When the river turns against us
“The Gaad has turned reckless; it has now become a curse to us,” laments 70-year-old Jharana Regmi, a lifelong resident of Daiya, a small village nestled along the riverbank in Budhinanda Municipality-6 of Bajura district. Gaad refers to a river in the local dialect of Bajura and the broader Sudurpashchim region. In this context, she is speaking about the Baadigaad River, which flows along the village’s northern edge before draining into the Karnali River.
Over the past few years, the river has begun to change its course during the monsoon, triggering floods that have severely damaged the riverbanks and canal systems that once reliably irrigated Daiya’s household farms. “This year, the Gaad swept away our two main canals that were crucial for irrigation. Without sufficient water, our fields have turned barren, and all the rice we planted failed,” Regmi adds. The sudden loss of irrigation has led to a complete crop failure, and the village barely harvested any rice this year, leaving families struggling to secure food for the coming winter.
“Earlier, we were self-sufficient in rice. We used to grow several indigenous varieties like Himali and Jawaro (a red rice variety) for both consumption and trade. But now, with the repeated flooding of the riverbanks and canal systems, we can’t even grow enough for ourselves,” says Regmi, her voice heavy with despair.
With both main canal systems damaged at the point where they diverted water from the Baadigaad River, the village now relies on water discharged from a local micro-hydropower plant. This plant, housed within the village, releases water into a canal that provides irrigation only during the night, when the plant operates to generate electricity. Meanwhile, another village, Kaalshila, located uphill and south of Daiya, uses the same water source for irrigation during the day.
“Because the water is only available at night, it’s very inconvenient for us to use it effectively for farming,” Regmi explains. The hydropower plant’s water is sourced from the Baadigaad at a distant point in Kaalshila, further complicating equitable access for Daiya villagers.
Beyond damaging canals, the river has also devastated riparian farmland. Erosion, sand, and debris deposited during floods have rendered many plots uncultivable. The resulting loss of fertile land has severely impacted local livelihoods and food security. With their primary croplands gone, villagers now depend on small vegetable gardens and remote drylands. Some have tried to grow wheat using makeshift canals, but such efforts have done little to ease food insecurity.
Despite repeated damage assessments by the municipality, meaningful relief has yet to reach the village. “We’ve appealed to the municipality several times. Now we just have to wait and see what the government plans for us,” says Regmi.
The global phenomenon behind a local crisis
Intense rainfall over the past two years appears to be the main culprit behind the river’s erratic course changes and frequent flooding. These heavy rains have increased river discharge to record levels and triggered landslides along riverbank slopes, raising the riverbed with deposited debris. As the riverbed aggrades, it causes the river to carve new channels, resulting in unpredictable course shifts and devastating floods.
“Nowadays, we experience heavy rainfall and flooding between June and October, but they can begin as early as April or May,” shares Regmi.
Compounding this natural crisis is weak governance of local natural resources. For instance, the stewardship of the Tushar Community Forest (Tushar Samudaik Baan) in Daiya has deteriorated significantly. “Even though there’s an executive committee for forest management, no serious efforts have been made to protect it,” says Regmi.
The absence of forest guards for the past three years has led to unregulated and illegal extraction of forest products. The lack of enforcement has encouraged excessive harvesting of biomass and even organized timber theft. As a result, many indigenous species, such as Aiselu (Rubus ellipticus) and Tilkhuri (Thysanolaena latifolia), have disappeared. These species once played a vital role in maintaining soil integrity and supporting crop-livestock agriculture.
This ecological degradation has also made the forest slopes more vulnerable to landslides, especially during heavy rains. The cascading impacts are ultimately felt in the geomorphology of the Baadigaad River as it cuts through the weakened forest terrain.
Building a climate-resilient village
Regmi cannot recall any significant community-led efforts to build resilience or minimize the risks facing Daiya. She laments the lack of a dedicated water management committee to maintain and repair damaged canal infrastructure. “We can’t always wait for the government to rehabilitate the canals. We need a local mechanism to organize resources and take responsibility,” she insists.
This, she believes, is where the long-term solution lies.
What Daiya needs is the establishment and strengthening of self-governing institutions dedicated to managing critical local resources, especially water and forests, on which agriculture and livelihoods depend. This could include revitalizing the existing Community Forest User Group (CFUG) to improve forest stewardship and forming a Water Users Group (WUG) tasked with maintaining and rehabilitating irrigation infrastructure.
Theoretical models such as the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework and Design Principles, developed by Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom, emphasize the importance of well-crafted self-governing institutions for the sustainability of common-pool resources. Ostrom's design principles highlight the need for clear operational rules, monitoring systems, rule enforcement, and exclusivity of access for resource users.
Such self-governing bodies should also coordinate with external stakeholders—including donor agencies, grassroots organizations, and government extension services—to foster adaptive co-management. A collaborative, systemic approach is essential, given the strong interdependence between water, forests, and agriculture.
In mountain communities like Daiya, where both climatic and human-induced shocks are intensifying, empowering local institutions to govern shared resources offers a promising pathway to resilience. Lessons from other parts of Nepal and beyond demonstrate that community-led governance can significantly improve preparedness, recovery, and sustainability. With the right structures in place, even a troubled river like the Baadigaad can become a source of strength, rather than sorrow, for the people who live by its banks.
