Freshwater in Nepal

Although Nepal is considered to be rich in water resources with over 6,000 rivers, the State of Environment Report (2001) indicates that the Nepalese people are not getting enough water to meet their needs nor is the available water potable.

As the demand of water is increasing day by day, there is intense pressure on the water resources being used in Nepal resulting to alarming level of groundwater extraction, drainage for irrigation and fishing to sustain livelihood, which directly affects the freshwater ecosystem including the health of our Wetlands and river systems.

In a country like Nepal, agriculture in one hand provides employment to millions of people, on the other hand contributes to serious environmental and social problems by extracting huge amount of water for farming thirsty crops, even leading to damage of Wetlands and freshwater ecosystems.

Nepal has many different types of Wetlands that range from areas of permanently flowing rivers to areas of seasonal streams, lowland oxbow lakes, high altitude glacial lakes, swamps and marshes, reservoirs and ponds and deep water agriculture lands, which are the most productive ecosystems and are important natural resources for economic and developmental sustainability in Nepal.

Often perceived as swamps, mud flats and mosquito havens, the Wetlands and rivers making up freshwater habitats are in fact natural sponges filtering harmful substances and purifying water for our use. Their significance in terms of biological, ecological, economic, cultural, recreational and aesthetic values has always been appreciated by people involved in their conservation.

According to Hussain (1994) as stated in NBS 2002, the values of Wetlands can be grouped into two categories:

1. Ecological values or indirect use values derived from the functions of Wetlands as wildlife habitats and from their essential contribution to maintenance of ecological balance in the immediate area and beyond, and
   
2. Economic values or direct use values derived from the productivity of Wetland systems and the sustainable harvest of their resources. HoWever, Wetlands are considered one of the most threatened habitats because of their vulnerability and unsustainable use of resources. Many ethnic groups depend on Wetlands for their livelihoods. Therefore, maintaining Wetland diversity and functions is particularly important to the community's livelihoods and source of water in our country.