Dharan sub metropolitan city and SIAS jointly organized the seventh series of Dharan Pani Chautari (Water Forum) on 19th November 2020. This series was organized to disseminate the research findings and key policy messages from the research conducted by SIAS in Dharan. The forum was attended by 18 members, including the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and senior municipal officials, representatives of water users committees, squatter settlements, Dalit network, and academic institutions of Dharan namely Central Campus of Technology and Purwanchal Campus.
In the event, Kamal Devkota, Program Director of SIAS shared the water security concept encompassing sustainability, water quantity and quality, wastewater management, affordability, and equitable access while Kaustuv Raj Neupane, researcher at SIAS shared key policy messages specifically targeted to the Dharan sub metropolitan city. Dharan is one of the case study sites of a research project entitled ‘Climate Adaptive and Equitable Water Management Plans for Cities in South Asia’ conducted by SIAS. Multiple aspects of water management (biophysical, social and institutional, gender and inclusion, private sector engagement) were covered in this study. Collaboration with academic institutions for evidence based policy making, effective implementation of recharge pit, continuation of water forum to discuss on multiple issues for urban water security are some of the key messages shared in the forum.
The forum highlighted the gap in coordination and communication between academic institutions and the sub metropolitan city. Mayor and Deputy Mayor realised the importance of having collaboration with academic institutions within the town mainly for the data and evidences for municipal planning and policy making. Academic institutions also demanded for the opportunities of engaging with local government through research. The forum directed towards establishing an institutional mechanism to promote evidence-based planning.
In his closing remarks, Tilak Rai, the Mayor of Dharan, requested the academic institutions not to keep the research within themselves only but to keep on communicating them through different mediums to the wider audiences and particularly to the municipal authorities. This will facilitate to use research into municipal policy. Finally, the Mayor showed his commitment to establish the institutional mechanism between the sub metropolitan city and academic institutions to promote research for mutual benefits.
