Mapping the Invisible: Groundwater Use, Access, Equity, and Governance in Nepal’s Southern Plains; Policy Pathways for Equitable and Sustainable Groundwater Use

KC, Sumitra; Khadka, Manohara; Mishra, Anuj; Aryal, Anil

Mapping the Invisible: Groundwater Use, Access, Equity, and Governance in Nepal’s Southern Plains; Policy Pathways for Equitable and Sustainable Groundwater Use

Autores

Editor

International Water Management Institute

Descripción

This study examines groundwater use, access, and governance in Barahathawa Municipality, Madhesh Province, Nepal. Groundwater is a critical resource in Nepal’s southern plains, where most households rely on it for domestic needs and many farmers depend on it for irrigation. A well and borehole inventory, combined with qualitative research, found heavy reliance on private wells and boreholes because canal irrigation is limited and unreliable. The findings show major social, economic, and gender inequalities in groundwater access. Ownership of boreholes and pumps is concentrated among certain caste groups and landholding households, while Terai Dalits, Muslims, women-headed households, smallholders, and tenant farmers face multiple barriers. These include limited land ownership, which is closely tied to groundwater access, financial constraints in investing in groundwater that requires upfront cost and energy cost, language barriers, limited access to information due to language barriers and limited social networks, and subsidies. Informal water markets help farmers meet irrigation needs but can also deepen existing inequalities. This study also identifies some critical policy and institutional challenges. The study recommends strengthening groundwater governance through clear and implementable local policies on groundwater, stronger coordination across institutions and government levels and sectors, targeted subsidies, accessible credit, and better monitoring. It also calls for participatory groundwater management involving local communities, citizen science-based data systems, multi-stakeholder platforms, and investment in groundwater recharge, and nature-based solutions to support equitable and sustainable groundwater use.