Back to news
6 May 2016 | Water

Tackling Water Scarcity in Barshong

2 mins Read

70% Complete

A team of officials from ICIMOD and the District Agriculture Office in Tsirang visited Himalica pilot sites in Barshong, Bhutan, from 21 March to 8 April 2016 to sensitize local farmers on water management practices. The activity was based on the findings of rapid water assessments conucted in Barshong under Tsirang Dzongkhag in 2015.

Responding to the interest shown by farmers during the rapid asssessment,  the team demonstrated key methods like  rainwater harvesting system, plastic-lined conservation pond, sprinkler irrigation, and drip irrigation system to the farmers. Barshong suffers from water scarcity, and the problem is compounded by the lack of effective water management among farmers.

The visiting team dug and demonstrated six plastic-lined conservation ponds of varying sizes in all the five communities of Barshong Gewog. The total landholding of a household was the determining factor for the construction of plastic lined ponds. The smallest plastic-lined pond (4 x 3 m, 1.2 m deep) can store upto 14, 000 litres of water.

With the ponds ready, farmers are now waiting for silpauline sheets, which must arrive soon as monsoon is around the corner. Farmers might lose interest in experimenting with the technology if the sheets don’t arrive in time. Further, rainwater collected in the pond without silpauline sheets could seep into the soil, causing damage to the surrounding land.

During the visit, the team also explored the possibility of protecting drinking water sources in the community and found several perennial water sources that could be protected, for example, in upper Barshong. Unfortunately, most water sources are located in private land and landowners are reluctant to cooperate for long-term water source protection through gully plugging, fencing the catchment area, and plantation.

The issue was discussed at length with the chief district agricultural officer, Pema Choifil. He agreed to “cross-examine the ownership of the land title with the district land record section.“ He said that even if the water source falls within private land, the Water Act of Bhutan could provide some leeway for protection work. “This is a serious issue and needs to be discussed at the Gewog and the district assembly,“ he added.

The team also assessed goat farming groups and vegetable production groups, as well as the improved goat sheds, bio-digesters, and rural market access in all communities. A total of 22 households have received material support to build improved goat sheds. Half of them have already begun work. Similarly six households have received material support to build bio-digesters.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

26 Feb 2015 News
Partners review progress of Koshi Basin Programme at IGSNRR, Beijing, China

The workshop was jointly organized by IGSNRR and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain ...

26 Jul 2018 News
ICIMOD-Bhutan Partnership Day Celebrated

Prior to the board meeting, participants traveled to Haa and inaugurated an air quality monitoring station at Chelela. Dasho Rinzin Dorji, ...

25 May 2015 News
ICIMOD provides relief to earthquake-affected local staff

In the aftermath of the Great Earthquake of 25 April that ripped through north-central Nepal, ICIMOD put together ...

8 Jun 2016 Livelihoods
Nepal’s Allo Value Chain Goes Green

More and more products and services today pass through a global value chain to reach consumers. The goal of optimising ...

18 Feb 2015 News
ICIMOD and Aaranyak monitor and improve the CBFEWS in Assam, India

The team assessed and modified the existing equipment at the installation sites in Dihiri ...

17 Apr 2019 Cryosphere
HKH Science News: Conventional models for glacier melt calculation may not work in High Mountain Asia environments

The conventional approach of using temperature index models for modelling glacier ablation requires few input variables and relies on simple ...

30 Jul 2015 Atmosphere Initiative
Emerging platform for atmospheric scientists

Convective clouds change the distribution of air pollutants, washing out some with rainfall while transporting others high into the upper ...

River basin approach demands coordination among multidisciplinary agencies: interview with Prem Paudel, Chief of the Planning Section, DSCWM

Prem Paudel is Chief of the Planning Section, Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management, Ministry of ...