TA-9942 ARM: Enhancing High-Value Crop Diversification - Pre-Feasibility Study for Getik, Karmir Gyugh and Garhnahovit Dams (53197-002)

TA-9942 ARM: Enhancing High-Value Crop Diversification - Pre-Feasibility Study for Getik, Karmir Gyugh and Garhnahovit Dams (53197-002)

Date Published: 21-Nov-2024

Deadline of Submitting EOI: 12-Dec-2024 04:00 PM Manila local time

SELECTION PROFILE

Consultant Type: Firm

Selection Method: Simplified Consultants' Qualifications Selection (SCQS)

Selection Title: Enhancing High-Value Crop Diversification

Package Name: Pre-Feasibility Study for Getik, Karmir Gyugh and Garhnahovit Dams

Engagement Period: 8MONTH

Consulting Services Budget: USD 290,000

Source: International

Technical Proposal: Single-Stage Proposal (SSP)

Approval Number: 9942

Approval Date: 20-Jan-2020

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Country of assignment: Armenia

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Primary Expertise: Pre-feasibility Study for Getik, Karmir Gyugh and Garhnahovit Dams

TOR Keywords: pre-feasibility, reservoirs, watershed management, irrigation

Objective and Purpose of the Assignment

Armenia faces severe water challenges due to climate change and needs immediate and long-term strategies to safeguard its water resources and ensure sustainable agriculture. Armenia is highly vulnerable to climate change. Temperatures increased 1.23°C between 1929 to 2016, faster than the global average. From 1935 to 2016, precipitation fell by almost 9%. Water resources are vital with about 80% of the country’s crops requiring irrigation, and hydropower accounting for 23%-25% of total energy production. River flows are estimated to decrease by more than 13% by 2040 and by 27% by 2070. Average annual evaporation of Lake Sevan, the country’s largest freshwater body and a vital source of irrigation water, is expected to increase by 30% over this century. These impacts will affect many aspects of Armenian life but especially agriculture. Soil moisture levels are forecast to decrease by 30% over the next 100 years; land productivity could decrease by 24%. These trends will harm rural livelihoods, especially for farmers reliant on increasingly scarce water resources, place greater pressure on national food security, and potentially exacerbate competing demands for water across different water users, like water for cities and for energy.

Armenia has a total of 87 existing dams which were constructed before the 1980s. The total storage capacity of these reservoirs is 1.4 billion m3. There are no detailed studies or diagnostic assessment on the current status and performance of the existing dams and their reservoirs. There is an observed 40% reduction in water inflows to the reservoirs, and there are risks that climate change will negatively impact the country’s hydrology in future. Water storage provides a suitable risk mitigation measure and safeguards sectors like agriculture, and livelihoods which depend on water resources. The government recognizes its vulnerability to climate impacts and has prioritized water resources management. Scarce water resources must be used more productively. This means growing more crops with the same amount of water or ensuring water storage for irrigation when needed. While building new reservoirs and upgrading existing ones, there is a need for an integrated approach which includes watershed management, irrigation system modernization, climate smart agriculture development, community resilience building and disaster risk management. The proposed assignment is to prepare a pre-feasibility study for 3 new reservoirs (Getik, Karmir Gyugh, and Garnahovit) including a comprehensive approach for watershed management and downstream climate adaptive irrigation system. Feasibility, detailed design and tender document of the economically viable subprojects only will be prepared. Initial safeguards due diligence will also be carried out under this assignment.