Collaborative urban water management bridges knowledge and action in Nepal

The document details the 'Pani Chautari' (water forum) methodology implemented by the Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS) in Dhulikhel, Nepal. This approach used multi-stakeholder dialogues to bridge the gap between scientific research and local action to address water scarcity caused by urbanization and climate change. Key outcomes included the institutionalization of a water council, the implementation of 'one ward, one pond' groundwater recharge programs, and increased municipal reliance on evidence-based policy-making.

• The 'Pani Chautari' process successfully integrated diverse knowledge systems, combining scientific quantitative data on water availability with the experiential and practice-based knowledge of local water user committees and technical experts.
• Climate change and rapid urbanization have significantly reduced water availability in Dhulikhel; specifically, analysis of climate data from the last 40 years indicated a decline in average rainfall, leading to prolonged dry spells and the drying of local springs.
• The participatory approach led to the institutionalization of sustainable water measures, most notably the 'one ward, one pond' programme, which focuses on constructing recharge ponds and contour trenches to revive dry springs.
• The process helped resolve long-standing conflicts between upstream rural communities and downstream urban users in the Roshi River catchment by creating a neutral platform for dialogue and proposing a formal water council for long-term collaboration.
• The engagement shifted the Dhulikhel municipality's approach from relying solely on costly, energy-intensive infrastructure engineering to valuing community-based schemes and evidence-based research in its decision-making.
• The initiative fostered private sector accountability, resulting in the Hotel Association and Chamber of Commerce of Dhulikhel committing to invest in water-efficient technologies and rainwater harvesting.

APA

Scodanibbio, L., & Caleb, P. (2022). Collaborative urban water management bridges knowledge and action in Nepal. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/CDKN%20Nepal%20Learning%20Story%20DIGITAL.pdf

Chicago

Scodanibbio, Lucia, and Pratibha Caleb. Collaborative urban water management bridges knowledge and action in Nepal. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2022. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/CDKN%20Nepal%20Learning%20Story%20DIGITAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Scodanibbio |first1=Lucia |last2=Caleb |first2=Pratibha |title=Collaborative urban water management bridges knowledge and action in Nepal |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=July 2022 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/CDKN%20Nepal%20Learning%20Story%20DIGITAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{scodanibbio2022collaborative, author = {Scodanibbio, Lucia and Caleb, Pratibha}, title = {{Collaborative urban water management bridges knowledge and action in Nepal}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2022}, month = jul, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/CDKN%20Nepal%20Learning%20Story%20DIGITAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }