IOB Evaluation Tackling major water challenges Policy review of Dutch development aid policy for improved water management, 2006-2016 IOB Evaluation | no. 418 | Tackling major water challenges | IOB Evaluation | no. 418 | Tackling major water challenges | IOB Evaluation | no. 418 | Tackling major water challenges IOB Evaluation Tackling major water challenges Policy review of Dutch development aid policy for improved water management, 2006-2016 December 2017 Tackling major water challenges Preface Improved water management is a priority of the development aid policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. It is a complex field of Dutch foreign policy that must deliver on global commitments in different national and local contexts, and also involves other parts of the Dutch government and water sector. This review gives insights into how the Dutch aid policy was carried out, and how effectively and efficiently it was implemented. In doing so, it distinguishes water management in agriculture, (sub) national water management and transboundary water management. In addition to these thematic areas, the review studies the integration of cross-cutting policy themes: climate change, environment, governance, gender and women’s participation. It also assesses the contribution to the overarching policy objective of poverty reduction. The involvement of the Dutch water sector is also reviewed. The policy review was undertaken by a three-member IOB team led by the IOB coordinating policy evaluator Rita Tesselaar. The other members were Stephen Turner, independent consultant, and Pim de Beer, IOB policy evaluator. Among the information sources for the review were four IOB country case studies conducted by Stephen Turner, together with the other members of the IOB team and a national expert for each of these four studies. The | 3 | country case studies were published in separate reports. IOB policy evaluator Joep Schenk contributed to the initial design of the policy study and information gathering, and later as peer reviewer. Ferko Bodnár, IOB coordinating policy evaluator, contributed as peer reviewer, and Antonie de Kemp, IOB strategic policy evaluator, supervised the study. Special thanks go to members of the Reference Group of the policy review for their comments on draft versions of the country case studies and the main report. The reference group comprised Maarten Gischler and Aart van der Horst, thematic experts, Inclusive Green Growth Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Willem Mak, Deputy Programme Director for international water policy, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management; Dennis van Peppen, manager water programmes, Netherlands Enterprise Agency; Eelco van Beek, Professor of Water Resources Development, University of Twente; Pieter van der Zaag, Professor of Integrated Water Resources Management, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education; Linden Vincent, Emeritus Professor of Irrigation and Water Engineering, Wageningen University; Christine Sijbesma, Associate expert, IRC Water Supply and Sanitation Centre; Barbara Jansen, Inspector, Ministry of Finance; and Yvonne Stassen, Acting Cluster Head for Policy Control, Financial and Economic Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We are very grateful to the staff of the Inclusive Green Growth Department and concerned embassies for their assistance in undertaking the country case studies and overall policy review, and for their comments on draft reports. Tackling major water challenges And special thanks go to the many informants from target groups, concerned authorities in partner countries, community organisations, network and knowledge organisations, multilateral organisations, consultancy companies and other stakeholders and experts who generously provided information and insights in the course of the review. On behalf of IOB and the evaluation team, I thank all concerned for making this policy review possible. Dr Wendy Asbeek Brusse Director Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands | 4 | Tackling major water challenges Table of contents Preface 3 List of figures and tables and boxes 7 List of abbreviations 8 Summary, main findings and recommendations 12 Background 13 Main findings 14 Recommendations 23 1 Policy review 27 1.1 Introduction 28 1.2 Policy background and rationale 29 1.3 Dutch aid policy for improved water management, 2006-2016 30 1.4 Methodology 33 2 Policy overview 40 2.1 Policy implementation 41 | 5 | 2.2 Expenditures 48 2.3 Results reporting 54 3 Policy effectiveness and efficiency 57 3.1 Water management in agriculture 58 3.2 (Sub) national water management 69 3.3 Transboundary water management 82 3.4 Broader and cross-cutting policy themes 94 3.5 Across water management themes 109 3.6 Broader issues and discussion 113 4 Policy options for significantly less or more financial means (-/+ 20%) 117 4.1 Introduction 118 4.2 Scenario 1: 20% budget decrease 120 4.3 Scenario 2: 20% budget increase 122 References 124 Tackling major water challenges Annexes 129 Annex 1 Extracts from the terms of reference 130 Annex 2 List of activities 146 Annex 3 Definition of terms 180 Annex 4 Global, regional and multi-country activities across themes 182 Annex 5 Evaluations of activities 195 Annex 6 List of interviewees 204 Evaluation and study reports of the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) published 2012-2017 228 | 6 | Tackling major water challenges List of figures and tables and boxes Figures Figure 2.1 (Sub) themes and thematic overlaps 44 Figure 2.2 Central and delegated budgets by thematic area, 2006-2016 48 Figure 2.3 Annual central and delegated expenditures by thematic area, 2006-2016 50 Figure 2.4 Expenditures by channel of implementation 51 Figure 2.5 Expenditures by delegated budget holder, 2006-2016 53 Figure 2.6 Geographic distribution of expenditures 54 Figure 3.1 Reconstructed intervention logic water management in agriculture 61 Figure 3.2 Focus of activities within the reconstructed intervention logic water management in agriculture 63 Figure 3.3 Reconstructed intervention logic (sub) national water management 72 Figure 3.4 Focus of activities within the reconstructed intervention logic (sub) national water management 74 Figure 3.5 Reconstructed intervention logic transboundary water management 84 Figure 3.6 Focus of activities within the reconstructed intervention logic transboundary water management 86 Figure I.1 ODA expenditures on water management and drinking water and | 7 | sanitation for the period 2006-2015 131 Figure I.2 ODA expenditures on water management and drinking water and sanitation for the period 2006-2015 by delegated budget holder 132 Figure I.3 ODA water management expenditures of 155 activities specified per policy objective 133 Figure I.4 Theory of Change watershed management 138 Tables Table 2.1 Percentage coverage of expenditures, 2006-2016, by evaluations 56 Table 3.1 Water management in agriculture: activities and expenditures by country 62 Table 3.2 (Sub) national water management: activities and expenditures by country 73 Table 3.3 Transboundary water management: activities and expenditures by river basin 85 Table 4.1 Options for 20% decrease 121 Table 4.2 Options for 20% increase 123 Table I.1 Planning of the policy evaluation 140 Table I.2 Evaluation matrix 141 Table II.1 Centrally funded activities 146 Table II.2 Delegated activities 155 Table II.3 SBE numbers and corresponding names 179 Table III.1 Definition of terms 180 Table V.1 Overview of evaluations of activities by policy theme 195 Table VI.1 List of interviewees 204 Boxes Box 1 Evaluation questions 35 Tackling major water challenges List of abbreviations ABN Autorité du Bassin du Niger ACC African Conservation Centre ADAPTS Adaptive Water Management at the Local Scale ARA Administração Regional de Aguas ASAL Arid and Semi-Arid Lands ASAS Sector Support to the Water Sector (Apoio Sectorial para Água e Saneamento) ADB Asian Development Bank ASAP Adaptation for Small Holder Agricultural Programme ATPS African Technology Policy Studies Network AWM water management across water management themes BDP Bangladesh Delta Plan BNPP Bank Netherlands Partnership Programme BWDB Bangladesh Water Development Board CAP-NET Capacity Building in Sustainable Water Management CCPT cross-cutting policy themes CDSP Char Development and Settlement Project CFA Cooperative Framework Agreement | 8 | CIWA Cooperation in International Waters in Africa CGIAR Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centres (formerly: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) DNH Direction Nationale de l’Hydraulique DRR disaster risk reduction DRRT Dutch Risk Reduction Team DSS decision support system DSS disaster surge support DUPC DGIS UNESCO-IHE Programmatic Cooperation DWA Dutch Water Authority DGIS Directorate General International Cooperation DWA Dutch Water Authorities E4L Ecosystems for Life EKN Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands EM Explanatory Memorandum to the Ministry’s Budget ENTRO Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FEZ Financial and Economic Affairs Department, MFA FGD focus group discussion FMMP Flood Management and Mitigation Programme GEF Global Environment Facility GERDP Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project GIRE Gestion Intégrée des Ressources en Eau GIRENS Gestion Intégrée des Ressources en Eau du Niger Supérieur Tackling major water challenges GOB Government of Bangladesh GOG Government of Guinea