UNDP/RFQ/2024/05 – Supply, delivery & installation of Hydro-Met Stations – SUPER

The Government of Japan funded project “Enhancing Human Security through Local Climate Actions” is aligned with Nepal’s vision of making Nepal a risk resilient society by 2050, commitments towards achievement of SDGs (Goal 7) and Paris Agreement to Climate Change by 2030, NDC targets of achieving net-zero emission and climate resilient development by 2045, and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) priority for building resilience. The project will contribute mainly to the pillar 2 of Japanese Supplementary Budget (JSB) priority to help vulnerable and fragile settings to be more resilient to climate impacts and pillar 1 on clean energy and just transition towards net-zero pathways. It will support the vulnerable community groups residing in fragile settings and exposed to multi-hazard risks by strengthening their capacities as well as the capacities of the local governments for identifying climate-security risks and implementing climate-security solutions. The project will also advocate for evidence-based human security risk management approach based on the analysis of human security risks and potential climate security solutions. The project will be directly implemented by UNDP in close collaboration with Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM)/Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA)/Ministry of Home Affairs, provincial government agencies, Barekot Rural Municipality and Nalgad Municipality of Jajarkot District, local line agencies, civil society, CBO/NGO representatives and other development partners.

The project has four outputs – human security and climate risk informed local development planning and implementation; strengthening inter-municipal coordination and capacities of local government and communities; strengthening early warning system (EWS) in Bheri watershed, implementing nature-based solutions and community infrastructure for climate risk mitigation, promoting climate adaptive agriculture practices and energy efficient technologies to benefit households; and developing knowledge products.

The EWS is an important component of disaster risk reduction as timely early warnings coupled with necessary preparedness measures are very effective in saving lives and properties. The accuracy and lead time of warning are very important, as earlier the warning is generated there is more time available for dissemination and taking appropriate actions. The effective, reliable and state-of-the art early warning system plays an important role in flood disaster mitigation in both the project municipalities. Real-time data acquisition system is an integral part of an operational early warning system.

In terms of strengthening early warning system (EWS) in Bheri watershed, the project in close collaboration with DHM and project municipalities will install a telemetry system for flood early warning in Thuli Bheri River basin. It consists of installation of equipments for better monitoring and forecast of flood for measuring hydrological and meteorological parameters at upstream stations.

Thuli Bheri is the largest river of Nalgad Municipality which flows along its eastern and southern borders. Nalgad River is a major tributary of Thuli Bheri River which flows from north to south along the center of Barekot Rural Municipality, and Jhupre Khola is a major tributary of Nalgad River. Floods in these three rivers are potentially hazardous to the life and property of the residents of Barekot and Nalgad. Kalimati (ward 5, Nalgad), located at the confluence of Nalgad Khola and Jhupre Khola, is the largest settlement in Nalgad which is prone to flood disaster.  There are a few dozen informal dwellings across the Kalimati settlement in Dalli (ward 7, Nalgad) which are at higher risk of flood disaster. Kalamura and Garagli Khola are the tributaries of Jhupre Khola; all of these are high gradient intermittent rivers with high potential for damage to life and property during flash flood. In the monsoon of 2017, a flash flood destroyed three truss bridges in Jhupre Khola, washed several hectares of agricultural land and other properties. The same year, Sepu Khola destroyed several water-mills and some fertile agricultural lands. Particularly, wards 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 13 of Nalgad Municipality are affected by floods.

The DHM is maintaining one hydrological station at Rimna and 6 meteorological stations at Dunai, Biunthari, Kaigaun, Juphal, Mainagaun and Pipalchaur within Thuli Bheri river basin. There is an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) at Juphal and automatic rainfall station at Mainagaun equipped with telemetry system for real-time data transmission. Nalgad Hydropower Company Limited has also maintained two hydrological stations at intake site at Kalital and powerhouse site at the confluence of Nalgad and Thuli Bheri. Five automatic meteorological stations are also maintained by the company at Dandagaun, Ghartigaun, Gothgaun, Pahada Mulsam and Ramidanda.

The station network, mainly in the upstream part of Thuli Bheri river, is not sufficient to provide flood early warning with adequate lead time for preparedness. Hence, three additional hydrological stations at Juphal of Thuli Bheri Municipality and Trivenighat of Nalgad Municipality in Thuli Bheri River and Nayakwada of Barekot Rural Municipality in Nalgad River, and one AWS at Trivenighat will be installed with GPRS based telemetry system for real-time data acquisition under this project (see Table 1 and Figure 1 for details). Modern internet-based technology will be employed for collecting the data from sensors placed at these stations. These data are transmitted through wireless medium over the internet to a database server of DHM where it can be analyzed and used in models for the purpose of flood forecasting and warning. Data are also transmitted and displayed in real time on the monitor installed at the Barekot Rural Municipality and Nalgad Municipality offices. The system uses various sensors for detecting water level, rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind speed/direction, and the barometric pressure. These data are first stored in a data logger, which supports GPRS data transmission. The data are stored and transmitted at a specified interval of time over the internet that is required for the purpose of flood warning.