Analysis of Water Productivity in Indrawati Basin, Nepal

Bhawani S. Dongol, Ugan Manandhar and Binod Shakya

14 January 2015

Water Productivity

• Water productivity broadly denotes the outputs (goods and services) derived from a unit volume of water. The ratio of the net production of crop, forestry, fishery, livestock,

and mixed agricultural systems to the amount of water required to produce those items.

• Nepal is rich in water resources but it is a food-

deficit country

• Water management is a key to water productivity and it helps improve livelihood, economy and development

Water Productivity-contd.

Luxemburg has highest water productivity in the world. Its WP has increased from 147 in 1987 to 429 in 2009.

Country WP km/m3 (Year 2009)

Bangladesh 2.2

Bhutan 2.6

India 1.2

Maldives 196.9

Nepal 0.8

Pakistan 0.6

Sri Lanka 1.9

Source: World Bank (2010)

WP, South Asia

Study Area: Indrawati basin

• Located in central region of Nepal

• between latitudes 270 37’ 11” to 280 10’ 12" North and longitudes 85o 45’ 21” to 85o 26’ 36” East.

• Area: 1240 Sq. Km

• Economic activity in the basin is largely limited to subsistence-based and commercial agriculture

• Food security is a major concern

Methods

• Data collection: - field/primary data: questionnaire, random sampling and stakeholders meeting - secondary data: demography, statistics, agriculture, hydro-met • Water productivity calculation:

- Agricultural water productivity - Livestock water productivity - Energy productivity

• Analysis and interpretation

Water productivity Analysis

Agriculture Water Productivity For the basin area, physical water productivity (Kg/m3) was calculated using the formula, WP= Output/Q WP is the water productivity (Kg/m3), Output is the crop yield (Tons), and Q is water supplied or consumed (m3) Water productivity (WP) of VDC=Total annual land production in VDC/effective rainfall

Water productivity Analysis-contd.

Livestock Water Productivity This was calculated with reference to field and socioeconomic data. WP= Total milk produced /q WP= Total meat produced /q WP= Total egg produced /q Where, q is water consumed by livestock Energy Productivity Energy productivity was calculated directly as energy production and water discharge in m3/s WPe= energy produced /q1 Where, q1 is water discharge

Results and discussion

• The water productivity of the Indrawati basin was found to be 1.4 Kg/m3 which is higher than the national average 0.8 Kg/m3 but still considered very low.

• VDC level water productivity in the Indrawati basin ranged from a minimum of 0.3 Kg/m3 in Thakani VDC to a maximum of 5.6 Kg/m3 in Anaikot VDC.

Results and discussion

• The annual rainfall in Indrawati basin varies from about 1100 mm in the lower part to over 2500 mm in the upper part.

• Total water use in the basin is 391 mm showing that the water productivity in the basin is very low and there is good potential for more efficient use of water for the better livelihoods of the local people and sustainable development.

• People are experiencing more erratic and lower rainfall in the basin and upstream water sources are drying out. This may be further aggravated in future due to climate change. Measures such as water harvesting, recharging of the water sources, restoration of degraded areas /forests are urgently needed.

Results and discussion-contd.

• Low water consuming agro-technology should be promoted. There are good

opportunities for vegetable farming including agro products with market linkages given the basin’s proximity to the capital city Kathmandu; this could significantly improve the livelihood of local communities.

• Efforts by the local people alone are not enough to increase their productivity. The government and other relevant agencies should be aware and support them to take actions to increase the productivity.

• Capacity of the local communities should be enhanced on sustainable practices for the management of water and related natural resources.

Acknowledgement

This study is a part of the Indrawati Sub Basin project under the Koshi River Basin Management Program, implemented by WWF Nepal in partnership with Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), the government of Nepal. This particular study was jointly conducted by WWF Nepal and Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management (DSCWM). The project is supported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Government of Finland through WWF Finland.

Thank you