Sheladia Associates, Inc.

The North West Frontier Province (NWFP) On-Farm Water Management Project aims at reducing rural poverty through increased agricultural production, and increased farm incomes. The components cover aspects of both the NWFP and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) as follows:

• The community development and support program, which covers essential aspects of irrigation management, namely, through the operation of the system; collection of water charges; system maintenance; and rehabilitation and improvement works
• The distributary level improvement program, which includes establishment of offices supported by technical assistance (TA) to improve the canal system, repair of distributary gates, rehabilitation of diversion structures, and improvement of critical sections of the canal (discharges, water measuring structures, and gauges)
• The watercourse and on-farm improvements program which allocates investments, focusing on the realignment of irrigation water to improve conveyance of the canal water, and reduces channel deterioration, and water losses (includes construction of storage tanks, precision land leveling of irrigated land in the canal command and barani area, and demonstration centers to expose sustainable soil and water management practices)
• Improvements in branch and distributary canal systems to support farmer organizations and Federations of Water User Association (FWUAs), including cross regulators, falls, and embankments rehabilitation
• The local/minor irrigation schemes development program to improve intermittent, non-perennial streams through appropriate engineering designs and rehabilitation
• Project management support for supervision, monitoring/evaluation, and TA, and training support.

Distributary-level Environmental and Social Assessment (DESA) is a major activity in sub-project scoping. A DESA is a “mini” regional assessment/feasibility study undertaken for selected canal irrigation command systems (both in and outside the Swat Canal Area Water Board) and local minor irrigation schemes. The report includes specific environmental management plans to mitigate potential negative environmental impacts and assessment of the socio-economic environment and the constraints related to the formation of FOs/FWUAs, as well as capacity building, budget details, and implementation arrangements. The team need to develop a workable time schedule and reporting format for conducting and preparing a DESA and obtain approval from the World Bank before proceeding with the actual assessments. In close collaboration with the rest of the team, the SHELADIA Expert will determine all socio-economic inputs for the DESA.

• Consultation with the World Bank Country Office in Islamabad to discuss issues related to the preparation of DESAs to ensure compliance with IDA requirements and to further detail a time-schedule for submission of the first reports
• Review and improvement, as necessary, of baseline questionnaires to ensure exhaustive coverage of issues that need inclusion in the DESAs
• Identification and development of guidelines and procedures to cover issues related to: oEquity and benefits, particularly for farmers located at end of canal and landless individuals oInclusiveness of poor and landless, tenants, and women as recognized members of the UWAs and FOs/FWUAs oGovernance and transparence of WUAs and FWUAs in relation to their formation and registration, financial management capacity, and decision making oModes of conflict resolution oGender development oVoluntary land acquisition necessary to accommodate re- alignment of channels, animal wallows and laundry sites, establishment of FOs offices and demonstration centers, inspection roads, etc. oSocial mobilization capacity of the government agencies involved in project implementation and potential role of NGOs and already established CBOs.
• Development, in consultation with other team members and World Bank, of a reporting format for inclusion of the above in the DESA
• Recommendation of requirements to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of DESA
• Review and recommendation, as necessary, of the requirements, form, and frequency, for community consultation and meetings, both before and during scheme implementation, to achieve the above, including identification of key (government) officials and farmer representatives (or farmer groups) whose cooperation should be enlisted, and methodology to accomplish this
• Review and recommendation, as necessary, of schedules for pre-scheme implementation meetings in a typical construction year including identification of government officials and farmer representatives who should attend
• Presentation of findings to key counterpart and consultants
• Preparation and submission of a mission report.