摘要:Water scarcity is a major issue in rural watersheds in the Middle Mountains of Nepal and in the entire Hindu Kush–Himalaya region. Dense population and heavy dependence on irrigated agriculture place immense pressure on available water resources, which have a distinct seasonality. New forms of management based on traditional and scientific knowledge must be introduced to solve problems of water supply, water demand, and water quality in these watersheds. A related article in the Research section of this issue, Water: A Scarce Resource in Rural Watersheds of Nepal's Middle Mountains , by Juerg Merz et al, further explores the problem of water availability in Nepal. Ed.