INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATASHEET APPRAISAL STAGE

Transcription

1 INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATASHEET APPRAISAL STAGE I. Basic Information Date prepared/updated: 04/15/2010 Report No.: AC Basic Project Data Country: Morocco Project ID: P Project Name: Morocco Oum Er Rbia Sanitation Task Team Leader: Alexander E. Bakalian Estimated Appraisal Date: April 9, 2010 Estimated Board Date: May 27, 2010 Managing Unit: MNSSD Lending Instrument: Specific Investment Loan Sector: Sanitation (95%);Irrigation and drainage (5%) Theme: Access to urban services and housing (67%);Pollution management and environmental health (33%) IBRD Amount (US$m.): IDA Amount (US$m.): 0.00 GEF Amount (US$m.): 0.00 PCF Amount (US$m.): 0.00 Other financing amounts by source: Borrower 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) [ ] No [] 2. Project Objectives The project development objectives are (i) to increase access to sewerage services and reduce wastewater-related pollution in 11 towns of the Oum Er Rbia river basin; and (ii) to pilot non-conventional technologies for wastewater systems and the use of country systems for safeguards. These 11 towns were selected on a multi-criteria basis taking into consideration: a) the size of the population, b) the current impact of raw wastewater discharges on the population and the natural environment, c) the availability of feasibility studies, d) ONEP#s current provision of water in these towns and the interest shown by the municipal authorities to also delegate the sanitation responsibility to ONEP. 3. Project Description The proposed project will consist in 2 main components which are detailed below: # Component 1: Wastewater collection, treatment and operation and maintenance (O&M) equipment - Estimated Cost: US$64.1 million: This component will finance the rehabilitation, and expansion of existing sewerage systems (collection networks and treatment plants) and the purchase of O&M equipment for eleven medium and small centers (Afourer, Beni Ayat, Boujniba, Boulanouar, Chemaia, Demnate, El Brouj, El

2 Ksiba, Hattane, Ouaouizeght, and Youssoufia) covering four provinces in the Oum Er Rbia river basin (Azilal, Benimellal, Safi, and Settat); it is expected that around 13,000 new households will be connected to the new network and the wastewater collected from about 240,400 inhabitants will be treated. # Component 2. Technical Assistance and Support for piloting non conventional technologies in selected areas. # Estimated Cost: US$ 5.7 million: This component is divided into 3 sub-components: o Sub-Component 2A - Twinning arrangement for piloting low-cost technologies (US$ 0.4 million). This will finance the services to be provided by a twinning partner that can help ONEP introduce and test the applicability of non-conventional low-cost sewerage technologies. This South-South partnership and cooperation will provide ONEP with the needed expertise to expand services to small towns in an affordable manner. Under this sub-component, ONEP will also disseminate this know-how to the local consulting industry through workshops and conferences. o Sub-Component 2B - Odor control pilots in 2 treatment plants (US$ 1.8 million. This will finance the covering of anaerobic ponds in selected pilot cities as a measure to reduce odor and capture the methane for potential productive uses. The wastewater treatment plants at Mghirt and Kalaat M#Gouna have been identified as potential sites for this activity. o Sub-Component 2C - Support to Project Implementation (US$ 3.5 million). It will finance consulting services for construction supervision, project management, monitoring and reporting activities including monitoring of the environmental management plans. It will also finance specialized inputs to ONEP a) in its communications campaign to raise awareness of project benefits among beneficiary communities and enhance community involvement in implementation b) to act as the catalyst for developing reuse projects # where feasible # with the interested parties (Min. of Agriculture, basin agencies, farmers associations, etc.), c) to prepare an operational strategic plan for its sanitation activities. 4. Project Location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis The project is expected to provide sewerage and wastewater management services to the following eleven towns : Afourer, Bni Ayat, Boujniba, Boulanouar, Chemaia, Demnate, El Brouj, El Ksiba, Hattane, Ouaouizeght, and Youssoufia covering four provinces (Azilal, Benimellal, Safi, and Settat). The eleven towns are located within the perimeter of action of the Oum Er Rbia River Basin Agency. 5. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists Mr Mohammed A. Bekhechi (LEGEN) Mr Abdel Mourhit Lahbabi (MNSSD) Mr Andrea Liverani (MNSSO)

3 6. Safeguard Policies Triggered No Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) Forests (OP/BP 4.36) Pest Management (OP 4.09) Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11) Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10) Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) Projects on International Waterways (OP/BP 7.50) Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP 7.60) 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: Project main environmental risks are understood as moderate or low and manageable. The main risks are related to (i) the concentration of pollution due to the expansion of sewage collection networks, (ii) potential pollution through the inadequate management of sludge produced in sewerage treatment plants, and (iii) visual and olfactory nuisance related to the installation of sewage treatment plants. Pollution from effluents and sludge are managed under the project through the construction and sustainable operation of adequate treatment plants and the implementation of adequate sludge management practices. Other risks considered to be low and manageable include construction nuisances and facility locations. Note: At the Concept stage this project was classified as category "A" for environmental impact assessment purposes. During the second pre-appraisal mission (March 16-26, 2010) the Bank team reviewed data on the experience of ONEP in the operation and performance of existing treatment plants. The team also reviewed ONEP s current practices in preparing and following up on environmental impact studies. Based on this analysis, the Bank team concluded that the experience and results of ONEP in these activities were satisfactory and that the potential environmental impacts associated with the project were limited and mostly reversible with minimal cumulative impact risks, thus justifying a reclassification of the project from #A# to a #B# category. In this context, it is worth noting that the wastewater treatment plants under the proposed project are generally smaller than the treatment plants already in operation by ONEP and will be geographically dispersed in the Oum Er Rbia basin. The team discussed this proposal with the Regional Safeguards Adviser and agreement was reached to reclassify the project as #B#. 2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area: The review of completed EIAs indicates that there are reversible environmental impacts that can be mitigated through the implementation of an Environmental Management Plan.

4 There will not be involuntary resettlement but there will be limited land acquisition (by the municipal governments) for wastewater treatment plants. 3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts. Not relevant. 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. Environmental Assessment (EA). ONEP and the World Bank agreed to reflect the improvements to be introduced within the existing system through the actualization of the terms of reference for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies of sanitation projects. ONEP commits to using the terms of reference of the EIA of projects of sanitation projects presented at appendix 5 of the Safeguard Diagnostic Review Report in order to reinforce, in addition to the requirements of law 12-03, the following important issues: (a) Systematic consideration of the alternatives of the projects, including the option without project; (b) Proposition of concrete measures for the mitigation of the negative impacts of the project, the clarification of the responsibility for implementation and an estimate of the budget of each measure suggested. The documents of the project and the possible subprojects will contain details within management it control and of follow-up including through the applicable contractual clauses[1] at the time of the studies and realization of the project and sub-projects possible; (c) Development of a detailed supervision and monitoring plan with the detailed description of the responsibilities for implementation and an estimate of the budget of each measure suggested; (d) Identification of the needs for capacity building and description of the corresponding capacity building activities required; (e) Separation of the execution of the EIA from the execution of the technical studies : ONEP#s current practice is to have the EIA carried out by the same consulting firm that is in charge of the technical studies (feasibility study and detailed design). It has been agreed that it is of primary to preserve the independence of the EIA from the technical studies of each projects; (f) Public stakeholder#s consultations: Public consultations will be organized for each one of under projects. They will aim at informing all relevant stakeholders about the project#s activities, the alternatives considered, and the principal conclusions and recommendations of the EIA. Questions and comments from the participants will be consigned in minutes of the consultations, along with the answers provided by ONEP and the other participating authorities. The minutes of consultations will be annexed to the EIA reports; (g) Disclosure of the project#s EIAs: All the project#s EIAs will be disclosed on ONEP#s website and all comments will be consigned in the Project#s environmental monitoring register.

5 Involuntary Resettlement (IR) and Land Acquisition. ONEP will develop a technical assistance plan to support the municipalities (communes) in the implementation of the land acquisition procedures. ONEP will require of each municipalitiy benefitting from the project to provide a file describing the lands required for the construction of wastewater treatment plants. Such files will include: A plan describing the location and detailed perimeter of the land required, and a census of the land#s uses and the persons using the land and/or benefitting from its use. (h) Any act justifying the legal nature of the land to be acquired; (i) (a) The contract of purchase in the event of friendly acquisition of a ground under the Melk or Habous regime; or (b) in the event of recourse to expropriation by the cause of public utility, the minutes of deliberation of the municipal council along with the certification of availability of the funds corresponding to the amount for compensation delivered by the receiver-accountant (receveur comptable) of the commune; (j) The draft decree to be submitted to the relevant authority for the approval of the land#s acquisition. Upon initiation of the works, ONEP will require the communes to provide: (k) A proof of legal ownership by the commune (accord amiable de transfert de possession) in the event of amicable acquisition, or an ordinance (jugement de transfert de propriété) signed by the relevant legal authority (juge de prise de possession) in the event of an expropriation by the cause of public utility. (l) According to the legal nature of the land: (i) a temporary authorization of occupation of the public domain, (ii) a decree of incorporation of a plot of the State#s private domain in the communal domain, or (iii) an approval from the Ministry for the Interior and an agreement of the Nouab for the acquisition of a land under the Guich regime. ONEP will ensure the timeliness of (i) the disclosure of all documentation related to the procedures engaged for the acquisition of land under the Project and (ii) the consultation of all affected groups and individuals. ONEP will disclose on its website all available information regarding the lands required for the construction of wastewater treatment plants under the Project. One year after the beginning of the construction of the first wastewater treatment plant, ONEP will hire an independent land acquisition expert to review all land acquisition procedures engaged by the communes for the purpose of the Project. The expert will provide recommendations to be followed by ONEP to ensure the timely resolution of all potential disputes remaining as a consequence of the acquisition of land required by the Project#s implementation. 5. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. A public consultation was held on the SDR on Marc h 22, 2010, in Rabat. The meeting was attended by a parliamentarian of the Region, officials from ONEP, various Ministries (Interior, Agriculture, Secretariat of Water and Environment), municipalities in the Oum Er Rbia basin, consulting firms and Bank staff. The consultation consisted of a) presentations by the Bank staff on the SDR b) presentation by ONEP on the project and its EIA processes and c) open discussions. The minutes and the list of the participants in

6 the consultation are included in the SDR report. ONEP has informed the meeting participants that it has successfully presented the first EIA (for the town of El Ksiba) to the national committee for EIA which has approved the study with its environmental management plan. B. Disclosure Requirements Date Environmental Assessment/Audit/Management Plan/Other: Date of receipt by the Bank 03/30/2010 Date of "in-country" disclosure 04/06/2010 Date of submission to InfoShop 04/06/2010 For category A projects, date of distributing the Executive Summary of the EA to the Executive Directors Resettlement Action Plan/Framework/Policy Process: Date of receipt by the Bank 03/30/2010 Date of "in-country" disclosure 04/06/2010 Date of submission to InfoShop 04/06/2010 Indigenous Peoples Plan/Planning Framework: Date of receipt by the Bank Date of "in-country" disclosure Date of submission to InfoShop Pest Management Plan: 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: C. Compliance Monitoring Indicators at the Corporate Level (to be filled in when the ISDS is finalized by the project decision meeting) OP/BP/GP Environment Assessment Does the project require a stand-alone EA (including EMP) report? If yes, then did the Regional Environment Unit or Sector Manager (SM) review and approve the EA report? Are the cost and the accountabilities for the EMP incorporated in the

7 credit/loan? OP/BP Involuntary Resettlement Has a resettlement plan/abbreviated plan/policy framework/process framework (as appropriate) been prepared? If yes, then did the Regional unit responsible for safeguards or Sector Manager review the plan? The World Bank Policy on Disclosure of Information Have relevant safeguard policies documents been sent to the World Bank s Infoshop? Have relevant documents been disclosed in-country in a public place in a form and language that are understandable and accessible to project-affected groups and local NGOs? All Safeguard Policies Have satisfactory calendar, budget and clear institutional responsibilities been prepared for the implementation of measures related to safeguard policies? Have costs related to safeguard policy measures been included in the project cost? Does the Monitoring and Evaluation system of the project include the monitoring of safeguard impacts and measures related to safeguard policies? Have satisfactory implementation arrangements been agreed with the borrower and the same been adequately reflected in the project legal documents? D. Approvals Signed and submitted by: Name Date Task Team Leader: Mr Alexander E. Bakalian 04/08/2010 Environmental Specialist: Mr Gael A. Gregoire 04/09/2010 Social Development Specialist Mr Colin S. Scott 04/14/2010 Additional Environmental and/or Social Development Specialist(s): Approved by: Regional Safeguards Coordinator: Mr Hocine Chalal 04/14/2010 Comments: Sector Manager: Mr Francis Ato Brown 04/09/2010 Comments: