SUSTAINABLE, JUST AND PRODUCTIVE WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT IN WESTERN NEPAL UNDER CURRENT AND FUTURE 

CONDITIONS (Digo Jal Bikas, DJB)

Leaving no one behindGender Equity and Social Justice

March 13, 2019 | Kathmandu

2

Whose river is it? Rivers serve as a vital lifeline, providing water for a variety of tasks.

Often project design and construction decisions overlook the impacts on riparian communities.

Survey conducted to document and better understand the water dependency of these communities. 

3

Data Collection Study area: Kailali, 

Bajhang, Bajura, Dailekh, Accham.

Focus group discussions and social wealth rankings helped identify a sample that represented the ethnic and wealth tiers within communities.

Data gathered from key informant interviews, detailed surveys and anecdotal discussions. 

4

Identified socio‐cultural and livelihood needs

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Percen

tage of respo

nden

ts

Mountain

Hill

Terai

Common Water Uses All visited communities most strongly associated the following activities with flow variation:

• Cultural/spiritual values• Irrigation• Fishing• Biodiversity and tourism• Household usage

5

5 key social requirements were identified, quantified and presented as a qualitative scale 

This data was incorporated into the Holistic iteration of the Environmental Flow Calculator.

Defining Parameters

Ideal (m) Acceptable (m) Poor (m)

Irrigation 0.9 0.5 0.1Fishing 1.5 0.9 0.3Socio‐Cultural 1.2 0.9 0.5Household activities 1.2 0.7 0.4

Biodiversity & tourism 3 2 1.5

6

Gender and Social justice in  Digo Jal Bikas

Gitta ShresthaGitta Shrestha

7

Towards an inclusive and just water resource management in Nepal

Central focus: How to achieve inclusive and just water resource management and decision making in Nepal? 

Two approaches ‐Water Organisations and Community level. 

8

Research at the community level

9

Research framework and main enquiry

Is Social Capital Gendered? How Social capital differs for men and women? How it impact the capabilities [Sen, 1990] of men and women to benefit from water resources?

Networks, Trust and Rules [Institutions]

10

Method

Qualitative Well‐being ranking, village mapping, in‐depth interviews, key informant interviews, institutional Venn diagram and participant observation, communication of result.

Altogether 30 respondents (10 Males, 20 Females) in Kailali and 24 respondents in (12 Males, 12 Females) Doti were sampled purposively from different caste, class, gender, age, education and social positions.

11

Gender dimension of networks and memberships

- Ward- VDC- Market (Kuti, Bhajhani, Dhangadi)- Municipality- DDC- Department of forest and land conservation

[Terai Arc Landscape program TAL]- School [Kuti+Bhajani]- College [Bhajani]- Political parties [eg. Madhesi Forum]- Public and Private financial institutions [banks,

finance]- Hospitals- Drinking water office- Electricity office- District Irrigation office- Border police- District Administration office- District Land Reform office- Ground water resource office [groundwater

irrigation program]- District Agriculture Office- NGOs [ Jal Uthan Kendra, World Vision]- Community forestry user groups- Irrigation user groups- Road committee- Drinking/tube well water user groups

- Men’s saving group- Cultural/tent group- Youth clubs- Village puja- Village gathering- Cultural/activities

function- Community work

[path maintenance, embankments etc.]

- Seasonal wage labour [within districts and India]

- Ward- VDC- Market [Kuti +Bhajani]- Health post [Kuti]- Hospital [Bhajani]- School [Bhajani, Kuti]- College [Bhajani]- NGO [ World Vision, Care

Nepal]- Community forestry

user group- Irrigation user

groups- Drinking/tube well

water user groups

- Women’s Saving group- Mother’s group- Community work [path

maintenance, embankments etc.]

- Seasonal daily agriculture wage labour [across borders]

Formal institutions

Informal/voluntary institutions

12

BondingBridgingLinking

Social, economic,

political status

Social, economic,

political status

Gatekeepers enjoy direct link

Elite men within hamlets/village

Elite Women

Men from N/GOs/ CBOs

Elite men in other hamlets/villages

Non-Elite men in other hamlets/villages

Non -Elite Men

Non - Elite Women

Patrilineal Network

13

Patrilineal Networks – Patronage Leadership

Water management – Men’s job – no women staffs in the field – impact women’s social network

• men usually contact men and not women• contact with men bring tag of immoral image to women

• Selection of women from family and kin networks : Patronage Leadership [Eg. IUG Kuti, one woman is 

attending several trainings ].– The chain of benefits: local gatekeepers [ men] –development actors (men)

– Gender INTERSECT with Caste/ethnicity, Class, Migration, age, disability, also intra‐household relations [mother‐in‐law vs. daughter‐in‐law]

14

Institutions [rules of game] UNINTENTIONAL CONSEQUENCES

NGO/USER GROUPS– Condition for participation– Investment in capacity building– Passive participation – Increased Vulnerability [poor, without networks, with no male in the households]‐

– Privatisation of water sources and infrastructure [Doti]

15

COLLECTIVE ACTION

Participation and 

affiliation

Trust

Capabilities

Access to resourcesInformationopportunitiesIncomeImproved well beingGood relationships/bonding Case I: Ground water shallow 

tube well irrigation in KutiCase II: Dalit woman, Doti

16

Key message

Communities are not homogenous– Social identities (caste, class, age, disability) intersect with gender 

– Individual ability to participate in collectives varies

– Decision‐making spaces and networks are male dominated and male centric

17

Solutions need to becontext specific ‐ invest in the social capital and capabilities of women and marginalized people generally, with particular emphasis on women’s linkages and networks, so they can contribute more effectively to local water governance.

18

Women in groups, walk to the forest. They walk far chatting about their lives, help each other with making bundles, and relax with a puff of smoke in the bush! Field diary, Doti. 2017

g.shrestha@cigar.org

19

THANK YOU!

Acknowledgements: This study is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under Digo Jal Bikas (DJB) project.