ABSTRACT
Bagmati River in Kathmandu Valley is one of the most important and revered rivers in Nepal. However, it is the most polluted river in the country. The discharge of raw wastewater in the river, the dumping of garbage at the riverbanks, missing regulations of proper disposal and a lack of education of the population are resulting in an unsatisfactory condition of the river. Community involvement is not planned in the current state of the management strategy. This chapter is an assessment of the current state of Bagmati River based on three indicators: the role of local stakeholders in the management system, water quality and the role of water in the urban dynamics. On the basis of 240 household surveys we identified the income and financial reserves of the locals and the religious and cultural values. These aspects play a significant role in implementing new adaptions of technologies and in implementing new rules and guidelines. The spatial analysis was conducted with the use of GIS and remote sensing through updating the land use plan that was the basis for an interactive map enhanced by a photographic record built on site. The map facilitated us to locate 10 sampling sites along the stretch of Bagmati River and its main tributaries, where water samples were extracted. The samples were examined under physico-chemical, chemical and biochemical water quality parameters. The contrast of the land use map and the lab results enabled us to see the impact of the different urban land uses and urban activities on the water quality. The results reveal that the water quality of Bagmati River is currently extremely low and in urgent need of interventions from all types of stakeholders, for which we provide recommendations.
