An Examination of Gained Access to Improved Water Sources and Sanitation in Rural vs. Urban Nepal

Nepal is a landlocked country similar in size to the state of Arkansas. It has a current population totaling more than 27 million, the vast majority of which live in rural areas under precarious conditions. In stark contrast to its renowned cultural wealth, it is monetarily one of the world’s poorest nations, with an estimated GDP of $524 per capita. Not only is it in comparative destitution financially, but despite the abundant water resources flowing from the Himalaya it has the dubious distinction of having the most pitiable drinking water and sanitation in all of South Asia. Though recently there has been much growth and development in the country, Nepal’s citizens continue to face significant challenges related to water scarcity/pollution and inadequate sanitation.

The rural water dilemma:

Although it is estimated that most Nepalese have access to water (latest estimates are about 80%), the impoverished groups of the population residing in rural, highland areas suffer from limited access. The country’s extreme topography in these remote regions oftentimes means that those depending on the small brooks running from the mountains must spend hours traveling great and sometimes dangerous distances to water sources. In the rural lowlands the groundwater wells are often highly polluted with a variety of agricultural waste runoff and fecal contaminants, not to mention the presence of arsenic in many areas where deeper wells are being dug in response to receding water tables.

The urban water dilemma:

The quantity of drinking water from surface as well as ground water sources is of growing concern in urban Nepal. As urbanized areas undergo unprecedented growth due to a strong influx of people from surrounding rural communities, water demand in the cities is not being met. The pressure exerted on the fixed supply is on the rise day by day, and unfortunately the water quality aspect is often ignored in attempting to fulfill the gap. The surface water is non-potable for a number of reasons, most often due to pollution by industry and domestic waste, along with discharge of untreated sewage from tightly packed residential neighborhoods that seeps into rivers and lakes which are the primary sources of drinking water.

The sanitation dilemma:

Sanitation is measured in terms of availability of sewerage and toilet facilities, and in Nepal the score is quite low at 27%. Urban sanitation, including toilet access, wastewater management, and drainage, is a major problem in all municipalities in Nepal. While 76% of the urban population has access to toilets, the remaining 24% use open spaces such as riverbanks and fields for defecation. Even among those who have toilets, many practice open defecation for convenience and maintenance cost reasons. In terms of feces disposal, it is estimated that 35% of the toilets are linked to drainage or sewerage systems, 55% discharge into septic tanks, and the remaining 10% into open drains and ditches. Regardless, it is common knowledge that in all cases the septage is eventually pumped to and discarded in the same rivers and lakes many citizens use for bathing and washing clothes. Rural sanitation is an even larger issue, as access to toilets is all but diminished in most areas, and open defecation pollutes the same riverbanks, lakeshores and fields that people use for bathing, washing clothes and growing food. Across both demographics, the lack of adequate facilities obviously leads to unhygienic living conditions and further results in the rampant spread of disease. Health concerns:

One of the major impacts associated with unsafe water and inadequate sanitation is compromised public health. It is a widely accepted fact that the use of water contaminated with fecal coliform poses risks to human health in the form of water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, gastroenteritis, cholera, and hepatitis. Children under the age of five bear a disproportionate burden of these infections, with 44,000 Nepalese youngsters suffering and eventually succumbing each year. For this reason it is obvious why the eradication of this problem is a major focus of the U.N. Millennium Goals. Difficult Solutions:

The establishment and maintenance of water treatment facilities throughout a country as highly disaster-prone as Nepal is limited, with several types of natural hazards affecting different geological zones annually. These threats inflict a varying degree of damage to existing and newly constructed water supply and sanitation infrastructure. The remote, rural regions that sustain the vast majority of people are quite vulnerable to flooding and landslides which continually damage rudimentary drinking water systems and sanitation facilities. The infrastructure of the highly urbanized regions which sustain the remaining population (such as the Kathmandu valley) is similarly susceptible to destruction from frequent earthquakes. In addition, the extreme topography of Nepal is a challenge in itself and determines which areas can be accessed and the methods used to ensure safe drinking water and improved sanitation. Technologies are chosen that are appropriate to local conditions, affordable and easy to set up and maintain by the communities themselves. These conditions, along with population dynamics resulting from rural migration to densely-packed city centers, are affecting the path to success with regards to the millennium goals.

Maps produced by Gary Horton Jr.GEOG 2100 (Maps and Measurements)Final Project12.7.2011