Policy brief: Framework for effectiveness and resilience of small and medium-scale irrigation systems in Nepal

This paper synthesises the findings and recommendations from a 2015-2016 CDKN project to develop a framework for the effectiveness and resilience of small- and medium-scale irrigation, and is intended for policy-makers, planners and implementers working in Nepal’s irrigation sector under uncertain conditions induced by climate change. It provides guidance to irrigation sector project designers and policy-makers on assessing climate risks at the project and system levels, and on mitigating the risks using the resilient approach.

Overall, the paper finds that climate change is predicted to affect seasonal water availability, which could have serious impacts on irrigation systems, and consequently on Nepal’s overall economy. Temperature and precipitation are two key climatic variables most influenced by climate change. The study showed that the impacts of non-climatic factors are more important in the short term for most small- and medium-scale irrigation systems, with the possible exception of the impact of increased rainfall intensity on flood risk. In the longer term, climate impacts will become much greater than they are today. For small- and medium-scale irrigation systems located in dry areas, the changes in seasonal water availability are likely to be more important, whereas flood damage is likely to be a greater risk for other schemes. 

Although the concept of resilience in irrigation systems is evolving, the project has proposed a framework to make irrigation systems resilient. The framework covers the overall vulnerability of the irrigation systems and the key features of resilience include: „

• Systems (infrastructure, river basins) „
• Institutions (rules, management) „
• Agents (individuals, organisations)

All three elements of the framework should be addressed together. The responses should be designed based on a good understanding of the vulnerability context (including climate extremes and trends, as well as other facets of vulnerability). 

Strengthening climate-resilient development in the irrigation sector should include adaptive management, where irrigation is developed gradually, and changes to watersheds are monitored and introduced incrementally in conjunction with sensitivity tests. For individual irrigation systems, weather stations should be improved, with river flow monitoring, more reliable forecasting for floods and low-flow, risk-based approaches to design, and further research to better understand upper catchments and evaluate new approaches to infrastructure. It is also important to improve water management (at system and farm levels) with the use of appropriate operating rules; improve agricultural practices; and strengthening institutional arrangements for river basin management. Agents (i.e. individuals/organisations) have an important role to play and are expected to promote understanding of climatic and other changes, their impacts, and coping mechanisms in the context of irrigated agriculture, and to make better use of short-term and seasonal forecasts of water availability and floods, and adapt crop and water management decisions accordingly.