Climate change, out-migration and agrarian stress: the potential for upscaling small-scale water storage in Nepal
Climate change could have a critical impact on agriculture in Nepal due to changes in the variability of water availability and associated uncertainty. In this context, small-scale water storage—most notably ponds and tanks—can moderate this variability. This report explores the potential role of small-scale storage infrastructure in two subbasins within the larger Koshi Basin in central and eastern Nepal. It is shown that upscaling small-scale storage requires an appreciation of the other drivers of change in agriculture aside from climate, and identifies the social relations and dynamics which could mediate in future interventions for their success.