Expertise: River engineering, water resources engineering
Expertise Group: Engineering
Consultant Source: International
TOR Keywords: flood and riverbank erosion, flood risk management, bangladesh
Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
The objective of the consultancy assignment is to provide support for:
• the ongoing implementation of the L4352-IND: Climate Resilient Brahmaputra Integrated Flood and
Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Project in Assam, India (CRBIFRERMP), and
• the preparation of the proposed Additional Financing project to CRBIFRERMP, which will upscale the
ongoing project, and its start-up implementation.
Project Background. ADB approved a loan of $200 million on 2 October 2023 for the ongoing CRBIFRERMP.
Building on the success of the ADB-financed Assam Integrated Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management
Investment Program (AIFRERMIP)(2010-2020), the project focuses on the main stem of the Brahmaputra River
in Assam and applies a holistic, integrated, and risk-informed approach to strengthen flood and
riverbank erosion risk management and its long-term planning in Assam. It combines structural and
nonstructural measures in several high-priority flood- and erosion prone areas to contribute to the
broader stabilization of the river.
The impact of the project is to make Assam a disaster resilient state. Its outcome is climate-resilient
flood and riverbank erosion mitigation systems in the Brahmaputra River enhanced and women’s resilience
to disasters induced by floods and riverbank erosion strengthened. The project has the following three
outputs: (i) Output 1: Climate resilient flood and riverbank erosion risk mitigation measures in
subproject areas implemented and maintained; (ii) Output 2: Knowledge-based flood and riverbank erosion
risk management planning strengthened; and (iii) Output 3: Vulnerable people’s livelihoods and
resilience improved. The set of disclosed documents can be found on the ADB’s website at https://www.
adb.org/projects/56283-001/main.
In addition to aiming at increasing cost-effectiveness and sustainability through innovative
technologies in structural measures (such as using sand-filled geotextile bags as revetment materials,
flow-retarding screens to induce silt deposition along eroding riverbanks, climate-resilient flood
embankments, etc.), and in nonstructural measures (such as asset management, risk mapping, forecasting
and warning, erosion-prediction and breach modelling, surveys, disaster risk awareness and preparedness,
livelihoods activities, etc.), the project includes aspects supporting navigation (at more stable ferry
ghat locations) and the reclamation of lost floodplain from the river, especially near peri-urban or
urban areas. The project expands further principles developed under AIFRERMIP, and similar ADB-financed
projects in Bangladesh and coordinates closely with the World Bank-financed Assam Integrated River Basin
Management Program (AIRBMP) which focuses on selected tributaries in the Brahmaputra river basin in
Assam.
Phased approach to the overall investment. The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of India posed in
January 2022 the Brahmaputra Flood and Erosion Risk Management Project covering the full reach of the
main stem of the Brahmaputra River in Assam of the Government of Assam to ADB for financial assistance
of $400 million. Subsequently, at the state’s request, a phased approach has been adopted, under which
the ongoing project will be supplemented by an additional financing project (ADB loan: $200 million).
The additional financing project is anticipated to be processed in the second part of 2025 for the works
soon after the onset of the 2025-26 dry season.
The executing agency of the ongoing and additional financing projects is the Flood and River Erosion
Management Agency of Assam (FREMAA) led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), under which a project
management unit has been established to lead, manage, and coordinate the activities. The ongoing project
has two implementing agencies: (i) Water Resources Department (WRD) has established eight project
implementation units (PIUs) in the subproject areas to implement all works under Output 1 via their
existing field offices (including four PIUs for implementation of additional high priority works) and
(ii) Assam Agroforestry Development Board (AADB), led by its CEO, has also established a PIU and is
responsible for implementing the nature-based solutions.
The purpose of this intermittent assignment includes (i) providing technical advice on the ongoing
project, and (ii) advising on the formulation, scope and design of the additional financing project,
lessons, cost estimates, implementation arrangements, and advanced actions, as well as supporting its
start-up implementation.
Scope of Work
The consultant will contribute to supporting (i) the implementation of the ongoing project, and (i) the
preparation of the Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors (RRP), its
Annexes and Supplementary Documents (SDs) for the additional financing project. The consultant will
support the ADB Project team in the implementation of the ongoing project and the preparation of the
loan documents including all applicable Annexes and SDs ensuring full compliance with the latest ADB’s
templates and guidelines until its approval by ADB Board.
The consultant will be part of a team of individual consultants engaged by ADB, and work as a team
member of the ADB Project team, but independently undertake the tasks. The consultant will report to ADB.
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
In close collaboration with other consultants engaged by ADB (ie: River Specialist, Morphologist /River
Engineer, Economist, Procurement Expert, and others) and the ADB Project team, the consultant will
perform and deliver, but not limited to, the following tasks and outputs:
(i) provide technical advice and reviews of technical documents on the ongoing project, including
assessing any implementation bottlenecks to ensure timely progress of the activities and advise FREMAA
and the ADB Project team on any technical issues that may be encountered as well as ways to resolve
timely them and supporting the ADB loan review missions (one tentatively scheduled in November 2025);
(ii) contribute to the preparation of the RRP and its Annexes and SDs (accordingly to the latest ADB
(ii) templates), including supporting the ADB loan fact-finding mission (tentatively scheduled in early
August 2025);
(iii) contribute to addressing comments to be received during the ADB review process of the RRP and its
Annexes and SDs;
(iv) contribute to the finalization of the draft final RRP and its Annexes and SDs;
(v) support the start-up activities of the additional financing project after its approval by ADB,
including supporting the ADB loan inception mission (tentatively scheduled in March 2026); and
(vi) perform other tasks as may be requested by the ADB Mission Leader from time to time.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
(i) Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or agricultural engineering or water resources engineering
from a recognized institution.
(ii) Minimum 20 years of relevant professional experience with 15 years in developing countries in South
Asia, including particularly the Brahmaputra river in India and Bangladesh.
(iii) Minimum specific experience of 12 years on ADB or World Bank-financed large infrastructure
projects, including flood and riverbank erosion risk management, river engineering, and agricultural
sector development in large river basins of South Asia.
Minimum General Experience: 20 Years
Minimum Specific Experience (relevant to assignment): 12 Years
