Cambodia : Water Resources Management (Sector) Project

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Water-based natural resources management

The project is designed to support the Government's National Strategic Development Plan (2006-2010) to reduce poverty in selected rural areas through enhanced agricultural production and diversification. In accordance with the NWRP and MOWRAM's SDP, the TA will strengthen the Government's capacity to manage its water resources in a sustainable, participatory, and transparent way, focusing on improving irrigation facilities and river basin management in the Tonle Sap Basin.

The TA will assist the Government to prepare an investment project to increase irrigation productivity and area and to implement IMT to meet its NSDP goals. Continued assistance is also required to assist MOWRAM to successfully implement the non-investment aspects of its Strategic Plan. Similarly, the TA will provide ongoing support to establish the Tonle Sap Basin Management Organization (TSBMO) to support the process of IWRM following the recommendations of TA 4427-CAM under the Tonle Sap Initiative.

Since 1999, ADB has played a leading role and continues to provide assistance in the water resource management sector in Cambodia through TA and loan projects (Including TA 3292-CAM: Capacity Building in the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology; TA 3758-CAM: Northwest Irrigation Sector Project; Loan 1753-CAM: Stung Chinit Irrigation and Rural Infrastructure Project; Loan 1862-CAM: Northwestern Rural Development Project; and Loan 1939-CAM: Tonle Sap Environmental Management Project). Continued support to the sector while building on the valuable lessons learned and experience acquired is in line with both the country sector strategy and ADB's CSP.

Original TA formulation in 2006 required an international consulting firm in association with national consultants will be engaged under Part A using a simplified technical proposal under quality and cost based selection (QCBS) procedures to provide 19 person-months (p-m) international and 24 p-m national consulting services with expertise in water resources management, sociology, irrigation organizations, poverty reduction, resettlement specialist agricultural/natural resource economics, irrigation, agriculture, poverty reduction, resettlement, environment, monitoring and evaluation, irrigation management transfer and geographical information systems. Part B requires 12 p-m of international and 12 p-m of national individually recruited consulting services with expertise in water resource policy and planning, benefit monitoring and evaluation, financial and institutional management and data management. Part C requires 5 p-m of international and 16 p-m of national individually recruited consulting services with expertise in river basin management, water resources management and institutional development. ADB will recruit the consultants in accordance with ADB's Guidelines on the Use of Consultants. Workshops will be organized at key stages of the TA to promote awareness and encourage stakeholder participation. Equipment, training, workshops and surveys will be procured or organized by ADB or by the consultants in accordance with ADB's Procurement Guidelines.

A major change in TA scope approved on 1 Apr 2009 provides for the use of TA savings to undertake preparation of a Sector Development Program. This will require the engagement of 12 individual consultants for a total of approximately 34 person-months (15 person-months international and 19 person-months national) in the fields of economics, policy, water resources and irrigation management, agriculture, education and procurement.