Traditional Water Resource Use and Adaptation Efforts in Nepal <Article>

Rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization and the drying up of traditional water resources have caused water scarcity in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. The impact of climate change has further exacerbated the increasing problem of water scarcity. Traditional water resources such as stone spouts and wells play an important role in meeting the increasing water demand in the Kathmandu Valley. This paper examines water use and conservation efforts of traditional water resources, especially stone spouts, which have been practiced over many centuries in the Kathmandu Valley. This study used qualitative inquiry to inductively generate data from fieldwork through interviews with stakeholders and the observation of 64 stone spouts in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur districts. The study reveals that there is not adequate attention given by the state and non-state authorities to the conservation of traditional water resources, despite their high potential to contribute to climate change adaptation practices, and suggests ways of allocating resources to implement conservation activities; more specifically, the implementation of the Declaration of the National Convention on Stone Spouts of 2007. Local conservation efforts are useful climate change adaptation practices that can be used to improve water management.