THE SMALL EARTH NEPAL

Background

Water is a crucial need of all life, ecosystems and human activity. Amongst the natural resources, water is the most critical. It can and should be used to promote the economic and social advancement of all peoples of the globe. Healthy ecosystems are sustained by good water quality, which leads to human well-being. Water resources management issues must be addressed at the local, national and at appropriate regional and international levels. All stakeholders, including those in government, international organizations, the private sector, civil society and academia, should be engaged, paying special attention to the livelihoods of the poor and most vulnerable people. Water management choices must also be consistent with other government policies and vice-versa. All the while, social, political and economic decisions must be made in a way that seeks to balance and fairly distribute the allocation of natural resources while keeping in mind the biophysical limits of the environment.

The national and local level initiatives which encourage the water policy, water resources management and scientific communities to work together are essential for sustainable water resources management. Virtually, every socio-economic sectors and human activities are influenced by weather, climate and water. Actions are needed from all communities to respond to risks associated with water quality, water scarcity and water induced disasters.

World Water Day (WWD) is celebrated on 22^nd March every year, as the day to mark the importance of freshwater and advocating for sustainable management of freshwater resources. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992 recommended celebrating the day as an international day for freshwater and 22 March 1993 was designated as the first World Water Day. Each year WWD emphasizes a specific aspect of freshwater. On 22 March 2016 World Water Day was celebrated under the theme “Water and Job“. As water plays vital role in different kinds of entrepreneurship such as agriculture, tourism, energy. This year, World Water Day advocated the importance of water in sustainable livelihood.

It is obvious that water has been a key factor in many entrepreneurial activities like agriculture, energy generation, transportation and tourism. In Nepal, where the source of water is ample, people have been utilizing this natural resource in many different ways and from the time unknown. Water Mills, Hydropower, river water irrigation, rafts and boats as means of transportation are common practices in Nepal. These days with the exponential growth of tourism in Nepal, the water sports such as rafting, canoeing have been growing as part of adventure tourism.

In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation (Resolution A/RES/65/154). In reflection of this declaration, the 2013 World Water Day, which will take place on 22 March 2013, also will be dedicated to water cooperation. Therefore, UN-Water has called upon UNESCO to lead the 2013 United Nations International Year on Water Cooperation, in particular because of the organization’s unique multidisciplinary approach which blends the natural and social sciences, education, culture and communication. Given the intrinsic nature of water as a transversal and universal element, the United Nations International Year on Water Cooperation naturally would embrace and touch upon all these aspects.

Each year, on 23 March, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the worldwide meteorological community celebrate World Meteorological Day (WMD) around a chosen theme. This day commemorates the entry into force, on that date in 1950, of the WMO Convention creating the organization. Subsequently, in 1951, WMO was designated a specialized agency of the United Nations System. The theme as designated by WMO for this year was “Hotter, Drier and Wetter, Face the Future”.

To commemorate these two days in Nepal, different organizations including governmental agencies have been organizing a week long programs since 2008 under an umbrella network of Nepal National Water Week with the chairmanship of Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), Government of Nepal. With this context, a week long program from 17 to 23 March 2016 under the title “Nepal National Water and Weather Week – 2016 (NNWWW-2016)” was carried out to celebrate these global important days in Nepal.

Activities

Activities before Water and Weather Week

1. Activities on Water and Weather Week

1. Post Water Week