Basic water measurement instruments enhance irrigation management in Nepal
CGIAR Feb 22 2024
By Nilhari Neupane, Santosh Nepal, Dinesh Bhatt, and Jonathan Lautze
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is introducing basic water measurement instruments to an irrigation project in Western Nepal to improve agricultural productivity. This instrumentation, introduced in collaboration with the Department of Water Resources and Irrigation (DWRI), provides real-time data on water availability and usage, assisting irrigation managers in irrigation scheduling, to allocate water according to crop type and stage of plant growth. More efficient distribution will help resolve conflicts over water allocation and benefit farmers, irrigation managers, and Water User Associations (WUAs).
Agriculture plays a key role in Nepal’s food and nutritional security and national economy, contributing about a quarter of GDP and employing more than 60 percent of the economically active population. However, Nepal’s agricultural productivity currently lags behind neighboring countries, and around 7.8 percent of the population faces moderate to severe food insecurity.
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