Irrigation and Drainage Improvement - Kazakhstan

The Committee for Water Resources of the Ministry of Agriculture (CWR of MOA) of the Republic of Kazakhstan intends to jointly finance with the World Bank the "Second Irrigation and Drainage Improvement Project" (IDIP-2). The project responds to the GOK's strategy to accelerate improving irrigated land due to reduction demands and effective use of irrigated water. Improvement of technical condition of irrigation and drainage infrastructure with simultaneous improvement of their maintenance and operation will contribute to steadier development of the agricultural sector in acutely dry regions, benefiting both the national economy and the rural population. The Project objective is improvement of irrigation and drainage systems (further IDS) in the Project areas, in order to increase effectiveness of farms in usage of water-land resources. This will be achieved through rehabilitation and modernization of technical conditions of I&D systems, better management, operation, and maintenance of these systems, and more efficient agricultural assimilation and use of project irrigated lands, all with improved participation of water users.   IDIP-2 is aimed at improving the irrigated lands in Almaty, Kyzylorda, South Kazakhstan and Zhambyl Oblasts, situated in the southern part of the Republic of Kazakhstan. These four Oblasts have favorable agro-climatic conditions for increasing irrigated crop productivity, offering good possibilities for growing higher value crops like cotton, fruits and vegetables, sugar beet, soybean, corn for grain, perennial forage grass and others with export potential increase and reduction of import of vegetal and livestock production, environmental reliability for generating higher employment of the population in project regions. Farm size in these areas is relatively small and population density is relatively high, so interventions related to IDS development would provide benefits to a large number of rural people. The GOK has defined sub-project areas (SPAs) to be covered under its World Bank supported development programme. The SPAs have a total command area more than 220,000 ha and are served by 13 IDS. The World Bank intends to support the government in the implementation of two specific investment projects, namely (i) the present IDIP-2 (implementation term 7 years, 2012-2019), with a project area more than 113,000 ha in ten SPAs sites (irrigation massifs); and (ii) a projected future followon IDIP-3 (estimated implementation term 5 years, 2014-2019), with a project area more than 107,000 ha in seven SPAs sites (irrigation massifs).   The consulting services sought by this Request for Expressions of Interest relate only to IDIP-2 and are expected to support the CWR in the detailed design and implementation supervision aspects of IDIP-2. The CWR now invites eligible consulting firms , corresponding to qualification requirements to indicate their interest in providing the consultant services for rehabilitation, improved maintenance and operation of IDS, agricultural usage of project lands. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, training workshops, presentation, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.).