Table 1. Area of the ecological zones falling into watershed condition classes (Modified after Nelson et. al., 1980).
* Approximately the same boundaries as the High Mountains.
Shrestha et al. (1983) pursued the study further by ranking the districts with respect to watershed condition. Expressing watershed condition at the district level, it is estimated that 7, 5 and 13 districts are under very poor, poor and marginal condition, respectively.
(Table 2). There are 25 districts each under fairly good and good watershed condition. The productivity of the land has been significantly reduced in 35 and 21 percent of the areas of Siwaliks and the Middle Mountain region, respectively (Nelson et al., 1980). However, the districts with good or fairly good average watershed condition may have land units which are poor or very poor watershed conditions.
Table 2. Distribution of Districts According to Average Watershed Condition. (Shrestha et.al., 1983)
Source :DSCWM ,Tel :977-1-220828 ;977-1-220857
Figure 2. Map of Nepal showing district wise watershed condition.
References
Nelson et.al., 1980. A Reconnaissance Inventory of The Major Ecological Land Units and Their Watershed Condition. IWMP/WP/17, Integrated Watershed Management, Torrent Control and Land Use Development Project, Department of Soil Conservation (DSC), Kathmandu, Nepal.
Shrestha, B. D., P. van Ginnekan and K. M. Sthapit, 1983. Watershed Condition of the Districts of Nepal. FO : DP/NEP/80/029. Field Document No. 9. Watershed Management and Conservation Education Project, Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Sthapit, K. M., 1994. Rehabilitation of Degraded Lands in Mountain Ecosystem of Nepal. A paper prepared for the International Workshop on "Rehabilitation of Degraded Lands in Mountain Ecosystem of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region" held from 18 - 21 December 1994 at Baoshan, China. ICIMOD, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Sthapit, K. M., 1996. Soil Erosion Problems in Nepal. In: Space Informatics for Mountain Resources Management. Proceedings of the Second Space Informatics Seminar for Sustainable Development: Mountain Resources Management. 2-6 December 1996, Kathmandu, Nepal, edited by Monday Ohi Asikhia, 61-90. UNCRD Proceedings Series, No. 21. Nagoya, Japan: United Nations Centre for Regional Development, 1997.
Good
Fairly Good
Marginal
Very Poor
Poor
Watershed Condition of Nepal
© 2007 dscwm.gov.np All Rights Reserved
Average Watershed Condition
|
Numerical Value of Ranking Points
|
Number of Districts
|
Good
Fairly Good
Marginal
Poor
Very Poor
|
< 500
500 - 1500
1500 - 3000
3000 - 4500
> 4500
|
25
25
13
5
7
|
Physiography
|
Watershed Condition
|
||||||
Total
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
||
High Himal
|
Area in sq.km.
|
35103
|
23870
|
4212
|
4212
|
2808
|
0
|
Percent
|
24
|
68
|
12
|
12
|
8
|
0
|
|
Transition *
|
Area in sq.km.
|
26288
|
13670
|
11041
|
1577
|
0
|
0
|
Percent
|
18
|
52
|
42
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
|
Middle Mountain
|
Area in sq.km.
|
43930
|
7029
|
27676
|
7907
|
1318
|
0
|
Percent
|
30
|
16
|
63
|
18
|
3
|
0
|
|
Siwaliks
|
Area in sq.km.
|
19096
|
7066
|
5347
|
6302
|
0
|
382
|
Percent
|
13
|
37
|
28
|
33
|
0
|
2
|
|
Terai
|
Area in sq.km.
|
22764
|
22764
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Percent
|
15
|
100
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Total
|
Area in sq.km.
|
147181
|
74571
|
48421
|
20068
|
4137
|
384
|
Percent
|
100
|
51
|
33
|
14
|
3
|
0
|
|
Government of Nepal
Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation
Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management
(DSCWM)
