KATHMANDU, APRIL 9
A Nepal-led community water initiative has been selected as a finalist for the 2026 Water Air Food Awards (WAFA), highlighting the country's growing recognition in grassroots environmental innovation.
The project, led by Partnership for Sustainable Development Nepal under Dr Datta Bahadur Rawal, has been shortlisted in the water category of the global awards, which recognise community-driven solutions to environmental challenges.
Implemented in Dang, Jumla and Nawalparasi, the initiative integrates water supply, sanitation, hygiene education, and environmental restoration. It has provided safe drinking water access to around 650 residents and improved sanitation for over 450 schoolchildren, while also reducing waterborne diseases and increasing school attendance.
The project includes installation of treatment systems, improvement of tube wells, construction of school toilets, and formation of community-led management committees to ensure long-term sustainability.
Public voting for the award is open until April 30, with winners to be announced at the Generation Green event in Cairo, Egypt, later this year.
Organisers said the recognition could help scale Nepal's community-based water solutions across other regions and beyond South Asia.