Water steps

Water steps: Reviving the Bagmati River in the Kathmandu Valley

Zhang, Maozhu (TU Delft Architecture and the Built Environment)

Bobbink, I. (mentor)
Gramsbergen, E.H. (graduation committee)
van der Putt, P.S. (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Landscape Architecture

2023-06-22

The civilization and urbanization of Kathmandu Valley started with the Bagmati River but rapid urban expansion in the 21st century has brought many problems-the direct discharge of wastewater, solid waste in the river, encroachment of riverbanks by squatter settlements, and declining groundwater levels, they together contributed to the decline of this sacred river. It resulted in a loss of connection between people and it, which ultimately led to a decline in living quality for the people who live in the Kathmandu Valley. The government is currently taking several separate technique measures to address these issues. But these measurements alone are not enough. They don’t work together. More efforts need to put into the ‘process of change’ to improve the living quality of the
Kathmandu Valley.
This project explores the role of landscape architectural means to integrate the separated, mainly technical measures, as part of a spatial design that rebuild the connection between people and Bagmati River and achieve the improvement in living quality in the Kathmandu Valley. As a large region with complex environmental issues, it is difficult to achieve all changes at once. The concept
of an “Urban Catalyst” is chosen as the framework of the project through a slow landscape transformation guided by phasing and involvement of inhabitants to gradually make the river livable. The theory “Urban metabolism” helps to form spatial strategies which in the theory of “Urban Catalyst” is called catalyst point to transform the linear and unsustainable flows into circular and sustainable flows to restore the ecological condition of Bagmati River. With the intervention of the
catalytic points, the Bagmati River will slowly be restored, from the intervention area to the entire river system, reconnecting people to it and ultimately impacting the valley and improving the quality of life of its inhabitants.

Water purification
Water retention
Waste management

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ae2d7f44-042e-43bd-b346-f5cfb219df0f

Student theses

master thesis

© 2023 Maozhu Zhang