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Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

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Project • CRYS2017-01MY-Panthi

Rainwater harvesting for mitigating drought in western Nepal

Water is one of the most pressing issues the world is facing today and there are two aspects of water: deficit and deluge, which can both affect the ecosystem and livelihood in negative ways. This project is proposed for Karnali river basin in western Nepal, which is the most vulnerable basin in Nepal to climate change and variability. It has the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) and high water poverty and is deprived due to geographical terrain and climatic extremes. The region is facing drought particularly in winter and spring but receives abundant water during monsoon season. This project aims to identify the potential water harvesting sites for household, industrial and agricultural uses in the basin using advanced technologies of Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing. It promotes the rainwater techniques making local people capable by providing techno-commercial information of rainwater harvesting system with a mobile application. The goal is to synthesize the existing data into a comprehensive knowledge system and disseminate the final product using growing Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) connections. The outcome of the research will be a valuable asset to policy makers for prioritizing resource optimization and allocation for water management and climate change adaptation.