Request for expression of interest for selection # 1201709
Assignment Title
Strategic Basin Assessment of Brahmaputra System in Northeast India
Publication Date
02-Oct-2015
Expression of Interest Deadline
31-Oct-2015 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)
Language of Notice
English
Assignment Country
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IN - India
Funding Sources
The World Bank Group intends to finance the assignment/services under:
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BB - BANK BUDGET
TF082288 - Brahmaputra
Individual/Firm
The consultant will be a firm.
Assignment Description
Strategic Basin Assessment of Brahmaputra System in Northeast India
1. Brahmaputra basin in India
The Brahmaputra River originates in a great glacier mass in Kailas range of the Himalayas and
flows through China, India and Bangladesh for a total distance of 2880 km before emptying into
the Bay of Bengal jointly with the Ganges. In India, the Brahmaputra River flows southerly and
westerly through the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam over a distance of 916 km. km.
Before entering India, the river is known as the Tsangpo flowing west to east, then south through
the eastern Himalayas as the Dihang River. In Assam, the Dihang River is joined by other
tributaries to form the Brahmaputra River. Near the western boundary of Assam, the river turns
south to enter Bangladesh changing its name to Jamuna till its confluence with the Ganges from
where both the Jamuna and Ganges form the Padma flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
The Brahmaputra Basin covers 580,000 km2 across four countries: China (50 percent), India (34
percent), Bangladesh (8 percent) and Bhutan (8 percent). In India, the catchment area spreads
over states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim
covering nearly 5.9 percent of the total geographical area of the country. The Brahmaputra basin
is divided into two major sub-basins and 180 watersheds. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries
carry more than 30 percent of the total water resources potential of the country. Northern
tributaries receive considerable contribution from snow in higher ranges of the Himalayas with
peak contribution commencing in August.
The major tributaries in the north bank include the Subansiri, the Manas, the Ranganadi, the
Borgong, the Jiadhal, the Sankosh, the Siang, the Kameng (Jiabharali in Assam), the Dhansiri
(North), the Puthimari, the Pagladiya, the Champamati, the Saralbhanga, the Aie and
theSankosh. The south bank tributaries include the Noa Dehing, the Buridehing, the Debang, the
Dikhow, the Dhansiri, the Kopili, the Digaru, the Dudhnai, and the Krishnai. The north bank
tributaries are flashy and flow through steep slopes, carry heavy silt charge forming shallow
braided channels, and coarse sandy beds. Rainfall in the north bank tributary basin is much
higher and the catchment areas of north bank tributaries are also much bigger than the south bank
tributaries. The South bank tributaries have flatter grades, deep meandering channels, fine
alluvial soils and comparatively low silt charge.
Water resources management presents challenges from the complex topography and hydrological
environment; the absence of cooperative frameworks for the management of the river;
incomplete water resources knowledge base and limited exchange of information among riparian
stakeholders; and long-held tension and mistrust among downstream and upstream riparian
countries. Hydropower, flood management, erosion control and navigation are issues of high
importance to riparian countries. The high intra-seasonal variability of flow, as influenced by the
southwest monsoon gives rise to a complex water management challenge. Recurrent floods and
rapid river morphology changes damage life, property, and infrastructure, while in the dry season
low water availability and unequal spatial distribution of water leads to water stress and
competition amongst users. Climate change is expected to increase evapotranspiration, alter the
spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation, increase the frequency and intensity of floods
and droughts, and accelerate the rate of glacier melting.
Brahmaputra is a braided river characterized by high intra-seasonal variability, and is severely
flood prone. There are huge variations in flows between the low and high season within a year.
Over the years, changes in river course of the Brahmaputra have been frequent and continuous.
With this continuing changing of courses, there has been a huge amount of loss of areas as a
result of river bank erosion, which has, since 1954, destroyed and removed nearly more than
3800 km2 of highly productive farm landleaving thousands of farmers landless, and homeless.
As a result of this continuous braiding of the river and the accompanying erosion, the river area
has expanded significantly. From around 3,870 sq.km.estimated between 1916 and 1928, the
river area is estimated to have increased as a result of the continuous braiding and widening of
the river to around 6,080 sq.km. in 2006.
The other huge challenge of the Brahmaputra basin is to deal with and mitigate the impact of
annual flooding and of the flash floods in major tributaries emanating from hills of Arunachal
Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Bhutan. Floods affect large segments of the population,
directly impacting an annual average of 0.8 million ha of land. The social disruption and costs
associated with both flooding and the erosion of land have been rising, as it has also triggered
migrations, causing conflict over land, social and communal tensions and a threat to the
economic development in general.
A large part of Brahmaputra basins irrigated agricultural and domestic needs depend upon
ground water availability and its quality. In general the chemical quality of ground water, both
from near-surface and deeper aquifer zones, is good and suitable for the irrigation and domestic
consumption. However, at many places in the basin, an excess of Fluoride, Iron and Arsenic has
been recorded.
The Brahmaputra basin has abundant hydropower potential. Several hydropower projects of this
region like the Kopili (200 MW), Khandong (75 MW), Karbi Langpi (100 MW) of Assam,
Lower Subansiri (2,000 MW), Dibang (3000 MW), Kameng (600 MW), and Ranganadi (405
MW) of Arunachal Pradesh, Teesta-V (510 MW) of West Bengal,Umiam-Umtru Power
Complex (174 MW) of Meghalaya etc. are presently at various stages of operation, development
and planning.
The river has long formed a waterway between the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam,
although, on occasion, political conflicts have disrupted the movement of traffic through
Bangladesh. The Brahmaputra is navigable throughout the Bengal Plain and Assam upstream to
Dibrugarh, 700 miles (1,100 km) from the sea. In addition to all types of local craft, powered
launches and steamers easily travel up and down the river, carrying bulky raw materials, timber,
and crude oil. Ferries have continued as the most important means of crossing the Brahmaputra.
Sadiya, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Guwahati, Goalpara, and Dhuburi are important towns and
crossing points in Assam, while Kurigram, Rahumari, Chilmari, Bahadurabad Ghat, Phulchari,
Sarishabari, Jagannathganj Ghat, Nagarbari, Sirajganj, and Goalundo Ghat are important
crossing points in Bangladesh. The railheads are located at Bahadurabad Ghat, Phulchari,
Jagannathganj Ghat, Sirajganj, and Goalundo Ghat.
It is proposed to conduct a Strategic Basin Assessment (SBA), using a coherent multidisciplinary
approach, to manage the basin water resources in order to identify and satisfy social, economic
and environmental priorities. The aim would be to choose from a series of possible water
management objectives those that will best contribute to a range of competing economic, social
and ecological goals. Further, achieving these goals typically involves the participation of a
range of government bodies and stakeholders, beyond those directly involved with water
management. The basin planning process would initially narrow to the identification of a limited
number of key issues, followed by broadening to detailed implementation planning. Central to
the process is the identification of strategic priorities and trade-offs. SBA is more than water
accounting in the basin, it also analyses development issues, evaluates options and consequences
of such options, and plans investment scenarios.
The consultancy will be supported through the Brahmaputra Focus Area within the South Asia
Water Initiative (SAWI).
2. Objectives
The objectives of the Strategic Basin Assessment (SBA) is to gain a better understanding of the
dynamics of the Brahmaputra river basin from a system-wide perspective, by creating a
knowledge base and suite of modeling tools that can be used to examine the potential
development in the basin and attendant impacts of development, and support an informationbased dialogue within and between riparian states.
The high-level objectives of are:
(i) To significantly strengthen the capability of relevant central and state government agencies to
undertake comprehensive evidence-based strategic basin planning for the Brahmaputra River
basin,
(ii) To establish ongoing multi-stakeholder engagement processes in the basin to support
strategic basin planning
(iii) To build stronger and more accessible information and knowledge base to guide ongoing
dialogue around and management of the Brahmaputra River basin, and
This will be achieved by
(i) Developing a robust basin-wide knowledge base and model suite for water resources
assessment and strategic planning for the entire Brahmaputra basin in India. The model would
consider primarily the flood and erosion aspects and model surface water resources and flow
from the upstream reaches outside India, and possible impact of climate change on water
availability and utilization.
(ii) Analyzing strategic development issues, and develop possible investment scenarios. While
the focus theme would be reducing vulnerability to flood and erosion, strategic basin assessment
for other sectors like agriculture, hydropower and navigation would also be addressed.
(iii) Establishing and facilitating a multi-stakeholder consultation process to guide and share the
work above
(iv) Building capacity in central and state agencies through training, and ensuring wide access to
the models and analyses and supporting documentation.
Qualification Criteria
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1. Provide information showing that they are qualified in the field of the assignment. *
2. Provide information on the technical and managerial capabilities of the firm. *
3. Provide information on their core business and years in business. *
4. Provide information on the qualifications of key staff. *
* - Mandatory
Selection and contracting will normally be made from responses to this request for expression of
interest. The consultant will be selected from a shortlist, subject to availability of funding.