Name of Client:
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM)
Country:
Cambodia
Length of Consultancy Assignment:
Start Date: 15 February 2016
Completion Date: 31 August 2021
Detailed Narrative Description of Project:
The project supports the Cambodian Government’s strategy to enhance agricultural and rural economic productivity through increased efficiency of irrigation and improved management of water resources in upland areas of Kampong Thom and Battambang provinces through two outputs: (i) enhanced efficiency and climate resilience of irrigation systems in the project area, specifically in the Taing Krasaing (TK) and O Kra Nhak (OKN) irrigation systems in Kampong Thom and in the Prek Chik (PC) irrigation system in Battambang; and (ii) improved water resource management.
Output 1 consists of the rehabilitation, modernization, and climate-proofing of at least three irrigation systems in the provinces of Kampong Thom and Battambang, leading to an increase in the cultivated area of the systems to 29,500 ha from a baseline of 13,500 ha. The key activities under this output include the rehabilitation and modernization of the TK, PC, and OKN irrigation system, including headworks, under-sluices, spillway, and head regulator; main canal (MC) and secondary and tertiary canals (SCs/TCs), and canal structures; installation of pump station and distribution channels, and structures and gauges for water measurement, control, and distribution.
Output 2 includes, among others, the organization and training of farmer water user communities (FWUCs), installation of hydro-meteorological stations in the watersheds and flow measurement networks in the irrigation systems; modernization of canal operation through irrigation scheduling and integrating the schedule on canal flow gauging system to effectively manage water supply, particularly during droughts; and design and implementation of joint reservoir operation (JOROP) to improve water-sharing arrangements and equitable water distribution between linked systems, especially during droughts.
PRIMEX, as lead firm, is providing project management and technical assistance to MOWRAM and the Provincial Departments of Water Resources and Meteorology (PDWRAMs) of Kampong Thom and Battambang in project implementation. The Consultant Team is comprised of three teams: (i) Project Management Team, based in the PMU in Phnom Penh; (ii) Feasibility and Design Team, also based in the Project Management Unit (PMU); and (iii) Construction Supervision Team, based at the PDWRAMs in Kampong Thom and Battambang.
PRIMEX provides technical support to MOWRAM and the PDWRAMs in water resources management, hydrology, procurement, and contract management, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and capacity building; and provides incremental human resources to facilitate implementation; ensures that the Government’s and ADB’s social and environmental safeguards are complied with; assists PMU in ensuring adherence to established ADB procedures and guidelines; and assists the Government in achieving the overall outcome of the sector project.
In addition, PRIMEX provides technical and administrative backstopping support to the entire Consultant Team through the review and preparation of all required reports (inception, quarterly progress reports, annual reports, six-monthly project performance management system (PPMS) reports, and quarterly and semi-annual environmental monitoring reports. PRIMEX also manages the Provisional Sum that covers the conduct of various training activities, workshops, and special studies for which local consulting firms are subcontracted.