The World Bank Burundi Landscape Restoration and Resilience Project (P160613) REPORT NO.: RES52807 DOCUMENT OF THE WORLD BANK RESTRUCTURING PAPER ON A PROPOSED PROJECT RESTRUCTURING OF BURUNDI LANDSCAPE RESTORATION AND RESILIENCE PROJECT APPROVED ON APRIL 11, 2018 TO MINISTRY OF FINANCE, BUDGET, COOPERATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES & THE BLUE ECONOMY EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA Regional Vice President: Victoria Kwakwa Country Director: Albert G. Zeufack Regional Director: Asad Alam Practice Manager/Manager: Africa Eshogba Olojoba Task Team Leader(s): Arame Tall The World Bank Burundi Landscape Restoration and Resilience Project (P160613) I. BASIC DATA Product Information Project ID Financing Instrument P160613 Investment Project Financing Original EA Category Current EA Category Partial Assessment (B) Partial Assessment (B) Approval Date Current Closing Date 11-Apr-2018 31-Mar-2024 Organizations Borrower Responsible Agency Ministry of Finance, Budget, Cooperation and Economic Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock Development Project Development Objective (PDO) Original PDO The Project Development Objective is to restore land productivity in targeted degraded landscapes and, in the event of an eligible crisis or emergency, to provide immediate and effective response to said eligible crisis or emergency. Summary Status of Financing (US$, Millions) Net Ln/Cr/Tf Approval Signing Effectiveness Closing Commitment Disbursed Undisbursed IDA-D2760 11-Apr-2018 24-May-2018 21-Sep-2018 31-Mar-2024 30.00 23.99 3.96 Policy Waiver(s) Does this restructuring trigger the need for any policy waiver(s)? No The World Bank Burundi Landscape Restoration and Resilience Project (P160613) II. SUMMARY OF PROJECT STATUS AND PROPOSED CHANGES A) STATUS BY COMPONENT & FIDUCIARY The project is progressing well towards achievement of PDO, with 80 percent of IDA resources and 60 percent of GEF funding disbursed, and a "Satisfactory" rating for both DO and IP. Notable latest achievements is an upgrade in Project Management ratings, from MS to S, in recognition of the remarkable progress in building capacity for project management, effective coordination of project activities on the ground, and M&E, ESF and fiduciary management. Project status by component and fiduciary is summarized as follows: Component 1: Institutional Development and Capacity Building for Landscape Restoration and Resilience. Major achievements on Component 1 include: the participation of executives in national and international forums; the development of two other national guides; the purchase and installation of automatic and conventional weather station equipment in three locations for early warning, and the deployment of 14 observers to collect daily data at conventional hydrometeorological stations. There is yet a number of ongoing activities that require to be completed. Component 2. Sustainable Landscape Management Practices. Major progress recorded in the landscape development works on the first 12 hills targeted by the project, include: riverbank protection and gully and landslide revegetation activities (bamboo plantations), with ditch-digging work in several sub-watersheds; the planting of forest and agroforestry trees, and fixative grasses. Works on the 10 hills of the second phase are also underway and record among its major achievements: a completion rate of 84% in progressive terracing; 78% rate of completion for afforestation and replanting; 30% for forest and agroforestry tree seedlings planting; 70% for hydro/vetiver gully networks; 3,777 jobs created (65% of which for women) as part of the development of sub-watersheds; 119% execution rate for cattle purchase through IDA financing, and 159% through GEF financing; 74.264 t of fortified organic bean seed, 15.8 t of hybrid maize, 6,444,050 orange-fleshed sweet potato cuttings, and 278,587 t of fertilizer distributed through IDA financing; 51.385 t of fortified organic bean seeds, 1.550 t of soybeans, 12.3 t of wheat seeds, 16.3 t of potato seeds, 25,000 improved, disease-tolerant banana cuttings, 3,030,000 orange-fleshed sweet potato cuttings, 180.493 t of fertilizer, and 1,000 t of organic manure were distributed through GEF financing. In addition, at the level of the 420 CEP established and strengthened, achievements include: i) monitoring, collecting and verifying production data from experimental fields, ii) retraining 160 external CEP facilitators, setting up shade coffee trees, monitoring and coaching CEP groups to run experimental fields for the 2023B season, and producing a documentary to capitalize on CEP achievements. Component 3. Improved Management of Protected Areas and Reserves. Activities under this component around protected areas and reserves are proving key in conserving Burundi's natural biodiversity. Achievements include: a) 1,543 Batwa people, including 988 women, i.e. 64%, have continued to work on the maintenance of tourist trails and paths until June 2023 as part of the integration of Batwa communities into the management of protected areas and reserves; b) 10 associations have been provided with materials for income- generating activities and cattle; c) two teams of 7 people each monitor chimpanzees on a monthly basis. Fiduciary. The PIU is on track to cover its operating costs, with support fiduciary staff being recruited and budget being reallocated between categories. A M&E expert was recruited with tangible improvements on the M&E of project progress in achieving DO. A social safeguards expert and a contracting expert were recruited, completing the PIU composition. The PIU proved efficient and effective in coordinating project implementation and synchronizing the The World Bank Burundi Landscape Restoration and Resilience Project (P160613) multiple executing agencies at national and local levels, while also adhering to the Bank's procedures for both fiduciary and M&E functions. There are no pending external audit report on the project. Further, the last audit report was submitted on time (before Dec 30, 2023) and the quality was deemed satisfactory. B. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED CHANGES The changes proposed through this Restructuring Paper are the following: a) Extension of project closing date by 6 months: from March 31, 2023 to September 30, 2023, for both IDA 2760 and TFB5320. b) Reallocation of project funds to enable the extension of existing activities within the same disbursement categories (category 3 for the IDA portion of the project; and category 1 for the GEF portion). The existing activities that will be extended are the following: 1) Acquisition and distribution of additional ~1200 cows across 31 collines by March 2024, followed by adequate management of sanitary risks and quarantine of imported cows through end July 2024; 2) Acquisition and distribution of additional climate-resilient seeds (~220,000 t of beans and 11million sweet potatoes) across 31 collines by March 2024, with accompanying training and community mobilization for appropriate utilization of seeds by August 2024. New re-allocations to the PIU will also be required to ensure adequate functioning of the PIU through September 2024. C. RATIONALE FOR PROPOSED CHANGES The extension of project closing date is requested for the following reasons: a) Roll out of the described two activities (extension of current activities), envisaged to ensure full absorption of USD 4 million that would otherwise remain undisbursed under disbursement category 3 for the parent project (IDA) and category 1 for the AF (GEF). b) Allow landscape restoration activities to proceed thro ugh the upcoming rainy season (season B), which spans February to May 2024; c) Allow additional time for the PIU to implement all necessary mitigation measures to address phytosanitary risks linked with import of 1200 cows into the country, including necessary 4month quarantine time from the time of cow distribution (planned for end March 2024); d) Allow for the deployment of new community safeguard measures to ensure full appropriation and transfer of technology to colline level beneficiary communities which will receive new climate-resilient seeds. Finally, as the PIU has been selected to serve as the PIU for the new scale up project (P180864 - Burundi Climate Resilience Project), due to be effective October 2024, the new closing date proposed for September 2024 would allow for a smooth transfer of staff and expertise from the parent to the new project. III. DETAILED CHANGES LOAN CLOSING DATE(S) Original Revised Proposed Proposed Deadline Ln/Cr/Tf Status Closing Closing(s) Closing for Withdrawal Applications The World Bank Burundi Landscape Restoration and Resilience Project (P160613) IDA-D2760 Effective 14-Mar-2023 31-Mar-2024 30-Sep-2024 30-Jan-2025