Republic of Tajikistan,Ministry of Energy and Water Resources
Tajikistan Water Strengthening Water and Irrigation Management Project
Terms of Reference for Procurement of Consultant Services for PIU WEWR
Expert (National or International) for the improvement and development of training modules for water sector specialists of Tajikistan
1. Background
The Project to Improve Water Resources and Irrigation Management in Tajikistan (hereinafter referred to as the Project) was approved by the Board of Directors of the World Bank on June 27, 2022. This Project is financed from the resources of the International Development Association (IDA) and the European Union Trust Fund in the amount equivalent to 47 million US dollars at the date of approval of the Project. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is (i) capacity building in water resources planning and irrigation management in Tajikistan; and (ii) improving the efficiency of selected irrigation systems in the Vakhsh and Zeravshan river basin areas. The project implementation agencies are the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Republic of Tajikistan (MEWR) and the Agency for Melioration and Irrigation under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan. (AMI) The implementation of the components entrusted to AMI will be carried out through the State Institution “Project Management Center for Water Resources Management of the Fergana Valley” under AMI (PMU).
The project is designed to support national water reforms, strengthen capacity in water resource planning, and improve irrigation management, including by building resilience to climate change. The project will also contribute to improving livelihoods in rural areas, including improved food security performance. The project will combine support to improve water policy, planning and management at the national and basin levels, with infrastructure upgrades at the irrigation scheme level to improve the efficiency of individual irrigation systems.
The institutional components are designed to restructure and strengthen the institutions responsible for water resources and irrigation management (including national authorities, basin organizations, GUMI and water user associations). Sectoral strategies and systems will also be developed to set, track and report on sectoral performance targets.
These institutional aspects are fundamental to enable the sector to successfully cope with future projected impacts of climate change. Implementing the infrastructure components will improve climate resilience by reducing the energy intensity of irrigation, increasing the efficiency of water supply (thus increasing drought resilience), and reducing the vulnerability of irrigation systems to floods and mudflows.
The project has four components: (i) Water Sector Reform and Institutional Strengthening, (ii) Improvement of Irrigation Systems, (iii) Project Management; and (iv) the Emergency Response Component.
Component 1: Water sector reform and institutional strengthening (US$ 7.5M)
Subcomponent 1.1: Strengthening national and basin-level water resources policy and planning (US$1.8M) will finance River Basin Management plan development and capacity building support to RBO; design, supply, installation and commissioning of water flow measurement devices at the prioritized Vakhsh gauging stations, design and rehabilitation/construction of Vakhsh RBO office in Bokhtar, hiring of technical WRM advisor.
Subcomponent 1.2: Improving irrigation sector management and service delivery (US$5.7M). This subcomponent will finance development of the Irrigation Sector Development Strategy; Institutional, FM and commercial capacity building programs; procurement of different types of goods to support WUAs and national and scheme-level organizations.
Component 2. Resilient Irrigation and Drainage Infrastructure for Improved Rural Livelihoods (US$36.7M)
Subcomponent 2.1: Modernizing selected large irrigation schemes (US$31.7M). Based on the described selection and prioritization process within the Vakhsh and Zarafshon river basins, this subcomponent will finance heavy machinery for maintenance of the for Vakhsh and Shurabad schemes, rehabilitation of the Danghara diversion tunnel and the Beshkent distribution point; SCADA system design, supply, installation and commissioning of main water intakes, control gates and pumping stations; Mechanized cleaning of main and secondary canals, concreting of canals and strengthening of embankments; Modernization of pumping stations; Mechanized cleaning of the drainage network.
Subcomponent 2.2: Improving small-medium scale irrigation schemes (US$5M). The subcomponent will finance the design, reinforcement, replacement, and protection of critical infrastructure at significant risk from extreme climate events. These include: works on priority small-scale facilities in the Zerafshon and Upper Vakhsh basins; Feasibility studies to identify critical small-scale investments in the Zerafshan and Lower Vakhsh basins; Feasibility studies of priority small-scale investments in the Upper Vakhsh Basin.
Component 3: Project Management (US$2.8M)
This component will finance incremental operating costs for project execution, baseline and project completion surveys, preparation of assessments and data collection, and annual project audits. The component will also retroactively finance activities related to feasibility studies, detailed designs, and project preparation from September 24, 2021, until the signing of the Financing Agreement, limited to eligible costs approved by the World Bank on December 4, 2021.
Component 4. Contingent Emergency Response (US$0). The zero-dollar component is designed to provide swift response in the event of an eligible IMIS or emergency, by enabling the Government of Tajikistan to request the World Bank to reallocate project funds to cover emergency response and recovery costs. The CERC, if activated, will be able to finance eligible activities included in the positive list, stipulated in the POM (dedicated CERC annex).
The implementation of the Project’s Sub-component 1.1 is led by a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) under the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Republic of Tajikistan (MEWR), and includes the development and modernization ofthe National Water Information System (NWIS).
2. Original NWIS Objectives under PAMP-II
NWIS was originally developed under the PAMP-II project to serve as a national decision-making platform for the water sector. Its objectives included:
- Establishing a centralized database on hydrology, infrastructure, and water use permits.
- Implementing a geospatial component (maps, spatial layers, modeling tools) to support basin planning.
- Enabling integration with Hydromet, ALRI, and other agencies.
- Delivering sectoral outputs such as the State Water Cadastre, infrastructure and permit registries.
- Providing a public web portal (wis.tj) for open access and transparency.
Although NWIS was launched, many of these objectives were not fully achieved: integration was not implemented, analytical functionality remains limited, and the system has mostly been used for ICT support activities such as digitizing historical data and server maintenance.
3. Rationale for Current Assignment
Under the new project, NWIS modernization requires not only technical audit and database work, but also effective leadership and coordination. Different consultants (Technical Coordinator, Database and GIS specialists, IT expert) will be engaged to carry out specialized tasks. To ensure that their work contributes to one coherent result, a National Team Leader is needed to coordinate inputs, maintain alignment with MEWR/PIU priorities, and consolidate findings into a common modernization pathway. This role will help the consultant team remain focused on strategic outcomes of NWIS development, beyond routine data processing and ICT support.
4. Objective of the assignment
To develop and improve specialized training modules for water sector specialists in Tajikistan, ensuring integration of national context, climate challenges, international standards, and modern digital learning technologies.
5. Scope of Services
The Consultant will undertake the following tasks:
Block 1 – Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
- Update the existing module with Tajikistan’s national context, regulatory framework, strategies, and plans.
Block 2 – International and National Water Law
- Enhance the module with analysis of international conventions (Helsinki 1992, New York 1997, etc.), distinguishing Tajikistan’s commitments.
- Reflect national water priorities and legal norms..
Block 3 – Regional Water Cooperation and Diplomacy
- Incorporate Central Asian transboundary water and energy cooperation experiences.
- Develop test tasks to assess understanding..
- Assisting in organizing internal meetings with team members regarding assigned tasks, solving various problems, and provide recommendations and suggestions for NWIS improving.
Block 4 – Climate Change Adaptation and Water Resources Management
- Align with national climate and water strategies.
- Draft test tasks for participant evaluation.
Block 5 – Hydrogeology (New)
- Cover hydrogeological terms, conditions, underground water theory, classification, Tajikistan’s groundwater resources, legislation, and environmental education).
Block 6 – UAV (Drone) Technology (New)
- Train specialists in eBeeX and DJI Mavic drones for monitoring water bodies, glaciers, pollution.
- Include aerial photography, 3D modeling, flight principles, regulatory framework, and Tajikistan-specific cases.
Block 7 – Electromagnetic Flowmeters (New)
- Train MEWR and Basin Organization staff on SEBA FlowSens 801 and SonTek RS5 Xylem.
- Cover fundamentals, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
6. Deliverables
- 4 Updated and 3 new training modules.
- Developed multimedia presentations with professional audio recordings.
- Drafted test questions per module (multiple choice, true/false, open-ended).
- Uploaded all modules to Moodle (donish.mewr.tj).
- Conduct training for administrators and trainers.
- Test of demo versions.
- Final consolidated report with recommendations for use.
7. Reporting and Duration
The Consultant will report to the PIU Manager and responsible department of MEWR for NWIS. Reports shall be submitted on a monthly basis in Tajik or Russian, with an English summary if required. The assignment will run from December 15, 2025 to March 31, 2026 (up to 60 business days, 2–3 days per week). Renewal may be considered based on performance and project needs.
8. Qualification and personal requirements
- Higher education in IT, engineering, water management, law, or related fields;
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in water/energy sector education or IT systems;
- Proven expertise in IWRM, water law, hydrogeology, climatology, UAVs, GIS, and digital learning;
- Strong computer skills (MS Office, GIS software, Moodle);
- Fluency in Tajik, Russian, and English;
- High responsibility, communication skills, and team spirit.
9. Duty Station
The Consultant’s duty station will be Dushanbe.
Annex A: Work Plan and Timeline
Assignment Duration: 15 December 2025 – 31 March 2026
Working Days: Up to 60 business days (approximately 2–3 days/week)
| Milestone | Expected Output | Target Date |
| Kick-off, analysis, planning | Kick-off note, baseline status | December 2025 |
| Module development begins | Draft modules (IWRM, Law, Cooperation, Climate) | January 2026 |
| Hydrogeology, UAV, Flowmeter modules | Draft reports, training materials | February2026 |
| Testing and validation | Pilot implementation, test assignments | March 2026 |
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