Portfolio Category: Irrigation

Salient Details

The main objective of the TA assignment is to support the government to implement the project by strengthening flood risk management planning of Department of Water Resources and Irrigation (DWRI) and develop a flood infrastructure asset management system.

The key outputs of the TA consultant’s services include:

⦁ Output 1- Strategic Flood Risk Management Planning Improved

The TA will build capacity of Department of Water Resources and Irrigation (DWRI), provincial governments and local governments (municipalities) in prioritizing flood protection works through consultant support and tailored training program. The TA will support the implementation of the ADB funded Priority River Basin Flood Risk Management Project (PRBFRMP) of DWRI.

⦁ Output 2- Flood infrastructure asset management system Improved

The TA will (i) support the DWRI to develop a simple asset management system for embankments (geographic information system-based open freeware), and (ii) provide guidance to the DWRI on improving monitoring, evaluation, and maintenance of the flood management infrastructure.

PRBFRMP focuses on six priority river basins in the Terai Region: West Rapti, Mawa-Ratuwa, Lakhandehi, Mohana-Khuriya, East Rapti, and Bakraha. Collectively, 29,356 hectares of the priority river basins and 70,428 people are exposed to 1-in-50-year flood. Between 1991 and 2014, these river basins experienced 199 floods affecting 143,486 people, with 273 reported deaths and destruction of 4,284 households. The project aims to reduce flood-related economic and social losses in these river basins by constructing flood control infrastructure, such as embankments and river erosion protection measures, strengthening integrated disaster risk management approaches, mainstreaming community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) within the project areas, and installing flood forecasting and early warning systems (FFEWS). The direct project beneficiaries include local communities in the Terai that experience flooding. The project cost is US$ 50 million.

Salient Details

The Small Irrigation Programme (SIP), Phase II will provide year-round irrigation to 20,000 ha in about 1,300 small irrigation schemes through community driven process benefiting 65,000 small farming households with an aim to double their agriculture income. The expected impact of the program is to reduce the poverty of small farmers especially from the disadvantaged groups by increasing their agricultural incomes. This will be achieved through three outcomes: (i) local Governments respond effectively to needs of small farmers for irrigated agriculture; (ii) small farmers especially disadvantaged groups increase agricultural productivity and (iii) market actors offer innovative supports and products to farmers in irrigated schemes. The main approach of the programme is to consolidate the positive results in development of irrigation infrastructure, and further refine scheme design to condition these schemes for dry season irrigation of high value crops, and thus create enabling conditions for the introduction of commercialized agriculture. LGs shall actively support the introduction of improved agriculture practices with a focus on the production of high value cash crops as well as ensuring a conducive environment for the development of the private sector exist and facilitate the linkage between the input and output markets with the farmers.

The programme components include:

⦁ Institutional strengthening and capacity development of Local Governments (LGs)
⦁ Improved irrigation infrastructures
⦁ Water Users Associations irrigation system management
⦁ Agriculture market

The program covers 55 municipalities in mid-hills of Ilam, Panchthar, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Bhojpur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga, and Udaypur districts of Province 1.

In brief, the roles of the PMISC are to support programme implementation as well a policy initiative for a uniform sub-sector approach for small irrigation development.

The scope of services include: (i) preparation of Yearly Plan of Operation (YPO) for the Government of Nepal for the programme implementation; (ii) programme management and implementation support to the PSU; (iii) assistance in the identification and screening of potential projects, (iv) strengthening Water User Associations (WUAs); (v) undertaking feasibility assessments of screened projects using a comprehensive participatory approach, (vi) preparing detailed designs and bill of quantities (BOQs), (vii) construction supervision, (viii) support to WUAs in undertaking project irrigation works, (ix) assure synergy with other SDC funded programmes/projects in the agriculture sector for developing and implementing agricultural extension programs; (x) support in monitoring of programme in terms of physical and financial progresses; (xi) prepare Fund Flow Analysis (FFA) and; (xii) prepare Outcome Monitoring Summary (OMS), Annual Programme Reports (APR). In addition, PMISC is mandated to manage the Swiss Grant to the Government of Nepal.

The project cost is 49.46 million Swiss Francs.