WARPO as “Clearing House” water sector for projects

The National Water Policy has mandated WARPO to act as a "clearing house" “for all water sector projects identified by different agencies”. According to agreed scope of work WARPO would provide technical assistance to Planning Commission in assessing compliance of agency projects with the Policies, Plans, Strategies and guidelines/manuals in the process developing and processing of project proposals for Annual Development Plan (ADP). Broadly scope of work for “Clearing house” role for water sector projects or projects which has direct bearing upon water resources are:

1. Whether the project is in conformity with the interrelated issues of Bangladesh Water and Flood Management Strategy (BWFMS), National Water Policy and any other Government approved water related Policies and Strategies.
2. Whether the project is in conformity with National Water Management Plan (NWMP) framework and it’s Eight Clusters;
3. Whether the project is in conformity in relevant areas with the regional plan of the National Water Management Plan (NWMP);
4. Whether the project is in conformity with the goal and objectives of the pro-poor related actions programs/projects of water resources management included in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP);
5. Whether the project has followed the Guidelines of Participatory Water Management (GPWM) and ensured that Cost recovery, Cost sharing and O&M are incorporated in the plan of action;
6. Whether the project is consistent with the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM);
7. Whether the project is overlapping and is in duplication with any other project of other organizations or individual/ group initiatives and resolve disputes if any relating to appropriation, utilization and exploitation of water resources.
8. Examine Environment Assessment of small-scale projects (LGED-1994) and EIA of water sector projects;
9. Examine if important sociological issues with especial attention to poor and women are adequately addressed (SIA);
10. Examine whether the project appraisal (feasibility studies) followed the Guidelines for Project Assessment (GPA);
11. Ensure appropriate and proven analytical procedures and evaluation methods, tools and technique are used in the project appraisal;
12. Examine if rural and urban water supply and sanitation projects followed guidelines that may be issued from time to time;
13. Review strategic plan of R&H, BIWTA and Urban development and examine if roads, bridges, highway development projects, urban development and other infrastructure construction including e.g. gas pipe line installation across river and flood plains that have considerable implication on water flow regime, drainage, disruption of navigation followed relevant guidelines;
14. Examine if projects on extraction and use of water, discharge into water system, also management of water bodies, environmentally important areas that have considerable implication on water flow regime, and environment etc followed the guidelines/manuals that may be issued by the Government from time to time;

WARPO experimentally started working with BWDB projects from December 2008 with the above scope as decided by Board of directors of WARPO. Until June 2011 WARPO has cleared about 90 project proposals received from BWDB. WARPO set-up needs review in view of additional responsibility mandated through National Water policy.