December 8: Experts said that it has become a mounting challenge to supply adequate pure drinking water, energy and food to the growing population of the country. They made such remarks during a two-day workshop on water, energy and food nexus that concluded in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

During the inauguration of the workshop, Secretary at the Ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation Maniram Gelal said that the demand for drinking water, energy and food has been increasing across the globe due to rapid urbanization and population growth.    
On the occasion, former minister Ganesh Shah suggested that the challenges surfaced in the sector could be averted by protecting sources of water, utilizing rain water and developing technology on water efficiency for higher yields of crops and placing renewable energy measures.    
Likewise, former secretary Suman Prasad Sharma demanded serious interventions from concerned sides to reach out to the growing population with pure drinking water, adequate clean energy and nutrient-rich food.    
Chairperson of Smart WASH Solutions Ramdeep Shah shared that the workshop was organized to learn the experiences of the advanced countries in addressing the issues of drinking water, clean energy and nourishing food in light of rising population.    
J W Lee of Asian Water Council and K-Water had delivered a presentation on how the Korea Water (K-Water) was working to address the challenges emerging in this sector.    
Expert Dr Unahar Shin shed light on the inter-relationship between water, energy and food, urban water management, water leakage control and management style in congruent with sustainable development.    
Prof Dr Bhim Shrestha of the Kathmandu University presented a paper on nexus between water, energy and food while Executive Director of Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) Dr Madhusudan Adhikari presented a working paper on the contributions to drinking water, energy and food security through renewable energy technology in Nepal. -- RSS