Initiatives Approach of Mainstreaming
Environment into Water Sector in Nepal
With case study of Bagmati River Basin

Gautam Rajkarnikar

Chief, Koshi River Basin Management Cell
Water and Energy Commission Secretariat
Government of Nepal

E mail: pinku_gautam@hotmail.com

6 th WEPA Annual Meeting in Tokyo, Japan

February 24,2011

Location of NepalNational initiative• Sectoral efforts were made for the managementof environment through different Ministries andDepartments.
• Establishments of Department of Forest in 1940
Ministry of Forest in 1950 for conservation offorest resources.
• Establishment of Department of Soil conservationin 1974 was a major step taken to conserve soiland water resources

National initiative• In 1987 the National Planning Commission
Secretariat established an Environment Division
to facilitate the integration of environmental
aspects in development planning process.
• 1988 National Conservation Strategy wasformulated.
• 1990 the Parliamentary Committee on
Environment was constituted in accordance tothe Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal toadvise the House of Representatives in the areasof environment, forests, soil conservation,industry and housing and physical planning.

National initiative• 1992, HMG constituted the Environment
Protection Council, under the Chairmanship of theRt. Hon’ble Prime Minister as an advisory body.
• Major initiatives in overall environmental
management in Nepal were taken after theestablishment of Ministry of Population andEnvironment (MOPE) in 1993
• After the institutional reform in1993 sectoral
Ministries and Departments opened environment
divisions or sections for dealing withenvironmental issues.
• Water Resource Strategy 2002
• National Water Plan 2005

International Participation

The major agreements signed in the sector ofenvironmental conservation and sustainable
development:• Brundtland World Commission on Environment andDevelopment, 1987
• The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 1991
• The Rio Declaration and Agenda 21, 1992
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 1992
• The Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD), 1996
• The Basel Convention, 1996
• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Convention(UNFCCC) 1992, and the Kyoto Protocol, 1997

Environment Related Policies, Acts andRegulations for Water ResourcesDevelopment• The environmental issues in water resources relate withvarious sectors and It is a cross cutting.
• Environment Policy- 1993
• Environment Protection Act – 1996
• Environment Protection Regulation – 1997
• Forest Policy -1991• The Soil and Water Conservation Act -1982• Aquatic Animals Protection Act-1961• The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act-1973• Generic Standards for Industrial Waste Water andPolluted Water

Environment Management Plan 2003
• The objectives of the Environment Management
Plan are :• Identify and quantify elements of the National
Water Plan that have an impact upon the naturaland social components of the environment; and• Prepare a management and monitoring plan for
the implementation of the National Water Plan inorder to maximize positive impacts and tominimize or mitigate adverse impacts in line withthe environmental sustainability principle set out
in the water resources strategy 2002.

Environmental Strategy for the Water
Sector contd..
• Policy arrangements for broader implications andregulating the process;• Increase public awareness on management ofenvironment in water resources sector;• Involvement of beneficiaries group for theconservation, protection and management ofenvironment for sustainable development;• Improvement of institutional arrangements forregulating environment management;• Consideration of environmental cost as part of theproject.

Environmental Action Plan
• Improve environmental database system;• Map important, critical and priority watersheds andaquatic ecosystems;• Develop water and wastewater quality standard andregulations;• Implement a water conservation education program;• Implement watershed and aquatic ecosystem
protection, rehabilitation and management programs;• Ensure compliance with environmental regulations;• Utilize strategic environmental assessment in waterresources management;• Increase institutional capacity and coordination.

Water Quality Situation• Last 15 years ago, Water Quality Management(WQM) is still not fully institutionalized. Data formany areas are not easily available. For agencies
involved in WSS, WQM was limited mostly to
microbiological quality and a few non-healthrelated chemical parameters until 1998. Although
WQ data compilation at District and VDC levels
are yet to be done, data collected in Hill and Terairegions focus on the following:• Gravity scheme water is often bacteriologicallycontaminated. Chemical parameters are within
WHO limits.

Water Quality Situation• Water from most city water supply schemes is
micro-biologically unsafe• Protected spring sources are comparatively
better, but unsafe microbiologically;• In monsoon, many gravity schemes carry silt
and organic matter, and water is very turbid;• Almost all dug wells are highly contaminatedwith choliform (more than 50% in some tests),
and some wells contain high levels of nitrate orammonia;

Water Quality Situation Contd..
• High iron and manganese content is foundin most tube wells.
• Fluoride levels are so far within WHO
limits, but the sample size is small;• Arsenic is now being detected in some of
the Terai ( Southern zone of country)
districts at alarming levels;

Source: IUCN, 1998

Coverage of Rivers and Wetlands inNepal
Types ofWetland
RiversLakes
Reservoirs
Village ponds
Paddy fields
Marshy landTotal
Source: IUCN, 1998

Estimated area
(ha)395,000
5,000
1,380
5,183
325,000
12,000743,563

Percent
53.1
0.7
0.2
0.8
43.6
1.6100State of Water Enviroment in Bagmati
River Basin
The Bagmati River is flowing through capital Kathmandu.
It originates at Bagdwar in Shivapuri hills in Kathmandu,
valley having catchment area 3638 Sq.Km.
• Major tributaries are: Bishunumati River, Manohara
River, Kulekhani Khola and Kokhajor Khola.
• More than 50% catchment area are steeply very steeplyslop.
• Moderate to steeply sloping about 18% and 32% alluvialplains.

16

Major Environmental Issues in Bagmati
River Basin• Population and livestock pressure• Deforestation• Excessive use of marginal land for agriculture
and settlements• Deterioration of ecological balance• Declining terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity• Urbanization and industrialization• Disposal of untreated wastewater into naturalwater bodies

Major Environmental Issues in Bagmati
River Basin contd..
• Dumping of solid wastes in rivers and open area.
• Deterioration of surface and ground water quality
due to pollution.
• Excessive extraction of ground water for apartment
residential complex and industrial uses.
• Lack of integrated institutional framework.

Water Quality of Bagmati River Basin• 08_Nepal_Water Quality of Bagmati RiverBasin.xls

Water Quality of Bagmati River Basin contd..
The major causes of water quality deteriorationin the basin are :• High population growth rate in urban area.
• Increase industrialization• Direct discharges of municipal and industrial
wastewater into rivers.
• Excessive mining of sands from river bed• Excessive uses of pesticides and chemicalfertiliser.

Conclusions• The water quality data shows that upstream reach of Bagamti
river is very polluted compare to downstream reach.
• Dissolved Oxygen( DO) content in the river water within
Kathmandu valley is extremely low and no fresh water aquatic
lives are expected.
• The pH of the Bagmati river is within the range of 6.5 to 8.3 .
This indicates that river water is not critical for other uses suchas irrigation.
• Urgent need to regular monitoring fresh water bodies.
• Urgent need to initiate impact of climate change on water
quality of rivers.
• Enforcement of laws and regulation is needed.
• Need to established national level computerised data andinformation centre on water resources and environment.

Thank you.