Water resources policy and administrative management

Dolphin (Platanista gangetica), the endangered freshwater mammal, is a rare site in the river systems of Nepal. Dolphins are occasionally seen in the major rivers such as the Koshi, the Narayani and the Karnali and the population is dwindling everyday. But one very interesting local phenomenon is that these Gangegtic dolphins locally named as Swanshun, are easily seen during rainy season in the Mohana river-one of the tributaries of the Karnali. This is the place where people can enjoy the site of dolphin playing in natural habitat from a very close range. In this vein, the Mohana river, which flows between Nepal and India boarder, is one of the critical habitats for the dolphin and hence there is a dire need to conserve this very freshwater ecosystem. Dolphins are known as Sons of river and cannot survive in a polluted freshwater thus often linked their existence with purity of water. On the other hand, the Rajis- indigenous fishermen communities reside in the bank of the Mohana river. Their traditional knowledge on this freshwater dolphin would also play a vital role in the conservation of the species. Fish poisoning is one of the common ways to harvest the fish, which poses major threat to the already endangered freshwater mammal and the transboundary water system. Thus the project aims to establish Community initiated Dolphin monitoring / protection mechanism and identify alternatives income-generating project to the local people, like eg: boar farming, vermicompost and boat construction and renting.

Nepal