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

30 Aug 2016 News
ICIMOD Highlights Transboundary River Management Agenda in Beijing

Two side events were organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in collaboration with Institute of Geographic Sciences ...

7 Jul 2017 News
ICIMOD DG Stresses South South Learning in National Science Foundation of China meeting

Molden addressed the importance of South-South learning to common regional mountain issues such as climate change and adaptation, mountain hazards ...

Managing Systems Under Stress: Solutions Presented at Third Indus Basin Knowledge Forum

Speaking at the event, David Molden, Director General of ICIMOD, spoke of the challenges mountain communities face—climate change, environmental degradation, ...

7 Feb 2020 KSL
Including neglected voices in natural resource management planning

Women are primary users of natural resources; yet their voices are rarely sought when plans are prepared to manage natural ...

14 Jan 2015 News
Radio Interview: Climate Change and Adaptation in Nepal

In his interview, Dr Shrestha clarified at the outset that ICIMOD is an intergovernmental organization, governed by a Board of ...

13 Jun 2017 Atmosphere Initiative
Creating New Data Sets for Emissions Inventory

In Nepal, many community forests are involved in the production of charcoal from forest materials generated from the annual cutting ...

Findings and learnings from the WeACT project in the Upper Koshi Basin

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are one of the most serious natural hazards in mountain regions, including the Upper Koshi ...

10 Jul 2018 CBFEWS
Local Communities Take Ownership of Flood Early Warning System

ICIMOD, partners, and local governments have come together to save lives from flash flooding by installing eleven such community-based flood ...