SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT, RESEARCH, WATERSHED VEGETATION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL IN PAKISTAN
- Notice Date
- 5/16/2005
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 221310
— Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Acquisition and Property Division, Acquisition Branch (MD), 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Building 3, Mailstop: 5116, Beltsville, MD, 20705
- ZIP Code
- 20705
- Solicitation Number
- 05MM454601
- Response Due
- 5/25/2005
- Archive Date
- 6/9/2005
- Description
- SCOPE OF WORK The USDA, Office of International Research Progrmams are seeking sources for the following: Technicial Assistance in Integrated Water Management Research, Watershed Revegetation and Sediment, in Pakistan. BACKGROUND Pakistan has suffered from many prolonged droughts over the past 45 years. Rainfall in the region is erratic and scanty. The rivers continually flow at subsided levels. The water in Tarbela dam reaches the ?dead? level almost every year in February and March, and these are crucial months for irrigation of wheat and cotton crops. There is a major dependence on subsurface irrigation water to meet shortages. Barren watersheds are being eroded and these sediments find their way into Pakistani reservoirs and rivers, depriving Pakistan of necessary water storage capacity needed for household and industry consumption and agricultural irrigation. Storage capacity of these reservoirs is being decreased at the rate of about one percent per year. Other results of decreased vegetation are reduced fixation of carbon by photosynthesis in these regions, more rapid runoff and flash floods, which destroy property and life. Under an Interagency Acquisition Agreement (IAA) between the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), dated 08-17-2004, the ARS is to furnish support of scientific, technological or environmental initiatives in Pakistan. Under the IAA, ARS will 1.) Assess Pakistan's needs in integrated water management and determine the areas in which Pakistan and the U.S. may benefit by future cooperative research and/or technology transfer; and 2.) Achieve technology and information transfer by assisting Pakistani researchers to become acquainted with current ARS research in the appropriate areas of interest. This is to be accomplished by visiting ARS research stations and commercial applications and observing and studying these projects, and 3.) Assist Pakistani researchers to tailor applicable technologies to local Pakistani circumstances. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this purchase order is to provide short-term Technical Assistance in Integrated Water Management Research, Watershed Revegetation and Sediment Control, in Pakistan. TASKS The contractor shall analyze: 1.Provide technical advice to the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources PCRWR) with whom OES and ARS have an established partnership. The echnical assistance will focus on the reduction of sediment movement into Pakistani watersheds. Attention to be given on the interaction between water availability and use and the environment and agricultural production on irrigated croplands, rain fed croplands, and grazinglands at field, farm, and watershed scales. Research on watershed management will promote more effective use of precipitation, optional allocation and improved assessment of available water esources, and hydraulic advances in integrated ecosystem management. Future technical assistance will also focus on improving the hydraulic efficiency and safety of structures used to store and regulate water flows. 2.Determine whether hedges of Saccharum munja or other grasses can reduce erosion and sediment movement to the reservoirs and retain sediments in terraces where they can increase the yields of other crops. 3.Develop low cost means for propagating the most desirable varieties and arranging them in the configurations which will be most effective in accomplishing the first objective, while increasing the productivity and carbon equestration on these watersheds. 4.Determine whether spoil banks from road and canal construction can be stabilized y these plant materials. One potential option includes the development of stiff grass hedges, planted across the slopes of the watershed. These hedges may temporarily pond the water coming down the slope, depositing the sediment in the ponded area above each hedge. This may form ?natural? terraces which diffuse, rather than concentrate the flow. This concept has been applied successfully in many tropical countries using vetiver grass hedges. Vetiver grass is not sufficiently cold tolerant to survive in most of the United States, but some other grasses, such as switch grass and Eastern gamma grass have been used with measured success on cropped lands. These grasses are palatable to most grazing animals and consequently it is assumed that they would not be viable as hedges in the rangeland portions of our watersheds. Saccharum munja, a grass growing in most parts of Pakistan, when mature, has stems and leaves so stiff and sharply serrated that livestock will not eat it. Some varieties of this grass grow in the cold regions of the country. Observations of this grass indicate that it has the drought tolerance and other characteristics necessary to form sturdy hedges and perform the needed erosion control on sloping lands. Some varieties of this grass were brought into USDA plant materials centers during the past century, but have not been multiplied, or evaluated in grass hedges for erosion control. Sites will be identified, in cooperation with PCRWR counterparts, where grass hedges could achieve the indicated objectives. Owners of suitable land will be contacted and informed of the potential benefits of this technology. If the owner wishes to cooperate in such an activity, PCRWR will draw up a plan and schedule and develop an agreement with the owner for the action to be taken. The owner will use the land in accordance with the plan. There will be check plots in each field, as fields are often small. Multiple sites will serve as replications. Sm and other grasses will also be evaluated in terms of their relative abilities to protect soil, on bunds and ephemeral waterways, against erosion by overflowing water. If the Sm, and/or other grasses, effectively achieve their objectives in Pakistan they will be evaluated for vegetating and controlling erosion on watersheds in the USA. QUALIFICATIONS The offerors will be more highly rated during evaluation for demonstrating superior technical and research skills. Possession of a PhD in Soil Physics, and a greater number of years of experience in research in soil and water resource management will be counted towards superior technical and research skills. In addition, strong verbal communication skills that enable contractor to communicate with researchers and government officials; strong writing skills, including the development of documents for both technical and non-technical audiences; International, preferably in a Muslim country are critical and will be considered in evaluation of quotes.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Pakistan
- Record
- SN00808445-W 20050518/050516211653 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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