Water Conservation for Livelihoods and Labour Constraints: A Case Study from Nepal
Cash crop production, increased demand for water and high workloads are raising concerns about the sustainability of intensive farming systems in Nepal. Water conservation technologies are seen as a potential option for producing off-season cash crops, and reducing water demand and labour for water collection. Their appropriateness was evaluated from biophysical and social perspectives by combining hydrometric monitoring, gender and water use surveys and field trials of drip irrigation systems. Results demonstrated domestic and irrigation water shortages prevalent from March to June, and an increased demand for water as farmers move towards market-based production. Women’s workloads were high, 13.5 hours per day, necessitating labour reduction as a condition for small-scale water projects. Low cost drip irrigation trials quantified high water use efficiency under a deficit water regime, and capital costs could be paid off in the first crop. Labour was a significant component of variable costs making efficient technologies attractive as demonstrated by the 100+ systems adopted in the watershed since the trials in
2001.
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