It is now a well-known fact that more than a million groundwater springs, the main water source for millions of farmers in the Himalayas, are declining due to complex impacts of climate change, land use change, and rural road construction. The declining springs issue is having catastrophic impacts of human agriculture and food systems as well as on biodiversity.
In 2016, KTK-BELT assisted a local community in Kurule-Tenupa establish a new Learning Grounds organization focused on revival of springs along the Tamur watershed in Dhankuta using low-tech solutions such as digging of recharge chambers.
Research carried out by Lokendra Yakha and Rajeev Goyal in 2012-2013 revealed that more than 150 natural springs had partially or completely dried in Kurule and in fact in many of the surrounding villages as well.
KTK-BELT laid the groundwork for initiating work in Kurule with the design of the Tamur Learning Grounds campus and setting up of an office space in Bhaisetar village on the banks of the Tamur. Furthermore, Tamur Learning Grounds was supported to create a 15-acre Learning Grounds along the river, where land grabbing has proliferated.
KTK-BELT held its first exhibit in Kurule as part of the Climate + Change program which raised local awareness among hundreds of local school children and farmers about the issues of climate change.
TEAM:
Priyanka Bista, Rajeev Goyal
Partner:
Kishor Sharma and Bhushan Shilpakar,
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FUNDING PARTNER:
Living Earth Institute