The overall objective of the study is to prepare a comprehensive report on flood, drought and climate throughout the country where WECS intend to recommend/assist in formulating new policies and strategies based on the report to the concerned Ministries.
As a large percentage (about 33%) of Nepal’s gross domestic product (GDP) is supported by agricultural productivity, an understanding of implications of flood and drought, their extremes and associated climates is vital to the development of the country. Due to huge variation in the topography of Nepal (64m in Terai to 8848 in the Himalaya), the river morphology, precipitation patterns and climate have wide variations. The rivers in the plain cause damages every monsoon season and thus flood is considered as the most common water induced disaster. On the Other hand, very less precipitation in the winter season causes a remarkable drought in Nepal. Suitable and sustainable measures need to be taken to reduce disaster risk due to flood, drought and associated climate. “End poverty in all its forms everywhere” is the first and the most prioritized Sustainable Development Goal and disaster risk reduction is considered as an important task to alleviate poverty in the country as stated in the periodic plans of the Government of Nepal (GoN).
The inventory of historical flood, drought and associated climate, the analysis of the causes of their occurrence, inventory of associated disaster and their probability of occurrence, inventory need to be documented through a scientific approach/methodology. This will not only help to manage disaster risk reduction but also to provide a basis for an economy-wide modeling framework of the country.
Through this study, WECS intends to prepare a report on analysis of flood, drought and related climate studies throughout Nepal.