ALBERT

Description: This paper analyses the role of the principle of downstream benefit sharing under international water law regime in the management of cross-border water courses. This paper argues that the principle of downstream benefit sharing may play a key role in wiping away the long-existing distrust between countries as well as hold the potential to usher in a new phase of cooperation between riparian neighboring countries, such as Nepal and India. If pursued in good faith the downstream benefit principle would enjoin erstwhile losers of the vast potential to a cooperative mechanism where they could find themselves in a win-win situation. The Budhi Gandaki Storage Project presents a unique opportunity for employing this new paradigm of cooperation between two countries: Nepal and India. In this paper, we present the example of India that is facing a water and energy crisis for which it may ease to a considerable extent its problem by depending on Nepal for these resources. Downstream benefit sharing may provide India an opportunity to gain the confidence of the Nepalese people for developing many hydro projects with or without water augmentation resulting into multiple benefits downstream in India. Employing the downstream benefit sharing principle might requirere visiting treaties like Gandak Project Agreement.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hn.v14i0.11267HYDRO Nepal JournalJournal of Water, Energy and EnvironmentVolume: 14, 2014, JanuaryPage: 59-64

Description: This paper discusses how an upper riparian country can establish its water right of fulfilling own water needs through development of a transboundary river in a contested terrain of water management. Citing the case of the development of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and adoption of the Declaration of the Principles by the Eastern Nile Basin States, this paper highlights the major lessons that South Asia need to learn to achieve water security in the region through cooperation. This paper further argues that if, economically weak upstream riparian country, Ethiopia can initiate such an important and strategic project, then Nepal must also be in similar position to fulfill own demand without causing significant harm, rather benefiting the downstream countries. Like Egypt and Sudan, the lower riparian countries Bangladesh and more importantly India need to be in a position to acknowledge the downstream benefit principle. This paper states that without cooperation among riparian states of the Ganges basin, the sustainable development of the region seems limited. HYDRO Nepal JournalJournal of Water Energy and EnvironmentIssue: 21, July, 2017Page: 17-24Upload Date: July 18, 2017

Description: Despite the ‘immense’ water resources available, Nepal has not been able to transform this abundance of water resources into desired economic growth and societal welfare. This paper attempts to analyze the reasons for such incessant challenges that loom over water resources development in Nepal. This paper finds that it is not the resource that limits the development of water resources, but the approaches and wishes that are framed on the foundation of persistent myths. Analyzing those myths, this paper highlights the realities in water resources management of Nepal, and suggests that without dismantling the existing myths, the sustainable development of water resources seems limited.HYDRO Nepal JournalJournal of Water, Energy and Environment Issue: 23Year: 2018

Description: In mid June 2013 there was a cloud outburst in northern Uttarakhanda, India and far western region of Nepal, due to simultaneous activation of monsoon arms one from Bay of Bengal in the east and other from the southwest. There was 322mm of rainfall in Uttarakhanda during the week 13-19 of June 2013 (847% of the nor-mal rainfall of Uttrakhanda for this period). The extreme ?ood event caused thousands of human lives lost and several billions of property damages in India and extensive damages in Nepal. The Mahakali River a border river between India and Nepal caused very heavy damages in several places in Nepal's Darchula and also in Dodhara and Chandhani, the Nepali settlements in west side Mahakali River.  Contribution of Dhualiganga a tributary of the Mahakali River where a 280 MW hydro plant with 6.2 million cubic meters of storage reservoir capacity is constructed by India for the severity of flash flood in the region cannot be overlooked. The sudden spillway gate opening from this reservoir added the already very heavy floods in Mahakali that devastated Darchula the district HQ of Darchula. More than 100 houses in Darchula were washed away by the big flood event. However, India was quick to refute the charge of sluice-gate-opening of the Dam and stated that the disaster in Darchula was not caused by the dam opening. Detailed Investigation is yet to be done.  This papers analyses the events surrounding the 17-18 June catastrophic flood causing wide spread damages in Darchula District Head Quarter. Both the countries need to work honestly for mutual benefit especially for minimising the effects of any disasters in the future.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hn.v13i0.10043HYDRO NEPA LJournal of Water, Energy and EnvironmentIssue No. 13, July 2013Page: 57-63Uploaded date: 3/13/2014