Pakistan : Rawalpindi Environmental Improvement

Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Urban policy, institutional and capacity development

The main project objectives are (i) improving living conditions and quality of life of the people of Rawalpindi by improving the water supply and sanitation facilities, solid waste management, wastewater treatment, and slaughterhouse; and (ii) ensuring sustainable urban investments by strengthening institutional capacities of the Rawal Town (RT) and Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA), promoting policy reforms focused on greater devolution of authority, and involving all stakeholders in service delivery.

The Project will comprise the following main components: Part A - Environmental sanitation; Part B - Water Supply Services; and Part C - Institutional development; including municipal management system development, environmental support services, assets management, urban development, project implementation assistance, and incremental administration support.

The focus of ADB s Country Strategy and Program Update (2005 2007) for Pakistan is on reducing poverty by providing help in the key strategic areas of good governance, sustainable pro-poor economic growth, and inclusive social development. ADB s emphasis will remain on improving delivery of social services, which support increased public sector allocations and improved governance through devolution, sector administration, and financial management. The main focus of ADB assistance to the urban sector will be on environmental aspects and needs of the poor, and will broadly cover: (i) institutional restructuring and devolution of service delivery; (ii) private sector involvement in the delivery of selected services; (iii) budgeting and finance, and increased cost recovery and municipal revenue; (iv) increased community participation; and (v) attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Project will comprise following main components: Part A - Environmental sanitation (Sewerage Systems, sewage treatment, solid waste management, storm water drainage, slaughterhouse, and public toilets); Part B - Water Supply Services (replacement of about 40 contaminated and/or inefficient tubewells and rehabilitation of existing 35 tubewells, construction of rehabilitation of distribution systems; and rehabilitation of storage reservoirs; and the supply and installation of 20,000 water meters); and Part C - institutional development, including financial management system, development of data base, for RT, WASA, and union administrations; assets management; project implementation support; and incremental administration support.

Services

To support project implementation, plus build long-term capacity of the RT and WASA responsible for planning and delivery of urban services, 1334 person-months of consulting services (18 international and 1316 domestic person-months) will be provided, covering (i) Package A: project management and implementation support to the PMU, including subproject-detailed design, construction supervision, and monitoring and evaluation (13 international, and 1152 domestic person-months); and (ii) Package B: institutional development (5 international and 164 domestic person-months). Also, local NGOs and social mobilizing teams (Package C) will be engaged for community development and participation (144 person-months).

The selection and engagement of all consulting services to be financed under the Project will be in accordance with the QCBS method of ADB's Guidelines on the Use of Consultants by Asian Development Bank and its Borrowers, or other arrangements satisfactory to ADB for engagement of domestic consultants. Because of the little input of international consultants, the consulting services are unlikely to attract international firms. Adequate capabilities exist for the required services to be provided by domestic consultants. Therefore, consultancy services for Packages A and B will be procured from domestic consulting firms. Package C consultants will be contracted to individual social mobilizers or local NGOs for facilitating the implementation of the solid waste component and community mobilization for the water supply and sewerage components.