Frequent floods in Bangladesh – fluvial, pluvial, coastal, as well as flash floods – have had a significant impact on lives and livelihoods. Bangladesh is a deltaic country consisting of floodplains created by over 400 rivers and channels. Twenty five percent of the country is less than 1 meter above sea level, and 50 percent is less than 6 meters above sea level. It is located at the foot of the Himalayan Mountain range, which is the world’s highest precipitation zone. During the monsoon season, winds from the sea heading towards land raise the water levels in the Bay of Bengal, inhibiting drainage from the rivers into the sea. As rainfall levels are also high during the monsoon seasons, river flows, local rain, and raised water levels for the Bay of Bengal result in flooding of vast areas. Recurring flooding in Bangladesh affects a greater share of the population than other natural hazards, with once every three to five years, up to two-thirds of the country is inundated.

Most of the well-researched locations when it comes to floods in Bangladesh are along the major rivers (Jamuna, Padma, Meghna rivers), the big cities (e.g., Dhaka), and to some extent the coastal areas. It is not the case for smaller rivers such as Muhuri, Kahua, Dakatia, Feni, Little Feni, and Gomati rivers, which were some of the main sources of the devastating Eastern Flash Flood in August 2024 that affected almost six million people. Better understanding the flood dynamics in these affected regions more specifically (which include the smaller rivers indicated above) and in other flood-prone areas more broadly, its flood behavior, and potential interventions, is necessary to increase flood resilience in these areas. This assignment will attempt to address this gap, with an ultimate aim to inform the Government of Bangladesh (GoB)’s planning for flood resilience in such areas.

This assignment aims to support long-term and comprehensive thinking how to build long-term resilience, focusing in the area of interest (i.e., districts affected by the Eastern Flash Flood in August 2024), and potentially extending to the broader parts of the country that are exposed to riverine, coastal, and flash floods. The key activities which are foreseen in this assignment are the following:

1.       1. Integrated Flood Hazard and Risk Assessment: i) Detailed assessment of existing flood protection infrastructure and non-structural measures (e.g. EWS) in place and summary of challenges with these systems plus also lessons learned from the floods (and earlier flood events) in flood-affected regions; ii) Inventory, collection and review of baseline information on exposure and vulnerability including but not limited to population distribution and characteristics, building footprint, infrastructure (e.g., roads, rail, water utility, electricity); iii) Review of earlier studies and summarizing existing knowledge on floods in this region (e.g., using information from Coastal Embankment Improvement Project Phase I (CEIP-1) Long-Term Monitoring Study); iv) Detailed flood hazard and risk assessment including all mechanisms (coastal, fluvial, pluvial flooding) and taking explicitly into consideration compound flood impacts and also climate and socio-economic changes.

2.       2. Strategic Investment Plan for preparation of next phase flood protection projects: i) Area description including economic drivers and population growth, key opportunities for growth and challenges in development;  ii) A series of Design Ateliers for identified hotspots with representatives from relevant government agencies (e.g. LGED, BWDB, BMD) and specific invitees from universities based on the flood risk assessment to identify the needs in terms of flood protection in view of economic activities, communities, and future socioeconomic development, and how these can be combined with other needs (e.g. transportation, housing development); iii) Identification and sizing of potential structural interventions combining hard infrastructure such as embankments, drainage infrastructure, dredging, retention spaces, etc with nature-based solutions; iv) Identification of non-structural interventions to enhance flood resilience including early warning systems; improved zoning, building codes for resilient housing, and emergency management for flood defences; v) Strategic investment plan with prioritized interventions based on high-level cost-benefit analysis, environmental/social screening, O&M capacity, other constraints, and including a financing plan for prioritized interventions in the short- and medium-term;

3.       3. A framework for Early Warning: i) Detailed Assessment and a gap analysis of the existing hydrometeorological monitoring, flood forecasting, and dissemination of warnings; ii) Develop an inventory of equipment, facilities and services needed to meet the requirements of the user sectors (e.g., agriculture, infrastructure, hydropower, and general public), including the capital and O&M expenditures. Identify key financing gaps in the operations and investments of hydromet observations and services based on the user needs.

This assignment links to and supports the Bangladesh Sustainable Recovery, Emergency Preparedness and Response Project (B-STRONG) which is expected to be approved in May 2025 (https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P508058).

The expected outcomes of this assignment are to (i) enhance the understanding of the flood hazards and risks against current and future climate in the area of interest; (ii) develop a comprehensive investment plan to build sustainable flood resilience and (iii) create an outline of an improved flood early warning system.

The assignment requires in-depth understanding of the context and development of the Bangladesh water system and its flood drivers, and to a lesser extent the governance in Bangladesh, with particular emphasis on flash, fluvial, and coastal floods. To successfully complete this assignment, a mix of international and local experience regarding flood challenges in low-lying areas with emphasis on planning, feasibility, design, landscape development & architecture of flood risk reduction interventions primarily but also in connection with other interventions (e.g., transport network and infrastructure, housing development etc.) will be required. Experience with a multidisciplinary approach and engaging stakeholders through design workshops is required in which the flood challenges but also links to and needs in other sectors like transportation and housing in the region are taken into consideration. Proven experience in Bangladesh with structural and non-structural interventions will be essential. Specific global knowledge on the setup and implementation of flood early warning systems is required with specific emphasis on flash flood areas. Solid knowledge of the mandate and way of working of Bangladesh counterparts such as the Bangladesh Water Development Board, the Local Government Engineering Department, and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department is required. Finally, excellent proficiency in writing and speaking clear and concise English /Bengali is deemed necessary for a successful completion of this assignment.

#############################

Some situational reports related to the Eastern Flash Flood 2024:

https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/needs-assessment-working-group-bangladesh-loss-and-damage-eastern-flash-flood-2024-analysis-d-form-version-4th-update-26-september-2024

https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/situational-overview-feni-district-eastern-flash-floods-2024-28-september-2024

https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/situational-overview-lakshmipur-district-eastern-flash-floods-2024-28-october-2024

https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/situational-overview-noakhali-district-eastern-flash-floods-2024-28-october-2024

https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/situational-overview-cumilla-district-eastern-flash-floods-2024-28-october-2024

SELECTION OF CONSULTING FIRMS BY THE WORLD BANK GROUP

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)

Electronic Submissions through WBGeProcure RFx Now

ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW

Assignment Title: Bangladesh: Building long-term flood resilience through a comprehensive system approach

Assignment Countries:

• Bangladesh

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION

Frequent floods in Bangladesh – fluvial, pluvial, coastal,as well as flash floods – have had a significant impact on lives andlivelihoods. Bangladesh is a deltaic country consisting of floodplains createdby over 400 rivers and channels. Twenty five percent of the country is lessthan 1 meter above sea level, and 50 percent is less than 6 meters above sealevel. It is located at the foot of the Himalayan Mountain range, which is theworld’s highest precipitation zone. During the monsoon season, winds from thesea heading towards land raise the water levels in the Bay of Bengal,inhibiting drainage from the rivers into the sea. As rainfall levels are alsohigh during the monsoon seasons, river flows, local rain, and raised waterlevels for the Bay of Bengal result in flooding of vast areas. Recurringflooding in Bangladesh affects a greater share of the population than othernatural hazards, with once every three to five years, up to two-thirds of thecountry is inundated.

Most of the well-researched locations when it comes tofloods in Bangladesh are along the major rivers (Jamuna, Padma, Meghna rivers),the big cities (e.g., Dhaka), and to some extent the coastal areas. It is notthe case for smaller rivers such as Muhuri, Kahua, Dakatia, Feni, Little Feni,and Gomati rivers, which were some of the main sources of the devastating Eastern Flash Flood in August 2024 that affected almost six million people. Betterunderstanding the flood dynamics in these affected regions more specifically(which include the smaller rivers indicated above) and in other flood-proneareas more broadly, its flood behavior, and potential interventions, isnecessary to increase flood resilience in these areas. This assignment willattempt to address this gap, with an ultimate aim to inform the Government ofBangladesh (GoB)’s planning for flood resilience in such areas.

This assignment aims to support long-term and comprehensivethinking how to build long-term resilience, focusing in the area of interest(i.e., districts affected by the Eastern Flash Flood in August 2024), and potentiallyextending to the broader parts of the country that are exposed to riverine,coastal, and flash floods. The key activities which are foreseen in thisassignment are the following:

1.1. Integrated Flood Hazard and Risk Assessment:i) Detailed assessment of existing flood protection infrastructure andnon-structural measures (e.g. EWS) in place and summary of challenges withthese systems plus also lessons learned from the floods (and earlier floodevents) in flood-affected regions; ii) Inventory, collection and review ofbaseline information on exposure and vulnerability including but not limited topopulation distribution and characteristics, building footprint, infrastructure(e.g., roads, rail, water utility, electricity); iii) Review of earlier studiesand summarizing existing knowledge on floods in this region (e.g., usinginformation from Coastal Embankment Improvement Project Phase I (CEIP-1)Long-Term Monitoring Study); iv) Detailed flood hazard and risk assessmentincluding all mechanisms (coastal, fluvial, pluvial flooding) and takingexplicitly into consideration compound flood impacts and also climate andsocio-economic changes.

2.2. Strategic Investment Plan for preparation ofnext phase flood protection projects: i) Area description includingeconomic drivers and population growth, key opportunities for growth andchallenges in development; ii) A seriesof Design Ateliers for identified hotspots with representatives from relevantgovernment agencies (e.g. LGED, BWDB, BMD) and specific invitees fromuniversities based on the flood risk assessment to identify the needs in termsof flood protection in view of economic activities, communities, and futuresocioeconomic development, and how these can be combined with other needs (e.g.transportation, housing development); iii) Identification and sizing ofpotential structural interventions combining hard infrastructure such asembankments, drainage infrastructure, dredging, retention spaces, etc withnature-based solutions; iv) Identification of non-structural interventions toenhance flood resilience including early warning systems; improved zoning,building codes for resilient housing, and emergency management for flooddefences; v) Strategic investment plan with prioritized interventions based onhigh-level cost-benefit analysis, environmental/social screening, O&Mcapacity, other constraints, and including a financing plan for prioritizedinterventions in the short- and medium-term;

3.3. A framework for Early Warning: i)Detailed Assessment and a gap analysis of the existing hydrometeorologicalmonitoring, flood forecasting, and dissemination of warnings; ii) Develop aninventory of equipment, facilities and services needed to meet the requirementsof the user sectors (e.g., agriculture, infrastructure, hydropower, and generalpublic), including the capital and O&M expenditures. Identify key financinggaps in the operations and investments of hydromet observations and servicesbased on the user needs.

This assignment links to and supports theBangladesh Sustainable Recovery, Emergency Preparedness and Response Project(B-STRONG) which is expected to be approved in May 2025 (https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P508058).

The expected outcomes of this assignment are to (i) enhance theunderstanding of the flood hazards and risks against current and future climatein the area of interest; (ii) develop a comprehensive investment plan to buildsustainable flood resilience and (iii) create an outline of an improved floodearly warning system.

The assignment requires in-depth understanding of the context and development of the Bangladesh water system and its flood drivers, and to a lesser extent the governance in Bangladesh, with particular emphasis on flash, fluvial, and coastal floods. To successfully complete this assignment, a mix of international and local experience regarding flood challenges in low-lying areas with emphasis on planning, feasibility, design, landscape development & architecture of flood risk reduction interventions primarily but also in connection with other interventions (e.g., transport network and infrastructure, housing development etc.) will be required. Experience with a multidisciplinary approach and engaging stakeholders through design workshops is required in which the flood challenges but also links to and needs in other sectors like transportation and housing in the region are taken into consideration. Proven experience in Bangladesh with structural and non-structural interventions will be essential. Specific global knowledge on the setup and implementation of flood early warning systems is required with specific emphasis on flash flood areas. Solid knowledge of the mandate and way of working of Bangladesh counterparts such as the Bangladesh Water Development Board, the Local Government Engineering Department, and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department is required. Finally, excellent proficiency in writing and speaking clear and concise English /Bengali is deemed necessary for a successful completion of this assignment.

#############################

Some situational reports related to the Eastern Flash Flood 2024:

https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/needs-assessment-working-group-bangladesh-loss-and-damage-eastern-flash-flood-2024-analysis-d-form-version-4th-update-26-september-2024

https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/situational-overview-feni-district-eastern-flash-floods-2024-28-september-2024

https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/situational-overview-lakshmipur-district-eastern-flash-floods-2024-28-october-2024

https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/situational-overview-noakhali-district-eastern-flash-floods-2024-28-october-2024

https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/situational-overview-cumilla-district-eastern-flash-floods-2024-28-october-2024

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility restrictions apply: N/A

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The World Bank Group invites eligible firms to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested firms must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc. for firms; CV and cover letter for individuals). Please note that the total size of all attachments should be less than 5MB. Firms may associate to enhance their qualifications unless otherwise stated in the solicitation documents. Where a group of firms associate to submit an EOI, they must indicate which is the lead firm. If shortlisted, the firm identified in the EOI as the lead firm will be invited to the request for proposal (RFP) phase.

Expressions of Interest should be submitted, in English, electronically through WBGeProcure RFx Now

NOTES

Following this invitation for EOI, a shortlist of qualified firms will be formally invited to submit proposals. Shortlisting and selection will be subject to the availability of funding.

Only those firms which have been shortlisted will be invited to participate in the RFP phase. No notification or debrief will be provided to firms which have not been shortlisted.

If you encounter technical difficulties while uploading documents, please send an e-mail to the Help Desk at corporateprocurement@worldbank.org prior to the submission deadline.