Mahakali Sambhad
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Mahakali A Civil Society Organization lead Sambhad Dialogue in Mahakali basin A CSO lead Dialogue in Mahakali basin 1 Mahakali Sambad Mahakali is a river fl owing along Nepal- matters and share them amongst each other, so India border. It separates the two countries that, issues discussed in the dialogue is settled in a geographically in most of the places. This meaningful way. basin area of the river spreads in 15,640 square kilometers, and of which, 5,037 kilometers of The Mahakali Dialogue is made of these two words- area lies in Nepal. Around 47 percent of that area Mahakali and Dialogue. In Nepali, it is termed as is covered by forests and it has seven wetlands Mahakali Sambad. The problems of people living within the area. in both Nepal and India across Mahakali River are identifi ed in this dialogue process. Mahakali Dialogue (“Sambad” in Nepali) is a discussion Dialogue conduct intense debates on these issues conducted on certain subject matters and, it takes initiatives to solve them. Sometimes and situations, during which, debates and community people from one side discuss the matter conversations on the matter is carried out and conduct joint meetings of citizens from both between two or more than two parties. This also the sides. When they sit together to discuss about acts as a platform to share news, information the common problems of the border, they forget about current affairs and ongoing occurrences. about their national identity and work together to Therefore, the practice of dialogue is also fi nd common solutions. Therefore, Mahakali Sambad accepted as a form of teaching and learning has now become a common and effective forum to method. Thus, a comprehensive purpose of discuss similar problems facing locals living in the dialogue is to make things clear on certain bordering areas. Published: December 2019 CCollectionollection bbyy Raghu Lamichhane RRevieweview Shree Bhakta Basnet Rajan Subedi Suman Gupta Bal Krishna Kattel Sofi la Vaidya CConceptoncept ddevelopedeveloped bbyy Rajan Subedi, TROSA Team Leader, [email protected] Suman Gupta, TROSA Project Coordinator, [email protected] Transboundary Rivers of South Asia (TROSA) Oxfam in Nepal CContactontact aaddressddress Country Offi ce Nepal Jawalakhel, Ward no. 20, Lalitpur G. P. O. Box: 2500, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-5542881 | Fax: 977-1-5523197 Email: [email protected] Website: www.nepal.oxfam.org 2 Mahakali Sambhad A CSO lead Dialogue in Mahakali basin 3 Introduction of program in Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura, Baitadi and Darchula districts of Nepal through its partners, Mahakali Sambad the program aims to help the people living along TROSA TROSA OBJECTIVES the Mahakali River across Nepal-India border. The Transboundary Rivers of South Asia Improved policies and practices of People living across Nepal-India border This has adopted a system of forming Women (TROSA) is a fi ve-year (2017-2021) regional government that protect the rights of river jointly formed the India-Nepal Joint Action Empowerment Centers in local communities and programme jointly implemented by Oxfam and basin communities 1 Forum (INJAF). The organization has been identifying local people’s problems and resolving its partners . The programme brings together Improved policies and practice of private raising voices about the problems such as them through such centers. efforts to support the lives of communities sector and other actors that respect the violence, discrimination, disappearances, high (especially women) living along the Mahakali rights of river basin communities to water handedness and extortion faced by the people In the same line, TROSA with support from INJAF River Basin. resources from both the sides and take initiatives to solve organizes Mahakali Sambad to discuss the Strengthened capacity of the river basin them. If there is a problem at either side of issues relate to access and control over riverine communities and civil societies to infl uence TROSA GOAL transboundary water resource management the border, Nepal or India, the INJAF members resources an water induced problem in the Reduced poverty of river basin communities in both the countries, talk to their respective Mahakali basin. In the forum, issues related to, Amplifi cation of women’s profi le and through increased access to, and control infl uence in dialogues and decision- offi cials including related stakeholders and work irrigation, drinking water, inundation, erosion, over riverine water resources. together to resolve the issues. Meanwhile, a Inadequate information fl ow of EWS (Early making on water management and water regional program TROSA came into operation in Warning System), aqua life conservation and infrastructure South Asia including in Nepal. This program is in sand mining are also discussed. These issues operation from 2017 to 2021. As Oxfam runs the were prioritized towards resolving. 4 Mahakali Sambhad A CSO lead Dialogue in Mahakali basin 5 Amongst the discussions held in community Indo-Nepal Joint Action level in 2018, seven were held in India and fi ve in Nepal. Also, similar interactions are being Forum (INJAF) held in various places in 2019 as well. Indo-Nepal Joint Action Forum (INJAF) is an open b. Trainings/seminars/ lobby meetings forum formed to identify and solve the problems TROSA in coordination with INJAF has been faced by locals living near Mahakali River. In organizing trainings/seminars with a view addition to above mentioned areas of work, it to enhance capacity of INJAF members, also educates locals on how to make maximum local community members and disseminate utilization of the water of Mahakali River and its information to the people. In 2018, INJAF conservation along with awareness to public organized interactive workshops and trainings about the possible losses the river may cause. four times in Delhi, two times in Dehradun, one The forum has 45 NGOs of Nepal and India along each in Pantanagar, Tanakpur and Champawat, with 20 advisors as its members. and more than 10 times in Banbasa. At Nepal side, it organized four such programs Mahakali Sambad in Nepalgunj, two in Dhangadhi, and 10 in It also plays an active role to further strengthen Kanchanpur. Similarly, in 2019, it organized two Objectives of bilateral relations between the two countries and INJAF advocacy programs in India- one in Banbasa Mahakali Sambad through civil society and various citizen-based and one in Tanakpur. At Nepal side, two organizations. It also provides suggestions to The Mahakali Sambadis supported by Oxfam similar programs were held in Mahendranagar. the governments about the problems found in under TROSA project through the local partner Both the programs were related to capacity Oxfam in Nepal is implementing TROSA project in bordering areas of both the countries and help NEEDS with coordination of INJAF. For that, enhancement of INJAF members. Based on partnership with Nepal Environment and Equity them resolve the issues so that people would the secretariat offi ces in both the countries these four programs, the INJAF with support Development Society (NEEDS) in Kanchanpur, not face same problems in future. The main are equally active in coordinating with their from TROSA prepared its advocacy strategy. Rural Women’s Development and Unity Centre objectives of Mahakali Sambad are: related stakeholders. Oxfam in Nepal, NEEDS, (RUWDUC) in Dadeldhura, Rural Development RUWDUC, RUDES, Sankalpa are the part of these c. Women Empowerment Center and Environment Management Society discussions. The TROSA project has also developed a focused (RUDES) in Baitadi, Sankalpa in Darchula The program for women living near Mahakali River project in partnership with INJAF works in the along Nepal-India border. Twenty nine women Transboundary water governance. The project To act as platform for dialogues among Approaches of empowerment centers comprising women of is working at people-to-people level which communities, local government, Civil the targeted communities have been formed. improves relations at local settings, making Society Organisations (CSO), private Mahakali Dialogues In these centers, women gather and discuss cooperation sustainable in coordination with sectors on issues of Mahakali basin about their problems and fi nd way out. local governments, private sectors and other (Nepal and India) a. Community discussion related stakeholders. The discussion fi nalized To raise awareness for access and control TROSA in consultation with INJAF conducts In these discussions, they developed the ways the name for common platform as Mahakali over the riverine resources, Mahakali Sambad to discuss the issues of to increase women’s access to river-based Sambad. To support on lobbying with water related public concerns at the community level. In resources and help reduce poverty of the stakeholders on prioritised issues of these discussions, the local target groups people living along the riparian area. They also Mahakali Sambad helps the concerned Mahakali basin. and stakeholders are invited including discuss about issues related to livelihoods, stakeholders advocate in the water-related To act as bridge for regular cooperation representatives from local organizations, leadership role, ways to get more rights, and issues concerning the people living in bordering and harmony among local activists, leading individuals in local various other issues that they face during areas along Mahakali River and establish their people of Nepal and India living across communities, represeltatives of political parties, the course of struggle in life. The participants rights on these issues which works to ensure the border of Mahakali basin through teachers, representatives of health facilities, discuss about the ways to fi nd not only human rights based on international values. As information sharing and dialogues and security personnel, among others. The immediate solutions but also seek practical and an open forum, it identifi es common problems To continue joint initiatives in economic major local concerns and solutions suggested a long-term solution with clarity in its policy as of the locals living in the bordering areas in both prosperity and education, among other by the locals to solve them are presented in the well.