Pokhara, the second largest city in western Nepal, is the country’s largest tourist city, and with a new international airport scheduled to open in 2021, the city is expected to see a further increase in tourism and accelerated urbanization. In 2016, a group of nine lakes, including Lake Fewa, located in the center of the city, was registered as a protected area under the Ramsar Convention for the Conservation and Use of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. However, the water quality of Lake Fewa has been deteriorating due to the increase in the number of tourists, and water quality surveys have observed concentrations that exceed the standards that are considered to be within the limits that do not cause discomfort in daily life.
This water pollution is mainly caused by inadequate and improper sewage management. Since the city has no sewage system, untreated wastewater is discharged into the lake and seepage into the ground is also observed. Therefore, measures for sewage management are urgently needed to improve sanitation and the water environment, and a long-term facility development plan for sewage management that reflects the future increase in the amount of sewage generated is once again required.
This cooperation will contribute to the improvement of the sanitation and water environment in Pokhara by developing a sewage management M/P and conducting a pre-feasibility study of priority projects in the city.
© Source JICA