The document discusses climate change impacts and community adaptation in the Jhiku Khola Watershed in Nepal. It finds that temperatures are increasing and precipitation is decreasing and more variable. The community has implemented several adaptation strategies, including [1] increasing rain water harvesting through household tanks and community ponds, [2] increasing extraction of water from river beds and tube wells as groundwater levels drop, and [3] shifting cropping patterns and abandoning agricultural land due to drought. However, many of these strategies are unsustainable without improving groundwater recharge. Poorer families also face difficulties adapting without resources to invest in new water access technologies.
1. Climate Change Impacts on Water
Resources and Community
Adaptation: A Case of Jhiku Khola
Watershed in Nepal
Narendra Raj Khanal
Prem Sagar Chapagain
Central Department of Geography, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu,
Nepal
2. Structure of presentation
• Study area
• Observed climate change trends
• Adaptation strategies for increasing drought
•Rain water harvesting – tank at household and
pond at community level
•Increasing use of tube wells – drinking, sanitation
and irrigation
•Extraction of water from river bed - irrigation
• Adaptation issues and sustainability
12. y = -17.907x + 37001
R² = 0.1955
y = 2.4345x - 4859.1
R² = 0.7317
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
0.0
200.0
400.0
600.0
800.0
1000.0
1200.0
1400.0
1600.0
1800.0
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
Precipitation
No of wells
Linear (Precipitation)
Linear (No of wells)
Strategies: Increase in the number of wells as the rains decline and fluctuates high
13. -4.5
-4
-3.5
-3
-2.5
-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
June August October December February April
Average depth of water level by
season
-12.00
-10.00
-8.00
-6.00
-4.00
-2.00
0.00
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53
Recorded water level by month
June August October December February April
-12.00
-10.00
-8.00
-6.00
-4.00
-2.00
0.00
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53
Recorded minimum and maximum water level
Minimum Maximum
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55
Fluctuation in water level
Difference Average
Water level in 37% tube
wells is less than the
average water level
14. Decreasing
Water Level
11% Detoriation in
Water Quality
11%
Dried Out
Within 5 Years
3%
Dried Out
Within 5-10
years
1%
No Change
73%
Under
Construction
1%
Condition of tube wells
21. Adaptation Measures: Change in Land
Use
• Abandonment of agricultural land
• Change in cropping patter ( maize)
22. Current cropping pattern and monthly rainfall
Type
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Push/Magh Magh/Phagun Phagun/Charitra Chaitra/Baisakha Baisakh/Jestha Jestha/Asar Asar/Shrawan Shrawan/Vadra Vadra/Aswin Aswin/Kartic Kartic/Mangsir Mangsir/Push
Khet1
Khet2
Khet3
Bari1
Bari2
Potato
Potato
Tomato/ cauliflower
Wheat
Tomato/ bean
Rice
Cauliflower
Tomato
Bean
Potato
Rice
Maze
Lady finger
Maize
Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Rainfall 12.1 21.9 1.2 75.8 25.3 90.5 321.4 321.3 215.9 5.7 19.4 0
0
30
60
90
120
150
180
210
240
270
300
330
360
Rainfallinmm
DroughtDrought Wet
23. Adaptation Issues and Sustainability
• Inter-basin transfer of water (Rosi, Indrawati, Sunkoshi) is very costly
• Drying out of many tube wells (30%) and deepening of ponds along
river bed indicates unsustainability unless efforts to increase recharge
of ground water is carried out
• Poor families who could not invest in digging wells ( lack of
appropriate site, low family income) are unable to adapt those
measures and they are more vulnerable
• Strategies to improve recharge of soil and ground water from natural
sources have yet to be developed and implemented