The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) Appraisal Environmental and Social Review Summary Appraisal Stage (ESRS Appraisal Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 11/02/2023 | Report No: ESRSA03105 Nov 02, 2023 Page 1 of 12 The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Region Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Nepal SOUTH ASIA P171836 Project Name Provincial And Local Roads Improvement Program Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Transport Investment Project 10/30/2023 12/20/2023 Financing Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) Estimated Decision Review Total Project Cost Date Nepal Ministry of Urban 10/19/2023 128,000,000 Development, DoLI, Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Department of Local Public Disclosure Infrastructure (DoLI) Proposed Development Objective To enhance inclusive connectivity, efficiency, resilience and safety of the selected provincial and local road network and strengthen the capacity of the participating governments B. Is the project being prepared in a Situation of Urgent Need of Assistance or Capacity Constraints, as per Bank IPF Policy, para. 12? No C. Summary Description of Proposed Project Activities The proposed operation aims to support government’s vision in improving the efficiency of the existing network and provide sustainable all weather-road access to the rural population of Nepal, which are critical for providing access to the economic opportunities, health and educational services, administrative centres and relief at the time of natural calamities. The proposed Project, specifically, aims to support (a) upgradation and/or rehabilitation of selected provincial roads and bridges from fair-weather to all-weather standard roads, maintenance and preservation of the existing provincial road and bridge network, and piloting investment on community-led complimentary/associated infrastructure facilities along with road alignment to enhance supply-chain efficiency for agricultural produce; (b) providing all-weather road access and connectivity to critical unconnected villages and very remote/remote Nov 02, 2023 Page 2 of 12 The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) municipalities through construction of all-weather roads/bridges with the national and provincial road network, as necessary; (c) institutional strengthening and capacity building of the participating governments through harmonizing guidelines and standards, training and capacity building activities, enhancing planning and management systems etc.; and (d) building capacity in managing road safety issues, integrating climate-resilience and road safety engineering measures in design, construction and maintenance, awareness programs, community, and work zone safety, strengthening enforcement and post-accident management systems. The proposed interventions together are envisaged to achieve enhanced socio-economic opportunities, improved business competitiveness and access to economic and social services and markets through improved accessibility, connectivity, efficiency and governance of the provincial and local road infrastructure with safety, resilience and maintenance measure. D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1 Overview of Environmental and Social Project Settings The Project will be implemented across three provinces of Nepal : Province-2 (Madesh Pradesh), Province -6 (Karnali) and selected areas within Province-7 (Sudurpaschim). All project activities (components) will cover three physiographic regions (Terai, middle hills and mountains) of the country which constitutes flat, mountainous terrain, complex geology and seismic activities; climatic factors such as erratic precipitation monsoon patterns (intensity and frequency) with frequent flooding and ecologically sensitive environment. Terai is a low flat land region containing some hill ranges. It covers 17% of the total area of Nepal and is predominantly a rice producing area and are vulnerable to natural disasters such as flash flood and drought. Middle Hill is a region which does not generally contain snow and expands between the elevation of 1 ,500 and 2,700 meters and covers 68% of the total area of Nepal and constitutes of terraced agriculture land and has fragile geology with with risks of landslides and slope Public Disclosure failures. Himal or Mountain is a region which is above 3,000 meters covers 15% of the total area of Nepal. Subtropical and tropical forest dominates the Terai region and while temperate broadleaf forests are found in mountains. There are national parks, rivers and wetlands such as Chitwan National Park, Bardiya National Park, Karnal and Rapti river, Ghoda ghodi wetlands, in the three provinces. Social dynamics vary across provinces that cut across three physiographic regions. The population is heterogenous where Khas, Aryans are the majority in Karnali and Sudurpachim. Madhesh Province in Terai has mostly Madhesi as the key ethnic group. Though a minority population, pockets of Indegenous Peoples groups such as Tharu, Magar, Bhote are present in the three provinces. D.2 Overview of Borrower’s Institutional Capacity for Managing Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts The Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) is the main implementing agency at the federal level. The Central Program Coordination Unit (CPCU) established at Department of Local Infrastructure (DoLI) under the MoUD, will be responsible for overall policy, project oversight, monitoring, and coordination across different tiers of government and development partners. Dedicated Provincial Program Management Units (PPMUs) and Local Level Technical Units (LLTU) will be established under the respective Provincial Ministry of Physical and infrastructure Development (MOPID) and Local levels respectively. Infrastructure Development Office (IDOs) under the PPMU and Local level technical unit (LLTUs) shall be implementing agencies in the field for provincial and local roads respectively. The primary responsibility for the works related to provincial roads and bridges (upgradation, rehabilitation and maintenance) will be with PPMUs/ IDOs under the respective provincial governments; the works related to the construction of roads and bridges to provide basic connectivity to very remote/remote municipalities, will be undertaken by PPMUs/IDO on behalf of respective municipality, but following the principle-of-subsidiarity, wherein the PPMUs will be accountable to the municipalities for those works. Nov 02, 2023 Page 3 of 12 The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) While the Bank’s ESF policy requirements are new to the MOUD, DoLI has previous experience in implementing environmental and social safeguards policies applicable to WB and other Donor’s infrastructures projects. DoLI was responsible for implementing Strengthening the National Rural Transport Program (SNRTP/P132750) from 2014-2020 and earlier rural transport projects funded by the WB. Through these projects DoLI acquired some experience particularly in dealing with Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) issues and labour camp management and formalized the transfer of the frontline responsibility for implementation to the IDOs under the MoPID of the respective Provincial Governments. Despite the familiarity gained through earlier projects, implementing agency(s) capacity to manage environment and social impacts of this project is relatively weak and implementation practices require attention to ensure consistency with Bank standards. An E&S capacity assessment of the implementing agencies at all three levels undertaken during preparation indicated that capacity constraints particularly at the provincial and municipal levels are pronounced with limited or no staffing and resourcing to manage the environment and social aspects of the subprojects. Therefore, capacity strengthening support on the ES risk management in terms of staffing, budget and trainings is to be embedded in the first phase of the SOP to enable the implementing partners (PPMU, IDOs and municipalities) to manage environmental and social risks throughout the implementation period. These have also been reflected in the ESMF and the ESCP prepared for the Project. Thus in this first phase of the SOP sufficient E&S staffing with resources will be established. An Environmental Expert and a Social Development Expert will be hired by CPCU for overall management of E&S risks and impacts of the first phase of the SOP. Likewise, the PPMUs will be established with an Environmental Officer and a Social Development Officer to support management of E&S risks at the provincial and local level throughout the project implementation. Additional E&S specialists and social mobilisers will be hired at Public Disclosure IDOs, as and when required. Additionally, with the support of E&S specialists, CPCU will organize and manage relevant training to be provided to the relevant target groups, including DPR consultants, staff, stakeholder community, project workers, other consultants, contractors, sub-contractors in the following areas: (i) Orientation training to relevant staff across three tiers on the E&S risk management framework designed for the project, World Bank ESF and its implementation modality (screening, scoping); (ii) Training on involuntary resettlement, stakeholder engagement, preparation and implementation of ESIA and RAP, Occupational health and safety, community health and safety, labor practices, cultural heritage management, traffic and road safety, exposure visits to wildlife areas, natural habitat and biodiversity training course, consultant procurement and contract management, and management of construction Impacts. II. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Substantial A.1 Environmental Risk Rating Substantial The environmental risk rating proposed for the first phase of the SoPs is assessed to be substantial considering that while long distance provincial roads and bridges will be supported for rehabilitation, routine/periodic maintenance and upgrading and new construction, the scale of civil works supported by the Project are not as large scale and extensive as the national and regional roads and risks and impacts are highly likely to be localized, temporary and Nov 02, 2023 Page 4 of 12 The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) manageable. The associated environmental risks include: landslides and stability issues, occupational health and safety (OH&S) issues , solid waste and wastewater, dust, noise, water pollution, vegetation loss and impact on critical habitats, issues with quarry sites and borrow pits and soil contaminations due to subproject activities. Other anticipated risks during operations will be erosion, failure of slopes and drainage system in the upgraded roads. The impacts are expected to be site-specific and can be addressed through systematic planning and implementation that involves rigorous technical investigation, adoption of mitigation hierarchy, alternative analysis and design. The assignment of substantial risk rating also takes into account the physical characteristics of Nepal such as mountainous terrain, complex geology and seismic activities; climatic factors such as erratic precipitation patterns (intensity and frequency) and frequent flooding and ecologically sensitive environment and capacity constraints to manage risks at the provincial and local level. The provincial and local government will require substantial financial and transition support to build the institutional capacities for enhancing the technical and managerial capacity in planning and monitoring of environmental and social risk. A.2 Social Risk Rating Substantial The social risk related to the Project is assessed as ‘substantial’. This first phase of the SOP will support civil works (upgrading, maintenance, and construction) in urban and rural settings and is expected to result in limited land taking inducing minor economic impacts such as loss of crops and temporary impacts on business. Utilization of voluntary donations for such activities has been an accepted practice under country systems in the past but is assessed to be inconsistent with ESS5 requirements for consultation, awareness, and restrictions on type and magnitude of impact on land and assets. The assessment for this project also noted a growing awareness among the Project Affected Peoples about their ‘rights to not donate’. A Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) has been prepared describing modalities for negotiation, formal procedures for expropriation with compensation, and in exceptional circumstances Public Disclosure Voluntary Land Donations (VLD) consistent with ESS5. Indigenous peoples are also present in the project areas but impacts on land under traditional ownership or customary use and occupation are not anticipated although measures have been incorporated to ensure meaningful consultation and participation. Besides these impacts and risks, the proposed construction activities around settlement areas will impact the community health and safety due to noise, dust, and traffic issues related to construction and disruption of road conditions. There is also potential for excluding vulnerable and marginalized groups from the planning process, stakeholder engagements, opportunities and benefits (employment, improved access and others) offered by the project. Construction activities may induce some labor influx, SEA/SH, accidents, as well as OHS and community health and safety and road traffic incidents. These issues are addressed in subproject level management tools prepared for the project. B. Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) that Apply to the Activities Being Considered B.1 Relevance of Environmental and Social Standards ESS1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Relevant Impacts The standard is relevant. All potential environmental and social risks and impacts for first phase of the SOP are likely to be predictable, site-specific, and can be managed through known and readily available avoidance and mitigation and management measures. However, lack of clarity on subproject locations and weak local government implementation capacity necessitates additional level of effort. Any activities of the first phase of SoPs potentially involving significant adverse environmental and social impacts such as significant impacts on biodiversity, forest natural resources and critical habitat, physical displacement, loss of livelihood and adverse impact on indigenous peoples (impacts on Nov 02, 2023 Page 5 of 12 The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) traditional land ownership and customary use, physical displacement, or impacts on cultural heritage) that require additional detailed studies, assessments and timeline as identified by indepth/ detailed screening will not be supported by the project. During the implementation, DOLI will undertake periodic assessments of the implementation of ESMF, based on comprehensive methodology under the Project, and update/revise the frameworks as necessary. Given that the exact activities and site locations have not yet been determined, DoLI has drafted a Project level Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) which has been publicly disclosed, consulted on, and will be approved and adopted prior to negotiations. During preparation, the ESMF used for the earlier SNRTP project was assessed in terms of its implementation and appropriateness and lessons incorporated into the new ESMF for the first phase of the SOP. Labor Management Procedures (LMP), a Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF), and a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), have also been prepared to meet ESF requirements. These instruments provide guidance on application of mitigation hierarchy, addressing and mitigating the potential environmental and social risks and impacts. These instruments will also provide guidance on planning and specific measures to enhance benefits to the local people. Likewise, for climate resilience the ESMF provides the guidance on E&S measures like better drainage system, improved soling, and adequate layer of bitumen, bioengineering interventions for stabilizing critical stretches to reduce risks of landslides in the design of roads. Vulnerability and access to services for marginalized and indigenous communities will be addressed as key components of the first phase of the SOP and through targeted stakeholder engagement activities that ensures access to information and participation of these groups in the decision making process of the project design and benefits. Subproject specific ESIAs/ESMPs/RAPs will be prepared as per ESMF/RPF prior to invitation of bids and land compensation and resettlement assistance will be extended prior to Public Disclosure taking over of the lands and assets. The draft ESMF, LMP and SEP have been disclosed and consulted upon. These instruments will be approved and adopted prior to negotiation. The draft RPF is prepared and will be disclosed by appraisal. The draft RPF will be consulted upon, revised, re-disclosed and adopted prior to program effectiveness. The final ESMF, RPF, SEP and LMP will be approved by the DoLI/MoUD. The Borrower is preparing sub-project specific ESIA/ESMP, RAP/IPP and other instruments for the first year investment identified for the first phase of the SoPs in line with ESMF, SEP, RPF and LMP. Relevant guidelines like WB Road EHS Guidelines will be referred to cover all relevant construction and operations impacts. The Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) which outlines the measures and actions that the borrower will be required to adhere to ensure compliance over the course of the first phase of the SOP has been prepared and will be disclosed prior to appraisal. ESS2 Labor and Working Conditions Relevant This standard is relevant. The proposed Project will involve direct workers, contracted workers primary supply and community workers. Direct workers on the project are largely skilled technical and specialized Consultants (civil, highway, bridge engineers, geo-tech engineers, finance and fiduciary staff, environmental and social staff) and semi- skilled workers such as drivers that would be engaged by the DoLI to carry out activities on this project. Contracted workers will include skilled, semi-skilled (masons, steel works, metal fabricators) and manual workers. Primary supply workers include those workers involved in supplies of stones, sand, cement, water, seedlings, and other raw Nov 02, 2023 Page 6 of 12 The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) materials). Voluntary community labor will be engaged in road side vegetation clearance, cleaning and maintenance of road side drains. These workers will be involved in implementing the Project activities and exposed to occupational health and safety concerns such as accidents from falls, misuse of tools and machines, and potential spread of infectious diseases among workers and communities. Other labor-related risks and impacts include labor influx into project areas which may pose risk of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEA/SH) to host communities. Use of harmful child labor, forced labor and bonded labor is prohibited and will be subject to inspection and enforcement. Labor Management Procedures (LMP) have been prepared for the Project including clear information on the terms and conditions of employment, principles regarding nondiscrimination and equal opportunity and the establishment of workers’ organizations, rules regarding child labor, forced labor and bonded labor, and occupational health and safety measures including provisions for management and spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. The Project activities during implementation entail various types of health and safety risks particularly when working in high mountain areas, steep slopes and landslides/flood prone areas. Considering the weak OHS systems in Nepal and capacity of the implementing agency, these aforementioned activities will have substantial potential health and safety risks. The LMP have been prepared in line with the requirements of ESS2 to ensure health and safety of workers during the construction and operational phases of sub-projects to be financed via the Project in line with the World Bank Group Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines and Good International Industry Practice (GIIP) and Standard Framework of COVID-19 Protocol. The LMP includes OHS Plan, procedures, training, and monitoring which will be implemented throughout the Project period. A standalone GRM for workers to raise workplace grievances will be established. The Labor GRM will refer to GBV service providers to address cases of SEA/SH arising among the workforce. The draft LMP has been consulted and disclosed and will be finalized prior to negotiations. Public Disclosure ESS3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management Relevant This standard is relevant. New construction, road upgrading, rehabilitation and maintenance works will include the use of a range of resources and materials like asphalt, bitumen, cement, gravel and stone from borrow pits and quarry sites and other material that can pollute the environment unless properly handled. The Program activities will also use a significant amount of energy, construction materials such as aggregate, soil and sands, and water resources . Assessment of risks, impacts and proposed mitigation measures related to relevant requirements of ESS3, including raw materials, water use, air and dust pollution, noise pollution, hazardous materials has been clearly specified in the ESMF and will be included in the sub-project specific ESIAs/ESMPs as relevant. Likewise, soil conservation, erosion control / re- profiling and vegetable cover, water management and drainage and others relevant for operational phase will be included in sub-project specific ESIAs /ESMPs. In case of river crossings specific standard of procedures will be also included in the ESMPs. The ESMF provides guidance and procedures on safe handling and disposal of construction and demolition waste, and to minimize the release of pollutants into air, water and soil and assure compliance with the WBG Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines and GIIP , specific mitigation measures will be included in the site- specific Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIAs) and Environment and Social Management Plan (ESMPs) which will be part of the tendering documentation and civil works contracts . ESS4 Community Health and Safety Relevant The standard is relevant. Construction, upgrading, maintenance and rehabilitation of roads and bridges are associated with environmental risks like dust/noise, landslides and soil erosion, temporary blockages, traffic management, waste disposal and social risks like labor influx on safety of local communities, HIV/AIDS and GBV/SEA/SH. Likewise, community movements may also be disrupted temporarily during construction works and cause inconvenience to local Nov 02, 2023 Page 7 of 12 The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) communities. The ESMF provides guidelines for assessing and managing community health and safety risks, including screening procedures to assess these risks as well as design features that provide safety to users and community members in accordance with the World Bank Group Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines and GIIP. In addition, the ESMF provides guidance on good practice mitigatory measures, ranging from signage and signaling in local languages to control excessive noise and dust levels and other civil works impacts that can be a nuisance to the public. Site specific ESMPs will be prepared to include robust mitigation and management plans to address these risks. Special guidelines will be developed for sensitive sites like schools, hospitals, religious places, and others as required. Community awareness raising on GBV/SEA/SH and in-depth training for project actors will also be conducted to ensure Community, Health and Safety. In addition to this, general guidelines for traffic management plans has been included in ESMF to guide contractor to prepare site specific plans. Site specific traffic/Road Safety Management Plans and Community Health and safety plan with measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of nearby communities and road users during upgrading/maintenance and for the operation phase will be prepared as required together with the Emergency Response Plans with procedures to respond to accidental leaks, spills, emissions, fires, disruptions on traffic and connectivity and other unforeseen crisis events. ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement Relevant This standard is assessed to be relevant to the Project. The first phase of the SOP will support upgradation and/or widening, rehabilitation and improvement of provincial and local roads and bridges, pilot investment on community-led complimentary infrastructures such as cold storages, warehouses, and pilots to improve non-motorized transport and alternative means of access to reach most remote villages through low-cost community -based arrangements that may require land acquisition. These activities may require small amounts of land taking with limited impact on livelihood and Public Disclosure economic activities. Since the technical design for these activities is still being deliberated accurate data on the associated land taking requirements is not yet available. Once clarified, design alternatives will be explored to avoid and minimize the impacts due to loss of land, structures and sources of livelihoods. Activities that will induce physical displacement or are likely to extend significant impacts to livelihoods will be excluded from this Project and moved to subsequent phases in the SOP to allow sufficient time for preparation of mitigation actions and associated capacity building measures. Three modalities and corresponding approaches to mitigating the impacts of land acquisition are considered (1) Acquisition through Negotiation, (2) Acquisition through formal procedure/ Expropriation, with compensation payable consistent with Nepal’s Land Acquisition Act, 1977, and in specific circumstances (3) Voluntary Land Donation (VLD). VLD that is consistent with the principles for land donation as expressed in the ESS5 (footnote 10) is proposed to be used only in situations where people are project beneficiaries, have been properly informed and consulted, are aware that refusal is an option, and have come forward to donate minor amounts of land which will not reduce the donor’s remaining land below that required to maintain the donor’s livelihood. Sub-projects will be reviewed on a case by case basis during implementation. Land will not be acquired through VLD unless the Borrower demonstrates fulfilment of all conditions set out in the VLD Protocol, and thereafter obtains the Bank’s prior approval before undertaking any VLD. The project shall rely on Third-Party verification and review of VLD process including reporting corrective actions for VLD taken in anticipation of the project prior to approval of the RPF. The RPF however will not apply to land taken through any method for roads already upgraded prior to or not associated with PLRIP, or not done in anticipation of PLRIP. Since the exact location and nature of interventions for the first phase of the SOP are not defined yet, a Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) to guide resettlement action planning during implementation has been drafted and disclosed by appraisal. Further detailed consultations with different stakeholders at federal , provincial and local level for finalization Nov 02, 2023 Page 8 of 12 The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) of the RPF will be conducted prior to program effectiveness. The RPF clarifies the circumstances under which involuntary acquisition and VLD may be used including the clearance process. The RPF requires deployment of a third party monitor to verify instances of VLD. The RPF provides measures to bridge the gaps between government regulatory framework and ESS5 such as preparation of Resettlement Action Plan, consultations with the Project affected Peoples (PAPs), compensation at replacement cost, support for economic and physical resettlement impacts, and additional assistance to vulnerable PAPs. Additionally, compensation for land for those informal settlers who have recognizable claims to land under the national law and compensation to assets and transitional support to informal occupiers consistent with ESS5 will be provided. The framework provides detailed guidance on preparation and implementation of subproject specific Resettlement Action Plans, aligned with procurement and civil work timelines and institutional and implementation arrangements. During implementation, DOLI will undertake periodic assessments of the implementation of RPF, based on comprehensive methodology under the Project, and update/revise the frameworks as necessary. Assessments of first year investments will start during preparation and continue into implementation. ESS6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Relevant Resources This standard is relevant. In the first phase of SoPs, sub-projects that will not have significant impacts on forest, biodiversity, or other living natural resources will be selected. The proposed activities requiring additional detailed ecological studies/assessments will be moved to subsequent phases. The potential impacts will only be identified during sub-project design when routes are known and should be addressed in subsequent ESIA/ ESMPs. The ESMF therefore defines procedures, for identifying, screening and managing sub-projects (roads, bridges and others) risks and Public Disclosure impacts following mitigation hierarchy approach to manage the impacts related to natural habitats. Site specific ESIA/ESMPs will be prepared to mitigate adverse risks and impacts on natural habitats, valued species or key ecosystem services. ESS7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Relevant Local Communities This standard is relevant as there are Indigenous peoples, as defined by ESS7, present in the Project area. Among the affected IP communities are Tharu, Magar, and Bhote that are also recognized by the Government of Nepal (GoN) as IPs. Upgradation, rehabilitation and improvement of provincial and local roads and bridges, pilot investment on community-led complimentary infrastructures such as cold storage, warehouses, and pilots to improve non-motorized transport and alternative means of access to reach most remote villages through low-cost community -based arrangements could involve IP communities. However, any activities that will have significant adverse impacts on IPs such as impacts on land under traditional ownership or customary use, impacts involving requirement for physical resettlement or significant impacts on cultural heritage will not be supported in the first phase of SOPs and have been identified in the exclusion list developed as part of the ESMF to be further screened for. Nonetheless, the project activities will be implemented in areas where IP population may be present and they will be engaged through meaningful consultations aimed at generating broader community support for the Project. An Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework (IPPF) as part of ESMF will be adopted by negotiation to guide the planning process and instruments as required under ESS7. ESS8 Cultural Heritage Relevant Nov 02, 2023 Page 9 of 12 The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) This standard is assessed to be relevant as the Project activities may involve risks or impacts on tangible or intangible cultural heritage sites such as temples, sacred trees, cemeteries and other areas of community significance. Upgrading and maintenance of existing rural roads are not expected to have adverse impacts on cultural heritage. However, construction of new roads may involve risks and impacts on tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Given the locations are not known yet, the extent of impact on cultural heritage sites and practices is not known. Hence, the ESMF includes a detailed procedure in line with ESS8 to screen for risks and impacts on cultural heritage and include chance find procedures. The stakeholder consultation process also includes consultation related to identifying cultural heritage in collaboration with the communities. ESS9 Financial Intermediaries Not Currently Relevant NA. ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure Relevant This standard is relevant. A Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) has been developed, which will guide the consultation processes and stakeholder engagement throughout the life cycle of the Project. The Project will involve a wide range of stakeholders at national, provincial, and local levels, from public, private sectors and local communities. The stakeholders are expected to have varying interest and influence on the decision making, planning, design, construction and operation of the Project activities. The Project would also have varying impacts on stakeholders particularly on the local communities. Timely disclosure, proactive engagement and participation of stakeholders throughout the Project cycle is critical for successful design and implementation of the Project activities. Information related to the Project will Public Disclosure be provided in local language through various channels (e.g. radio, TV, and social media.). A detailed stakeholder mapping was conducted to identify stakeholders, analyze the influence of these stakeholders on the Project design and implementation and the Project's impacts on them. Local political leaders were found to be influential stakeholders and the SEP draws attention to their representation of the interests of various stakeholders. Vulnerable groups susceptible to disproportionate impacts have also been identified. Special attention will be given to ensure meaningful participation of women, indigenous communities and other vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Periodic disclosure of information to these groups will be done in local languages using multiple channels (e.g. radio, TV, social media). Additionally they will be consulted meaningfully in a culturally appropriate manner to ensure that the individuals from these groups fully understand the potential impacts, mitigation measures and opportunities from the project. These groups will be consulted through community focus group meetings, individual household visits, and use of pictorial posters, gender champions, community facilitators and others. Based on the stakeholder mapping, the Project has developed stakeholder engagement plan which includes a grievance redress mechanism which has been developed considering experiences\lessons drawn from SNRTP project and other rural transport projects and feedbacks received from stakeholders. The Project GRM is also designed to be responsive to SEA/SH cases. The GBV focal point within the GRM committee at the project level will be trained on survivor centric approach to handling SEA/SH cases and will coordinate with the engaged GBV service provider who is assigned to directly manage, facilitate, and provider support services. The draft SEP was disclosed and consulted upon at federal, provincial and local levels with different stakeholders including organizations representing vulnerable groups such as Indigenous Peoples, landless, Dalits and People with disabilities. Separate consultations with vulnerable groups were also carried out in each province. Issues around GRM effectiveness, availability of information in accessible manner, information in Nepali, and ensuring participation of local community and vulnerable groups such as women, Dalits, landless, IPs in the project planning Nov 02, 2023 Page 10 of 12 The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) procedures were raised by the stakeholders. Based on the feedback received the SEP has been revised and disclosed. SEP will be updated as and when necessary throughout the project period. B.2 Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Projects on International Waterways No Not applicable OP 7.60 Projects in Disputed Areas No Not applicable B.3 Other Salient Features Use of Borrower Framework No Given the substantial environment and social risk of the project and the country context, Borrower's E&S Framework will not be used for the Project as a whole or for any of its parts. Use of Common Approach No NA. C. Overview of Required Environmental and Social Risk Management Activities Public Disclosure C.1 What Borrower environmental and social analyses, instruments, plans and/or frameworks are planned or required during implementation? Given that the exact activities and site locations have not yet been determined, DoLI has drafted a program level Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) which has been publicly disclosed, consulted on, and will be approved and adopted prior to negotiations. ESMF used for SNRTP was reviewed and assessed in terms of its implementation and appropriateness for the first phase of the SOPs during preparation. Draft Labor Management Procedures (LMP), a Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF), a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), have also been prepared to meet ESF requirements and disclosed . These instruments provide guidance on application of mitigation hierarchy, addressing and mitigating the potential environmental and social risks and impacts III. CONTACT POINTS World Bank Task Team Leader: Reenu Aneja Title: Senior Transport Specialist Email: raneja@worldbank.org IV. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Nov 02, 2023 Page 11 of 12 The World Bank Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (P171836) The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects V. APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Deepak Man Singh Shrestha, Reenu Aneja ADM Environmental Specialist: Annu Rajbhandari ADM Social Specialist: Rekha Shreesh Public Disclosure Nov 02, 2023 Page 12 of 12