Water resources policy and administrative management

Wetlands support a unique collection of globally-endangered flora and fauna. Wetland areas, moreover, embrace value for their religious and cultural significance, as well as their role in providing sustenance to some of Nepal s most marginalized communities (IUCN-Nepal, 2004). Jagadishpur reservoir, a wetland of international importance, is located in ward no 1, 3 and 4 of Niglihawa VDC of Kapilvastu district. Kapilbastu district has its religious and archaeological values due to birth place of Lord Gautam Buddha (the Tilaurakot). The Jadishpur Reservoir lies 10 km north from district headquarters, Taulihawa. Out of the 1634 wetlands globally recognized as Ramsar sites, 4 of them are in Nepal and Jagadispur Lake is one of them. It was declared Ramsar Site in September 2003. It is the man-made reservoir built in Banganga River in 1972 for irrigation purpose. It irrigates more than 6200ha of agriculture land. It is the largest reservoir in the country for irrigation purpose. The reservoir occupies an area of 217ha land of which 60ha is marshy land and 7 ha shrub land. The depth of water varies from 2-7 meters and the lake has capacity to reserve 4.7 million cubic liter of water. The reservoir is surrounded with structural dike around which there is agricultural land. There are two more small lakes situated near to the reservoir known as Sagarhawa and Niglihawa that serve as buffer habitat for the birds. The vegetation is mainly in a submerged succession stage with patches of floating species and reed swamp formation. Marsh meadows and extensive mudflat fringed by marsh lie in the site`s northern part. The terrestrial vegetation is dominated by plantation of Sisso (Delbergia sisso) and Khair (Acacia catechu) along the dike. The wetland vegetation consists of Morning Glory (Ipomea carnea sp fistulosa) and cattail (Typha anustifolia). The aquatic vegetation is represented by extensive coverage of floating leafed species mainly lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) followed by wild rice (Hygrorhiza aristata) and Pondweed (Potamogeton nodosus). The free floating species include water velvet (Azolla imbricata) and duckweed (Lemna sp.). The abundant submerged species include water Nymph (Naja minor) Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) and Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum). In reservoir, 25 fish species are recorded of 12 families and 7 orders including lowland Terai endemics (eg. Notopterus notopterus, Oxygaster bacaila) threatened Puntius chola and common species being prey for waders and water birds. The reservoir is serving as a buffer zone for birds` movement of 42 recorded species. The site provides important resistant, wintering and stopover habitats for waders, other water birds and small passerines. Noteworthy are the grebes, cormovants, herons and egrets (including the rare bitteren Lxobrychus cinensis), storks, ducks and geese, terns and gulls, birds of prey, rails, coot and waterhens, Jacanas as well as cranes and kingfishers. Jagadishpur reservoir also provides shelter for an assemblage of some rare, endangered species of birds like Indian Sarus Crane (Grus antigone antigone), stork species, Asian openbill (Amastomus oscitans), wolly-necked storkek (Ciconia episcopus) as well as the plants such as endangered Serpentine (Rauwolffia serpentine), rare pondweed (Pontamogeton lucens), threatened and religiously important Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), rare wild rice (Hygrorhiza aristata) etc. Despite its economical and ecological values, Jagadishpur wetland has been facing several threats such as over exploitation of products and resources, encroachment, habitat destruction, improper harvesting of resources like poisoning, and the introduction of exotic and invasive species into wetland ecosystems. Excessive growth of alien invasive species and weeds have increased the incidence of excessive natural eutrophication leading gradual conversion into marshy as well as grassland habitats. If the trend of habitat degradation is not reversed immediately in its natural condition there is a risk of losing a number of aquatic wetland dependent species. Other socio-economic issues such as poverty, inadequate awareness on values and function of wetland ecosystem, inadequate skills and trainings to generate income, lack of promotion of traditional best practices on sustainable wise use of wetland resources, over dependency of communities on wetlands due to lack of livelihood alternatives and illiteracy exacerbated the environmental degradation of wetlands and their resources. The project is envisaged to address those issues by improving awareness, developing skills to poor marginalized wetland dependent community and promoting the best traditional practices to enhance the wise use of wetland resources under active participation of local communities. Sustainable use of wetland resources and conservation of lake in favor of wetland dependant community is another important part of the project to manage the extracted weeds in the form of compost manure to promote organic crop production in the area at low cost. This may become demonstration project for better combinations of sustainable management of wetland resources in the context of community livelihood enhancement.

Nepal