Experiences from Multiple Use Water System in Nepal - A case Study of Phulbari Village of Syangja District

Transcription

1 Experiences from Multiple Use Water System in Nepal - A case Study of Phulbari Village of Syangja District 6 th RWSN Forum, Kampala 29 November to 2 December 2011 Raj Kumar G.C. Water Resources Program Coordinator IDE Nepal

2 Talk of This Session Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Status in Nepal An introduction of the Study Area What is MUS and Why? Methodology Results Lessons and Challenges Conclusions

3 WATSAN and IRRIGATION Status WAT-SAN Poor quality drinking water (80% improved system, but 53% functional), sanitation ( 43%) and hygiene coverage 43% sanitation coverage, so more than half of the population defecate openly. Roughly 13,000 children die every year from water born/based diseases IRRIGATION Lack of irrigation is considered a major constraining factor for agriculture extension and is one of the major factors linked with rural poverty More crop per drop of water for increased productivity is the present demand. Many problems in the drinking water supply, sanitation and irrigation sector are related to improper management of water.

4 Phulbari MUS-Study Area A unique case of 100% lower caste cultivating very marginal lands Land holding- 500 sq.m /HH ( 40% suitable for crops) Annual average gross income - USD 568 /HH MUS Construction Cost USD 1225 Cost Share Project : Community /68:32 The average yield of the source 0.35 ltr /sec Phulbari Village

5 What is a MUS and Why? Domestic water without addressing productive users limits economic opportunity and affects sustainability. So, MUS... *some of the films are a bit longer Figure: MUS by design models

6 Domestic and Productive MUS tanks Domestic Use thru MUS tap Productive use thru MIT Domestic and Productive use

7 Methodology Studied MUS as an adaptive system of sociotechnical water control for high value crop (HVC) production and access to safe drinking water Case study approach Implications and impacts of the technology in such a particular setting ( 100% low castes) have been poorly understood. Open-ended, semi-structured and structured interviews.

8 Indicators Pre-MUS Post- MUS Availability of safe drinking water Cropping type Results Had to fetch water from river and far sources, and it was not often safe Crops requiring no irrigation or had to depend on rain fed irritation Safe water available close to home Year round irrigation and practice of offseasonal vegetable. Consumption Traditional crops Very limited production even not sufficient for consumption Crop diversification Marketing and 12-20% consumption. No body has to buy vegetables

9 Results... USD 2390 USD 2134 USD 1778 The impact of MUS largely overlaps (economic benefits and the social transformations) in the region, expect the Phulbari users have limited income because of marginal and unproductive land.

10 MUS Impact Time saving Changed in intrahousehold roles Women in the mainstream of decision making Increased in fresh vegetable consumption and food security Awareness through increased knowledge Use of improved seeds, group crop planning, market knowledge and group marketing Improved social image and social cohesion Leadership development Improved sanitation practices In average, time saved was about 10 minutes for round trip fetching of water by the households. A household made three trips a day, it was estimated for a year it is 22.8 working days, which is direct benefit for users.

11 Lessons and Challenges For those systems where water user groups has organized and worked on an institutional basis, farmers have drawn the full value from MUS and vice-versa Dependent on donors if the system breakdowns, so maintaining and mobilizing the cash costs needed for the R& M systems need to be reinforced The primary focus of the capacity building effort should be the dalits and marginalized groups Need involving women in the O& M Increasing drying up of the spring water sources

12 Conclusion In addition to providing communities with the opportunity to better understand the value of their small landholdings, an impressive social transformation has taken place. Reality of smallholders reflected in the technology design and subsequently that users have accepted it. Emphasis on social mobilization is critical to develop local understanding and institutions.

13 Thank you very much your attention!