38417-022: Community Irrigation Project
Project Data Sheet (PDS): Details
Description
The project will develop or improve small-scale irrigation systems in 12 districts in Nepal through a community-driven process targeted at the poor, women, and other disadvantaged groups. Small irrigation systems are defined as systems with less than 25 hectares of irrigation area in the hills and mountains and less than 200 hectares in the Terai plains. The participating districts were selected because of their high poverty, food insecurity and irrigation potential. They are Kanchanpur, Kailali, Dang, Kapilvastu in the Terai plains; Doti, Salyan, Rukum, Rolpa, Pyuthan in the hills; and Bajhang, Jumla, Mugu in the mountains. As the first large-scale intervention in small irrigation development in Nepal, the project will demonstrate participatory irrigation planning and management and build the capacity of all levels of the government for small-scale irrigation development. Farmers will form or strengthen existing water users associations (WUAs) to apply for project support. The project will provide support to rehabilitate and build new surface water irrigation schemes and to develop groundwater irrigation through shallow tube wells. It will also facilitate access to microfinance support and provide extension services. For farmers without access to electricity who are installing shallow tube wells, the project will connect them to the electricity network. WUAs will in turn learn to manage water more efficiently and equitably, maintain their systems, and apply improved agricultural practices.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
Food security in Nepal is alarmingly low, with 49% of children under 5 years old stunted, 25% severely stunted, 13% wasted, and 3% severely wasted. The majority of small and marginal farmers cannot achieve their productivity potential since they have unreliable or no access to irrigation water and improved agricultural technology. Small farmers without irrigation include the disadvantaged Dalit, Janajati and Muslim populations who live and cultivate rain-fed land in peripheral water-scarce areas on steep slopes away from fertile and water-rich valleys in the hills and on the fringes of irrigation systems in the plains. Irrigation is key to increasing the production of staple crops to meet the growing gap between agricultural production and the needs of the expanding population and to diversifying and intensifying agriculture to increase on-farm incomes, reduce rural poverty, and increase food security. Irrigation therefore has a critical role to play in Nepal s poverty reduction and food security strategies. For individuals and households, access to irrigation reduces the severity of rural poverty by increasing (i) food production, (ii) on-farm employment, and (iii) incomes. The project addresses the three pillars of ADB's country partnership strategy, 2010-2012: (i) broad-based and inclusive economic growth, (ii) inclusive social development, and (iii) governance and capacity building. It builds on lessons learned from past assistance in the agriculture and natural resources sector and complements the interventions of other development partners. The project supports the multisector approach advocated in ADB's Operational Plan for Sustainable Food Security, as it aims to improve water productivity, access to microfinance, and the application of improved agricultural practices. The project's interventions will be underpinned by associated capacity building at district and community levels.
Impact
Agricultural income of rural poor and socially excluded groups is increased.
Project Outcome
Description of Outcome
Poor, women, and other disadvantaged farmers in target communities intensify and diversify their agricultural practices toward higher value crops.
Progress Towards Outcome
Outputs towards achieving outcome have not yet been started/not yet due.
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs
WUAs efficiently manage improved irrigation infrastructure. Participating farmers apply improved agriculture practices and have access to microfinance. Government capacity to plan and coordinate small-scale irrigation projects is enhanced.
Status of Operation/Construction or Implementation Progress
Till now 168 WUA are Registered. They are having 36% (>33%) female and proportional representation of DAG in membership is complied. Pre-construction training was conducted focusing enhancement of WUA capacity in planning implementation, and operation and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure. Training on water management plan is being provided to WUAs after completion of construction works. WUA of completed subprojects already started to implement. There is WUA commitment at the time of subproject demand and will be complied at the time of completion. It will be assessed only after the completion and operation of the ISPs. RMDC trained MFIs are forming farmers saving & credit groups meeting the target of female participants. Project selection is done according to the project selection criteria by the village leaders. Training plan have been prepared and CIP engineers and sub engineers were trained for project design and implementation. DDC/DTO is coordinating the works with DADO and other district government officials. Provision has been made in the plan and will be executed. Training/Observation tour for LDO/DTO is completed. CIP engineers training are being conducted regularly.
Safeguard Categories
Environment: B
Involuntary Resettlement: C
Indigenous Peoples: B
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspect
A Project Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) guides the preparation of environmental due diligence for the subprojects. Environmental due diligence is incorporated into the Feasibility Assessment Reports. In accordance with the EARF, Initial Environmental Examinations will be prepared for irrigation subprojects with 150 ha or more of command area. So far, no subproject more than 150 ha has been demanded by farmers.
Involuntary Resettlement
No involuntary resettlement will be used in the Project, as the Project's subproject selection criteria requires that the irrigation improvement is desired by the community and WUA members voluntarily donate any small parcels of land needed for irrigation enhancement. A Resettlement Framework has been prepared to ensure the subproject selection criteria have been met, and to clearly identify the triggers, if any, for more comprehensive safeguards (i.e. resettlement plan). Resettlement due diligence is required to be incorporated into each subproject Feasibility Assessment Report, and will document verification that any land required has been given voluntarily, and that nobody is impoverished by the land donation. If more than 5% of anyone's total land holding is donated, the WUAs must negotiate livelihood restitution measures with the affected party.
Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous peoples (IPs) are not expected to be affected seriously or at all by the Project, whether it is through loss of livelihoods, displacements, or impacts on their social and cultural identity. Impacts on IPs are expected to be positive, as IPs living in subproject areas will benefit from the access to irrigation, increased agricultural yields, and improved food security. The Project's Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework guides the preparation of subprojects to ensure equitable distribution of benefits and to promote development of the IPs and ethnic minorities along with other disadvantaged groups. The Feasibility Assessment Reports must document due diligence on IPs to ensure that there are no adverse effects on IPs and that interventions are designed with greatest possible reduction of poverty among IPs.
Stakeholder Participation and Consultation
During Project Design
Identification of ISPs are done with wide consultation and information dissemination to the farmers at grass root level. Communities are continually consulted at all stage of the ISPs. The project is planning to organize a multistakeholder workshop on the project activities in near future.
During Project Implementation
The Project has a Consultation and Participation Plan. This plan has been prepared to ensure local ownership of each CIP subproject, ensure inclusion of all types of user stakeholder groups in participation processes and benefit distribution, and to ensure dissemination of results and lessons learned to the wider community, including interested government, NGOs and civil society organizations. The socio-economic survey of each subproject will flag those households requiring support to enhance their meaningful participation in the activities of the project. These groups will receive targeted coaching. The Project Coordination Unit will analyze each sub-project based on its socio-economic profile and suggest targets and methods for participation assistance. They will also provide training support to the field teams in this respect. In order to ensure the project may learn from other relevant activities and vice versa, the Project Coordination Unit will invite government organizations, NGOs and community-based organizations to periodic workshops to discuss project results, and in particular periodic specialized studies on such topics as gender, poverty impact or other case studies. During the inception mission the stakeholder consultation and participation plan prepared at PPTA stage was reviewed and revised.The following have been integrated: targeted participation actions for social preparation, community and WUA meetings, and training events from each of the safeguard documents into the plan.
Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.
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