Your search found 16 records
1 Bharati, Luna; Gamage, Nilantha. 2010. Application of the Pitman Model to generate discharges for the Lhasa Basin, China. Hydro Nepal: Journal of Water, Energy and Environment, 7:30-34.
River basin management ; Rainfall-runoff relationships ; Simulation models ; Hydrology ; Stream flow / China / Tibet / Nepal / Lhasa River Basin / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Record No: H043101)
http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/HN/article/download/4233/3593
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H043101.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H043101.pdf
(4.49 MB) (609KB)
Predicting river flows in basins where limited data is available is a challenge facing many hydrologists especially in developing countries. In this study, the Pitman monthly model was applied to generate flows for the Lhasa Basin in China (Tibet). As flow data was unavailable for the Lhasa basin, the model was first calibrated for the upper Koshi Basin in Nepal and China. The Pitman model successfully predicted flows for the upper Koshi basin (R2=0.88). Therefore, the estimated model parameters from the Koshi basin as well as climate data from the Lhasa basin were used to generate flows for the Lhasa basin outlet. The main modeling assumption is that the basin characteristics of the upper Koshi are similar to that of the Lhasa basin. Under present circumstances, where measured data is unavailable, the model estimated monthly flows for the Lhasa basin can be used in further studies in basin water accounting and management.
2 Bartlett, R.; Bharati, Luna; Pant, Dhruba; Hosterman, H.; McCornick, P. G. 2010. Climate change impacts and adaptation in Nepal. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 25p. (IWMI Working Paper 139) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2010.227]
Climate change ; Impact assessment ; Adaptation ; National planning ; Institutions ; Water resource management ; Social aspects ; Political aspects ; River basins ; Runoff / Nepal / Koshi River Basin / Dudh Koshi Subbasin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 333.91 G726 BAR Record No: H043439)
(2.4 MB)
The impact of climate change (CC) on water resources is likely to affect agricultural systems and food security. This is especially true for Nepal, a least developed country, where a high percentage of the population is dependent on agriculture for its livelihoods. It is thus crucial for Nepal’s leaders and resource managers to draft and begin implementing national adaptation plans. This working paper aims to create a more comprehensive understanding of how the impacts of CC will be realized at different scales in Nepal, from household livelihoods to national food security, and the many institutions governing the ultimate adaptation process.
3 Sharma, Bharat R.; Amarasinghe, Upali; Ambili, G. K. (Eds.) 2010. Tackling water and food crisis in South Asia: insights from the Indo-Gangetic Basin. Synthesis report of the Basin Focal Project for the Indo-Gangetic Basin. Colombo, Sri Lanka: CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF). 120p. (CPWF Project Report 60)
River basin management ; Development projects ; Water governance ; Water allocation ; Water demand ; Water productivity ; Wheat ; Rice ; Fisheries ; Institutions ; Electricity ; Diesel oil ; Prices ; Water market ; Groundwater ; Tenancy ; Poverty / India / Pakistan / Nepal / Bangladesh / Indus Rive Basin / Ganges River Basin / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044046)
http://mahider.ilri.org/bitstream/handle/10568/3939/PN60_IWMI_Project%20Report_Mar10_final.pdf?sequence=1
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H044046.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H044046.pdf
(6.56 MB) (5.13MB)
4 Gurung, Pabitra; Bharati, Luna. 2012. Downstream impacts of the Melamchi Inter-Basin Water Transfer Plan (MIWTP) under current and future climate change projections. Hydro Nepal: Journal of Water, Energy and Environment, April:23-29. (Special issue on "Proceedings of National Conference on Water, Food Security and Climate Change in Nepal" with contributions by IWMI authors).
Downstream ; River basins ; Drinking water ; Water availability ; Water supply ; Water transfer ; Climate change ; Simulation models ; Wet season ; Dry season ; Crop management ; Water requirements ; Irrigation / Nepal / Kathmandu / Koshi River Basin / Melamchi River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H044828)
The Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) is designed to minimize the shortage of drinking water in the Kathmandu valley. Although the project was supposed to be completed by 2008, due to various problems, it is still diffi cult to forecast the exact date of completion. This paper quantifi es the downstream effects of diverting water from the Melamchi (Stage-I),Yangri (Stage-II) and Larke (Stage-III) rivers under current as well as future climate scenarios. The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used in the analysis. Result shows that in the Stage-I water transfer plan, average infl ow reduction in the immediate downstream sub-basin in the dry and wet seasons are 36% and 7% respectively, where as in Stage-II the infl ow reductions are 38% for the dry season and 8% for the wet season. In Stage-III, infl ow reductions are 38% in the dry season and 7% in the wet season. The impact of the water transfer schemes on various changes in water management within the Melamchi River irrigation command area was also tested. BUDGET (soil, water and salt balance) model was used to quantify crop water requirement of Melamchi River command area when the irrigated area is increased and the cropping pattern is changed. Simulation results of crop water requirement in intensive water use conditions show that present Melamchi River command area can be increased by 2.2 times under current climate projection, whereas the area can be increased 1.4 times in 2030s and by 2.0 times in 2050s.
5 Bharati, Luna; Gurung, Pabitra; Bhattarai, Utsav. 2016. Past and future variability in the hydrological regime of the Koshi basin, Nepal. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 61(1):79-93. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2014.952639]
Hydrology ; Models ; Climate change ; Adaptation ; Precipitation ; Monsoon climate ; Winter ; River basins ; Soil management ; Assessment ; Water yield / Nepal / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046581)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02626667.2014.952639
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H046581.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H046581.pdf
(4.11 MB)
Planning adaptation strategies in response to climate change (CC) can be a daunting task, especially in regions such as the Koshi Basin in the Himalayas; where CC impacts are still uncertain. This paper recommends targeting adaptation strategies by focusing on changes in variability between the past and future climates at smaller scales. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) are used for analysis. Results show: (i) higher maximum precipitation during monsoon and post-monsoon, and lower maximum precipitation during winter; (ii) increase in precipitation and flows in the trans mountain region during all seasons, except for flows during monsoon; (iii) increase in post-monsoon precipitation and routed flow volumes; (iv) decrease in precipitation during winter and routed flow volumes in all the regions, except the trans mountain region; and (v) increase in frequency of high peak flows and decrease in baseflows.
6 Price, J. I.; Janmaat, J.; Sugden, Fraser; Bharati, Luna. 2016. Water storage systems and preference heterogeneity in water-scarce environments: a choice experiment in Nepal’s Koshi River Basin. Water Resources and Economics, 13:6-18. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wre.2015.09.003]
Water storage ; Supplemental irrigation ; Rainfed farming ; Rural communities ; Water stress ; Water supply ; Water resources ; Domestic water ; Dry season ; Households ; Welfare ; Econometrics / Nepal / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047238)
(0.00 MB)
Many rural communities in Nepal experience considerable water stress during the dry season. Water storage systems (WSSs) have been proposed to supplement rain-fed irrigation and augment domestic water services in these communities. We evaluate household preferences for WSSs using a choice experiment and latent class modeling techniques. Results indicate the presence of three classes. The majority of households (E92%) belong to two equally-sized classes, a relatively privileged group (i.e. wealthier, better educated, etc.) with strong preferences for supplemental irrigation and a less privileged group that is mainly interested in improved domestic water services. The remaining class’ preferences are dominated by the cost attribute and are consistent with households facing severe cash constraints. Estimated welfare effects reveal that WSSs disproportionately benefit the privileged, although this disparity is mitigated with the provision of domestic water. These findings highlight the potential welfare gains from WSS investments, but stress the need for multi-purpose water resource development and the potential for elite capture.
7 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Bharati, Luna; Bhattarai, Utsav; Khadka, Ambika; Dahal, Vaskar; Wahid, S. 2015. Impact of planned water resource development on current and future water demand of the Koshi river basin, Nepal. Water International, 40(7):1004-1020. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2015.1099192]
Water resources development ; Water demand ; Water power ; Electricity generation ; Water storage ; Water supply ; Irrigation water ; Domestic water ; Industrialization ; River basins ; Models / Nepal / India / Bihar / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047251)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02508060.2015.1099192
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047251.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047251.pdf
(0.78 MB) (796 KB)
Water resources of the Koshi Basin (87,311km2) are largely untapped, and while proposals for their development exist, their impacts on current and future water demands are not quantified. The current study is the first to evaluate the impacts of 11 proposed development projects on hydropower generation and water storage. Results revealed that 29733GWh hydropower can be generated and 8382Million m3 (MCM) of water can be stored annually. This can satisfy unmet demands in current (660MCM) basin situation and future scenarios - i.e. population, agricultural and industrial growth – that are projected to have 920, 970 and 1003MCM unmet-demands, respectively by 2050.
8 Rawal, D. S.; Bharati, Luna. 2015. Identification of crop species vulnerable to projected climate change in three agro-ecological zones of the Koshi river basin, Nepal. Journal of Hill Agriculture, 6(2):233-243. [doi: https://doi.org/10.5958/2230-7338.2015.00050.6]
Climate change ; Ecology ; River basins ; Crops ; Environmental effects ; Plants ; Rain ; Calibration / Nepal / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047335)
(0.29 MB)
Changes in the earth's climate may have major impacts on plant regeneration. It is hence necessary to understand the link between germination and environmental cues. This study investigates the influence of climate change on germination response of eight crop species for the identification of species vulnerability to projected climate change. Data from the germination experiments were used to calibrate the germination module of the mechanistic model TACA-GEM in order to evaluate species germination vulnerability to a range of climate change scenarios expected to take place by the 2050s. The study was conducted for three sites of the Koshi river basin, Nepal. The findings indicate that rainfall is one of the primary factors influencing species germination. The projected moderate rainfall with warm climate benefitted germination in Saptari while the higher rainfall and colder climate projected for Bhojpur was adverse to the germination of most of the species. The germination response displayed by wheat and chickpea suggests that these species are the most resilient to projected climatic conditions. The study successfully demonstrated the influence of projected climatic conditions on species germination timing and success, reflecting species vulnerability to a range of climate conditions.
9 Nepal, S. 2016. Impacts of climate change on the hydrological regime of the Koshi River Basin in the Himalayan region. Journal of Hydro-environment Research, 10:76-89. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jher.2015.12.001]
Climate change ; Hydrological regime ; River basins ; Water balance ; Glaciers ; Snowmelt ; Meltwater ; Runoff ; Discharges ; Precipitation ; Temperature ; Evapotranspiration ; Monsoon climate ; Models ; Forecasting / Nepal / Himalayan Region / Koshi River Basin / Dudh Koshi Subbasin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048027)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1570644315000805/pdfft?md5=1f2ca936f939e2bf8feb7225370227f3&pid=1-s2.0-S1570644315000805-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048027.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048027.pdf
(2.96 MB) (2.96 MB)
Understanding the potential impact of climate change on the hydrological regime in the Himalayan region is of great importance for sustainable water resources management. This study assessed the historic and projected climate trends in the Koshi river basin using statistical analysis. The hydrological characteristics and the contribution of different runoff components under present and projected future conditions were investigated in the Dudh Koshi sub-basin using the J2000 model. Data for 1995 to 2096 from the Providing REgional Climates for Impacts Studies (PRECIS) regional climate model were used in the J2000 model to project the impact of climate change under the A1B climate scenario in mid-century (2040–2050) and late-century (2086–2096), compared to baseline (2000–2010). Present climate showed an increase in average temperature in the river basin at a rate of 0.058 °C/year for maximum temperature and 0.014 °C/year for minimum temperature over the past forty years. The model simulation of the hydrological regime from 1985 to1997 was satisfactory. The average annual contribution of snow and glacier melt to total discharge was about 34%, whereas it was 63% in the pre-monsoon season (March to May). The projected future results from the model indicate a 13% increase in annual discharge by mid-century followed by a slight decrease; and a 16% increase in evapotranspiration by the end of the century. Snowfall is projected to decrease substantially due to the rise in temperature, the basin will lose snow storage capacity, and there will be a marked decrease in snowmelt runoff from non-glaciated areas. In contrast, melt from glaciated areas will increase up to mid-century and start decreasing thereafter. The model results suggest that snowfall pattern, snowmelt, discharge, and evapotranspiration are all sensitive to the effects of climate change.
10 Najmuddin, O.; Rasul, G.; Hussain, A.; Molden, D.; Wahid, S.; Debnath, B. 2018. Low water productivity for rice in Bihar, India - a critical Analysis. Water, 10(8):1-17. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/w10081082]
Water productivity ; Agricultural production ; Rice ; Water use ; Irrigation water ; Crop yield ; Groundwater ; Temperature ; Rain ; Socioeconomic environment ; Econometric models ; River basins / India / Bihar / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048888)
(1.51 MB) (1.51 MB)
Rice is the most important crop for food security and livelihoods of the rural population in Bihar, India. In spite of good soil and water resources, rice water productivity (WP) is very low in Bihar. Trends in WP and key factors influencing WP over 20 years (1991–2010) in 11 Bihar districts were analysed using panel data to help elucidate reasons for low WP values. The annual average rice yield of 938 kg/ha, WP of 0.22 kg/m3 , and marginal physical productivity (MPP) of 249 g/m3 are very low in Bihar compared to both the national average for India and other rice growing areas in the world. Rice WP and MPP were higher for the garma (dry) season than for the kharif (monsoon) season. Temporal analysis showed that WP was slowly declining in most districts, while spatial analysis showed a significant variation in WP across the districts. Regression analysis showed that the availability of irrigation facilities, occurrence of flood and drought, and cropping intensity had significant influence on rice WP. Causes for temporal and spatial changes in WP are highlighted and actions to improve rice WP in Bihar are suggested.
11 Bharati, Luna; Bhattarai, Utsav; Khadka, Ambika; Gurung, Pabitra; Neumann, L. E.; Penton, D. J.; Dhaubanjar, Sanita; Nepal, S. 2019. From the mountains to the plains: impact of climate change on water resources in the Koshi River Basin. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI) 49p. (IWMI Working Paper 187) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2019.205]
Climate change ; Climatic data ; Water resources ; Water balance ; Water yield ; Water availability ; Mountains ; Plains ; River basin management ; Soil analysis ; Soil water balance ; Calibration ; Spatial distribution ; Hydropower ; Precipitation ; Evapotranspiration ; Temperature ; Rainfall ; Monsoon climate ; Catchment areas ; Hydrological data ; Impact assessment ; Models ; Flow discharge ; Runoff ; Land use ; Seasonal variation / China / Nepal / India / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H049130)
(8 MB)
The Koshi Basin, spread across China, Nepal and India, is perceived as having high potential for hydropower and irrigation development, both seen as ways to promote economic development in the region. This paper quantifies and assesses the past and projected future spatial and temporal water balances in the Koshi Basin. Results show that precipitation and net water yield are lowest in the transmountain region and the Tibetan plateau. The values are highest in the mountain region, followed by the hills and Indo-Gangetic Plains. Approximately 65% of average annual precipitation is converted to flows, indicating high water availability. Actual evapotranspiration is highest in the Indo-Gangetic Plains region due to the presence of irrigated agriculture and a few forested mountain watersheds. As most of the water from the mountain and hill regions eventually flows down to the plains, the mountain and hill regions in Nepal are important for maintaining agriculture in the plains in both Nepal and India. Results from the flow analyses indicate the high temporal variability of flows in the basin. The frequent occurrences of both high- and low-flow events demonstrate the existing vulnerability of the region to both floods and droughts, leading to a very risk-prone livelihood system. Climate change projections show an increasing trend in precipitation and net water yield for most of the basin, except the transmountain region. Therefore, it is important to consider the climate change impacts on water resources in future planning.
12 Zhang, C.; Fang, Y. 2020. Application of capital-based approach in the measurement of livelihood sustainability: a case study from the Koshi River basin community in Nepal. Ecological Indicators, 116:106474. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106474]
Sustainable development ; Sustainable livelihoods ; Community involvement ; Climate change ; Infrastructure ; Indicators ; Precipitation ; Economic aspects ; Human capital ; Natural capital ; Social capital ; Natural disasters ; Socioeconomic aspects ; Case studies / Nepal / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049827)
(5.26 MB)
Climate change is classified as a global scale issue, since it impacts numerous and varied regions worldwide without regard for anthropogenic or natural geographic borders. However, household livelihood vulnerability and sustainability are influenced by various factors that differ between countries, districts, and communities. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region has been severely affected, as climate change has profoundly impacted the native people’s livelihood, habitation, and physical infrastructure. In order to develop appropriate and effective adaptation strategies, it is necessary to understand the current livelihoods status of local households, to identify underlying factors that affect their livelihood, and to access vulnerability and livelihood sustainability. In this study, researchers collected data by surveying 130 households from the Koshi River basin (KRB) of Nepal. The study was conducted in three different districts, representing various ecological regions within the KRB, including: the Kavre district in the Mid-mountain area, the Sindhuli district in Siwalik Hill, and the Saptari district in the Terai Plains. While the different districts are susceptible to diverse types of climate-induced disasters, all three study areas have suffered huge economic losses in response to climate change.
Quantitative assessment of capital-based vulnerability in the rural villages was carried out based on the three dimensions of vulnerability specified by the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and Sustainable Livelihood Index (SLI) was used to assess these three dimensions of vulnerability and sustainability and incorporated a wide range of socio-economic variables that represent human, physical, natural, financial, and social capitals. 45 sub-component indicators were selected to evaluate the five major capitals and ultimately reflect the three vulnerability dimensions. The results suggest that: 1) Kavre households have higher human capital vulnerability; 2) the Saptari district may be more vulnerable to natural and physical capital, and 3) the Sindhuli district is more vulnerable to financial and social capital. Investigation into the specific impacts of climate change on rural livelihoods in different environments enhances our understanding of the resulting environmental and socioeconomic changes. Furthermore, it helps identify the specific vulnerabilities pertaining to susceptible communities at a micro level and aids governments and scientists in developing targeted, customized, adaptive strategies to address infrastructure construction, education, public health services, skills training, establishment of early warning systems, and community-based risk reduction schemes, as needed.
Quantitative assessment of capital-based vulnerability in the rural villages was carried out based on the three dimensions of vulnerability specified by the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and Sustainable Livelihood Index (SLI) was used to assess these three dimensions of vulnerability and sustainability and incorporated a wide range of socio-economic variables that represent human, physical, natural, financial, and social capitals. 45 sub-component indicators were selected to evaluate the five major capitals and ultimately reflect the three vulnerability dimensions. The results suggest that: 1) Kavre households have higher human capital vulnerability; 2) the Saptari district may be more vulnerable to natural and physical capital, and 3) the Sindhuli district is more vulnerable to financial and social capital. Investigation into the specific impacts of climate change on rural livelihoods in different environments enhances our understanding of the resulting environmental and socioeconomic changes. Furthermore, it helps identify the specific vulnerabilities pertaining to susceptible communities at a micro level and aids governments and scientists in developing targeted, customized, adaptive strategies to address infrastructure construction, education, public health services, skills training, establishment of early warning systems, and community-based risk reduction schemes, as needed.
13 Kaini, S.; Nepal, S.; Pradhananga, S.; Gardner, T.; Sharma, A. K. 2020. Impacts of climate change on the flow of the transboundary Koshi River, with implications for local irrigation. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 27p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2020.1826292]
River basins ; International waters ; Flow discharge ; Climate change ; Hydrology ; Models ; Forecasting ; Irrigation water ; Water availability ; Irrigation schemes ; Water requirements ; Precipitation ; Land use ; Temperature data / Nepal / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050087)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07900627.2020.1826292?needAccess=true
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050087.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050087.pdf
(8.87 MB) (8.87 MB)
This study assesses climate change impacts on the hydrological regime of a river basin and its implications for future irrigation water availability in the Koshi River basin using RCPs 4.5 and 8.5 over short-term (2016-2045), mid-century (2036-2065) and end-of-century (2071-2100) periods. Average flow in the Koshi River is projected to increase. Projections of average minimum monthly river flow suggest that the areas of winter wheat and monsoon paddy rice could be increased. However, the planting period of paddy rice should be delayed by one month (July to August) to capture the expected increased water availability in the river
14 Vasani, H. 2023. International water law and hydropolitics: an enquiry into the water conflict between India and Nepal. Water International, 48(2):259-281. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2023.2176595]
International waters ; Transboundary waters ; Water law ; Political aspects ; Conflicts ; Benefit-sharing mechanisms ; Water power ; Case studies / India / Nepal / Delhi / Kathmandu / Pancheshwar / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051722)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/02508060.2023.2176595?needAccess=true&role=button
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051722.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051722.pdf
(5.16 MB) (5.16 MB)
Despite an open border, shared culture, religious ties and strong people-to-people connectivity, governance of transboundary water resources has often led to diplomatic conflicts between India and Nepal. It is not unusual for hydro-development projects between the two to run into delays or opposition, despite great domestic need for water and electricity in both countries. Using fieldwork in Delhi and Kathmandu, this paper illustrates the factors that impede cooperation between the two sides on shared rivers and how the inadequacies of international water laws manifest themselves in bilateral negotiations on water governance. The paper locates the benefit-sharing framework in international water law using the case studies of the Pancheshwar and the SaptaKoshi–SunKoshi Project in the Mahakali and Koshi basins.
15 Alvar-Beltran, J.; Soldan, R.; Vanuytrecht, E.; Heureux, A.; Shrestha, Nirman; Manzanas, R.; Pant, K. P.; Franceschini, G. 2023. An FAO model comparison: Python Agroecological Zoning (PyAEZ) and AquaCrop to assess climate change impacts on crop yields in Nepal. Environmental Development, 47:100882. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2023.100882]
Crop modelling ; Agroecological zones ; Climate change ; Crop yield ; Maize ; Rice ; Wheat ; Irrigation management ; Rainfed farming ; Water productivity ; Soil texture ; Temperature ; River basins ; FAO / Nepal / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052082)
(9.28 MB)
To identify the most effective agricultural transformation and adaptation measures, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) calls for action to produce robust crop suitability assessments. We developed a novel approach to assess the inputs and outputs of two FAO tools (AEZ and AquaCrop). We use Nepal as a case study, a country offering a myriad of ecoclimatic conditions for multiple crops. Our work provides further evidence of climate change impacts on rice, maize and wheat yields along the different agroclimatic zones of Nepal, equally under rainfed and irrigated conditions for future climate scenarios. The findings of bias-adjusted regional climate models (RCMs) shows increasing temperatures and precipitation; whereas the outputs of agroecological/crop models show effective adaptation of C3 crops to a CO2 enriched environment. In sum, this supports the climate-crop modelling user community, extension workers and government agencies with guidance’s to overcome uncertainties associated with the application of these tools.
16 Aryal, Anil; Shrestha, M.; Aryal, S.; Upadhyay, S.; Maharjan, M. 2023. Spatio-temporal variability of streamflow in major and medium rivers of Nepal. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 50:101590. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2023.101590]
River basins ; Stream flow ; Climate variability ; Spatial variations ; Temporal variations ; Ecosystem services ; Hydrology ; Trends ; Indicators ; Climate change / Nepal / Karnali River Basin / West Rapti River Basin / Gandaki River Basin / Bagmati River Basin / Koshi River Basin / Kankai Catchment
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052488)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221458182300277X/pdfft?md5=358ff4bf858a2d22283c5affbb08a4fd&pid=1-s2.0-S221458182300277X-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052488.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052488.pdf
(4.62 MB) (4.62 MB)
Study region: We selected six (three on each) major and medium river basins of Nepal as a study domain for the analysis. The study areas were so selected that they represent the river basins across the country from East (Kankai basin) to West (Karnali basin). Study focus: This study focuses on the long-term hydrologic alteration in the river flow of Nepal’s medium and major rivers of different river basins. The overarching objective of the study is to evaluate the spatio-temporal change in flow magnitude, duration, frequency, timing, and rate of change in the major and medium rivers in Nepal. With continuity in the development activities, it is imperative to analyze the potential impact of human activities in the hydrologic regimes. For this, we used a set of 33 indicators from the indicator of hydrologic alteration (IHA) developed by The Nature Conservancy for the pre and post-impact period. The pre and post-impact period is defined here as the time before and after which the substantial alteration occurred, possibly due to multiple reasons. The pre and post impact periods were determined using the Pettitt statistical test carried out at the most downstream of the hydrological gauge station of each river basin. Further, the trends in the annual flow were estimated using the Mann-Kendall test, and the slope of the trend was estimated using Sen’s slope. New hydrological insights for the region: The results showed that in the post-impact period, the mean annual discharge in major and medium rivers of Nepal was found to decrease by 5.86% and 7.94%, respectively. Except for the West Rapti River (- 14.3%), the hydrologic change of 1-day maximum flow is observed to have increased in the medium rivers and decreased in the major rivers. Moreover, except for the Kankai River (+14.29%), the hydrologic change of 1-day minimum flow is observed to be reduced in both the major and medium rivers. In major rivers, the overall degree of alteration ranges from 28.7% to 38.0%, which resembles the low to mid variability range. Similarly, the result of the hydrologic alteration showed that for the medium rivers, the overall degree of alteration varied from 35.8% to 46.7%, representing the medium range of variability. This suggests that the river systems undergoing moderate hydrologic alteration have experienced moderate alteration. These rivers might be capable of sustaining a healthy ecosystem, however, could be more susceptible to other stressors like drought.
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