Enhancing community ability to manage watersheds for reducing threats to freshwater ecosystem in West Rapti River Basin, Nepal

Project Summary
Though there is clear importance of sustainable water resources management for the development, very little is known about the status of freshwater biodiversity and its management, particularly with the increasing threats posed by climate and human-induced actions. Freshwater biodiversity resources are becoming vulnerable to climate change resulting from declining populations of natural and commercial species. Albeit, many climate-induced, and anthropogenic causes and their interplay are accorded as contributing factors, no such studies are found being conducted in Nepal. This action research aimed to strengthen the adaptive capacity of local communities and improve the resilience of freshwater ecosystems through analysis of the status of freshwater biodiversity; assessment of climate-induced and anthropogenic factors affecting freshwater biodiversity; and investigating appropriate water management approaches in order to strengthen the adaptive capacity of local communities and resilience of freshwater ecosystem in the more problematic area at Jhimruk and middle West Rapti watersheds of West Rapti River Basin, Nepal. It is a consortium project between CODEFUND and IUCN Nepal.
Objectives
i. To analyze the quality and quantity of freshwater biodiversity
ii. To explore the climate-induced and anthropogenic factors; and their threats to freshwater biodiversity
iii. To investigate appropriate water management approach that enhances freshwater ecosystems
iv. To pilot and propose the ways to strengthen local governance, the adaptive capacity of communities, and improve the resilience of freshwater ecosystems
Outputs

Three milestones were submitted before the suspension of the work by the funding organization