Scope of Payment for Ecosystem Services Mechanism for ... - icimod

to the reforestation of parts (about 0.56 km 2 ) of the settlement area that decreased from1.14 km 2 in 1992 to 0.57 km 2 in 2010.PerceptionActive participation of CFUGs and DFO Bhaktapur helped to improve the forest.Participants of both upstream and downstream area have similar positive opinion aboutthe improved of forest cover. After the Australian project in 1990s, the plantationprogram of pine trees (Pinus roxburghii) increased forest cover. However, pine trees arebelieved to not to be good for water holding and water treating potential. NGOs launchedawareness program about consequences of pine trees and facilitated to replace it throughbroad leaf tree species. .5.3 Water ServicesBesides drinking purpose, water of Mahadev Khola is also used for agriculture andindustrial purpose.Perception of upstream peopleWater is a vital resource to the living being to sustain their life. The availability of wateris adequate as the forest is dense and new springs are erupting but the increasingpopulation in the upstream area may cause water scarcity in future.Perception of downstream peopleUrbanization, increasing population and haphazard extraction of water are the majorcauses of water scarcity in the municipality. As the human pressure is likely to grow withtime, watershed services in future are likely to be affected and conflict over water canstart.From the perception of upstream and downstream communities the pathway of cause andeffect on water services of MKW are formed, this clears the effect of each variable incausing water conflict which is shown in Figure 5.3.29