Irrigation Water Stress, Gender Roles and Migration in Khageri Irrigation System, Chitwan, Nepal

Abstract

Irrigation water stress, climate variability, migration, and gender transformation are increasingly shaping rural agricultural systems in Nepal. This paper analyzed the relationships between irrigation water stress, household migration and the changing gender roles in Khageri Irrigation system of Chitwan, Nepal. The study employs interdisciplinary methodology that uses Cropwat8.0 to quantify irrigation water stress in khageri irrigation command area and SPSS for statistical analysis. A household survey of 210 agricultural households was used to gather primary data, which was supported by 6 KIIs and 7 FGD. The Secondary data, including records from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and irrigation projects, were used to assess the hydroclimatic trends and irrigation performance. The analysis of quantitative data was performed with descriptive statistics, paired sample t -tests, chi-square analysis, and correlation analysis in SPSS, whereas the qualitative data were interpreted with the help of the thematic analysis. The findings indicate major hydro-climatic shifts in the research site. The water level in canal drops to zero during critical crop growth period in dry seasons and this indicates an increased irrigation stress and agricultural vulnerability in study area. Deterioration in farm earnings is also experienced over time, which is a result of growing economic strains on the farming families. Migration is usually common but statistical analysis reveals that there is no significant direct relation between irrigation failure and migration decisions. Rather, migration is primarily driven by broader economic factors such as employment opportunities. The study also finds significant transformation in gender roles after male migration. Male out-migration has increased the labor burden to women’s, leading to the feminization of agriculture. The results of the research show that climate- resilient irrigation management, gender-inclusive water governance, and livelihood diversification strategies need to be employed to increase rural resilience in response to environmental change and socio-economic change.