The project aims to support inclusive and resilient rural livelihoods in the mid-hills of Nepal through improved spring-water management. It intends to achieve this by piloting socio-technical solutions, participatory learning, generating transdisciplinary knowledge, exploring governance options, building stakeholder capacity, and mainstreaming springshed management into public policy and development planning.
Spring water is crucial for diverse users and is used extensively in the mid-hills of Nepal, supporting local communities, agriculture, livestock, municipalities and businesses. It is the veins through which life flows, binding families, feeding crops, nourishing livestock, sustaining cities and supporting the delicate ecosystems the mountain communities depend on. For many, springs are more than just water sources; they hold deep cultural significance.
In recent years, rapidly declining spring water resources have raised severe developmental concerns. This situation has particularly affected rural communities, especially women, who are primarily responsible for collecting household water. If timely efforts to improve spring-water management are not implemented, many people may leave the mid-hills, jeopardising the agriculture-based social fabric and destabilising communities.
There is a significant opportunity for developmental research and capacity building focused on the complex interplay between spring water, climate change, hydrogeology, governance, drinking water supply, agriculture and community livelihoods.
With enhanced capacity and an inclusive approach, local governments will be better equipped to address the water management challenges in the Nepali mid-hills and support rural development. The project will also build local-to-national policy linkages through active processes of policy learning, community empowerment and evidence-informed recommendations.
