Plenty of water, not enough strategy: How inadequate accessibility, poor governance and a volatile government can tip the balance against ensuring water security: The case of Nepal

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2013.07.004

Environmental Science & Policy

Volume 33, November 2013, Pages 388-394

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2013.07.004 Get rights and content

Highlights

•
Resource reliability, accessibility and governance are essential for water security.
•
Water is an abundant natural asset in Nepal but distributions are heterogeneous.
•
Poor governance and inequitable access hinders human water security in Nepal.
•
IWRM and/or WEF nexus frameworks need increased promotion in Nepal.
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Improving cross-institutional strategy is essential for sustainable water practice.

Abstract

Water security is arguably the single most important factor regarding the future sustainability of our planet. Without water we have no life, and with depleting freshwater resources conflict can easily ensue. The intersection between hydrology and politics requires a delicate balancing from decision-makers to ensure policy is well-informed and science is well communicated. In this paper, we discuss water issues currently faced by Nepal, a nation where freshwater resources are abundant yet political pressures are threatening future water security. We argue that despite adequate water supplies a nation may still experience severe water insecurity, particularly if effective governance and equitable access are not prioritised. We explore potential policy options necessary to achieve a holistic framework for water resources management, which we suggest, need to consider water resource reliability, accessibility and governance as fundamental pillars for ensuring water security.

Section snippets

The role of water

Water insecurity is a paramount threat to the future sustainability of global populations. Water availability (the nature of the hydrology), the socioeconomic environment (water infrastructure, institutions, risk and resilience) and future change (climatic variability, adaptation and sustainability) are outlined by Grey and Sadoff (2007) as fundamental factors which determine water security. Water security can be defined as ensuring adequate access, safety and affordability of water to meet

The Nepal context

Nepal lies landlocked between the emerging economic giants of China and India and is currently undergoing recurrent political upheaval. Nepal is a constitutionally stagnant nation lacking a permanent government¹. Dissolution of the constitutional assembly occurred in May 2012 following the climax of a four-year disagreement over fair representation of

Water as an asset

Water is an irreplaceable and non-substitutable natural resource (Borgardi et al., 2011). Some view the failure to harness natural capital as the single-most important missed opportunity in economic development (Collier, 2010). Natural assets have always played a significant role in the achievement of water security, yet full environmental value commonly needs increased appreciation and integration into water resources management (Grey and Sadoff, 2007). Natural capital can be exploited through

Is there enough water?

Scientific consensus suggests that climate change is playing a pivotal role in diminishing the capacity of rural communities to adapt to environmental change across the Himalayan region (Xu et al., 2009), with particular impact upon rural livelihoods across Nepal (Gentle and Maraseni, 2012, Biggs and Watmough, 2012). Regional climate analyses indicate remarkable increases in temperature (Shrestha and Devkota, 2010, IPCC, 2007), a convergence towards more erratic and unpredictable precipitation

Equitable access

Water quantity, quality and accessibility all underpin the capability to meet future water security requirements in Nepal. Access to clean water is a basic human right and is one of the key millennium development goal (MDG) targets for poverty alleviation (Scanlon et al., 2004). Poverty and “difficult” hydrology (i.e. lowlands prone to flooding; high interannual climate variability) often go hand-in-hand (Grey and Sadoff, 2007). Nepal's intricate hydrology arises from substantive seasonal

Effective governance

Water governance in Nepal has historically been ineffective as policy frameworks are fragmented and incoherent. Excessive government controls and regulations over the private sector during the latter part of the 20th century have led to an over-reliance on foreign aid, with government legislation lacking the uniformity to establish a coherent development procedure and consistent water resources policy (Petheram, 2010). Human water security is an inherently political issue (Borgardi et al., 2011

The route to water security

The United Nations post-2015 agenda calls for eradication of extreme poverty through recognising the values of social and economic inclusion, effective governance, human security and environmental sustainability (United Nations, 2012). Where water is plentiful, there is clear potential to harness this natural capital to strategically deliver the poverty alleviation agenda (Collier, 2010, Santini et al., 2012). However, to achieve success, equal consideration needs to be given to equitable

Concluding remarks

As this brief insight suggests, there is plenty of water in Nepal, but not enough strategy to promote sustainable water practice. Lautze and Manthrithilake's (2012) classification of overall water security in Nepal as ‘good’ may be reflective of current water availability, but given the debate we present, much progress is required from a human perspective to utilise water effectively to meet basic needs, secure food production, manage risk and promote independence. The continual disruption to

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thanks Dr Gareth Roberts and Dr Emma Tompkins for their comments on early drafts of this paper. Gratitude also goes to an anonymous reviewer who provided excellent insight into our discussion points which immeasurably improved communication of key messages within this short communication.

Dr Eloise Biggs is a Lecturer in GIS at the University of Southampton. Her research interests mainly encompass the spatial and temporal analysis of environmental data, predominantly within the field of hydroclimatology. Her research is currently focussing on the adaptation and sustainability of rural communities to climate-induced environmental change, particularly in relation to water vulnerability and (in)security.

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Mr John Duncan is nearing completion of PhD research at the University of Southampton which is investigating the vulnerability of agricultural production systems to climate changes and variability in the Indo-Gangetic Plains. His research methods have been transferred to ongoing climate change research in Nepal.

Prof Peter Atkinson is a Professor of Geography at the University of Southampton. His research focuses on the application of spatial statistical, geostatistical and spatial process modelling approaches to environmental problems and hazards; in particular, spatial epidemiology, modelling hydrological processes and spatial downscaling of remote sensing imagery.

Dr Jadu Dash is a Senior Lecturer in Remote Sensing at the University of Southampton. He has a strong research background in pure and applied remote sensing, particularly in algorithm development and validation of biophysical products from Earth Observation data, spatiotemporal analysis of Earth Observation data to understand the state of the world's ecosystems and to study the impact of climate change on the ecosystem.

View full text

Short communicationPlenty of water, not enough strategy: How inadequate accessibility, poor governance and a volatile government can tip the balance against ensuring water security: The case of Nepal

Highlights

Abstract

Section snippets

The role of water

The Nepal context

Water as an asset

Is there enough water?

Equitable access

Effective governance

The route to water security

Concluding remarks

Acknowledgements

Global Environmental Change

Applied Geography

Applied Geography

Environmental Science and Policy

Water for All: The Water Policy of the Asian Development Bank

Development and Climate Change in Nepal: Focus on Water Resources and Hydropower

The south asian summer monsoon and its relationship with ENSO in the IPCC AR4 simulations

Journal of Climate

Impact of transient groundwater storage on the discharge of Himalayan rivers

Nature Geoscience

Spatial patterns of precipitation and topography in the Himalaya

Tectonics, climate and landscape evolution

Retreat of Himalayan glaciers: indicator of climate change

Nature and Science

Climate change impacts and adaptation in Nepal

IWMI Working Paper 139

Water policy, climate change and adaptation in South Asia

International Journal of Environmental Studies

China, India, and the environment

Science

A community-level assessment of factors affecting livelihoods in Nawalparasi District, Nepal

Journal of International Development

Water security for a planet under pressure: interconnected challenges of a changing world call for sustainable solutions

Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability

Out of Water; from Abundance to Scarcity and how to Solve the World's Water Problems

Impacts of climate change on water resources of Nepal: the physical and socioeconomic dimensions.

Doctoral Thesis

The Plundered Planet

Synthesis report

Historical eye view

Nepal Disasters Report 2009: The Hazardscape and Vulnerability

Water management and ecosystems: living with change

Global Water Partnership Technical Committee (TEC) Background Papers No. 9

Sink or swim? Water security for growth and development

Water Policy

Streamflow trends in Nepal

Hydrological Sciences Journal

Integrated water resources management

Technical Advisory Committee No. 4

Poverty reduction and IWRM

TEC Background Paper No. 8

Short communication
Plenty of water, not enough strategy: How inadequate accessibility, poor governance and a volatile government can tip the balance against ensuring water security: The case of Nepal