2 3 Papel limitante y condicionante del agua en el fezzan

1. As applied by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in the course of the feasibility study, the selection of subprojects for the Second Rural Infrastructure Improvement Project (the Project) started with participatory discussions with local target beneficiaries. Subdistrict engineers consulted with the members of union councils regarding rural roads and markets that need improvement in their respective jurisdictions. The country’s rural road network was initially constructed as embankments under food-for-work programs in the 1960s and 1970s. The alignments of all proposed roads already exist, and selection of the project roads is confined to these alignments. Due to the serious problems associated with acquiring new rights of way, no new road alignment wills be built apart from those on existing embankments.

2. After a list of possible subprojects had been prepared, the proposals are then ranked in accordance with agreed criteria. The prioritization criteria apply to the following works: subdistrict and union roads, village roads, growth center markets, jetties, and union council complexes. The criteria were used in preparing the final list of subprojects included in the Project.

3. The prioritizing criteria fall under the following five main aspects: (i) economic, (ii) technical/engineering, (iii) equity, (iv) environmental, and (v) social. These are discussed below.

(i) Economic. The overarching criterion is that the economic internal rate of return

for the selected subproject should be at least 12%.

(ii) Technical/engineering criteria. These criteria establish the technical feasibility

of constructing the subproject.

(iii) Equity. Each subdistrict should have at least one subdistrict road and/or growth

center market. This criteria ensures that the development assistance is equitably distributed to all parts of the project area.

(iv) Environmental criteria. Drawn mainly from the Government’s own guidelines in

project preparation, these criteria include the following: (a) no subproject will be implemented in the Sundarbans or similarly protected area; (b) the extent of no perennial water body is to be reduced below that of February 1995 as a result of the Project; (c) no registered historic building or cultural sites would be adversely affected; and (d) land acquisition should be minimal.

(v) Social criteria. Subprojects that qualify on the basis of the first four criteria are

then screened further based each subproject‘s contribution to achieving the broad goals of the Project in (a) poverty reduction, (b) expanding opportunities for women, and (c) minimizing land acquisition and resettlement.

4. The applicable criteria for each of the major project components are listed below. (i) Subdistrict and union roads. These should

(a) have a high degree of connectivity;

(b) have an existing crest width of at least 4 meters for their entire length; (c) serve educational institutions, village markets, banks, and other social

institutions;

(d) create opportunities for marketing the hinterland’s agricultural, fishery, and other products;

(e) have high potential for generating the employment of poor men and women;

(f) serve people living in relatively inaccessible, remote, and poor areas; (g) connect the hinterlands with healthcare and other daily facilities;

(h) improve linkage with the regional transport network including railways and waterways; and

(i) have minimal requirements for land allocation and resettlement. (ii) Village roads. These should

(a) have a minimum crest width of 2.5 meters,

(b) have an existing minimum height that exceeds the highest recorded flood in the village and nearby areas,

(c) not require land acquisition and resettlement,

(d) connect to either a higher-order road that is paved and/or a growth center market,

(e) serve people living in relatively poor and remote areas, and

(f) serve people who are willing to participate in the long-term maintenance of the road.

(iii) Structures on rural roads.

(a) All damaged bridges and culverts on selected subdistrict, union, and village roads will be upgraded.

(b) All other existing gaps in the selected subdistrict, union, and village roads will be closed.

(iv) Growth centers. These should

(a) serve relatively large populations and areas,

(b) be situated relatively distant from subdistrict towns and other growth centers,

(c) have relatively high concentrations of permanent shops, (d) serve significant education, health and other social institutions, (e) have hinterlands with diversified agriculture and various cash crops,

(f) have relatively high potential for generating employment outside of agriculture,

(g) have good communication systems and electricity connections, (h) have scope for physical expansion,

(i) have relatively high lease value,

(j) be connected to the proposed project road or any other paved road, and (k) have available land for constructing improved market facilities.

(v) Jetties. These should

(a) be attached to a growth center;

(b) connect roads, preferably paved roads, and preferably proposed project roads;

(c) be used for landing river-borne passengers and goods; (d) be used for multiple purposes;

(e) handle a large variety of commodities for in-bound and out-bound traffic; (f) have relatively low vulnerability to river erosion; and

(g) have high lease revenue.

(vi) Union council complexes. These should

(a) be connected to the project road system, (b) be centrally located in the union area,

(c) have no existing premises or old, damaged office buildings, (d) be located in a market place and served by other offices, (e) have an electricity connection, and

(f) be ready to contribute the equivalent of 5% of the construction cost to be used for complex maintenance.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS ADB-ASSISTED PROJECTS