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Theme of the proposal: Biodiversity

Title of the proposal: Uprooting hyacinth from Fewa Lake on incentive-based (and maintaining
natural beauty of the lake)

Activity location: Pokhara

Project Implementation Period: 12 months

Budget:
1. Background

Fewa Lake is not only a tourist site in Nepal but a huge watershed area and an entity of rich
biodiversity. Since time immemorial, the area has remained sanctity for religious minded-people, a
rich biodiversity area for thousands of people in the nearby areas and a huge source of water as well.

However, with the rapid urbanization and huge investment in the hospitality sector, the lake in the
city of Pokhara has not only shrunk but also become polluted as the drainage system from the city
has been mixed into the lake. With the rise in pollution, water hyacinth (known as Jalakhumbi in
Nepali) plant has invaded the lake in the last two decades.

Water hyacinth is a wild weed, freely floating perennial plant growing three feet in height and is
considered as the fastest growing plant stem runner that takes root at points along its length to form
new plants. It has got the capacity to produce enormous quantities of seeds that are viable for up to
30 years. This plant is creating serious problem in the beauty and natural heritage of Fewa Lake.
Every year there are programmes organized to remove this plant from the lake, but it has not been a
successful venture to produce satisfying result. This plant can spread by wind, floods, ecologies, and
species. The major reasons for the growth of this plant include discharge of domestic wastewater and
sewage into the lake through point source.

It is not an effortless way to control the rapid growth of hyacinth in the lake. This can be done by
controlling the nutrients level in the lake and also by using the human resources and machines. But,
this must be repeatedly and frequently done otherwise the plants can accumulate seeds. Herbicides
also can be an effective method for eradicating them, but this can also affect non- targeted aquatic
biodiversity and this poison cannot affect the seed bank and it will replace the poisoned plants within
months. Growth of hyacinth has only not spoiling lake’s serenity but also creating problems to boat
entrepreneurs and fishermen.

So, mobilizing men/women who sail the boats in the lake and their family members to collect
hyacinth plants from the lake; making bio-briquettes and using the bio-briquettes as an income
source for the participating communities after supplying the bio-briquettes to the hotels and resorts
in the tourist city seems viable and sustainable.

2. Justification

Since its rapid spread, hyacinth has become a threat to Fewa Lake and has affected livelihood of
aquatic life. This can reduce the tourist attraction and cause effects on the economy of people
dependent on tourism.

Realizing the very fact, attempts have been made to clean-up the lake by uprooting the hyacinth but
such steps remained insufficient and failed to grasp the spirit of sustainability. The welfare approach
carried out by government and I/NGOs to aware people seems to be temporary. And, the welfare-
based cleanup campaign of Fewa Lake has not turned effective and the hyacinth problem is the
same.

So, economic incentive-based model is need of the hour which would benefit the local people,
hoteliers and boat entrepreneurs where the boatmen and fishermen shall collect hyacinth to prepare
environment-friendly bio-briquettes considering the business model. It decreases the hyacinth’s
spread and rejoices the hoteliers by keeping the fame of the lake alive and attracting more tourists.
The hotels would use bio-briquettes for cooking and would also reduce their costs incurred in
expensive LP gas consumption. This way is also profitable to the people as it creates a job
opportunity and benefit owners of the restaurants, hotels and lodges.

3. Goal and Objectives

i) to collect the hyacinth plants from Fewa Lake by mobilizing fishermen and boatmen/women;
ii) to prepare bio-briquettes by using the water hyacinth of Fewa Lake;
iii) to supply the bio-briquettes to hotels in restaurants as cooking energy

4. Description of activities
i) Trainings would be conducted to a total of 91 individuals (each one from a household)
ii) Collect water hyacinths from Fewa Lake and chop them into fine pieces.
iii) Collect old newspapers and put them in a water-filled bucket and stir until only fibres looking
like “ledo” are seen floating.
iv) Mix fine pieces of water hyacinths and wet paper fibres in a ratio of 7:3 (in proportion to
weight)
v) Put the mixture in a presser (also called “key”) and press hard until all water drains out and a
bio-briquette takes its firm shape.
vi) Dry wet bio-briquettes in the sunlight for a week until they are dry and get ready for
supplying to the market.
vii)

5. Expected Program Outputs

After the implementation of the project, livelihood of the family members of Harpan-Fewa
Fishery Cooperative Organization (a cooperative comprising fishermen and boatmen ‘Jalari’)
would be uplifted through economic incentives after producing and selling bio-briquettes. Active
members of all 91 households affiliated to the cooperatives would be capacitated based on their
interests in the project.
This project is expected to contribute to the bio-diversity and watershed of Fewa Lake by
uprooting the water hyacinth for the preparation of bio-briquettes. Similarly, clearing the
hyacinth plants shall help in preservation of aquatic ecosystem in Fewa Lake. Furthermore, use
of firewood would be replaced by bio-briquettes, if there exists, in the Jalari community while
consumption of LP gas would be supported in the hotels, restaurants and resorts in Pokhara.
So, this project is expected to support in preservation of aquatic ecosystem of Fewa Lake and
livelihood support for Jalari members through income generation as well as reduction in carbon
emissions.

6. Monitoring and evaluation:

A core team from Hariyo Ban Program and all three project implementing organizations—NIDS,
Gandaki Urja Company and Harpan-Fewa Fishery Cooperative Organization--shall carry out the
monitoring and evaluation of the project once in every month.

The monitoring, evaluation and learning activities shall oversee the physical performance of the
project implementation from hyacinth plants collection to the bio-briquettes preparations. The
monitoring shall assess the participation of women, economically poor and disadvantages groups
in the field. Likewise, monitoring would be carried out to confirm whether or not the project
activities were in line with the proposed strategies and objectives of the project.

In the evaluation process, people’s representatives at the local level would be ensured so that the
local government would also feel its ownership and for sustainability of the project.

Questions to be answered through monitoring?

Have each section of the project met the deadline?

Has the project benefited the target community?
What are the major problems faced by the field workers?
Is the funds properly and timely used?
Are the persons involved in the field skilled?
Are the hoteliers, restaurants owners happy in using the bio-briquettes?

7. Coordination
First and the foremost, coordination among the field workers, bio-briquettes makers and
suppliers would be ensured through orientation and economic incentives. Likewise, a
coordination desk would be setup in the ground level to frequently share problems, if any. Each
step of the coordination shall be goal-oriented, namely biodiversity preservation, income
generation and preparation of climate-friendly bio-briquettes. At the heart of coordination,
emphasis would be given on project goals, team work, planning and communications.
In order to effectively carry out the project, the government officials would be consulted for
feedback and project reinforcement.

8. Socio-Environmental Impacts
No negative environmental and social impacts are likely to appear during and after the project
implementation rather our intervention shall contribute to climate-friendly economic bio-
briquettes at the cost of livelihood support to the fishermen and boatmen, and underprivileged
community members.

9. Beneficiaries
The 9-executive committee members of Harpan-Fewa Fishery Cooperative, 91 households and
around 500 people would be directly benefited while hoteliers and business community members
would benefit by using bio-gas and briquettes for cooking, switching off the LP Gas Cylinder.
Likewise, thousands of tourists boating in Fewa Lake would enjoy the beauty of lake due to
decline in water hyacinth.

10. Budget
An excel sheet is attached herewith