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Comparative analysis of hydrochemical variables of two Ramsar-listed lakes in Pokhara Valley, Nepal

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Abstract

Freshwater is one of the indispensable resources for the livelihood improvement of people and ecological sustainability. This study aims to assess the hydrochemical characteristics and drinking and irrigational water quality of the Ramsar-listed Begnas Lake and Rupa Lake in the Gandaki Province, Nepal. The results revealed that the water was mildly alkaline in both lakes. The order of ionic dominancy was found to be HCO3− > SO42− > Cl− > NO3− for anions and Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ for cations in both the lakes. The results showed that ion sources in both lakes were primarily regulated by carbonate type weathering, which was consistent with the results obtained from the (Ca2+ + Mg2+)/total cations and (Ca2+ + Mg2+)/(K+ + Na+) ratios, which had average values of 0.50 and 0.46; and 5.10 and 4.0, respectively, in Begnas Lake and Rupa Lake, respectively. All the irrigational indices showed that the water from both lakes was appropriate for irrigational purposes. The water quality index exhibited that the water in the study lakes was suitable for drinking purposes. The imprints of global climate change and increasing anthropic interferences could be crucial factors for the water quality management of Himalayan lakes in the future.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Central Department of Environmental Science Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University for providing research facilities. The authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. Zhang Fan for the arrangement of laboratory support Also, the authors would like to thank Dr. Lekhendra Tripathee for reviewing this manuscript.

Funding

All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Department of Environmental Science, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

    R. R. Pant

  2. Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bei**g, 100101, China

    K. Bishwakarma

  3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bei**g, 100049, China

    K. Bishwakarma

  4. Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

    K. B. Pal

  5. Central Department of Botany, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

    L. B. Thapa

  6. Division of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    R. G. Shrestha

  7. School of Applied Natural Sciences (SoANS), Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia

    S. Karuppannan

  8. Environmental Health in Disaster Program, Central Department of Environmental Science, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

    L. Garu & S. Bista

  9. School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India

    V. B. Singh

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  1. R. R. Pant
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Correspondence to K. Bishwakarma.

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Pant, R.R., Bishwakarma, K., Pal, K.B. et al. Comparative analysis of hydrochemical variables of two Ramsar-listed lakes in Pokhara Valley, Nepal. Int J Energ Water Res 7, 1–13 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42108-022-00204-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42108-022-00204-1

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