Consultancy, Water Resources - PARBP

Solidarités International is a French humanitarian organization which provides aid and assistance to victims of war or natural disaster. For over 30 years the association has focused on meeting three vital needs - water, food and shelter - by carrying out emergency programmes followed by longer-term reconstruction projects. Whilst fully respecting the assisted populations’ customs and culture, Solidarités International’s programmes are implemented through the joint expertise of around 180 expatriates and 1500 local managerial staff and employees. Solidarités International is currently present in Africa (Central African Republic, Southern Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Liberia, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Zimbabwe), in Asia (Afghanistan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar) and in Haiti.

SOLIDARITES IN AFGHANISTAN

Solidarités International’s (SI) mission in Afghanistan was and still is a historically significant mission, linked to the birth and development of the association. The mission was the biggest of the association until 2003/2004 when a volume reduction trend started. From 2008 onwards, the trend was reversed and the mission witnessed an increase in the volume of activities with the maintaining and strengthening of a major rural development component both linked to the humanitarian situation in Solidarités International’s areas of intervention (mainly the central highlands) and a donor strategy putting emphasis on early recovery and development type projects. In addition, it should be noted that since 2005, Solidarités International continued the implementation of WASH projects in “urban poor” environments in Kabul city and its immediate outskirts. At the same time, Solidarités kept up its intervention in peak crisis situations with the implementation of emergency food security-related projects (direct food distribution, voucher for work, cash for work, food for work, and emergency shelter) in its areas of intervention. Finally, throughout 2010, SI began the development of its emergency response capacity, setting up an umbrella emergency response mechanism in several provinces of the country.

Currently, Solidarités International’s intervention takes place in four provinces: Kabul, Bamyan, Baghlan and Samangan.

Solidarités International is currently launching the EU-funded PARBP (Panj-Amu River Basin Project) which consists in setting up a sustainable, equitable and efficient community-based NRM in the targeted areas. Together with research and building activities, the project commits to the structuring of an effective community-based scheme in accordance with the Afghan Water law voted in 2009. This project will be implemented in three watersheds (Saighan, Kahmard and Andarab).

In order to better attain the defined objectives of the project, an in-depth understanding of the water resource system (hydro-geological approach) is required. Indeed, many stakeholders have ideas and assumptions on what might be done to increase the availability of water throughout the year but a limit so far to any further constructive discussion has been the lack of technical answers (another limit is linked to the social dimension, subject to another consultancy to be implemented afterwards).

The Consultant will conduct a survey of the amount of water available and its distribution along the whole targeted watersheds; along with the study of technical issues such as hydro-geological aspects, drainage characteristics, plant water requirements and civil engineering related to water storages.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

To contribute to the implementation and success of the expected result number 1 of SI PARBP, meaning “A community-based NRM effective scheme is structured in relevance to the Afghan Water law”, and result number 3, “Water and pastures are used in a more equitable and efficient manner”.

SPECIFIC RESULTS

• The knowledge of ground and underground water availability allows decisions on both civil engineering waterworks and “social management of water” plans;
• Major (to be recommended to EU and Afghan Government) and minor (to be implemented by Soldiarités International under PARBP) waterworks are proposed, assessed and pre-designed.

1. Main activities :

   • Carry out a hydro-geological assessment of selected areas in order to determine the main parameters (permeability, yield, extent) of shallow and deep aquifers and their suitability for exploitation of wells, motor pumps, kareez, etc;
   • Irrigation: Assess the hydraulic design of existing water intakes, supplying structures and irrigation systems in the targeted areas;
   • Inspect and make recommendations on feasibility, preliminary designs and costs for the installation of new water storages (i.e. in the locations proposed under Lot#3 of the call for proposition) as well as additions to existing but non or under-functioning irrigation storages (i.e. Qarauna man-made dam and rock slides-made Korsum and Dame Jangal dams in Sayed Baba catchment – mentioned in Lot#3 – in Saighan);
   • Assess any other propositions made by authorities and communities (dams, kareez, etc).

2. Planning : The planning should be proposed by the consultant and finalized during the inception phase.

KEY DELIVERABLES

A consultancy report including: - Executive summary with a table of recommendations; - The full report with consultancy results structured within at least 2 main parts: i/ detailed figures on the ground and underground water availability; ii/ proposition and pre-design of major and minor relevant waterworks; - Annexes including inclusive planning, methodology, cleaned field notes from particularly interesting interview, focus groups and site inspections.

PROFIL

• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of water resources issues;
• Proven knowledge of hydro-geology;
• Demonstrated knowledge of civil engineering (assessment, conception, designing, dimensioning);
• A good level of written and spoken English is essential.

STATUT

Consultancy

The Consultant will spend most of his or her time in the field, within the different bases of SI involved in PARBP. He or she will also have to spend some time in Kabul for planning, coordination and briefing/ debriefing purposes.

DURATION:

8 weeks, beginning 20th August 2011.

TO APPLY:

To apply, please send us a CV and cover letter, either through our website, www.solidarites.org, or by using the following link.: https://emea2.recruitmentplatform.com/syndicated/private/syd_apply.cfm?I...