Nepal has a long history of irrigation water management by farmers. These farmers take sole responsibility for operating and maintaining the irrigation systems. However, these systems are increasingly under stress due to local-, regional-, and global-level changes such as climatic variability, labor out-migration, market pressures, and watershed degradation. The purpose of this project was to conduct a participatory vulnerability assessment of the irrigation systems under stress from climatic variability and natural disasters and support the farmers with the development of appropriate adaptation strategies. Since beginning this research, Thapa has received external funding from the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development’s to continue this research as his Ph.D. dissertation, and he is working on a booklet outlining the best practices on adaptation in irrigated agriculture.
