In the mountainous regions of Nepal, natural springs are vital sources of drinking water for millions of people and animals. However, as road networks expand due to the need for connectivity, these natural springs are increasingly disrupted, leading to severe spillage and water shortages in local communities. Additionally, water seepage can compromise road durability, posing further challenges. Project RoSPro, supported by Partners for Water, revives Nepal’s mountain springs to strengthen long-term water security through innovative, community-driven Nature-based Solutions.

Dhankuta: Balancing economic growth with sustainability

Since June 2023, Saroj Yakami (who works at MetaMeta) and Madhav Dhakal and Sanjeev Bhuchar (who both work at The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) have been working on an innovative project to secure springs while simultaneously improving road construction through community driven, Nature-based Solutions. The initiative aims to develop a model that balances economic growth with sustainability. FutureWater is the third partner in this consortium.

Operating across Dhankuta Municipality and Chhathar Jorpati Rural Municipality, within a 71-square-kilometre watershed area, the project has successfully combined advanced data analysis with existing knowledge in the community. To maintain water quality and prevent contamination from traffic and environmental factors for instance, springs need to be protected by barriers or Nature-based Solutions such as vegetation buffers and simple earth structures.

Combining science and local knowledge for water security

To guarantee water flow and natural filtration methods to keep the water clean and safe for consumption, FutureWater, a Netherlands-based scientific research and consulting firm, utilized an existing small-scale hydrological planning model (SPHY) that is well-suited to mountainous regions. This model accounts for all the characteristics of such areas, including elevation differences, steep slopes, and snowfall patterns. Alongside this, a data-driven decision support system (DSS) that uses climate, soil, and land use data to support water management decisions was implemented.

The social enterprise MetaMeta has contributed over 20 years of expertise in water governance, land management, and climate adaptation to the project, protecting both springs and roads through a combination of measures. Additionally, MetaMeta set up a communication plan that ensures wide adaptation and the sustainability of the approach. ICIMOD brings decades of experience in spring management, working closely with the people who live and work in the area.

Achievements: more water, safer roads, better livelihoods

MetaMeta and ICIMOD recently provided an update on the project’s successes. Madhav Dhakal emphasized the importance of involving local leaders at every stage. He proudly reported that the collaborative effort has resulted in an increase of at least one litre per minute of available water in March 2025 compared to March last year. “That means water is now accessible to about 32 more people per day per spring.” This increase significantly benefits local inhabitants who previously had to fetch water from distant sources and can now invest the time saved in agricultural activities, improving livelihoods.

While MetaMeta is leading the overall project, FutureWater is focussing on a blueprint for scaling up similar efforts using scientific models that integrate ground data from test sites. Besides improvements related to water, roads are now safer and durable. There is less damage caused by water and repair costs are substantially lower, which helps people get around more easily and makes the area more accessible.

Simple structures and Nature-based Solutions to protect springs

A local NGO, HUSADEC, along with a dedicated young researcher from MetaMeta based in Dhankuta, has played an important role in roadside spring protection and spring management. They mobilised local communities, organised them into spring user groups, gathered existing information, and facilitated their active participation in designing, implementing, and monitoring the project.

With help from local communities and municipal authorities, four important springs were identified. To protect these water sources and nearby roads from erosion and damage, several simple structures were built. These include spring boxes, collection chambers, gabion walls, small dams made of plants, roadside drains, and drainage pipes or culverts. These green interventions function as practical Nature-based Solutions, while water tanks and tap stands were also installed to make sure water is available even during dry periods and to reduce water loss.

To keep the springs flowing in the long-term, small recharge structures – such as trenches and ponds – were created to collect rainwater. These affordable, earth-based solutions help rainwater soak into the ground rather than running off, keeping the springs healthy and supporting the local water supply.

Challenges and lessons learned

The project encountered several challenges during implementation:

• Construction during monsoon season was complex and required local knowledge to protect structures. In some cases, parts of retaining walls had to be redesigned and reconstructed due to damage caused by excess water.
• Budget limitations required design modifications in consultation with municipalities and local engineers with contributions from the community, municipality and ICIMOD for implementation.
• Land acquisition for recharge measures was difficult when the land was privately owned. Mediation with local stakeholders was essential to gain access. The municipality plays a vital role for the negotiations with different stakeholders.
• The fact that spring outlets shift when construction work takes place nearby showed the need for caution when working near spring water sources.
• Rights and environmental laws can complicate the execution of the project.

Local knowledge in water security

These challenges, while initially stressful for the community, were eventually managed using local expertise and took about two weeks to resolve. Despite the technical difficulties, the project remained on schedule. An important lesson was recognizing the value of local wisdom and the need to listen more closely to the knowledge of local people, who traditionally avoid touching or disturbing springs, as springs are natural wonders that they respect enormously.

For example, the community tried to extract water from a spring which seemed to have disappeared. They resolved this issue by using local techniques, which involved compacting the soil around the spring with black soil, effectively restoring the water flow. This demonstrates how local knowledge and traditional methods can be used to address challenges in water management. Additionally, the team realized the importance of integrating vegetation and using bamboo, a method that local people have been using for years to protect springs.

Community ownership drives long-term water security

After a year of monitoring, the consortium is satisfied with the progress. Local communities and municipalities are requesting more such initiatives, and some have already started their own roadside spring protection projects. This demonstrates how a co-designed, participatory approach fosters community ownership.
Although the current project phase is set to conclude in June, the consortium will leave behind crucial data, including a cost-benefit analysis considering social, environmental, and economic impacts. Involving local communities has proved to be very useful because of their valuable knowledge about the springs and their surroundings, but also for ongoing monitoring and maintenance necessary to keep the springs clean and functional. As unforeseen events like floods or droughts can impact spring protection efforts, the model needs to be adaptable to other regions.

A blueprint for scaling up Nature-based Solutions for spring protection

This collaborative initiative exemplifies how integrated approaches can address complex environmental challenges while benefiting local communities. By combining technical expertise with community-led efforts, the project not only revives natural springs and protects roads but also enhances livelihoods and builds resilience against future water scarcity.

Community involvement has been central to the project’s success. Through focus group discussions, surveys, training programmes, and a co-design approach, residents have been empowered to actively participate in monitoring and implementation efforts. While immediate benefits, such as improved access to water for drinking and agricultural use, are already evident, long-term impacts will take years to materialize. Transparency will be maintained with communities about this timeline, fostering trust and collaboration for sustainable outcomes.

As part of the Partners for Water innovation programme (2022–2027), this initiative demonstrates the transformative potential of combining scientific expertise with local partnerships. Through persistent efforts and collaboration, it paves the way for systemic change in water management and infrastructure planning. This will ensure that progress does not come at the expense of vital natural resources.

Innovation in progress series

During the Partners for Water programme 2022 – 2027, several projects that received the Partners for Water subsidy will be followed from start to finish. Over the next few years, they will take you with them on their transformative journey. You’ll be able to gain insights into their promising solutions, innovative processes and collaborations with local partners, as well as their struggles, challenges and valuable lessons learned. Stay tuned and follow their journey through the Partners for Water website and our LinkedIn page!

Ask the oldest farmers in Nepal’s Bagmati province what the landscape once looked like, and the answer is always the same: greener, wetter, more alive. The Green Intelligence, a Dutch-Nepalese social enterprise supported by Partners for Water, is working to restore this landscape through productive agroforestry, a purpose-built mobile app, and an innovative blended finance model. Co-founder Matthijs van Rijn explains how a landscape approach is restoring fragile hillsides into resilient, income-generating forests.

In the mountains of Nepal’s Bagmati province, monoculture farming has left soils exposed and fragile. Monsoon rains are becoming increasingly intense and unpredictable, and when they fall, the water rushes downhill rather than soaking in. Wells dry up, and landslides destroy crops and homes. It was here, in 2021, that former engineer Van Rijn founded The Green Intelligence: a social enterprise implementing productive agroforests, including fruit, nuts and medicinal trees alongside existing crops, to improve both livelihoods and the landscape.

From village conversations to a landscape approach

“It all started with a few trees on a friend’s plot and plenty of conversations with local stakeholders,” shares van Rijn. “I drove around on my motorbike and asked the oldest people in villages what the landscape looked like before.” The conversations revealed that there used to be diverse, productive land, but also exposed the pressures that have taken over: less rainfall, ageing communities, and crops that deteriorate quickly and often don’t reach the market. Productive agroforestry emerged as the answer.

“Now, farmers are brought in through local stakeholder consultations at the municipality level,” says van Rijn. Those who sign up receive free training and trees – the costs are pre-financed by The Green Intelligence and recouped over time through carbon credits. The species are chosen in co-creation with Dutch and Nepali foresters and guided by what farmers themselves want to grow. “We look at what thrives at the various altitudes, what the farmer needs, and what can generate income,” Van Rijn explains.

An app built for the field

A purpose-built mobile app is what makes this approach work at scale. Farmers use it to register trees with geotagged photos, map their land by walking its perimeter, and access instructional videos on planting and tree care. “The app works offline and syncs automatically when connectivity is restored,” says van Rijn. “When a farmer uploads a photo of a healthy tree, our team reviews it remotely and releases a small financial reward – incentivising good care while generating verified data for carbon credit registration.” For farmers less familiar with smartphones, a community helper function was introduced, allowing a younger member to register trees on their behalf. “The platform now has 1,450 registered users and nearly 13,000 trees uploaded.”

A landscape-based approach

With support from Partners for Water, The Green Intelligence is now applying a landscape-based approach to catchment restoration, addressing degraded land not farm by farm, but at the scale of an entire municipality. “We work simultaneously on private agricultural plots and public land,” says van Rijn. The project brings together local governments, community forest user groups and farmers’ cooperatives in one shared effort. “Over the past year and a half, this has resulted in 250 hectares of agroforestry implemented and 250 hectares of community forest restored, impacting 7,200 community members.”

Connecting trees to international finance

“To make landscape restoration financially viable, we combine international carbon finance, local government contributions and development funding,” says van Rijn. Carbon credits are being developed under Gold Standard certification, a process requiring extensive documentation and independent verification. The app is essential here,” van Rijn adds. “Without the verified, geotagged data it collects, we cannot register carbon credits or provide transparency. It is what connects the trees to international climate finance and carbon markets.”

Dutch energy company Greenchoice is among the first international clients to commit to long-term climate finance for public land restoration at scale. “Their long-term commitment allows us to build trust and lasting relationships with local communities,” says van Rijn. “This is key to the success of the project”. Crucially, it also ensures the work initiated under the Partners for Water funding can continue and scale beyond the project period. Green Intelligence is currently exploring how to create market linkages for forest produce from the project sites.

When the community sees it works

The clearest sign of progress came from a single overgrazed hillside. After half a year of replanting and a grazing moratorium, grass returned. “Farmers had more fodder for their animals than they had seen in years and immediately asked if we could do the same on the next slope,” says van Rijn. But this is just a short-term example, he continues: “Ultimately, success is when communities generate a sustainable income from their land without chemicals, and when water levels and biodiversity are recovering. That will take thirty years.”
Meanwhile, The Green Intelligence is scaling the approach beyond Nepal. “Currently, we are also operational in Kenya, and in conversation with potential partners in Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Bhutan and Rwanda,” says van Rijn. “The same approach, adapted to each new context.”