| Project Detail |
Project Name
Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Improvement Project (Phase 2)
Project Number
45339-002
Country / Economy
Nepal
Project Status
Approved
Project Type / Modality of Assistance
Grant
Loan
Technical Assistance
The project aims to ensure drinking water security in the Kathmandu Valley and to provide access to safe, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive water supply services to 2 million people by (i) constructing climate- and disaster-resilient urban water supply infrastructure; (ii) strengthening systems to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and resilience of water supply services; and (iii) enhancing the capacity of urban water supply institutions and stakeholders. The project is a continuation of the ongoing partnership between the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Nepal to support the water and other urban infrastructure services sector in the country.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
The government prioritizes the improvement of the Kathmandu Valleys water security and has taken up infrastructure development and reform programs in a phased manner since 2001, with ADB as the main development partner. The Melamchi Water Supply Project (closed in 2021), the Kathmandu Valley Water Services Sector Development Program (closed in 2015), the ongoing Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Improvement Project, a Japan International Cooperation Agency-funded project (closed in 2018), and various government-funded programs aim to mitigate Kathmandu Valleys water insecurity. These interventions focus on enhancing service delivery to about 1 million people by (i) building the Melamchi River water diversion system (MRWDS) for the inter-basin transfer of 170 MLD of water from Melamchi River Valley using an intake and a 26-kilometer (km) tunnel; (ii) augmenting water treatment and clear water transmission facilities; and (iii) improving more than 1,000 km of the water supply distribution network in the Kathmandu Valleys core area. Most of these projects, particularly the Melamchi Water Supply Project, faced numerous challenges including social disruptions, technical complexities of working in high mountain areas with unpredictable geological conditions, the 2015 earthquake, disruptions in raw material supply, the coronavirus disease pandemic, and issues with contractors performance. Despite the challenges, the MRWDS and most of the downstream water supply systems reached the commissioning stage in 2021. Water supply in the Kathmandu Valley started improving after the MRWDS trial run in March 2021, and full commissioning was planned for September 2021. However, catastrophic landslides and debris floods in the upper catchment of Melamchi River in JuneAugust 2021 as a result of multiple climate-induced and geophysical events heavily damaged the intake system, jeopardizing the MRWDS commissioning and delaying the final trial run and commissioning of the water supply network. |
