Northeastern Integrated Flood and Riverbank Erosion Management Project (Assam)

Closed

The goal of the PPTA is to support the ASG's economic and poverty reduction efforts through integrated FREM along the Brahmaputra and Barrak rivers. The Project aims to promote people's livelihoods, through comprehensive FREM measures, which will provide protection from river erosion and floods, with a focus on the most vital areas of economic and national interests. An adaptive process approach is proposed that will protect critical reaches first, and then replicate suitable measures to other areas later. Other nonstructural measures will be adopted with intensive stakeholder participation. The TA will be undertaken in two phases. Phase 1 will comprise (i) preparation of a state-level integrated FREM strategy and action agendas, and (ii) identification of cost-effective and affordable FREM options in the priority subproject areas. The phase 2 will undertake (i) subproject-level participatory options finalization and detailed feasibility studies; (ii) safeguards assessments; and (iii) preparation of institutional action plans and support programs for institutional strengthening; and (iv) formulation of an investment project package for ADB financing. The TA will appraise up to 4 subprojects. Further subprojects will be appraised during follow-on cluster TA for project processing and capacity building, as well as during the implementation of the Project. On the basis of the TA outputs, the Project may have the following components: (i) participatory scheme planning and design with extensive FREM options analysis in subproject areas; (ii) comprehensive FREM infrastructure and non-structural measures; (iii) complementary infrastructure and programs such as rural roads and demonstration of productive agriculture practices including groundwater irrigation, as necessary; and (iv) project management and institutional strengthening for operationalizing effective FREM at the state level, including sustainable operation and maintenance of FREM infrastructure.