The Climate-Resilience Revival of the Rudakhola Kushkhet

Far out in the rugged, remote hills of Turmakhand Rural Municipality in Achham, the village of Kushkhet has always tied its survival and local economy to the soil. But in this fragile landscape, a changing climate is increasingly threatening that ancient bond. On September 15, 2022, an intense monsoon flood tore through the village, triggering massive landslides that completely washed away the traditional open canal of the Rudakhola Kushkhet Irrigation Scheme. Overnight, the community's economic lifeline was severed. More than 75 ropani (3.5 hectares) of fertile agricultural land was abruptly cut off from its water source.

The human cost was immediate and severe. "The 2022 flood was one of the worst disasters our community has ever experienced," recalls Mr. Dilli Bhul, Chairperson of the Users Committee. "Without irrigation, farming became almost impossible. Our farmland remained barren for years, and some families had no option but to leave the village just to secure their livelihoods elsewhere". The loss of local agricultural productivity forced households into tough economic choices, triggering a wave of forced out-migration.

Recognizing that simply rebuilding the old open infrastructure would only invite future disasters, Turmakhand Rural Municipality, supported by the Local Adaptation to Climate Change (LACC) Project, initiated a strategic intervention.

They designed a robust, climate-resilient system rather than a temporary fix. The engineering team constructed an improved intake structure for water diversion at the headworks and replaced the fragile open canal with a 482.4-meter buried pipeline. This modernized conveyance system is built to withstand future landslides and muddy flooding, while drastically reducing water leakage and ongoing maintenance costs.

Today, this climate-smart investment is paying dividends. Reliable water is continuously flowing back into the command area, directly transforming the lives of 26 farming households.  For the first time in many years, the farmers of Kushkhet successfully transplanted their paddy on time. "After many years of uncertainty, our farmers are hopeful again," shares Mr. Bhul, watching the continuous flow from the new pipeline. With agricultural productivity restored, local food security is stabilizing, and the heavy socioeconomic burden of forced migration is finally beginning to lift.

To ensure this vital resource lasts for generations, the work doesn't stop at the pipeline. The LACC Project is proactively rolling out an Integrated Catchment Management Plan upstream focusing on forest conservation, bioengineering, and erosion control.  Supported by the Government of Nepal, Finland, and the European Union, the revived Rudakhola scheme stands as a powerful model of institutional adaptation. It proves that with smart, resilient investments, vulnerable communities can do more than just recover from natural disasters—they can adapt, rebuild, and thrive.