Nepal : Mechanized Irrigation Innovation Project
The project will provide long-term sustainable solutions to increase year-round access to irrigation water in about 22,400 hectares (ha) of two districts of Madhesh Province in the Terai by constructing a large-scale network of about 500 tube wells with dedicated electricity distribution networks. The management, operation, and maintenance (MOM) of the tube well irrigation schemes will be contracted to a third-party operator, using a design-build-operate (DBO) contracting modality. On-demand irrigation services will be provided to about 22,000 farm households using a prepaid irrigation system.
Project Details
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Project Officer
L'Hostis, Marie
Sectors Group
Request for information -
Country/Economy
Nepal -
Sector
- Agriculture, natural resources and rural development
| Project Name | Mechanized Irrigation Innovation Project | ||||||||||||
| Project Number | 52130-001 | ||||||||||||
| Country / Economy | Nepal |
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| Project Status | Proposed | ||||||||||||
| Project Type / Modality of Assistance | Grant Loan Technical Assistance |
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| Source of Funding / Amount |
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| Operational Priorities | OP1: Addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequalities OP2: Accelerating progress in gender equality OP3: Tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability OP5: Promoting rural development and food security OP6: Strengthening governance and institutional capacity |
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| Sector / Subsector |
Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Agricultural production - Irrigation Energy / Electricity transmission and distribution |
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| Gender | Effective gender mainstreaming | ||||||||||||
| Description | The project will provide long-term sustainable solutions to increase year-round access to irrigation water in about 22,400 hectares (ha) of two districts of Madhesh Province in the Terai by constructing a large-scale network of about 500 tube wells with dedicated electricity distribution networks. The management, operation, and maintenance (MOM) of the tube well irrigation schemes will be contracted to a third-party operator, using a design-build-operate (DBO) contracting modality. On-demand irrigation services will be provided to about 22,000 farm households using a prepaid irrigation system. | ||||||||||||
| Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy | Agriculture accounts for about 26% of Nepal's gross domestic product. In 2018, about 55% of the working age population was engaged in agriculture, forestry and fishing, of which 62% are women and 38% are men, either directly or indirectly in producing, processing and marketing of agriculture products. Over the past decade, Nepal's agriculture sector growth has stagnated at an average rate of 3% annually, mainly due to limited access to irrigation systems that provide reliable access to water. Climate change is now threatening Nepal's water and food security and is projected to reduce Nepal's economy by up to 4% unless about $2.4 billion in adaptation costs are invested by 2030. Low agricultural productivity, exacerbated by climate change, directly contributes to consistent poverty incidence throughout rural Nepal. Madhesh Province is one of the provinces with the highest poverty rate of 28%. Nepal's total cultivated area is about 2.6 million hectares (ha) but only 1.4 million ha is irrigated. Most irrigation systems, about 1.2 ha, are in the Terai plains and operate only to provide supplementary irrigation during the monsoon season for paddy cultivation. Less than 40% of irrigation systems provide perennial irrigation services. Climate change is expected to reduce rainfall reliability and hence increase irrigation demand. Droughts have been the most severe hazard and has contributed to 39% of agriculture-related losses caused by weather-related events between 1971 and 2007 (footnote 3). The expansion of irrigated areas and provision of reliable irrigation services during the dry season is constrained due to the high cost of investment in storage dams, inter-basin water transfers, and surface irrigation systems. Alternatively, year-round irrigation in the Terai area can be achieved by tapping available and renewable groundwater through efficient and sustainable mechanized pumped irrigation. |
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| Impact | Agricultural production and productivity increased (Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Sector's current status and roadmap for future, White paper 2018) |
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| Outcome | Farmer's productivity and incomes increased in the project area |
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| Outputs | Sustainable groundwater irrigation systems established Climate resilient and diversified cropping practices adopted |
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| Geographical Location | Nation-wide | ||||||||||||
| Safeguard Categories | |
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| Environment | B |
| Involuntary Resettlement | B |
| Indigenous Peoples | B |
| Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects | |
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| Environmental Aspects | The project will not cause serious unpleasant and diverse environmental impacts in the target locations. There were analyses and reports that served as reference materials to acquire preliminary understandings of groundwater resources and its interactions with the surface environment. In fact, the amount of water withdrawal through the high lift irrigation schemes were estimated insignificant compared to high river discharge and limited downstream users. The project locations have no environmentally-sensitive areas and the impacts are mostly momentary disturbance during construction. Due diligence will be carried out during project preparation. |
| Involuntary Resettlement | Small portions of private land will be required for pumping stations. The project will construct 500 deep tube well schemes, covering an area of 22,400 hectares (ha). Each scheme will involve construction of (i) a head tank and pump house, occupying 5x5 m of private land and, (ii) a network of buried pipes and outlets. Each pumping irrigation scheme involves the construction of: (i) one high lift pump and pump house, occupying 3x5 m of private land, (ii) one storage tank; occupying 6x5 m of private land, and (iii) buried pipelines and outlets connecting the storage tank to the field. Small portions of private land will be required to accommodate the pumping stations and storage tanks. This irrigation infrastructure is ideally placed in the corner of adjoining paddocks so that farmers can access water to irrigate their crops. In such cases, the ADB project team proposes that farmers be given the option to voluntarily donate small portion of land to the project, provided that the farmer: (i) directly benefits from the project, (ii) can exercise power of choice, (iii) the donated land is less than 5% of the farmer's holding, (iv) the farmer's decision to donate is made free of coercion. The full extent of physical and economic losses associated with the project, including to non-title holders that may live on government land, will be assessed during project preparation. |
| Indigenous Peoples | A desk-based demographic analysis highlights the presence of indigenous peoples (IP) in the project areas, however, the extent to which IPs are impacted by the project is unknown. IP studies from the region indicate that the Terai IPs (the Tharu and others) derive their livelihood from non-farming activities and thus may not be directly or indirectly impacted. A poverty and social assessment will be conducted during project preparation to determine whether the project triggers ADB's Indigenous Peoples policy. |
| Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation | |
| During Project Design | |
| During Project Implementation | |
| Business Opportunities | |
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| Consulting Services | The executing agency will administer consulting activities. |
| Procurement | The executing agency will administer procurement activities. |
| Responsible ADB Officer | L'Hostis, Marie |
| Responsible ADB Department | Sectors Group |
| Responsible ADB Division | Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office (SG-AFNR) |
| Executing Agencies |
Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation |
| Timetable | |
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| Concept Clearance | 19 Sep 2022 |
| Fact Finding | 27 Aug 2023 to 08 Sep 2023 |
| MRM | 20 Nov 2023 |
| Approval | - |
| Last Review Mission | - |
| Last PDS Update | 19 Sep 2022 |
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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| Title | Document Type | Document Date |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanized Irrigation Innovation Project: Initial Poverty and Social Analysis | Initial Poverty and Social Analysis | Aug 2022 |
Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.
None currently available.
Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation
None currently available.
Related Publications
None currently available.
The Access to Information Policy (AIP) establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced in its operations to facilitate stakeholder participation in ADB's decision-making. For more information, refer to the Safeguard Policy Statement, Operations Manual F1, and Operations Manual L3.
Requests for information may also be directed to the InfoUnit.
Tenders
| Tender Title | Type | Status | Posting Date | Deadline |
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| Loan 52130-NEP: Mechanized Irrigation Innovation Project [Civil-01/GWIS/MIIP/2079-80] | Invitation for prequalification | Closed | ||
| DWRI/MIIP/CS-01/2079-80 | Firm - Consulting | Closed | ||
| 52130-NEP: Mechanized Irrigation Innovation Project | Other Notice | Closed | ||
| NEP: Mechanized Irrigation Innovation Project | Other Notice | Active |
Contracts Awarded
Procurement Plan
None currently available.