Presentation by IWMI's Director General Claudia Sadoff at Digo Dijo Jal Bikas Project workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 13, 2019.

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A water-secure world
IWMI’s New 2019-2023 Strategy
& Implications for the Nepal Program
Dr Claudia Sadoff
Director General
InternationalWater Management Institute
Dijo Jal Bikas (DJB) Workshop
Kathmandu, Nepal
13 March 2019

2. www.iwmi.org
A water-secure world
Our history
• 1984: Established in Sri Lanka as
the International Irrigation
Management Institute (IIMI)
• 1991: Joined CGIAR
• 1998: Broadened mandate:
became the International Water
Management Institute (IWMI)
• 2012: Awarded
Stockholm Water Prize
• 2013: Selected to lead CGIAR
Research Program Water, Land
and Ecosystems
The InternationalWater Management
Institute (IWMI) is a non-profit, scientific
research organization focusing on the
sustainable use of water resources in
developing countries

3. www.iwmi.org
A water-secure world
Food
To improve food
security, while
sustainably managing
water resources &
conserving ecosystems
Climate
To adapt and mitigate
climate change, while
building resilience to
disruption
Growth
To reduce poverty and
advance inclusion and
equality, as agriculture
transforms, energy
transitions and
urbanization intensifies
Our vision is a
water-secure world
Our mission is to find
water solutions for
sustainable
development

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A water-secure world
Country Representatives
Water, Food &
Ecosystems
Water, Climate
& Resilience
Water Growth
& Inclusion
New management structure

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A water-secure world
Nepal: Development context
Water resources remain
particularly underdeveloped
• ~7% of total available water is
managed for economic & social
purposes (WECS 2005)
• ~1.6% of economically feasible
hydropower potential has been
harnessed (WECS 2010)
• Only 24% of arable land is irrigated
Water is a key resource for
food security and nutrition
• 66% of population in subsistence
agriculture, contributing 33% of GDP
• 2.7 million smallholders produce
70% of national food supplies
• 41% of children under 5 suffer
chronic malnutrition

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A water-secure world
Urbanization and migration
• In 2018, 60% of the population
migrated from rural to urban areas
compared to12% in 1998 (NPC 2019)
• 5 million Nepalis are in
foreign countries (~6% of them female)
• 29% of GDP from remittances
• 40% of agricultural land in fallow
(ongoing FAO study)
Nepal: Development context
Productive use of remittances
for water- and land-based small
enterprises can support
economic empowerment of
women and returnee migrants
in cities and peri-urban areas

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A water-secure world
Climate & environmental risks
• Climate change will increase the frequency
and severity of drought, flood, landslides,
• Even if average global warming is 1.5˚C,
temperatures will be even higher in Nepal:
– +0.3˚C higher in Hindu Kush
Himalayas (ICIMOD 2019)
– +1.2˚C higher in the mountains,
+0.7˚C in the hills and +0.4˚C in the
Terai of Western Nepal (IWMI 2019)
• 13% of the Churia hills region has over
60% of the country’s population and is
highly sensitive to disasters
Global
target
1.5˚C
Nepal: Development context

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A water-secure world
Federalism offers an opportunity to
address water development challenges
• Over 36,000 people (>30% women) represented
in three tiers of government
• Hope for gender transformative change:
41% women (20% from highly marginalized groups), and
92% deputy mayors are women
National vision and priorities
• Sustainable development underpins national
vision: “Prosperous Nepal and Happy Nepali”
• Target:
– 2022: Least developed to developing
country
– 2030: middle income country thru SDGs
• 15th 5-Year Development Plan: water,
agriculture, forest are key productive sectors
Nepal: Opportunities for change
Research and evidence
to support local, state
and federal
governments
for evidence-based decision
making; gender equality and
social inclusion are essential
Building capacity of the
three tiers of
government
solutions for sustainable water
and land management are
essential to achieve prosperity

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A water-secure world
IWMI Strategic Programs of research-for-development: 2019-2023
1. Water, Food & Ecosystems
 Agricultural water management & sustainable intensification
 Restoration and productive use of water & land (nexus/landscape)
 Nature-based solutions & Ecosystem services
2. Water, Climate Change & Resilience
 Inclusive, climate-resilient development planning
 Drought and flood monitoring, forecasting, insurance
 Climate and migration
3. Water, Growth & Inclusion
 Knowledge hub for federalism, NRM & transboundary waters
 Urban, WASH and resource recycling & recycling
 Gender, equity & inclusion in water governance (surface & groundwater)
IWMI’s strategy in the context of Nepal

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A water-secure world
o Linking Scientific Knowledge and Solutions
• Expanded collaboration and partnerships with implementing agencies
• Communications strategy with a focus on language inclusion and GESI
• Policy dialogues and capacity strengthening for local and state governments
o Collaboration with three tiers of government
• Scoping study to assess needs of local and state governments in water
• Develop joint programs addressing their priorities, ie management & info
• Uptake of research findings and tools for policy, planning and practice
o Change management in IWMI-Nepal federalism as an opportunity
• Empowering country offices to help strengthen government capacities
• Aligning and operationalizing IWMI’s new strategy in Nepal
• Working under the guidance of the Government-led Consultative Committee
o Expanding IWMI’s partnership landscape
Working approaches for IWMI-Nepal

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A water-secure world
Thank you!
IWMI is a CGIAR center focused on research for development. CGIAR is a global research
partnership for a food-secure future. Its work is carried out by 15 research centers in
collaboration with hundreds of partners across the globe.
Thank you

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A water-secure world
Political: Federalism an opportunity
 Constitutional provisions
o Water, land and natural resource management and use : 120 times
o Article 51, sub-clauses
(g) development policy: “….investment in scientific studies and research…”
(h) policy related to natural resource management: “…. fair distribution of benefits
generated by natural resource by giving local people the priority and
preferential rights.
o Article 59 (4): NRM benefits to local communities
o Article 232. Intergovernmental relations on the principle cooperation, co-
existence and coordin+ation
o Schedule, 5-9: water resource (concurrent and exclusive rights)
Incredible opportunities for water based development and GESI outcomes
 Key issues emerged in Nepal
o Limited understanding on NRM issues
o Water diplomacy: inter-governmental and inter-sectoral cooperation

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A water-secure world
Legal Framework on Water Based
Development
• Water Resource Strategy, 2000
• Water Resource Plan 2005
• National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA 2011)
• Climate Bill (in parliament)
• Irrigation Policy, 2013
• Agriculture Development Strategy, 2015-2035
• Water in Disaster Management Policy, 2015
• Water Resource Policy, 2018 (draft)
• Constitution of Nepal, 2015
• Rural Water Supply and Sanitation National Strategy and Policy, 2004
• Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Sector Development Plan (2016-2030)
• Irrigation Master Plan 2019, DoRI (updating the 1990 Master Plan)
• 15th Fiver-Year Development Plan : water, agriculture and tourism as productive sector
• River Basin Planning, Water and Energy Commission Secretariat

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A water-secure world
Challenges for Implementation of the Legal
Frameworks & the Federalism
• Need for improving institutional development of three tiers
governments and water institutions in the federal context
• Capacity development of elected representatives: Local, state and
federal on inclusive and integrated land and water resource
planning, implementation and revenue sharing
• Limited interdisciplinary research for development in the water
sector
• Siloed approach in the water sector: inter and intra-sectoral
coordination and learning
• Practicing GESI in the NRM (water, irrigation, agriculture, climate)
sector, as the structures, functions and actions are unable to
engage men and youth as a champion of GESI transformative
change.