international union for conservation of nature

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE Nepal Country Office Kupondole, Lalitpur P.O.Box 3923, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977 1 5528781 Fax: +977 1 5536786 Email: [email protected] www.iucn.org/nepal

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE Nepal Country Office

I

Norad

Convention on Wetlands

Biodiversity and Livelihoods Assessment in

JAGADISHPUR RESERVOIR RAMSAR SITE

"WETLANDS FOR THE FUTURE" Improving Livelihoods and Enhancing Biodiversity through Participatory Restoration and Management of Jagadishpur Reservoir Ramsar Site in Nepal



JuNE, 2015

International Union for Conservation of Nature

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Biodiversity and Livelihoods Assessment in JAGADISHPUR RESERVOIR RAMSAR SITE Technical Team: Rajendra Khanal Sony Baral Bijendra Basnyat Amit Poudyal Prof Karan Bahadur Shah Dr Yam Malla The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN. Published by: IUCN Nepal, Kupondole, Lalitpur, Nepal Designed by: Sunil Khadgi (Anup Samrat Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., Bagbazar# 977-1-4243616) Copyright: © June 2015, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ` Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. ISBN No: 978-9937-8467-1-4 Available from: IUCN Nepal Kupondole, Lalitpur P.O. Box 3923, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: (977-1) 5528781 Fax: (977-1) 5536786 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.iucn.org/nepal

This book has been published under ‘“Wetlands for the Future: Improving Livelihoods and Enhancing Biodiversity Through Participatory Restoration and Management of Jagadishpur Reservoir Ramsar Site in Nepal Project”, implemented in the Jagadishpur Reservoir Ramsar Site of Nepal, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Nepal). This project is part of the "Wetlands for Water and Cities Fund" of the Ramsar Convention Secretariat. This fund is supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).



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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Nepal’s wetlands with an area of 743,563 ha, host significant biodiversity and are the country’s most diverse and productive ecosystems. Wetlands provide environmental goods and services that are vital for livelihoods, conserve biological diversity and act as safety net and environmental insurance against the impacts of climate change and ecosystem degradation. However, wetlands in Nepal are facing many socio-economic and environmental challenges, including a decline in the ecosystem services provided to local people. Considering this, IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Nepal Country Office implemented the “Wetlands for the Future Project (Improving Livelihoods and Enhancing Biodiversity Through Participatory Restoration and Management of the Jagadishpur Reservoir Ramsar Site (JRRS) of Nepal”, as a part of the “Wetlands for Water and Cities Fund" of the Ramsar Convention Secretariat. Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) provided funding support of the project. The project aimed to restore and enhance wetland ecosystems and local livelihoods through the sustainable management and governance of wetland resources in Nepal.

consultancy services for the study. We would also like to thank all the study team members, especially Mr. Bijendra Basnyat (Team leader, Ecosystem Management and Livelihood Specialist), Prof. Karan Bahadur Shah (Biodiversity Specialist), Mr. Ram Prasad Acharya (Institution Development Specialist), Mr. Sushil Khadka (GIS Specialist), Ms. Asha Paudel (Botanist), Mr. Seejan Gyawali (Ornithologist), Ms. Ambika Poudel (Forestry Specialist), Dr. Rajendra Joshi (Water Quality Specialist), Mr. Ram Chandra Sedai (Tourism Specialist) and Mr. Gyanendra Dhakal (Agriculture Scientist) for concerted efforts towards successful undertaking and timely completion of the study. IUCN also appreciates the work of Dr. Hem Sagar Baral, Dr. Maheshwor Dhakal and Dr. Kalyan Gauli for reviewing the manuscript. We would also like to appreciate the efforts of IUCN staff. Special thanks are to Mr. Rajendra Khanal, Ms. Sony Baral, Mr. Amit Poudyal and Ms.Tory Grieves for excellent coordination, technical backstopping to the consultants, conceptualizing and producing this publication. Support and cooperation from the IUCN field staff, Mr. Kamal Thapa, Ms. Bigya Gyawali and Mr. Injun Acharya is also highly appreciated.

This book presents bench mark situation of biodiversity and livelihoods in the JRRS focusing on (a) biodiversity, (b) livelihoods, (c) institutions, (d) tourism and; (e) wetland health monitoring. The book has been prepared based on intensive field study over the period of three months (March - May, 0 5) following structured household survey, stakeholders’ consultations while building on past studies conducted in the JRRS.

IUCN greatly appreciates all assistance and support provided by the institutions and individuals who became part of this study.

IUCN would like to thank B&B Research Center Pvt. Ltd. and Practical Solution Consultancy Nepal Pvt. Ltd. for providing

IUCN Nepal June, 2015

IUCN strongly believes that this book will establish a comprehensive baseline status of the JRRS and will be useful to monitor progress and devise appropriate interventions for this important site.


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Abbreviations & Acronyms CITES : CVM : DADO : DDC : DFO : DIO : DSCO : DNPWC : GIS : GPS : HHs : IUCN : IVI : JRMF : JRRS : MFSC : NGOs : NRs : NTFPs : RD : RF : RM : spp : TUCH : VDCs :

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Contingent Valuation Techniques District Agriculture Development Office District Development Committee District Forest Office Divisional Irrigation Office District Soil Conservation Office Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Geographic Information System Global Positioning System Households International Union for Conservation of Nature Important Value Index Jagadishpur Reservoir Management Multi-stakeholder Forum Jagadishpur Reservoir Ramsar Site Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation Non-Government Organizations Nepalese Rupees Non-Timber Forest Products Relative Density Relative Frequency Result based Management Species (Plural) Tribhuvan University Central Herbarium Village Development Committee


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IV



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Table of contents

Preface i Abbreviations & Acronyms iii Table of Contents v Summary vii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Project overview 3 1.3 Objective 4 2

Jagadishpur reservoir ramsar site 2.1 Jagadishpur reservoir 2.2 Irrigation system and coverage 2.3 Land use 2.4 Demography

3

Floral diversity 11 3.1 Methodology 11 3.2 Forest ecosystem 15 3.3 Wetlands ecosystem 18 3.4 Agricultural ecosystem 22

4

Faunal diversity 23 4.1 Methodology 23 4.2 Fishes 26 4.3 Herpetofauna 27 4.4 Birds 28 4.5 Mammals 31

5

Livelihoods assessment 5.1 Methodology 5.2 Respondent characteristics 5.3 Household characteristics 5.4 Demography 5.5 House and housing condition 5.6 Livelihoods capital 5.7 Dependence on forest resources 5.8 Energy consumption for cooking 5.9 Dependence on wetlands 5.10 Irrigation services 5.11 Human wildlife conflicts 5.12 Livelihoods outcomes 5.13 Wetland value

33 33 35 36 38 40 42 46 48 50 54 58 58 60 International Union for Conservation of Nature


5 5 6 7 9

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6

Institutional assessment 6.1 Methodology 6.2 Jagadishpur reservoir management multi-stakeholder forum 6.3 Government line agencies 6.4 Local bodies 6.5 Community institutions 7 Tourism assessment 7.1 Methodology 7.2 Visitor status 7.3 Tourism attraction 7.4 Potential tourism activities 7.5 Tourism infrastructure and facilities 7.6 Emerging issues and challenges 8

9

63 63 64 64 68 69 71 71 72 72 77 78 79

Wetlands monitoring 8.1 Indicator species 8.2 Wetland biodiversity threats 8.3 Water quality assessment

81 81 83 86

Management priority 9.1 Floral management 9.2 Faunal management 9.3 Livelihoods diversification 9.4 Institutional capacity building 9.4 Tourism development

89 89 90 91 92 93

References

95

Annexes

97

VI



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Summary This study establishes a comprehensive baseline status of the JRRS, focusing on biodiversity and livelihood situation, with a view to keeping track of progress and changes and devising appropriate interventions. Specifically, the study documented floral and faunal diversity, assessed current socio-economic status of the communities, including their dependence on wetland resources, and identified biological indicators for monitoring wetland health. The study used wide range of methods from forests inventory, wetland inventory, stakeholder consultations, focus group discussions, review of secondary sources of information, HHs survey etc. Floral Diversity

Existing Status

Threats

Management Priority

Forests  Forest is in the climax stage and dominated by the Sal forest  A total of 55 forest plant species, consisting of 22 herbaceous plants, 18 shrubs species and 15 tree species were recorded in the JRRS  Forest is degraded along with high incidence of lopping, logging and grazing Wetlands  Wetland vegetation is at a submerged succession stage  A total of 68 plant species were recorded at the wetland sites, of which four are submerged, 19 are emergent, 13 are floating plant species and rest are terrestrial plants  Around one third of the reservoir is covered by invasive species such as Baya (Ipomea carnea) and Jaal Kumbi (Eichornia crassipes) Agriculture  Local farmers are cultivating various local landraces, especially of paddy and cucurbits  Extent of cultivation of local landraces is very less, which is almost replaced by improved or hybrid varieties  Major local landraces, which are cultivated for commercial purpose, include Kala namak (Paddy), Kunru (Pointed gourd) and Basi (Cucumber)       

Invasive and alien species invasion Sedimentation and siltation, including river cutting and flooding Livestock grazing around wetland sites Excessive collection of timber, fuel wood, fodders, and NTFPs Sand and stone collection Land use conversion including urbanization and settlement expansion Cultivation of high-yielding varieties, mainly due to land fragmentation, agriculture intensification and commercialization

 In-situ conservation of threatened, endangered and commercially exploited plant species  Alien and invasive species management  Forest resource base creation  Alternative energy promotion  Soil and water conservation  Community seed bank establishment for local landraces conservation  Commercial cultivation of local landraces



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Faunal Diversity

A 295 species of fauna in the area, compared to 209 species in a previous survey. Previous checklist

Present checklist

Fishes

Number of species

Unit

39

43

Herpetofauna

Number of species

39

52

Birds

Number of species

118

168

Mammals

Number of species

13

32

Total

Number of species

209

295

Of the 295 faunal species reported in the area, 23 are nationally threatened, 40 are included in the IUCN Red List while 37 species are included in the CITES appendices. Unit

Nationally Threatened

IUCN Red list

CITES Appendices

Fishes

Number of species

-

-

-

Herpetofauna

Number of species

2

9

12

Birds

Number of species

17

15

15

Mammals

Number of species

4

16

10

Total

Number of species

23

40

37

Threats

Management Priority

VIII

 Exploitation of local fishes using long nets with fine mesh, including exotic fish farming  Sedimentation and siltation, including river cutting and flooding  Livestock grazing and high extraction of firewood from forests  Sand and stone collection and exploitation of other natural resources, especially in the upstream area  Indiscriminate killing and poaching of wildlife such as turtles, monitors, birds, rabbits, porcupines, and boar  Water pollution from agricultural chemicals and fertilizers  Human-wildlife conflicts, including killing of birds  Land use conversion, urbanization and built up area expansion  Poor coordination and partnership among actors and stakeholders inadequate investment in conservation-related activities  Poor conservation awareness among stakeholders  Inadequate scientific research on local fauna         

Indicator species identification and monitoring Conservation awareness Community-based anti-poaching operations Habitat improvement Fish farming & good aqua-culture practice promotion Water quality monitoring Forests resource base, creation especially through plantation Alternative energy and energy-saving devices promotion Integrated livestock management (grazing control, fodder and forage expansion, biogas support)



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Livelihoods Assessment

Livelihoods Capital

     

Majority of the population (74.1%) is literate Agriculture is the main occupation and primary source of income Most of the HHs have permanent houses (79.4%), i.e. of concrete or zinc roof Almost all HHs have access to safe drinking water (97.1%) Two third of HHs (67.1%) have basic sanitation facilities (toilet) Bicycle, television and radio are common HHs assets, with an average value of NRs 132,825 per HHs  Nine-tenths of HHs have own land, with an average land holding of 1.03 ha per HHs

Livelihoods Outcome

 Average income is NRs 114,481/HHs, mostly coming from non-farm sources such as salary, wage earning and remittances  Gini coefficient of the HHs income is 0.51, which reveals high income disparity among the people living around in the JRRS  Half of the HHs (56.5%) have food sufficiency from their own farm production and other permanent sources of income, such as service and business  Wage earnings, remittances, debt, sale of livestock and livestock products are major coping strategies adopted by most of the HHs during food-insecure months

Dependence on Forest Resources

 Each HHs consumed 260 kg of firewood and 440 kg of grasses every month  National forests, including community forests remain main sources of forests products followed by private forests and river bank

Dependence on Wetland Resources

 Wetlands are mostly used for irrigation, followed by tourism, fishery and grazing  There is no specific wetland dependent community in the JRRS, however, poor and marginalized communities depend on the wetlands products  Local communities consumed wetland products amounting to NRs 16.9 million (US$ 1.6 million) annually from the JRRS  People living in vicinity of the wetland areas are more wetland products

Access to Irrigation Facility

Wetland Value

Future Intervention

 Half of the HHs (52.3%) are using irrigation facility  Majority of the HHs are not paying irrigation fee, even though fee is very nominal  Two third of HHs have not participated in irrigation related activities  Two-thirds of the HHs are willing to pay for reservoir protection and irrigation canal repair  Each HHs is willing to contribute voluntary labor of 5.9 days per year, along with cash contribution of NRs 539  Wetland value of JRRS is NRs 71.3 millions, based on use and non-use value      

Quick impact interventions (Income generating activities, targeting poor and women) Enterprise development Strengthening community institutions on wetland management Grazing control around the reservoir Good aqua-culture practices promotion Irrigation facilities improvement including revision of irrigation service fee



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Institutional Assessment

Existing Status

 Jagadishpur Reservoir Management Multi-stakeholder Forum has been formed under the leadership of the District Development Committee, with representation of private and public sector institutions  Government agencis such as DFO, and DSCO have some level of awareness about the importance of wetland conservation while DADO, DLSO, DIO DDC, and VDC are less aware on wetlands conservation  There is limited budget allocation for the management of the wetland resources, however, DFO, DSCO and DIO programme indirectly contribute towards wetland conservation  All the stakeholders have poor knowledge and competence on wetland management  Community institutions have relatively better capacity in organization, especially conducting meetings regularly, accounting and recording system and keeping minutes and following an inclusive approach and ensuring representation of poor and marginalized communities in community institutions. However, they have poor capacity on human resources and financial management

Emerging Issues and Challenges

   

Poor coordination and collaboration on wetland conservation Limited knowledge and competencies on wetland management Inadequate investment or budget on wetland conservation Lack of joint programme planning and monitoring

Management Priority

    

Strengthen Jagadishpur Reservoir Management Multi-stakeholder Forum (JRMMSF) Mainstream wetland conservation in government line agencies’ programme Strengthen capacity of the District Forest Officials Build capacity of community institutions Introduce sustainable financing practices



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Tourism Assessment

Existing Status

 Emerging as a popular tourism hub with the expansion of Lumbini World Heritage Site-based tourism into the greater Lumbini area  Around 150 to 200 international and about 10,000 to 12,000 domestic visitors make trip to Jagadishpur area each year  JRRS contains abundant natural resources for the development of eco-tourism in the region. Major natural attractions in the area include the Jagadishpur Reservoir, Bhagirathi River (Ban Ganga River), Sagarhawa Lake (Lambu Sagar), Nigali Lake (Niglihawa)  Major iconic Buddhist heritage and archaeological heritage sites in the area include Tilaurakot, Kudan, Sagarhawa, Niglihawa, Arourakot, Gotihawa and Sishahaniya  A mix of diverse communities, including Shakya clans and Tharu, offers opportunities for village tourism and home-stays promotion providing different cultural experiences

Emerging Issues and Challenges

 Poor destination marketing,  Poorly developed tourism related infrastructure such as road facilities, view tower for bird watching, and picnic and other recreation facilities  Poor capacity of local people on visitor management  Limited private sector involvement in promoting tourism of the area  Poor visitor satisfaction, due to absence of tourism related facilities and services

Management Priority

     

Sustainable tourism development along with enhancing visitor's satisfaction Destination marketing for attracting visitors and tourism entrepreneurs Partnership with tourism entrepreneurs on product development and marketing Tourism facilities improvement Capacity building of local communities on tourism business operations Ethnic cultural home-stays and village tour packages development and promotion

Wetland’s Monitoring

Indicator Species

 Lesser whistling duck is identified as indicator species due to its large population size, high incidence of illegal hunting and illegal trade  A total population of Lesser whistling duck is 1676 ( ±24)  A duck population is fluctuating, due to illegal hunting and poisoning  Nearly 1000 ducks are illegally hunted every year, primarily for recreation and pride

 Water exhibit acceptable properties and suitable for the wetland’s biodiversity  Physio-chemical properties of water such as pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, total Water Quality dissolved solid, bicarbonate and chemical oxygen demand are within permissible Monitoring range  Nitrate and phosphate is below detection limit, suggesting very less or no agricultural run-off of nutrients to water

Wetland’s Threat Assessment

 Wetlands threats were identified and prioritized following participatory and consultative processes  Illegal fishing for commercial and subsistence use  Flooding/sedimentation and river cutting  Inadequate water supply/water level locations/poor distribution  Agriculture commercialization and intensification  Cattle grazing  Inadequate investment/no regular programme



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XII



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Chapter One

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Within their area of 743,563 ha, 5% of the total landmass of the country, Nepal’s wetlands host significant biodiversity (MFSC, 2014). Nepal’s wetlands include permanently flowing rivers, seasonal streams, lowland oxbow lakes, high altitude glacial lakes, swamps and marshes, paddy fields, reservoirs and ponds. Globally, wetlands are considered one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world, and indeed they are one of the important natural resources in Nepal. Wetlands provide environmental goods and services that are vital for livelihoods, conserve biological diversity and act as safety net and an environmental insurance against the impacts of climate change and ecosystem degradation. Furthermore, these provide a unique habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna. Nepal’s wetlands support a wide spectrum of nationally and globally important biodiversity

and harbour 42 globally threatened species (MFSC, 2014). In addition to providing habitat for several species of wildlife, their role in sustaining people’s livelihoods is crucial. Nepal has demonstrated its commitment to wetlands conservation, especially the conservation of waterfowl habitats of international importance, by signing the Ramsar Convention in 1971. Nepal has already designated nine wetlands as Ramsar sites of international importance, including the Jagadishpur Reservoir. The Jagadishpur Reservoir, with an area of 225 ha, was declared a Ramsar site in 2003, in recognition of the fact that it supports vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered species as well as threatened ecological communities (MFSC, 2014). The reservoir is the largest man-made irrigation reservoir in Nepal. It supports four percent of the Asian population of Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) and one percent of the Lesser Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna javanica)


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population found in Nepal (MFSC, 2014). The reservoir is surrounded by cultivated land, canals and small ponds. There are other two smaller lakes known as Sagarhawa and Niglihawa situated in the area that serves as a buffer habitat for bird movements. The Jagadishpur reservoir and its surrounding area are rich in biodiversity. It provides a home for many species of migratory waterfowl, including endangered species like Sarus crane. The biodiversity of the area has not been fully studied and therefore only limited information is available. Local communities use the reservoir for irrigation, fishing, grazing, and plant collection. However, the level and extent of dependence on wetland resources of local communities, especially extraction of wetland products and services is not fully documented. IUCN, International Union for Conservation of

Nature, is implementing the “Wetlands for the Future Project” in the Jagadishpur Reservoir Ramsar Site (JRRS) of Nepal, covering 185 sq. km of 12 local government units (selected wards of two municipalities and 10 Village Development Committees). This project is a part of the “Wetlands for Water and Cities Fund" of the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, of which funding support is provided by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). With a view to establishing benchmarks and monitoring project results, IUCN conducted a comprehensive baseline survey, focusing on biodiversity and the socio-economic situation of the beneficiaries of the project area. This will provide guidance to plan effectively and coherently in realizing the project objectives in a systematic way.

Map 1.1: Project VDCs/municipalities


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This study serves as a benchmark study of the JRRS, which will be used for measuring project progress as well as devising appropriate management interventions. 1.2 Project Overview The “WETLANDS FOR THE FUTURE” project is aimed at restoring and enhancing wetland ecosystems and local livelihoods through the sustainable management and governance of wetland resources in Nepal. The project will contribute in achieving the Nepal Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan's (2014-2020) paired goals of poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation in Nepal, with a special focus on the Jagadishpur Reservoir Ramsar site. Specifically, the project will • Safeguard wetland ecosystem integrity while promoting wise-use of wetland resources with active participation of local community; • Enhance livelihood opportunities through income generation activities, community managed eco-tourism and green enterprises for local communities, particularly targeting women, poor, Dalit and other marginalized population; • Strengthen institutional capacity of the government agencies and local community organizations for effective management of the wetland system; • Design, test and develop a sustainable financing mechanism (including institutional arrangements) for sustainable management of the wetland; • Establish and strengthen the Multistakeholder Forum for wetland governance; and • Strengthen knowledge management, communication and documentation

command area, which is considered as the project intervention area. Jagadishpur reservoir supplies irrigation water for 6,070 ha of farmland from selected ward of two municipalities and 10 Village Development Communities (VDCs). The project covers 185 sq. km. encompassing agricultural land, forests and wetland ecosystems, which also includes Ramsar designated area is 225 ha. The project’s target groups include the government agencies responsible for the management and use of the wetland, NGOs and civil society organizations, and representatives of local communities, in addition to the Lumbini World Heritage Committee, the Nepal Tourism Board, the Ramsar Secretariat and the general public. The direct beneficiaries of the project are over 40,000 members of the local communities who live around the Jagadishpur Reservoir and depend on the wetland resources for their livelihoods, especially targeted towards women, poor, Dalit and marginalized communities. The project activities are implemented in partnership and collaboration with public,

The Jagadishpur Reservoir Ramsar Site (JRRS) encapsulates the irrigation International Union for Conservation of Nature


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private and community institutions, especially the District Forest Office, Divisional Irrigation Office, District Development Committee, District Agriculture Development Office, Water User Association, Jagadishpur Reservoir Management Multi-Stakeholder Forum and local community organizations for sustainable management of the Jagadishpur Reservoir. 1.3 Objective The main objective of the study is to establish a comprehensive baseline status of the JRRS, focusing on biodiversity and livelihoods with a view to keeping track of progress and changes and devising appropriate interventions. Specially the study • Prepare and update the checklists of floral and faunal species (plants, birds, fishes, amphibians, reptiles and mammals)

• Assess the socio-economic status of the communities, focusing on HHs-based economic and social indicators such as education, occupation, income, landholding size, and food sufficiency • Assess dependence of local communities on wetland resources, especially on wetland products and services • Map existing institutions working on wetland conservation including their institutional capacity • Explore tourism potential in the JRRS, including mapping of tourism destination and services • Conduct water quality assessment around the JRRS • Suggest measures for improving the livelihoods of local communities and conservation of wetland resources.



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Chapter TWO

JAGADISHPUR RESERVOIR RAMSAR SITE The JRRS includes 10 Village Development Committee (VDCs) and select wards of Banganga Municipality and all wards of Kapilvastu Municipality of Kapilvastu district, where the “Wetlands for the Future Project” is implemented. This project working area does not coincide with the Jagadishpur Ramsar site, which only covers only 225 ha, mostly water bodies and surrounding catchment area of the reservoir. Hence, JRRS include area of 185 sq. km., which comprises of the project working area. 2.1 Jagadishpur Reservoir The Jagadishpur Reservoir (27°37’N 83°06’E) is located in Niglihawa Village Development Committee of Kapilvastu District, Lumbini Zone of Nepal. It is located 10 km north

of Taulihawa, the district headquarters of Kapilvastu District; 40 km from Butwal (32 km west from Butwal on east west highway) and 8 km south of Banganga Bridge along the eastern embankment road. The reservoir lies at an elevation of 197 m (Baral and Inskipp 2005). The reservoir was created at the location of Jakhira Lake and surrounding agricultural land. A rock-fill dyke was constructed throughout the reservoir. An earthen dyke runs north to south from the centre of the reservoir. The eastern part consists of shallow water whereas the western part of the reservoir is deeper and completely covered by water. The Jagadishpur Reservoir is one of the largest man-made wetlands of Nepal, constructed in



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1979 for irrigation. The reservoir, with an area of 118 ha, has the capacity to store 4.7 cubic million litres of water. At the reservoir’s deepest point, the water depth varies from a maximum of 5-7 meters to a minimum of 2-3 meters (Shah et al., 2010). Water in the reservoir is fed from the nearby Banganga River, which has a catchment area in the Chure hills. The reservoir is surrounded by cultivated lands and there are two smaller lakes, Sagarhawa and Niglihawa, located nearby. The total catchment area of the reservoir is 225 ha, which was also designated as a Ramsar site in 2003 considering its assemblage of rare, endangered, monogenetic plant species, that holds importance for conservation of genetic

diversity; these include the endangered plants Sarpagandha (Rauvolfia serpentine), the threatened Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), endangered and the tallest flying bird, Sarus crane (Grus antigone) and resident stork species. 2.2 Irrigation System and Coverage The Banganga irrigation system was constructed in 1979. The Banganga River serves as the head of the reservoir, from which water is brought into the reservoir. A canal extends south from the reservoir to the Indian border. The length of the main canal from the reservoir is 20.5 km. Three branch canals stem from the main canal, with a total length of 43.9 km. Likewise, irrigation



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system contains 168 field canals along with farmers’ distributaries and minor canals, which pass through 10 VDCs and two municipalities. The reservoir has the capacity to irrigate 6,070 ha of farmland. Though there is no water distribution canal in Banganga municipality, farmers irrigate farmland by extracting water from a pump set and blocking water in the canal. Map 2.1 presents reservoir along with irrigation canal in JRRS. Water User Association is managing the irrigation system in partnership with the government. The Divisional Irrigation Office looks after head works, reservoir management and main canals, while the water user association is responsible for

water distribution, as well as branch canal and field canal management. The water user association is governed by a 27 member committee, which is formed by election. 2.3 Land Use A Google Earth satellite image from March 2015 was digitized to prepare the latest land use and land cover map of the JRRS. Table 2.1 presents land use of the JRRS. The reservoir area encompasses 18,506 ha. Of the total area, more than ninetenths (92.34%) is agricultural, followed by forests (2.86%) and other land uses, such as river and barren land (2.92%). Map 2.2 shows the land use map of the JRRS.

Map 2.1: Reservoir and irrigation canal in the JRRS

Source: Digitized from Google Earth Image, 2015



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Table 2.1: Land use pattern of JRRS, 2015 SN

Land use

Area (ha)

Percent

1

Forest

529

2.86

3

Grassland

175

0.95

5

Orchards

85

0.46

6

Ponds

7

Agriculture land

8

Others Total

88

0.47

1 7,088

92.34

541

2.92

18,506

100.00

Source: Computed from Google Earth Image, 2015

Interactions with local communities and a comparative assessment with the topographic map (1996) reveal that forests and grasslands

have declined in the last 20 years while agriculture land has expanded. Likewise, area under private ponds and orchards has increased. The main reason for land use changes in the JRRS include (a) demographic factors, mainly population growth, settlement expansion and urbanization (b) infrastructural development such as road and built up area expansion (c) fringe encroachment by the people and (d) river bank cutting and extraction of sand, gravel and boulders from Chure foothills, which results in destruction of the forests. The forests in the JRRS lie at the edge of the Banganga River, which is annually eroded.

Map 2.2: Land use map of JRRS, 2015

Source: Digitized from Google Earth Image, 2015



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2.4 Demography More than 17,390 HHs (a population of 109,572) are dependent on wetland resources; by geographic area, ranging from 5,130 HHs in Kapilvastu municipality to 458 HHs in Basantapur VDC. Table 2.2 presents HHs and population by VDC. Population density was measured in terms of number of people per sq km. The average population density is 822 persons per sq. km of land, which varies from 401 persons per sq km in Niglihawa VDCs to 868 in Parsohiya VDCs. Map 2.3 presents population density by VDC.

Table 2.2: VDC, HHs and population in JRRS SN

VDCs/Municipality

Area (sq. km)

Household (No)

1

Baidauli VDC

2

Basantapur VDC

3

Gauri VDC

6.9

4

Jahadi VDC

11.4

5

Niglihawa VDC

28.0

6

Parsohiya VDC

7

Rangapur VDC

8

Sauraha VDC

Population (No) Male

Female

Total

5.4

753

2,790

2,743

5,533

11.6

458

1,639

1,609

3,248

600

2,110

2,229

4,339

851

2,878

3,090

5,968

1,941

5,435

5,800

11,235

5.0

557

2,172

2,170

4,342

9.2

735

2,594

2,494

5,088

7.4

568

2,141

1,979

4,120

9

Sinkhore VDC

8.9

804

2,854

2,827

5,681

10

Somdiha VDC

9.9

852

3,110

2,907

6,017

Tilaurakot* (Kapilvastu Municipality)

16.7

1,316

4,131

4,179

8,310

Gotihawa* (Kapilvastu Municipality)

9.8

683

2,411

2,322

4,733

37.0

5,130

15,204

15,224

30,428

11

Kapilvastu Municipality 12

Kopawa^ (Bangana Municipality) Total

18.0

2,142

4,889

5,641

10,530

185.1

17,390

54,358

55,214

109,572

Source: Megha Publication and Research Centre, 2013 Note: * Now under Kapilvastu Municipality; ^ Now under Banganga Municipality



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Map 2.3: Population Density

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Chapter THREE

FLORAL DIVERSITY

The study adopted separate methods to assess the floral diversity found in the forests, wetland and agricultural ecosystems. The following section discusses the specific methods used to study the floral species under each ecosystem. The study reviewed secondary sources of information to identify plants found in the JRRS sites. However, no previous comprehensive study on floral diversity was found, though a few studies had mentioned about few species found in the JRRS. The nomenclature of plants included in the study followed the e-version of the Annotated Checklist of Flowering Plants of Nepal (Press et al. 2000). Voucher specimens were deposited at Tribhuvan University Central Herbarium (TUCH). Unidentified plant species within the sampling site were photographed, collected and tagged as voucher specimens. These were further identified by consulting experts in the national herbarium, and by following standard literature (Press et al. 2000). After collecting the plant specimens, local peoples’ ethnobotanical study was done, focusing on plants part used and purpose of use, such as religious/cultural value, medicinal use food/edible, cattle feed, and aesthetics/cosmetic use.

Natural forests in the JRRS exist in a very narrow strip, with width ranging from 202 to 2,291 m. Likewise, the length of the forest area is 3,209 m. Vegetation composition changes significantly with every increase in 100 m altitude, but as the JRRS is generally flat, no significant altitudinal variation was observed. Considering this, forests were longitudinally divided into two parallel transects at a distance of 200 m, and plots were located at 500 m intervals of each transects. The plots were identified with the support of Geographic Information System (GIS). This resulted in 22 total sample plots. The Geographic Positioning System was used to identify coordinates in the field. After coordinate identification, 10 m x 10 m plots were set (eleven plots at the centre of each transect at a distance of 500 m) for tree counting. In each plot, diameter at breast height (dbh) was recorded using a dbh tape, Figure 3.1: Plot layout map

10 M

5M

5M

3.1 Methodology

3.1.1 Forests

10 M

Floral diversity of the JRRS was studied in the forest, wetland and agricultural ecosystems. This section presents recorded floral diversity of the JRRS, in terms of species richness, composition, and abundance of vascular plants species. Plants were also classified based on their habitat and use. Threats to plants were also identified.

1M


IUCN_Book_205.indd

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and height for the tree and pole stage of the species was recorded. Likewise, the number of saplings (dbh