India : Climate Adaptative Community-based Water Harvesting Project in Meghalaya
The Government of Meghalaya has requested the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support the Climate Adaptative Community-based Water Harvesting Project under SWCD. The state's proposed project will: (i) build climate resilient water harvesting systems (WHS) through community demand driven participatory approach to ensure universal access to water for enhancing sustainable and efficient water-based livelihood opportunities for the rural areas, and enhance resilience to climate change impacts and acute water shortage during non-rainy season; and (ii) establish institutional mechanisms for community ownership and integrated management of natural resource in line with central and state government programs and policies. The primary beneficiaries for the project will be (i) communities with increased agricultural production from additional and more secure water supplies, particularly for the rabi season crop, and (ii) rural households from improved access to drinking water.
Project Details
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Project Officer
Goyal, Vikas
South Asia Department
Request for information -
Country/Economy
India -
Sector
- Agriculture, natural resources and rural development
| Project Name | Climate Adaptative Community-based Water Harvesting Project in Meghalaya | ||||
| Project Number | 52155-001 | ||||
| Country / Economy | India |
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| Project Status | Proposed | ||||
| Project Type / Modality of Assistance | Loan |
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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 / Irrigation - Land-based natural resources management |
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| Gender | Effective gender mainstreaming | ||||
| Description | The Government of Meghalaya has requested the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support the Climate Adaptative Community-based Water Harvesting Project under SWCD. The state's proposed project will: (i) build climate resilient water harvesting systems (WHS) through community demand driven participatory approach to ensure universal access to water for enhancing sustainable and efficient water-based livelihood opportunities for the rural areas, and enhance resilience to climate change impacts and acute water shortage during non-rainy season; and (ii) establish institutional mechanisms for community ownership and integrated management of natural resource in line with central and state government programs and policies. The primary beneficiaries for the project will be (i) communities with increased agricultural production from additional and more secure water supplies, particularly for the rabi season crop, and (ii) rural households from improved access to drinking water. Public sector support is justified as it is unlikely that the private sector would invest as project benefits are mainly for individual farmers and small communities. | ||||
| Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy | Meghalaya is in north-eastern India with Bangladesh to its south and Assam to its north. It is hilly and is mainly covered in tropical rainforest. The state is described as one of the wettest places on earth and every year the state receives from 2,000 millimeters (mm) to 12,000 mm of rain during its 7-month monsoon season. During the remaining months, very little rain falls and there are reports of temporary water scarcity. Communities secured access to water is reduced in part due to: (i) the lack of sufficient water harvesting and retaining infrastructure from poor planning and lack of investment; (ii) poor land management, which has led to degraded catchment areas, loss of vegetation, topsoil and associated water retention; and (iii) the absence of specific law defining custodianship, ownership, and rights over water resources which has resulted in poor water management practices. These communities are dependent on the availability of water since almost 60% of Meghalaya's population is reliant on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods. Water availability is expected to be further impacted from climate change projections as mean annual temperatures increase, rainfall becomes more variable, and seasonal weather patterns shift (footnote 1). Agriculture is a primary industry in Meghalaya and contributes about 20% to the gross state domestic product in FY2021. As well as water scarcity issues, most farmers have only small holdings and only 11% of the state's geographical area is cultivated. People are heavily dependent on natural resources for livelihood opportunities. There is little concept of permanent ownership under traditional land tenure system and landholders have no incentives to reclaim cultivable wastelands or utilize and develop fallow lands. Meghalaya is ranked as the 5th poorest state in India, with 32.67% of state population reported to be multi-dimensionally poor. The state is unique with its matrilineal society and 86% of the population recognized as tribal and 80% rural population. However, men are the primary decision makers and most customary laws and practices do not allow women to participate in the village councils and hold position of the tribe's leader. |
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| Impact | Community livelihoods improved, and vulnerability reduced. (Meghalaya State Water Policy) |
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| Outcome | Climate resilient water management for community livelihoods and wellbeing improved |
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| Outputs | Institutional capacity for climate resilient and sustainable management of water harvesting systems developed: Climate resilient water harvesting systems developed Enhanced livelihood for communities piloted |
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| Geographical Location | Meghalaya | ||||
| Safeguard Categories | |
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| Environment | B |
| Involuntary Resettlement | C |
| Indigenous Peoples | B |
| Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects | |
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| Environmental Aspects | |
| Involuntary Resettlement | |
| Indigenous Peoples | |
| Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation | |
| During Project Design | |
| During Project Implementation | |
| Business Opportunities | |
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| Consulting Services | Advance contracting and retroactive financing are proposed for eligible expenditures for works, goods, and consulting services. |
| Procurement | The procurement risk classification for the project is high (Appendix 3). SWCD has no prior experience in procuring for ADB funded projects and only limited experience in small government contracts. The water harvesting structures are expected to be packaged together by district, while community participation is expected for the smaller value works. No complex or high value contracts are expected but the geographical nature of the project (subprojects distributed across the state) may pose some challenges in contract packaging and management. A detailed procurement analysis will be conducted to identify mitigation measures. An international procurement consultant and national procurement consultant will be recruited to support the executing and implementing agencies to achieve a high level of project readiness. |
| Responsible ADB Officer | Goyal, Vikas |
| Responsible ADB Department | South Asia Department |
| Responsible ADB Division | Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture Division, SARD |
| Executing Agencies |
Soil and Water Conservation Department |
| Timetable | |
|---|---|
| Concept Clearance | 13 Mar 2023 |
| Fact Finding | 26 Jun 2023 to 03 Jul 2023 |
| MRM | 18 Aug 2023 |
| Approval | - |
| Last Review Mission | - |
| Last PDS Update | 13 Mar 2023 |
Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.
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| Title | Document Type | Document Date |
|---|---|---|
| Climate Adaptative Community-based Water Harvesting Project in Meghalaya: Initial Poverty and Social Analysis | Initial Poverty and Social Analysis | Mar 2023 |
Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.
None currently available.
Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation
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Related Publications
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Tenders
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