Koshi Basin Initiative

Gender lens in the KBI

Water is a gendered issue, particularly in the mountain areas of the Hindu Kush Himalaya. Inequalities between men and women, characterized most acutely by women’s lack of control over and limited access to productive resources, make women and girls in the region more vulnerable to the impacts of water-related disasters, water scarcity, and related energy and food insecurity.

At the same time, they also have a wealth of local knowledge on managing water resources and play a crucial role in mitigating water-related disaster risks. However, because of traditional social norms, their contributions to sustainable water management and disaster risk reduction are often overlooked or undervalued.

Gender equality is a prerequisite for sustainable development, and women are key change agents in building stronger and more resilient communities in the Koshi River Basin. In the HKH region where many men from rural villages migrate for work, this issue is even more critical.

Because of this ICIMOD’s, Koshi Basin Initiative prioritizes gender across its programme design, planning, and implementation for sustainable impacts that improve the lives and livelihoods of communities in the basin.

Download the adjacent infographics

ICIMOD video series

Reviving the Drying Springs

Communities in the mid-hills of Nepal – perched high above rivers and streams in steep mountain valleys – depend on springs. Spring water supply is used for drinking, irrigation, and livestock, and it also supports the local economy during the long dry season. These communities need springs to survive, and to thrive.

ICIMOD video series

Reaching the Most Vulnerable

A community-based flood early warning system along the Ratu watershed of southeast Nepal is helping ensure women get flood information when they need it, and transforming the way they think about floods and their own disaster preparedness.

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यो अंकमा सुक्दै गएको पानीको स्रोत र संरक्षणका लागि भएका प्रयासहरुबारे तयार पारिएका सामग्रीहरु देखाउने छौँ ।

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Topic: Effect of Climate change plus Dwindling of springs & ponds in mid hills