Project components:

The project has five components:

1. Upper watershed, forestry and rangeland management
2. Irrigation and drainage management
3. Integrated water resources management
4. Environmental management
5. Project management support

This component aims at establishing effective soil and water protection measures by improving sustainable and participatory community-based forest and rangeland management, including establishment of cooperatives in the upper watershed. It includes:

• Preparing an upper watershed master plan and capacity building for community management organizations

• Forest and rangeland rehabilitation and management, including nursery construction and regeneration of natural or artificial stands (51,500 ha)

• Soil and water protection measures, such as gabion check structures and other vegetative measures in the upper watershed area.

Funding for this component is US$13 million.

Implementing agency

• Mazandaran Jehad and Agriculture Department

Consultants

• Deutsche Forstservice GmbH

• Jihad Water and Watershed Management Research Co.

This component aims to improve the use of irrigation water and boost agricultural production and income. It will:

• Rehabilitate and construct irrigation and drainage systems covering about 52,000 ha. This total includes 33,000 ha that are already irrigated using traditional means, and another 19,000 ha of new irrigation areas where farmers currently grow crops under rainfed conditions or with supplementary irrigation using groundwater

• Capacity building and technical assistance to establish water user associations to manage secondary networks and recover the cost of operations and maintenance

• Agricultural extension and research to help farmers improve their water management, diversify their crops, and increase their incomes.

Funding for this component is US$129 million.

Implementing agencies

• Mazandaran Jehad and Agriculture Department

• Mazandaran Regional Water Company

Consultants

• SNC Lavalin International Inc

• Hydrosult Inc

• Absaran Consulting Engineers

• Petro Pala Eng Co.

• Central Alburz Development Consulting Engineers Co.

This component enables local people and institutions to participate in making decisions about water management. It will create:

• A Basin Water Council to bring together the various organizations involved in managing water in the river basin

• A Basin Water Fund to support community-based activities to conserve water and natural resources

• A support system for the Basin Water Council, involving stakeholders in sharing information on environmental impacts, benefits of the project, and promoting water conservation.

Funding for this component is US$5 million.

Implementing agencies

• Mazandaran Jehad and Agriculture Department

• Mazandaran Regional Water Company

Consultants

• Nespak

This component covers various environmental aspects of the project:

• Monitoring the water quality in rivers, aquifers and abbandans (traditional storage ponds in the lower watershed)
• Monitoring the river ecology and mitigating any harmful effects
• Monitoring and managing the forest
• Preparing an integrated pest management plan
• Dealing with resettlement issues for people who are displaced by the project
• Preparing a dam safety plan
• Addressing cultural property issues
• Ensuring public participation and raising awareness.

These will be addressed in the form of technical assistance for special studies, the provision of monitoring equipment and capacity building training for government staff and users, as well as prioritized mitigation measures.

Funding = US$8 million.

Implementing agency

• Mazandaran Regional Water Company

Consultants

• Nespak

This component supports the project implementation and coordination at the national and basin levels. It also provides institutional support for the Ministry of Jehad and Agriculture and the Mazandaran Regional Water Company, including strategic sectoral and feasibility studies for future projects. Funding = US$4 million.

Implementing agencies

• Central Liaison Office
• Mazandaran Jehad and Agriculture Department
• Mazandaran Regional Water Company

Consultants

• Euroconsult Mott MacDonald
• Yekom