What are some challenges that households face when accsesing water in the Kathmandy valley?

1. Urban water issues in the HKH
Case of Kathmandu Valley

2. Making Headlines
Demand – 350 MLD > Supply – 90 MLD (dry)
150 MLD (wet)
WATER TANKER
Poor water quality of water
sources

3. Research Questions
How does socioeconomic status
determine people’s access to
drinking and domestic water
sources?
What role does groundwater play in
water needs?
How do people cope with poor water
quantity and quality?
How do people cope with poor
water quantity and quality?

4. Survey Area
Lalitpur
9 VDCs
Sample size
351
120 in VDCs
231 in urban Lalitpur
63% respondents

5. Major Findings

6. Drinking Water
Situation
1/3rd of households
do not meet water
needs regularly Believe that
the crisis has
deepened in
the past 5
years
Sources
88% have access to
pipeline water
1 of 2 HHs have access to
private + community
dugwells
1/3 HHs buy bottled
water for drinking
40%
of Urban households in
Lalitpur face the same
3/4
Of the respondents
perceive acute to
very acute water
crisis in their locality
63%
Majority of 20% of
respondents use springs;
from poor income HHs

7. Dugwel
ls Rs. 33,000
on average
75%
25%
Individually
owned
Community
owned
Tubewells
were only
found in
urban areas
Rise of
tankers
30% buy water from tankers
Irregular supply areas have
higher dependence
WATER
Rs. 1580/month
for 5000 liters
Total annual
transactions-
USD 14.5 million

8. Rainwater
Harvesting
50%
of HHs capture
rainwater using simple
systems
97%
use simple buckets
and drums
Total investment cost:
Simple – Rs.1433
Proper – Rs. 41, 250
Harvested rainwater is
used for washing
clothes, toilet
and bath and
washing cars/bikes
How respondents
feel
about technology
constraint… 51%
NO
49%
YES

9. Perception of water
scarcity
50% of households with
access to groundwater
have low water scarcity
perception
1/3 that are without
wells perceive high
scarcity
3/4th of HHs with
highest level of income
has low water scarcity
perception
34.5
47.5
77.8
33.6
29.6
11.1
31.8
22.9
11.1
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
Low income (less than Rs.
10,000/month)
Middle income (Rs.
10,001-50,000/month)
High income (More than
Rs. 50,000/month)
Low scarcity perception Medium scarcity perception
High scarcity perception

10. Water
Storage
80% of HHs
have storage
Majority of lower
income households
don’t have storage
tanks
Coping
StrategiesBuying Water
Dependent on multiple
sources
Store Water
63%
31%
4%
2%
Decreased
No Change
Don’t Know
Increased
Perceptions on water
availability

11. Overall water crisis
perception
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Overall
Sub-metropolitan
VDCs
No
Yes
80% of households think
that their locality has a
water crisis
What do people
think?14.2% - better management and distribution
of water supply
9.97% - planned expansion of cities and
dwellings
5.41% - bring Melamchi water project to
success

12. Looking Ahead
A number of policy measures like
groundwater abstraction licensing,
demand management and compulsory
rainwater harvesting need to be
implemented.
Water for Melamchi is also a preferred
solution of majority of respondents in
the survery.
While private coping mechanisms such
as tankers have been preferred in the
valley, KUKL has almost completed the
work of water transfer through pipelines
from the Melamchi valley.