A four-day Capacity Building Workshop on Climate Risk Assessment (CRA) for Water Resources Management was jointly organized by Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI) and Tribhuvan University (TU) from 5-8 February 2024 in Lalitpur, Nepal. This capacity-building workshop, targeted at early career water resources researchers and practitioners, was a part of the project “Building Capacities for Climate Resilient Water Resources Development under Climate Uncertainty” funded by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN). 

Twenty-seven individuals from notable national and international organizations actively participated in this workshop and expressed that this workshop has been significant for their respective fields. Notably, among these participants, five individuals represented foreign countries: Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. The national participants represented various governmental organizations including the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI), Department of Water Resources and Irrigation (DWRI), Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), and Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS). Additionally, esteemed educational institutions such as Tribhuvan University (TU)-Nepal, Purbanchal University (PU)-Nepal, the Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand), the Central University of Rajasthan (India), and the Royal University of Bhutan were represented. Non-governmental research organizations, including the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in Bangladesh, The Small Earth Nepal (SEN), Centre of Research for Environment, Energy, and Water (CREEW) as well as various private and public organizations, also participated in the workshop. 

The primary objective of this training workshop was to equip water and climate researchers and practitioners with the skills and knowledge to conduct effective CRA.  

The first day of this workshop comprised introductory sessions where the participants were introduced to climate change risk assessment fundamentals and terminologies. In the opening session, Dr. Shankar Shrestha, Executive Director, NDRI, welcomed the participants and provided an overview of the activities of NDRI. Dr. Dhiraj Pradhananga, Associate Professor, TU, discussed climate vulnerability and resilience of water resources in mountainous regions, Dibesh Shrestha, Lead Resource Person, NDRI, then provided an overview of the four-day training program. 

The first technical session on Day 1 included an overview and introduction of climate risk assessment methodology and applications to water resources/hydropower projects by Dr. Divas B. Basnyat, Lead, Water and Climate Program of NDRI. The second technical session in the afternoon of the first day covered the foundational aspects of climate change and its associated climate extremes. Alongside, there were detailed discussions on the General Circulation Model (GCMs), Regional Climate Model (RCMs), Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP), Representative Concentration Pathways (RCMs), and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and their significance. Additionally, a step-by-step process to download climate data from Copernicus and WCRF CMIP6 was focused on this session for the participants to practice during the hands-on session.   Dibesh Shrestha then introduced the WECCSGen-tool (developed by NDRI) and described its use in CRA. In the end, during the hands-on practice session of Day 1, the participants were guided through each step to ensure the completion of basic installations and the necessary tools to ensure their engagement with the training material moving forward.  

On the first day, a networking dinner was also organized for the participants, providing them with the opportunity to engage with distinguished water resource experts in a relaxed setting. 

The second day consisted of presentations on details of various data sources, Global Circulation Models (GCMs) selection, and Bias Correction and Statistical Downscaling of the GCMs. Participants were also made to practice the Climate Data Operator (CDO) tool, and bias correction of GCMs. In the first technical session of Day 2, Dibesh Shrestha talked about various data sources for climate, water resources, soil, land and agriculture, and the Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Following this, another session entailed a method of selection of climate models from a pool of GCMs. The envelope method, adapted by the MoFE (2019) - “Climate Change Scenarios for Nepal” was explained including the methodology and required variables. Next, Girish Lamsal conducted a hands-on practice session on the application of Climate Data Operator (CDO) for the participants to understand and practice how to operate with climate data (NetCDF files). The last session of Day 2 provided the participants with Bias correction and spatial downscaling concepts in detail. 

On the third day, the bias-corrected data was introduced to a hydrological model (HBV model) to generate runoff for various scenarios. The participants also used the WECCS-Gen tool for climate change scenario generation. The entire day was dedicated to understanding the inputs, processes, and results of these tools.  

On the final day, the Scientific Planning Group member of APN representing Nepal and former Director General of Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Dr. Madan Lal Shrestha provided an insightful session on “Introduction of APN and challenges of climate change.” The session was followed by other sessions on climate change's impact on runoff, climate change, and hazards, climate stress test using hydropower design model and financial analysis. Prof. Hari Pandit also provided an important session on “climate resilient hydropower design.”  

During the closing session, Dibesh Shrestha, Dr. Pradhananga, and Dr. Shrestha delivered their concluding remarks, reflecting on the workshop's outcomes and significance. Additionally, participants were given the opportunity to share their experiences and provide feedback. Many expressed gratitude for the workshop's effectiveness in enhancing their understanding of core concepts related to climate change and its impact on water resources, as well as in familiarizing them with tools and programming languages. Some participants noted that the training duration felt somewhat brief, expressing a desire for the workshop to continue. In the end, the participants were awarded a Certificate of Participation in recognition of their active involvement and contribution throughout the program. Overall, the program was successful and fruitful to the participants through the collective effort of the resource persons as per the feedback received in the closing session.