Expertise: Water Resources Management Specialist
Expertise Group: Agriculture/Rural Development
Consultant Source: National
TOR Keywords: Water Resources Management
Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
Under ADB Technical Assistance 10708: Accelerating Sustainable and Resilient Transformation of the Rice
Sector in Asia, Pakistan will pilot satellite-supported Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) in selected
rice-growing areas of Punjab. The pilot will compare satellite-derived irrigation information and
digital advisories with field observations and measurements from Smart and analogue AWD tubes,
supporting climate-resilient agriculture and more sustainable agricultural water management.
Credible field validation is essential to determine whether satellite and sensor outputs accurately
represent irrigation events, field water status, and crop conditions across participating farms.
Systematic farmer selection, geo-referenced plot information, consistent field protocols, and reliable
ground observations are therefore required to assess irrigation and water-management performance,
calibrate the digital tools, assess accuracy, and document operational performance.
The assignment will provide national water resources management, field, and geospatial expertise to
select pilot farmers and sites, collect and quality assure ground-truth data, support equipment
deployment and farmer engagement, conduct comparative validation of irrigation and field water
information, and document practical lessons and recommendations for future scale-up of water-saving and
climate-resilient rice production.
Scope of Work
The consultant will provide water resources management and field-level validation support for the AWD
pilot in Punjab. The work will include site and farmer selection; preparation of field-validation
protocols and survey instruments; geo-referenced plot mapping; collection of irrigation, water-level,
crop, and farmer-use data; support for Smart and analogue AWD tube monitoring; and preparation of
validation datasets, maps, overlays, and accuracy comparisons to support sustainable agricultural water
management.
The consultant will work closely with ADB, the Punjab Agriculture Department, the Water-Saving
Technologies and Remote Sensing Specialist, and the Digital Irrigation Specialist. The consultant will
ensure that field and water-management data are collected consistently, traceable to individual pilot
plots, suitable for calibration and validation of satellite and digital advisory outputs, and fully
documented for reporting, replication, and future water resources management applications.
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
(i) A master’s or higher degree in water resources management, environmental science, agricultural
engineering, irrigation engineering, GIS, remote sensing, agronomy, or another related area.
(ii) At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in integrated water resources management,
agricultural water management, climate-resilient agriculture, irrigation planning or management, or
related areas, including experience supporting project design and implementation in developing member
countries.
(iii) Demonstrated experience in farmer and site selection, geo-referenced field data collection, plot
mapping, survey implementation, data-quality assurance, and preparation of spatial validation datasets
for irrigation, agricultural water management, or climate-resilient agriculture is required.
(iv) Experience with GIS and remote sensing software and with integrating ground observations, field
sensors, and satellite-derived products for irrigation monitoring, agricultural water management,
validation, or accuracy assessment is required.
(v) Knowledge of rice production, irrigation practices, AWD monitoring, Smart or analogue AWD tubes, and
farmer engagement in Punjab, together with understanding of water-saving and climate-resilient
agricultural practices, is required.
(vi) Experience coordinating with ADB or other development partners, provincial government departments,
farmers, and field teams, and contributing to technical reports, capacity building, training,
stakeholder engagement, and project implementation is required.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
i) BSc/ MSc in Agricultural Engineering, Water Resources Engineering or related field.
ii) Experience with sensor-based irrigation or AWD in rice systems.
iii) Proven skills in IoT hardware integration, data QC and farmer-facing troubleshooting.
iv) Strong communication ability in English and Punjabi/Urdu.
Minimum General Experience: 10 Years
Minimum Specific Experience (relevant to assignment): 7 Years
