Project Description
The Capacity Building Program in Integrated River Basin Management (Nepal) aims to promote sustainable water resource management in Nepal by building capacity among Nepali professionals. The program focuses on developing skills in integrated river basin management, supporting reform in water and land management structures, and strengthening strategic capacity across organisations. It provides participants with knowledge to design and implement integrated river basin plans, develops individual leadership skills, and creates a community of practice for knowledge sharing. The course aligns with Nepal’s National Water Plan and supports the country’s Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development policy, while addressing relevant Sustainable Development Goals. It leverages Australian expertise in water management to enhance Nepal’s capacity for sustainable river basin management.
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
The participant’s came from across Nepal and Sri Lanka, all working in government agencies or organisations working towards sustainable water resource management in their countries. These included:
Nepal:
– Water and Energy Commission Secretariat
– Department of Hydrology and Meteorology
– Department of Water Resources and Irrigation
– Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation
– Kamala Irrigation Project
– Tulsipur Water Users Group
– Research and Development Centre
Sri Lanka:
– Ministry of Irrigation
– Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka
– Irrigation Department
Outcomes to Date
Participants worked in teams to complete an Award Project on completion of the course to implement their learnings from the program. Project topics included:
– Identification of flood zone and recommendation for countermeasures along the basin
– Key Challenges in Bagmati River Basin
– Key Challenges in Kamala River Basin
– Key Challenges in Koshi River Basin
– Awareness of Water Sector Stakeholders of Sri Lanka
These projects will be used when participants return to work to put their new knowledge into practice in their agencies and organisations.
Project Significance
Participants included 18 professionals mostly with engineering background from Nepal (15 participants) and Sri Lanka (3 participants), from different Government Departments. During the course participants developed knowledge and skills in the following areas.
– Develop capabilities in river basin planning and management, spanning governance, stakeholder engagement, and technical areas such as climatology, hydrology, ecology, and water resource assessment.
– Gain skills to design Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) arrangements and processes, and to produce and implement integrated river basin plans.
– Acquire knowledge on reform and change management in existing water and land management structures.
– Strengthen strategic capacity across organisations to achieve coordinated action at the river basin scale.
– Develop individual leadership skills through the creation of Individual Basin Leadership Development Plans.
– Learn to address key success factors for IRBM, including organisational capability development, supporting reform, and strengthening strategic capacity.
– Understand and apply the IRBM process as outlined in the BasinGuide framework, covering stages from initiation to monitoring and evaluation.
– Gain competencies in various aspects of IRBM, including water resource assessment, engagement with stakeholders, governance frameworks, water allocation planning, and climate change considerations.
– Develop skills in implementing IRBM, including workforce development and infrastructure requirements.
– Learn to create and participate in an IRBM-focused Community of Practice for knowledge sharing and shaping practice among stakeholders.
These learning outcomes aim to equip participants with the necessary knowledge, skills, and leadership capabilities to implement and advance Integrated River Basin Management in Nepal and Sri Lanka.