Nepal—USAID Karnali Water Activity

Despite pockets of progress, Nepal’s water security, as measured by the metrics of equity, functionality, and ecosystem health, is among the weakest in Asia. Recent achievements, such as the reduction of open defecation, are impressive—but fragile, especially in the Karnali River Basin. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Karnali Water Activity works across the Karnali River Basin in Western Nepal to promote healthy, resilient, and water-secure communities by improving water resources management practices, drinking water supply and multiple-use systems, and fecal sludge management access and treatment plants.

We are using a OneWater approach that knits together actors (community, municipal, watershed, and national) to achieve water security goals. OneWater creates an integrated vision and drives collective action in the Karnali River Basin by mapping assets, risks, and attitudes; convening stakeholders to align interests; co-designing and co-implementing plans and interventions; and rigorously monitoring, learning, and adapting for impact and sustainability.

Sample Activities

• Strengthen water management systems for safe and sustainable water services, including climate-resilient water safety plans.
• Develop social behavior change strategy, campaign, and capacity-strengthening measures for water safety and conservation.
• Conduct citywide sanitation planning exercises that include fecal sludge management, city drainage, and solid waste systems.
• Develop policies and regulations for improved watershed-level water resource management.
• Support the identification of ecologically significant areas to conserve biodiversity and water.

Select Results

• Constructed 161 sustainable water supply and sanitation schemes, ensuring improved drinking water facilities for 35,318 individuals right at their doorsteps.
• Set up 25 multiple-use systems, providing micro-irrigation access to 3,150 people and covering 33.17 hectares of agricultural land.
• Collaborated with 22 local governments to leverage $982,900 for 190 water supply and sanitation schemes constructed in the project’s third year, with a 20 percent community contribution 20.
• Established 179 water user and sanitation committees, with a 66 percent representation of marginalized populations and 51 percent female membership.
• Completed comprehensive citywide sanitation plans in 12 municipalities.
• Provided support for 26 water, sanitation, and hygiene bills at the municipal level and one provincial bill in Karnali.
• Facilitated the development of water use master plans approved by local governments in 29 municipalities.
• Assessed 11,841 spring sources and protected 81 water sources through drainage management, fencing, plantation, recharge pit, intake, and gabion wall constructions, safeguarding 116.65 hectares of biologically significant areas.
• Conducted 1,972 capacity-building trainings and events, during which 44,816 people—including 179 water user and sanitation committee members and 29 local government officials—enhanced their understanding of water, sanitation, and hygiene.
• Established and institutionalized the One Water Steering Committee in each of the four watersheds.