The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa Additional Financing (P181150) Additional Financing Appraisal Environmental and Social Review Summary Appraisal Stage (AF ESRS Appraisal Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 11/09/2023 | Report No: ESRSAFA623 Dec 21, 2023 Page 1 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa Additional Financing (P181150) I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Region Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) Western and Central Africa WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA Project ID Project Name P181150 Accelerating Impacts Of Cgiar Climate Research For Africa Additional Financing Parent Project ID (if any) Parent Project Name P173398 Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Agriculture and Food Investment Project 1/22/2024 2/15/2024 Financing Estimated Decision Review Total Project Cost Public Disclosure Date 1/17/2024 40,000,000 Proposed Development Objective The Project Development Objective is to strengthen the capacity of governments, regional organizations, farmers and other (relevant) stakeholders and enhance access to—and use of—climate information services and validated climate- smart agriculture technologies in IDA- eligible countries in Africa 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 AICCRA will fill a critical gap in the research-into-development continuum by helping climate information services (CIS) and climate-smart agriculture (CSA) innovations developed with input from CGIAR Centers and strategic partners reach end users. The project will support research, knowledge exchanges, and capacity building activities, to enable research and extension service providers at regional and national-level access knowledge, technologies, and decision making tools needed to produce climate advisories and make them available to end users, along with information Dec 21, 2023 Page 2 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa Additional Financing (P181150) about proven CSA innovations. The project will foster partnerships between CGIAR Centers and regional and national institutions, universities, public agencies, and private firms, for the purpose of building or strengthening platforms for the generation, exchange, and transmission of climate-informed advisory services, as well as increasing awareness of proven CSA technologies. The project will work in selected countries in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa that are particularly vulnerable to climate change and where CGIAR science has the greatest chance of producing transformational results. D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1 Overview of Environmental and Social Project Settings The AICCRA Parent Project is regional in scope, with a focus on 6 countries (Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, and Zambia). It has supported the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Project activities have consisted of knowledge generation and transfer of "Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), capacity building, strengthen capacities of key regional and national institutions, and supporting regional and national partners in setting up "Climate Information Systems" (CIS). Activities have thus primarily concentrated on technical assistance, with limited acquisitions and civil works. AICCRA’s Additional Financing (AF) will keep the Parent Project’s component structure and scale-up investments for validation of CGIAR CSA technologies (drought resistant seeds, rice parboilers, CIS applications and platforms, solar irrigation, pest management.) and facilitate their availability and adoption through identified “scaling pathways.” It will also contribute to Fertilizers and Soil-Health Roadmap by financing activities with research bodies and strengthening digital soil health monitoring. There will be greater emphasis in the AF on gender-responsive climate Public Disclosure agro-advisory services, just-in-time policy-relevant knowledge products based on requests from national partners and key stakeholders and tailoring of knowledge products and tools, including those that can help national governments and other stakeholders track adaptation progress related to CSA/CSI implementation. Project activities will include agricultural research carried out in research institutions and demonstration activities to be undertaken on farms. These demonstrations will continue to be undertaken within sites which are relatively small-scale (averaging 0.03 - 0.5 acres) and under controlled and test conditions. Under the Parent Project, about 80 unique climate relevant knowledge, technologies, and decision-making tools have been generated and made available to over 3 million small-holder and medium to large scale farmers. This was made possible through show casing the technologies on 465 demonstration farms set across the six focus countries. This includes 33 project sites in Kenya, 10 in Ethiopia, 189 in Senegal, 13 in Mali, 23 in Ghana, and 197 in Zambia. D.2 Overview of Borrower’s Institutional Capacity for Managing Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts AICCRA is implemented by a Project Management Unit (PMU) located in the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), one of CGIAR’s research centers, who will supervise the activities of 74 “Grant Recipients” (partners) that are regional research organizations and national government agencies. The CIAT team includes two E&S coordinators, one based in Kenya and the other in Senegal. They are supported by E&S focal points in each of the six countries who supervise closely the implementation of the E&S requirements by the grant recipients. The same institutional arrangements will be in place for the Additional Financing. Dec 21, 2023 Page 3 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa Additional Financing (P181150) The environmental and social (E&S) performance of the project was rated as Highly Satisfactory during the last supervision mission in October 2023. This rating reflects the well-documented and close supervisory support of the AICCRA PMU in ensuring 1) regular screening of subproject activities and rejecting sites which did not meet the requirements highlighted in the Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) Guide; 2) the preparation of E&S instruments (ESMPs, PMPs, LMPs, SEPs/GM and SEA/SH activities) before starting CSA innovations and CIA technologies activities for selected sites; 3) the implementation and monitoring of E&S mitigation measures identified during the demonstration of CSA innovations; 4) the consultation, communication and outreach of project benefits engaging relevant stakeholders; 5) the regular submission of regular and detailed reports on the E&S progress to the Bank, including supplementary updates to the main semiannual reports of the overall project; 6) grievance monitoring and reporting is consistent across all countries and are being managed effectively. Moreover, the E&S team identified that ESS7 is relevant in Kenya, the SEP was updated and disclosed to ensure culturally appropriate consultations and grievance mechanism for Indigenous peoples as some sites include traditional Indigenous lands, without the need for economic and/or physical displacement. While ensuring the integration of E&S risk assessment and management into project delivery, the project has also helped strengthen the compliance of partner institutions with farm safety practices and national regulations, along with a focus on promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities in project activities. II. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Moderate Public Disclosure A.1 Environmental Risk Rating Moderate Environmental risks are expected to be moderate given the type and scale of activities which are neither large nor complex. There is low probability of serious adverse effects to the environment or to human health and safety through pollution of soil and water or occupational hazards, provided appropriate mitigation measures are well implemented. A.2 Social Risk Rating Moderate Overall, the social risks have been assessed as moderate, as they are of low magnitude, small-scale, and can be managed through adequate mitigation measures. Key social risks associated with the project include occupational and health and safety risks, in particular related to exposure and/or the use of pesticide, the potential for the exclusion of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and women from project benefits. The risks of forced and child labor are low, as project workers are mostly staff from regional and national partners who are highly skilled (scientists and researchers. Project activities have been screened for the risk of and sexual exploitation and abuse/sexual harassment (SEA/SH), which has been assessed as low. Moreover, any activities that lead to land acquisition, restrictions on land use and involuntary resettlement, economic or physical, will be excluded from project financing. B. Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) that Apply to the Activities Being Considered B.1 Relevance of Environmental and Social Standards Dec 21, 2023 Page 4 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa Additional Financing (P181150) ESS1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Relevant Impacts The Additional Financing activities are expected to generate moderate environmental and social risks that are small- scale, moderate in magnitude and can be managed with the implementation of adequate mitigation measures. To manage these risks, CIAT, with support from the Bank, has prepared an Environment and Social Risk Management (ESRM) Guide under the Parent Project. The guide includes key E&S requirements, procedures and tools for grant recipients to comply with the ESF. More specifically, the ESRM includes: (i) an exclusion list of activities that cannot be financed under the project (e.g. activities involving genetically modified organisms, economic and physical displacement, adverse impacts on biodiversity and cultural heritage, unsustainable practices that may introduce invasive alien species, etc.); (ii) screening tools and the requirement for ex-ante review by CIAT of the environmental and social risks and impacts of AICCRA; annual work program; (iii) Ex-post review (annual environmental and social monitoring report) of IDA-funded activities, which includes information on sub-projects; (iv) template of ESMPs and E&S “checklists”; (v) requirements to include E&S clauses in the agreement with national and regional partners (i.e. grant recipients). The ESRM Guide has been updated to include the activities of the Additional Financing and the updated version disclosed on November 9, 2023, prior to project appraisal. In addition to the ESRM Guide, CIAT has developed Labor Management Procedures (LMP) and Stakeholder Engagement Plans (SEP) for the parent project. Both of these instruments have also been updated to reflect the activities of the AF and were disclosed on November 9, 2023. CIAT will be accountable for ensuring that Grant Recipients implement their activities according to the requirements of the updated ESRM Guide. Each Grant recipient will be required to have an Environmental and Social Management Public Disclosure System (ESMS) at its level that is based on the ESRM Guide. The ESMS for each Grant Recipient have been developed and include: (i) an Environmental and Social Management Plan; (ii) E&S procedures for identifying and managing E&S risks in the project activities; (iii) Human Resource policy (including code of conduct for workers and grievance mechanism for workers); (iv) Occupational health and safety policy and procedures; (v) Waste management policy and procedures; (vi) Pest management plan; (vii) Stakeholder engagement plan and grievance mechanism; (viii) Plan for E&S management of local farms. Under the Parent Project and consistent with the requirements of the project Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), the AICCRA project conducted the E&S risk assessment of project activities that are being implemented in the six focal countries. Based on the key E&S risks identified, particularly in the field demonstration of CSA innovations, the project prepared ten (10) Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) templates for the diverse field activities being carried out. The ten ESMPs prepared were approved by the World Bank and disclosed on AICCRA project website and published in national newspapers. The AICCRA E&S Specialists also provided various levels of support for implementation and monitoring of the E&S risk mitigation measures considered in the ESMPs. ESS2 Labor and Working Conditions Relevant Labor Management Procedures (LMP) prepared under the Project were updated under the AF and disclosed on 09 November 2023, prior to project appraisal. The Updated LMP include terms and working conditions to be reflected in each partners' LMP (i.e. minimum wage, hours of work, rest days, leave, medical insurance, etc...), as well as a Code of Conduct (CoC) template. The minimum age to work for the AICCRA project (including its AF) is 18 year old. With regards to the implementation of the LMP under the parent project, specific LMPs were prepared and disclosed for each country cluster. A Grievance Mechanism (GM) for workers in each country cluster has been established. So far, Dec 21, 2023 Page 5 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa Additional Financing (P181150) no complaints from a project worker has been recorded, nor has any incident or accident occurred under the parent project. There are expected to be around 260 project workers. These include around 45 direct workers who represent the national and international staff CIAT has assigned to implement the AICCRA-AF project activities as part of the PMU at the regional and country levels. Direct workers will remain subject to the terms and conditions of their existing employment contracts, which are governed by CIAT polices, and national labor laws in the six participating countries, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mali, and Senegal. In addition, the AF is expected to require around 215 contracted workers, who represent the national and international staff of CIAT's 22 regional partners and 52 national partners (i.e. Grant Recipients that represent government agencies, such as national meteorological agencies, agricultural research institutions, and ministries in charge of agriculture). The staff of regional and national partners will remain subject to the terms and conditions of their existing contracts, which are governed by national labor laws and their respective institutional policies. There will be no legal transfer of their employment to the AICCRA Project. Nonetheless, all contracted workers will be required by the terms of their contract to implement project activities in accordance with the LMP, most specifically the occupational health and safety measures and prohibitions placed on forced and child labor, as well as measures on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, and Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH). The project is not expected to use community workers. ESS3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management Relevant Due to the use of pesticides and chemicals, albeit in very small volumes, there is a potential risk of soil and water pollution due to poor disposal methods or risk of air pollution if chemical or plastic waste is managed by burning. Public Disclosure Inadequate soil and water management practices could result in soil degradation, increased water salinity or changes in water drainage and flows. The parent project has undertaken training on best practice in sustainable pest and disease management programs, while promoting Integrated Pest Management approach and diversification of rotations and intercropping and maintenance of plant cover. The project has also promoted innovative technologies and platforms (effective environmental databases), information technology and biotechnology and monitoring of soil indices related for soil conservation. One of the challenges in the parent project was the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) for chemical applications, as these are not sold by agrochemical shops located near rural and smallholder farmers; this made it difficult for some farmers to improve their practices even after receiving training. Another challenge is finding disposal methods for small used packages of pesticides. The AF will explore options for sustainable solutions to address these two issues. ESS4 Community Health and Safety Relevant While low to moderate in magnitude, there is minimal risk of community health and safety due to potential exposure to pesticides, and dangers associated with a poor storage of pesticide. No security forces or the military are expected to be used during project implementation. The SEA/SH risks are considered to be low. ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement Not Currently Relevant Dec 21, 2023 Page 6 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa Additional Financing (P181150) Any activities that lead to physical or economic resettlement or restriction of land use will be excluded from the financing of the AF. This requirement is outlined in the ESRM as part of the exclusion list. ESS6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Not Currently Relevant Resources N/A ESS7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Relevant Local Communities As ESS7 is now relevant as project activities that are taking place in Kenya benefit the Pastoralists in Arbajahan ward in Wajir County who meet the four characteristics outlined in the ESF. In these areas, the Pastoralists will be the sole beneficiaries of the project. As per the requirements of the ESF, a specific SEP and grievance mechanism for this community was adopted to the engagement process was culturally appropriate. ESS8 Cultural Heritage Not Currently Relevant N/A ESS9 Financial Intermediaries Not Currently Relevant N/A Public Disclosure ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure Relevant Key affected project stakeholders include farmers and pastoralists who will directly benefit from the new technologies and demonstration activities, CGIAR centers (i.e. the International Livestock and Research Institution, the International Crop Research Institution for the Semi-Arid Tropics, AfricaRice, the International Water Management Institute, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture), national partners (i.e. the meteorological departments, agricultural and livestock research organizations and agribusinesses), universities with a focus on agriculture research and development, private sector agribusinesses. Other interested stakeholders include African governments and environmental management agencies/authorities in participating countries, the local population benefitting indirectly from improved agricultural products and food security, financial institutions, including agricultural banks and lending institutions, and professionals involved in climate change adaptation initiatives. Disadvantaged and vulnerable stakeholders include beneficiaries with disabilities, marginalized groups, female farmers, pastoralists, or female-owned agribusinesses. CIAT developed a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) for the parent project, which was updated to reflect the activities of the additional financing. The updated SEP was disclosed on 09 November 2023, prior to project appraisal. Extensive virtual and in-person consultative dialogues were held with CGIAR and a wide range of stakeholders in the six participating countries during the preparation of the AF. These included over 600 representatives (including 175 women) from CGIAR centers and partners, regional and national government authorities, regional and national agricultural institutions, national universities, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), agribusiness, farmers, and associations representing vulnerable groups. Key concerns raised by the participants included the need to mainstream climate-friendly technologies in national plans and strategies and university and TVET trainings, enhancing water use efficiencies and training cooperatives on composting techniques to reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. Dec 21, 2023 Page 7 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa Additional Financing (P181150) During the implementation of the Parent Project, CIAT and Grant Recipients have conducted a wide range of direct stakeholder engagement activities at the regional and country levels (in-person and virtual), through the implementation of 270 national and regional workshops, reaching over 9,000 individuals, including over 40% women. Moreover, the E&S team reached out to project beneficiaries of pilot demonstration farm activities during the preparation of the ESMPs. With regard to indirect stakeholder engagement, the new technologies generated by the project have been disseminated through various communications channels, including emails, newsletters (5,000), social media (5,222 Linked in connections, 2,000 Twitter/X audience), workshops, and seminars, as well as through the launch of the AICCRA website (aiccra.cgiar.org), which has been visited by 26,000 users as of July 2023. AICCRA has a grievance management system, which reception channels at the central and at the country levels. To date, no complaint has been received at the central level since the project started in 2020. In-country, the GM is managed by the E&S focal person, along with country-level grievance committees with phone/WhatsApp numbers. The reception channels have been disseminated through consultations and posters who are displayed on the farm demonstration sites. As of October 2023, a total of 52 complaints had been submitted with a 100% resolution rate. Most complaints (70%) relate to requests for information and are submitted in-person, most frequently directly to the activity lead at the project demonstration sites. CIAT and their team in Kenya conducted extensive information disclosure and consultations with traditional Pastoralists in Wajir County in Kenya, which helped secure buy-in and Free Prior and Informed Consent from the Pastoralist community. The project adapted its grievance mechanism to ensure it was culturally appropriate to receive and Public Disclosure manage complaints related to project activities with the traditional communities. B.2 Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Projects on International Waterways No OP 7.60 Projects in Disputed Areas No B.3 Other Salient Features Use of Borrower Framework No The Borrower Framework is not being considered. Use of Common Approach No There are no other financing partners. C. Overview of Required Environmental and Social Risk Management Activities C.1 What Borrower environmental and social analyses, instruments, plans and/or frameworks are planned or required during implementation? Dec 21, 2023 Page 8 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa Additional Financing (P181150) The Environment and Social Risk Management (ESRM) Guide, Labor Management Procedures (LMP) and Stakeholder Engagement Plans (SEP) have been updated for the Additional Financing, finalized and disclosed on Nov 9, 2023. The ESCP needs to be updated and finazlied during Negotiations III. CONTACT POINTS World Bank Task Team Leader: Katie Kennedy Freeman Title: Senior Agriculture Economist Email: kkennedy1@worldbank.org IV. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects V. APPROVAL Public Disclosure Task Team Leader(s): Katie Kennedy Freeman ADM Environmental Specialist: Ruma Tavorath ADM Social Specialist: Eloise Sophie Fluet Practice Manager (ENV/SOC) Pia Peeters Cleared on 17-Nov-2023 at 03:53:40 EST Dec 21, 2023 Page 9 of 9