Soil Conservation and Watershed Management in Baglung District

Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management has providing soil conservation and watershed management services to 61 districts of Nepal through its District Soil Conservation Offices. The Department had carried out a study to find out watershed condition of districts of Nepal. The study categorized the districts in 5 different watershed conditions such as very poor, poor, marginal, fairly good and good. According to the study, the watersheds in Baglung district are found in fairly good condition. However, in order to meet increasing demands of the growing population for food, fuel, fodder, timber and other non-timber forest products, the watershed resources, particularly land, forests and water are being over exploited and deteriorating the condition of watersheds in the district. This has brought rapid negative impacts on environment and the socio-economy in the form of soil erosion, landslides, floods, sedimentation, drought and decreased productivity.
The recognition of this critical situation, the government of Nepal initiated soil conservation and watershed management services in Baglung district by establishing District Soil Conservation Office under DSCWM in 2050 B.S. After the establishment, the DSCO Baglung had carried out a study to identify the number and status of sub-watersheds within the district. The study identified 40 sub watersheds and prioritized them according to the Guidelines developed by DSCWM for sub watershed prioritization. The basis for the sub-watershed prioritization was the level of land degradation and population pressure. Since its establishment, the DSCO had implemented soil conservation and watershed management programs in Lower Kathekhola, Upper Kathekhola A, Upper Kathekhola B, Theulekhola B, Theulekhola A, Timur khola, Balewa and Tallo Gaudi khola sub watersheds with the development assistance of Government of Nepal and various donor funded projects based on the principle of integrated watershed management.
Natural Resources Management Sector Assistance Programme (NARMSAP) had supported to carry out SCWM programs in Lower Kathekhola, Upper Kathekhola A and Upper Kathekhola B sub watersheds from the FY 2055/51 to 2060/61. Similarly, Community Development and Forest/ Watershed Conservation Project (CDFWCP) were implemented in Theule khola B, Theule khola A, Timur khola and Tallo Gaudi khola sub watersheds from the FY 2062/63 to 2071/72. Likewise, Participatory Watershed Management and Local Governance Project was implemented from the FY 2066/67 to 2069/70 in Balewa sub watershed with the support of Nepal Government and Japan International Co-operation Agency. At present, DSCO is implementing two SCWM projects namely District Soil Conservation Programme (DSCP) and CDFWCP. The DSCP is implementing in prioritized sub-watersheds and CDFWCP is in Lower Daram khola sub-watershed from the FY 2072/73.