Nepali farmers use water for many reasons: drinking, caring for livestock, washing clothes, growing vegetables. But traditional water delivery systems are designed for a single use: either domestic or agriculture—if they are available at all. The government offices that support these two uses exist in separate silos with little or no communication between them.
Multiple-Use Water Systems (MUS) are designed to overcome that problem. MUS are managed by a local community leader and are designed from day one to provide water for multiple uses. MUS are a proven approach to reducing poverty by ensuring that water is distributed equitably in remote villages.

The MUS Workshop in Nepal:

iDE Nepal and several co-organizers convened a workshop earlier this year to share best practices on this approach. The workshop took place in Kathmandu and included a wide swath of over 180 people—a mix of government, academia, practitioners and local farmers.
A highlight of the workshop: 85% of MUS implemented by iDE Nepal ten years ago are still functioning today, according to recent research by IWMI (International Water Management Institute).

When MUS are combined with drip irrigation, they enable small farmers to use a fraction of the water used by traditional flood techniques. This means that farmers adapt more easily when rainfall is erratic. Clearly, MUS are an important climate change adaptation approach, enabling communities to efficiently manage and allocate scarce water resources.
Inspired by the long-term success of MUS, workshop attendees are hoping to include it in mainstream conversations on water management.
It was clear at the workshop that MUS advocates would like to elevate the profile of MUS. The new Nepal MUS Network, which launched from the workshop, has plans to inspire an ongoing dialogue about MUS across the water sector.

Learn more about the Nepal MUS Network by visiting the MUS Group website.

iDE Nepal thanks the co-organizers who shared research, methodologies, and technologies, and together advanced the body of knowledge around this unique and proven approach: IWMI, FMIST, MUS Group, and the Ministry of Population and Environment. These organizations and MUS Workshop attendees made the workshop a successful event.