Afghanistan : Arghandab Integrated Water Resources Development Project
The project will improve the availability and management of water resources in the Arghandab basin in Kandahar province by (i) increasing the storage capacity of the Dahla Dam by raising its height, (ii) increasing the reliability of irrigation water supplies downstream of the dam, (iii) improving agriculture water productivity by providing on-farm support to farmers to improve crop production, and (iv) strengthening institutions in water resource management. Additional benefits associated with raising the dam include hydropower generation, to be undertaken by the private sector; and urban and industrial water supply to Kandahar City and its surroundings, to be undertaken by World Bank.
Project Details
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Project Officer
ADB Disclosure
Central and West Asia Department
Request for information -
Country/Economy
Afghanistan -
Sector
- Agriculture, natural resources and rural development
| Project Name | Arghandab Integrated Water Resources Development Project | ||||||||||||
| Project Number | 48096-002 | ||||||||||||
| Country / Economy | Afghanistan |
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| Project Status | Active | ||||||||||||
| Project Type / Modality of Assistance | Grant |
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| Source of Funding / Amount |
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| Operational Priorities | OP1: Addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequalities OP2: Accelerating progress in gender equality OP3: Tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability OP5: Promoting rural development and food security OP6: Strengthening governance and institutional capacity |
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| Sector / Subsector | Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Agricultural production - Irrigation - Water-based natural resources management |
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| Gender | Effective gender mainstreaming | ||||||||||||
| Description | The project will improve the availability and management of water resources in the Arghandab basin in Kandahar province by (i) increasing the storage capacity of the Dahla Dam by raising its height, (ii) increasing the reliability of irrigation water supplies downstream of the dam, (iii) improving agriculture water productivity by providing on-farm support to farmers to improve crop production, and (iv) strengthening institutions in water resource management. Additional benefits associated with raising the dam include hydropower generation, to be undertaken by the private sector; and urban and industrial water supply to Kandahar City and its surroundings, to be undertaken by World Bank. | ||||||||||||
| Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy | Water availability in Afghanistan is highly seasonal and erratic, with frequent and worsening droughts affecting agriculture, living standards, and the local economy. Improved reliability of irrigated water supply is crucial to enable the expansion of high value cropping enterprises and associated activities. | ||||||||||||
| Impact | Jobs and gross domestic product growth increased |
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| Project Outcome | |
|---|---|
| Description of Outcome | Management and use of water resources in the Arghandab River basin improved |
| Progress Toward Outcome | |
| Implementation Progress | |
| Description of Project Outputs | Dahla Dam capacity increased Reliability of irrigation water supply increased Agricultural water productivity improved Capacity in water resource management and use strengthened |
| Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues) | |
| Geographical Location | Kandahar |
| Safeguard Categories | |
|---|---|
| Environment | A |
| Involuntary Resettlement | A |
| Indigenous Peoples | C |
| Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects | |
|---|---|
| Environmental Aspects | The project is Category A for Environment and will require preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study to assess the impacts and provide adequate mitigation measures as well as monitoring plans. Component 1 involves raising of Dahla Dam by 13.6 meters. Works related with saddle dam 1 to 6 and saddle dam 1 extension, intake tower, tunnel lining and trash rack will also be carried out. Execution of the works under this component will result in significant environmental impacts, including change in land use and ecology due to inundation at the upstream end, soil erosion and dust generation during earthworks, as well as social issues related mainly with water rights, land tenure as well as occupational and community health and safety. Moreover, aquatic environment/habitats may also be affected in case the environmental flow conditions are not accounted for at the downstream end. |
| Involuntary Resettlement | The project is Category A for Involuntary Resettlement. As of 18 March 2019, for the dam raise output, it is estimated that: (i) 22 villages will be inundated; (ii) 596 out of a total of 778 houses in these villages will be impacted; (iii) 14 mosques and schools, 3 shrines and 3 graveyards will be affected; (iv) 84% of agricultural land in these villages will be inundated; (v) 643 orchards, and 92,241 fruit trees will be inundated; (vi) a 600m long strip of the proposed road realignment will pass through agricultural lands of one village. For the irrigation and agriculture output, it is estimated that: (i) 151 shops along the canal will be affected and will be removed; (ii) surveys are currently being carried out to determine the trees, residential structure, cultural sites, etc in the road beside the canal. |
| Indigenous Peoples | The project is Category C for Indigenous Peoples Impact, In Afghanistan, there are no groups regards as Indigenous People's, as per the SPS (2009) definition. All groups are integrated into society and represented at the various political groups. |
| Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation | |
| During Project Design | |
| During Project Implementation | |
| Business Opportunities | |
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| Consulting Services | An estimated 1856 person-months (pm) (496 international, 1360 national) of consulting services are required to (i) facilitate project management and implementation, (ii) survey (geological, seismological) and design, (iii) capacity building and training, (iv) strengthen the agricultural value chains and improve water productivity on farms; and (v) resettlement and safeguards plans implementation and monitoring. Consulting firms will be engaged using the quality- and cost-based selection (QCBS) method with a standard qualitycost ratio of 90:10, consultant- qualification-based selection (CQS), and Single Source Selection (SSS). Advance contracting and retroactive financing will be undertaken in conformity with ADB Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and ADB's Staff Instructions Borrower Administered Consulting Services (2017, as amended from time to time). The issuance of invitations to bid under advance contracting and retroactive financing will be subject to ADB approval. |
| Procurement | For procurement of goods, works, non-consulting services, and consulting services in the project, ADB Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time), Procurement Regulations for ADB Borrowers (2017, as amended from time to time) and the associated Staff Instructions/Project Administration Instructions shall apply. Open Competitive Bidding (OCB) procedures with international advertising will be used for civil works contracts estimated to cost $222.63 million and for goods estimated to cost $4.25 million. OCB procedures with national advertising will be used for civil works and goods contracts estimated to cost $8.94 million. Request for Quotations will be used for contracts for procurement of works and goods less than $100,000. Community contracts and Community labor working contracts estimated to cost $35 million involving local materials and community participation. |
| Responsible ADB Officer | ADB Disclosure |
| Responsible ADB Department | Central and West Asia Department |
| Responsible ADB Division | Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Division, CWRD |
| Timetable | |
|---|---|
| Concept Clearance | 08 Dec 2016 |
| Fact Finding | 23 Apr 2019 to 08 May 2019 |
| MRM | 23 Jul 2019 |
| Approval | 11 Sep 2019 |
| Last Review Mission | - |
| Last PDS Update | 16 Sep 2019 |
Grant 0655-AFG
| Milestones | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approval | Signing Date | Effectivity Date | Closing | ||
| Original | Revised | Actual | |||
| 11 Sep 2019 | 25 Sep 2019 | 27 Mar 2020 | 31 May 2027 | - | - |
| Financing Plan | Grant Utilization | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (Amount in US$ million) | Date | ADB | Others | Net Percentage | |
| Project Cost | 353.04 | Cumulative Contract Awards | |||
| ADB | 348.78 | 22 Apr 2023 | 5.59 | 0.00 | 2% |
| Counterpart | 4.26 | Cumulative Disbursements | |||
| Cofinancing | 0.00 | 22 Apr 2023 | 2.42 | 0.00 | 1% |
| Status of Covenants | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Sector | Safeguards | Social | Financial | Economic | Others |
| Rating | Satisfactory | - | Satisfactory | Satisfactory | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
Grant 0656-AFG
| Milestones | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approval | Signing Date | Effectivity Date | Closing | ||
| Original | Revised | Actual | |||
| 11 Dec 2019 | 07 Mar 2020 | 07 Mar 2020 | 31 Mar 2027 | - | - |
| Financing Plan | Grant Utilization | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (Amount in US$ million) | Date | ADB | Others | Net Percentage | |
| Project Cost | 40.00 | Cumulative Contract Awards | |||
| ADB | 0.00 | 22 Apr 2023 | 0.00 | 9.29 | 23% |
| Counterpart | 0.00 | Cumulative Disbursements | |||
| Cofinancing | 40.00 | 22 Apr 2023 | 0.00 | 7.79 | 19% |
| Status of Covenants | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Sector | Safeguards | Social | Financial | Economic | Others |
| Rating | Satisfactory | - | Satisfactory | Satisfactory | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
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ADB Grant to Improve Water Resources, Enhance Productivity in Afghanistan
ADB has approved a $348.78 million grant to help in the development of water resources in Kandahar province through the expansion of Dahla Dam, the country’s second largest dam.