81287282-Water Resources Management

Description

IRDP/TRIGGER aims to boost added value of agricultural production in Tajikistan. It has five outputs through which it will i) improve the business enabling environment and policy dialogue; ii) increase productivity of agricultural value chains; iii) promote the access to export markets; iv) support business start-ups and promote entrepreneurship and v) improve the enabling environment in the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). The strategy of IRDP is designed to increase the income of value chain actors through a market-oriented value chain approach. At the core of the strategy is the support of community-based extension services (village advisors) and the matchmaking between smallholder producer groups and lead companies with business relationships to domestic and export markets. IRDP/TRIGGER, through its water component, supports the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources in the implementation of the Water Sector Reform Program (2016-2025). This Program was adopted based on the decision of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan under No. 791 as of 30 December 2015 to achieve the objectives and principles of the Water Sector Reform. Basin management and IWRM are the main principles of the reform programme. The programme reflects matters in all water-related subsectors and includes an action plan for the implementation. The implementation plan consists of the following sections: "Legislative development and regulation", "Institutional development", "Infrastructural rehabilitation", "Auxiliary means of water sector reform" and includes 35 activities in these spheres. The reform assumes a transfer of water resources management functions from administrative boundaries to hydrological basins applying the principle of IWRM including the separation of functions between water policy and regulation and economic and operational water management aspects GIZ supports the Water Sector Reform Programme under the Integrated Rural Development Project (IRDP) financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the European Union. Particularly, the water component of IRDP/TRIGGER aims to improve the enabling environment in the water sector in Tajikistan and introducing IWRM as an integral part of development planning. The water component support efforts at river basin level in the Zarafshon and Upper Vakhsh river basin to formulate, implement, monitor and evaluate two river basin management plans following IWRM and good water governance principles. To this purpose the role and institutional strengthening of corresponding River Basin Organizations and River Basin Councils is of utmost importance. In this regard, the Project strengthens the enabling environment for the implementation of IWRM in both basins to unlock agricultural potential, in accordance with the priorities set forth by the Water Sector Reform Programme (2016-2025), by targeting its activities at different levels, such as, policy making, legal framework, management instruments and financial mechanisms relevant for IWRM. The water component improves the institutional capacities of stakeholders to mainstream IWRM in development plans that are relevant for farmers, producer associations and processing companies at national, regional, district and local levels. To do so, we incorporate several approaches, such as IWRM, good water governance principles, water security, climate/water resilience and Nexus, among others. Lot 1: The strategy of the Water Component of the IRDP/TRIGGER Project is to implement Integrated Water Resources Management principles (IWRM) as a critical path towards improving water security and resilience in the geographical areas where it operates: the Zarafshon and Upper Vakhsh river basins. In this sense, the critical path starts with facilitating basin-wide dialogue across relevant stakeholders (i.e., public institutions, NGOs, farmers, companies), sectors and administration levels and institutionalize their cooperation and commitment through water governance structures, such as River Basin Organizations (RBO) and River Basin Councils (RBC). Then, managing information and knowledge to assist these institutions in jointly formulating River Basin Management Plans, which articulate a basin-wide common vision where nobody is left behind. The ultimate goal of the strategy is to improve water security and resilience to unlock the agricultural potential in both river basins. Therefore, the implementation of pilot small-scale interventions aimed at improving water productivity and climate-resilience of farmers is key to demonstrate the benefits of river basin coordination and science-based, inclusive decision-making. The sustainability of the strategy relies on various approaches that characterize our engagement with our local partners. Firstly, we strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources and other relevant stakeholders for efficient and effective participation in water-related decision-making processes at national and basin levels. Secondly, we support an enabling environment that allows the MEWR to harness future multisectoral water security investment opportunities to ensure a climate-resilient socio-economic development in both river basins. Finally, we strive towards ensuring the financial sustainability of IWRM coordination efforts in Tajikistan based on existing best practices and lessons learned in the process of implementing this project. Work and interventions are structured in four interconnected work streams. Water Governance: Supports national policy integration, development of laws and management instruments and tools to facilitate intersectoral, multilevel, inclusive and gender-responsive river basin planning; explores economic incentives to optimize IWRM implementation on the ground and to improve its financial sustainability. Links key elements of water governance, such as RBOs, RBCs and river basin management plans with existing development and investment planning processes relevant for the management and use of basin water resources. Information Management and Knowledge Sharing: Assists the National Water Information System (NWIS) to foster knowledge management around water, climate, land, ecosystems and other water-related relevant information. Facilitates the setup of a digital basin information system, established at the Zarafshon RBO and linked to the NWIS, as basis for evidence-based decision-making and integrated management of basin water resources. Fosters methodologies and modelling tools that target robust and flexible water security investments under future climate uncertainties. Capacity Building: Strengthens capacities of the MEWR, at national and basin levels, as well as those of River Basin Council member institutions to enhance their ability to implement IWRM. Facilitates long and short-term training and environmental education initiatives together with local academic institutions. Focuses on the development of hard as well as soft skills of public officials, with an emphasis on younger water champions to foster intergenerational equity as one of the main drivers for sustainable water resources management in Tajikistan. Water Security for Food Resilience: Supports farmers to improve their adaptive capacity and resilience against climate change impacts through small-scale pilot interventions aimed at disaster risk preparedness, improved water access and increased water efficiency and productivity of farmers. Together with relevant stakeholders at national and grass-roots levels (i.e. relevant Ministries, Water User Associations and producer associations or companies) assesses potential water-related risks affecting agricultural supply chains and overall food systems. The contractor is expected to deliver its services across all four work streams.