Key Activities:

• Collection, review, and synthesis of existing knowledge from national, regional, and international data and literature.
• Identification, review, and selection of suitable remote sensing technology for assessing irrigation water use and efficiency.
• Acquisition of high-resolution Satellite Earth Observation (EO) datasets and integration into the existing NB-DAS/IKP system for diverse applications, including water management and disaster monitoring.
• Compilation of a list of tools and readily available environmental variable data pertinent to project activities.
• Creation of a catalogue detailing remote sensing information products and their applications in managing irrigation performance.
• Determination and collection of primary or secondary data necessary for validating the accuracy of the selected technology.
• Review of the socio-economic and environmental conditions within the Nile basin.
• Engagement with stakeholders to select technologies and determine the types of information services to be monitored, such as the timing and volume of field water applications and the detection of excessive irrigation water use.
• Consultations with key stakeholders to ascertain capacity-building needs.

2. Component 2: Develop guidelines on the implementation of Smart Irrigation System: The guidelines will encompass a range of technologies to aid operators in the remote control and monitoring of irrigation systems. Key features will include, but are not limited to:

• Near Real-Time Monitoring: Enable the monitoring of irrigation activities in near real-time, providing insights into water usage, soil moisture levels, and prevailing weather conditions.
• Alerts and Notifications: Integration with river flow and drought forecast systems to furnish actionable information regarding river flow or drought forecasts.
• Irrigation Efficiency: Utilization of near real-time data to customize irrigation schedules, thereby improving land and water productivity. This is contingent on soil types and crop characteristics.

3. Component 3: Development of a Smart Irrigation System with Integrated Dashboard/Data Processing Toolkits. These will facilitate the identification of Earth Observation (EO) products and their integration into the NB-DAS/IKP at the Nile Basin.

Key Activities:

• Establishing Remote Sensing-based irrigation performance assessment methods at the Nile basin level.
• Developing methodologies and a roadmap for assessing selected performance indicators using available Remote Sensing data.
• Integrating remote sensing EO data and products with the existing NB-DAS/IKP system for enhanced accessibility and utility.
• Organizing regional training for professionals from NBI Centers and member states to apply Remote Sensing in irrigation water management and performance assessment.
• Assessing the reliability and accuracy of the technology and refining methodologies to broaden the application of technology and information services across the Nile basin.

4. Component 4: Implementation of Cross-Cutting Capacity Building Activities: The capacity building activities will focus on planning, implementation, and management of smart irrigation systems.

Key Activities:

• Review and validation of training modules, and other capacity building activities.
• Long term National Focal institutions will build their capacity and apply the technology to monitor their irrigation developments.
• Organize workshops at various milestones to evaluate project deliverables and ensure they meet the set objectives and standards.
• Training Sessions on Developed Systems: Conduct at least two training sessions on the developed smart irrigation systems within Nile Basin centers.

The Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO) now invites eligible Consulting Firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The short-listing criteria are:

The Consulting Firm must have a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in water smart irrigation systems. The firm should demonstrate at least 10 years of solid experience in the following areas:

develop a water smart irrigation system using Earth Observation (EO) data and programing incorporate a monitoring dashboard/toolkit.

develop database systems for water smart irrigation system to monitor and improve the irrigation performance.

Water smart irrigation capacity building at regional level

If the Consultancy Firm is in the form of a JV (max two partners), each partner shall have specific experience of working and the lead partner shall have experience for a minimum of two similar tasks.

The Consulting Firm should demonstrate experience in similar works that are tasked with conducting a comprehensive study, requiring a specialized team composition as specified below to ensure the delivery of high-quality research assessment.

The Consulting Firm will be responsible for procuring and supplying the remote sensing and satellite data pertinent to the pilot schemes.

During the inception phase, the consultant is expected to deliver satellite data with optimal resolution, subject to approval by ENTRO.

Propose and reach consensus on five pilot schemes for water smart irrigation assessment during the Inception Review phase with Working Group members/Stakeholders.

 Key Staff Composition:

Irrigation and Drainage Expert (Team Leader): To lead the research assessment and coordinate the team’s efforts with minimum master’s degree holders in irrigation and transboundary water resources planning and management, data management, water resources modeling, hydrological and hydraulic modeling in the Nile basin and with experience at least ten years (10) of related work experience, with recognized technical expertise in Irrigation and Drainage system.

GIS and Remote Sensing Expert: At least master’s degree in GIS and/or Remote Sensing with good IT knowledge or related fields with strong background in remote sensing in addition to water resources management/engineering and development. The GIS/RS expert should have at least 7 years of experiences,

Information Management System (or Software) Expert: At least master’s degree in information technology, Computer Sciences, Computer Engineering, knowledge Management Systems or any other related fields with a good knowledge in GIS/RS and with at least eight years (8) of related work experience.