Tajikistan Strengthening Water and Irrigation Management Project

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Tajikistan Strengthening Water and Irrigation Management Project will build on the experience of the successful Zarafshon Irrigation Rehabilitation and Management Improvement Project and the preceding World Bank-financed projects in the irrigation sector. The project will upscale support for institutional strengthening and infrastructure modernization. The main project investments will be directed to the lower sub-basin of the Vakhsh river, with a relatively smaller part of investments also targeting areas within the upper-Vakhsh and Zarafshon basins. In the upper basin of the Kofarnihon river, only institutional support activities will be carried out. The project will be structured along four components. Component 1 - Water Sector Reform and Institutional Strengthening (US$8.2M) consists of two subcomponents: subcomponent 1.1 - Strengthening National and Basin-level Water Resources Policy and Planning; and subcomponent 1.2 - Improving Irrigation Planning and Management. Component 1 will provide support to advancing national water reforms both through strengthening national and basin level water resources management policy and planning, particularly in Vakhsh river basin. Under Component 1, the project envisages support to establishment of a National Water Council (NWC) and support to the MEWR and RBOs in the planning, management, and monitoring of water resources, at national and river basin levels. The Component will also utilize the National Water Information System (developed under prior projects) in support of river basin planning and national water resource assessments. Component 1 will also channel support to ALRI for development of an Irrigation Management Information System at the national level for improved water accounting, tariff collection, and asset management in the selected irrigation schemes. The project's support will target institutional set-up improvements along the irrigation delivery chain, from the national ALRI to the WUAs and farmers. The project will support development of strategic policy and sector planning instruments, such as national irrigation sector strategy underpinned by the energy audit of the irrigation sector and review of the irrigation tariff and subsidies. Component 2 - Irrigation Scheme Improvements (US$36M) consists of two subcomponents: subcomponent 2.1 - Improving Large-scale Irrigation Schemes; and subcomponent 2.2 - Improving Small- and Medium-scale Irrigation Schemes. Under Component 2 the project will move away from a narrow rehabilitation approach towards irrigation modernization with a focus on improving service delivery through increased efficiency (water and energy) and enhanced resilience to climate related disruptions. Infrastructure investments will focus on targeted large schemes in the lower Vakhsh River Basin (Vakhsh Main Canal Scheme with 6 identified irrigation sub-schemes - Norther Branch Canal, OMC, Jilikul Kofir, Qumsangir, L2 headworks and Central Hydropower Canal); and Shurobod Canal Scheme), but will also undertake priority investments for targeted small and medium schemes in the upper-Vakhsh and Zarafshon river basins. Investments in small-scale infrastructure will focus on reinforcement, replacement, and protection of critical infrastructure (including canal headworks, pumping stations and outlet structures) at significant risk from extreme climate events. Through joint support for institutional strengthening and infrastructure modernization, the project will help transition the sector towards higher economic productivity and financial and environmental sustainability. The project will be implemented by the MEWR and ALRI with separate responsibilities to be defined in the Project Operational Manual (POM). Component 3 will support incremental operating costs and other eligible expenditures associated with the project execution, including project administration and management, monitoring of compliance with social and environmental requirements, financial management (FM), procurement, contract administration, project reporting, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The project will also include provisional 'zero-allocation' contingent emergency response component (CERC). Thi s Component 4 will support government emergency responses in the event of an eligible emergency.