Hydro-climatic extremes and water conflicts in the Kamala River basin of Nepal

This study investigates how hydro-climatic-extremes such as floods and droughts contribute to social conflicts in riverine communities located in the Kamala River Basin (KRB), Nepal. This research employs qualitative methods, including key-informant interviews and focus group discussions with farmers, local leaders, officials, and water-users in Dudhauli and Siraha municipalities supplemented by field-observation, document analysis and literature review, to explore the interplay between seasonal water fluctuations, socio-economic inequalities, and conflicts over water and land resources. The findings demonstrate that monsoon floods cause significant damage to irrigation infrastructure and alter water flows, resulting in conflicts between upstream and downstream households/users in Dudhauli. During the dry season, limited water availability forces multiple households to share wells, heightening tensions over water allocation and use. In Siraha, widespread flooding is followed by acute water scarcity, which exacerbates competition among neighbors for access to wells and handpumps. The research highlights that households with greater resources and social-influence are better positioned to manage water insecurity, reinforcing existing power imbalances and deepening water-related conflicts. Although local governance structures, local knowledge systems, and informal community mechanisms play a role in mediating conflicts, their effectiveness is often constrained by underlying structural vulnerabilities. The study concludes that hydro-climatic extremes act as amplifiers to environmental and socio-economic-political vulnerabilities, generating and reshaping household-level conflicts at communities. The findings highlight the urgent need for conflict-sensitive, equity-focused water governance that directly addresses structural inequalities and strengthens local adaptive capacities for flood management, water allocation, and conflict resolution amid escalating climatic uncertainty.