INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATASHEET

APPRAISAL STAGE

I. Basic Information

Date prepared/updated: 04/21/2008 / Report No.: AC3511
1. Basic Project Data
Country: Cote d'Ivoire / Project ID: P110020
Project Name: RCI- Emergency Urban Infrastructure (FY08)
Task Team Leader: Catherine D. Farvacque-Vitkovic
Estimated Appraisal Date: January 28, 2008 / Estimated Board Date: June 12, 2008
Managing Unit: AFTU2 / Lending Instrument: Emergency Recovery Loan
Sector: Water supply (30%);Roads and highways (30%);Solid waste management (15%);Sewerage (15%);Sub-national government administration (10%)
Theme: Other urban development (P);Municipal governance and institution building (S)
IBRD Amount (US$m.): 0.00
IDA Amount (US$m.): 94.00
GEF Amount (US$m.): 0.00
PCF Amount (US$m.): 0.00
Other financing amounts by source:
BORROWER/RECIPIENT 0.00
Financing Gap 0.00
0.00
Environmental Category: B - Partial Assessment
Simplified Processing / Simple [] / Repeater []
Is this project processed under OP 8.50 (Emergency Recovery) or OP 8.00 (Rapid Response to Crises and Emergencies) / Yes [X] / No [ ]

2. Project Objectives

The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to increase access to and improve the quality of urban infrastructure and services in the country’s two largest cities, Abidjan and Bouake. The achievement of this objective would support GoCI’s efforts to demonstrate concrete improvements in the lives of its citizens, a critical step for sustaining social and political stability in the country.

3. Project Description

Component I: Urban Water Supply - US$28 Million equivalent

The backlog of investments in renewal and expansion of water facilities throughout the country, combined with the influx of displaced persons into Abidjan, has resulted in severe water shortages and the reduction of access to water services.

The component aims at increasing access to water services and improve the availability and quality of water services, through (i) provision of subsidized service connections and standposts to selected urban areas in Abidjan and Bouake; including informal neighborhoods, together with connections of schools and health centers (ii) expansion of water production capacity in Abidjan; (iii) reinforcement and expansion of water distribution networks in Abidjan and Bouake.

The activities under this component include: (i) increasing the water production capacity in Abidjan by (at least) 4,000 m3/hour by drilling and equipping production boreholes and expanding the capacity of some treatment plants; (ii) reinforcing primary distribution networks in selected areas of Abidjan (Djibi and Petit Bassam); (iii) expanding distribution networks in Bouake; (iv) connecting some neighborhoods in Abidjan to the distribution system; (v) increasing access by installing 20,000 subsidized service connections, 65 standposts in Abidjan and 33 standposts in Bouake; and (vi) providing water to 38 primary schools and 8 health centers in Abidjan that lack access to potable water services.

Component II: Urban Sanitation (Sewerage) - US$15.2 Million equivalent

The lack of maintenance and timely renewal of pumping and treatment facilities combined with the backlog of investments in connecting neighborhood sewers to the main interceptor resulted in the continuous discharge of most of the uncollected wastewater (from about 600,000 people) in the Abidjan lagoon.

The objective of this component will be to increase access to the sewer network and limit the discharge of raw wastewater in the Abidjan lagoon. This will happen by improving the functioning of sewerage services, through the: (i) rehabilitation of main pumping stations and treatment plant feeding the ocean outfall; (ii) rehabilitation of neighborhood pumping stations, and (iii) connecting secondary sewers to the main interceptor. This component aims at limiting this continuous flow of discharged wastewater in the lagoon, reducing its pollution by organic wastes by connecting some secondary networks to the main interceptor and the ocean outfall. Activities under this component include: (i) rehabilitating two main pumping stations in Abobo and Marcory and the pumping station and pre-treatment plant at Koumassi-digue; (ii) rehabilitating five secondary pumping stations in Cocody, Koumassi, Marcory and Treichville; and (iii) connecting secondary sewers in Abobo, Adjame and Treichville to the main interceptor.

Component III: Solid Waste Management - US$12 Million equivalent

The activities under this component include: (i) A Clean City Program with the aim to remove all unsanitary/informal solid waste disposal sites in the city of Abidjan and provide a clean start for private operators’ future interventions; (ii) Rehabilitation of the Williamsville transfer station with the aim to make the station operational and enable solid waste storage and transportation to the landfill site with appropriate means; (iii) Mass Media Campaign with the aim to sensitize communities about health and environmental risks associated with inappropriate management of solid waste. The campaign will focus on hygiene, but will also include a component on HIV-AIDS under the leadership of the HIV-AIDS focal point of the Ministry of Urban Affairs and Sanitation; (iv) Institutional support with the aim to improve the institutional environment and capacity of all stakeholders, including local governments, for the supervision of service performance in their respective jurisdictions; (v) Improvement of living conditions of neighboring communities living in the vicinity of the disposal site of AKOUEDO. The disposal site does not comply with sanitary landfill norms and odors, released gas, lixiviats and other nuisances have negative impacts on the health and the well-being of the neighboring communities. The project includes the construction of a health center and an extension to an existing school (6 additional classrooms) to improve the living conditions of the neighboring communities.

Component IV: Urban Roads Rehabilitation - US$28 Million equivalent

The activities under this component include: (i) Rehabilitation of roads bearing public transport services. The project will finance road surface refurbishment and drainage networks on seven roads on which transportation lines have ceased operation due to their poor condition. In addition, appropriate treatment will be given to two particularly critical areas routinely flooded during the rainy seasons and inaccessible to vehicles for prolonged periods; (ii) Works improvement including (a) construction of a footbridge extending pedestrian walkways in two underserved neighborhoods, to ensure safe crossing over an expressway for numerous pedestrians in a location with a high rate of fatal accidents, (b) construction of a 120-meter bridge and a road to improve accessibility of new residential areas, thereby addressing congestion problems at intersections, (c) the conversion of one of the worst trouble spots into an interchange; (iii) Horizontal and vertical signage (the current absence of horizontal and vertical signage on roads is considered a major factor in traffic disruptions and traffic accidents). The project will finance the provision and installation of standing road signs and the painting of road-surface markings on as many roads as possible and; (iv) Roads in Bouake. The project will rehabilitate six heavily degraded roads totaling 7 kilometers in the City of Bouake, supplementing the 5-road, 11-kilometer rehabilitation program already funded by the European Commission.

Component V: Municipal Contracts - US$7 Million equivalent

This component will address the medium- and long-term problems of cities and re-energize some municipal functions that have largely been taken over by the central Government during the crisis. The following cities have been selected: in Abidjan, the municipalities of Port Bouet, Yopougon, Koumassi, Adjame and Abobo, and in the interior of the country, the towns of Divo, Daloa, Korhogo, San Pedro and Bouake. This first group of cities was chosen according to the following criteria: (a) an explicit desire on the part of the mayor to comply with the principles and rules of the Municipal Contract; (b) a more or less functional municipal team that is ready to work; (c) a population size and investment requirements that would yield a visible impact on as many people as possible; (d) the existence of planning tools and data that could be used as a basis for the audits; (e) consolidation of EC interventions. The activities under this component include: (i) Urban, organizational, and financial audits of the 10 selected municipalities with the aim to carry out a needs assessment in terms of services, infrastructure, management, organization and finances and determine, through a participatory process, a Priority Investment Program (PIP), a Priority Maintenance Program (PMP) and a Municipal Adjustment Program (MAP); (ii) Accompanying measures which will identified during the audits and will serve to support and motivate local governments, as an adjunct to the preparation of the audits.

4. Project Location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis

Project location will be in Abidjan and Bouake for the investments part (component 1 to 4) and Port Bouet, Yopougon, Koumassi, Adjame, Abobo, Divo, Daloa, Korhogo, San Pedro and Bouake for the municipal contract component (component 5).

5. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists

Ms Nina Chee (AFTEN)

Ms Yvette Laure Djachechi (AFTCS)

Mr Africa Eshogba Olojoba (AFTEN)

6. Safeguard Policies Triggered / Yes / No /
Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) / X
Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) / X
Forests (OP/BP 4.36) / X
Pest Management (OP 4.09) / X
Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11) / X
Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10) / X
Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) / X
Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) / X
Projects on International Waterways (OP/BP 7.50) / X
Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP 7.60) / X

II. Key Safeguard Policy Issues and Their Management

A. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues

1. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts:

The Project is classified as environmental category B because no activity funded under the Project is expected to have a significant negative environmental or social impact. The Project triggers two safeguards policies: OP4.01 on environmental assessment and OP4.12 on involuntary resettlement. Activities under the project are not expected to generate any adverse environmental or social effects, as a large part of the project is geared towards sustainable urban development. Two safeguards instruments associated with the proposed project are the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and the Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF); and these will be prepared within six months of project effectiveness.

2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area:

The potential environmental and social impacts are likely to be small-scale and site specific, thus easily remediable. No long term or cumulative impacts are foreseen during project implementation.

3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts.

None under environmental safeguards. Under social safeguards, following a site visit [for the water supply, sanitation (sewerage), solid waste management and urban roads rehabilitation components] carried out by the Social Development Specialist during the appraisal mission (January-February, 2008), the team decide that all activities to be financed will not require relocation or resettlement.

4. Describe measures taken by the borrower to address safeguard policy issues. Provide an assessment of borrower capacity to plan and implement the measures described.

The approach to safeguards will be to develop an ESMF and RPF to cover all activities to be financed under the project. The coordination unit will recruit a Safeguards Consultant within three months after grant effectiveness to manage safeguards aspects under the project. The consultant will work to strengthen the ESMF and RPF procedures that will improve component project quality and sustainability through compliance with safeguards. He/She will also work with the technical departments responsible for implementing the components and ensure that environment and social concerns are mainstreamed into project implementation especially at the component level. For works that require Environmental Assessments (EAs) and/or Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs), a sequenced approach will be adopted so that necessary assessments and Actions are undertaken to address the high risk issues.

It is pertinent to note that, due to the emergency nature of the operation, disclosures of these instruments will not be a condition of appraisal, rather they will need to be prepared and disclosed within six month after effectiveness. Before then, the Safeguards Consultant attached to the team will undertake four activities: (i) assess the institutional arrangement for environmental and social safeguards within the coordination unit and the technical departments; (ii) assess the Government environmental disclosure requirements and EA consultation process and ascertain if there is an Environmental impact Assessment (EIA) law in place; and (iii) provide ASPEN Toolkit for ESMFs for small-scale projects and run a two-day workshop on how to apply the guidelines to screen subprojects; and (iv) screen all investments in the first year and determine which require EMP and RAPs. On this, the consultant will receive guidance from the Bank’s environmental safeguards specialist based in the Abidjan office. He will also facilitate a discussion on how to use and apply the environmental management clauses for construction contracts. This is critical, as civil works may start right after grant effectiveness, and there is need to equip the implementing entities with the tools to screen the subprojects, including mitigation measures to be adopted.

The Safeguards Consultant will provide environmental and social management oversight in the design and execution of component activities and proposed investments, screening them for potential impacts and risks, planning mitigation measures, including consultation and disclosure requirements, to ensure due diligence, and facilitate consistent treatment of environmental and social issues by the implementing agencies and contractor.

5. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people.

- Ministry of Economic Infrastructure

- Macom

- AGEROUTE

- Ministry of Urban Affairs and Sanitation

- Sanitation department of Ministry of Construction and Urban Planning

- Public debt department of Ministry of Economy and Finance

- Department of Local Governments

- Association of mayors

All stakeholders are being consulted regularly.

B. Disclosure Requirements Date
Environmental Assessment/Audit/Management Plan/Other:
Was the document disclosed prior to appraisal? / No
Date of receipt by the Bank / 12/30/2008
Date of "in-country" disclosure / 12/30/2008
Date of submission to InfoShop / 12/30/2008
For category A projects, date of distributing the Executive Summary of the EA to the Executive Directors
Resettlement Action Plan/Framework/Policy Process:
Was the document disclosed prior to appraisal? / No
Date of receipt by the Bank / 12/30/2008
Date of "in-country" disclosure / 12/30/2008
Date of submission to InfoShop / 12/30/2008
Indigenous Peoples Plan/Planning Framework:
Was the document disclosed prior to appraisal? / N/A
Date of receipt by the Bank
Date of "in-country" disclosure
Date of submission to InfoShop
Pest Management Plan:
Was the document disclosed prior to appraisal?
Date of receipt by the Bank
Date of "in-country" disclosure
Date of submission to InfoShop
* If the project triggers the Pest Management and/or Physical Cultural Resources, the respective issues are to be addressed and disclosed as part of the Environmental Assessment/Audit/or EMP.
If in-country disclosure of any of the above documents is not expected, please explain why:
Due to the emergency nature of this project, and in conformance with OP/BP 8.00, the completion and disclosure of the environmental and social instruments were not required as a condition for appraisal of the project. However, these instruments: the ESMF and RPF will be completed and disclosed in-country and at the Info shop within six months of project effectiveness.

C. Compliance Monitoring Indicators at the Corporate Level (to be filled in when the ISDS is finalized by the project decision meeting)