The People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Water Resources Development Authority
AMtRARA DRAINAGE PROJECT
STATUS
JULY 11589      - MARCH TWO
AMIBARA DRAINAGE PROJECT 1
Sir M. MacDonald & Partners Limited
Cambridge, England*1
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AMIBARA DRAINAGE PROJECT
STATUS
JULY 11989 - MARCH 4990
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DRA/NAGE PROJECT STATUS
MARCW i|990LIST OF CONTENTS
PAGE
G E N E HAL           +
AIMS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF A DPI JULY |f989 - MARCH rT990
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2.1       Activities ........................... ..... ................ .. 2.2      Physical Implementation.............. „............... 3
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ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT ......................................... 3
MANPOWER .................................................................................... fi
FINANCIAL STATUS....................................................................... 4
TABLE l|           Annual Disbursement Figure <1          ProgrammeGENERAL
This report covers the ocNvfties and progress in respect of Amftjara Droinoge Project I for the nine month period from July 1989 to March >1990. it has becnwrittcn foilowing directives from the Water Resources Commission for forwarding to the office of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations,
The Amibora Drainage Project has been established to improve and preserve the productive potential of the Middie Awash State and Settlement Forms
whose production has been increasingly affected by rising water tobies and increasing salinity. The project aims to provide an efficient drainage system
over ^7<r0 Hectares of the most seriously affected fond. The drainage system comprises an open channel system with buried PVC tile drains 5 associated structures.
This will facilitate the reclamation of abandoned oreus or areas with
depressed yields and ensure increased and sustained productivity.
In addition the project aims to provide operation and maintenance machinery farm improvement machinery, staff training, water harvesting 4 environmental measures.
.AIMS AMD ACHIEVEMENTS OF ADP II JULY 1939 - MARCH 1990
2JI Activities
After establishment of the Project Implementation Unit (PJUJ during the
the first half of 1989 the main aims of the PIU for the next nine months
to March iJ990 were:-
o) After prequalificoticn of contractors, to complete droinaye designs for the project, prepare tender documents for international tendering, obtain approval from ADF ond invite tenders.
Most of these objectives were achieved. However approval by ADF to the draft documents took three months instead of (he expected one month with the consequence that tenders will only now be invited in May 19tJ9.
b) It is the intention of the project to procure operation and maintenance machinery and to this end draft contract documents were prepared and sent to the ADF for approval in March. This item is not on the criticof path of the project and at present is ahead of rhe required programmedcj When construction of the project commences it will be necessary to
howe additional accomodation for project staff. To this end designs
for additional housing were prepared with the intention of obtaining
lenders locally for construction. The tender documents ore being typed
at present but one constraint an this has been rhe shortage of available
typing time due mainly a shortage of word processing facilities.
dj In addition to construction and maintenance objectives, it rs a project
intention to undertake or advise on environmental improvement and monitoring activities. Specifically, for the reporting period in question
the following activities took place.
dj (I.) Recommendations were made by project consultants on the setting
up of an environmental protection unit, the staff required and the activities of the unit proposed. The main problem with this has
been recruitment of well qualified staff, particularly a senior environmentalist to head the unit. This problem has not been resolved despite approaches by project monogement to several organisations to assist in staff recruitment.
d} ii) Outline recommendations on a water harvesting scheme intended
to stop soil erosion, improve vegetation regeneration and reduce rainfoil run off towards the project have been made* This has
been discussed and agreed with the local Afar people. Final
designs ore now being produced for the scheme*
djiii) Outline recommendations have been mode for the development
of forestry plantations in the project area. One area is already
under development by the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry Develop ment Department. However, local opposition to the scheme from the Afar tribes people has limited potential development which
is now being restricted to 50% of the original area.
ej Investigation have been carried out in respect of soil survey and future monitoring requirements encompassing soil and ground water soHnrty and depth measurements. Irrigation agronomy aspects hove also been examined and recommendations mode to improve general forming and water appli cation methods.
fj An important part of the project is training of counterpart staff. This
is an ongoing aim which is being accomplished both by on the job training and through formal lectures.3
g) A final major aim of the project has been to instigate rehabilitation of
the Amibara Settlement Project (ASPJ. In this the project has had no
success. The mom reasons ore the reluctance of the Relief and Reha
bilitation Commission to give clear directives to the project authorities
on the way in which future development of the ASP should take place,
and to finalise where the development budget is coming from. Without
o clear picture from ASP it is not passible to proceed with any form of
development.
A number of minor arms of the project have been achieved and are
listed briefly below:
1) Appoint project administrator and a full complement of staff
2} Procure project transport
3J Procure office, survey, soil monitoring and computing equipment.
Ail of these hove been achieved with the exception as aforementioned of
the appointment of the senior environmentalist.
2.2 Physical Implementation
The progress of physical implementation is shown in bar chart form In
figure 11, which compares the programme envisaged in May ii909 to the
actual progress achieved to date.
As con be seen from figure 11 there have been two major delays to the
project. These are the time token ta type and produce contracts documents
when there has been a generol shortage of typists and word processors, and
the second is the time taken by ADF to give approval ta documents.
The first problem has now been overcame with the purchase of project
equipment. It is difficult to see how for future projects the second
problem con be overcame without a philosophical change within ADF.
3. ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT
In accordance with the Joan agreement between the Government of Ethiopia and
the   African   Development   Fund   the   Wafer   Resources   Development   Authority   fWRDAJ established a Project Implementation Unit fPKJj.
The   implementation   of   the   project   necessitates   the   cooperation   between   all   the benefitting entities and the PIU at head office and site level.To unsure smooth implementation the Water Resources Development Authority recommended that a coordinating committee should he established at Head
Office level and a technical committee at site office level, by the office of
the Notional Committee for Centro! Planning fONCCPf. The objective of the committee would be to follow up the project implementation and advise WRDA,
Accordingly the coordinating committee is being organized under the chairmanship of WRDA. The first meeting of the committee was scheduled to take place in February 1990. Unfortunately this never took place. However the technical sub committee was set up at site level and two meeting were held. The question
now remains as to whether the agreements reached at the meetings concerning cooperation at farm level will be put info practice.
MANPOWER
With the exception of the appointment of the environmentalist (see 2. If)
all major posts with in the organisation have now been filled. The staff
employed to dote number 52 out of which 12 are technical staff and 40
are non technical staff.
FINANCIAL STATUS
The disbursements made to dote ore shown in Table 1 - Annua! Disbursements.
The large discrepancy between projected disbursement and actuol disbursement only reflects the overall delay in the project from appraisal to dote, rather
than project performance from the dote of project commencement. We anticipate that project disbursement and performance during iJ990 will reflect more closely the planned programme.C»s-t*AZa»cnK »r CortJitalliA^T
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Table P
Annual Disbursements

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Summery

Amibara Drainage Project Summary

Amibara Drainage Project Status Report Summary

Project Overview

Project Period: July 1989 - March 1990

Implementing Authority: Water Resources Development Authority, Ethiopia

Consultant: Sir M. MacDonald & Partners Limited, Cambridge, England

Project Objectives

Improve and preserve productive potential of Middle Awash State and Settlement Farms
Address issues of rising water tables and increasing salinity
Implement drainage system over 4,740 hectares of affected land
Provide operation/maintenance machinery, staff training, and environmental measures

Key Achievements (July 1989 - March 1990)

Area	Progress
Project Setup	Project Implementation Unit (PIU) established with 52 staff (12 technical, 40 non-technical)
Drainage Design	Completed designs and prepared tender documents (delayed by ADF approval process)
Environmental Measures	Recommendations made for protection unit, water harvesting scheme, and forestry plantations
Equipment Procurement	Project transport, office, survey, soil monitoring and computing equipment acquired

Challenges Encountered

Delays in document approval by African Development Fund (ADF)
Shortage of typing/word processing facilities affecting document preparation
Difficulty recruiting qualified environmental staff
Local opposition to forestry plantation development from Afar tribes people
Lack of clear directives for Amibara Settlement Project rehabilitation

Financial Status

Total Loan Amount: 56,232,800 Birr (ADF: 43,143,512 Birr; GOS: 15,085,898 Birr)

Disbursements lagged behind projections due to overall project delays, but expected to align better in 1990.

Next Steps

Invite tenders for drainage construction (delayed to May 1990)
Finalize water harvesting scheme designs
Continue efforts to recruit senior environmentalist
Improve coordination between implementing entities