National Workshop on Climate-Resilient WASH Initiatives

Kathmandu: A workshop titled “Efforts and Future Steps for Implementing Climate-Resilient Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) at the Local Level” has been successfully concluded. The workshop was jointly organized by the National Drinking Water and Sanitation Research, Innovation and Capacity Development Centre and WaterAid Nepal.

At the program, the Chief Guest and Member of Parliament, Bodh Narayan Shrestha, expressed his commitment to strongly raise issues related to water supply, sanitation, and hygiene in Parliament. He stated that, having worked extensively in this sector, he is well acquainted with WASH-related issues and will actively advocate for them in Parliament alongside other national concerns.

During the event, Chief Divisional Engineer Yogendra Chitrakar from the Ministry of Water Supply delivered a presentation on Nepal’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP 2021) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). He stated that long-term strategic plans have been developed to address climate risks and enhance adaptive capacity. Under mitigation targets, Nepal aims to treat 510 million liters of wastewater daily and manage 370,000 cubic meters of fecal sludge annually by 2035. Under adaptation targets, it is planned that 50 percent of the population will have access to climate-resilient and safe WASH services by 2035.

Similarly, Joint Secretary Ramakanta Duwadi from the Ministry of Water Supply emphasized that future infrastructures must be designed to minimize climate-related risks. He noted that past infrastructures suffered damage due to either lack of risk assessment or inadequate analysis during design. “If we can incorporate even 5 to 10 percent consideration of climate resilience in planning and design, we can safeguard investments worth billions,” he stated, stressing the importance of climate-resilient design.

WaterAid Nepal Manager Ananda Gautam shared experiences from Godawari, highlighting successful reconstruction of water supply infrastructure through financial mechanisms, insurance systems, and the merging of user committees.

Likewise, Executive Director Er. Ram Kumar Shrestha of the National Drinking Water, Sanitation Research, Innovation and Capacity Development Centre emphasized the need for structural, institutional, and policy reforms. He stressed the importance of developing climate-resilient infrastructure and the need to formulate a checklist to guide such construction.

Mayor Gajendra Maharjan of Godawari Municipality highlighted the lengthy procedures required by the Government of Nepal during project planning, which delays timely delivery of drinking water services to communities in need. He also noted that collaboration with international non-governmental organizations has helped facilitate faster, more efficient, and simplified implementation.

WaterAid Nepal Country Director Surdarsan Neupane shared that WaterAid has been actively working in the WASH sector. He pointed out that both excessive and insufficient water availability pose challenges, and without adequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene cannot be ensured. He emphasized that these issues are closely linked to climate change and that appropriate measures must be adopted to stay resilient against climate-induced disasters.

At the program, UNICEF Nepal WASH Specialist Arinita Maskey presented on climate-resilient WASH initiatives in Nepal, while Dr. Rajit Ojha, Senior Divisional Engineer from the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Management, shared experiences from Training of Trainers (ToT) programs on climate-adaptive WASH.

The program was attended by chiefs and representatives from the Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board, Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Limited, Nepal Water Supply Corporation, as well as representatives from Godawari Municipality, Dakshinkali Municipality, and Bagmati Rural Municipality.

Credit