Community-based Water Management Expert

A. About Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)

ADPC is an autonomous international organization with a vision to reducing disaster and climate risk impacts on communities and countries in Asia and the Pacific region by working with governments, development partners, international organizations, NGOs, civil society, private sector, media, and other key stakeholders.

Established in 1986 as a technical capacity-building center, ADPC has grown and diversified its expertise across social and physical sciences to support sustainable solutions for risk reduction across a broad range of specialist areas. ADPC has over 100 staff from 19 different nationalities and a wide range of professional expertise - from atmospheric scientists to social scientists with experiences from all levels of engagement typically required for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience (CR) in an effective manner. ADPC is a competent regional resource center and has seven thematic departments: ADPC Academy, Risk Governance, Climate Resilience, Urban Resilience, Health Risk Management, Preparedness for Response and Recovery, Geospatial Information. These are supported by Finance, Human Resources and Administration, and Strategic Planning departments. In addition to the departments, ADPC works on three cross-cutting themes: Gender and Diversity, Poverty and Livelihoods, and Regional and Transboundary Cooperation through permanent working committees.

ADPC Strategy 2020 guides the organization in providing comprehensive risk reduction support to countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. ADPC recognizes the importance of examining the linkages between disaster risk management, poverty reduction, gender equality, sustainability, rights-based approaches, climate change and

regional cooperation. For details, please refer to ADPC website at http://www.adpc.net/

B. Background

Disasters take a huge toll on the development agenda of South Asian countries. Between 2000 and 2017, disasters in South Asia incurred estimated damages of US$ 149.27 billion. Public expenditure is under stress by the repeated need to reallocate capital budgets away from long term development planning and towards reconstruction activities in post-disaster environments. For example, since 2005, Pakistan has suffered losses on the order of US$ 16 billion due to natural disasters. In Bangladesh, the 2007 Cyclone Sidr resulted in damages and losses of US$1.7 billion or 2.6 percent of GDP.

To increase resilience and achieve climate commitments, there is a need for a transformational shift toward policies and institutions that enable climate-resilient investments. Investing in more resilient infrastructure is both profitable and urgent as disruptions are extremely costly for governments, households and the private sector and large ongoing investments in infrastructure assets will have long-lasting repercussions as poor maintenance and natural disasters result in a vulnerable stock.

With financial support from the World Bank Group, ADPC is implementing a five-year (2020-2025) project, titled “Climate Adaptation and Resilience Project (CARE) for South Asia”. The project aims to create an enabling environment for climate resilience policies and investments across South Asia. This objective will be achieved through enhanced regional cooperation and knowledge exchange for climate resilience and adaptation and mainstreaming of resilience and adaptation in national policies, plans, and investments.

The Project Development Objective of CARE for South Asia is “To contribute to an enabling environment for climate-resilient policies and investments in select sectors and countries in South Asia”. The project is supporting the region in building resilience to climate change by improving the availability of regional data and knowledge, developing guidelines, tools and capacities, and promoting climate-resilient decisions, policies and investments across key sectors. The project will promote the transformation of policies and institutional capacities for climate-resilient development in agriculture, transport, integrated water resources management, policy & planning, and finance in South Asia. Considering key results from the Global Climate Risk Index 2019, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh are IDA countries which rank higher than others in the region. The project intervention will be carried out in three select countries including Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. ADPC will facilitate high-level dialogues, develop climate-resilient guidelines in the priority sectors, and promote innovation and adoption of disruptive technology at national and regional levels. Anchored in building on the governments’ plans, the project will facilitate national institutions to meet commitments under the various global frameworks, such as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Karez irrigation system is a millennium old traditional groundwater tapping technology in the Balochistan. Once, there were about 3000 functional Karez systems in upland districts of the province. However, according to recent surveys of UNESCO and PCRWR, about 1,000 systems functional fully or partially. The Karez have not only the cultural and antique worth, but facilitated to convert the uplands into the agricultural landscape, improving socioeconomic conditions of the province. In fact, Karez irrigation system offers an excellent buffer against the droughts. Since las few decades; Karez Irrigation has been affected by multiple factors like increasing trend of installation tube wells within catchments of the Karez, climate change and other anthropogenic activities including deforestation (Kahlown et.al 1988). Considering the social, environmental and economic impacts of the tube wells, it has been realized by many Government/Non-Government Organizations to revive Karez systems to minimize the tube well operation.

Additionally, as part of Pakistan’s initiative to include karez’s of Balochistan as part of UNESCO’s list of “Cultural Landscape” and based on a subsequent study carried out by UNESCO, ADPC was requested to carry out the study on “Summary of the impacts of climate change over the past decade and predicted future impacts” on karez landscape based on the expertise of ADPC and the mandate of the CARE for South Asia project.

In this setting, services of an individual consultant are required to assist ADPC to carry out a study on impact of climate change on the karez landscape in Balochistan. The impact study will be carried out based on climate projection information generated by ADPC as part of the CARE for South Asia project using CMIP 6 identified suitable models for the region. The task will also entail analyzing legal provisions available at national and provincial level for protection of these traditional water sources and developing a set of recommendations to protect these traditional irrigation and water supply systems. The consultant will support in evaluation of two karez’s which were rehabilitated as part of a World bank funded initiative.

Ashraf, M. and Hasan, F.U. 2020. Groundwater Management in Balochistan, Pakistan: A Case Study of Karez Rehabilitation, IWMI, World Bank, Washington DC, pp-15.

Kahlown, M. A. (1988), “Karez Irrigation in Baluchistan: ISMR Research Project: Pakistan - USAID

Hussain, A, and Baloch, M. (2018), The Effects of Climate Change on Karez-Water and Agricultural Income: ISSN 1810-2174, University of Balochistan, Quetta (Pakistan) VOL. XXXVIII NO. 1, 2018

C. Statement of Intent

The Community-based Water Management Expert will carry out an impact study on the effect of climate change on the karez landscape in Balochistan. An evaluation is also required to be carried out on two karez’s (Nau Sanjidi and Sanjidi Karez) rehabilitated during 2016-2019. The findings of the study will contribute to efforts by UNESCO to declare Karez Irrigation systems as “Cultural Landscape” in collaboration with PCRWR.

Note:

It is not the intent of this Terms of Reference to cover every aspect of the position requirements, rather to highlight the most important areas of personal and joint responsibilities.

D. Duties and Responsibilities

The Community-based Water Management Expert will be responsible for:

• Evaluation of the current status and assess the efficiency of two partially notable Karezs (Nau Sanjidi and Sanjidi) which were rehabilitated as model to reduce the conveyance water loss and improve water use efficiency as part of the South Asia Water Initiative (SAWI) technical assistance project, “Managing Groundwater for Drought Resilience in South Asia” supported by United Kingdom, Australia, and Norway; administered by the World Bank.
• Analysis of climate change impact on the karez landscape in Balochistan based on climate modelling and projection of the region carried out by ADPC using CMIP6 GCMs.
• Assessment and analysis of legal provisions available at national and provincial level for protection of these traditional water sources.
• Leading Focus Group discussion with relevant stakeholders in Balochistan as part of the assessment and analysis.
• Sensitization of provincial government stakeholders through a workshop on the need for conservation of the traditional water resources
• Preparing the final assessment report with recommendations which will contribute to efforts by UNESCO to declare Karez Irrigation systems as “Cultural Landscape”. (Necessary Criteria for the assessment of Outstanding Universal Value of a natural heritage will be shared by ADPC)

E. Qualifications

The candidate should at least have:

• Previous experience of having worked on 02 number of similar assignments is desirable
• Familiarity with UNESCO documentation requirements for declaration of 'World Heritage Cultural Landscape" (Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention WHC.21/01 31 July 2021).
• Experience of working in Balochistan and familiarity of socio-cultural context.
• Master’s degree in water resources management / water engineering or equivalent
• At least 10 years’ experience in water management and irrigation in agriculture sector
• Experience in working with traditional water supply systems and its impact on rural landscape will be added advantage
• Excellent command of written and spoken English

F. Deliverables and Payment Plan

• Signing of the Contract along with plan of implementation of the activity, acceptable to ADPC (20% of the payment)
• Delivery of the final assessment report and recommendations, accepted by ADPC. Presentation of study outcome and recommendation to provincial stakeholders as well as to UNESCO and PCRWR. (80% of the payment)

G. Reporting Relationships

The Community-based Water Management Expert will report to the Director, Climate Resilience and work in close coordination with Project Director CARE for South Asia Project, Bangkok (Thailand). The technical oversight will be provided by Integrated Water Resources Management Specialist (Regional) at the Bangkok office and country water sector specialists through the PIU.

H. Contract Duration

The contract duration will be for 4 months over a 6 months period with no scope of extension.

Expected start and end dates: TBD

I. Selection Method

The consultant will be selected in accordance with ADPC’s recruitment process and incompliance with the World Bank Procurement Regulations.

How to apply

Interested Candidates can submit the completed ADPC application form,

(downloadable from ‘Join us’ in www.adpc.net), resume, copy of degrees/certificate(s) together

with a cover letter, to: procurement.care@adpc.net

For inquiries, please contact to procurement.care@adpc.net

Female candidates are especially encouraged to apply.

ADPC encourage diversity in its workplace and support an inclusive work environment.