Western Basins Water Resources Management Project

When designing a project even in a difficult and tenuous political situation, it may be best to be strongly proactive rather than tentative and conservative. In an area that is just recovering from a long civil war, with a practically nonfunctioning implementing agency and a weak government capacity, the ADB preparation team designed a project with a whole gamut of proactive measures to bring about improved water resources management using basin-wide IWRM principles. The project included the setting up of an RBA, preparing studies and legislation on groundwater, improving the capacity of traditional water managers (mirabs), improving on-farm water management, training in improved agricultural practices, and having special components for the disadvantaged groups. A more conservative approach would have simply looked at upgrading existing infrastructure and hoping for some positive effects on agriculture production while waiting for a more stable environment to bring about comprehensive IWRM reforms. The bolder approach paid off with the project scope being close to being fully achieved—an RBA being set up, an implementing agency being strengthened and exposed to IWRM principles and practices, and the base being set for further and future IWRM type of development in the country.