WLE South Asia (Ganges)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/34501
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Item Application of Eight-step Methodology for Reviving Springs and Improving Springshed Management in the Mid-hills of Nepal.(Report, 2017) Shrestha, R.; Desai, J.; Mukherji, A.; Dhakal, M.; Kulkarni, H.; Acharya, S.Springs are the main source of water for millions of people in the mid-hills of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). Both rural and urban communities depend on springs to meet their drinking, domestic and agricultural water needs. There is increasing evidence that springs are drying up, or their discharge is reducing throughout the HKH. As a result, communities are facing unprecedented water stress. The exact extent of this problem is not well known, given the dearth of scientific studies. Springs are an integral part of the groundwater system. However, the science of hydrogeology that governs the occurrence and movement of water in underground aquifers is not well understood in regions that depend upon springs. This often results in misconceptions regarding springs. This, in turn, creates misaligned policies that exacerbate the problem. Springs are also part of complex sociotechnical and informal governance systems with pronounced gender and equity dimensions, and these systems are not well understood. Again, such lack to understanding leads to inappropriate policies and interventions. Climate change and change in biophysical landscape (e.g. land-use and vegetation) are widely implicated in the drying of springs. But there is very little systematic knowledge to effectively link climate change, vegetation change and spring discharge, especially because of large data uncertainties. This is an urgent area for research and knowledge generation. Rapid socio-economic and demographic changes and infrastructure (dams, roads etc.) have also impacted springs. But again, the exact nature of change is difficult to understand due to a dearth of studies. This is another important knowledge gap that needs to be filled. The drying of springs, which comes with its own set of consequences, is a regional phenomenon that cuts across the HKH – from Afghanistan all the way to Myanmar. A few local and national organizations have started scientific studies and policy advocacy on springs, but more needs to done, especially given the extent of the problem and its regional and local dimensions. In this context, ICIMOD with support from CGIAR’s WLE Program, has initiated work on understanding the physical and governance issues related to springshed management and use this knowledge to influence policymaking in the region.Item Enhancing coordination in water management through communication tools: results from experimental games in Coastal Bangladesh(Journal Article, 2017) Mitra, A.; Buisson, Marie-Charlotte; Bastakoti, Ram C.Canal siltation is a pervasive problem in coastal Bangladesh causing water-logging and losses in crop yield. Although timely maintenance of canals through regular contributions from the community can solve this problem; it often breaks down because of the free riding issue, a common feature in the provision of public goods. Previous literature on experimental games has shown how different communication strategies can help to achieve coordination. We conducted experimental games with the aims to: (i) determine the effectiveness of these communication institutions in the specific problem of maintenance of canal; and (ii) compare the relative effectiveness of different communication mechanisms. Playing these games was also a part of a participatory action research approach with the idea that community members would have a clearer understanding of the incentives and constraints of contribution for canal maintenance. The basic insight from our study is that any institution that enables more information sharing about both the intended contribution and setting the group norm translates into better coordination among the users to increase the group income towards Pareto Optimum outcomes. The lessons from these games could potentially open up a forum of discussion and help the villagers in their future communications as a tool for understanding and testing different alternatives for community management of natural resources. The results are also of interest for development practitioners supporting community organizations for sustaining local public goods.Item Re-Linking Governance of Energy with Livelihoods and Irrigation in Uttarakhand, India(Journal Article, 2016) CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and EcosystemsItem Ganges Coastal Zone Platform Workshop Report(Report, 2017-02) International Rice Research InstituteA two-day meeting was held in Bangkok with the goal of establishing a platform for improved sharing, networking, complementarities and synergies across the many R4D projects on production systems (agriculture, aquaculture) and water management in the Ganges coastal zone. The focus of the workshop was the Bangladeshi coastal zone. The 36 participants included representatives of NARS, international R4D organization, donors and NGOs.Item Reviving Springs in the Mid-hills, and Promoting Solar Pumps in the Terai, Nepal(Report, 2017) CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and EcosystemsItem Reviving Springs: An eight step methodology(Poster, 2017-12) Mukherji, AditiSprings, also called dhara, mool, kuwa, naula, and chasma, are, the most important source of water for millions of people in the midhills of the Hindu Kush Himalayas. Spring water is used for drinking, irrigation, domestic, and religious purposes. They also perform important ecological functions, like supporting local vegetation and wildlife and maintaininng baseflow in rivers. The methodology integrates aspects of physical and social sciences, and is just as useful for researchers as it is for field practitioners. The step-wise approach is relatively easy to follow and each step generates scientific information while also allowing project implementers to invest in infrastructure that will help revive springs.Item Sustainable financial solutions for the adoption of solar powered irrigation pumps in Nepal’s terai(Other, 2017) Mukherji, Aditi; Chowdhury, Devjit Roy; Fishman, Ram; Lamichhane, Nabina; Khadgi, Vijay; Bajracharya, SugatSolar powered irrigation pumps (SPIPs) are a proven technology, and can potentially be a game changer in Nepal’s irrigation sector by providing clean irrigation to millions of farmers. However, the relatively high capital cost of SPIPs is the main impediment that prevents large scale adoption of SPIPs. Given this, can we design appropriate financial solutions that will help in the large scale adoption of this clean and efficient technology? We ran a randomized experiment in order to estimate demand for SPIPs under three financial models – ‘grant’; ‘grant-loan’ and ‘grant-pay as you go’ in Saptari district of Nepal. We provided an additional 10% discount to women applicants, provided they owned the land on which SPIPs were to be installed. These models were based on policies of Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), and similar schemes available in India and Bangladesh. Village Development Committees (VDCs) were randomly divided into three groups and one financial option was provided to each group of VDCs. This randomized control trial (RCT) helped estimate absolute demand for each of the models. We ran 45-days promotional campaigns to solicit demand from farmers. The main findings from our experiment were:Item Working to improve the food security, nutrition and livelihoods of farmers in the Ganges River basin in Nepal, India and Bangladesh to achieve sustainable intensification.(Book, 2015) CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and EcosystemsItem Toward a healthy Ganga: project overview(Brochure, 2015-06) Mateo-Sagasta, Javier; International Water Management Institute; Nair, NitashaItem Revitalizing the Ganges coastal zone: turning science into policy and practices(Conference Proceedings, 2015) Humphreys, E.; To Phuc Tuong; Buisson, Marie-Charlotte; Pukinskis, Ilse; Phillips, M.Item Community-based floodplain fisheries management(Brief, 2014) CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and EcosystemsItem WLE Ganges Focal Region Meeting(Internal Document, 2014-06) Meisner, Craig; George, Pamela; Pukinskis, Ilse; Humphreys, Elizabeth; Buisson, Marie-Charlotte; Mondal, Manoranjan K.Following the two-day WLE Ganges Regional Research Workshop on the CPWF Delta Program, a smaller meeting was held with fourteen participants. This meeting focused on providing insights from CPWF’s work in the Ganges and developing recommendations for the design team that will develop the WLE Ganges proposal. Discussions were based on the recently drafted Ganges Focal Region Development Challenge concept note following a WLE meeting in Amman, Jordan. Participants included key members of the CPWF-Ganges research team and representatives of the WLE Ganges ‘hills’ and ‘plains’ regions. WLE program staff led the meeting.Item Moving from water problems to water solutions: research needs assessment for the Eastern Gangetic plains(Conference Proceedings, 2013-07-05) CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and EcosystemsItem Report from WLE Indus and Ganges focal region meeting(Conference Proceedings, 2013) CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems