilient to climate change compared to the central area. The results will be very useful in the formulation and implementation of adaptation strategies to offset the negative impacts of climate change on the groundwater resources of Kathmandu Valley.
16 Bhattarai, B.; Upadhyaya, R.; Neupane, K. R.; Devkota, K.; Maskey, G.; Shrestha, S.; Mainali, B.; Ojha, H. 2021. Gender inequality in urban water governance: continuity and change in two towns of Nepal. World Water Policy, 7(1):30-51. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/wwp2.12052]
Water governance ; Urban areas ; Gender equality ; Water supply ; Drinking water ; Water insecurity ; Water, sanitation and hygiene ; Gender-transformative approaches ; Women ; Inclusion ; Participation ; Awareness ; Decision making ; Water management ; Water policies ; Households ; Livelihoods ; Socioeconomic environment ; Case studies / Nepal / Kathmandu / Dhulikhel / Dharan
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050516)
Gender-based inequality has long been recognized as a challenge in water governance and urban development. Women do most of the water collection-related tasks in the majority of low-income country’s urban areas, as they do in rural areas for drinking, household consumption, kitchen gardening, and farming. However, their voice is rarely heard in water governance. When climate change exacerbates water scarcity, it becomes harder for people to secure water with more pronounced effects on women. Drawing on the narratives of men and women involved in water management practices and also the views of the stakeholders who are part of water resource management in two towns in Nepal, this paper demonstrates emerging forms of gender inequality concerning access to and control over water resources, as well as associated services such as sanitation. We found that women’s voice in water governance is systematically excluded, and such gender-based disadvantage intersects with economic disadvantage as women in low-income poor urban settlements are experiencing additional difficulty in accessing water and sanitation services. Gender inequity persists in the urban water sector, and of course the wider social structures, despite some progressive policy changes in recent years, such as the 30% quota reserved for women in local-level water management bodies in Nepal. The paper concludes that tackling gender inequity in water management requires a transformative approach that seriously takes into account women’s voice, critical awareness, and open deliberation over the causes and consequences of the current approaches and practices. Moreover, gender-inclusive outcomes on water management are linked to changes in areas outside of the water sector, such as property ownership structures that constrain or enable women’s access to water and related services.
17 Zam, P.; Shrestha, S.; Budhathoki, A. 2021. Assessment of climate change impact on hydrology of a transboundary river of Bhutan and India. Journal of Water and Climate Change, 12(7):3224-3239. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wcc.2021.338]
Climate change ; Assessment ; Hydrology ; International waters ; River basins ; Runoff ; Rain ; Water balance ; Forecasting ; Hydropower ; Water management ; Models / Bhutan / India / Wangchu River / Raidak River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050661)
https://iwaponline.com/jwcc/article-pdf/12/7/3224/957727/jwc0123224.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050661.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050661.pdf
(0.92 MB) (943 KB)
Assessing the impacts of climate change on a transboundary river plays an important role in sustaining water security within as well as beyond the national boundaries. At times, the unilateral decision taken by one country can increase the risk of negative effect on the riparian countries and if the impact is felt strongly by the other country, it can lead to international tension between them. This study examines the impact of climate change on hydrology between a shared river which is Wangchu river in Bhutan and Raidak river in India. The river is mainly used to produce hydropower in the two largest hydropower plants on which the majority of Bhutan's economic development depends and is mainly used for agriculture in India. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used for future flow simulation. Future climate was projected for near future (NF) from 2025–2050 and far future (FF) from 2074–2099 using an ensemble of three regional climate models (ACCESS, CNRM-CM5 and MPI-ESM-LR) for two RCPs (Representative Concentration Pathways), RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenario. The ensemble results indicated that, in future, the study area would become warmer with temperature increase of 1.5 °C under RCP 4.5 and 3.6 °C under RCP 8.5. However, as per RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, rainfall over the study area is projected to decrease by 1.90% and 1.38%, respectively. As a consequence of the projected decrease in rainfall, the flow in the river is projected to decrease by 5.77% under RCP 4.5 and 4.73% under RCP 8.5. Overall, the results indicated that the degree of hydrological change is expected to be higher, particularly for low flows in both Wangchu and Raidak River. Since transboundary water is shared for economic growth, climate change adaptation and opportunities should also be considered by both the nations for better water management.
18 Ashraf, S.; Ali, M.; Shrestha, S.; Hafeez, M. A.; Moiz, A.; Sheikh, Z. A. 2022. Impacts of climate and land-use change on groundwater recharge in the semi-arid Lower Ravi River Basin, Pakistan. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 17:100743. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2022.100743]
Groundwater recharge ; Climate change ; Land use change ; River basins ; Semiarid zones ; Forecasting ; Hydrological modelling ; Water balance ; Precipitation ; Farmland / Pakistan / Ravi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050999)
(6.98 MB)
Climate and land-use change significantly impact the hydrological cycle and water resources. Groundwater recharge of the Lower Ravi River Basin (LRRB), Pakistan, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model was studied. Three General Circulation Models (GCMs) under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 4.5 and 8.5) were used to project future rainfall and temperature. Present climate and land-use were used to develop the SWAT model. Future land-use was generated by using land-use change predictor model, CA-Markov from present maps. Groundwater recharge fluctuated with changing climate and land-use with an increase of annual temperature by 2.1 °C and 3.7 °C for RCP 4.5 and 8.5 respectively, by 2050. The annual mean precipitation increased by 2.45% and 4.47% for both scenarios resulting in an 8% rise in recharge along with a seasonal shift. Future land-use change reduced recharge up to 38%. The combined impacts of climate and land-use change reduced groundwater recharge by 15%.
19 Chapagain, S. K.; Aryal, A.; Mohan, G.; Shrestha, S.; Mishra, B. K.; Fukushi, K. 2022. Analysis of the climate change impact on water availability and the links between water pollution and economy for sustainable water resource management in Kaski District, Nepal. Journal of Water and Climate Change, 13(8):3030-3045. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wcc.2022.105]
Climate change ; Water availability ; Water pollution ; Water resources ; Carrying capacity ; Water management ; Sustainability ; Economic growth ; Water demand ; Water supply ; Water quality ; Domestic water ; Water use ; Water policies ; Socioeconomic aspects ; Livestock / Nepal / Kaski / Gandaki River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051281)
https://iwaponline.com/jwcc/article-pdf/13/8/3030/1093912/jwc0133030.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051281.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051281.pdf
(0.83 MB) (851 KB)
The newly enacted national water policy is envisioned as ensuring water sustainability in Nepal. Despite theoretical pertinence, questions remain about the effective implementation due to limited studies on key aspects of sustainability, such as water supply and demand, pollution, and impacts of climate change and socio-economic growth. This study analyses the current and future availability of water under climate change scenarios and determines water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) as the maximum socio-economic growth that can be supported in a case study on the Kaski District, Nepal. Annual average water availability was estimated to be 11,030.7 million cubic meters (MCM) for the baseline period (1992–2010), and 7,677.4 and 7,674.2 MCM for the future period (2022–2050) under the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 emission scenarios, respectively. For the baseline period, WRCC far exceeds the current population; therefore, water resources will not be a limiting factor for local socio-economic development. Nevertheless, sustainable water infrastructure development policies are necessary to ensure a reliable water supply able to cope with increasing seasonal variability and declining future water availability. A total of 30,049 tons of biological oxygen demand (BOD) loads were estimated based on the economic activities of the Kaski District in 2011, with the direct and indirect sectoral roles of water pollution determined for the first time. Rather than a single pollution control strategy based on pollution loads, multiple sector-specific strategies are necessary to effectively implement water pollution control policies.
20 Sokneth, L.; Mohanasundaram, S.; Shrestha, S.; Babel, M. S.; Virdis, S. G. P. 2022. Evaluating aquifer stress and resilience with GRACE information at different spatial scales in Cambodia. Hydrogeology Journal, 30(8):2359-2377. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-022-02570-w]
Water stress ; Aquifers ; Resilience ; Groundwater table ; Monitoring ; Groundwater recharge ; Water levels ; Water storage ; Surface water ; Remote sensing ; Precipitation ; Soil moisture / Cambodia / Tonle Sap Lake / Mekong River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051542)
(4.34 MB)
Groundwater exploitation for different sectors in Cambodia is expanding. Groundwater levels have already begun to decline in some parts of the country. Monitoring and assessing groundwater storage (GWS) change, aquifer stress and aquifer resilience will support the proper planning and management of the country's groundwater resources; however, information regarding groundwater in Cambodia is currently scarce. Thus, GWS change in Cambodia over the 15 years from April 2002 to March 2017 was assessed using remote-sensing-based Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) datasets, with a comprehensive validation of the GRACE-derived groundwater storage anomaly (GWSA) with respect to in-situ field-based observations. The current study also investigated the impact of surface water storage (SWS) change in Tonle Sap Lake, South-East Asia's largest freshwater lake, on deriving the GWS change in Cambodia. The groundwater aquifer stresses (GAS), and aquifer resilience (AR) were also evaluated. The validation results were promising, with the correlation coefficient between satellite-based estimations and ground-based measurements ranging from 0.82 to 0.88 over four subbasins. The overall decreasing rate of GWS was found to be –0.63 mm/month, with two basins having the highest declining rate of more than 1.4 mm/month. Meanwhile, the aquifer experiencing stress during the dry season had a very low ability to quickly recover from these stresses. These findings emphasise that appropriate management is urgently needed to ensure the sustainability of the groundwater resource system in this country.
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