The Effect of Climate Change on Water Supply Services: A Case Study of Chhatreshwori Rural Municipality of Nepal

Abstract

Climate change poses significant challenges to water supply services worldwide, particularly in rural areas where vulnerabilities are heightened due to limited resources and infrastructure. Nepal, a country highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, is experiencing intensified droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events, exacerbating existing water scarcity and pollution issues. Chhatreshwori Rural Municipality, located in Salyan District, Karnali Province of Nepal, represents a pertinent case study due to its susceptibility to these climate-induced challenges and its reliance on local water supply services for daily needs. Field observation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and a questionnaire survey were the major tools used during field investigation, conducted between September 2023 and February 2024 with 105 household respondents. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Relative Importance Index (RII), while qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions were analyzed thematically. The findings show that droughts were ranked as the most severe climate-related problem affecting water supply services (RII = 0.94), followed by financial constraints (RII = 0.86) and water scarcity (RII = 0.84). Changes in precipitation patterns emerged as the leading cause of drought (RII = 0.98), while increased risk of waterborne disease and reduced water availability were identified as dominant effects across the causal chains examined. Unequal distribution of water resources recorded the lowest RII (0.66) among the major problems, though it remains a significant equity concern for marginalized groups. The study suggests that prioritizing community-led initiatives and capacity-building for sustainable water use and climate resilience is crucial. It emphasizes the need to maintain and upgrade water infrastructure based on climate projections, and recommends adopting integrated water resource management, inclusive policies, innovative financing, and knowledge exchange networks to effectively address climate impacts on water resources in rural Nepal.