In August 2008, a massive flood on the Koshi River in Nepal breached its east embankment, damaging a vast area of farmlands and standing crops in the Sunsari district in the eastern region. Less than a month later, incessant heavy rains caused severe landslides and flooding, ravaging the Kailali and Kanchanpur districts in the far western region. The losses in both regions hit the poor and vulnerable the hardest.
Responding to government request, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a grant of $25.6 million for the Emergency Flood Damage Rehabilitation Project in April 2009. Focusing on agriculture, irrigation, water supply and sanitation, and roads, the project sought to restore economic activities and improve the livelihoods and living conditions of about 300,000 affected persons in Sunsari, Kailali, and Kanchanpur. It also planned to support government capacity-building in flood forecasting and early warning system. However, consistent with the project’s emergency nature and due to limited implementation capacities, output targets were reduced during detailed design to prioritize emerging urgent needs.
At completion, the project had revived 8,001 hectares of farmland, with 5,610 affected households received in-kind assistance such as improved seeds, farm tools, and pesticides. It rehabilitated several fishponds and agricultural collection, services, and market centers and supported the formation of farmers’ groups. Households whose lands were heavily silted also received alternative livelihood training and inputs such as vending carts, fish fingerlings, beehives and bees, and mushroom spawns.
Irrigation facilities to 12,910 hectares of farmland were restored. 1,050 irrigation shallow tube wells (STWs) were installed. To improve access to drinking water and sanitation: 27 gravity flow water supply systems were rehabilitated, and toilet provisions were given to each affected household in Kailali and Kanchanpur; in Sunsari, 3 small overhead water supply systems, 2,831 STWs, and1,589 toilets were built; and a health and hygiene education program was conducted.
46.5 kilometers of the strategic road network were rehabilitated. River protection works, graveling of select district roads, and landslide stabilization works were also undertaken. The project also supported the construction of the Chatara bridge that provided a vital alternative route in crossing the Koshi River from either the eastern or western region but comprised one of the key reasons for the much-delayed project completion.
Delivery of all the revised output targets allowed the project to attain most of its outcome targets. By 2013, most of the affected people had restored their livelihoods by growing traditional cereal crops as well as vegetables, sugarcane, and other crops. Technical challenges led to mixed results in improving access to drinking water.
Project implementation was extended to 73 months, against the original estimate of 40 months. Delays, primarily in the procurement of contractors and actual construction works, caused the extension. Actual project cost was $30.42 million, against the $32 million appraisal estimate. The ADB grant had financed 76.13% of the total project cost.
ADB’s South Asia Department rated the project successful. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport was the executing agency. Several government departments served as implementing agencies.
