Impact of climate change on WASH services: a case from Nepal

Nepal is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, water-induced disasters and hydrometeorological extreme events such as droughts, landslides and floods. A recent study conducted in Nepal on the impact of climate change on WASH revealed reduced yield, decreasing rainfall trend, change in rainfall pattern, increasing temperature, and high vulnerability water supply and sanitation schemes to risks. As per users’ perception, yield of water sources reduced by 40% on average while analysis of secondary data revealed over 50% reduction in yield. This forced the communities to resort to different adaptive mechanisms including use of alternate/additional sources (28%), and introducing controlled water distribution mechanism (21%). Of the 49 schemes thoroughly assessed, 75% schemes have resorted to alternate sources to cope with the reduced yield. This paper will share the major findings from the study and highlight community led coping mechanisms to deal with climate induced changes.