Most of the drinking water systems in the hill areas are gravity flow systems using natural spring water. The sources may be used or claimed by several hamlets for different purposes. Thus, water resources planning at local level is an essential step towards sustainable and equitable resource management.

WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

The Water Resources Management Programme (WARM-P) capitalizes on the 30 years’ experiences of Helvetas, in the drinking water sector in Nepal. WARM-P has moved from supporting communities for drinking water and sanitation towards facilitating the preparation of Water Use Master Plans at village level. This is a step towards Integrated Water Resources Management for the water sector.

OUTCOMES

• Rural communities have access to safe drinking water and maintain their systems

• Rural people apply sanitary practices in their daily lives

• Communities agree on water use rights and opportunities based on water use planning.
  
  PRESENT STATUS

• An additional 15,000 people get access to drinking water every year through community-based drinking water schemes

• Sanitation is an integral element of all drinking water schemes and more than 50% of households build their own toilet/latrine

• Communities are enabled to construct and maintain their drinking water system under coordination of their Water and Sanitation Management Committee

• All communities accumulate an Operation and Maintenance Fund through user charges

• Local service providers are capacitated for system construction and maintenance (Women Tap Stand Care Taker, Village Maintenance Worker, Local Latrine Builder, Water and Sanitation Mason etc..); technical advise is provided by engineering consultants

• Water Use Master Plans are prepared at village level assigning rights and opportunities for each water source in the village

• Excess water is used for kitchen gardening and, in over-designed systems, for semi-commercial vegetable production

• Successful piloting of innovations for rainwater collection, calcium removal and arsenic mitigation which have subsequently been incorporated in the programme policy

PARTNERSHIP

About 80% of the schemes are implemented through partners while WARM-P staff is directly involved in about 20% of the schemes.

• User groups and their Water and Sanitation Committee take the lead

• Social and technical support is mostly provided through local NGOs and engineering teams, respectively

• Department of Water Supply and Sewage and its regional offices

• Bodies of local village and district government are partners in planning and monitoring

FUNDING

Approximately CHF 1,000,000 per year from Helvetas/DFID partnership funds. Communities contribute 20-30% of the construction cost.

CONTACT DETAILS

WARM-P
G.P.O. Box 688, Kathmandu, Nepal
Ph. 091-524344;
Email: warm.dhangadi@helvetas.org.np