Irrigation Sector Reform Services project, Moldova / 5
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Irrigation Sector Reform Services project, Moldova

Project director

/ Chapelle, Caroline la (CLC)

Assignment

/ The project will provide Technical Assistance and capacity building to support legal transfer of management and operations of 11 MCC-rehabilitated irrigation systems from the Government to Water User Associations (WUAs) and to improve water resource management.

Client

/ Government of Moldova

Financing Agency

/ Millennium Challenge Corporation

Partners

/ 1) Milieu 2) ACDI/VOCA 3) Agland 4) ACSA 5) NGO BIOS

Composition of Team

/ Euroconsult Mott MacDonald: Project director, Team leader, Deputy Team leader IMT, Institutional specialist, Irrigation O&M specialist, Hydrologist/Modeler, GIS/IT specialist; RBM water quality expert; RBM expert
/ Partner(s): Deputy team leader RBM, Water users association specialist, Training coordinatior, Legal sopecialist, 2 M&E specialists, GIS/IT specialist; Communication specialist

Period of Assignment

/ From November 2010 to August 2015
/ Staff months: Euroconsult Mott MacDonald: 157; Partner(s): 591

Background

/ In January 2010 Moldova’s Millennium Challenge Compact was signed. This five-year, $262 million Compact has two components: (1) Transition to High-Value Agriculture Project (THVA) and (2) Road Rehabilitation Project .
The Program Objective is to increase incomes through increased agricultural productivity and expanded access to markets and services through improved roads.
The objectives of the Transition to High Value Agriculture (THVA) Project are to: (i) increase rural incomes by stimulating growth in irrigated high value agriculture; and (ii) catalyze future investments in high value agriculture by establishing a successful and sustainable model of irrigation system and water resource management and a conducive institutional and policy environment for irrigated agriculture.
The Irrigation Sector Reform Activity (ISRA) is designed to: (1) establish the enabling environment and institutional capacity required to ensure effective management (operations, maintenance and financing) of the rehabilitated irrigation systems (thereby better ensuring their sustainability); and (2) improve Moldova’s capacity to manage its limited water resources in light of increasing demand for water and the expected effects of climate change.

Description of project

/ The goal of the Irrigation Sector Reform Activity ( ISRA) is to improve the productivity and sustainability of irrigated agriculture in Moldova by improving water delivery to the higher value commercial crops being promoted by the THVA.
The scope of work for ISR services includes:
1) Establishment of 11 fully-functional Water Users Associations (WUAs) with the capacity to effectively manage and maintain the Rehabilitated Centralized Irrigation Systems;
2) Legal transfer of Operation and Management responsibilities from the Government of Moldova to the WUAs through Management Transfer Agreements;
3) Assist the Government to improve management of water resources and assess future water availability in order to promote sustainable growth in the agricultural sector.
The Irrigation Sector Reform Activity (ISRA), consists of the following two sub-activities:
1) Irrigation Management Transfer Sub-activity (IMT);
2) River Basin Management Sub-activity (RBM).
The five objectives within IMT are:
1) Assist WUAs in assuming responsibility for irrigation management;
2) Facilitate the legal transfer of irrigation management;
3) Support the development of WUA bylaws/charters and oversight unit;
4) Support the collation of permissions required for construction works;
5) Prepare GoM entities in expanding IMT to other systems.
The five objectives within RBM are:
1) Assist in developing a policy framework to implement the Water Law;
2) Improve agency capacity for water resources monitoring;
3) Develop a GIS-linked, water user database for analysis and planning with the support of relevant agencies;
4) Assist agencies in developing scenario planning tools;
5) Improve agency capacity to enable stakeholders to prioritize water usage.

Services provided

/ Phase 1 (6 months)
- Develop a Five-Year Operating Strategy to finalize both the IMT and RBM Sub-Activity project designs, building on design and implementation plan included in the proposal and incorporating relevant sections of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and other key background documents and assessments
- Select the appropriate form of Management Transfer Agreement (MTA) and produce draft Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT);
- Design of Stakeholder Communication Strategy;
- Develop an ISR Monitoring and Evaluation Plan;
- Conduct an Outreach campaign to Establish “Contract of Association” and land-owner support for rehabilitation;
- Establish provisional Boards of Directors (BODs) to work with Detailed Design Team;
- Communicate the New Water Law;
- Develop General Bylaws, based on the new WUA law (a set of bylaws will be developed individually with each WUA);
- Undertake gap analysis in IWRM in Moldova;
- Review existing water quality and quantity monitoring network and make recommendations for any work required to improve and upscale it;
- Review the available data and techniques used to collect, collate and analyse water quality and quantity. Make recommendations to improve these techniques including upgrading hardware and software and developing consistent, compatible techniques to facilitate IWRM practices.
Phase 2 (18 months)
- Develop WUA Capacity Building Strategy and Implementation Plan;
- Capacity Building and Training for WUAs (to be “ready” to sign MTAs);
- Assist WUAs to set-up offices and hire key personnel;
- Legal Registration of the 11 WUAs according to the new WUA Law;
- Develop the WUAs Water Users Registry;
- Execute MTAs for the 7 Irrigation Systems with Water Delivery;
- Capacity Development for Apele Moldovei in Establishing a WUA Monitoring and Surveillance Unit (MSU);
- Develop Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP);
- Establish a functional water quality and quantity monitoring network, including;
- Institutional support to monitor water quantity and quality;
- Develop a policy framework for River Basin Management, including drafting of regulations for authorizing water use and developing RBM plans and a Review final version of draft Water Law.
- Selection and establishment of water quality monitoring sites
- Drafting of User Guides on O&M for monitoring equipment
- Implementing Hydrological Surveys
- Development of a compatible Water Monitoring Database with different components and GIS layers
- Development of Web-based GIS Database System
- Development of an advanced GIS integrated planning and management Decission Support System
- Report on Gender Composition of WUA’s and provide gender specific trainings for WUA’s
Phase 3 (33 months)
- On-going Support and Capacity-Building Activities for WUA Management, leadership, committee members and others;
- Assist in activities to start up the 4 WUAs in the non functioning CIS;
- Execute MTAs with these remaining 4 WUAs ;
- Assist MCA-Moldova to deliver the basic set of CIS maintenance materials and equipment to the WUAs;
- Update Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs);
- Ongoing support to establish a functional water quality and quantity monitoring network;
- Providing support for the development of the Nistru River District Management Plan
- Implementing Hydrological Surveys
- Ongoing institutional support to monitor water quality and quantity;
- Institutional support to prioritize stakeholder needs for RBM and action plans.

Results

/ The final targets and expected outcomes (to be completed by Compact-end) for the IMT and RBM Sub-activities of the ISR Activity are the expected results:
- Establishment and legal registration of 11 financially sustainable WUAs with bylaws in compliance with new WUA Law;
- Management Transfer Agreements (MTAs) executed for 11 WUAs and corresponding irrigation systems;
- Effective operation of irrigation systems with good governance and improved water delivery services;
- Development of normative acts corresponding to the Water Law to be passed during life of Compact;
- Water availability monitoring and demand modeling system in place and utilized by appropriate specialists in the government and civil society;
- Water use and authorizations for water use databases established and linked geospatially with a Geographical Information Systems (GIS);
- Participatory sub-basin management and actions plans developed for 2 small sub-basins and one consolidated basin.

Senior staff and functions

/ Caroline la chapelle - Project director; Dr Gary Merkley - Team Leader; Larry Nelson - Team leader; Viorel Gherciu - Deputy team leader IMT; Aurica Crozu - Deputy Team Leader IMT: Onno Schaap - Institutional specilaist; Vilma Horikova - Irrigation O&M specialist; Ron Manley - Hydrologist/Modeler; Luc Verelst - GIS/IT specialist; Paul Buijs - RBM Water Quality expert; Bobby Russel - RBM expert

Euroconsult Mott MacDonald

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