THE GOVERNMENT OF KYRGYZREPUBLIC

ARIS

Second Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project.

RESETTLEMENT POLICY FRAMEWORK

November 2011.

FINAL

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

DEFINITIONS

Unless the context dictates otherwise, the following terms will have the following meanings:

“Project affected persons” (PAPs) means persons who, for reasons of the involuntary taking of their land or other assets as a result of the project.

“Involuntary resettlement” means the involuntary taking of land resulting in direct or indirect economic and social impacts caused by:

a) Loss of benefits from use of such land;

b) relocation or loss of shelter;

c) loss of assets or access to assets; or

d) loss of income sources or means of livelihood, whether or not the PAP has moved to another location.

“Cut-off date” is the date by which PAPs and their affected assets have been identified and new entrants to the site cannot make claims to compensation or resettlement assistance. Persons whose ownership, use of occupancy prior to the cut-off date can be demonstrated remain eligible for assistance, regardless of their identification in the census.

“Compensation” means the payment in kind, cash or other assets given in exchange for the taking of land, loss of other types of assets (including fixed assets) or loss of livelihoods resulting from project activities.

“Census” is a complete count of the population affected by a project activity including collation of demographic and property information. This will identify and determine the number of Project Affected Persons (PAP) and the nature and levels of impact.

“Resettlement Action Plan (RAP)”is a resettlement instrument (document) to be prepared when subproject locations are identified. RAPs contain specific and legally binding requirements to be abided by to resettle and compensate the affected party before implementation of the project activities causing adverse impacts.

“Resettlement Assistance” means the measures to ensure that project affected persons who may require to be physically relocated are provided with assistance such as moving allowances, residential housing or rentals which ever is feasible and as required, for ease of resettlement during relocation.

“Replacement cost for houses and other structures” means the prevailing open market cost of replacing affected structures, in an area and of the quality similar to or better than that of the affected structures. Such costs will include: (a) the cost of the materials, (b) transporting building materials to the construction site; (c) any labor and contractors’ fees; and (d) any registration costs.

“Land acquisition” means the compulsory taking of or alienation of land, buildings or other assets thereon for purposes of the Project. The landowner may be left with the right to negotiate the amount of compensation proposed. This includes land or assets for which the owner enjoys uncontested customary rights.

“Economic Rehabilitation Assistance” means the provision of development assistance in addition to compensation such as land preparation, credit facilities, training, or job opportunities, needed to enable PAPs to improve their living standards, income earning capacity and production levels; or at least maintain them at pre-project levels.

“The Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF)’ is an instrument to be used throughout project implementation. The RPF sets out the resettlement objectives and principles, organisational arrangements and funding mechanisms for any resettlement, that may be necessary during project implementation. The RPF guides the preparation of Resettlement Action Plans of individual sub projects in order to meet the needs of the people who may be affected by the project. The Resettlement Action Plans (“RAPs”) for the Project will therefore be prepared in conformity with the provisions of this RPF.

“Replacement cost” means replacement of assets with an amount sufficient to cover full cost of lost assets and related transaction costs. The cost is to be based on Market rate (commercial rate) according to KyrgyzRepubliclaw for sale of land or property. In terms of land, this may be categorised as follows; (a) “Replacement cost for agricultural land” means the pre-project program or pre-displacement, whichever is higher, market value of land of equal productive potential or use located in the vicinity of the affected land, plus the costs of: (b) preparing the land to levels similar to those of the affected land; and (c) any registration and transfer taxes.

1. Project Context

Access to safe and reliable drinking water supply is still very erratic in rural Kyrgyzstan, and it necessitates urgent improvements. The Government of the KyrgyzRepublic has identified reliable and well-functioning basic infrastructure services as a priority for sustainable national development. The Government and Parliamenthave focused on the rural water and sanitation sector and sought World Bank and other donor’s support for investment in the sector. A first investment was approved by the World Bank in 2002 and closed in 2008, and a second investment which would build on the first Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (RWSSP), was approved in April 2009. When the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (2002-2008) closed, it was assessed to have improved access to drinking water for 350 thousands residents of rural areas of the three Northern regions of Issykul, Naryn and Talas. In May 2009 the representatives of the Kyrgyz Republic and of the International Association for Development (IDA) signed an agreement for financing of «the Second Rural Water Supply and Sanitation» (RWSSP-2) (the Grant №Н462-KG, the Credit № 4560 KG), to rehabilitate water schemes in the same regions. The given agreement has been ratified by the Law of the KR No.191 signed by the President of the KyrgyzRepublic on July, 25th, 2009. The International Association for Development (IDA) and the Department for International Development (DFID) acted as donors of the project. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is financing a parallel operation, the Community-Based Infrastructure Support Services Project, focusing on Southern oblasts.

The project is to be implemented from 2009 to 2013. The total cost of RWSSP-2 is estimated in about 18,37 mln. US$, including: IDA financing in the amount equivalent to 10 mln. US$ (5,5 mln. US$ - in the form of the credit and 4,5 mln. US$- in the form of IDA grant), DFID financing 5 million pounds (about 7,15 mln. US$), and also counter financing in the amount equivalent to 1,55 mln. US$ from the Government of the KR (15 %) and 0,45 mln. US$ by the participating communities (5 %) component of the project related to civil works.

The project consists of four components:

Component A: Water Supply Infrastructure and Equipment: This component provides financing to local communities represented by Community Drinking Water Users Unions (CDWUUs) to rehabilitate or expand existing village water supply systems. As part of the civil works contracts, this component will also finance the following: refurbishment or construction of demonstration sanitation facilities at schools and medical posts; equipment supplied to selected CDWUUs and/or their associations to maintain the water systems; and consultancy servicesfor technical supervision of construction activities to ensure the quality of infrastructure financed by the project.

Component B: Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion Program: This component supports village-level promotion of healthy hygiene and sanitation practices through technical assistance, including sanitary latrine construction. Component activities will be coordinated with the Republican Centre for Health Promotion (RCHP) that is working under the Health and Social Protection Sector-Wide Approach project (SWAp; P084977) to foster health awareness throughout the country. (The refurbishment of demonstration sanitation facilities at schools and medical posts is included in component A as part of the infrastructure works.) Component B will be implemented through consulting services (to be provided by a national NGO or firm) and in direct coordination with the RCHP.

Component C: Institutional Development: This component finances consultancy services to assist Government to ensure sustainability of the rural water supply programs, including support to: (a) endorse and implement the sector strategy prepared under the earlier project; (b) develop or revise legislation to ensure synergies among CDWUUs and local self-governance, including develop and institutionalize new agreements between Ayil Okmotu and CDWUUs; (c) train and assist CDWUUs and DRWS to build on the experience and tools developed by RWSSP, including ensuring that gender, voice, and choice in participatory processes are taken into account; and (d) strengthen the project Management Information System by adding a GIS interface and consolidating a country-wide database on village-level water supply and sanitation. Detailed Terms of Reference for Component C will be developed during project implementation.

Component D: Project Management: The component finances the following: limited equipment and vehicles, operating costs (staff salaries, in-country travel, and mandatory employer contributions to the Social Fund of the Kyrgyz Republic) and training associated with project implementation; monitoring and evaluation activities, including regular impact surveys/assessments and annual audits.

Further to the mid-term review of June 2-10, 2011, a number of actions were identified to secure and sustain improved performance of the Second Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (Project). The actions included a two-step restructuring process. As an urgent first step, Project’s implementation responsibilities were transferred from the State Committee of Water Resources and Amelioration (SCRWA) and the Joint Project Management Unit (JPMU) to the Community Development and Investment Agency (ARIS). The Financing Agreement was accordingly amended and a Project Agreement was introduced on July 18, 2011. This change is now effective.

There are proposed additional Level 1 restructuring required to adapt Project scope to changed conditions, mainly in components A and B, towards maximizing results within the remaining budget and timeframe. The changes are required because of higher unit costs than planned due to revised design standards; unexpected costs of additional rehabilitation of works in the problem villages of Koromdu, Temir-Kashat and Chelpek; and need for rectification of up to 26 systems already rehabilitated under the First Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (RWSP-1). The changes include a reduction in the targeted number of rural water supply systems to be rehabilitated, a reallocation of funds among components and categories; a streamlining of payment methodology to contractors; and the inclusion of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to assist as service provider for some of the sanitation and hygiene promotion tasks financed by the Project. The Project Development Objectives (PDO) and the overall Project budget remain unchanged.

The project restructuring triggers a new safeguard (OP 4.12: Involuntary Resettlement). While the policy has not been triggered on any activity implemented to date, the experience of implementing sub-projects shows that there may be occasions on which the project may need temporary or permanent acquisition of land. The justification for triggering OP 4.12 and the details of the activities that may require land acquisition are described in the next section below.

The changes in component activities are listed below:

Component A: Water Supply Infrastructure and Equipment

  1. Number of sub-projects reduced from 70 to 45 i.e.: three sub-projects to be rehabilitated in Korumdu, Temir-Kashat, Chelpek villages; 26 sub-projects to be rehabilitated in the villages identified under RWSP-1; and 16 additional sub-projects to be rehabilitated, of which six have already been selected in the villages of Tugol-Sai; Uch-Emchek; Jele-Dobo; Ak-Kochkor; Koochu; and Baltabai;
  2. Budget allocation of US$1 million for construction and demonstration of sustainable sanitation and hand-washing facilities in the medical posts and schools in villages identified under RWSSP-1 and RWSSP-2 9increase from $0.68 million);
  3. Merging of two sub-components: Detailed Design (A3) and Technical Supervision (A4) into one sub-component (A3) to allow efficient use of budget; and
  4. Streamlining of contractor’s payment methodology, to be paid directly by ARIS, as opposed to by individual Community Drinking Water Users Union (CDWUU), and eliminating need for sub-loans to CDWUUs.

Component B: Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion Program

1.Expanding mandate and improving institutional capacity of the Department of Rural Water Supply (DRWS) to oversee development of rural sanitation;

2.Carrying out communications campaigns andadvocacy for rural sanitation;

3.Carrying out WASH campaigns forhygiene and sanitation awareness at village level; and

4.Building ARIS capacity in sanitation and hygiene.

There will be no implication to the PDO.

The transition of implementation responsibilities between JPMU and ARIS, which has been effective since June 20, 2011 is approaching completion. An auditor has been recruited to evaluate Project operations up to June 20, 2011. Regarding procurement management, a qualified procurement specialist has been appointed; transfer of procurement files have been completed from JPMU to ARIS and acceptance letters have been signed. ARIS has submitted Project implementation plan and schedule, with a corresponding Procurement Plan for 2011-2012 presently being updated.

2. Justification for and Focus of the Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF):

The Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) provides guidelines for development of appropriate mitigation and compensation measures, for land acquisition impacts caused by project activities whose exact locations are not known.

This RPF will inform all activities involving land acquisition, restriction of access to land, or loss of assets. OP 4.12 on Involuntary Resettlement has been triggered for the project, as there are some activities that may require temporary or permanent land acquisition. Project activities include construction of village water supply facilities including laying of pipes to common standpoints or individual taps. The pipe network is likely to go through fields which will require temporary acquisition of land to lay the pipe and then return the land to its original condition. Establishment of pumping stations is normally done on government land, but in some cases, where this is not available or suitable, private land may need to be permanently acquired for this main intake and pumping station.

Since the water and sanitation schemes are not yet fully designed and the exact location of pumping stations and water pipe networks are not clearly known, these detailed impacts will only be known once project implementation commences, and the possibility of land acquisition and restrictions in access cannot be ruled out at this stage, the borrower has agreed to develop this RPF. The RPF identifies the the possible impacts from project activities, describes the range of potential impacts (temporary and permanent) to land use/access and structures, and specifies the compensation and resettlement assistance/procedures for the same. Where there is a gap between national and World Bank procedures, the latter will prevail for all activities financed under this project. The RPF is intended as a practical tool to guide the preparation of Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) for activities during implementation of the comprehensive program. If any impacts are identified, the Borrower will develop individual RAPs for each sub project based on the guidelines and procedures highlighted in the RPF document.

Once this RPF has been approved by ARIS, and endorsed by World Bank (WB), it will be disclosed through the World Bank’s Infoshop, in compliance with WB policy. The RPF will be translated into Russian and further will be disclosed in a manner to potential PAPs and the public. Implementation of the planned project investments will only take place following these approvals and information sharing.

3. Objectives and Principles of Resettlement Planning

This Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) outlines the principles and procedures to ensure that if resettlement needs are identified, then the ARISin coordination with national (Government) or local self government follows the procedures for involuntary resettlement in compliance with the legislation of the KyrgyzRepublicalong with the WB’s policy OP 4.12 on Involuntary Resettlement. The RPF sets out the legal framework, eligibility criteria of displaced population, valuation methodology, compensation provision, entitlement matrix, implementation process, consultation procedures, grievance remedy mechanisms, entitlement payment procedures, and monitoring-evaluation procedures for land acquisition and resettlement under this project.

The basic objectives of the RPF are to: (i) guide ARIS, national and local self government in properly identifying, compensating, and restoring the livelihoods of Project Affected Persons (PAPs), (ii) serve as a binding document to ensure payment of compensation and assistance to PAPs, and (iii) provide direction in preparing, updating, implementing and monitoring subproject RAPs. The RPF includes measures to ensure that PAPs are (i) informed about their options and rights pertaining to resettlement; (ii) consulted on, offered choices among, and provided with technically and economically feasible resettlement alternatives; and (iii) provided prompt and effective compensation at full replacement cost for losses of assets attributable directly to the Project.

The RPF is based on the following principles:

  • Involuntary resettlement is to be avoided or at least minimized;
  • PAPs are to be suitably assisted in their efforts to improve, or at least restore, incomes and living standards;
  • PAPs are fully informed and consulted on compensation options;
  • Lack of formal legal land title is not a barrier to compensation or alternative forms of e rehabilitation assistance;
  • Particular attention is paid to socially vulnerable groups, such as ethnic minorities, female headed households, elderly households, etc...and appropriate assistance is provided to help them adapt to project-related changes;
  • Land acquisition and resettlement is conceived and executed as a part of the project, and the full costs of compensation are included in project costs and benefits; and
  • Compensation/rehabilitation assistance will be paid prior to ground levelling, demolition, and in any case, before an impact occurs.
  • Compensation is to be paid at full replacement cost to PAPs, without deductions for depreciation or any other purpose.

It should be noted that according to World Bank’s Policy OP 4.12, the term resettlement encompasses more than the ‘physical relocation or resettlement’ of affected people. It is defined as the social and economic impacts of a project that are permanent or temporary and are caused by the involuntary taking of land resulting in (i) relocation or loss of shelter; (ii) loss of assets or access to assets; (iii) loss of income sources or means of livelihood, whether or not the affected persons must move to another location; or (iv) the involuntary restriction of access to legally designated parks and protected areas resulting in adverse impacts on the livelihoods of the displaced persons.