DAAD ALUMNI SEMINAR IN NEPAL

“Management of Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene linked with Nutrition security for Sustainable Development (WASH-NUT)”

Within the Alumni Program of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Centre for International Capacity Development at University of Siegen has implemented this important Seminar at Pokhara Nepal, 03rd to 14th of September 2018; in close cooperation with the Justus Liebig University Giessen, Center for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU), the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage (DWSS)/ Ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation, Nepal, and Deutsche Welthungerhilfe, Country Office, Nepal.

Twenty Alumni from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia and Nepal have participated in this applied research seminar in Pokhara, Kaski district. Academic discussion has been led by the College of Applied Science, Tribhuvan University. Scientific inputs were given by an expert from Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten, and from the organising institutions mentioned above.

Officers from District Public Health Office, District Technical Office/DCC Kaski, Pokhara Metropolitan City, Members of the Lekhnath Small Town Water Supply and Sanitation user Committee, Pokhara University - Public Health and Nutrition joined the seminar for the whole time.
An excursion has been conducted to Lekhnath, part of the newly formed greater metropolitan area Pokhara-Lekhnath to get practical input into the discussion. Officers from District Public Health Office,
Board members of the Lekhnath Small Town Water Supply and Sanitation user Committee organised a special meeting to inform the group on their activities in the Lekhnath Water Users and Sanitation Project. Members took the group around to conduct a field assessment at Lekhnath Water Users and Sanitation Project, Kaski. Field studies concentrated on rural and urban clusters covered by the Project.

Areas of possible interventions have been identified to improve, enlarge and maintain the water sources, the distribution scheme, the cooperation with the water users, and the waste water treatment, which has so far completely been left out at household level.
All areas have relevant links to Nutrition aspects. Awareness creation for a more holistic view is needed at all levels.
Discussions and ideas for future activities to meet these challenges have been condensed in five posters that visualize objectives, a work plan for major activities and the respective conclusions:
•    Water Sources and Climate Change Effect in Lekhnath
•    Operation and Maintenance Mechanism for Lekhnath
•    Public Wastewater Treatment Plant for Water and Nutrient Reuse

In two posters special attention has been drawn to the linkages between Nutrition and WASH Projects reflecting the Multi-Sector Nutrition Plan of Nepal (MSNP) by visualizing possible linkages with WASH and possible entry points for social behaviour communication (SBCC) to improve relevant behaviours at household level towards food and nutrition security.
•    Multisector Approach for Nutrition Security
•    Improve nutrition through social behavior change communication

All results have been presented to the Mayor of Metropolitan area Pokhara-Lekhnath and his engineer´s team and been officially handed over to the Lekhnath Small Town Water Supply and Sanitation User Committee.

Download a short summary of the seminar here