Terms of Reference

Consultancy Services for Development of “Technical Guidelines on Designing, Developing, and Operating Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in Water Resource Management

Assignment Information

About WaterAid 

WaterAid is an international NGO working in 28 countries including Pakistan. Our vision is of a world where everyone everywhere has access to safe drinking water, improved sanitation, and good hygiene. Our mission is to transform the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people by enhancing access to improved WASH services. We support local organisations and government authorities to design and demonstrate appropriate, climate-resilient, inclusive, and sustainable WASH programmes. WaterAid also seeks to influence policy change to secure and protect the entitlements of marginalised and vulnerable people to safe, accessible, and affordable drinking water and sanitation services.

For more information, please visit www.wateraid.org 

Background

WaterAid Pakistan has prioritized the Climate Change and WASH Aim as part of its 2023–2028 Country Programme Strategy (CPS), which commits to promoting climate-resilient, gender-inclusive WASH facilities across Pakistan’s most vulnerable regions. To take forward this Aim, evidence generation is an important component to roll out the strategy on ground, and to advocate for WASH in Climate Change integration and secure government and donor financing for this inclusion. The WASH & CC Programme Aim, undertakes the impact, and outcomes to take forward this intent.

The Context

Water security is increasingly threatened by climate change, rapid urbanization, and groundwater depletion across Pakistan. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) such as rainwater harvesting (RWH), groundwater recharge, and wastewater treatment using ecological approaches present scalable, climate-resilient strategies for sustainable water management.

Pakistan experiences diverse climatic conditions, with annual rainfall ranging from <150 mm in arid regions (e.g., Thar, Balochistan) to over 1500 mm in northern highlands. Despite this variability, rainwater remains a largely underutilized resource in most urban and peri-urban areas.

Given the growing recognition of NbS under national frameworks like the Punjab Climate Change Action Plan (PCCAP), National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and Pakistan Water Policy 2018, WaterAid seeks to develop a comprehensive Technical Guideline to standardize and scale NbS interventions in the WASH sector.

The WaterAid Pakistan is looking to acquire the services of a qualified firms/ agencies for the purpose of “Development of Technical Guidelines on Designing, Developing, and Operating Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in Water Resource Management”.

Objectives of the Assignment

The primary objective is to develop user-friendly, context-specific, and technically robust technical guidelines that ensure inclusive access and usability for all, including marginalized and vulnerable groups.

• Rooftop and surface rainwater harvesting systems for domestic, community, and institutional use 

• Groundwater recharge structures (e.g., injection wells, recharge trenches, percolation tanks)

• Decentralized or small-scale wastewater treatment systems (e.g., constructed wetlands, anaerobic baffled reactors)

The guidelines will assist in informed planning, resilient infrastructure design, safe implementation, and long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) of NbS projects across diverse geographies of Pakistan.

Project Deliverable:

The consultant/firm shall execute the following tasks:

Task 1: Situation Analysis & Literature Review

• Review national frameworks (e.g., PC-I guidelines, MoCC manuals, EPA standards) and international benchmarks (UNEP, WHO, IS codes, BIS, etc.)

• Map NbS practices in Pakistan, including pilots by development partners and private sector, WASAs, academia, and local CSOs.

• Assess the performance of existing RWH, recharge, and wastewater NbS models.

• Identify institutional, technical, and behavioural gaps.

Task 2: Rainwater Harvesting Design Standards (Rooftop & Surface)

The consultant shall:

• Analyze historical rainfall data from official sources (e.g., PMD, WAPDA, IRSA) to develop rainfall zoning for Pakistan (at national, provincial, and ecological region levels).

• Calculate potential rainwater harvesting volumes from rooftops of varying sizes (e.g., 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 3000 ft²) using appropriate runoff coefficients and area conversions.

• Calculate potential rainwater harvesting volumes for surface runoff for medium level catchment area to be implemented in Parks, public places etc. 

• Present the results in a rainfall–runoff estimation table showing annual harvestable water (in liters) for different rooftop sizes under varying rainfall zones.

• Include relevant assumptions such as:

• Runoff coefficients by roof type (RCC, metal, tiles)

• Unit conversions (e.g., mm rainfall × m² = liters)

• Design safety margins (first flush, losses)

• Provide design-ready outputs such as sizing charts, yield estimators, and annotated diagrams to support rooftop RWH implementation in household, institutional, and community contexts.

• Include technical drawings, and schematic diagrams for household, institutional, and community-scale models.

• Provide per capita storage estimates and water yield projections (e.g., litres/year/household).

• Provide estimated cost for different units of RWH, Groundwater recharge and wastewater treatment options. 

Task 3: Groundwater Recharge Systems

• Describe infiltration and injection-based recharge models suited to Pakistan’s soil types and water table depths

• Design examples:

• Recharge wells

• Recharge trenches

• Check dams and infiltration galleries

• Include site suitability criteria: slope, soil permeability, depth to water table

• Outline how to link with rainwater harvesting for hybrid models

Task 4: Wastewater Treatment through NbS

• Detail ecological sanitation and nature-based wastewater systems (e.g., constructed wetlands, duckweed ponds, anaerobic baffled reactors)

• Develop flow diagrams and design specifications for:

• Single household units (black/greywater)emphasizing public health risk mitigation through appropriate treatment, separation of greywater and blackwater streams, and incorporation of basic disinfection processes where needed.

• Community units (schools, healthcare facilities)

• Address effluent standards per PEQS/WHO, reuse potential for agriculture, landscaping

Task 5: Implementation & Construction Guidelines

• Step-by-step construction protocols for each solution, incorporating features such as safe access, and appropriate placement of RWH tanks to ensure usability for women, children, and persons with disabilities. (Specially for domestic) 

• List of local materials and standard construction practices

• Quality control checklists during construction

• Environmental safeguards, erosion control, and runoff management measures

Task 6: O&M Guidelines

• Preventive and routine maintenance schedules (e.g., desilting, chlorination, filter backwash)

• Simple water quality testing protocols (TDS, fecal coliform, turbidity)

• Roles of caretakers/owners/CSOs in ensuring sustainability

• Provide easy-to-understand O&M manuals, logbooks, and visual SOPs

Task 7: Capacity Building Tools

• Prepare training modules, pictorial guides, checklists

• Develop a presentation pack for dissemination to district and provincial stakeholders

Task 8: Validation Workshop

• The consultant will present the draft guidelines through a presentation during a one-day validation workshop with relevant stakeholders.

• The workshop arrangements will be managed by WAP; however, the consultant must notify WAP at least 10 days in advance to facilitate the organization of the event

Task 9: Document outcomes and results of ZLD/desalination models developed in Sindh and Punjab

• Visit of ZLD model developed at District Lodhran in one of Rural Health centre.

• Visit of ZLD model developed at Karachi University in District Karachi.

• Consultant will document and analyze the outcomes, impacts, and key learnings from two implemented ZLD models as above mentioned in order to generate evidence for future scale-up and informed decision-making.

• Prepare a concise and evidence-based learning brief summarizing the findings from both models.

• Include comparative analysis, infographics, and recommendations for scaling.

• Highlight relevance of ZLD systems for climate resilience and water resource management.

• Develop an advocacy brief or roadmap to support institutional uptake of the guidelines by relevant provincial and federal departments and stakeholders.

• Deliverable and Timeframe: This service is for an estimated contract period of maximum 3 months. Perspective firms are requested to propose their approach, including the detailed design, work plan, flowchart, and timeline of activities referring to the desired deliverable: 

Deliverables: 

Payment Terms.

• The First Payment of 30% of total contract will be paid on sharing of Deliverable 1&2 submission and approval.

• The Second Payment of 40% will be paid on submission and approval of deliverable 3 & 4.

• The Final and last payment of 30% will be paid on submission and approval of deliverable 5 & 6.

Specific Conditions: 

The firm/consultant must demonstrate:

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in WASH infrastructure and NbS in South Asia

• Expertise in guideline/manual development, hydrological analysis, and institutional engagement

• Preferably prior collaboration with government, UN, or international NGOs in Pakistan

Supervision

The proposed assignment will be implemented with close coordination of WAP. The Consultancy Services (Firm) will report to the WASH Specialist at WaterAid Pakistan. Both the parties will coordinate through meetings and remotely via email, Teams, Zoom, and telecommunication.

Standard Contract Terms & Conditions

WaterAid practices the following terms and conditions stated below applicable to signing any contract with external agencies/consultnts:

• Intellectual Property Rights in all document’s/information/ other materials prior to the date of execution of an agreement pursuant to this bid shall vest in the Party to which such document/information/materials belong. 

• All Intellectual Property provided by WaterAid Pakistan to the Consultant for performing the obligations under the agreement with WaterAid shall remain the exclusive property of WaterAid Pakistan.

• Any reports produced/data collected, or any other Intellectual Property generated by the Consultant pursuant to or under the agreement with WaterAid shall be the exclusive property of WaterAid Pakistan.

• The vendor assumes all responsibility for complying with local legal codes as they apply to an Agreement and work performed there under. In addition, the vendor shall be liable to pay all applicable taxes and fees as required by the laws of government of Pakistan. WaterAid will deduct Income Tax and VAT at source as per Govt. rules. 

• The vendor shall not without first obtaining the consent in writing of WaterAid, permit any of its duties or obligations made under the Agreement to be performed or carried out by any other person or reassign his/her interest in the Agreement.

• The vendor shall not hold WaterAid liable for any accident or misadventure befalling them whilst on duty or pursuing activities to fulfil the Agreement.

• WaterAid reserves the right to accept and reject any proposal without assigning any verbal and or written rationale whatsoever.

Technical Evaluation criteria

Only public and private research institutions/firms—including academic institutions, universities, and departments of civil, environmental, water, or agricultural engineering—are eligible to submit bids. Each firm or research institution must submit a joint technical and financial proposal. Both proposals will be evaluated based on the evaluation criteria provided below, and the minimum qualification threshold is 70 points.

 Technical Evaluation criteria

1. Financial offer 

For Financial offer, each deliverable must be included in the financial offer. All deliverables MUST be completed within the assignment duration.