Glaciers, Rivers, and Springs
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World Bank, Washington, DC
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Nepal is rich in water resources with
a dense network of glaciers, lakes, rivers, and springs that
originate in the Himalayas. However, only an estimated 15
billion cubic meters (BCM) of the 225 BCM water available
annually is utilized for economic and social purposes.
Several elements have contributed to this low rate of
utilization, including Nepal’s rugged geography, inadequate
institutional capacity, a history of prolonged political
instability, and highly skewed seasonality - more than 80
percent of the precipitation in a year falls within a span
of four months. For sustained economic growth and poverty
reduction, and to enhance shared prosperity, Nepal must
increase its investments in water-related infrastructure and
institutions and improve the effectiveness of these
investments. Although there is much to be done to harness
this vital resource, it is important to broaden the
development focus and integrate hydropower in a larger water
resource management strategy. This strategy will ensure that
water is available for basic and economic needs - even
through the dry season - as a core component of Nepal’s
overall development plan. Given Nepal’s development context
and challenges, this document aims to analyze the most
pressing sector challenges and identify strategic sector
priorities that are aligned with the country’s partnership
framework. It offers a snapshot of water in Nepal’s
development story and situates the water sector in the
broader context of the national economy, highlighting the
importance of managing water resources for sustained
economic growth and poverty reduction. It then presents five
pressing sector-related challenges and concludes with a set
of priority areas.
Palabras clave
WATER RESOURCES, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, HYDROPOWER, WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION, IRRIGATION, FOOD SECURITY, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, EFFECTIVE PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN WATER, CPF OBJECTIVES, STRUCTURAL WATER POLICY CHANGE