Peace and Water in the Khumbu
Mitigating Conflict by Integrating Peacebuilding Tools into an Indigenous Water Management Framework
ABSTRACT: According to the United Nations Development Program, indigenous and traditional peoples are often ignored in water management decisions, unequally treated in conventional water management systems, and disproportionately affected by water conflicts and crises. Environmental peacebuilding is an emerging field representing a paradigm shift from associating environmental problems as sources of conflict to using natural resources as a potential catalyst for building peace within and among communities. Threats of climate change and increasing foreign tourism have extraordinary impacts on drinking water quality and availability for the indigenous and local people of the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP), Nepal. The purpose of this study is to expand on six years of previous water quality research of the SNP, focusing on local indigenous water management practices and the dynamic relationship between water management and peace. Using a mixed-methods research approach, this study intends to: (1) understand local perceptions and attitudes regarding water resource management; (2) identify possible conflicts associated with water resources; and (3) develop community action strategies and a community-based plan of action to address water quality issues related to conflict. The methodology used in this study to conduct conflict analysis and understand local perceptions of water management in the SNP includes: extensive literature review, tourist and household surveys, key informant (KI) interviews, and annual focused community discussions. Introducing peacebuilding tools into the existing water management framework in the SNP can facilitate conflict prevention, mitigation, resolution, and recovery that will build Sherpa community resilience.The goal of this research is to conduct result producing water management assessments that honor the unique language, culture, and history of the Sherpa community.
Introduction
The Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) of Nepal is a protected UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the ‘top of the world’ - Mt. Everest. The SNP or ‘Khumbu’, as it is known to the indigenous Sherpa peoples, is one of the most visited national parks in Nepal.
Sagarmatha National Park:
- 56,303 foreign tourists in 2018 (Ministry of C.T.& C.A 2019)
- Home to indigenous Sherpa people
- Population: around 6000 people (3,000-4,000 Sherpa)
- Controversial governance distribution: National government, Sherpa, and local Military
A buddhist stupa in the mountainous terrain of the SNP.
Natural Resource Governance of the SNP:
- NPWCA 1973: restricted hunting, mining, logging, grazing, and stream diversion
- Buffer Zone designation in 2008
- Sagarmatha National Park Authority- manages the park for the national gov.
- Sherpa own legal titles to houses, farmland, and grazing land
- SNP is a successful example of an Indigenous Community Conserved Area (ICCA)
- Koshi Integrated Basin Management- Introduced IWRM across Nepal, India, China (ICIMOD 2021)
Previous Related Research
In May of 2014, I began water quality research in the SNP as part of an undergraduate field study led by Dr. Kirsten Nicholson. My time in Nepal consisted of two research trips in May and November of 2014, culminating in a Master of Science in Geology thesis (2016). Dr. Nicholson continues to lead water quality and accessibility projects in the SNP. The proposed project will be an integral part of developing community involvement and cohesiveness with Dr. Nicholson’s ongoing efforts in securing sustainable clean drinking water solutions for the people of the Khumbu.
Map of SNP with sample locations from drinking water analysis research (Hayes 2016).
Dr. Carolyn Dowling and students collecting physical parameters data in the field. (May 2014)
The Problem
Nepal is a country in a state of post-conflict political unrest. A decade-long armed conflict (1996-2006), the forging of a new democratic constitution (2015), and the impacts of devastating earthquakes (April 2015) and other natural disasters have resulted in conflicts related to environmental distress, a skewed governance distribution amongst caste systems, and poor management of natural resources.
The Conservation Outlook Assessment of the SNP (IUCN 2017) identified that increasing tourism and the effects of climate change are the two highest threats to conservation in the region. Both threats have extraordinary impacts on drinking water quality and availability for the indigenous and local people living in the SNP and beyond.
Child waits by communal water spout while mother tends to washing needs.
Significant research and international attention has been focused on SNP, however, a holistic approach to addressing the suite of threats in relation to World Heritage values is needed.- IUCN 2020
Purpose Statement:
Utilizing a mixed methods research approach, this study seeks to evaluate water management practices and identify possible sources of water related conflict in the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP), Nepal. This study expands on previous water quality research in the SNP, where connections with members of the Sherpa community have already been forged and sustained.
Water resources in the Khumbu have many functions including uses in agriculture, households, tourism, religion, and hydropower.
Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM)
Integrated Water Resource Management is an approach to water resources development, and broadly water resources governance, that focuses on participatory decision-making processes and spaces for managing shared water and related resources that respect the legitimate needs of all water-users and other stakeholder groups, including the environment. (GWP 2009)
Four main principles of IWRM (GWP 2009)
- IWRM ToolBox: 60 tools of theory regarding the three key themes of IWRM: A) Enabling Environment, B) Institutional Arrangements, and C) Management Instruments.
- Conservation policies and management in Nepal have more recently been driven by NGOs and community partnerships encouraging the practice of IWRM.
- IWRM is an appropriate strategy for use across Nepal, despite the varying terrains, ecosystems, and socioeconomic arrangements (Khanna et al. 2016)
Environmental Peacebuilding
Environmental peacebuilding includes a range of concepts, approaches, processes and activities that help transform conflict into peace through environmental cooperation:
- Building trust and mutual respect
- Facilitating dialogue and negotiation
- Improving relationships focused on environment and natural resources.
Natural resources are not a source of conflict, but a conduit for building peace in a community and promoting transboundary cooperation.
Buddha fountain at the entrance to Namche Bazar
Peacebuilding Through Integrated Water Resource Management
Peacebuilding represents an ongoing process in which multiple actors and actions converge to transform conflicts, relationships, and the systems in which they are embedded.
Why integrate peacebuilding tools into IWRM framework?
- Both share complementary approaches, tools, and concepts (conflict analysis/mapping, actor mapping, etc.)
- IWRM is strengthened by introducing peacebuilding strategies to the management framework (Hileman et al. 2013).
- Successful water management must adapt to the competing demands and interests of multiple sectors and stakeholders across different geographic scales, time frames, and levels of government (Michel 2020)
The map to the right illustrates an outline of the SNP with glacial/surface water sources identified in blue. The heat map is showing relative population density based off the 2013 census data from this region. Maps like these will be used to display layers of data collected regarding water associated conflict and climate vulnerability factors.
Objectives
The main objectives of this mixed-methods participatory action research are to:
- Conduct conflict analyses and water management perceptions surveys (virtually and in person) to identify greatest needs in Phorche, Namche Bazar, and Khumjung communities.
- Assess and introduce possible community action strategies and peacebuilding tools to address water quality issues and mitigate water-related conflicts.
- In collaboration with Sherpa stakeholders, develop and implement a community-based plan of action and implementation timeline.
- Document the process so it is useful for other indigenous mountain communities to use as they mitigate future water management conflicts and manage climate security.
Methods
Conflict analyses and water management perceptions assessments will be completed using the following participatory action research methods:
- Key Informant (KI) interviews- KIs include local governing officials, teahouse owners, and Sherpa community leaders. Interviews will ground truth field survey data (10-15 per community)
- Remote and in person household surveys- Remote surveying using Survey123 application for ArcGIS
- Tourist surveys- Tourists will be surveyed at random along the Everest Base Camp trekking route using Survey123 and sharing of QR code.
- Focused community discussions- Annual focused community meetings will be held to assess progress and re-evaluate methods accordingly.
Suggested frameworks and tools of environmental peacebuilding practitioners (CRS 2009; Dresse et al. 2019; Hileman et al. 2013) will be used to guide the methods of this study, providing an opportunity to assess the competency of these methods in post-conflict, rural, indigenous mountain communities.
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