WEPA 12th Annual Meeting
28‐30 Nov. 2016, Hanoi, Viet Nam

Madhav Dev Acharya
Water and Energy Commission Secretariat(WECS), Nepal

Outlook of the presentation:
1. Country Background
2. Water Resources of the country
3. Policy and Legal Framework on water andenvironment
4. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
5. Institutional Management

1. Country Background: Landlocked between
China in the North and India
in the East, West and South.
Almost rectangular in shape Area: 1,47,181 km2
Himalayas and Mountains 43%
hills 30% and ,Terai Plain( Flat Land) 27%

 Varied Topography
Within a short span(about193km)of width
ranging from 64m
to 8848m in altitude

1. Country Background: Generally mountainous region cold Hills mild and Plains
warm in climate.
 Population:
26.5 Million, Density: 180/Sq km
Urban: Rural=17:83

 GDP : Total= US$24.06 billion
Per capita= US$ 837
 Major occupation
Agriculture= 69%, Industry=12% and Others= 19%

 Well‐known as the Land of theMt. Everest and the birthplaceof Lord Buddha

2. Water Resources: There are 6000 rivers and rivulets. Broadly classified intothree categories on the basis of their origin.
Class:1. Originating from glaciers and snow‐fed lakes e.g. Koshi,Gandaki, Karnali and Mahakali Rivers
Class:2. Originating from Mahabharat Mountain Range e.g. Babai,West Rapti, Bagmati, Kamala, Kankai and Mechi etc.
Class:3. Originating from Siwalik hills small rivers which mostly flow inthe rainy season and rest of the time remains dry.

 Estimated available surface water is 225 billion m3(BCM)perannum. Only 15 BCM per annum is in use 96% of which is usedfor agriculture.
 Around 78% of the average flow is from the first category riverbasins

2. Water Resources: Major River basins of Nepal

2. Water Resources: There are 3,252 glaciers and 2323 glacial lakes
Estimated ice reserve is 481 km3
 Average Annual Precipitation: 1,500 ‐2,500mm
 Groundwater Potential & its Uses
Tarai, Dune Valleys and Kathmandu Valleys are thepotential areas of shallow and/or deep aquifers
 Total GW in Tarai ‐ about 8800 MCM
Irrigation & industrial use ‐ 756 MCM andDrinking use ‐ 297 MCM
Surplus GW in Tarai ‐ 7747 MCM
 GW resources have not been investigated detailly yet inthe hills and mountains region.

3. Policy and Legal Framewok:A.



Policy and Plan:
National Water Resources Strategy (2002)
National Water Plan (2005)
National Housing Policy (2011)
Climate Change Policy (2011)
National Adaptation Plan of Actions(NAPA) (2010)
Hydropower Development Policy (2001)
Irrigation Policy(2014)
Assessment Guidelines of LAPAs on (2016)
Water Induced Disaster Management Policy (2015)
Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines (2015)

3. Policy and Legal Framework:Environmental Friendly Local Governance Framework(2013)
Hazardous Waste Management Policy(2010)
Water Supply System Management Guidelines(2012)
National Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Policy (2014)
National Drinking Water Quality Standards(2010)
Hydropower Development Policy (2005)
Solid Waste Management Policy(2013)
Water Sanitation and Hygiene National Sector DevelopmentPlan(2015) (Under Draft condition)
 Integrated Water Resources Development Policy (UnderDraft condition): Based on the state re‐structuring
framework guided by the Constitution of Nepal 2015

3. Policy and Legal Framework:
B. Acts, Regulations and Related Laws:
 Constitution of Nepal(2015)
Part 3: Fundamental Rights and Duties
Article 30: Right to clean environment
Sub‐article (1): Every citizen shall have the right to live in aclean and healthy environment.
Sub‐article (2): The victim shall have the right to obtaincompensation, in accordance with law, for any injury
caused from environmental pollution or degradation.
Sub‐article (3): This Article shall not be deemed to preventthe making of necessary legal provisions for a properbalance between the environment and development, indevelopment works of the nation.

3. Policy and Legal Framework:
B.



Acts, Regulations and Related Laws:
Environment Protection Act (1997)
Environment Protection Regulation (1997)
Water Resources Act (1993)
Water Resources Regulation (1993)
Nepal Water Supply Corporation Act (1989)
Drinking Water Regulation 1998
Electricity Act (1992)
Industrial Enterprises Act (1992)
Forest Act (1993)
Formulation of Integrated Water Resources Act has been
started side by side with preparation of Integrated Water
Resources Policy.

4. MDGs to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
A. MDGs (2000‐2015)
 Based on the Millennium Declaration of the UNGA
(September 2000), Nepal pledged to adopt the eight
Millennium Development Goals
 MDG 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability:
Significant progress in using improved drinking‐water from46 % in 1990 to 83.6 % in 2014
improved sanitation facility rose from 6 % in 1990 to 60.1%in 2014

4. MDGs to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
B. SDGs (2016‐2030)
 Ahead of the MDG deadline in 2015, the UN OpenWorking Group for SDGs agreed set of 17 SDGs with 169
targets on a broad range of sustainable development issues
for post‐ 2015 till 2030.
 SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management ofwater and sanitation for all4. MDGs to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
 The proposed SDG 6 targets for Nepal 2030 include thefollowing:5. Institutional Management: Institutions working in water and environment: Ministry of Energy
 Ministry of Irrigation
 Ministry of Water
Supply and Sanitation
 Water and Energy Commission
Secretariat (WECS) Department of ElectricityDevelopment (DOED)• Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA)• Department of Forest (DOF)• Department of Soil Conservation andWatershed Management (DSCWM)

http://www.moen.gov.np/
http://www.moir.gov.np
http://mowss.gov.np/
http://www.wecs.gov.np/
http://www.doed.gov.np/
http://www.nea.org.np/
http://dof.gov.np/
http://www.dscwm.gov.np/

5. Institutional Management: Institutions working in water and environment:
•••
•
•
•
•
•
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Department of Hydrology andMeteorology (DHM)
http://www.dhm.gov.np/
Department of National Parks and Wild Life
Conservation (DNPWC)
http://dnpwc.gov.np/
Department of Hydrology andMeteorology (DHM)
http://www.dhm.gov.np/
Department of Environment (DOE)
http://doenv.gov.np/
Nepal Academy of Science andTechnology (NAST)
http://nast.gov.np/new/
Alternate Energy Promotion Center (AEPC)
http://www.aepc.gov.np/
Climate Change Council (CCC)
Environment Protection Council (EPC)
Department of Urban Development and Building
Construction (DUDBC)
http://www dudbc gov np/

5. Institutional Management: Institutions working in water and environment:
Department of Urban Development and Building
Construction (DUDBC)
http://www.dudbc.gov.np/• Department of Water Supply andSewerage (DWSS)
http://www.dwss.gov.np/• Department of Irrigation (DOI)
http://doi.gov.np/• Department of Water Induced
Disaster Prevention (DWIDP)
http://www.dwidp.gov.np/•References: Various government published and unpublished reports.