Research

Although Nepal is a small and landlocked country, it plays a significant role in South Asia’s water dynamics due to its glaciated Himalayas range making it the world’s second-richest country (after Brazil) in water resources. Nepal’s three largest river basin – Koshi, Gandaki, and Karnali – are crucial transboundary water sources. Despite Nepal’s abundant river water resources, Nepal faces significant challenges in river gauging. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) maintains only 94 gauging stations, which release real-time data solely on water levels, without providing discharge data. This lack of real-time discharge data and the absence of gauges in key river reaches has left Nepal under-resourced in water resource management.

To address these data gaps, this project will gather in situ discharge data using Acoustic Doppler Current Profile (ADCP) method across 16 sites in Southern Nepal. This will focus on collecting discharge data at 9 ungauged sites and enhancing the data from 7 existing DHM gauging stations, where the project will purchase, validate and improve data quality through ADCP measurements. Additionally, the project will also focus on hydrologic data collection along the Lower Koshi River’s 40-km stretch.

This project will contribute valuable insights for the SWOT discharge product, ultimately supporting improved hydrological forecasting and risk management for Nepal and downstream areas.