Meaning of Water Resources

Water resources are an important natural resource of Nepal. It is indispensable for the life of living beings. Although Nepal is landlocked, it is considered the second richest country in the world in terms of water resources after Brazil, and the first in Asia. 

Here, the importance, potential, and current status of water resources are discussed.

Importance of Water Resources

The utilization of water resources can make a significant contribution to the overall development of the country. The importance of water resources can be mentioned in the following points:

(a) To Supply Water for Daily Life: Water is the most important element for human life. In daily life, water is used for drinking, cleaning, feeding livestock, and other purposes. Water is essential for the life of animals and vegetation. Thus, water resources play a vital role in supplying the water needed for daily life.

(b) To Develop Industries: Water resources are also of great importance for the industrial development of the country. Industries require a large amount of fuel and water to operate. Hydropower can be used as the necessary fuel for industrial development. The production of hydropower is only possible through the proper utilization of water resources.

(c) To Provide Irrigation: In an agriculture-based country like Nepal, water is needed to irrigate crops. To provide the necessary irrigation facilities for winter crops, canals are constructed by building dams on rivers and streams. Thus, by properly utilizing water resources for irrigation, the production of both food crops and cash crops can be increased. This helps increase food supply.

(d) To Operate Fisheries: Fisheries can be operated in countries with abundant water resources. Fish production, which is essential for human health, is only possible in countries with water resources. By operating fisheries on a large scale in the large and small streams, rivers, and ponds of Nepal, the production of fish can be increased.

(e) To Conserve Forest Resources: Water resources also help in forest conservation. Forest products are the most relied-upon source of fuel in the country. By extracting hydropower through the proper utilization of water resources and increasing the use of electricity instead of firewood, the dependence on firewood can be reduced. This reduces the use of firewood as fuel, leading to forest conservation.

(f) To Earn Foreign Currency by Exporting Electricity: Nepal's rivers and streams have a high potential for hydropower generation. A large amount of electricity can be generated from major rivers such as the Arun, Karnali, Pancheshwar, and Kali Gandaki. If a large amount of hydropower can be generated through the proper utilization of water resources, electricity can be exported more than what is consumed domestically. This will increase foreign currency earnings, greatly contributing to the country's development.

(g) To Develop the Transportation Sector: Water transport can be developed in the large rivers flowing from north to south in our country. Water transport is considered the cheapest means. This can facilitate the movement of goods and passengers easily and cheaply. Hydropower generated from water resources can also be used in the development of the transportation sector.

Potential and Current Status of Water Resources in Nepal

Nepal is the second richest country in the world in terms of water resources. Nepal has more than 6,000 small and large rivers, many lakes, and glaciers. Major rivers here, such as the Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali, and Mahakali, flow perennially throughout the year.

Due to the rivers flowing from the high northern land towards the flat Terai region in the south, the water resources here can be utilized for various purposes such as hydropower generation, irrigation, drinking water, transportation, and fisheries. The potential and current status of water resources in Nepal can be mentioned as follows:

(a) Hydropower: 

Nepal has a high potential for hydropower development. On the one hand, there is abundant water resource, and on the other hand, the rivers here flow from the high Himalayas and hills in the north towards the flat Terai region in the south, resulting in a high difference in altitude of the rivers. Therefore, there is a possibility of generating a large amount of hydropower from these rivers. Nepal's potential for hydropower generation is 83,000 MW. Out of this, about 44,000 MW of electricity generation is estimated to be technically and economically feasible. However, as of mid-February 2023, the actual hydropower generation is only 2,200.6 MW, which is very low compared to the potential. This is about 1% of the potential.

Nepal is far ahead in terms of hydropower generation potential but is far behind in terms of utilization. By the end of the Thirteenth Plan period, about 84% of the country's total population has access to electricity service.

There is still a need to generate a large amount of electricity to provide electricity service to all Nepalese people. Various projects are currently under construction to meet the electricity demand. Major projects under construction include the Middle Marsyangdi (70 MW), Kulekhani Third (14 MW), Upper Tamakoshi (456 MW), Upper Trishuli 3A (60 MW), Raghuganga (40 MW), and Tanahu (140 MW).

If electricity can be made available at low cost and utilized effectively, there can be rapid development in the country. Since most of the electricity supply in the country is concentrated in urban areas, if it can be used in rural agricultural industries, irrigation, and cottage industries, it will help in the balanced development of the country.

(b) Irrigation: 

Since Nepal is an agriculture-based country, water resources are used for irrigation to increase agricultural production. Irrigation plays a vital role in increasing the country's agricultural production. For this reason, billions of rupees have been invested since the past five decades to construct canals and extract groundwater through various means for irrigation. 

Out of the 2.641 million hectares of cultivated land in Nepal, only 1.766 million hectares of land is estimated to be irrigable. Out of this, irrigation facilities have been provided to a total of 1.308 million 177 hectares of land by the fiscal year 2022/2023. 

According to the Water Resources Policy and the National Water Plan formulated and implemented by the Government of Nepal, the main objective is to develop irrigation infrastructure to provide irrigation facilities to 68% of the country's irrigable land by the year 2027 and to develop irrigation systems to provide year-round irrigation facilities to 67% of that land.

(c) Drinking Water: 

The main source of drinking water is also the water resources found in nature. Clean drinking water is essential for healthy life. Although the National Water Plan (2005) aimed to provide basic drinking water service to 100% of the population by the year 2017, only 86.87% of the total population of Nepal has been able to receive basic drinking water service by the end of the Thirteenth Plan. 

Although various projects have been conducted to provide drinking water facilities to the people of the country, the desired success has not been achieved. The government and non-government sectors and public participation have been giving excessive emphasis on operating this in a well-managed manner. 

Due to the lack of clean drinking water, it has been difficult to control various diseases caused by the use of contaminated water. There is a need to focus on increasing the quality of water and proper management of solid waste and construction of appropriate drains and outlets.