Sahayatra Nepal’s Initiatives for Water Conservation and Climate Resilience in Illam
Sahayatra Nepal is actively working to conserve water resources in the hilly Illam district to address water scarcity among marginalized communities. Climate change has increased landslide vulnerability, disproportionately affecting women responsible for household water collection. In 2024, Sahayatra Nepal initiated water conservation projects in five locations across Illam Municipality, Mangsebung Rural Municipality, and Fakfokthum Rural Municipality. With support from Tewa, they constructed reservoir tanks and installed pipelines, benefiting 154 marginalized households and empowering women in leadership roles within user committees.
women’s groups in registration and enhancing their knowledge of climate change adaptation. 13 women’s groups, including Sahayatra Nepal, are now leading gender-just climate solutions through initiatives like water conservation, sustainable agriculture, native crop preservation, forest and wetland conservation, waste management, and compost fertilizer production.
To further climate advocacy, Sahayatra Nepal conducted capacity-strengthening trainings for elected representatives and government officials on climate change and local budget allocation. These trainings covered participants from all 10 rural/municipalities of Illam, leading to increased awareness among local authorities. As a result, local governments have begun allocating budgets for climate actions, strengthening community resilience and adaptation efforts.
