Introduction
General
The Ministry Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI) has three departments namely Department of Water Resources and Irrigation (DoWRI), Department of Electricity Development (DoED) and Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM). Several organizations under the ministry are Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), Water Resource Research and Development Center (WRRDC), Ground Water Resources Development Board (GWRDB), Alternate Energy Promotion Center (APEC), Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Vidhyut Utpadan Company Limited, Rastriya Prasaran Grid Company Limited, Hydroelectricity Investment and Development Company Limited.
Government employees under the ministry and offices under it including employees who have a direct link with water resources development and management require short term and medium term training related to their job for their efficient performance and development of professionalism. Currently, MoEWRI does not have such training institute. In the view of the importance of such institute and for the research and development works in Water Resource Sector, "Water Resource Research and Development Centre (WRRDC)" with training, laboratory and research facilities under the direct supervision of Secretary (the then secretary of Ministry of Irrigation) was established in 2015 AD (2072 B). Now the center is under direct supervision of the Secretary (Water Resources and Irrigation) under the Ministry Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI).
Background
Agriculture in Nepal has long been based on subsistence farming, particularly in the hilly regions where peasants derive their living from fragmented plots of land cultivated in difficult conditions. Government programs to introduce irrigation facilities and fertilizers have proved inadequate, their delivery hampered by the mountainous terrain. Population increase and environmental degradation have ensured that the minimal gains in agricultural production, owing more to the extension of arable land than to improvements in farming practices, have been canceled out. Once an exporter of rice, Nepal now has a food deficit.
Approximately two third of the population is involved in agriculture, which constitutes 34 percent of GDP. The seasonal nature of farming leads to widespread underemployment, but programs to grow cash crops and encourage cottage industries have had some success over the years. Two-ninths of the total land is cultivated, of which 1.4 million hectares produced 4.5 million metric tons of the staple crop of rice in 2013. Wheat and maize together take up a similar portion of the available land, with harvests of 2 million metric tons and 1.7 million metric tons, respectively, in 2013. Production of cash crops increased substantially till 2013, and sugarcane, oilseed, tobacco, and potatoes (a staple food in some areas) were the major crops. Agricultural production accounted for about three-fourths of total exports in the late 2010s. Most exports consist of primary agricultural produce which goes to India. In general, the majority of Nepalese farmers are subsistence farmers and do not export surplus; this does not prevent a minority in the fertile southern Terai region from being able to do so. Most of the country is mountainous, and there are pockets of food-deficit areas. The difficulties of transportation make it far easier to export across the border to India than to transport surplus to remote mountain regions within Nepal.
Government efforts to boost the agricultural economy have focused on easing dependence on weather conditions, increasing productivity, and diversifying the range of crops for local consumption, export, and industrial inputs. Solutions have included the deployment of irrigation, chemical fertilizers, and improved seed varieties, together with credit provision, technical advice, and limited mechanization. This has had some effect. Land under irrigation increased from 6,200 hectares in 1956 to 1,331,521 hectares in 2013. The use of chemical fertilizers, introduced in the 1950s, climbed to about 177,000 metric tons by 2013. Still, the weather continues to determine good and bad years for the average farmer.
In particular, the government has heavily invested in expanding irrigation area by developing sources for farming water such as weir/barrages or pumping stations. Many large/medium/small irrigation schemes including inter-basin water transfer projects are being built and much more are on their way. Moreover, the department of irrigation is keeping hands in dam projects such as Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project where two dams (one 24m high and one 90m high) are proposed. In coming years, it is essential to building various irrigation facilities such as a dam or a reservoir to harness water resources of the country and to increase the supply of irrigation water. For the construction of these irrigation facilities, it is necessary to test and analyze a variety of soil and materials, and the results are important to manage the quality of each stage in the process of design and construction.
For material testing services, WRRDC has got a hydraulic laboratory at Godawari, Lalitpur with River simulation model facility, Debris flow simulation model facility, Landslide simulation model facility, Soil testing facility and Concrete testing facility.
Apart from laboratory facilities, another missing aspect in MoEWRI and its affiliated organizations is training to its employees. The department of irrigation (DoWRI) does conduct some training for their staff but these trainings are not sufficient enough to enhance the capacity building process. In this regard, it is of utmost importance that MoEWRI, with a mandate to develop irrigation facilities in the country and to control water induced disaster, shall organize training on the requirement basis to its affiliated technical staffs. In addition to that, its new employees shall be given service entry introductory training as soon as they are appointed. Furthermore, MoEWRI and its affiliated staffs shall be given subjective training in every discipline which may be of long term, medium term or short term nature.
Nowadays, climate change and its impact on water resources are coming into picture most of the times. Climate change may result in heavy rainfall resulting in flooding which can damage irrigation and river control structures, and increase soil erosion. Additionally, areas that experience more frequent droughts will have less water available for crops. Many workshops, seminars, and training in relation to climate change are being organized in the country. Considering the above, WRRDC, a separate unit is established under MoEWRI to take care of the issue and to make study and research related to climate change and to share its outcome to its stakeholders like DoWRI, GWRB etc. which will assist in designing projects.
Statement of Needs
The government has given top priority to the expansion of irrigated area to improve the agricultural economy, increase food sufficiency and to improve the livelihood of local farmers. For the expansion of irrigated area, DoWRI has to design and implement new projects which involve construction of barrage, dam or a reservoir or some inter-basin water transfer project. Every stage of design and implementation of such irrigation facilities requires testing and analysis of soil and material, introduction of innovative technology like TBM Tunneling technology. In addition to that, large multipurpose schemes require physical modeling before constructing the structure in a site, which tends to improvise the final design. Likewise, climate change is a burning issue at present and it certainly has some impacts on water resources. Having climate change and research unit in WRRDC will definitely assist in project design.
In areas where groundwater potential is high, the resource is also being harnessed through shallow and deep tube wells. Quality of ground water has a great impact on its use for irrigation. Thus, the use of groundwater calls for water quality testing.
Currently, hydraulic laboratory at Godawari, Lalitpur has got few basic and material testing equipment. Many of the equipment have completed their useful life and have been scrapped or in the process of being scrapped. Many others are outdated and cannot provide accuracy and precision needed to do test and research and are affecting the quality of laboratory testing. Additionally, there is no soil test facility in the laboratories. The laboratory lacks sufficient space to carry out physical modeling.
As mentioned above, (DoWRI) does conduct some training for their staff but these trainings are not sufficient enough to enhance the capacity building process. In addition to that, MoEWRI does not have such center as other ministries do have for e.g. ministry of forest and soil conservation, postal service department etc. In this regard, it is of utmost importance that MoEWRI, with a mandate to develop irrigation facilities in the country and to control water induced disaster, shall organize trainings for capacity development on the requirement basis to its affiliated technical staffs.
In the view of above discussion, WRRDC has been established with research and development in water resources sector and advanced training and laboratory facilities.