Strengthening Capacity to Design and Implement Water and Rural Infrastructure Facility

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The transaction technical assistance (TA) facility provides project preparation support and capacity building, strengthens due diligence, and increases project readiness to a series of ensuing projects identified in the country operations business plans for Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The TA supports (i) BAN: Climate and Disaster Resilient Small-Scale Water Resources Management Project; (ii) BAN: Climate Resilient Livelihood Improvement and Watershed Management in Chattogram Hill Tracts Sector Project; (iii) BAN: Crop Commercialization and Productivity Improvement Project (CCPIP); (iv) BAN: Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program Tranche 2; (v) BAN: Irrigation Management Improvement Project Additional Financing; (vi) BAN: Rural Connectivity Improvement Project Second Additional Financing; (vii) BAN: Rural Connectivity Improvement Project and Additional Financing; (viii) BAN: Southwest Area Integrated Water Resources Planning and Management Project Additional Financing; (ix) BHU: Bhutan Integrated Irrigated Agriculture Development Project; (x) BHU: Phuentsholing Township Development Project Additional Financing; (xi) NEP: Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project Additional Financing; (xii) NEP: Climate Resilient Community-Managed Irrigation Project; (xiii) NEP: Climate Resilient Landscapes and Livelihoods; (xiv) NEP: Food Safety and Agriculture Commercialization Program; (xv) NEP: Mechanized Irrigation Innovation Project; (xvi) NEP: Nagmati Dam Development Project; (xvii) NEP: Nuts and Fruits in Hilly Areas Project; (xviii) NEP: Priority River Basins Flood Risk Management Project; (xix) NEP: Rural Connectivity Improvement Project; (xx) NEP: Rural Connectivity Improvement Project Additional Financing Program Tranche 3; (xxi) SRI: Integrated Water Productivity Improvement Project; (xxii) SRI: Mahaweli Water Security Investment; (xxiii) SRI: Mahaweli Water Security Investment Program Tranche 2. These projects are all in the rural sector and require similar due diligences. The TA reduces transaction costs through minimizing the need for stand-alone transaction TAs. The TA also provides capacity building support to ongoing projects. On 20 October 2022, ADB approved a minor change in the scope of the TA facility to include knowledge and support activities for up to 30% of the TA facility amount. This allows mobilization of consultants to support with research, policy advice, knowledge sharing, pipeline development, and inputs to project concept preparation.