This photo story was created for the International Water Management Institute on International Women's Day 2016. See the online story at International Women’s Day: How a water system may empower women in Nepal.
In Kaski district, Nepal, Debhu Pariyar helps her son Rajan clean his feet. Behind them, water taken from the same source and system is being used to irrigate tomato seedlings. The families of Kaski district rely on multiple-use water service systems (MUS) for their daily water needs. MUS are water delivery approaches that consider people and their needs as the starting point for designing and implementing water services, unlike single-use water systems that are only designed for one function.
MUS systems are also built with multiple needs and multiple users in mind. Lumle community member Ghita Devkota and MUS project coordinator Puspa Nepali explain how a double-sided fountain works. Since water runs to both sides of the fountain, one fountain can be shared. All 42 households in Lumle District 5, Nepal are supported by a single MUS system, making two taps per fountain a practical necessity. In other cases, users can choose to use one side of the fountain for drinking water, and attach a hose on the other side to be used for watering crops.
In Nepal alone, more than 280 MUS systems serving 60,000 people have been implemented in the last decade. Research shows that MUS are overall more sustainable than single-use systems according to IWMI researcher Floriane Clement. The MUS approach has greatly benefited community livelihoods and agricultural productivity. “People who used to borrow or trade for their neighbor’s crops are now able to grow and sell their own,” says trader Mina, taking crops from Lumle District 5’s collection center to the bigger market in Pokhara. Since implementing MUS in 2012, Lumle has been able to expand its vegetable production from basic staples to tomatoes, cucumbers, gourds, cauliflower, cabbage, chilies, beans and chayote.
But perhaps one of the biggest impacts of MUS systems are its benefits for women. Although water is widely available in the mountains of Nepal, access is often a different story. “Before, the women spent a lot of time fetching water,” says Sirjana. “Now we can spend more time with our families.” Since MUS systems simultaneously aid productive and domestic uses, implementing MUS means that women no longer have to walk long distances for water for chores such as washing, cooking, cleaning, and even for feeding and cleaning livestock.
Ghandi Gurunge waters the garden while her daughter plays nearby. Time saved in fetching water also means that women can expand their energies into agricultural activities. Many women like Ghandi have found that they can sell surplus vegetables to the market and are even able to save money. As women are the main caretakers of children, this money returns to and benefits the family and community. “We use the money to buy stationary for children and pay for education,” the Lumle women explain. As a result, children are going to school on time and spend more time studying. Women are able to use their agency and make decisions to further improve their community.
IWMI, iDE-Nepal, Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems Promotion Trust and partners attend a meeting with Lumle MUS network and community members. Despite women’s gains, women’s newfound roles occupy a complex place in their communities. Although women are empowered in some ways, they remain silenced in others. For example, although women are often the top agricultural producers of the community as well as household decision-makers, men are largely the ones to speak out and give presentations during meetings.
The women of Kaski district are able to find their voices in other ways. iDE-Nepal MUS project coordinator from Raj GC holds up a phone playing a recording of a poem that Sita, a woman of the community, wrote and read aloud. Sita talks about how MUS has changed her and her community. Although Sita’s voice is filtered through a recording, she is able to make herself heard in a way that may be more comfortable for her. IWMI researcher Stephanie Leder explores the nuances of women’s empowerment on Thrive Blog.
Raj Kumari Pariyar attends the International Workshop on MUS for Climate Resilience in Kathmandu, organized by iDE, FMIST, global MUS Group, IWMI and the government of Nepal. Part of the Kaski MUS network, Raj Kumari speaks at the workshop about her community’s experience with MUS. She affirms MUS systems’ benefits for women, especially highlighting the MUS impacts on sanitation, nutrition, agriculture, and education. Donors, organizations, community members, and governments are currently working together to further expand and upscale MUS in Nepal and beyond.
The MUS approach is indispensable in our steps towards climate resilience, food security, improved nutrition, sustainable agriculture and gender parity. MUS is a powerful approach to community-based water governance that not only implements multiple services but also multiple solutions as we work toward sustainable development goals SDG 1 (end poverty), SDG 2 (achieve food security, promote sustainable agriculture), SDG 13 (climate resilience), and SDG 5 (gender equality).