Department of Hydrology and Meteorology

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 Nepalgunj, Narayani Basin Office in Narayanghat and Kosi Basin Office in Biratnagar. Meteorological activities in the Far_Western and Mid-Western region are managed by a regional office in Surkhet, whereas such activities in the Western Development Region and the Eastern Development Region are managed by meteorological regional offices located in Pokhara and Dharan respectively.

DHM has a mandate from Government of Nepal to monitor all the hydrological and meteorological activities in Nepal. 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, water quality 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.