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Building Capabilities for Green, Climate-Resilient and Inclusive Development in the Lower Koshi River Basin
The Koshi, a transboundary river originating in the Tibetan Plateau, crosses the Himalayas and flows through China, Nepal and India. It is 720km long and drains an area of approximately 74,500 km2. The Koshi is the largest river basin in Nepal, and one of three snowfed watersheds in the country.
The lower part of the river basin in Nepal spans the Terai (Nepal’s southern lowlands), and the Mid-hill and High-hill districts of eastern Nepal. Almost 8 million people living in the LKRB are at risk of being affected by the growing threat of climate change through further changes to the hydrological cycle. These changes can alter the magnitude, timing, and intensity of the region’s precipitation and affect evaporation. People living within the basin already face the challenge known as TMTL water, where communities are faced with floods, droughts and other water-induced hazards.
The challenge of TMTL water has distinct impacts on people in the LKRB. A large proportion of the population in the focus area rely on water-intensive activities like agriculture. With changing water availability patterns and growing hazards, people face greater challenges in building resilience to climate-induced disasters. Disadvantaged groups, particularly people with disabilities, face even higher risks.
Support municipalities in integrating Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) approaches into their planning and budgeting that are responsive to Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI).
Scale up GEDSI-responsive innovative DRR solutions and enterprises based on green, climate-resilient, and inclusive development (GRID).
We are partnering with local governments to integrate GEDSI principles into DRR plans, ensuring these plans are inclusive and responsive to the needs of disadvantaged groups, including women and people with disabilities.
With water as an entry point, we are building the capacity of communities and key decision-makers to scale innovative solutions like Nature-based Solutions, responsible tourism, and sustainable watershed management to tackle climate challenges and create a safer environment. In addition, by implementing Community-Based Flood Early Warning Systems (CBFEWS), we are empowering local communities to manage risks and adapt to changing climate conditions.
We are developing and integrating innovative GRID-based value chains to diversify income sources and promote entrepreneurship benefiting disadvantaged communities, especially women and youth.
We are enhancing the capacity of local government to implement the mandated Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) in 11 municipalities to ensure fair resource allocation and GEDSI inclusive decision making.
HI-GRID is supported by the Australian Government and implemented by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), local government organisations and project partners to enhance resilience towards Too Much and Too Little (TMTL) water in the Lower Koshi River Basin in Nepal.
