February 18, 2018: The United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ), today officially kicked-off its public awareness campaign, “Promoting Water Resource Conservation and Management in Mid and Western Nepal,”  in Kathmandu.

The goal is to foster community ownership as well as partnerships among community members, experts, and Government of Nepal stakeholders that effectively address water management issues, particularly water source depletion, destructive fishing practices, conflict between water users, and the decline of agricultural productivity. The campaign will focus on managing freshwater resources and conserving biodiversity in the Rapti, Karnali, and Mahakali river basins in the Mid and Far Western regions of Nepal.

The campaign incorporates multiple communication approaches, including the weekly Paani TV and radio program, an online information portal (www.hakahaki.org), and town hall meetings that will bring community members and decision makers together to solve water resource challenges. All of these activities will promote community-driven action on environmental issues through a strong focus on sustainable water management.

The Paani campaign portrays local champions—individuals, groups or whole communities—who continuously work to conserve and sustainably manage freshwater resources. The Paani TV show will air on Avenues TV every Saturday at 6:30 p.m and will be rebroadcast the next day at 12:30 p.m. The Paani radio program will be broadcast weekly on Radio Sagarmatha in Kathmandu (7:30 p.m. on Mondays and again at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesdays) as well as on 18 radio stations in the Mid and Far Western regions. In addition, the website will allow users to view past Paani TV and radio programs along with journalistic and research-based information related to environmental issues, a press release issued by NEFEJ states.

 
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