THE SMALL EARTH NEPAL

13-20 November 2016, Kathmandu, Nepal

Due to the increase of urbanization, groundwater resources have been depleted at a faster rate globally and the rate of depletion is greatest in the major cities of South Asia. Changing climate and altering hydrological regime have made surface-water availability irregular. The glaciers, which are the major source for surface water in the Himalayan region and beyond, are retreating rapidly. The rivers fed by mountain snowpack interact with groundwater in alluvial aquifers. The sustainability of economic growth is heavily dependent on the science that guides policy on water-resource management. Sustainable groundwater management requires a sound understanding of interaction between groundwater (GW) and surface water (SW). In collaboration with the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, The Small Earth Nepal is offering a short course on SW-GW interaction. Following the format of similar courses offered by the instructors in Denmark (Copenhagen University), Finland (University of Helsinki), and Japan (Kumamoto University), the objectives of the course are to explain the principles of SW-GW interaction and to present practical methods for measuring and monitoring hydrological processes.

Course summary

The course will cover the following topics: basic concepts and theory of groundwater flow, effects of topographical and geological setting on SW-GW interaction, hydrological processes in soils and hill slopes in the context of SW-GW interaction, analysis of base flow sustained by groundwater inputs, SW-GW exchange processes at water-sediment interfaces in rivers and lakes, field methods for measuring SW-GW interaction, watershed-scale exchange of groundwater and surface water, water balance of lakes and wetlands, implication of SW-GW interaction in water resources management, and SW-GW interaction in the context of climatic variability.

In conjunction with the course, an interaction with policy makers ‘science-policy dialogue’ and a field visit will be organized to observe examples of sustainable water resource management.

Team of experts

Dr. Masaki Hayashi, University of Calgary, Canada [http://www.ucalgary.ca/hayashi/]
Dr. Donald Rosenberry, United States Geological Survey, USA [https://profile.usgs.gov/rosenber]
Prof. Pradeep Majumdar, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
Prof. Narendra Man Shakya, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Nepal

The team will be complemented by few regional experts particularly for sharing the case studies from the South Asia region in the groundwater and surface water interactions.

Target group

The course is designed for graduate students currently enrolled in or recently graduated from relevant disciplines including hydrology, civil engineering, water resources engineering, environmental engineering, or environmental sciences. Students are expected to have undergraduate-level knowledge of groundwater hydrology. The course is also targeted to mid-career professionals from academia, public policy and research institutions from South Asia.

Registration and fees

Interested students or recent graduates may apply through the Link. If the application is accepted, you will be notified by September 1, 2016. Accepted applicants have to register by paying the registration fee as indicated below:

South Asian: USD 200, Professional from Nepal: NPR 15000, Students from Nepal: NPR 5000

There are a few scholarship opportunities for waiving the registration fee; please indicate in your registration form if you are applying for the scholarship. Those who do not need a scholarship will have a higher chance of selection.

Key dates

Application open: 15 July to 15 August 2016 Application deadline extended to 31 August 2016

Selection notification: 1 September 2016

Registration deadline (only for selected): 1 October 2016

Workshop (including policy dialogue and field visit): 13 November to 20 November 2016

For more information, please visit www.ucalgary.ca/~hayashi/kathmandu_2016 OR write to us at: info@smallearth.org.np