Nepal’s rural communities have been rocked by a long series of political, socio-economic and environmental shocks. The earthquake disaster in 2015, which killed 9,000 people and destroyed the livelihoods of countless more, prompted a new recovery approach aimed at leaving communities better able to withstand future crises.

Purnima, a post-earthquake recovery programme, was set up in 2017 through UK aid to the government of Nepal and implemented by Mott MacDonald. With newly elected, enthusiastic local governments in place, it was an opportunity to create a more systematic approach to tackling climatic and socio-economic threats.

The five-year programme gave us time to test new ideas for securing reliable water supplies, diversifying livelihoods, strengthening infrastructure and encouraging private enterprise. We also had time to put more rigorous local planning, governance and delivery systems into practice in a way that can be repeated across Nepal.

Less climate dependency

To make sound decisions, local governments needed comprehensive databases of information on the state of infrastructure and the socio-economic and environmental conditions on the ground. This now exists across 22 municipalities. Better quality data and understanding of risks is helping officials to develop sensible, integrated development plans. It also means that the most at-risk groups are being identified and offered assistance.

Take access to water - a perennial problem in rural Nepal and one that is becoming harder to manage due to climate change. Action was needed to improve water security given the long-term trend for springs to dry up and landslides threatening water systems.

Purnima has prepared WASH master plans in 10 municipalities and detailed implementation plans for nearly 200 schemes. These set out steps for monitoring changing flows in water sources, planning how to protect and recharge them and using landslide hazard maps to understand risks to pipelines. New software to aid the design of increasingly complex rural water supply systems was also designed.

Investment in water supplies went hand in hand with investment in irrigation systems. This is helping communities to grow high value crops — tomatoes, cauliflower and ginger — in greenhouses with little water. The result is less dependence on rainfed crops grown on small terraces, which are increasingly unreliable and unprofitable.

Investment in roads as well as safe trails and bridges to remote areas destroyed by the 2015 earthquake is also providing people with reliable access to markets where they can sell produce or seek jobs outside the agriculture sector.

Wider opportunities

Purnima has taken steps to improve the lives of the most vulnerable in society by strengthening water and irrigation systems, advising on climate resilient farming techniques, and diversifying livelihoods into non-farming areas that are not dependent on climate.

The project has secured the supply and access to safe drinking water for more than 100,000 people, with excess water used in kitchen gardens to enhance local nutrition and grow surpluses for sale at market.

Purnima has also been successful in widening access to reliable employment in other sectors and encouraging entrepreneurship. Around 200 micro and small enterprises have been created across 23 municipalities, creasing high quality, climate-safe employment. We have also worked with the government and banks to ensure that more private sector businesses are able to access loans as well as contribute to government revenue through taxes.

One of the main successes of Purnima has been to ensure that local governments have inclusive and sustainable development policies, and the know-how to put plans into action. This should ensure ongoing improvements in climate resilience and socio-economic progress once the project comes to an end in March 2022.

Many innovative ideas from the programme have already been adopted by Nepal’s ministries and their partners, and will be rolled out across the country.