Drainage, Irrigation and Wetlands Improvement Project: Monitoring and Evaluation Consultancy

Name of client: Ministry of Agricult­ure and Water Resources, PIU Water Infrastructure

Funding: IBRD

Detailed description of project:

The Drainage, Irrigation and Wetlands Improvement Project Phase 1 (DIWIP) dealed with alleviating drainage and associated soil salinization problems which affected the right bank of the Amu Darya in Uzbekistan. The situation was remedied through the construction and rehabilitation of drainage collectors, irrigation structures and improved irrigation water management throughout the irrigation and drainage system, including water management in the fields. A related concern addressed by the projectwas to reduce the disposal of drainage water into the Amu-Darya River to avoid occurrence of excessive mineralisation concentrations which had arisen in the past. The total project volumewas 74.5 million USD.

The M&E Component monitored the correct implementation of the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) at the construction sites, the effects on herders’ livelihood and livestock on pasturelands, the impact on archaeological monuments, the development of wetlands along the new drainage water collectors, including biodiversity and water supply to the Badai-Tugai Nature Reserve, the effects on drainage on soil salinization, effects of improved irrigation water management and the socio-economic impact on farming and non-farming inhabitants as well as their health and drinking water provision. The M&E consultancy had two separate, but connected objectives:

• To ensure early identification of potentially negative consequences on project implementation including timely and effective corrective measures;
• To provide information to all stakeholders on the effectiveness of the project’s activities and enable improvements to be introduced in subsequent stages of project implementation or in follow-up projects.

Type of services provided:

M&E of progress and quality of project implementation included:

• Physical implementation progress in the field as compared with prepared implementation schedules/work schedules;
• Project costs, expenditures, and loan disbursements;
• Performance-measured against pre-determined indicators for implementation and performance;
• Providing feedback to the implementing agencies, in particular identifying lessons to be learned;
• Improving the management information system developed earlier in DIWIP (including a geographical information system, GIS) to monitor project implementation and operational performance.

M&E of project performance specifically addressed:

• The environmental impact of construction activities;
• The impact of drainage installation on farming;
• The impact on irrigation water management and water use efficiencies;
• The effectiveness of the Environmental Management Plan;
• The impact on the level of unemployment and household incomes;
• Overall benefits and economic rate of return of the improvement measures.