THE SMALL EARTH NEPAL

The Nepal National Water and Weather Week (NNWWW) 2024 concluded with a series of captivating events during 17th to 23rd March 2024. Every year, the week-long program aims to celebrate World Water Day (WWD) and World Meteorological Day (WMD) jointly in Nepal to raise awareness about sustainable water management, and foster discussions on water-related issues and climate action in Nepal. For 2024, the themes for WWD and WMD were “Leveraging water for peace” and “At the frontline of climate action” respectively.

NNWWW 2024 encompassed various program activities such as workshops, symposium and capacity-building. More than 26 organizations from the public and business sectors, academia, youth-led organizations, and government and non-governmental agencies participated in the NNWWW 2024.

On 17 March, NNWWW 2024 was officially inaugurated along with the Knowledge Forum organized by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Nepal with WaterAid Nepal, SNV Nepal and The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) at Hotel Himalaya, Lalitpur. The inauguration session was chaired by Mr. Kalanidhi Poudyal, Joint Secretary of WECS. Mr. Mahendra Bahadur Gurung, Advisor, The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) welcomed participants and highlighted the background of the NNWWW. Panel discussion “Ïnsights from the ground: issues and challenges of water resources management at the local level” where Deputy Mayors of Lahan and Godawari Municipalities, Acting Chairperson of Mahabu Municipality (Deilekh) and a Representative from Everest Club discussed the challenges and way forward of water management programs to make more effective in the coming days. Multi-Stakeholer Knowledge forum comprising technical sessions discussed and highlighted inclusive water management, governance, and water security in the face of climate change. It further highlighted the crucial role of youth and various organizations in such initiatives.

Flood Data Analysis training was organized on 17 and 18 March 2024 at Universal Engineering and Science College (UESC), Lalitpur by Society of Hydrologists and Meteorologists (SOHAM) and The Small Earth Nepal (SEN) which equipped 27 participants (early career professionals, professors, government officials, and students) with basic skills in flood data analysis. The program was supported by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Total Management Solutions (TMS), Universal Engineering and Science College (UESC) and International Center for Applied Sciences (ICAS). 

On 18 March a Groundwater Symposium was organized at Aloft, Kathmandu by Centre of Research for Environment, Energy and Water (CREEW), The Small Earth Nepal (SEN), and the Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board (KVSWMB) in association with 22 national and international organizations focused on exploring the ‘Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Development and Management of Groundwater’. The event showcased sessions on strengthening groundwater governance in Southeast Asia, navigating emerging socio-hydrologies in Nepal, innovative approaches to address groundwater challenges, and inclusive groundwater development in Nepal. 

A 2-day workshop ‘Strengthening Women’s Role in Water & Climate Solutions: QGIS and Geospatial Techniques’ 19-20 March was jointly organized at UESC, Lalitpur by SOHAM and SEN with support from UESC and ICAS. The workshop enhanced the capacity of  23 women early career professionals, government officials, and students with the knowledge of QGIS and practical skills in geospatial analysis techniques.

On March 20th, ICIMOD with the Australian Water Partnership launched three insightful reports titled ‘Elevating river basin management and cooperation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region a. Indus b. Ganges and c. Brahmaputra’. These reports emphasized the importance of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) to address the challenges and harness opportunities for economic growth, ecological preservation, and regional stability. 

Similarly, on 20 March, 81st Pani Satsang (Water Discourse series), “Nepal Dry Winter Dilemma: Navigating Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation Amidst Water Scarcity” was conducted by the Nepal Water Conservation Foundation (NWCF). The program focused on the critical issue of long-term drought impacts on Nepal’s food security and ecosystem. The program concluded with a plenary discussion addressing the need for greater focus on slow-onset disasters like droughts and the analysis of precipitation data for agricultural planning, with DHM affirming support for individual research efforts.

20 March also marked the 20th Transboundary Flood Early Warning Simulation at Parshuram Dham, Dadelhura alongside the Mahakali River. The event was a collaborative effort of Parshuram Municipality, Dadeldhura; Oxfam Nepal, and Rural Women’s Development and Unity Centre (RUWDUC). This event featured key guests from local municipalities and participation from Nepalese and Indian organizations. The objective of the event was to update the Nepal-India communication channel through simulation. The simulation was conducted to understand the gaps in communication to riverine communities due to language issues between Nepal and India. As a continuation of this program on 21 March, the Mahakali Basin Mayors’ conference was conducted which discussed water issues and addressing them at the local level.

On 21 March, the “National-Level Learning Sharing Workshop on Early Warning System” was organized by DHM at The Everest Hotel, Kathmandu in collaboration with the Institute of Himalayan Risk Reduction (IHRR) and support from USAID Tayar Nepal to enhance Nepal’s Early Warning Systems (EWS) for disaster resilience, emphasizing multi-hazard EWS and policy enforcement.  

On 21 March, a National Symposium on Cryosphere was jointly organized by Himalayan Cryosphere, Climate and Disaster Research Center (HiCCDRC), Kathmandu University, SEN, ICIMOD, Tribhuvan University’s Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (CDHM), Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), and Cryospheric Society of Nepal (CSN) at Hotel Heritage, Bhaktapur. This symposium marked a warmup celebration for International Year of Glacier Preservation (IYOGP) which will be celebrated on March 21 annually from 2025. This symposium served as a forum for exchange and discussions for cryosphere-related research and activities from the organizers and students from Masters and PhDs level.

On 22 March World Water Day (WWD) was celebrated at Hotel Radisson, Kathmandu, with over 100 participants, including the Honorable Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet (Chief Guest), Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, secretaries from relevant government agencies, and esteemed representatives from international and national non-governmental organizations. The program was chaired by Ms. Sarita Dawadi, Secretary, WECS, and facilitated by Dr. Kapil Gnawali, Senior Divisional Engineer, WECS. Dr. Gnawali welcomed the guests and participants, providing background of NNWWW, and its activities. The highlight of the day was the joint launch of the UN World Water Development Report (UNWWDR) by Dr. Dhiraj Pradhananga, (Associate Professor, TU, President SEN & Chairholder at UNESCO Mountain Water Sustainability) and Mr. Michael Croft (Head of Office and Representative to Nepal, UNESCO). Dr. Pradhananga emphasized that the report marked the commencement of the launch program in Nepal and would continue in the coming years. The day emphasized the criticality of water and underscored that effective management of water resources is key to achieving prosperity and peace in societies and communities at national and international levels.  

A rafting event was also organized on the occasion of WWD at Mahakali River, in partnership with Bhimdutta and Parshuram Municipalities of Dadeldhura, which served as a means for raising awareness and advocacy for transboundary water cooperation. A diverse group of attendees participated, including representatives from Nepalese and Indian rafting enterprises, local authorities and community members, officials from the Water Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), the Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA), and the civil society organizations (CSOs).

The NNWWW 2024 concluded on 23 March with an exposure visit, titled ‘Exploring Weather and Climate Dynamics: Insights from the Living Mountain Lab, ICIMOD’ at the Living Mountain Lab in Godawari, Lalitpur. The event was organized by SEN and ICIMOD. Sixteen Participants enhanced their knowledge of current issues related to climate and weather through group discussions, presentations, and observation of various innovations and sustainable technologies at Living Mountain Lab.