2023-12-06

Funding Agency: Government of Nepal
Client: Department of Irrigation (DoI)/Water Resources Project Preparatory Facility
Date: January 2016 – December 2018

The project will include the specific tasks like water resource assessment, land resource mapping, and prioritization of irrigation projects and preparation of the Irrigation Master Plan (IMP). Similarly the project will also be carried out within remote sensing, mapping, assessment of Irrigation and water resource technologies and management proposals for rehabilitation and modernization of irrigation operations. The main objective of the Project is to prepare an Irrigation Master Plan that is integrated with updated river basin planning in the special context of the country’s land morphology, topography, land fragmentation, remoteness and water availability.

Overall Services provided:

The scope of services will include, but not limited to, carrying out the following activities:

1. Prepare Irrigation Water Use Inventory: Collection of data from existing users, IDD, DADO, DDC, NGO and WECS. Capacity Building Training for field inspectors and IDD staff in GPS data collection of schemes. Field Verification of Schemes in Hills (135 No.) and Terai (120 No.). Collection of Supplementary Water Users: Hydro, Mini-Hydro, Water supply, Tube Wells). Irrigation Typology for 4 size types, and Management Type. Compilation and Integration with data from RBP. Prepare GIS-based river basin maps of water use inventory (1:50,000 scale). Prepare geographic information system (GIS)-based inventory of ground water schemes. Develop GIS database of potential irrigation areas, and irrigation water use inventory.
2. Prepare Irrigation Development Inventory (Potential Irrigation Projects, PIP): Collect potential and identified flood risk management projects. Field checks on sample irrigation management systems, water use efficiency. Identify viable demand management options for water use efficiency. Prepare data for assessment and ranking for Irrigation Development Framework and Prepare Irrigation Inventory of Potential Projects (PIP) Report.
3. Prepare Land Resource Assessment and Mapping: Prepare DEM of country, using high resolution images. Determine Land assessment categories, slope, soils, geology, land use, water availability, etc. Prepare Potential Irrigation Area (PIA) maps. Capacity Building Training for DOI staff on GIS applications for PIA viewing and analysis and Assess existing and future urban expansion and prepare maps on irrigable lands. Develop an integrated GIS database and web-based GIS application for data viewing and analysis for all land resources mapping system. The consultant shall also provide on-the job training to DOI staff on database management. Assess and map potential areas for cultivation (arable land) based on soil characteristics, climatic variables, water availability, irritability (surface as well as groundwater), existing land use patterns (forest, built-up), topography, agriculture practice using high resolution recent satellite images, secondary information, and filed investigation.
4. Update of Methodology for Water Availability Assessment: Review, update and suggest modification to the existing 7 hydrological regions of the Country as identified in irrigation master plan (1990). Develop a GIS application of the methodology for use in open source GIS software such as Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS).
5. Identification of Potential Irrigation Project: Identify potential irrigation projects for (i) irrigating new lands and (ii) augmenting dry season supplies to the existing irrigation system. Identify and potential irrigation projects in different categories such as (a) modernization needs of existing schemes; (b) new schemes with different technologies (surface schemes, groundwater (GW) schemes, river basin transfer, conjunctive uses etc.; (c) non-conventional technologies, especially for the hills and mountains, and so on; Identify and list irrigation projects based on viable demand management options for enhancing water use efficiency and subsequently water management.
6. Prepare Irrigation Investment Framework (IMF): Prepare and list potential irrigation development and flood management projects options to be considered for RBMPs and national IWRDMP (undertake further feasibility analysis based on initial technical, economic social and environmental including climate change considerations). Analyze and prioritize the potential irrigation projects using multi criterion analysis that may include (i) broader economic aspects; (ii) environment and climate change; (iii) social safeguard, (iv) gender equality and social inclusion (GESI); (v) water availability, (vi) technical (vii) regional balance, and (viii) overall risks and sustainability. Prioritize investments at 5 years, 10 years and 20 years horizon taking into account the level of financial resources likely to be available from domestic and international sources to fund these investments.
7. Prepare Irrigation Development Framework; Prepare Assessment and Ranking Criteria of Irrigation and Flood Management Projects. Irrigation Development Scenarios using Basin Hydrologic Simulation Models. Feasibility Studies of potential projects, Irrigation and Flood management. Review of Multi-purpose projects, and Inter-Basin transfer Projects. Sustainability of Irrigation projects through improved Management, Organization and Maintenance. Climate Change Impact on Sustainability of Irrigation projects and Prepare Draft short list of Irrigation, Multi-purpose and Flood Management Projects.
8. Prepare Irrigation Master Plan (IMP): Review IMP 1990, and all RBP prepared by WECS and Consultants. Water Use Efficiency and Consumption in Agro-Ecological Zones. Develop Irrigation Scenario Simulation Model and on-job training. Prepare Draft IMP, with investment Framework, M&E, and Institutional Arrangement. Institutional Arrangements for implementation of IMP. Capacity Building for DOI at District and higher levels. Arrange Digital Database and WEB application for dissemination of IMP.