Ask ten people how much water they should drink a day and you will hear ten different answers. The 8×8 rule (eight 8-ounce glasses, roughly two litres) is the famous one — but it was never based on Nepali bodies, Kathmandu altitude, or a monsoon climate.
Here is a more honest answer.
The general baseline
For an average adult in Kathmandu valley, the working baseline is:
- Women: about 2.2 litres of total water per day from food and drinks combined.
- Men: about 2.9 litres of total water per day from food and drinks combined.
About 20-25% of that comes from food (especially fruits, vegetables, dal, soups). So the actual drinking target is closer to 1.6-2.3 litres in active fluids.
When you need more
Push the target higher on days when any of these are true:
- You exercised — add 400-800 ml per hour of moderate activity.
- You spent the day above 2,500 m — altitude increases urine output and breath water loss.
- You drank coffee or tea heavily — these have mild diuretic effects.
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding — talk to your doctor for an exact target.
- It is hot and dry — May and October in Kathmandu both qualify.
When you need less than you think
Monsoon humidity reduces sweat evaporation, which can actually lower your fluid needs slightly. Eating lots of soupy meals (thukpa, dal-bhat, momo broth) also bumps your "from food" share well above the 20% baseline. You do not need to chase the same number every day.
Pale-yellow urine, three or four times during a workday, is the most reliable hydration signal. Darker means drink more. Almost-clear and frequent means ease off.
A practical daily schedule
- On waking — a full glass before tea or coffee. This re-hydrates after the overnight fast.
- Mid-morning — 500 ml between breakfast and lunch.
- With lunch — another full glass with your meal.
- Mid-afternoon — 500 ml between lunch and dinner.
- With dinner — a glass; one more before bed if you exercised.
About what you drink
Tea and coffee count, just less efficiently than water. Sweetened bottled drinks count toward hydration but bring sugar that works against most health goals. Coconut water and lassi are great electrolyte additions after exercise. Alcohol does not count.
The water itself should be safe — boiled, filtered, or delivered from a verified source. Hydration math means nothing if the water is making you sick.
Pick a target, set the easy reminders, and stop trying to nail eight glasses to the millilitre. Your kidneys are smarter than any rulebook.