D. R. Joshi
Growing
and competing demands over thinly developed water-infrastructure have become
sever challenge to the effective management of abundant water resource in
Nepal. Water management issues have transgressed the boundaries of mere water
supply and sanitation and have entered into the broader sphere of development
agendas in both intra- and inter- national political and diplomatic dialogue
affecting entire development policy and process in Nepal. This paper seeks to
caste light to the shadowed part of water-politics in order to see whether it
has been accelerating or exacerbating overall development of Nepal.
The
'politics of water' in Nepal is not only associated to the increasing concern
about growing ‘water crises’ but also to the investment and management issues. The
unique characteristics as limitedness and decreasing level, water seems to be
unable to meet the enlarging demand of people, which indicates the need for
some management process. Water-management is highly technical and
capital-intensive process. Effective management of water resource to meet
developmental needs for poor economy like Nepal is almost impossible without
the involvement of bilateral and/or multilateral development partners. This
idea of management leads water to be more political since management is closely
linked with governance and it is the integral part of politics. The challenges
of political instability and fluctuating political equations within and outside
the country have put further pressure on the management of water resource.
Unstable
government and extending political transition have resulted in low development
of water-infrastructure consequently life giving water has been bringing misery
and deprivation either through ‘superabundance’ or through their ‘unusual low
flow’ along with huge economic potential in Nepal. Therefore, water resource
and its management captured the global attention since 2-3 decades in Nepal.
Water
has become an economic and political commodity due to rapid civilization and
increasing water scarcity. Equitable access to water is not possible and the
disparity of water among the stakeholders may cause either conflict or
cooperation between and among the parties in order to solve the problem.
Political
implication of water resource management in Nepal has become intense mainly because
of the lack of both financial resource and technological efficiency to make the
best use of water resource in the critical situations like crisis and
abundance. This inefficiency accompanied with vested interests of national and
international stakeholders has been leading to the regional imbalance and
security issue mainly with India, which finally has been extremely political.
India,
being regional power in South Asia, tries to establish monopoly over water
resource of its neighboring countries in order to extract benefits, address its
need and protect own land without bothering to collaborate with neighboring
countries. Such diplomacy is causing massive loss of fertile land, and
affecting millions of lives both in Bangladesh and in Nepal in South Asia.
Moreover, India thinks it has privilege over Nepalese water resource and puts
pressure over Nepal to prevent third country to get involved in hydro-projects.
While China and other western development partners try to get involve. Globalization
widened the way for free entry and exit for international donor community in
Nepal. Some donors want to invest for humanitarian purpose (attracted by poverty)
and other seen to invest for business purpose (attracted by huge hydro
capital). It has contributed to make issues regarding investment on and
management of water resource more intense and more political.
National politics and leading political philosophy along
with political leadership have significant role to play to strengthen national
interest through its policy and diplomacy. But national interest in Nepal have
been eroding due to the enlarging nepotism among Nepalese political leaders and
bureaucrats. As a result, Government has been unable to calculate significant
benefits and costs of hydro projects regarding society, politics, economy and
environment therefore history of water-resource management have become litany
of dashed-hopes.
Nepal
has huge water resources carrying almost 200,000 MW of hydropower potential. It
is regrettable for Nepal to produce around 900 MW during last century out of
estimated economically feasible hydropower potential of 43,000 MW electricity. It
provides electricity for 40 % people with recurrent load shedding ranging from
3 hours in wet-season to 19 hours in dry season even after hundred years of
first installment of hydropower plant in Pharping (500KW). Despite of its
abundant water resource, 20% people yet to have access to safe drinking water.
These data from different sources indicate the complex relation of
availability, scarcity and management of water resource in Nepal.
Implications related to water in Nepal arise in many
ways: sometimes due to commission, other time due to compensation, and
sometimes due to benefit sharing some other time national and international
power play. Political consensus remains at the core. These implications have
been constraining water management issues so as to halting over all
development.
Water relation between Nepal and India are extremely
political many treaties [Koshi Agreement(1954), Gandak
Agreement(1959), Tanakpur Agreement(1991) and Mahakali Treaty(1996) ] lacking implementation, and mutual
recrimination. The small-neighbor versus big-brother syndrome that pervades
relations in every sphere invariably arouses suspicion of unequal benefits.
Nepal and India share the water from the rivers like Mahakali in the West and
Kosi in the east and both of the parties involved have their own interests to
be fulfilled. All these issues with in Nepal and around the world related to
water are inherently political and causing various difficulties in managing the
water.
Finally, Nepal is divided in the hostile extremes:
poorest of the world (in terms of economic & development measures) and
richest of the world (in terms of the water resources) at the same time. This
very ironic juxtaposition has been the best nutrient for the political
implication of water management in Nepal. Extreme politics over water resources
in Nepal is constraining hydro development. Many people are seen to accuse
politics over water in Nepal. Politics is indispensable yet it would be wise
for Nepal to change the way of political bargaining. Political and diplomatic dialogues
must be backed-up with strong and relevant policy. Politics is source of all
social processes therefore it is important in the state formation in which
interests of individuals or groups are mediated. This is, of course,
conceptually well established in the social science literature, but needs to be
incorporated into the analysis of water resources management issues more
systematically in Nepal since Nepal is highly prone to be victim of the
political implications of Water due to its fragile politics, low absorptive
capacity and weak institutional base.
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