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International Consultant for the Implementation of the Procedures for Water Use Monitoring

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Mekong River Commission Secretariat
Location: Mekong Region
Last Date: February 4, 2011
 

Mekong River Commission

The role of MRC is to co-ordinate and promote co-operation in all fields of sustainable development, utilization, management and conservation of the water and related resources of the Mekong Basin. 

MRC Secretariat is looking for qualified consultants for the following consultancy

 International Consultant for the Implementation of the Procedures for Water Use Monitoring

Maximum of 30 working days starting from  February – May 2011, based at the Office Of the Secretariat in Vientiane, Lao PDR and the Office of the Secretariat in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with travels to Riparian Countries.

Information and Knowledge Management Programme and Mekong Integrated Water

Resources Management Project (M-IWRMP)

 

Application procedures:  

The application should include a cover letter outlining clearly how the candidate meets the requirements of the position. In addition to the cover letter, the applicant should include his/her detailed CV with only a maximum of 3 pages, three reference contacts and financial expectation. The title of the consultancy needs to be indicated in the application letter.

Application should be send to: 

Mekong River Commission Secretariat
P.O. Box 6101

Vientiane, 01000, Lao PDR
Email: mrcs@mrcmekong.org
Subject:
Application for ….

Closing date for applications:  4 February 2011

 

 

TERMS OF REFERENCE

International Consultant for the Implementation of Procedures

for Water Use Monitoring

 

Title:

International consultant for the implementation of the Procedures for Water Use Monitoring

Programme

Information and Knowledge Management Program (IKMP) and Mekong Integrated Water Resources Management Project (M-IWRMP)

Hiring unit:

Mekong River Commission Secretariat (MRCS)

Duty Station:

MRC Office of Secretariat in Vientiane (OSV) and in Phnom Penh (OSP) with travels to riparian countries

Duration of assignment:

30 working-days, within the aforesaid period the consultant is required to undertake the assignment.

1.     Background and Rationale

Reaffirming the political will to continue to cooperate and promote in a constructive and mutually beneficial manner in the utilization and development of the Mekong River Basin and water related resources as recognized in the Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin, signed at Chiang Rai, Thailand on 5 April 1995, is “the Mekong agreement”.

Article 26 of the Mekong Agreement addresses the preparation and proposal of Rules for Water Utilization and Inter-Basin Diversions pursuant to Articles 5 & 6 for approval of the MRC Council. Respectively procedures and technical guidelines to implement the 1995 Mekong Agreement have been developed during 2000-2008 in the frame of the MRC Water Utilization Programme (WUP). In principle, the MRC procedures and guidelines facilitate harmonised interaction between the Member Countries and provide a mutually agreed basis. In fact, they are the tools and agreed framework to enable sustainable water-related basin development as well as basin-wide IWRM. The Procedures are practical IWRM tools, which guide toward joint aims in the Mekong Basin. The following procedures and technical guidelines have been elaborated within the MRC framework[1]:

o    Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement – PNPCA

o    Water Quality – PWQ

o    Data and Information Exchange and Sharing – PDIES

o    Water Use Monitoring – PWUM

o    Maintenance of Flows on the Mainstream – PMFM

PWUM aims to provide a comprehensive and adaptive framework/process to support effective implementation of intra- as well as inter-basin use monitoring. The development and implementation of a respective monitoring system is therefore essential to provide an overview on water uses in the Mekong River and primary tributaries as well as to assess their possible significant impacts to the water quality or flow regime especially related to the mainstream (see PWUM and their technical guidelines).

The implementation of the procedures and technical guidelines as tools toward applied Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is still in the early stages and is a clear priority for the MRC. Since 2009 the Mekong-IWRM-Project has been established to follow up on the WUP and help address the IWRM challenges in the Lower Mekong Basin in a more comprehensive framework. Supporting and cooperating with the MRC Programmes the implementation of the procedures and technical guidelines is a key aim of the Project to achieve the IWRM objectives in practical terms.

Within the MRC framework the Information and Knowledge Management Program (IKMP) is responsible for basin modelling and for the establishment of an adequate knowledge base. Further, the IKMP’s responsibility refers to the effective implementation of both procedures: PDIES and PWUM as well as their related guidelines. As a cross cutting Programme, IKMP in cooperation with other Programs including the M-IWRMP now aims to implement those procedures and guidelines toward sustainability.

The Information and Knowledge Management Program and Mekong IWRM Project will support the consultant closely with this work being aware of all challenges involved (i.e. appropriate awareness of PWUM and its technical guidelines, its relation to the MRC Toolbox and the other Procedures especially PDIES, and PMFM, PWQ but also the PNPCA, overall Mekong basin requirements, structures within he MRC framework, etc.).

2.     Objective of the Consultancy

The objective of this consultancy is to provide an overview on the status of PWUM implementation in the MRC framework as basis for launching a sustainable PWUM implementation in the LMB. The outcome should enable the next steps to design a water use monitoring system for intra- and inter-basin water uses (on the basin-wide scale) as well as a PWUM implementation strategy.

The practical link to the implementation of other Procedures especially PDIES and PMFM, PWQ but also the PNPCA has to be ensured within the frame of this consultancy.

3.     Specific tasks and outputs of the Consultancy

To achieve the overall objective, the following immediate tasks need to be undertaken and delivered specific outputs.

Tasks

Outputs

Number of days

Elaboration of a detailed work-plan for the tasks

Work-plan for consultancy

1

Review of the minutes and available documents that have been developed during formulation of PWUM under the Water Utilization Project (WUP)

Overview on the previous thinking/discussion and conclusions regarding PWUM implementation in the LMB

2

Review and compilation of available MRC information and assessments regarding PWUM (consultation with the respective MRCS Programmes)

Overview on existing information, reports and analysis regarding PWUM within the MRC framework

2

Literature review on best practices related to water use monitoring and impact assessment of water used on river water flow regime (focus: Europe WFD implementation applied in different countries)

Literature review reflecting international state-of-play in water use monitoring and impact assessment on water flow regime.

4

Identify critical areas regarding PWUM implementation and intra- and inter basin water use and monitoring in the LMB based on available MRC reports (i.e. BDP, existing analysis)

Identified critical areas for PWUM implementation and provide overview on already existing monitoring

3

Conduct national consultation with each LMB country on the PWUM implementation on the national level, existing monitoring of water uses and respective capacities.

Overview on PWUM implementation status and policy in each LMB country

8

Compilation of a final report providing a comprehensive overview on the status of PWUM implementation in the LMB.
The report includes an implementation plan toward the development of a pragmatic PWUM implementation strategy and design of relevant water use monitoring network

Final report on PWUM implementation status in the LMB and an implementation plan with practical key next steps to be undertaken toward PWUM implementation.

9

Organize a internal debriefing meeting within MRCS

Results of consultancy shared with MRC programmes

1

Total number of days

30

3.     Composition of the consultancy

The mission will consist of one International consultant. The consultant will work in partnership with the IKMP, M-IWRMP, the National Mekong Committees (NMCs), the National Line Agencies and other experts of the relevant MRC Programmes.

4.     Working schedule

30 working days period February - May 2011:

o    Working in OSP with involvement of OSV for the time of consultancy

o    Visit the Programmes at OSV if necessary

o    Travel to riparian countries is required for working with NMCs and National Line Agencies

5.     Working principle

The consultant will work under direct supervision of the IKMP management (coordinator and CTA) and work closely with relevant IKMP components in cooperation with M-IWRMP as well as other programmes for undertaking the assignment. The consultant will report to the IKMP Programme coordinator, who will forward the reports to the M-IWRMP team.

IKMP will make all necessary arrangements with MRC programmes to secure facilitation of the consultancy.

6.     Required Qualifications

o    MSc. or PhD university degree in hydrology, water resources management, water utilization or a related field;

o    At least 10 years experience in working in relation with water uses and water resource management or a related field as design of monitoring networks;

o    Working experience with International RBOs and transboundary issues;

o    Experience in the Mekong region and familiarity with the LMB and Mekong River Commission;

o    Working experience in formulation or implementation of transboundary procedures;

o    The consultant should have knowledge about GIS, Hydrology, Integrated Water Resource Management, Meteorology, Socio Economic and Environmental data.

o    Ability communicate effectively, verbally and in writing with a wide range of people and to work in a multicultural environment;

o    Excellent written and oral communication skills in English


 

[1] All Procedures and technical guidelines can be downloaded from the MRC website.

 

 

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