Ningxia Dryland Farming and Water Conservation Demonstration Project

The Project covers 3,655 square kilometers of the oasis of the Yinchuan Plain extending into the Helan Mountains to the west of the Yellow River in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. It comprises three districts and two counties that surround the ancient city of Yinchuan, the capital. The Project will support the policies and plans of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region government (NHARG) to combat land degradation through an integrated ecosystem management (IEM) approach. Since 2003, the PRC has been selectively introducing IEM in acknowledgment of the multidimensional nature of land degradation. IEM approaches emphasize the links between natural ecosystem capacities and socioeconomic activities, and seek to holistically rehabilitate damaged ecosystem services and functions by tackling the root causes of damaging practices, including reduction of rural poverty. The Project will reform enabling policies and regulations, as well as build institutional, regulatory, and policy capacity to combat land degradation using an IEM approach. It will demonstrate measures to achieve improved water and land use planning and management, support sustainable rural livelihoods in poor communities through contracts with commercial enterprises, and link commercial and conservation values to rehabilitate the degraded wetlands and grasslands. A Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant will ensure that an IEM approach is used in project implementation and provide support measures to protect 15 globally threatened species. A market-based approach will be taken to promote sustainable resource use and protect and conserve wetlands, grasslands, transboundary flyways, and cultural sites. Tourism and recreation opportunities will be provided for 1.1 million local residents and visitors The consultant will have overall substantive and administrative responsibility for the effective and timely implementation of the PPTA. The consultant will lead in formulating and developing the project design by coordinating inputs of government agencies and the consulting team, and delivering quality outputs on time. Specifically, the consultant will coordinate with ADB, the executing agency, and other related government agencies; and prepare a detailed implementation plan to ensure timely outputs; coordinate with international and national consultants, including their inputs, quality control of reports, financial management, and technical guidance. The consultant will assume overall responsibility for direction and consolidation of the findings of the consulting team, and take ultimate responsibility for the final report; guide team members in quantifying the costs and benefits of proposed investments as the bases for detailed project costs, financial plans, and economic and financial analyses; organize briefings, baseline socioeconomic surveys, stakeholder workshops, and other training activities; identify and analyze lessons learned from the previous assistance by ADB and other development partners; and ensure that they are integrated in the project design, including innovative approaches appropriate to project activities, and risk and possibilities for policy and incentive development; and assist in reviewing how the project complements ADB’s ongoing integrated ecosystem management (IEM) project, the Ningxia Integrated Ecosystem and Agricultural Development Project,1 within the overall framework of agricultural development and resources management in Ningxia; assess the institutional capacity of various agencies; and identify risks and their mitigation measures, including training needs; review existing agricultural development plans, regulations and policies; and conduct sector assessment and prepare a sector assessment report; review the technical robustness of the draft feasibility study report (FSR), and strengthen the project design; coordinate to ensure timely preparation of social safeguards, environmental assessments, and frameworks; in consultation with the consulting team and key stakeholders, formulate the overall project design, including scope, implementation arrangements, and cost estimates and financing plan; and undertake economic and financial analyses; ADB. 2008. Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors: Proposed Loan and Administration of Grant to the People’s Republic of China for the Ningxia Integrated Ecosystem and Agricultural Development Project. Manila (Loan 2436-PRC and Grant 0113-PRC [GEF]). summarize the innovative and special features incorporated in the project design, explain the rationale for their incorporation, and indicate their impact on projected overall achievement of impact and outcome; assess development constraints and problems using problem tree analysis, and coordinate the development of the project design and monitoring framework (DMF) using participatory approach; prepare detailed costs and financial plans; and undertake financial and economic analyses consistent with ADB guidelines, including thorough sensitivity analyses to identify project risks; coordinate and consolidate proposals for (a) training and study tours; (b) consulting services; and (c) research, pilots, and demonstrations to be included under the project; coordinate procurement capacity assessment and financial management assessment; draft a project administration manual in consultation with the executing agency, including implementation arrangements and schedules, computerized project management information system, disbursement and procurement processes, and project monitoring and evaluation system; prepare timely project reports for ADB and the government, including the inception, midterm, draft final, and final reports; and undertake other relevant tasks as assigned.