Friday, September 30

Department of Hydrology and Meterology in Nepal


Government of Nepal started hydrological and meteorological activities in an organized way in 1962. The activities were initiated as a section under the Department of Electricity. The section was subsequently transferred to the Department of Irrigation and was ultimately upgraded to Department status in 1988.
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) is an organization under the Ministry of Environment, Government of Nepal. The department with headquarters in Kathmandu has three basin offices: Karnali Basin Office in Surkhet, Narayani Basin Office in Pokhara and Kosi Basin Office in Dharan.
DHM has a mandate from Government of Nepal to monitor all the hydrological and meteorological activities in Nepal. No agency is entitled to carry out such activities without a proper liaison with DHM. The scope of work includes the monitoring of river hydrology, climate, agrometeorology, sediment, air quality, water quality, limnology, snow hydrology, glaciology, and wind and solar energy. General and aviation weather forecasts are the regular services provided by DHM. As a member of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), DHM contributes to the global exchange of meteorological data on a regular basis.

DHM actively participates in the programs of relevant international organizations, such as, the UNESCO's International Hydrological Program (IHP) and WMO's Operational Hydrology Program (OHP). In the past, DHM has hosted several regional and international workshops, symposia, seminars and meetings on different aspects of meteorology, hydrology, sediment, and snow hydrology. The department is also a focal point for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and for the meteorological activities of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC). The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has recognized DHM as an authority to provide meteorological services for international flights.

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