Nat'l conference on rainwater harvesting concludes issuing five-point Kathmandu Declaration

KATHMANDU, March 21: A two-day national conference on rainwater harvesting concluded by issuing a five-point Kathmandu Declaration.

The conference was organized in coordination with the Ministry of Water Supply with the support of different government and non-government organizations at the initiative of Smart Wash Solutions Pvt Ltd and Water Aid Nepal under the theme 'Rainwater harvesting for conserving water and addressing the impacts of climate change' on March 19-20. 

The declaration has incorporated the issues — forging an alliance with organizations having similar objectives of reducing water crisis, requesting three-tier governments to make laws related to management of integrated water, adopting and searching new technologies to resolve water crisis, taking collective initiative for the management of rainwater and paying attention to aspects of climate change in collective efforts for management of rainwater.

The conference determined that rainwater harvesting is a long-term and easy measure to reduce acute crises during the winter season. Stating that rainwater harvesting and its management are indispensable to encourage this sector, the conference drew the conclusion that the current practice should be made advanced to expand efforts and programs of rainwater harvesting in order to achieve result-oriented objectives. 

The issues — the local-government should make provision of making rainwater recharge systems mandatory in the course of constructing houses, monitoring and evaluation of sustainable management of recharge of rainwater, and ensuring water good governance are incorporated in the Declaration.

The conference drew the conclusion that a situation of crisis in water security is being created in Nepal, which is vulnerable due to impacts of climate change, requesting all bodies concerned to adopt measures to lessen the impacts of climate change while running programs and projects related to water.

It also made a special request to the government bodies to run programs in various sectors – agriculture, energy and water - in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goal-6 set by the United Nations benefitting rainwater harvesting and management. 

Former minister Pampha Bhusal, secretary at the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, Dr Jagadishwor Karmacharya, Director General of the Department of Drinking Water, Ramakanta Dawadi, Country Director of WaterAid Nepal, Tripti Rai, among others shed light on different issues — importance of rainwater, conservation of drinking water sources and minimizing impacts of climate change.

(RSS)