Terms of Reference – Junior Irrigation Engineer, Kabul
Employer:
Position:
Reporting to:
Inputs:
Location:
Remuneration and
other benefits:
Qualifications and
Experience:
Applications:
Landell Mills Ltd (www.landell-mills.com), on behalf of the European Union
Junior International Irrigation Engineer
Team Leader
160 working days (approx. October/November 2016 to April/May 2017) over 2 or 3
inputs. This is based on a 6 day working week. Fridays (the day off) and international
travel days are not paid.
Kabul, Afghanistan. Work based out of the guesthouse and in the Ministry hydrology
office. Due to security, the expert will not be required to travel to the field, but will rely on
remote support from national experts.
 The salary will be circa EUR200-300/working day (approx. £170-£250/day),
depending on experience. The consultant is responsible for his/her own tax and
social security arrangements in his/her home country (this is exempt in Afghanistan).
 Full board will be provided in Kabul at the company’s guesthouse, plus ‘pocket
money’ of $20/day.
 All project related expenses will be covered. Flights will be in economy class.
 Emergency travel and medical insurance will be provided
 Security training will be provided. The company has been operating in Afghanistan
for the last 12 years without incident and follows a low-profile approach according to
security operating procedures.
 At least 3 years’ relevant work experience
 A relevant degree (e.g. civil engineering, irrigation/hydraulic engineering)
 Overseas work experience is preferred but not essential
 Willingness to travel to Afghanistan
Please send a CV and covering email stating available start date to [email protected] with ‘Junior Irrigation Engineer’ in the subject title. Please also state where
you saw the advert.
Introduction
Landell Mills Limited (www.landell-mills.com) has been contracted by the European Delegation in Afghanistan to
provide support to the Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) for implementation of the Panj-Amu River Basin
Programme (P-ARBP) in northern Afghanistan. The purpose of the contract is to contribute to the overall Project
objective of ‘Water and land resources are more economically and equitably managed and sustainably protected.’
Key to achieving this objective is helping the government at central and basin level to follow a river basin management
approach for improved water resources planning and allocation.
The position will be to help implement a ‘River water allocation pilot - Lower Kunduz from Gerdab guage station to
Char Dara guage station on the Kunduz river’. The pilot team will include an international junior hydrologist, an
international junior irrigation engineer (this position), a national junior hydrologist / GIS specialist, and national
engineers with support provided by the international team leader and international hydrologist (minimal inputs only).
Objectives
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Objectives of the pilot are to assess whether an improved water allocation system (tools and methods) can have a
positive impact on water allocation in irrigation schemes and hence downstream and tail end agricultural yields;
whether stakeholders have the capacity to implement such a system; and if not whether capacity building during a
follow-on project (administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB)) can bridge the gap to ensure sustainability.
Background to the work
To date P-ARBP has helped improve the water resources data collection, storage, processing/analysis and information
dissemination system between central level and the (Sub)River Basin Agency (S/RBA) level. However, the weakest
link is in converting this information into action. E.g. using flood/drought forecasts to prepare water distributions plans
and to then implement these plans by for example raising or lowering gates at head work level, to distribute water
between schemes in an equitable manner. The pilot will help to propose a system which can then be scaled-up in the
new ADB project.
Figure 1: Current water resources data collection, storage, processing/analysis and information dissemination
steps
Data collection
From USGS and FEWS (who
estimate amount of SWE based
on their models)
Data collection
Rain and snow
guages in the PARB
Calculations of SWE in subbasins
(Using GIS)
Analysis
(Flood; Above average;
Average; Below Average;
Drought)
Key:
MEW Dept of Water
Resources responsibility
Data dissemination
Annual stakeholder meeting
(RBA/SBA). SBAs then
communicate to WUAs (via
stakeholder meetings)
WUA/IA/Farmer Action
Change in farm management
practices (e.g. if drought – less
rice; redistribution of water insystems based on in-system
rating curves)
RBA/SBA responsibility
WUA/IA/Farmer
responsibility
(R)SBA Action
Distribute water between
canals based on main canal
rating curves
The pilot will thus work in a specific area to determine a methodology for improved water allocation between main
canals, in order to improve water distribution within schemes and with downstream schemes, thus improving
agricultural yields, particularly at the tail end of canals and in downstream schemes. The areas between Lower Kunduz
and Gerdab guage stations (installed by the World Bank EIRP/IRDP project) has been chosen as data is available at
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both gauging stations; the area includes lower reaches where water availability may be less; and the area includes
canals which have been worked on under P-ARBP as well as a representative canal (Laqi) which will be one of the first
sub-projects to be worked on by the new ADB/EU project.
The pilot will build capacity of the Hydrology (formerly Water Management) Department of the DG Water Affairs
Directorate in Kabul. It will also identify weaknesses which the new project can address, and will build on training which
hydrology staff have received by JICA in India.
Activities
a) Produce rating curves and a water budget
This exercise has largely been done by the senior P-ARBP hydrologist but will be re-run as an on-the-job training
exercise (using excel) with the hydrological dept in MEW in Kabul (under DG water affairs). Data will be collected at the
two gauging stations (and checked) and then used to produce rating curves at the river level (at the gauging station).
Data exists in Kabul already so no field visits are required. Recent historical data will be used to calculate dry, average,
and wet years. This will determine a water budget – i.e. look at differences to determine how much is taken off for the
command areas. Expressed in l/sec. Monthly crop water requirements can then be multiplied by the irrigated area to
determine the water demand. The difference equals losses or over-irrigation. A bell curve shape is predicted based on
high crop water requirements in the irrigation season. This has been matched by actual collected data which signifies
that the crop water demand estimates are accurate. Work undertaken to date shows that upstream has more flow than
downstream in the irrigation season (May to August).
Inputs:
 Junior international hydrologist (with minimal inputs from the senior international hydrologist)
 National junior hydrologist / GIS specialist
 Support provided by team leader
b) Produce river rating curves at the head of each canal
This will be based on the depth of the river and the design of the headwork using the spreadsheet template already
set-up. Again, this would be an OTJ training exercise with the hydrology department. If additional field level data is
required, SBA staff will collect this, with national engineers.
Inputs:




Junior international hydrologist
Junior international irrigation engineer
National engineers to go to the field if needed
Support provided by team leader
Figure 2: Example of a river rating curve used to determine canal headwork rating curve
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Figure 3: An example of a canal headwork rating curve
c) Produce gate opening and river depth chart
The above information will then be translated into gate opening and river depth charts (using max and monthly crop
water requirement of 2.51l/ha). Based on the water depth in the river, the level of gate opening can then be
determined.
Inputs:




Junior international hydrologist
Junior international irrigation engineer
National engineers to go to the field if needed
Support provided by team leader
Figure 4: Example of a gate opening – river depth chart
d) Produce a water distribution plan for river level
A water distribution plan (for dry, average, wet years) will then be prepared for the river level/main canals, to be
included in an operational water sharing manual for the SBA with clear instructions.
Inputs:
 Junior international hydrologist
 Junior international irrigation engineer
 National engineers to go to the field if needed
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

Support provided by team leader
Plus an agronomist for recommendations on what actions farmers can take based on the plan. E.g. if a dry
year, plant less rice.
e) Training for SBA staff and farmers on the water sharing manual
Training will then be provided for the SBA staff (likely in Kabul) on how to use the manual, including how this relates to
drought/flood forecasts produced by MEW. Training will also be provided for farmers (via WUAs) – i.e. they will see
what the distribution plan is and how much water will be allocated to their scheme and can then plan accordingly.
Inputs:





Junior international hydrologist
Junior international irrigation engineer
National engineers
Support provided by team leader
Agronomist
f) Plan adjusted as needed throughout the year
SBAs should have the capacity to alter the plan throughout the year based on more up-to-date data (since
drought/flood forecasts are currently annually, although this may improve under the new project 1).
Inputs:




Junior international hydrologist
Junior international irrigation engineer
National engineers
Support provided by team leader
Linked to this, in one of the canals, work will be undertaken to prepare a water distribution plan for the command area
to be managed by the WUA. This is covered under a separate component by Mercy Corps (an NGO), with, however,
significant P-ARBP TA assistance. Secondary offtake rating curves and charts (based on calculated (actual) crop water
requirements based on crops in field and growing stage) will need to be prepared at selected offtakes at head middle
and tail. Abdullah scheme could be a good choice as it is a reasonable size, it has a headwork and a WUA, and it will
be supported further by ADB/EU project (more secondary off-takes). Training on the water distribution plan should then
be given to the WUA (as well as the RBA/SBA so they can provide follow-up support).
Inputs:
P-ARBP TA staff (as above) with support from Mercy Corps. A national irrigation agronomist may be needed to collect
actual crop water requirements.
Under the new project it is proposed that eventually flood and drought forecasting is undertaken by DG Water Affairs Directorate
(Hydrology Dept) using the WEAP model – this can be used to help forecast water depths for rivers – which means gate opening
heights can then be calculated to help improve water distribution. Famers may have to use less water-demanding crops (e.g.
wheat) to decrease in water head in the river.
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