Water springs are essential for the survival of the mountain ecosystem. Most people especially in rural and marginalized communities in Nepal, Bhutan, and the mountainous states of India rely on springs for their drinking and domestic water supplies. It is estimated that over 60% of the residents living in the region depend upon spring water. Springwater is not just important for the communities in the Himalayan Region but is equally important for maintaining the water supply schemes of several towns and cities. The proposed project aims to enhance the water availability in the rural areas of Nepal, Bhutan and India through the restoration and revival of springs. The project also increases the capacities of local institutions and community members to participate in planning, sustainable management, protection and restoration of water springs.
Project Summary
Springs are fundamental for survival of the mountain ecosystem. Most people especially in rural and marginalized communities in Nepal, Bhutan and the mountainous states of India rely on springs for their drinking and domestic water supplies. It is estimated that over 60% of the residents living in the region depend upon spring water. Spring water is not just important for the communities in the Himalayan Region but is equally important for maintaining the water supply schemes of several towns and cities.
The proposed project aims to enhance the water availability in the rural areas of Nepal, Bhutan and India through the restoration and revival of springs. The project will be implemented during a period of three years.
Project Background
Freshwater plays a central and critical role in all aspects of life, serving as the fundamental link between the climate system, human society and the environment. Springs are an important source of freshwater in the Himalayan Region. Springs are fundamental for survival of the mountain ecosystem. Most people, especially in rural and marginalized communities in Nepal, Bhutan and the mountainous states of India, rely on springs for their drinking and domestic water supplies. It is estimated that over 60% of the residents living in the region depend upon spring water. Spring water is not just important for the communities in the Himalayan Region but is equally important for maintaining the water supply schemes of several towns and cities. Himalayan springs help in sustaining base flows of many rivers and streams that support the irrigation, navigation, hydropower generation and cultural services in the downstream cities and towns.
However, over the last decade it has been realized that climate change poses a serious threat to the hydrological cycle in an area and consequently, natural springs in the Himalayan Region are drying. Research indicates that several springs have dried up completely or their discharge has reduced considerably over the last few years. The drying of springs has been attributed to a range of factors such as ecological degradation, overpopulation, misuse of modern technology for over-pumping, seismicity, conventional approach to building roads and other infrastructure etc. Climate change has further exacerbated these negative impacts and as a result the springs are drying at a much faster rate. Drying of springs has led to widespread water insecurity in several mountainous regions.
Water Stress in Nepal: According to the International Water Association report, several water resources are severely stressed and particularly scarce in the middle mountain region of Nepal. The report suggests that acute water shortage has impacted the livelihoods of many people and pushed them to extreme poverty. Several villages in Nepal face water scarcity as a result of drying springs in the upper catchment and water availability has been worsening with increasing variability and uncertainty in seasonal and annual precipitation. The earthquake of 2015 also disrupted the groundwater water table in the central Nepal Himalayas.
Water Stress in India (Uttarakhand): NITI Aayog report (2018), suggests that approximately 50 per cent of the mountain springs in India’s Himalayan region, which also includes state of Uttarakhand, are drying up. 90% of Uttarakhand’s rural population depends on these springs for water. It has been estimated that less than 50% of the population in Uttarakhand has access to safe drinking water. Climate change, deforestation and urbanization threaten the existence of Himalayan springs.
Water Stress in Bhutan: Even though Bhutan has abundant water resources, several regions in Bhutan face acute water shortage during the summer months. Shortages have been reported in the eastern areas including Trashiyangtse, Trashigang and Trongsa, as well in the southern districts of Gelephu, Dagana and Samtse, said district officials. A 2014 inventory of rural households carried out by the health ministry found that 13,732 rural households across the country faced drinking water problems (17% of the total number of households).
Project Description
The proposed project aims to enhance the water availability in the rural areas of Nepal, Bhutan and India through the restoration and revival of springs. The project will be implemented during a period of three years.
- Objective 1. Compile and develop a detailed database on springs in the three project sites and site specific spring management plans for the proposed project sites.
- Objective 2. Develop capacities of local institutions and community members to participate in planning, sustainable management, protection and restoration of springs.
Project Activities
Objective 1. Compile and develop a detailed database on springs in the three project sites and site specific spring management plans for the proposed project sites.
Developing Site Profiles: Our teams in the three project sites shall be creating site profiles (village wise) by using secondary data to provide a general background information of the project area. As the project pertains to water source rejuvenation, we shall be collecting information pertaining to the demography, socio-economic conditions, water supply schemes and land use. All the information collected during the situation analysis will be compiled in the form of site profiles, to provide an overview of the project sites. The site profiles will have the following information:
Situation Analysis: Mapping and situation analysis will help us in getting a better understanding of the status of water availability in the project sites. Data collected during the mapping exercise will help in identification of major issues/constraints and opportunities associated with water availability and spring recharge in the project area. This preliminary assessment would be done through stakeholder meetings, cognitive mapping, resource mapping, collecting historical climate data, present day climate variability data, and vulnerability tools etc. We shall be using a combination of both secondary and primary review to develop the situation analysis report of the project sites.
Secondary Research: Our research team shall undertake a detailed review of the status of water availability, schemes and programs being implemented by various organizations, impact of climate change on springs etc. All this information shall be collected through secondary research which means research papers, government documents and records and policy documents will be reviewed to get the desired information.
Primary Research: Post collection of the secondary data, our teams will be collecting the water usage details of all the households using water from the springs. The data collected shall help in understanding the water needs of the beneficiary households and estimating the water. Our project team shall also undertake primary research where they will be conducting interviews, FGDs and questionnaire surveys with identified stakeholders in the project site.
Spring Mapping: A detailed mapping activity of the spring catchment will be carried out by our team and geological features of the spring will be recorded and marked using GPS devices. Spring discharge will be recorded at various points. We shall be using geological compass to measure orientation of geological structures, to analyses (and document) the geometry of bedding planes, joints, and/or metamorphic foliations and lineation. Rocks will be sampled using geological hammers and close identification. The collected data will be put into the GIS software and maps will be generated according to the data points.
Preparation of Base-maps: After the field surveys, the collected data will be digitized and analyzed to understand the hydrogeology of the spring. The points from the field survey will be plotted in GIS software and using the geological data and field observation the rock beds will be extrapolated to map the extent of the spring shed. Depending on the hydro geology of the spring shed, we shall be developing base maps. We shall also analyze the data to understand the geology and to plot the probable zones best suitable for recharge. We shall prepare cross sectional maps to represent the springs.
Detailed survey of the recharge zone: Once we have identified the source of the spring and also the recharge zone, we shall be conducting detailed surveys to propose appropriate recharge structures that will help in the spring revival.
Prepare the Springshed Restoration Plan– Based on the water map and geo-hydrological maps a Spring Restoration Plan showing the spring, aquifer, recharge area and will be developed. The plan will provide details of the various restoration activities that will be carried out to revive the respective springs in the project site. The springshed restoration plans will also provide a tentative budget for undertaking the various activities along with the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders. Depending on the hydrogeology of the spring recharge area we shall be suggesting the most appropriate structures to enhance water recharge, this will include constructing, rain water harvesting structures, contour-bonding, or building of check dams or levees structures will be and spring restoration plan will be developed. The plan will give the following:
- Hydrogeological inventory of the springshed
- Governance and institutional mechanisms
- Interventions to improve recharge – restoration works, making trenches, dug-ponds, feeder channels, trapping water in aqueducts, plantation of trees etc.
- Location of the interventions
- Management and operational guidelines for using water from springs
- Budget
Objective 2: Develop capacities of local institutions and community members to participate in planning, sustainable management, protection and restoration of springs.
Mass Awareness Campaign: After the springshed restoration plan is prepared, we shall undertake a mass awareness campaign to make the communities aware about ways to conserve water and also on ways to restore their springs. Through the use of Audio- Visual material our community coordinators shall sensitize local communities on the importance of springs and water conservation. Short movies on spring revival shall also be shown in schools and community meetings to make the communities familiar with various restoration measures and techniques.
Community Sensitization: We shall be sharing the restoration plans with the communities and will also show them the cross sectional and geological map of the springs. We shall explain how the geology influences their source and how the recharge measures will enhance water in the springs.
Formation of a Community Spring Management Group: A local institution in the form of a Community Spring Management Group will be institutionalised at the village level. The institution will have representatives of all the stakeholder groups. The main purpose and objective of this Community Spring Management Group will be to ensure that the springshed recharge zones are healthy and the recharge structures are properly maintained. The Community Spring Management Group will be formed through the following activities:
- Community meetings: Through a series of community meetings we will be institutionalizing an institution/or strengthen existing local institutions.
- Selection of office bearers: Our team will help in selection of office bearers to carry out the activities of the water management group smoothly. We shall ensure that women representatives are amongst the office bearers.
- Finalizing roles of office bearers: Roles and responsibilities of the office bearers and all the members will be discussed and finalized in meetings.
Training of community members for spring restoration: These community institutions and community members will be trained on various aspects of springshed management. The project will help build capacity of the local communities in geo-hydrological mapping of springs and restoration of springs. This will include basic training on the following aspects:
- Hydrogeological concepts
- Local geology and understand the properties of rocks and how they influenced groundwater movement
- Understanding of the types of springs in their localities
- Spring revival measures
- Monitoring of spring discharge
Spring Restoration: We shall restore the identified springs in the project sites in collaboration with the Community Spring Management Group and the local government officials. This will include the following:
- Digging Trenches
- Contours
- Ponds
- Rainwater harvesting structures
- Plantation
Monitoring: Once the spring area is treated, it will be important to monitor the spring discharges for at-least one monsoon cycle to assess the impact. The Community Spring Management Group will monitor the discharge from the spring and update the same in their records.
Project Outcomes
- Detailed situation report on springs in the region compiled.
- Springshed restoration plans developed for all the project sites.
- Awareness on spring restoration and road safety amongst the local communities improved.
- Community Spring Management Groups formed in all the villages.
- Community members trained on aspects of spring restoration and revival.
- Discharge from the project springs increased.
