Water Supply Megaproject in a Developing Nation: Lessons in Stakeholder Dynamics and Postcompletion Resilience from Prolonged Delays

This study explored how stakeholder dynamics and the necessity of implementing a postcompletion resilience framework contributed to delays in a significant water supply megaproject in a developing nation. The project, known as the Melamchi Water Supply Project in Nepal, was originally envisioned in 1988 to alleviate chronic water scarcity in the Kathmandu Valley. Although construction of the main infrastructure commenced in 2010, by 2021, the project was only substantially completed, providing water to the public exclusively during the dry season. Using a single case study, this study integrates evidence from official project reports, online media coverage, and secondary literature to illuminate how shifting stakeholder coalitions, competing interests, strained alliances as well as external shock eventually delayed the project and keep the dilemma. The findings of this study show governance frameworks generally struggle to manage delay, overrun cost and uncertainty due to stakeholder dynamics such as donor withdrawal, political instability, government restructure, contractor termination, and community level resistance in a project. Further this study reveals that durable infrastructure solutions must incorporate adaptive strategies and contingency measures to withstand and recover from environmental shocks, not relying solely on technical planning and risk mitigation. This study outlines the complicated issues of stakeholder management and the necessity for postcompletion resilience, offering a comprehensive understanding of the requirements for sustaining long-term functionality, equity, and reliability of essential water infrastructure in environmentally and politically volatile circumstances.