Climate Change Causes Water Scarcity in Gandaki Province

Pokhara. It sounds strange, but the water basins with the highest and lowest rainfall in Nepal meet in the same river. Lwang, Kaski is the place with the highest rainfall, and Kagbeni, Mustang is the place with the lowest rainfall. Both places fall within the Kaligandaki watershed. The world does not have such seasonal diversity in such a short geographical distance. Lwang receives an average annual rainfall of 5,451.7 millimeters. Rani Pauwa in Mustang, only a few kilometers away, has received a total of 245.4 millimeters of rain throughout the year. Locals in Dhe village in Mustang, just a few kilometers above Kagbeni, left their village 19 years ago due to lack of drinking water.

'The existing springs dried up due to drought. It was not possible to bring water from elsewhere,' says Pasang Gurung, who is also the ward chairman of Lo Gekhar Damodar Kund Rural Municipality, 'Due to lack of water, we moved from the old village to the lowlands in 2064 BS.' The Dhe village had 26 households. After they moved to Dhe Thanchung, they now use river water. This village, which falls under Ward No. 5 of the rural municipality, is currently inhabited by only 1-2 families seasonally for yaks and livestock. After people left, the historical and old houses there have become empty ruins.