Incorporating capacity development (whenever and wherever needed) as an integral part of project design results in a more holistic development approach. At the beginning of the project, the MEW was institutionally weak, and the Hari Rud RBA did not exist. The project spent $7.5 million in loan and grants funds for capacity development. This capacity development included (i) developing the implementation capacity of the MEW and the IWRM capacity of the Hari Rud RBA through in-country and overseas training; (ii) a significant consulting services input; and (iii) on-the-job training experience from implementing a large, internationally funded development project. The Hari Rud RBA is now a functioning institution, and the MEW has proven to be strong and experienced enough to take on four more ADB water resources investment projects. This is a positive and encouraging indication that properly designed and implemented capacity development efforts can have long-term positive effects, not only for the national institutions and countries concerned, but also for the international development agencies supporting them.
Western Basins Water Resources Management Project