Spring revival
Springshed management help improve water security and climate resilience for communities facing domestic water shortage.
Summarised
- Increased demand for water, together with intensive rainfall and land-degradation, prevents groundwater recharging causing natural springs to dry out.
- Limited access to water is a challenge for agriculture, livelihoods, and biodiversity in the Hindu Kush Himalaya.
- Springs can be revived and sustained using local and scientific knowledge.
- Women´s participation in spring revival and water management is crucial to avoid inequalities.
- Long-term water security needs to be considered in development activities such as road construction, logging, and groundwater mining.
What is the issue?
Water is sustaining all human, animal, and plant life. For farmers, the dependency on water is strong since both livestock and crops depend on it. In the Hindu Kush Himalaya, most rain falls during the months between June to September. During the rainy season the groundwater reservoirs are recharged, securing access to water from springs in the dry season.
Why is it important?
Natural springs are important sources of water for households in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. Unfortunately, springs are drying up. This has serious consequences for peoples’ livelihoods and make women´s job of fetching water more burdensome, since they need to walk and carry water for longer distances.
One important cause for the dried-up springs is a higher frequency of intensive rainfall. When a lot of rain falls in a short period of time, most of the water run-off and do not trickle down to recharge the groundwater. Deforestation and land degradation can make this problem bigger since vegetation helps the soil absorb water.
How do we solve the issue?
Dried-out springs can be revived. This often requires expert knowledge about the hydrological system in an area, but also local knowledge about the springs. Data collection and monitoring of the water levels over time is also needed. Other interventions are focusing on collecting or slowing down rainwater, for instance by digging ponds or restoring degraded land with trees and other types of vegetation.
Does it really work?
There are good examples of spring revival in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. In Sikkim, India, more than 50 springs and five lakes have been revived. Thanks to this initiative supported by the local government, farmers in the area also have better access to water and can grow a larger variety of fruits and vegetables, which is an improvement for both their income sources and food security.
“It used to take one minute to fill a litre bottle but now it takes only 15 to 18 seconds”
Rashmi Dhakal – community resource person from Kavre, Nepal
