:: Water Forum Nepal::

Youth Awareness Environment Forum (YAEF/Nepal) is community based non-profit membership organization established in 1994 A.D. YAEF is registered according to the law of press and publication act 2049 B.S. The organization is an association concern with motivation of environmental awareness in the masses and performs social work. It is not a normal NGO but a medium of communication and an organizational forum.
The forum has organized various campaigns in the remote areas in the field of health, sanitation, drinking water and environmental issues. YAFE has been celebrating world environment day on 5th June every year by organizing different programs to make people aware of pollution. The organization has conducted lots of workshop and training for the students to improve the skills to ensure for their employment. Facilitating elder citizens giving motivational training to women and many other issues. In the same way, World Environment Day, World Wetland Day, World Heritage Day, World Bio-Diversity Day, World Water Day, UN Day and celebrating every year as national festival. We also conducted blood donation program in various occasion etc.

YAEF/Nepal is the member of International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN), South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN), and World Water Council (WWC), affiliated with United Nation Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Global Water Partnership (GWP). The forum is also member of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcaster (AMARC). The forum has established a Women Division which is also member of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcaster (AMARC)'s Women International Networks (WIN) and International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT). The forum has conducted several programs as co-partner of Children and Youth/Sports and Environment Unit (UNEP).In the same way, the forum is related to 990 international organizations of 181 countries in the world. The forum provides memberships for the people who are above 18 and below 55 years.

The YAEF established the water forum Nepal on March 22, 2006 on the occasion of the world water day.
The water forum broadcasts water related slogan time and now and one hour safe and pure drinking water program daily through Environmental Cycle Radio FM (ECR FM) 104.2MHz.

Our Mission ::

The Water Forum Nepal committed to improve quality of Nepali people by contributing towards pure and safe drinking water, health, sanitation, and nature conservation, protection of bio-diversity and wetland of different places of Nepal.

Our Vision ::

All the people of Nepal have access to safe water, sanitation and hygienic education.

Our objectives::

• To identify critical water issues of local, regional and global importance on the basis of ongoing assessments of the state of water.
  
• To raise awareness about critical water issues at all levels of decision making, from the highest authorities to the general public.
  
• To develop a common strategic vision on integrated water resources management on a sustainable basis.
  
• To provide advice and relevant information to institutions, public & government on preventing and promoting of water resources, local ponds, canals, rivers, tube wells, historical taps etc.
  
• To provide information to institutions and decision-makers for implementing of effective polices on integrated water resources management.
  
• To provide technical and financial support in water, health and sanitation.
  
• To publish informative magazines, bulletins, posters and pamphlets regularly on subjects like water and sanitation.
  
• To manage and supply safe and pure drinking water to local and regional areas.
  
• To conduct school level programmes on safe and pure water related topics.
  
• To encourage the local inhabitants for the conservation of local water resources.
  
• To broadcast water related programmes and slogan.
  
• To aware the listeners about environment, health, education and water.
  
• To contribute the sharing of experiences with local people on environment, health, education, pure water and sanitation.

Water Forum Nepal (WFN) is locally based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) working jointly partnership with small farmers groups, women’s credit groups and community groups to implement and protect integrated water management, sanitation and hygienic education as an approach to community water service delivery.

In Water Forum Nepal, there are 57 members from 5 districts of Nepal. Among them 11 are executive members, 5 patron members, 7 advisor members and 10 active members. To be a member of the Water Forum Nepal, one should pay NRs. 1,001 for ordinary members, 10,001 for patron members and institutional members. In case of foreign members, one should pay 100$ for ordinary members and 1001$ for patron members.

Executive members of Water Forum Nepal

Advisors

Chairman

Water ,Youth and Plastics In River

Nepal is a country of natural beauty with its topography covering mountains, hills and plains. The world’s highest peak Mt. Everest lies here. The nation lies between two big countries India and China in South Asia and covers a total area of 1, 47,181 square kilometers. The current population of the country is about 25 million. Poverty, illiteracy and unemployment are the major challenges that the country is facing today.

Water is the most important natural resources in the whole world after air.It plays vital role in our daily life. Without water , we can’t imagine about life as well as earth.Due to carelessness,it is polluted day by day Everyone knows that water becomes one part of life , somewhat carelessness as well as selfishness create the problem to conserve the water and its resources.There is the different types of water resources like pond,canals, rivers,lakes, Ground water, Hot water springs,glaciers,rainfall,stonetaps,etc.Not only people , but also all creatures of this planet use water resources for surviving .We can’t exist on the earth anymore in absence of water.In spite of its value,we are going to misuse of water continuously.

There is the multiplicity of the sources of rural water supply which comprise river,dhunge dhara (stone spout), kuawa (surface well), pokhari/kunda (pond dug-well), shallow tubewell,spring to gravity feed/overhead water supply system. When people know about advance technology through different ways,they want to have it provided that is affordable, and materialsand technologies are easily available or that they have the ability to pay and willingness to pay for it. In the ancient time, most of the human settlements were established and civilizations developed along the banks of rivers.

Water is the most important component of our ecosystem.It is raw material for photosynthesis and numerous other processes.Our body contains 100 pounds of water.It promotes chemical activity.Likewise,3/4 part of the total area of earth is covered with water.So, that it is covered almost all area of the earth.We would like to called “Blue Land “ for water coverage area .It has been calculated that total water on earth is 1.46 * 106 cubic kilometers .About 90 % water is found in oceans, 4.1 % on earth, 2.0 % in the glaciers , 0.052 % in lake , river.

Nepal is known as “Riverine Country” in the world because it is full of water. Koshi, Gandaki and karnali are the principal rivers.Nepal is the second richest water resources country after Brazil(according to area coverage in the earth).In spite of richness in water, we can’t it proper way .That why we can’t able to develop the country in all way.But , it is used in Drinking water,Irrigation,Hydroelectric power,Fishfarmings,Waterway,Industrial use, Tourism development etc.If we use on right way , we can get different types of benefits also.However, we are being unsuccess to use on good and economically sound way for all rounder development of country.

Plastics is the disease of any river .To control it we should search for medicine,we think that youth will be work as the medicine of that disease of river.

It feels to sad to say that water resources are polluted day by day.Specially, rivers are being polluted tremendously. Bagmati River is the best example of the polluted water now. Nowadays,it is broken down the natural beauty of kathmandu valley.Many INGO, NGO,Ministry of Environment,Municipilities and people are trying to safe the Bagmati River but they are fail to conserve it and unsuccess to back Bagmati River in Natural condition.By showing to such example , we are very socks to think about Godawari River which is running beside Youth Awareness Environmental Forum continuously.It is also started to pollute due to carelessness, frequently misuse of river , use excess plastics and throw in river haphazardly. If the Godawari River is not protected from the pollution at time , It is sure that it will change into Bagmati River which is very polluted dirtly. Nepal Government is failed to conserve it at time.Now,it is very late to protect it ,although many organizations and Government are trying to make Bagmati River clean and healthy.By looking such condition of Bagmati River,we start to think about Godawari River which is going to polluted day by day .So, we make plan to protect the river from pollutants,specially plastics. Nowadays, Plastics is the great enemy of any river.Likewise, Godawari River has also problem of plastics.

About Godawari River

Godawari River is situtated in the southern part of Kathmandu valley which is running from South to North of valley. It is 14.2 km long , it starts from the Pulchocki hill and ends with mixing Bagmati river.Its paly vital role in valley ,More that 1 million people use directly or indirectly this river.About 0.3 farmers use these river’s water for irrigation. Not only that it is use for domestic purpose also. Villages like Shiddhipur, Godamana choura,Thaiba,Harisidi are used these river for drinking purpose.But due to carelessness of local people,river is started to pollute ,We are thinking why these river is polluted day by day.So, we start to study about river. At end there are various reasons to pollute that river.Specially , Plastics is the main reasons behind the pollution of river.So, we decide to take out the plastics from river.

All are busy in daily time but they don’t have time for preserving river.We gather 25 youth for taking out the plastics from the river.We discuss many times to control the plastics. We decide to launch one programme to aware about plastics and its control.On 5 th September 2009,We 25 youth took out plastics and others pollutants from river.The work is very hard and feels tire though we continue our work whole day. It may be small work for others but its value is very high. Not only Godawari River, many others rivers are badly suffered from plastics.Now, Plastics becomes the enemy of the river,we think that youth can protect river from plastics ,If we like to see river free from the plastics, we should work together for conserving rivers.

If we are really wanted to protect the river , we can do following activities….

• Public Awareness Programme should be launched
  
• Plastic free river concept should be rulerised
  
• Plantation on side by side of river.
  
• Realizing the river is for us , not for others.
  
• Make strict Rule and regulations.
  
• Articulating and committing to region wide and country level strategies that will address River pollutants.

In addition, for the conservation of natural resources like river and the promotion of environmental awareness , it is imperative to involve grassroots people. I. The concept of protecting river from plastic will materialize only with concerted efforts from all quarters and angles.