PROGRAM ON AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL TRANSFORMATION FOR NUTRITION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND RESILIENCE IN BANGLADESH (PARTNER -P176374) People’s Republic of Bangladesh PROGRAM-FOR-RESULTS ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SYSTEMS ASSESSMENT (ESSA) NOVEMBER 2022 FINAL DRAFT ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank ARIPA Acquisition and Requisition of Immovable Property Act BADC Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation BARI Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute BRRI Bangladesh Rice Research Institute BMDA Barind Multipurpose Development Authority CHT Chattogram Hill Tracts DAE Department of Agriculture Extension DAM Department of Agriculture Marketing DC Deputy Commissioner DLI Disbursement-Linked Indicator DoE Department of Environment EA Environmental Assessment ECA Environmental Conservation Act ECC Environmental Clearance Certificate ECoP Environmental Code of Practice ECR Environment Conservation Rules EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan E&S Environmental and Social ESCS Environmental, Social and Communications Section ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan ESMS Environmental and Social Management System(s) ESMU Environmental and Social Management Unit ESSA Environmental and Social Systems Assessment FGD Focus Group Discussion FPIC Free, Prior, and Informed Consent FYP Five-Year Plan GBV Gender-Based Violence GHG Greenhouse Gas GoB Government of Bangladesh GRC Grievance Redress Committee GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism GRS Grievance Redress Service IEC Information, Education, and Communication IEE Initial Environmental Examination IMED Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division IVA Independent Verification Agency LMP Labor Management Plan MoEFCC Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change MoA Ministry of Agriculture NGO Non-governmental Organization OHS Occupational Health and Safety PAD Project Appraisal Document PAP Program Action Plan PCU Program Coordination Unit PD Project Director PDO Program Development Objective PforR Program-for-Results PIP Program Implementation Plan PMP Pest Management Plan PMU Project Management Unit QESMR Quarterly E&S Monitoring Report SOP Standard Operating Procedure QESMR Quarterly E&S Monitoring Report SEA/SH Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Sexual Harassment TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 1 SECTION I: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION....................................................................................................... 8 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 8 1.2 Brief description, geographical scope, duration and objectives of the Program ...................... 10 1.3 Identification of any differences in geographic or thematic scope between the borrower’s program and the World Bank-financed Program. ................................................................................ 11 1.4 Key implementing agency of the Program................................................................................ 13 1.5 Description of the borrower’s previous experience with implementation of its program ...... 14 SECTION II: DESCRIPTION OF EXPECTED PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL EFFECTS ............15 2.1 Environmental risks and opportunities of the Program ........................................................... 16 2.1.1 Potential environmental challenges and risks .................................................................. 16 2.1.2 Potential environmental benefits and opportunities ........................................................ 17 2.2 Social risks and opportunities of the Program .......................................................................... 18 2.2.1 Potential social challenges and risks ................................................................................. 18 2.2.2 Potential social benefits and opportunities ...................................................................... 19 SECTION III: ASSESSMENT OF BORROWER’s ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ………………………………………………………………………………………… .........................................22 3.1 Description of borrower’s environmental and social management systems ........................... 22 3.1.1 Policy and legal framework ............................................................................................... 22 3.1.2 Institutions for environmental and social management systems..................................... 32 3.2 Assessment of borrower systems against core principles and planning elements .................. 33 3.2.1 Assessment of existing policy and legal framework in relation to PforR principles ......... 33 3.2.2 Assessment of the country environmental and social management system ................... 34 3.3 Assessment of borrower practices and performance records ................................................. 36 3.3.1 Management of environmental impacts at the operational level .................................... 36 3.3.2 Management of social impacts at the operational level .................................................. 37 3.4 The grievance redress mechanism............................................................................................ 38 SECTION IV: RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTIONS ................................................................................42 4.1 Compatibility of MoA’s environmental and social systems ...................................................... 42 4.2 Strengthening environmental and social system performance................................................ 42 ANNEX A: GOVERNMENT PLAN OF ACTION, thematic areas and theories of change .........................48 ANNEX B: RESULTS AREAS, DLIs AND ANNUAL DLRs ...........................................................................50 ANNEX C: CORE PRINCIPLES AND ASSOCIATED KEY PLANNING ELEMENTS OF ESSA ...........................55 ANNEX D: STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION ...........................................................................................57 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) is preparing the “Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship, and Resilience (PARTNER)� for financing from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank under a Program for Results (PforR) finance (hereinafter referred to as “the Program�). The objective of the proposed Program is to promote diversification, food safety, entrepreneurship, and resilience in the agrifood value chains of Bangladesh. While PARTNER will support rice productivity increase by exploiting the remaining yield gaps, the Program’s major focus is on investments in research (with increased attention to non-rice crops), extension services, food safety, value-chain organizations, entrepreneurships, and input use efficiencies to promote diversification in the sector. The Program also includes an E-voucher pilot for the provision of efficient input subsidy delivery mechanism whose lessons can inform the future repurposing of the ongoing fertilizer subsidy program. This approach will safeguard past achievements in ensuring food security while injecting new momentum into agricultural transformation and will be critical in building the sector’s climate resilience. The Program also aims at empowering women’s role in agriculture and increasing job opportunities for the youth, as well as increasing the volumes of quality and safe produce marketed in the country, crowding in the private sector as much as possible. The Program will increase food quality and certification through the adoption of food standards for primary producers and the establishment of accredited testing facilities. . 2. The Program will use the national system for implementation, financial management (FM), procurement, environmental and social (E&S) safeguards, monitoring and oversight, and reporting arrangements. All Program activities will be integrated in the corresponding line agency for implementation and each implementing agency (IA) including Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh Research Council (BARC), Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Department of Agriculture Marketing (DAM), Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), and Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) will set up an Agency Program Coordination Unit (APCU). A PSC, headed by the Secretary of MoA, composed of Heads of the agencies (Director General, Executive Chairman and Chairman, as appropriate), will provide overall strategic guidance, approve annual budget and activity plans, monitor overall implementation progress, facilitate inter-agency coordination required for smooth program implementation, and resolve any outstanding issues requiring higher level decisions. The Program Coordinator (PC) heading the Program Coordination Unit (PCU) at the DAE will lead the overall Program management including overseeing implementation of Program activities, carry out Program management functions, facilitate coordination among participating agencies, and liaise with the World Bank on all Program implementation related aspects. 3. The Program will require investment of approximately US$ 500 million over a five year period. The Government national program, the Plan of Action of the National Agriculture Policy (PoA-NAP) will be implemented over the period of 2021-2030 and the proposed Program will be implemented over the period of 2023-2028. The implementation of the PoA-NAP will require US$2.9 billion over the ten-year period and the implementation of PARTNER Program, to support part of it, will require US$ 0.8 billion. The World Bank commits to provide US$0.5 billion under PforR finance. For the rest of the Program cost, US$ 0.1 billion is expected from other development partners including IFAD as co- financing and the remaining US$ 0.2 billion will be financed by the GoB. The proposed finance from other development partners is expected to be co-financing the same Result Areas (RAs) measured with the same Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) with a predetermined proportion, agreed upon during the preparation. 4. The Program operation will support a part of the overall Government program (NoA-NAP). The Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) provides a comprehensive review of relevant government systems and procedures for addressing environmental and social (E&S) issues 1|P a g e associated with the Program. The ESSA describes the extent to which the Government’s E&S policies, legislation, program procedures, and institutional systems are consistent with the six ‘core principles’ of the World Bank Guidance1 on E&S management in PforR operations. The assessment recommends actions to address the gaps and to enhance performance during Program implementation. 5. The ESSA has identified potential risks and opportunities and assessed the compatibility of the Program with respect to the core principles. MoA has considerable experience in executing World Bank-financed projects, with demonstrated capacity in managing E&S risk for similar activities. The Program will exclude any activity that may have significant adverse E&S impacts and are sensitive, diverse, or unprecedented. 6. Overall Environmental and Social Risks of the Program are assessed to be ‘Moderate’. The Program activities have no significant and irreversible impacts on environment and the associated risk is rated as ‘Moderate’. The construction of infrastructure would be limited to renovation, repair, and modernization of various facilities within the existing complexes housing the IAs, where limited number of labor force would be employed. As such, the risk would be minimal, effects would be localized and could be mitigated in situ by the contractors employed. There would not be any land acquisition and involuntary resettlement, there exists low risks of social discrimination and SEA/SH. Thus, the social risk is also rated as ‘Moderate’. An E&S screening was carried out to identify E&S risks and impacts with respect to contextual, institutional, capacity, and reputational risks facing the Program. 7. The potential investments may include small and medium scale civil and construction works, use of digital technology, pest management using naturally tolerable pesticides/herbicides for HYV and other crops diversification, promoting improved and efficient irrigation facilities, agriculture mechanization, establishment of “Technology Villages� and “Growth Centers�, scaling up post-harvest and processing technologies, scaling up integrated nutrient management (INM) and integrated plant nutrient system (IPNS), promoting rain water harvesting, testing laboratories, training, research, market linkage, youth engagement, and piloting motivational incentives. The anticipated E&S impacts are mostly localized and reversible and can be mitigated through proportionate management and mitigation measures. The Program Implementation Plan (PIP) will be developed at Program commencement and followed also for E&S risks management requirements and procedures (E&S Guidelines) and a subsequent E&S management framework (ESMF) including Environmental Code of Practice (ECoP) and social management procedures will be developed for the Program at the early stage of implementation. The PIP will be updated when the Program ESMF will be adapted. 8. The IAs in the regular operations and projects with finance from the Government’s own resources, manage E&S impacts following the national regulatory framework and policies. In case of international finance in their projects, they develop and implement project specific E&S management plans (ESMPs) following the E&S compliance requirements of the international finance institutions to supplement the gaps of the national E&S management system. The involvement of multiple IAs including research organizations with their low capacity to manage E&S risks is noted and would be addressed in the Program Action Plan (PAP). 9. Overall, the ESSA found that the country’s E&S policies and legal framework applicable in agriculture sector are largely compatible with the E&S core principles for World Bank PforR finance. However, addressing institutional capacity constraints and gaps within the IAs across a range of E&S management system (ESMS) limitations including policy principles and institutional setup, the ESSA recommends several measures under the Program. These measures are summarized as E&S actions to be incorporated in the PAP. Specific recommendations were made to address the identified risks, gaps and needs in Section IV of this ESSA. These measures for improvement of the ESMS have been 1 World Bank Guidance on Program for Results Financing Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (Annex-C) 2|P a g e discussed with the implementing agencies: MoA, BRRI, BARI, BARC, DAE, DAM, BADC, and BMDA. The following table summarizes the main E&S issues and recommended actions to strengthen E&S systems’ performance for the Program: Objectives and issues Recommended measures/actions Environment and There is no corporate E&S management system with dedicated staff within social management MOA and any of its departments, the agricultural universities and the instruments research institutions in Bangladesh. They do not have dedicated budget for E&S management in their regular operations. The Program, therefore, requires system enhancement for managing likely associated E&S risks and impacts in compliance with the national regulatory framework supplemented with the World Bank E&S Core Principles for PforR operations. The Program Implementation Plan (PIP) will include E&S management guidelines and procedures in response to the national E&S system and the E&S Core Principles for PforR (E&S Guideline). The PIP would guide the IAs in managing Program E&S risks and issues, and subsequently developing Program ESMF including stakeholders participation plan, labor management plan (LMP), Pest Management Plan (PMP), and Gender and SEA/SH Prevention Plan (where necessary). The Program ESMF will guide E&S screening, impact assessment and management. When developed, the Program ESMF would be integrated in the E&S Guideline with the PIP for better management of E&S risks associated with the Program activities and the IAs would develop ESMPs for their respective operations under the Program following this ESMF. Systems The MoA and some of the IAs have prior experience of implementing strengthening for projects with World Bank investment project financing (IPF) but none of management of them have experience in implementation of projects under PforR. environmental and The MoA will coordinate, and the Department of Agriculture Extension social risks and impact (DAE) will lead the Program operations requiring oversight of the Program at the central level E&S management by employing dedicated staff from within and hiring firms/individual E&S consultants. Therefore, capacity building (through training on environmental and social management) of the personnel at the Program Coordination Unit (PCU) at DAE and the hired personnel (1 Environmental Specialist, 1 Social Development Specialist, 1 Communication Specialist and 1 Gender and SEA/SH Specialist) will be required. As part of strengthening corporate E&S Management System (ESMS) within MOA and its various institutions with policy, legal and institutional readiness, DAE will upgrade the Program ESMF into MoA’s corporate 3|P a g e Objectives and issues Recommended measures/actions ESMF, applicable for all its institutions, following international policies and best practices, and national legal framework on E&S risks management including experience from PARTNER and other completed and ongoing projects under MoA. Per requirement of the corporate ESMF developed under the Program, MoA will design and establish a separate “Environmental, Social and Communications Section� (ESCS) with networks of E&S units/desks at all its institutions. These recommendations are summarized as actions to be incorporated in the Program Action Plan (PAP). The MoA ESCS within its fold should be staffed with required E&S and communication experts on regular payroll to focus on environmental and social management and communication matters associated with projects and programs across MoA institutions. This being a lengthy administrative process encompassing various ministries, MoA may, for the time being, hire the services of E&S and Communication specialists from the Program budget for the interim period. MoA and relevant IAs can also designate/depute some officials to liaise with the MoEFCC/ Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW) in addition to complying with the E&S guidelines developed for the Program. Training at macro and MoA/DAE and other IAs have been providing relevant training to its own micro (IAs, staff and contractors. However, field-level experience suggests that gaps contractor/ exist in the implementation of E&S risks mitigation measures. Therefore, subcontractor) level there is a need for continued capacity-building initiatives specifically for on environmental and the staff engaged in Program supervision at the Division, District, Upazila, social risk and impact Union and Block level including contractors and subcontractors involved mitigation, labor with the Program. Adequate budget has to be allocated for this purpose management, SEA/SH from the Program fund. risks and incidents, This activity should also align with the National Integrity Strategy 2012. stakeholder engagement, and grievance redress service (GRS) issues Measures to increase Field-level capability of MoA/IAs suggest that there is need to improve accountability for capacity for implementing E&S issues/ESMPs, especially on issues like compliance of E&S Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), working condition of workers, Core Principles for stakeholder engagement, risks and incidents of GBV including SEA/SH etc. PforR at the field level The following measures are to be adopted: 4|P a g e Objectives and issues Recommended measures/actions • The E&S compliance requirements and procedures as outlined in the PIP and subsequently in the Program ESMF, reflected in the contractual agreements of the contractors and subcontractors under the Program. • The subcontractors and labor contractors are sensitized about their obligations related to E&S compliance in areas of labor management, restrictions on using Child Labor, resource efficiency, Water and Waste Management, Dust, noise and light suppression, safe disposal of waste petroleum products and lubricants, traffic management, measures to offset GBV, SEA/SH in the workplace and GRM concerning the Labor force etc. through training. Adequate budget has to be allocated from Program Fund. • Contractors will prepare site specific ESMP (Contractor’s ESMP or C- ESMP) following the site-specific ESMP prepared at the design stage or the PIP provisions on E&S management and the Program ESMF (when developed) including PMP, and LMP prepared by the MOA/IAs before the bidding process starts during the project implementation. • Payment to contractors may be tagged with satisfactory compliance of C-ESMP requirements and procedures. • Daily record of site supervision by the safety officer must be made available at the project sites. This should be a contractual obligation between DAE and the contractors. E&S compliance DAE will engage its dedicated focal persons and the relevant E&S monitoring and consultants to be hired to ensure E&S compliance monitoring of all the reporting Program activities engaging relevant staff of the partner agencies and will produce Quarterly E&S Monitoring Report (QESMR). Child labor, Bangladesh Labor Law puts minimum legal age for employment as 14. management and MoA and the IAs to ensure that Contractor-developed site-specific monitoring of Labor ESMP/LMP includes specific clauses and monitoring measures on labor influx, and SEA/SH management, child labor restrictions, and minimizing SEA/SH risks. Local community, including local leadership, members from the tribal community (when available) and other stakeholders should be consulted while preparing and updating the ESMPs including labor management procedures. MoA should arrange a strong monitoring system under the Program including engagement of a third-party monitor and creation and operation of a GRM for settlement of labor-related complaints and grievances 5|P a g e Objectives and issues Recommended measures/actions including SEA/SH. IAs should ensure the following by incorporating these in the contractual documents and through physical monitoring: • Construct labor sheds near the work sites so not to adversely affect local communities and their way of living. • Undertake mandatory and repeated training and awareness program on LMPs for the workforce at site. • Inform the local law enforcers and encourage them to participate in the training on LMP to demonstrate government authority at the work sites. • Take adequate measures for gender-friendly workplace environment at all work sites and at the labor sheds. • Ensure addressing of OHS issues at the work sites inclusive of all workers by gender, age, and ethnicity and ensure availability and use of personal protective equipment. • Ensure firefighting and first aid facilities including ambulance services and hospitals for quick evacuation in case of worksite accidents (may be mentioned during tender process). • Display important telephone contacts such as local emergency services in billboards at the work site and labor shed. • Access and make use of GRM in coordination with the local law enforcing agencies, where required, for any issues of labor including misconduct, illicit behavior, drug abuse and other social crimes etc. Stakeholder The Program activities will follow all-inclusive consultative process, and Engagement and GRM citizen engagement including grievance response. Meaningful consultation will be conducted with the tribal peoples where Program activities will target them. DAE, DAM and BMDA to undertake consultation and ensure community participation through interpersonal communications, FGDs, and small and large community meetings at Program areas at the identification, planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of site-specific activities. Additionally, MoA may use radio broadcast and other media forms to further disseminate information, whenever required. The PIP should include a detailed guideline to this effect. Recording of grievances need to be ensured at the field and Program level interlinked with the Centralized GRS of the Government of Bangladesh. Since several IAs are involved, individual IAs should share its record and actions on grievances to DAE for final tabulation to share with MoA and the World Bank. DAE, in consultation with MoA may develop and 6|P a g e Objectives and issues Recommended measures/actions circulate a standard format to this effect. MoA will integrate Program GRM with the centralized GRS promoting its wider access to Program beneficiaries and stakeholders. Necessary budget has to be allocated for this purpose from the Program fund. 7|P a g e Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) SECTION I: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 1.1 Introduction Bangladesh has a remarkable track record of agricultural growth since the mid-1990s; and it has achieved rice self-sufficiency and overall food security, two overriding objectives of the past agriculture strategies. Introduction of new high yield varieties (HYV), expansion of access to irrigation, and use of fertilizer and farm mechanization intensified the raising production of crops, particularly rice, over 4 percent annually between 1996 and 20192. Successive policy reforms, particularly in agricultural input markets, investment in agricultural research and development (R&D) and extension, and a persistent policy focus on increasing rice production in the country were instrumental to the success in doubling rice production since the mid-1990s. Other crops, particularly horticulture crops, have also maintained sustained growth since the 2000s and the areas cultivating fruits, flowers, fiber, spices, and pulses increased more than 60 percent between 2008 and 2018.3 Agriculture4 is a key driver in poverty reduction and primary agriculture still dominates the rural economy in terms of employment, supporting 54 percent of rural employment and 43 percent of national employment.5 The agriculture sector has potential to promote inclusive rural growth as the sector is dominated by millions of smallholders, female and male, as well as an increasing number of women workers and a growing number of educated entrepreneurs and youth. Women’s role in agriculture is focused on post-harvest activities such as threshing and storage; and women’s involvement in production and marketing is limited and constrained by social norms along with limited business skills, voice and agency, and access to inputs, training, services, and technology. The inclusive agricultural growth opportunities would also benefit youth and more educated individuals who are increasingly entering the downstream (such as machinery services) and upstream (trading and logistic services) activities in agricultural supply chain.6 Bangladesh agriculture is significantly vulnerable to climate change impacts and other shocks such as the COVIID-19 pandemic. Climate change is already affecting agricultural production through temperature increases, sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, rainfall variability, and extreme weather events. Environmental degradation caused by monocropping, overuse of chemical fertilizers, and overexploitation of groundwater resources pose additional risks to the development of a sustainable agricultural production system. In addition, the entire agricultural supply chain was disrupted by the multiple COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. The agriculture sector needs to diversify more rapidly to sustain food security, meet changing diets, improve nutrition, contribute to greater inclusion, enhance profitability of actors along the high-value agricultural supply chains and adapt to a changing climate. Rice productivity increase, agricultural diversification, and more resilient agriculture will be achieved through a more efficient use of inputs (water, energy, fertilizers), improved seed varieties (HYV, hybrid, fortified, stress-tolerant), appropriate scale mechanization, and adoption of GAP/IPM /CSA practices. The establishment of “Technology Villages� will be instrumental for efficient transfer of technology and provision of services to farmers. Farmers will be provided with a Krishak Smart Card, and producer organizations will be 2 World Bank. 2021. World Development Indicators. 3 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2020. Agriculture Census 2018. 4 Agriculture sector in Bangladesh is comprised of three subsectors- crop (including horticulture), livestock, and fisheries. 5 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2017. Quarterly Labor Force Survey 2016. 6 World Bank. 2016. Dynamics of Rural Growth in Bangladesh: Sustaining Poverty Reduction. 8|P a g e promoted and strengthened, with particular attention to women, to improve farmer aggregation and market linkages with upstream and downstream of the agri-food value chain. There are substantial market opportunities for productive diversification and value addition for the agri-food sector in Bangladesh. With rapid urbanization and fast income growth, dietary patterns are changing in the country with the demand for fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, and fish expected to expand by more than 50 percent by 2030.7 The private sector is gradually becoming more involved in making significant investments in agro-processing, and improved marketing to meet this growing demand for processed food and feed. Some niche export opportunities could even be seized in horticulture and other subsectors, provided value chain actors manage to meet export markets requirements. Some on-farm and off-farm constraints are slowing down the transformation of the agriculture sector towards a more diversified, modernized, and resilient production system. Intensive farming through more mechanized farm operations, particularly for crop establishment and harvesting, are becoming a reality. The current extension system and delivery models need improvement, particularly through training, digital agriculture, and innovations to meet the challenge of reaching around 16.5 million farms. Encouraging private extension service providers will also be important to build a market- oriented extension system. Addressing off-farm constraints will necessitate better post-harvest management practices, improvement in marketing and logistics infrastructure, strengthening food safety facilities, and encouraging a greater participation of the private sector along the agri-food value chain. The proposed “Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship, and Resilience (PARTNER)� aims to support a transformational shift of agriculture in support of diversification towards high-value crops, ensuring food and nutrition security, and building long-term sector resilience to climate change. It also aims at empowering women’s role in agriculture and increasing job opportunities for the youth, as well as increasing the volumes of quality and safe produce marketed in the country, crowding in the private sector as much as possible. PARTNER Program would contribute in creating an enabling environment for the modernization of agriculture sector through the adoption of appropriate PPP framework for the mobilization of finance for development (MFD); the establishment of public-private dialogue platforms; increased R&D activities and more efficient extension services; and the establishment of a sector-wide digital MIS system for evidence-based policy making by the MoA. The World Bank has agreed to supporting the PARTNER Program (the Program) through a Program for Results (PforR) financing. This Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) of the proposed Program was undertaken to meet the requirements the World Bank PforR guidelines8 on Environmental and Social (E&S) management. The ESSA reviewed government policies and acts and assesses existing institutional capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and other implementing agencies9 to manage E&S risks and impacts of the Program components and activities. The ESSA reviews the proposed Program activities for potential E&S risks, identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the existing system (policy, legal and institutional framework) of managing these risks and proposes measures for filling the system gaps including capacity-development of the program implementing agencies in term of policy and institutional arrangement. Public consultation was carried out by the World Bank E&S staff virtually (in COVID-19 pandemic situation) with the Program stakeholders including affected 7 World Bank 2020. Promoting Agri-Food Sector Transformation in Bangladesh: Policy and Investment Priorities . 8 World Bank Guidance on Program for Results Financing Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (Annex-C) 9 The implementing agencies are Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), department of Agriculture Marketing (DAM), Barendra Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institution (BARI) and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC). 9|P a g e population in the presence of MoA staffs to identify the potential risks associated with the Program. The ESSA proposes measures in the Program Action Plan (PAP) to address the E&S risks. The ESSA team used various approaches to review the E&S systems that are relevant to the PARTNER Program in response to the six core principles and their guiding questions for PforR on the E&S risks and impacts. It included analysis of information and data on previous assessments and reports on the status of different aspects of their management of E&S issues and national consultations with all key stakeholders related to the Program. The ESSA was developed based on (a) a review of existing policies, development plans, legal and regulatory framework and guidelines of the international development financing institutions working with MoA; (b) meetings and interviews with different stakeholders including MoA/DAE/DAM/BMDA/BADC/BRRI/BARI/BARC and relevant other organs/ staff involved in environmental, social, health, safety, and labor issues in development projects at MoA; (c) an assessment of relevant environmental and social management systems (ESMS) at MoA; (d) an assessment of the capacity and performance of MoA relative to its own procedures and processes; (e) development of an action plan to enhance E&S management capacity and performance; and (f) development of performance monitoring and implementation support program. The formulation of the ESSA will be informed by a consultative process involving key national and local stakeholders. 1.2 Brief description, geographical scope, duration and objectives of the Program The PARTNER Program aims at supporting a transformational shift of agriculture in support of diversification towards high-value crops, ensuring food and nutrition security, and building long-term sector resilience to climate change. The proposed Program would support the Plan of Action (PoA) of National Agriculture Policy (NAP) 2018 that supports the GoB’s vision and objectives of achieving a safe, profitable agriculture and sustainable food and nutrition security as it will influence policy goals and finance critical selected investments. The PoA-NAP will be implemented over the period of 2021- 2030 and the proposed PARTNER PforR Program will be implemented over the period of 2023-2028. The Program area encompasses the whole of Bangladesh. The PARTNER Program Development Objective (PDO) is to promote diversification, food safety, entrepreneurship, and resilience in the agri-food value chains of Bangladesh. At PDO-level the following indicators are proposed to assess the Program’s results: i. Increased area under non-rice cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and horticulture crops (hectare) (to capture increased diversification). ii. Increased area under fruits and vegetables with GAP certification (hectare) (to capture food safety) iii. Women and youth with entrepreneurship training who are employed or self-employed (number) (to capture entrepreneurship). iv. Increased area under resilience-building, efficient irrigation technologies (hectare) (to capture increased climate resilience). The programs selected to be included carry maximum weight in the PoA and will be catalytic to achieve overall NAP objectives. The programs proposed to be partially included or combined with other programs have certain interventions that are directly linked to the overall objectives of PARTNER. The Program has three results areas (RAs): (1) Result Area I: Promoting Sustainable and Nutritious Food Production; (2) Result Area II: Increasing Entrepreneurship and Access to Services along the value-chains; and (3) Result Area III: Modernizing Institutions and Policies for Agriculture Transformation. These results areas have strong synergies and are mutually supportive. 10 | P a g e Rice productivity increase, agricultural diversification, and more resilient agriculture will be achieved through a more efficient use of inputs (water, energy, fertilizers), improved seed varieties (HYV, hybrid, fortified, stress-tolerant), appropriate scale mechanization, and adoption of GAP/IPM /CSA practices. The establishment of “Technology Villages� will be instrumental for efficient transfer of technology and provision of services to farmers. Farmers will be provided with a Krishak Smart Card, and producer organizations will be promoted and strengthened, with particular attention to women, to improve farmer aggregation and market linkages with upstream and downstream of the agri-food value chain. PARTNER will contribute to creating an enabling environment for the modernization of the agriculture sector through the adoption of appropriate PPP framework for the mobilization of finance for development (MFD); increased R&D activities and more efficient extension services; the establishment of public-private dialogue platforms; and the establishment of a sector-wide digital MIS system for evidence-based policy making by the MoA. The Government Plan of Action, Thematic Areas and the Theory of Change are at Annex A. Details on the Results Areas, DLIs and Results Indicators, proposed lead agency and other agencies are at ANNEX B. 1.3 Identification of any differences in geographic or thematic scope between the borrower’s program and the World Bank-financed Program. Table 1 below shows the three Thematic Areas of the PoA and their respective programs and highlights the PoA programs included in the PforR under the corresponding RAs. PARTNER’s RAs are well aligned with the PoA’s Thematic Areas. PoA programs selected for inclusion in PARTNER are the most critical in ensuring that that NAP achieves its overall objectives. PARTNER Program (2023- NAP PoA (2021 – 2025) 28) To promote diversification, food safety, To achieve safe, profitable Development entrepreneurship, and agriculture and sustainable food and objective climate resilience in the nutrition security agri-food systems of Bangladesh Thematic Area Programs RA Activities I. Promoting 1. Development, Sustainable and rollout, and Nutritious Food adoption of GAP Production standards in fruit and vegetable production 2. Development and adoption of High Yielding Rice I. Sustainable 1. Crop Diversifications and Varieties Food and sustainable production of safe and Nutrition nutritious food 3. Crop diversification Security towards non-rice cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and horticulture crops 4. Adoption of efficient irrigation technologies by farmers 11 | P a g e 2. Strengthening Specialized Agriculture, Protected Cultivation and Production Systems in Special Geographical Areas 3. Efficient and Economic Extension Services for Fast and Effective Transfer of Technology 4. Enhancing Availability of Quality Inputs including Credit, Storage and Marketing 5. CSA 6. Sustainability of production systems and management of natural resources II. Increasing 5. Expansion of digital Entrepreneursh agricultural service ip and Access provision through to Services KSC along the VCs 6. Promotion of the II. Increasing accreditation of Income and 7. Post-Harvest Management: agro- seed certification Livelihood processing and development of safe and food safety Opportunities & quality VC testing processes for Farmers 7. Promotion of agri- food entrepreneurship for youth and women 8. Promotion of Industrial & Export- oriented Crops Clusters & Collaboration with Private Sector10 9. Appropriate Scale Mechanization (ASM) & Use of Clean Energy in Farm 10. Attracting, Skilling and Retaining Youth for Innovation-based development in Agriculture 11. Increasing Real Income of Farmers, Labors and women farmers for their empowerment11 III. Modernizing 8. R&D activities for Institutions and new technologies Policies for and innovations Agriculture increased along Transformation with an operational evaluation system III. for NARS institutes Modernization 12. Quality investment in of Agricultural Agricultural Research and Extension 9. Establishment and Research, Services for development operationalization Education & of VC promotional Extension bodies for select commodities 10. Improvement of quality information system (agricultural 10 There are other fully funded programs that cover proposed export crops of jute, sugarcane, and cotton. 11 Proposed measures for ensuring remunerative prices to farmers have larger macroeconomic impacts beyond this operation. 12 | P a g e statistics and market research services incl. foreign markets) 13. Intellectual Property Rights Sovereignty on Natural Resources and International Partnership 1.4 Key implementing agency of the Program MoA, and some of its departments, namely Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and Barendra Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) are the implementing agencies (IA) of the Program. Most of the IAs have prior experience of projects with World Bank finance adopting project based Environmental Management Framework (EMF) and Social Management Framework (SMF) following the World Bank safeguards for IPF for bridging the gaps of national regulatory framework. There is no corporate E&S management system with dedicated staff within MOA and any of its departments and research institutions, and the participating universities. These institutions do not have any annual budget provisions for E&S management in their regular operations. E&S capacity building would therefore be required for E&S compliance management of the Program investments. The Program will use the government system for implementation, oversight, financial management (FM), procurement, environmental and social safeguards, M&E, and reporting arrangements with supplementary measures to comply with the E&S core principles of World Bank PforR financing. A Program Implementation Plan (PIP) will be developed and accordingly, a Program Steering Committee (PSC), headed by the Secretary of MoA, composed of Heads of the agencies (Director General, Executive Chairman and Chairman, as appropriate) involved in PforR implementation, as well as the Program Coordinator (PC) at the lead agency (DAE), will provide overall strategic guidance, approve annual budget and activity plans, monitor overall implementation progress, facilitate inter-agency coordination required for smooth Program implementation, and resolve any outstanding issues requiring higher level decision. The Planning and Program Coordination (PPC) of MoA will act as the secretariat for the PSC and will be deputized by the DG, DAE. The DAE will be in charge of overall Program coordination during design and implementation. A Program Coordination Unit (PCU), will be housed at the DAE to oversee implementation of Program activities, carry out management functions, facilitate coordination among participating agencies, and liaise with the World Bank on all implementation related aspects. All Program activities will be integrated in the corresponding line agency (e.g., BRRI, BARI, BARC, DAE, DAM, BADC and BMDA) for implementation of the Program and delivery of agreed results. The PCU at the DAE will include a Program Coordinator (PC), other relevant staff and heads of agency level Program coordination unit (APCU). Agency level Program Focal Unit (APFU) will be established. The APFU will include agency level Program Director (APD) and heads/members of DLI-specific technical coordination teams. DLI technical teams (DTT) will include a head from the lead agency and members of other supporting agencies. APFUs will report to the head of agency (i.e., DG/Chairman/Executive Chairman, as appropriate) and PCU. DTT will monitor the implementation of activities to achieve the DLI and document results in coordination with the agency’s M&E units. Planning Project Implementation and ICT wing of DAE is in charge of planning and implementation of project and programs. The APCUs will use – in a manner consistent with GoB and World Bank fiduciary requirements – Program funds allocated to the respective components (including for covering operating costs). 13 | P a g e 1.5 Description of the borrower’s previous experience with implementation of its program The MoA has acquired extensive experience in developing and implementing sectoral policies, strategies and action plans, in working with key stakeholders including farmers, agribusinesses, and in straitening public institutions serving the agriculture sector. However, MoA/IAs do not have any dedicated E&S management mechanism or budget to address environmental and social issues. The PARTNER Program would be built on experience and lessons learned from on-going and past agricultural projects. GoB and the World Bank have worked together since 1976 for the agriculture development in Bangladesh. GoB undertook major institutional reforms in the agriculture sector over the years supported by the Bank, which resulted in the establishment of successful demand driven agricultural research and advisory services and contributed to the Country’s success story in becoming self-sufficient in rice, fish and meat. The recent World Bank support to the sector focused on financing MoA on activities related to diversification of agricultural production, resilience, poverty, nutrition (nutrition sensitive activities) and target results in productivity growth, market access, jobs, nutrition and resilience. It comprises five ongoing operations: The National Agricultural Technology Program – Phase II Project (NATP-II), the Modern Food Storage Facility Project (MFSFP) and its additional financing, the Nuton Jibon Livelihood Improvement Project (NJLIP), the Sustainable Coastal & Marine Fisheries Project (SCMFP) and the Livestock and Dairy Development Project (LDDP); and two recently approved operation which are yet to be operational the Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management Project (CSAWMP), Bangladesh Meteorological Information System (BAMIS), and the Resilience, Entrepreneurship and livelihoods Improvement Project (RELI). Lessons that could be drawn and applied in PARTNER Program include: • For encouraging the farmers and other relevant stakeholders, the Common Interest Group (CIGs) as followed in NATP II may be replicated. • Nutrition Model of ANGEL could be re-established. • Exporting system of agro-products could be revitalized. 14 | P a g e • The research extension farmers' linkage of BARI, BARC/ NARS needs to be strengthened further for rapid dissemination and adoption of proven technologies. Similarly, existing exchange channels with BADC and DAM also need to be strengthened. • BRRI was engaged previously with IAPP where the work was limited in two regions of Bangladesh. So, area coverage of the PARTNER Program could be increased in different regions of Bangladesh to address demand-based location specific and stress tolerant varieties (drought, submergence salinity, haor area, char land etc.) and technologies. • BADC congregated some expertise from IAPP on solving various environmental issues of the char areas of the northern part (Rangpur- prone to drought & flood) and coastal belt of the southern part (Barisal- prone to salinity). These learnings could be replicated in PARTNER Program. • Based on the past experiences of implementing different WB funded projects and also considering potential involvement, MoA may consider having a “ES and Communication Section� at MoA with required staffs and preparing an independent Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), which would enable it to have inbuilt management of E&S risk and impacts associated with the current project vis a vis all future projects/programs. Other lessons learned through the Bank’s global experience with similar PforR operations and other agricultural transformation programs especially in the South and South East Asia Region could also be replicated in PARTNER Program. It may be noted that DAE undertook consultation with the stakeholders during Community Needs Assessment where problems were identified by using participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and focused Group discussions (FGD) tools (Proceedings at Annex-D). Certain feasibility studies were undertaken by DAE to identify the Program interventions. On the other hand, DAM undertook internal discussions with various sections namely Market linkage section, Research Section, Training and Coordination section, Extension and regulation for capturing the ideas for supporting the result-based activity in DAM internal coordination meeting headed by Technical Focal Person. BADC has a homegrown effective channel of communication using 200,000 Contract farmers and irrigation scheme farmers, 8000 seed dealers along with 326 field offices for supplying inputs and information to the end-users. BARI arranged consultation meetings with different Divisions and Centers for need assessment of the PARTNER project as per NAP, PoA and 8th FYP besides participating in different meetings both organized by the World Band, MoA, and DAE. BRRI selected the interventions of the Program through discussion with all 18 BARI divisions and regional stations following the demand of the target stakeholders. The demand was identified during research activities at BRRI headquarter, regional stations and meeting farmers in the fields. BARC has also carried out extensive consultation amongst the inhouse researchers on their role on Program intervention. BMDA has conducted stakeholders Consultation on the different activities for potential need assessment which helps developing of the Program design. SECTION II: DESCRIPTION OF EXPECTED PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL EFFECTS This section presents the E&S benefits, risks, and impacts of the Program. The Program is not likely to have significant E&S risks. Overall Environmental and Social Risk of the Program is considered as ‘Moderate’. The Program activities have no significant and irreversible impact on environment and is rated as ‘Moderate’. In the social sector, the construction of infrastructure would be limited to renovation, repair and modernization of various facilities within the existing complexes housing the IAs where limited number of labor force would be employed at the relevant IA. As such, the risk would be minimal, effects would be localized and could be mitigated in situ by the contractors employed. There would not be any land acquisition and involuntary resettlement. There exists low risks of social 15 | P a g e discrimination and SEA/SH. As such, social risk rating is ‘Moderate’. Other Program activities include use of digital technology, pest management, promoting improved and efficient irrigation facilities, agriculture mechanization, establishment of “Technology Villages� and “Growth Centers�, , scaling up integrated nutrient management (INM) and integrated plant nutrient system (IPNS), promoting rain water harvesting, testing laboratories, training, research, market linkage, youth engagement, and piloting motivational incentives. Multiple implementing and research organizations would be involved with the Program, and their inconsistent and generally low capacity to manage E&S risks have been identified. 2.1 Environmental risks and opportunities of the Program From environmental perspective, the project activities fall under categories with low to moderate risk. Although the number of activity sites are expected to be many, but, the potential adverse risks and impacts on the environment are not likely to be significant and risks and impacts can be easily mitigated in a predictable manner. The anticipated environmental impacts are mostly localized and reversible. Furthermore, certain types of infrastructure will be considered ineligible and placed on a “negative� investment menu – those are very likely to have a significant negative environmental impact(s), such as investments considered high risk under the ESF. 2.1.1 Potential environmental challenges and risks The PARTNER Program does not envisage any significant or irreversible environmental impact. There will not be any conversion of land use, especially no forest land will be converted for agriculture use under the Program. Environmental impacts are anticipated from small scale infrastructure construction related activities such as generation of noise, air pollution, liquid and solid wastes, health & safety, etc. Given that the nature of the activities is small to medium scale and that they will be implemented within existing footprints, impacts are expected to be localized, manageable and reversible. • Technology demonstration/Promotion of good agricultural practices, IPM and Climate smart technologies might have following negative impacts: (1) Introduction of high yielding varieties (HYV) might have impact on local agro biodiversity. (2) Excess use of ground water for intensive cropping depleting the ground water resource. (3) Use of Arsenic contaminated water for irrigation would result in accumulation of residues through food chain. (4) Use of pesticides under IPM when done without following guidelines would lead to application of high doses resulting in pest resurgence and development of resistance. (5) High chemical residues in food crops. (6) Loss of useful insects (natural enemies to pests), this may happen even when IPM techniques are applied. (7) Contamination of soil and water bodies nearby due to runoff. (8) Open disposal of pesticide containers is hazardous to cattle and children. (9) Use of fertilizers under INM without following the recommendations leads to algal blooms in water bodies leading to loss of aquatic biodiversity. (10) Soil quality (capacity of infiltration of water) and microbial population would be affected due to high doses of fertilizers. Salinization of soil could be another problem. Greenhouse Gas emissions are associated with excess N fertilizer use. 16 | P a g e (11) Farm level operation without information on weather parameters might lead to ineffectiveness and repeated applications of chemicals or loss of crop. • The organic matter content and fertility status of Bangladesh soil is very low. Cultivation of High Yielding Varieties of crops and adoption of modern technologies have led to severe depletion of nutrients from the soil. Intensive agriculture with very high nutrient turnover in soil-plant system coupled with low and imbalanced fertilizer use might resultant in deterioration of soil fertility and native soil flora and created a serious threat to long-term sustainability of crop production. • BMDA and BADC, and other implementing agencies will demonstrate efficient irrigation technology which might lead to stress on water resources. Ground waters from both shallow and deeper aquifers are being used by BMDA and BADC extensively for irrigation. It is necessary to exercise caution in the large-scale exploitation of confined deep aquifers, as these may be depleted giving rise to serious problems in the future. Therefore, activities that encourage groundwater recharge need to be integrated into the design of irrigation systems. • In addition to above, arsenic contamination of ground water is a serious issue of concern in the country. The source is parent rock and several tube well irrigated crops receive the contaminated water. For long, the arsenic bearing minerals such as arsenic sulfides were submerged in groundwater and remained inert. With the start of intensive withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation for growing Boro rice, the aquifers started to drop causing arsenic to oxidize. Once oxidized, arsenic sulfides become water-soluble which ultimately come up with the pumped water. This may be a potential threat of the activities proposed under BMDA and BADC. • Promoting farm mechanization might lead to cause following impacts: (1) Spread of Invasive weeds and pathogens from one field to other field through uncleansed farm machinery and implements. This will further encourage use of fungicides and weedicides. (2) Use of some of the machinery such as Power weeders, Power sprayers and Power tillers will increase use of fuels and will cause emission of GHGs (Green House Gases). The exhaust fumes from this farm machinery pollute local environment quality. (3) There can be some safety hazards owing to use of machineries, lead to OHS of the farmers. • Small and medium scale infrastructure construction works may have the following negative impacts: (a) drainage congestion, (b) noise pollution, (c) air pollution, (d) water pollution, and (e) Light pollution, and (f) environmental pollution from solid/construction waste. Cutting of trees for construction of processing facilities leads to loss of vegetation. Open disposal of debris after construction, may obstruct drains, etc. Dust and noise pollution during construction are harmful to local environment, nearby residents. Poorly designed temporary labour camps and drinking water and sanitation facilities will pose a health threat and nuisance to the workers. 2.1.2 Potential environmental benefits and opportunities The proposed Program has many environmental benefits. These include: • Promoting rice productivity through greater use of HYV, hybrid, and biofortified seed varieties as well as introducing system or rice intensification (SRI) including alternate wetting and drying practices with potential to increase productivity and reduce methane emissions; the Program will contribute to increasing nutrition and rice productivity in a sustainable manner. • This Program will also enhance food safety through the adoption of GAP and IPM practices, which seeks to increase income and livelihoods of farmers through linkage to markets that can pay a 17 | P a g e premium for quality products. Diversified products and income sources can increase resilience to climate change by hedging against climate risks and providing a continuous income stream throughout the year. • Climate-Smart Agriculture can increase productivity, strengthen resilience, and reduce GHG emissions. The Program will promote the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices by farmers, including efficient irrigation practices, alternate wet and dry rice cultivation (AWD) method, and the use of drought, cold, and submergence and salinity tolerant seed varieties. Improved climate-resilient and post-harvest storage facilities at the local level will be energy- efficient and/or using renewable energy. Thus, carbon emission due to use of electricity produced from burning fossil fuel. Similarly, there would be less emission of methane gas from decayed agro products. • Sustainability of production systems and management of natural resources program of the PforR will focus on (1) managing the soil health by promoting soil test-based application of fertilizers and scaling up integrated nutrient management (INM) and integrated plant nutrient system (IPNS) where organic and inorganic fertilizers are applied together, (2) enhancing water conservation and productivity by promoting rain water harvesting and storage in Low Density Polythene (LDPE)-lined tanks for efficient utilization. Water use efficiency will be achieved through energy-efficient sprinkler, drip and micro-irrigation in water scarce areas specially in Boro (winter) season, (3) managing biodiversity through the conservation of land races of different crops and promotion of high value, elite land races. These land races will be utilized for increasing crop production through acclimatization under changing climate; and (4) development of agro-meteorological services. Under this intervention, provision will be made for regular weather forecasting and providing farmers’ advisory services for agricultural practices such as sowing, irrigation, pest management and harvesting through Radio and Television by the Farmers’ Information and Advice Center (FIACs). • Promoting Post-Harvest Management, and Food Safety Facilities will reduce post-harvest losses of crops while increasing food safety and quality. The Program will finance the establishment of testing laboratories for the analysis of pesticide residues, create an innovation fund for promoting innovations in post-harvest technology will assist in reducing pollution from agro-fields. 2.2 Social risks and opportunities of the Program 2.2.1 Potential social challenges and risks • Influx of migrant workers at the sites for construction of small and medium scale infrastructures may put moderate pressure on the local market and civic facilities. • There are nominal risks of social rift and misconducts of the labor force in the form of drug abuse, gambling, prostitution, and the associated risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), gender- based violence (GBV) including low risks of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and sexual harassment (SH). • Labor sheds are likely to be co-located with the infrastructure. Renting of houses by the staff and workers when separate facility at the work site is not available will have moderate risk on the local residents in the form of theft, noise, and movement of unknown persons in the locality. 18 | P a g e • There might be adverse effects on the crop harvested and felling of fruit bearing trees and trees with timber value near the construction sites. • The contractors or their representatives may employ child labor at a lower wage to reduce construction cost and increase profiteering. • Traffic congestion may result from stockpiling of construction material by the sides of roads and increased movement of people and vehicles carrying material and equipment. • Technological gap could create hindrance in attaining maximum benefit from Program interventions. • Involuntary displacement of tribal peoples (some of whom might have indigenous status) will be avoided completely. However, meaningful consultation will be undertaken with the tribal communities where Program activities will cover areas inhabited by them. • Overuse of inputs and lower income for the farmers/growers owing to non-coordinated production plan of the crops. • Risk of LOWER or NO production due to inappropriate weather or market forecasting. • Inappropriate technology selection may hamper production and productivity. 2.2.2 Potential social benefits and opportunities There are many potential social benefits and opportunities of the Program. Some of the opportunities include the following: o Crop Diversifications and sustainable production of safe and nutritious food would promote rice productivity through greater use of HYV, hybrid, and biofortified seed varieties as well as introducing system or rice intensification (SRI) including alternate wetting and drying practices and contribute to increasing nutrition and rice productivity in a sustainable manner. o Climate-smart agricultural activities would allow good harvest under critical weather condition and intrusion of salinity in the farmlands in the coastal areas. o Farmers can free up arable land for harvesting to high-value products. These changes would economically benefit the farmers through satisfactory cost -benefit ratio along with ensuring food security at grassroot level through achieving target crop production. o Through production zoning following demand factors, a balanced Boro, Aus and Aman rice production would considerably reduce the incidence of food crises that occur in certain regions before the harvesting season; thus, food security would be enhanced at the local levels. o Promoting soil test-based application of fertilizers and scaling up integrated nutrient management (INM) and integrated plant nutrient system (IPNS) would reduce the procurement cost of the inorganic fertilizers. This way, while the soil would get appropriate nutrient, cost of harvesting would also reduce that would be advantageous for the farmers. o The adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices and GAP standards, and reduction of post-harvest losses would benefit the farmers having reduced wastage of their products, and inter-district agro-product businessmen in buying product from the growers at a competitive price. This way the consumers would also be able to buy agro-products at a rational price. o This would also increase Export opportunity with value-added agro processed safe food items where the Private sector could take a leading role. o Through linkage to markets that pay a premium price for quality products, farmers would get 19 | P a g e higher price for their harvest. This economic upliftment would also improve their social status. o Diversified products and income sources would increase resilience of the farmers/agro- product growers to climate change by protecting against climate risks and providing a continuous income stream throughout the year. This would also create more employment amongst the unemployed local population including youth and women. o The Program will support setting up of a digital agriculture information management system. In addition, the Program will contribute to the establishment of “Upazila-level technology demonstration centers� for on-farm technology demonstration. Local farmers would benefit from these centers and would put to practice their newly acquired knowledge in harvesting. o Regular weather forecasting and providing farmers’ advisory services for agricultural practices such as sowing, irrigation, pest management and harvesting through feature/smart phones, Radio and Television by the Farmers’ Information and Advice Center (FIACs) would educate farmers in taking the right decisions for harvesting. o Mechanization in the Agriculture sector would increase productivity, reduce production costs, and address labor scarcity constraints effectively. o Issuance of ‘SMART Card’ to the farmers would enable them to have access to credit from the participating scheduled banks, accessing input from dealers, and acquiring market linkage information including agro-meteorological and climate advisory services (e.g., forecasts, planting times, pests). o Adoption of climate-smart agricultural and efficient irrigation practices, alternate wet and dry rice cultivation (AWD) method, and the use of drought, cold, and submergence and salinity tolerant seed varieties by farmers would raise harvest production, and improve economic condition through better intake of nutritional food beside improving food security at the national level. o Through public-private partnerships post-harvest management and food safety facilities would be promoted under Program activities. The Program will also finance the testing laboratories for the analysis of pesticide residues. o The Youth (men and women) would be supported through the Program to engage in the agri- food supply chain through the strengthening of their entrepreneurial skills, including on-the- job training in agribusinesses, input and service provision to farmers. Thus, unemployed youth in the country would be benefited in choosing a career for themselves. o The Program will support research in agricultural universities (such as BAU, SAU, SeAU, and BSMRAU) while creating synergies with other agricultural research institutions. o The institutes of the National Agricultural Research System will be equipped with advanced technologies, and their staff’s capacity will be strengthened, including their reaching out to farmers. o The Program will develop a framework for the strengthening of farmers’ organizations, a policy framework to foster private-sector’s participation in the seeds system as well as in the areas of agricultural research, innovation, and extension, and climate resilience building in the sector which would benefit the farmers directly. o Unskilled labor force of the locality including women can find jobs at the farmlands and improve their economic condition. This will also assist in skill development of the locally hired unskilled workers hired to work at the construction site. o Local residents can rent out fallow private land and vacant/unused homestead near the construction site to the Contractors involved with construction. 20 | P a g e o Sustained interaction among various parties involved with the implementation of the Program interventions MoA/DAE representatives including Block Supervisors, contractors and their representatives, and the local leadership and business community of the area—will foster healthy relationship amongst all and upheld community interest. This would also work as an effective grievance redress mechanism (GRM). o It will enhance ‘gender mainstreaming’ by creating equal opportunity for the local unemployed women would find jobs at the farmland and construction sites, thus improving their financial condition. o No social conflict is envisaged from the Program. Every stakeholder involved would benefit immensely upon completion of the Program. MoA / DAE would ensure screening of all potential construction sites to identify E&S risks and likely impacts. MoA and other relevant IAs will ensure that relevant stakeholders are consulted with at identification, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Program activities including any civil works. 21 | P a g e SECTION III: ASSESSMENT OF BORROWER’S ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 3.1 Description of borrower’s environmental and social management systems Bangladesh has several policies, instruments, and laws that support E&S management under development projects and the E&S assessment processes. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is responsible for ensuring sustainable environment and optimal management of forests. The Department of Environment (DoE) has been placed under the MoEFCC as its technical wing and is statutorily responsible for the implementation of the Environmental Conservation Act (ECA) 1995 and Environmental Conservation Rules (ECR) 1997. This section describes the existing ESMS of the GoB and MoA, an overview of the policy and legal framework, and MoA’s capacity to effectively manage the E&S risks and impacts expected from the Program in response to the E&S Core Principles for PforR. The ESSA reviewed the existing regulations and policies, their legal and practical applicability at the Program level as well as the institutional capacity of MOA, DAE, DAM, BARC, BARI, BRRI and BMDA and the effectiveness of implementation in practice. The key tenets of the various applicable policies are detailed in the following subsections. It may be noted that from amongst the IAs, BARC, BARI and BRRI are research organizations and these organizations mostly focus on targeted research for agricultural enhancement and interact with related scholars and researchers in respective fields only and has limited direct exposure to the farmers’ community at large. 3.1.1 Policy and legal framework The GoB’s relevant laws, policies, instruments etc. are deemed adequate for protection, safety, and social security; inclusiveness of the populace; and conservation of environmental resources although enforcement of MoA/IAs capacity needs to be improved. These are presented in subsequent paragraphs. Bangladesh Environmental Conservation Act (ECA) 1995, amended 2002 This umbrella act includes laws for conservation of the environment, improvement of environmental standards, and control and mitigation of environmental pollution. It is currently the main legislative framework document relating to environmental protection in Bangladesh. The provisions of the act authorize the Director General of the Department of Environment (DoE) to undertake any activity that is deemed fit and necessary to conserve and enhance the quality of environment and to control, prevent, and mitigate pollution. The main highlights of the act are as follows: • Declaration of ecologically critical areas • Obtaining of environmental clearance certificate (ECC) • Regulation for vehicles emitting smoke that is harmful for the environment • Regulation of development activities from environmental perspective • Promulgation of standards for quality of air, water, noise, and soil for different areas and for different purposes • Promulgation of acceptable limits for discharging and emitting waste • Formulation of environmental guidelines relating to control and mitigation of environmental pollution and conservation and improvement of environment. 22 | P a g e Environment Conservation Rules (ECR) 1997 and subsequent amendments ECR 1997 is the first set of rules promulgated under the ECA 1995. Among other things, these rules set (a) the national environmental quality standards for ambient air, various types of water, industrial effluent, emission, noise, vehicular exhaust, and so on; (b) requirement for and procedures to obtain environmental clearance; and (c) requirements for initial environmental examination (IEE)/environmental impact assessment (EIA) according to categories of industrial and other development interventions. ECR 1997 contains the drinking water quality standards which need to be maintained while providing water supply to workers. Under the ECR, projects are classified as ‘Green’, ‘Orange A’, ‘Orange B’, and ‘Red’ to determine the level of environmental assessment (EA) required. The act was amended in 2006 (SRO No. 175-Act/2006 dated August 29, 2006) on collection and recycling of used/nonfunctional batteries for conservation of environment, improving environmental standard and control and prevention of environmental pollution. According to this amendment, no recycling of battery will be permitted without environmental clearance of the DoE. This also restricted the improper disposal of used batteries or any parts of used battery in open place, water bodies, waste bins, and so on. All used batteries must be sent to the DoE-approved battery recycling industry at earliest convenience. No financial transaction was allowed for used and nonfunctional batteries. However, the act was amended on the same issue again in 2008 (SRO No. 29-Act/2008 dated February 11, 2008) to allow financial transaction on mutually agreed fixed cost. Water Act 2013 The Water Act 2013 mentions that no person or organization shall, without permission of appropriate authority, stop natural flow of any water course or create obstacles to such flow or divert or attempt to divert the direction of any water course by constructing any structure, whether it is on the bank or not, of any water source, or by filling any water source or by extracting sand or mud from any water source. Bangladesh Biosafety Rules 2012 The government of Bangladesh published Bangladesh Biosafety Rules (BR), 2012, which provides regulations on the approval process for genetically engineered products developed domestically or by a third country. The provisions of the Guidelines shall be applicable in case of controlling the Genetically Modified Organism or products and their harmful and adverse impacts on the environment. According to BR, 2012, all GE products need to be approved before they can be imported or sold domestically within Bangladesh. BR, 2012 notes that the Ministry of Environment and Forests needs to follow the Biosafety Guidelines of Bangladesh, 2007 in approving any biotech product. It also provides other information such as labeling and fines that may be levied against parties who harm the environment or ecosystem. Although not notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO), BR, 2012 was published on September 2, 2012. Revised Bio-safety Guidelines 2018 Biosafety guidelines are applicable to all research and development activities of modern biotechnology as defined in the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety conducted in laboratories of the government research institutes, state enterprises, universities, international organizations located in 23 | P a g e Bangladesh, private companies or non-governmental organizations. It applies to laboratory and field trial, trans-boundary movement, transit, handling and use of all GMOs that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health. • Activities not regulated by the Guidelines The following activities are excluded from the guidelines: (a) Research, development and promotional or commercialization activities involving organisms within the country that result from natural reproduction or micro propagated products derived through tissue culture or the use of traditional breeding practices. (b) The movement of non-living products of modern biotechnology such as isolated nucleic acids or proteins or lyophilized or other killed biological materials for the purpose of research and development. (c) Such other activities that may in future be declared to be excluded by the National Committee on Biosafety (NCB). • Objectives of Guidelines In accordance with the precautionary approach contained in Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the objective of this Guideline is to ensure an adequate level of protection for the environment and human health during the conduct of contained research, field trials, safe transfer, handling, use and trans boundary movement of GMO as part of modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human and animal health. On the basis of the precautionary principle, the Guidelines provide a framework for the following aspects: (a) Provide the framework to ensure safety of the developers and end-users of modern biotechnological products. (b) Promote the development and enforcement of regulations in harmony with national priorities and international obligations. (c) Foster a favorable climate for developing and accelerating innovation and for adopting sustainable biotechnology products and processes. (d) As necessary, develop materials in support of the objective of ensuring the safe handling transit and use of GMOs, including standard operating procedures, standards of best practice for record keeping and data recording, monitoring and inspection of regulated activities or other such guidance. These guidelines cover aspects of risk assessment and safety requirements needed for undertaking (a) Laboratory work, (b) Field trial and (c) Commercial use, involving i) Microorganisms, ii) Plants, iii) Fish and aquatics and iv) Animals. Guidelines for laboratory work specify the experiments to be categorized as belonging to different biosafety levels reflecting work bearing minimal risk, work bearing low risk, work bearing considerable risk and work bearing high risk and what precautionary measures should be taken to avert such risk. National Agricultural Policy, 1999 The overall objective of the National Agriculture Policy is to make the nation self-sufficient in food through increasing production of all crops including cereals and ensure a dependable food security system for all. One of the specific objectives of National Agricultural Policy is to take necessary steps to ensure environmental protection as well as environment-friendly sustainable agriculture. Through increased use of organic manure and strengthening of the integrated pest management program. The policy also suggests creating awareness so that the chemical fertilizers and pesticides used for increased crop production do not turn out to be responsible for environmental pollution. Water logging and salinity are identified as one of the serious problems in some parts of the country including the coastal areas for agricultural activities and environmental damage. The policy recommends for crop rotation and salt tolerant crop varieties. National Land Use Policy, 2001 The GoB has adopted National Land Use Policy, 2001. The salient features of the policy objectives relevant to the Program are as follows: 24 | P a g e • To prevent the current tendency of gradual and consistent decrease of cultivable land for the production of food to meet the demand of expanding population • To ensure that land use is in harmony with natural environment • To use land resources in the best possible way and to play supplementary role in controlling the consistent increase in the number of landless people and toward the elimination of poverty and the increase of employment • To protect natural forest areas and prevent river erosion and destruction of hills • To prevent land pollution • To ensure the minimal use of land for construction of both government and nongovernment buildings. National Fisheries Policy, 1999 The National Fisheries Policy, 1999 was formulated following review and intent of the East-Bengal Protection and Conservation of Fish Act 1950, which was updated by the Protection and Conservation of Fish (Amendment) Ordinance 1982 and further refined by the Protection and Conservation of Fish (Amendment) Act 1995. These Acts and ordinance provide provisions for the protection and conservation of fish in fresh water and brackish water bodies. The Fisheries Policy highlights the need to conserve fish breeding grounds and habitats. It intends to promote fisheries development and conservation in all water bodies. The project should consider these policies to protect the habitats, migration and connectivity of fish and fisheries resources around the project area. Measures to reduce any potential negative impacts on local fish populations will be incorporated into all stages of the Project. The Protection and Conservation of Fish Act (1950) This Act provides power to the government to: make and apply rules to protect fisheries; prohibit or regulate pollution to the water bodies. Protection and Conservation of Fish Rules (1985) Section 6 states, “No person shall destroy or make any attempt to destroy any fish by poisoning of water or the depletion of fisheries by pollution, by trade effluents or otherwise in inland waters. Biodiversity Act, 2017 It provides for creating the National Committee and the Biodiversity Management and Surveillance Committees at local levels (i.e., Districts, Upazilas, Municipalities, and Unions). In general, all these committees are mandated to assist the Government in implementing the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and visiting the biodiversity enriched areas in their respective territories; and monitoring the progress of implementation NBSAP. The Ground Water Management Ordinance (1985) Describes the management of ground water resources and licensing of tube wells. 25 | P a g e Bangladesh Wildlife (Protection and Preservation) Act 2012 The Act (Schedule 1 and 2) protects 1,307 species of plants and animals, including 32 species of amphibian, 154 species of reptile, 113 species of mammal, 52 species of fish, 32 species of coral, 137 species of mollusk, 22 species of crustacean, 24 species of insect, six species of rodent, 41 species of plant and 13 species of orchid. Of these, eight amphibian, 58 reptile, 41 bird, and 40 mammal species are listed as endangered in the IUCN Red Data Book (2000, updated in 2015). Public Procurement Rule (PPR) 2008 This is the public procurement rule of Bangladesh, and it shall apply to the procurement of goods, works, or services by any government, semi-government or any statutory body established under any law. The rule includes adequate measures regarding the ‘safety, security, and protection of the environment’ in the construction works. This clause states that mainly, the contractor shall take all reasonable steps to (a) safeguard the health and safety of all workers on the site and other persons entitled to be on it and keep the site in an orderly state and (b) protect the environment on and off the site and avoid damage or nuisance to persons or to property of the public or others resulting from pollution, noise, or other causes arising as a consequence of the contractor’s methods of operation. Bangladesh Labor Act 2006 (amendment 2018) Labor law of Bangladesh was originally framed in 2006 and was radically amended in 2013 to protect worker’s right and increase productivity. The law was later amended in 2018. The key features of the act are described below. • Classification of workers according to nature and condition of work: apprentice, badli, casual, temporary, probation, and permanent. • The act outlined different types of leaves and holidays of the worker. • It prescribed the punishment for conviction and misconduct. The act also described the procedure of punishment as well. • In chapter VI of this act safety precautions regarding explosive or inflammable dust and drugs, protection of eyes and protection against fire, works with cranes, and other lifting machinery are described elaborately. • In chapter VIII provisions of safety measures such as the appliance of first aid, maintenance of safety record book, children room, and housing facility are illustrated. • The act also strictly prohibits the employment of children in any occupation or establishment. Bangladesh National Building Code The basic purpose of this code is to establish minimum standards for design, construction, quality of materials, use and occupancy, location and maintenance of all buildings within Bangladesh to safeguard, within achievable limits, life, limb, health, property, and public welfare. The installation and use of certain equipment, services, and appurtenances related, connected, or attached to such buildings are also regulated herein to achieve the same purpose. Chapter 3, Part 7, of the code clarifies the issue of safety of workmen during construction and, with relation to this, sets out the details about the different safety tools of specified standard. In relation to the health hazards of the workers during construction, this chapter describes the nature of the 26 | P a g e different health hazards that normally occur in the site during construction and at the same time specifies the measures to be taken to prevent such health hazards. According to this chapter, exhaust ventilation, use of protective devices, medical checkups, and so on are the measures to be taken by the particular employer to ensure a healthy workplace for the workers. Section 1.4.1 of Chapter 1, Part 7, of the Bangladesh National Building Code states the general duties of the employer to the public as well as workers. According to this section “All equipment and safeguards required for the construction work such as temporary stair, ladder, ramp, scaffold, hoist, run way, barricade, chute, lift etc. shall be substantially constructed and erected so as not to create any unsafe situation for the workmen using them or the workmen and general public passing under, on or near them.� Chapter 1, Part 7, of the Bangladesh National Building Code clearly sets out the constructional responsibilities according to which the relevant authority of a particular construction site shall adopt some precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the workmen. According to Section 1.2.1 of Chapter 1, Part 7, “in a construction or demolition work, the terms of contract between the owner and the contractor and between a consultant and the owner shall be clearly defined and put in writing. These however will not absolve the owner from any of his responsibilities under the various provisions of this Code and other applicable regulations and by-laws. The terms of contract between the owner and the contractor will determine the responsibilities and liabilities of either party in the concerned matters, within the provisions of the relevant Acts and Codes (e.g.) the Employers' Liability Act, 1938, the Factories Act 1965, the Fatal Accident Act, 1955 and Workmen's Compensation Act 1923.� (After the introduction of the Bangladesh Labor Act 2006, these acts have been repealed.) To prevent workers falling from heights, the code in Section 3.7.1–3.7.6 of Chapter 3, Part 7 sets out the detailed requirements on the formation and use of scaffolding. According to Section 3.9.2 of the same chapter “every temporary floor opening shall either have railing of at least 900 mm height or shall be constantly attended. Either a railing with toe board or a hinged cover shall guard every floor hole. Alternatively, the hole may be constantly attended or protected by a removable railing. Every stairway floor opening shall be guarded by railing at least 900 mm high on the exposed sides except at entrance to stairway. Every ladder way floor opening, or platform shall be guarded by a guard railing with toe board except at entrance to opening. Every open sided floor or platform 1.2 meters or more above adjacent ground level shall be guarded by a railing on all open sides except where there are 39 entrances to ramp, stairway or fixed ladder. The precautions shall also be taken near the open edges of the floors and the roofs.� The Prevention of Cruelty against Women and Children Act 2000 The Prevention of Cruelty against Women and Children Act 2000 (also referred to as the Prevention of Women and Child Repression Act 2000) was amended in 2003. This Act was formulated to protect women and children from heinous crimes such as rape, dowry, grievous injury. The Act makes provision for the punishment of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. The law also has put restrictions on the media so that the victims' privacy is protected. The introduction of the concept of the safe custody is one of the most important features of the law. This act introduced capital punishment in cases of rape, and grievous injuries. The important features of the Act are: • Speedy investigation and trial of cases will be held in tribunals and all crimes under the ambit of the law are non-bailable, with few exceptions; • A summary tribunal titled Women and Children Repression Tribunal would be formed for every district town to dispose of the related cases; • The tribunal will complete the trial process within 180 days; 27 | P a g e • The investigation should be completed within 60 days of the order by a magistrate or filing of the case; • Under a provision of the law, a rapist will pay for the upkeep of a child born as consequence of rape. Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh The fundamental rights under the constitution indicate the general guidelines for a policy on resettlement/rehabilitation of citizens adversely affected (whatever be the mechanism) due to any activity of the state. Constitutional status of women Article: 10 Steps shall be taken to ensure participation of women in all spheres of national Life. The contents of Article 15 are particularly important for the squatters (floating people migrating from rural areas to the cities/towns looking for jobs and/or landless people that construct shanty huts and small temporary business facilities in government land for survival). (i) Social security to widows: Article: 15(d): Under the heading of Fundamental Principles of State Policy, states that where the state accepts a fundamental responsibility towards raising the standard of living of the people, it specifically undertakes responsibility for providing social security to inter alia, widows. (ii) Free and compulsory Education: Article: 17 The State shall adopt effective measures for the purpose of: a. Establishing a uniform, mass-oriented and universal system of education and extending free and compulsory education to all children to such stage as may be determined by law. b. Relating education to the needs of society and producing properly trained and motivated citizens to serve those needs. c. Removing illiteracy within such time as may be determined by law. (iii) Public health and morality: Article: 18 a. The State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties, and in particular shall adopt effective measures to prevent the consumption, except for medical purposes or for such other purposes as may be prescribed by law, of alcoholic and other intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health. b. The State shall adopt effective measures to prevent prostitution and gambling. The Third section of the Bangladesh Constitution contained provisions for fundamental rights. Rights and opportunities for women (or rights relevant to them) are the following: (iv) Equal opportunity for all citizens: Article 19(1). Sub-section 2 Equal opportunity for all citizens was ensured by Article 19(1). Sub-section 2 of the same Article required the state to take effective measures to remove socio-economic discrimination. 28 | P a g e Article 20 of the constitution (Work as a right and duty) states the following: a. Work is a right, a duty and a matter of honor for every citizen who is capable of working, and everyone shall be paid for his work on the basis of the principle “from each according to his abilities to each according to his work.� b. The State shall endeavor to create conditions in which, as a general principle, persons shall not be able to enjoy unearned incomes, and in which human labor in every form, intellectual and physical, shall become a fuller expression of creative endeavor and of the human personality. Article 27: equality of all citizens before law and equal protection under law. Article 28(1): no discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Article 28(2): equal opportunity for men and women in all spheres of state and public live. Article 28(3): no discrimination on grounds only of religion race, caste, sex or place of birth in providing access to any place of public entertainment or resort, or admission to any educational institution. Article 29(1): equal opportunity for all citizens in respect of employment or office in the service of the Republic. Article 65(3): Women are free to contest election from any constituency. But originally 15 seats were reserved for women; the number has been raised to 30 and thereafter 45 in 2004. (v) Equality before law: Article 27: Equality before law All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law. (vi) Discrimination on grounds of religion, etc. Article 28: a. The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. b. Women shall have equal rights with men in all spheres of the State and of public life. c. No citizen shall on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth be subjected to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to access to any place of public entertainment or resort, or admission to any educational institution. d. Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making special provision in favor of women or children or for the advancement of any backward section of Citizens (vii) Inequality of opportunity in public employment: Article: 29 a. There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in respect of employment or office in the service of the Republic. b. No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect of, any employment or office in the service of the Republic. c. Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from: 1. Making special provision in favor of any backward section of citizens for the purpose of securing their adequate representation in the service of the Republic. 29 | P a g e 2. Giving effect to any law which makes provision for reserving appointments relating to any religious or denominational institution to persons of that religion or denomination. 3. Reserving for members of one sex any class of employment or office on the ground that it is considered by its nature to be unsuited to members of the opposite sex. Article 40: Freedom of profession or occupation It states that “Subject to any restrictions imposed by law, every citizen possessing such qualifications, if any, as may be prescribed by law in relation to his profession, occupation, trade or business shall have the right to enter upon any lawful profession or occupation, and to conduct any lawful trade or business.� This means that every citizen has the right to practice any lawful occupation, which implies that anything that impedes such right (a) should not be done or (b) there should be supplementary measures to make good the losses incurred by the citizen. Resettlement and rehabilitation of adversely affected people due to infrastructure projects clearly falls within this requirement for supplementary measures. Article 42, Rights to property, states the following: a. Subject to any restrictions imposed by law, every citizen shall have the right to acquire, hold, transfer or otherwise dispose of property, and no property shall be compulsorily acquired, nationalized or requisitioned save by authority of law. b. A law made under clause (1) shall provide for the acquisition, nationalization or requisition with compensation and shall either fix the amount of compensation or specify the principles on which, and the manner in which, the compensation is to be assessed and paid; but no such law shall be called in question in any court on the ground that any provision in respect of such compensation is not adequate. c. Nothing in this article shall affect the operation of any law made before the commencement of the Proclamations (Amendment) Order, 1977 (Proclamations Order No. I of 1977), in so far as it relates to the acquisition, nationalization or acquisition of any property without compensation. Thus, according to subclause 2, no law with provision of compensation for acquisition of land can be challenged in a court on the ground that such compensation has been inadequate. The Right to Information Act, 2009 The Act. No. XX of 2009, an Act to make provisions for ensuring free flow of information and people’s right to information. Whereas freedom of thought, conscience and speech is recognized in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh as one of the fundamental rights and right to information is an inalienable part of freedom of thought, conscience and speech; and Whereas all powers of the Republic belong to the people, and it is necessary to ensure right to information for the empowerment of the people; and Whereas if the right to information of the people is ensured, the transparency and accountability of all public, autonomous and statutory organizations and of other private institutions constituted or run by government or foreign financing shall increase, corruption of the same shall decrease and good governance of the same shall be established; and Whereas it is expedient and necessary to make provisions for ensuring transparency and accountability in all public, autonomous and statutory organizations and in other private institutions constituted or run by government or foreign financing. Here “information� includes any memo, book, design, map, contract, data, log book, order, notification, document, sample, letter, report, accounts, project proposal, photograph, audio, video, drawing, painting, film, any instrument done through electronic process, machine readable record, and any other documentary material regardless of its physical form 30 | P a g e or characteristics, and any copy thereof in relation to the constitution, structure and official activities of any authority. “Right to information� means the right to obtain information from any authority. Right to information. —Subject to the provisions of this Act, every citizen shall have the right to information from the authority, and the authority shall, on demand from a citizen, be bound to provide him with the information. Preservation of information. — (1) In order to ensure right to information under this Act, every authority shall prepare catalogue and index of all information and preserve it in an appropriate manner. (2) Every authority shall, within a reasonable time-limit, preserve in computer all such information as it thinks fit for preservation in computer, and shall connect them through a country- wide network to facilitate access to information. (3) The Information Commission shall, by regulations, frame instructions to be followed by every authority for the preservation and management of information and all authority shall follow the instructions. National Integrity Strategy 2012 Government of Bangladesh has adopted the National Integrity Strategy (NIS) in October 2012 with the goal of establishing good governance in state institutions and in the society. This strategy provides action program for state institutions and non-state social institutions like political parties, private sector business and industries, NGO and civil society, family, educational institution and media. State institutions rendering public services are made responsible under the NIS to respond to complaints and grievances of the citizen and record their feedback in regular mass hearing sessions at convenient locations to enable spontaneous participation of citizens without any fear of retaliation. The Acquisition and Requisition of Immovable Property Act 2017 The Acquisition and Requisition of Immovable Property Act (ARIPA) 2017 Act requires that compensation be paid for (a) land and assets permanently acquired (including standing crops, trees, houses) and (b) requisition of land. The act also provides for the acquisition of properties belonging to religious organizations such as mosques, temples, pagodas, and graveyards if they are acquired for public interest. The Ministry of Land (MOL) has the overall responsibility of enforcing land acquisition. The MOL delegates some of its authority to the Commissioner at the divisional level and to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) at the district level. DCs are empowered by the MOL to process land acquisition and pay compensation to the legal owners of the acquired property. The burden to establish his/her legal rights to the acquired property to be eligible for compensation under the law is on the landowner. The DC is empowered to acquire a maximum of 50 standard bigha (16.50 acres) of land without any litigation for which s/he would obtain the approval of the Divisional Commissioner. Acquisition of land exceeding 16.50 acres has to be approved by the central land allocation committee headed by the prime minister of Bangladesh. In the case of acquiring khas land (government-owned land), the land will be transferred through an inter-ministerial meeting following an acquisition proposal submitted to the DC or the MOL. Under the ARIPA 2017, the DC determines the value of the acquired assets as at the date of issuing the notice of acquisition under Section 4(1) of the act. DCs thereafter enhance the assessed value by 200 percent for land and another 100 percent premium for loss of standing crops, structures, and income due to compulsory nature of the acquisition. The compensation such determined is called the cash compensation under law. If the land acquired has standing crops cultivated by a tenant (bargadar) under a legally constituted written agreement, the law requires that compensation money be paid in cash to the tenants as per the agreement. Households and assets moved from land already acquired in the past for project purposes and/or government khas lands are not included in the acquisition proposal and therefore excluded for compensation under the law. Lands acquired for a particular public purpose cannot be used for any other purpose. ARIPA 2017, Section 4 (2) also facilitates the 31 | P a g e private organizations to request the Government to acquire the land for their development activities. Furthermore, the new act under its Section 15 provides for the acquisition of entire houses/buildings if their owners request to acquire the entire house or building against partial acquisition. The Government is obliged to pay compensation for the assets acquired. The ARIPA 2017 is applied for involuntary acquisition of land for development projects across the country except the three hill districts (Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari), where the Chattogram Hill Track (Land Acquisition) Regulation 1958 (CHTR 1958), amended in 2018) is appliable, in addition to ARIPA requirements. GoB 8th Five-year Plan (2021–2025) The 8th Five-year Plan (FYP) will focus on improving the investment climate for domestic and foreign private investment to offset the lackluster private sector investment performance in the 7FYP. The short-term unemployment resulting from COVID-19 including retrenchment of overseas workers will present an immense challenge in the very first year of the 8FYP. Job creation accordingly will be a top priority of the 8FYP. The 8FYP will put stronger focus on these aspects of power and energy sector development. The 8FYP power and energy strategy will continue the ongoing good work and strengthen the strategy in several areas. First, the Power Sector Master Plan (PSMP) 2016 will be updated and power expansion programs will be based on updated demand projections, better use of existing capacity, and selection of least-cost options for new generation. Second, emphasis will be placed on renewable energy through proper fuel-oil pricing and other incentives. Third, the power and energy sector finances will be improved through institutional reforms and pricing policies. Fourth, energy conservation and efficiency improvements will be promoted through proper operation and maintenance of power facilities, adoption of energy-efficient technology, and pricing and taxation of energy consumption. 3.1.2 Institutions for environmental and social management systems Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)/Department of Environment (DoE) The DoE under the MoEFCC is the main environmental regulation and enforcement agency. Under the provision of the ECA 1995, it is responsible for awarding ECCs to development projects, monitoring compliance and enforcement of environmental standards, preventing activities that are likely to cause environmental degradation, and carrying out various other advisory and research activities. Wide powers have been given to the Director General of the DoE by the ECA 1995, such as the power to do anything he/she considers necessary to meet the objectives of the act including direct immediate closure of any polluting industrial plant and monitoring of environmental quality standards. The DoE is also mandated to coordinate the activities of any authority or agency (including other line ministries or their respective departments) relating to the adherence to basic principles of ECA 1995 and ECR 1997. DOE’s vision is to ensure sustainable environmental governance for achieving high quality of life for the benefit of present and future generation. DOE’s mission is to help secure a clean and healthy environment for the benefit of present and future generations: • Through the fair and consistent application of environmental rules and regulations. • Through guiding, training, and promoting awareness of environmental issues; and • Through sustainable action on critical environmental problems that demonstrate practical solutions, and that galvanize public support and involvement. 32 | P a g e Planning Commission The Bangladesh Planning Commission is the central planning organization of the country. It determines objectives, goals, and strategies of medium and short-term plans within the framework of long-term perspective and formulates policy measures for the achievement of planned goals and targets. Its activities include the following elements of development planning: • Policy planning. Determination of goals, objectives, priorities, strategies, and policy measures for development plans • Sectoral planning. Identification of the role of the various sectors of the economy in the context of the plan objectives and goals • Program planning. Formulation of detailed resource allocation to realize the plan objectives and goals • Project planning. Appraisal of projects embodying investment decisions for the implementation of the sectoral plans • Evaluation. Impact analysis of projects, programs, and plans on the people’s living standard. The Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) under the Ministry of Planning Strategic Plan examines the link between financial allocations and equitable economic growth by defining and verifying the relationships between expenditure and eventual development results. Analysis of the performance of ministries and sectors against agreed targets is provided to Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, line ministries, and other concerned parties whenever necessary. Wherever possible IMED seeks to explain why sector or ministry performance targets have not been met by careful analysis of Program outcomes. This analysis is provided to the relevant bodies so that they can improve their performance if necessary. IMED evaluates the performance of MoA during and upon completion of a Program/project and provides necessary guidance to MoA for further improvement. The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA)/Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) The MoA works for ensuring food security by increasing crop production and productivity. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) works to develop opportunity plan for facilitating agricultural growth and development. The Department of Agricultural Extension’s mission is to provide efficient and effective need-based extension services to all categories of farmer, to enable them to optimize their use of resources, in order to promote sustainable agricultural and socioeconomic development of Bangladesh. For this Program, the following Agencies under the umbrella of MoA would be directly involved. These are: DAE, DAM, BARC, BMDA, BADC, BARI, and BRRI). DAE would be the coordinating agency and all other agencies would feed DAE with all pertinent information for onward submission to MoA and the World Bank. 3.2 Assessment of borrower systems against core principles and planning elements 3.2.1 Assessment of existing policy and legal framework in relation to PforR principles The GoB’s legal policy framework on E&S impact management consists of a set of national policies, acts, strategies, directives, guidelines, and management frameworks. The existing government policy and legal framework on the management of social and environmental impacts generally reflects, to various extents, the following general principles of World Bank Policy on PforR Financing: • Avoid, minimize, or mitigate against adverse impacts. • Promote E&S sustainability in Program design. 33 | P a g e • Promote informed decision-making relating to a Program’s E&S effects. Two of the main objectives of the Bangladesh Environment Policy 2018 are to maintain ecological balance and overall development through protection and improvement of the environment and ensure environmentally sound development in all sectors. This has been done through establishment of dedicated institutions and regulatory framework, framing new laws and amending old laws to establish E&S management process and procedures and making the EA transparent and effective to mitigate the adverse effects of development on the natural and social resource base. The ECA 1995 and ECR 1997 is an umbrella environmental act and rule, respectively, in the country for the protection of natural environment. The ECA and ECR combined with other acts, policies, and guidelines (as discussed in the previous section) encompass most of the key principles defined in P4R Financing Policy and Directive. They provide guidance and directions for avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating potential adverse impacts on natural resources and important natural habitats. Worker health and safety during construction have also been addressed in a number of legislations and rules (Bangladesh National Building Code 2006, Labour Act 2013, Public Procurement Rule 2008, and so on). The umbrella legislation ECA/ECR does not explicitly cover the process and procedures for E&S management regarding protection of public and worker safety against the potential risks associated with (a) occupational and community health and safety or (b) reconstruction or rehabilitation of infrastructure located in areas prone to natural hazards. Given that MoA/DAE and other IAs involved with PARTNER Program do not have a dedicated standard operating procedure (SOP)/Guideline developed to address the E&S management following the World Bank guidelines and latest government policies and acts including Labor Act 2006 (amendment in 2018) and Labor Rules 2015, and so on and relevant new environmental policies, MoA may be advised to develop a generic ESMF for E&S management for the Program that would later act as a standard in addressing all Program and project related E&S management. 3.2.2 Assessment of the country environmental and social management system Bangladesh’s ESMS that apply to the PARTNER Program consists of national legal framework (laws, policies and guidelines) that are broadly consistent with World Bank E&S core principles on PforR Financing. However, some gaps do exist compared to the basic principles of World Bank Policy on PforR Financing as elaborated in the previous section. The Program ESMF to be developed at the early stage of Program implementation, would provide a clear institutional framework to MoA for monitoring E&S safeguard activities and carrying out E&S due diligence in accordance with World Bank Core Principles of PforR Financing on E&S management. Environmental Elements The environmental assessment and management process is planned to be governed by ECA 1995 and ECR 1997 beside safe practices followed by DAE. MoA/DAE and other IAs do not have a formal organizational setup to monitor environmental matters of the Program. Dedicated staffs tasked to monitor and manage environmental issues is sought by the IAs. However, there is also room for hiring environmental specialists/consultants in overall environmental management. MoA may plan to hire a non-governmental organization (NGO) with requisite experience in implementing E&S management and mitigation. Since the overall responsibility of environmental management lies with the IAs and DAE in particular, DAE needs to ensure that the consultants are carrying out their responsibilities properly. MoA developed ESMF could provide necessary guidance in this regard. The environmental elements pertaining to the core principles of Program for Results Financing Policy are discussed below: 34 | P a g e (1) Early screening of potential effects. Environmental screening, as per ESA 1995 and ECR 1997, identifies the consequence of the proposed interventions of the Program in broader sense based on similar project /Program experiences, stakeholder’s perceptions, and expert judgment, without having detailed investigation. Critical issues are also identified through screening, which needs detailed investigation. Based on the extent of environmental impacts, obtained from the environmental screening, the decision for further environment impact assessment will be taken. (2) Explicit assessment of potential induced, cumulative and transboundary impacts. As stated in the DoE EIA guidelines, the country system explicitly requires identification and prediction of the potential long-term and short-term direct and indirect environmental impacts in the Program’s subproject site and its immediate surroundings: the scope of impacts include physical, biological, socioeconomic, and cultural environments. The impacts will be categorized qualitatively (insignificant, moderate, significant) to identify major impacts and relevant components during screening including transboundary impacts. However, since all the project interventions are going to take place within the geographical boundary of the country, transboundary impacts are not expected. (3) Responsiveness and accountability through stakeholder consultation. The EA system of the country does not explicitly require dissemination of information and stakeholder consultations at different stages of a project needing IEE or EIA. However, this gap could be filled by providing specific guidance in the Program ESMF to be developed during implementation. It is recognized that consultations with the key stakeholders will need to be carried out throughout the Program life. These will include consultations and liaison with communities and other stakeholders during all phases of the Program. (4) Grievance redress measures. The MoA would require establishment of GRM for attending Program related complaints and grievances, particularly related to redress for environmental issues such as pollution, poor yield as an improper intervention, and so on will be sought under the same mechanism. A separate grievance redress cell for environmental issues will not be required. (5) Early identification and screening of potentially important biodiversity and cultural resource areas. One of the screening criteria in the early phase of identification of areas for Program intervention should obtain information on historical or culturally important sites, and ecologically sensitive areas. So, the early identification and screening of potentially important biodiversity and cultural resource areas are incorporated in the screening process. (6) Promotes community, individual, and worker safety. OHS hazards highlights contractors’ obligations, best practices for worker safety, accident prevention, and provision for safe water supply and sanitation services at the site. The preceding discussion shows that the environmental policy, legal framework, and guidelines applicable to the proposed PforR are consistent with Program for Results Financing Policy and Directive. The MoA and DAE will develop E&S Guideline with the Program Implementation Plan (PIP) and subsequently a Program ESMF for screening and risk assessment procedures, impact mitigation methods and grievance redress mechanism (GRM)_and organize necessary institutional arrangement to bridge the gaps in the existing policy, legal and institutional framework. 35 | P a g e Social Elements As the Program involves promoting resilient production and marketing of high-value, safe, and nutritious food in Bangladesh, it will benefit all including the female-headed households, marginal groups, people living under the poverty line, landless persons, the mentally and physically disabled ones, women, youth and the individuals and communities/cooperatives involved with agriculture at large. During the social assessment, the farmers, agro machineries including tiller renters and their organizations, seed and fertilizer suppliers, individuals/entities involved with irrigation support at the private domain, agro-product sellers etc. will be consulted. The issues of concern are explained below: • Social screening. The MoA/DAE needs to ensure that the proposed Program interventions do not cause any restriction in the adjacent community in terms of their liberty in choosing what to harvest, use of fertilizer and irrigation choices. The Program activities under any of the IAs will avoid acquisition of private land, conversion of land use and involuntary displacement of people. • Public/stakeholder consultation. Consultation and community participation will be undertaken at Program’s subproject identification, planning, design, implementation, and evaluation stages. Consultation and participation involve communities including tribal communities and other stakeholders, which will take place through interpersonal communications, focused group discussions (FGDs) and small and large community meetings. Additionally, radio broadcast and other media forms may be used to further disseminate information. The E&S section of the PIP will provide detailed guideline for community consultation with particular focus on the tribal peoples with indigenous status at the locations of Program intervention before every stage of the Program activities. 3.3 Assessment of borrower practices and performance records From the discussion in the preceding sections, it is evident that the GoB’s policy and legal framework are broadly aligned with the PforR principles on E&S management. The national systems and any gaps with the E&S core principles for PforR would be adequately addressed through the Program ESMF and the PIM that would have adequate guidance on issues like Gender, SEA/SH, labor influx, community health and safety and citizen engagement/GRM. The information obtained below are from review of documents, monitoring reports, and discussion with project officials and concerned stakeholders. 3.3.1 Management of environmental impacts at the operational level MoA/DAE and other IAs are new to Program operation under PforR finance and E&S risks management associated with the Program activities. However, the Program interventions would have limited environmental and social risks and impact and the mitigation measures are known to the IAs acquired through implementation of World Bank financed projects. MoA may demand the IAs to prepare and submit quarterly E&S monitoring reports on specific interventions so that their performance in fulfilling E&S management guidelines could be gained through these reports. All the IAs could assign a focal person for E&S risks management to report to the APD of the individual IA, who would then report to the PD, PCU at DAE for onward submission to the MoA and the World Bank. The supervision and management staff at the IAs would undertake data collection on a daily basis/or as dictated by the Program E&S guideline under the PIP. The macro-level interactive meeting involves the PD, APDs and relevant focal points for E&S management and would be held as decided by the PD. Experience from field of different infrastructure subprojects show that there are several gaps in complying with E&S Management criteria: 36 | P a g e • Contractors are not bound by the agreement to produce site specific C-ESMP, which leads to poor E&S compliance at the field implementation level. • Safety supervision at the site is often found lacking, resulting in checklists not being filled on a routine basis, safety banners often not being in place, infrequent site visit by the safety supervisor of the contractor, and so on. Negligence by the workers in using Personal protective gears (for example, not wearing gloves while cutting and working with electrical equipment, waist belts when working on heights) is frequent. • Worker accommodation arrangement at the site is far from standard (lack of ventilation) and sanitation facilities are often not hygienic (lack of supply of handwashing soaps, unclean toilets, etc.). One of the reasons for noncompliance is the lack of harmonization between contractors and subcontractors. Training and awareness activities have to be focused on relevant IA officials, focal points for E&S management, contractors, and subcontractors, their safety supervisors, and labor contractors for capacity-building. 3.3.2 Management of social impacts at the operational level In the past, MoA has satisfactorily implemented the Bank Programs/projects and mitigated the social impacts. During the implementation of previous Programs/projects, MoA has managed the grievances effectively and adequately conducted consultations with all relevant stakeholders. As the threat from COVID 19 still looms large, all concerned including staffs, contractors, subcontractors, labor force, farmers and other stakeholders of the Program should follow the health protocols for the COVID-19 management as enunciated by WHO, the World Bank and the GoB. 3.3.3 Assessment of the past performance of the implementing agencies in managing the E&S risks: Experience from Research Projects: In the NATP projects, the research program is being coordinated by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC). Competitive Research Grant (CRG) and Program Based Research Grant (PBRG) research program are being implemented under the research program. The implementation of CRG has been completed in 2018 where 190 sub-projects were implemented. A total of 51 PBRG sub-projects covering different improved technologies of crop, livestock and fisheries are being implemented having satisfactory compliance with safeguard measures based on exclusion criteria and environmental screening matrix. All the PBRG sub-projects are categorized into three groups such as (i) climate-neutral; (ii) having climate co-benefits and (iii) direct climate-related. The PBRG sub-projects contributed in (i) conservation and improvement of biodiversity, (ii) identification of climate smart coastal ecosystems model, (iii) promotion of climate smart agriculture (CSA) technologies, (iv) improvement of soil health and organic matter content, (v) improvement of carbon sink, (vi) improvement of indigenous genetic resources of crops, fish and livestock, (vii) agroforestry model development, (viii) judicious use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides, (ix) protection of pond water from pollution, (x) reducing of health hazards & environmental pollution, (xi) reducing of GHG emission (xii) face future climate change impacts having climate co-benefits, Introduces of improved technologies Cultivation of improved variety/breed at farmers level Increases of production Promotion of women friendly improved technologies Production of Created employment opportunities of poor and marginal people Increases of income of the farmer Women and participation of women and ethnic peoples in improved technologies The analysis says that the innovated improved technologies contributed to increase production, productivity, including safe food production. The research opened diversified opportunities of the people including the poor, women, ethnics and other disadvantages people. Also create employment opportunity and increase income of the women, ethnics and other disadvantages people having impact on improvement of 37 | P a g e livelihood and food security that indicate to address the social safeguards. No PBRG sub-projects offered land acquisition, involuntary resettlement, encroachment of reserve forests, and use of prohibited pesticides. No complain has been received from any individuals, group or category of people and any other stakeholder associated with the subprojects. Moreover, all the Coordinators and Principal Investigators (PIs) of the PBRG sub-projects are well aware about to management of environmental and social safeguard issues in designing and implementation of the sub-projects that confirms the environmental and social safeguards compliances. The PBRG sub-projects have contributed to environmental conservation and improvement, increase of agricultural production, improve livelihood and food security of the poor households. The detailed analysis have identified the three key focus areas of PBRG sub-projects in regards to environmental and social safeguards compliance which are: (i) Environmental conservation and improvement; (ii) Climate co-benefit and (iii) Livelihood improvement. Experience from Extension Projects: In the NATP, the PIU-DAE and other partners have been implementing diverse extension program in consideration of environmental and social safeguards. The details analysis evidently stated that the extension activities have contributed in climate change adaptation leads to environmental improvement and social safeguards issues. The major identified impact of the extension program are: (i) Adoption followed by dissemination of climate smart and climate resilience improved agricultural technologies; (ii) Adopting safety/protection measures in using pesticides, (iii) Improvement of household nutritional status, (iv) reduced use of underground water, (v) reduced use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides in crop production; (vi) improvement of soil health and protection of water from pollution; (vii) protect the environment from chemical hazards; (viii) improvement of pond water bodies; (ix) keeps the post-harvest fish processing center clean and hygienic; (x) increase of small indigenous fish species and maintaining fish biodiversity; (xi)management and diverse utilization of livestock farm wastage;(xii) prevention and reduces the rate of disease infection of livestock; (xiii) Improvement of animal health leads higher production; (xiv) safe production of crops, fruits, vegetables, livestock and fisheries; (xv) created income opportunity and increases of income; (xvii) livelihood improvement of the crop, fisheries and livestock farmer. Past Experience on E&S Compliance in Value Chain: The environmental and social safeguard issues were taken into the consideration in NATP projects at different phases of value chain especially in production and post-harvest processing. The value chain system has given priority on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for production of crop, fisheries and livestock which have positive impact on environmental and social safeguard. In this respect the farmers/producers were trained on “GAP�. The Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) mostly focused on use of good quality of seed/seedlings/planting materials/breed/fingerlings, application Integrated Nutrient & Pest Management (INPM) which includes use of organic manures and vermin compost, balanced use of fertilizer, application of IPM (sex pheromone trap, yellow sticky trap, habitat of beneficial insects, judicious use of pesticides etc.), improvement of water bodies, use of improved breed, use quality feed, housing management, health management, etc. The proper management of post-harvest activities ensured the post-harvest loss and management of wastage of the product which contributed to prevent the environmental degradation and address the social safeguard issue. The post-harvest activities offered working opportunities of the poor including women. The comprehensive value chain approaches leads in safe and quality agricultural production of products having impact on livelihood improvement. 3.4 The grievance redress system (GRS) GoB, in 2014 launched an online and centralized Grievance Redress System (GRS), that includes line ministries, government departments and subordinate departments/agencies to address complaints from citizens and improve public service delivery. The GRS is intended to address i) public grievances about service provision that is under the purview of government, semi-government or autonomous 38 | P a g e organizations, and ii) staff complaints that can be submitted by the officials of government/semi- government/autonomous organizations regarding their access to services or rights as employees. Citizens can also use the GRS to provide suggestions for simplification of services, law and regulation reforms or share other ideas. However, complaints related to religious matters, right to information, departmental cases against government officials or employees, or issues pending in any court are beyond the scope of the GRS. The GRS includes all government ministries and departments/agencies under them, as well as the Union Parishad, the lowest tier of local government in Bangladesh which are the most recent additions. MoA and all its agencies are users of the centralized GRS launched by GoB (http://www.grs.gov.bd). The proposed Program would establish a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) interlinked with the centralized GRS to answer to queries, receive suggestions, and address complaints and grievances about any implementation issues of the Program and assessment and mitigation of environmental and social risks and impacts. The mechanism will assist in resolving issues/complaints amicably and quickly, saving the aggrieved persons from having to resort to expensive, time-consuming legal actions. The mechanism will, however, not deprive a person of his/her right to go to the courts of law. Grievance response focal points are to be available at the IAs’ intervention level; and Grievance Redress Committee (GRC) is to be formed at implementation levels as needed by the IAs. DAE E&S Cell to monitor the activities of the IA GRS. At the moment, besides the centralized GRS of GoB, MoA and the IAs have reported the following mechanisms in use: • DAE GRM. One Deputy Director (DD) and one Additional Deputy Director (ADD) under the Director finance and administration are designated as DD and ADD legal Support Service, who work with this issue. This GRM works as per the Citizen Charter published on the DAE website. At union level, there is union disaster risk reduction committee, where DAE personnel are members. Any issues at field level can be addressed using this platform. CIGs are also another platform to solve any issues. • DAM Grievance Redress System (GRS) has Grievance Redress Committees (GRC) at three tiers, such as head office level committee, Divisional office level committee, and District office level committee. A service recipient can file complaints and get remedies to submit complain/grievances through applying grievance submission form both in offline and online. In DAM website, there is information about GRC members, such as name, designation, role of committee, office location, mobile number. • BMDA GRS is implemented through its Headquarters, Zonal, Regional, and Circle offices up to Upazila level. GRC is formed office wise to render necessary support to receive and redress grievances, if any. However, the GRC is composed of office staffs only and there is no inclusion of representative from local administration, local leadership, farmers’ community, women representative etc. As such, when the existing GRC cannot address a grievance, the issue is forwarded to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) for redressal12. Registers are maintained in each office to record grievances. BMDA has its Citizen’s Charter that is published on BMDA’s individual office website. A complainant (any farmer, operator or related persons) at grass root level can lodge complains to the respective Zonal Office physically or over mobile phone. Upon receipt of a complaint, the Head of Zonal Office (Assistant Engineer) addresses the issue immediately by himself or deputing appropriate sub-ordinates (Sub-Assistant Engineer /Mechanics/Others). The higher authority of BMDA monitors the Grievance Redress System regularly and provides required 12 Conversation with Mr. Md. Azadul Islam, Executive Engineer, BMDA, HQ, Rajshahi on GRM and GRC on 04 April 2022. 39 | P a g e guidance. However, there appears to be notable weakness in the GRM in BMDA as evidenced from the alleged suicide of two Santal farmers Avinath Marandi and his brother, Robi Marandi by taking poison on 24 and 25 March 2022 protesting the non-cooperation of the Irrigation Deep Tube well operator to water their farmland. The issue was highlighted in all national dailies. This incident exposes the weakness in GRM at BMDA including lack of accountability and supervision by relevant officials. As such, the GRM at BMDA needs to be strengthened. • BADC Grievance Mechanism System (GMS). Under this system, some of the activities are given below: - A complaint box is placed at the front of all the offices including Headquarter. - Farmers, Dealers, Tenderer can apply directly to the highest authority. - Mass hearing. • BARI GRM is headed by Director (Support Service) who is assisted by Deputy Director (Audit and Accounts) and Senior Assistant Director (Administration). Complains are taken into account and resolved following NIS 2012 and GRS Guidelines 2015. The grievance and complain can be submitted both offline and online modes. Local complains are tried to be solved by the regional offices but if these are beyond their jurisdiction then these are referred to the Headquarters for proper redressals. Besides, there is Citizen Charter with mobile number, complain box, complain form to submit as to complain redress officer designated by BARI. • BRRI Grievance Redressal Mechanism system. There are two tiers for these mechanisms. The present setup is appended below: Sl. Time of Communicating address Settlement No. Communication deadline 1 If the officer-in-charge Grievance Director (Administration and Common Services) Three (03 could not solve the Redressal Phone: 49272043 months) problem Officer (GRO) Email: da@brri.gov.bd; abs_63@yahoo.com Website: www.brri.gov.bd 2 If the Grievance Appellate Joint Secretary (Admin) One (01 Redressal Officer Officer Phone: 9540067 month) could not solve the Email: jsadmn@moa.gov.bd problem within the Website: www.moa.gov.bd allocated time 3 If the Appellate Officer Ministry of Honorable Secretary One (01 could not solve the Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh Secretariat, month) problem within the Dhaka allocated time Website: www.moa.gov.bd • BARC follows its Citizen Charter with mobile number, complain box, and complain form to submit to Complain Redress Officer designated by BARC. Public hearing is also regularly held to redress the internal grievance among the staff of the institute. Program GRM. Program grievance redress mechanism (GRM) will be established at each of the IAs. GRC would be formed to address Program related complaints and grievances. The GRC will be the forum where people would exercise their right of participation in the Program cycle through suggestions and complaints. BARC, BARI and BRRI being research entities and not having direct communication at the field level activities could continue with their existing GRM. At the DAE, DAM and BMDA level, a three tier GRM should be established and separate GRC should operate at each level of implementation hierarchy: ▪ Tier one: field level GRC (Block/Union/Upazila), ▪ Tier two: district level GRC; ▪ Tier three: HQ level GRC. 40 | P a g e The GRCs must include members from amongst the beneficiary stakeholders (farmers, agribusinessmen, seed suppliers, persons involved with operating harvesting machines and irrigation pumps, representatives of local administration, Block supervisor, local NGO representative involved with farming and related matters, women representative at the Union Parishad etc.). Members of the GRC at Union/Upazila level will be nominated by the chairman/mayor. District Agricultural Extension Officer will lead the district level GRC. He will be assisted by Upazila and Union level DAE staffs, local administration representatives, women representative from local NGO and other members as decided by District Agricultural Extension Officer. At the Program-level, DAE will form a GRC where the PD will be the convener, officer deputed for E&S matters will be the secretary, and a member from individual IA. All IAs would furnish a monthly report to DAE on grievances received and actions taken. Moreover, any supervisory visit from the DAE to different IA/in the grassroot level will note the problem and would be able to solve as per merit of the problem. Beyond, a digital HUB could be established at HQ DAE under the supervision and management of the DAE, the lead agency. Some officials would be deputed/ recruited specially to look after the Grievance related issues. This needs to be confirmed from DAE and other IAs. As the whole country is still not through with COVID-19 pandemic, the web-based GRS is a priority and needs to be developed at the initial stage for use in all stages. A form and toll-free number can be added, so that aggrieved person can easily raise grievances. Some form of hotline mobile telephone number can also be arranged where the aggrieved ones could send SMS to lodge a complaint. Persons/staff at the DAE involved with E&S Monitoring need to be trained further on grievance recording, procedure of address, and disclosure. SEA/SH GRM. SEA/SH-related complaints, if any, will be handled in a survivor-centric approach in line with the World Bank guidelines provided in the World Bank good practice note on gender-based violence (GBV).13 SEA/SH-related complaints will be dealt with strict confidentiality, based on the wishes of the SEA/SH survivor. Any SEA/SH survivor will be referred to an NGO assigned for the project by the IA (DAE, DAM, BMDA and BADC) to manage and respond to SEA/SH cases. This NGO will support SEA/SH survivors in accessing service providers and guiding them through options of lodging a complaint. For further details, SEA/SH action plan at https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press- release/2017/11/08/new-action-plan-addresses-gender-based-violence-in-world-bank-operations is to be consulted with. World Bank GRS. Communities and individuals who believe that they are adversely affected as a result of a World Bank-supported PforR Program, as defined by the applicable policy and procedures, may submit complaints to the existing Program GRM or the World Bank’s GRS. The GRS ensures that complaints received are promptly reviewed to address pertinent concerns. Affected communities and individuals may submit their complaint to the World Bank’s independent Inspection Panel, which determines whether harm occurred, or could occur, as a result of the World Bank noncompliance with its policies and procedures. Complaints may be submitted at any time after concerns have been brought directly to the World Bank’s attention and the World Bank management has been given an opportunity to respond. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank’s corporate GRS, please visit http://www.worldbank.org/GRS. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank Inspection Panel, please visit www.inspectionpanel.org. 13 World Bank. 2018. “Good Practice Note Addressing Gender Based Violence in Investment Project Financing Involving Major Civil Works.� http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/399881538336159607/Environment-and-Social-Framework- ESF-Good-Practice-Note-on-Gender-based-Violence-English.pdf and 41 | P a g e SECTION IV: RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTIONS 4.1 Compatibility of MoA’s environmental and social systems The ESSA presented in preceding sections identified the compatibility of the systems of MoA’s Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Employment, and Resilience (PARTNER)� and the core principles of E&S management for PforR investment. The assessment has found the systems largely compatible by policy and practice but identified some gaps especially adequacy of E&S management system (ESMS) at the ministry and agency level. The ESSA, therefore, recommends addressing institutional capacity constraints and gaps across a range of ESMS limitations. These recommendations are summarized as actions to be incorporated in the PAP. Drawing upon this background, this section identifies the specific actions that are to be implemented to address the identified risks, gaps/challenges, and needs. These options for improvement of the ESMS have been discussed with the implementing agencies. 4.2 Strengthening environmental and social system performance The implementing agencies (IAs) manage environmental and social risks and impacts in their regular operations and projects following the national E&S regulatory framework and policies. In case of international finance in their projects, they develop and implement project specific E&S management plans following the E&S compliance requirements of the international finance institutions to supplement the gaps of the national E&S management system. Based on the above identified impacts, institutional capacity, available resources, and analysis of the experience of MoA / IAs in implementing World Bank and GoB-funded projects, the following issues are summarized. • MoA’s/IAs existing E&S management capacity needs to be strengthened. • Institutional capacity of MoA for safeguards management at the central level needs to be strengthened. • Capacity-building training may be required at macro and micro level of the IAs (DAE, DAM, BADC, and BMDA) on E&S risk and impact mitigation, labor management, SEA/SH issues, stakeholder engagement, and GRS issues. • Integration of the Farmers community and relevant stakeholders with the Program is required. • Environmental and Social clauses must be integrated in the contractors’ contracts with provisioning site specific C-ESMP. • The GRM of DAE, DAM, BMDA and BADC in particular need to be reorganized and strengthened with the inclusion of project affected people’s representative, local leadership, women representative and members from the tribal community (whenever available). Table 1 lists the E&S actions aimed at strengthening E&S performance of the implementing agencies (MoA and the IAs) in the process of identification, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Program activities. These are E&S input to the Program Action Plan for E&S risks management in the process of Program implementation, summary of the E&S input of the PAP is given in the Annex E. 42 | P a g e Table 1. Strengthening environmental and social system performance Objectives and issues Recommended measures/actions Environment and There is no corporate E&S management system with dedicated staff within social management MOA and any of its departments, the agricultural universities and the instruments research institutions in Bangladesh. They do not have dedicated budget for E&S management in their regular operations. The Program, therefore, requires system enhancement for managing likely associated E&S risks and impacts in compliance with the national regulatory framework supplemented with the World Bank E&S Core Principles for PforR operations. The Program Implementation Plan (PIP) will include E&S management guidelines and procedures in response to the national E&S system and the E&S Core Principles for PforR (E&S Guideline). The PIP would guide the IAs in managing Program E&S risks and issues, and subsequently developing Program ESMF including stakeholders participation plan, labor management plan (LMP), Pest Management Plan (PMP), and Gender and SEA/SH Prevention Plan (where necessary). The Program ESMF will guide E&S screening, impact assessment and management. When developed, the Program ESMF would be integrated in the E&S Guideline with the PIP for better management of E&S risks associated with the Program activities and the IAs would develop ESMPs for their respective operations under the Program following this ESMF. Systems The MoA and some of the IAs have prior experience of implementing strengthening for projects with World Bank investment project financing (IPF) but none of management of them have experience in implementation of projects under PforR. environmental and The MoA will coordinate, and the Department of Agriculture Extension social risks and impact (DAE) will lead the Program operations requiring oversight of the Program at the central level E&S management by employing dedicated staff from within and hiring firms/individual E&S consultants. Therefore, capacity building (through training on environmental and social management) of the personnel at the Program Coordination Unit (PCU) at DAE and the hired personnel (1 Environmental Specialist, 1 Social Development Specialist, 1 Communication Specialist and 1 Gender and SEA/SH Specialist) will be required. As part of strengthening corporate E&S Management System (ESMS) within MOA and its various institutions with policy, legal and institutional readiness, DAE will upgrade the Program ESMF into MoA’s corporate ESMF, applicable for all its institutions, following international policies and best practices, and national legal framework on E&S risks management including experience from PARTNER and other completed and ongoing 43 | P a g e Objectives and issues Recommended measures/actions projects under MoA. Per requirement of the corporate ESMF developed under the Program, MoA will design and establish a separate “Environmental, Social and Communications Section� (ESCS) with networks of E&S units/desks at all its institutions. These recommendations are summarized as actions to be incorporated in the Program Action Plan (PAP). The MoA ESCS within its fold should be staffed with required E&S and communication experts on regular payroll to focus on environmental and social management and communication matters associated with projects and programs across MoA institutions. This being a lengthy administrative process encompassing various ministries, MoA may, for the time being, hire the services of E&S and Communication specialists from the Program budget for the interim period. MoA and relevant IAs can also designate/depute some officials to liaise with the MoEFCC/ Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW) in addition to complying with the E&S guidelines developed for the Program. Training at macro and MoA/DAE and other IAs have been providing relevant training to its own micro (IAs, staff and contractors. However, field-level experience suggests that gaps contractor/ exist in the implementation of E&S risks mitigation measures. Therefore, subcontractor) level there is a need for continued capacity-building initiatives specifically for on environmental and the staff engaged in Program supervision at the Division, District, Upazila, social risk and impact Union and Block level including contractors and subcontractors involved mitigation, labor with the Program. Adequate budget has to be allocated for this purpose management, SEA/SH from the Program fund. risks and incidents, This activity should also align with the National Integrity Strategy 2012. stakeholder engagement, and grievance redress service (GRS) issues Measures to increase Field-level capability of MoA/IAs suggest that there is need to improve accountability for capacity for implementing E&S issues/ESMPs, especially on issues like compliance of E&S Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), working condition of workers, Core Principles for stakeholder engagement, risks and incidents of GBV including SEA/SH etc. PforR at the field level The following measures are to be adopted: • The E&S compliance requirements and procedures as outlined in the PIP and subsequently in the Program ESMF, reflected in the 44 | P a g e Objectives and issues Recommended measures/actions contractual agreements of the contractors and subcontractors under the Program. • The subcontractors and labor contractors are sensitized about their obligations related to E&S compliance in areas of labor management, restrictions on using Child Labor, resource efficiency, Water and Waste Management, Dust, noise and light suppression, safe disposal of waste petroleum products and lubricants, traffic management, measures to offset GBV, SEA/SH in the workplace and GRM concerning the Labor force etc. through training. Adequate budget has to be allocated from Program Fund. • Contractors will prepare site specific ESMP (Contractor’s ESMP or C- ESMP) following the site-specific ESMP prepared at the design stage or the PIP provisions on E&S management and the Program ESMF (when developed) including PMP, and LMP prepared by the MOA/IAs before the bidding process starts during the project implementation. • Payment to contractors may be tagged with satisfactory compliance of C-ESMP requirements and procedures. • Daily record of site supervision by the safety officer must be made available at the project sites. This should be a contractual obligation between DAE and the contractors. E&S compliance DAE will engage its dedicated focal persons and the relevant E&S monitoring and consultants to be hired to ensure E&S compliance monitoring of all the reporting Program activities engaging relevant staff of the partner agencies and will produce Quarterly E&S Monitoring Report (QESMR). Child labor, Bangladesh Labor Law puts minimum legal age for employment as 14. management and MoA and the IAs to ensure that Contractor-developed site-specific monitoring of Labor ESMP/LMP includes specific clauses and monitoring measures on labor influx, and SEA/SH management, child labor restrictions, and minimizing SEA/SH risks. Local community, including local leadership, members from the tribal community (when available) and other stakeholders should be consulted while preparing and updating the ESMPs including labor management procedures. MoA should arrange a strong monitoring system under the Program including engagement of a third-party monitor and creation and operation of a GRM for settlement of labor-related complaints and grievances including SEA/SH. IAs should ensure the following by incorporating these in the contractual documents and through physical monitoring: 45 | P a g e Objectives and issues Recommended measures/actions • Construct labor sheds near the work sites so not to adversely affect local communities and their way of living. • Undertake mandatory and repeated training and awareness program on LMPs for the workforce at site. • Inform the local law enforcers and encourage them to participate in the training on LMP to demonstrate government authority at the work sites. • Take adequate measures for gender-friendly workplace environment at all work sites and at the labor sheds. • Ensure addressing of OHS issues at the work sites inclusive of all workers by gender, age, and ethnicity and ensure availability and use of personal protective equipment. • Ensure firefighting and first aid facilities including ambulance services and hospitals for quick evacuation in case of worksite accidents (may be mentioned during tender process). • Display important telephone contacts such as local emergency services in billboards at the work site and labor shed. • Access and make use of GRM in coordination with the local law enforcing agencies, where required, for any issues of labor including misconduct, illicit behavior, drug abuse and other social crimes etc. Stakeholder The Program activities will follow all-inclusive consultative process, and Engagement and GRM citizen engagement including grievance response. Meaningful consultation will be conducted with the tribal peoples where Program activities will target them. DAE, DAM and BMDA to undertake consultation and ensure community participation through interpersonal communications, FGDs, and small and large community meetings at Program areas at the identification, planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of site-specific activities. Additionally, MoA may use radio broadcast and other media forms to further disseminate information, whenever required. The PIP should include a detailed guideline to this effect. Recording of grievances need to be ensured at the field and Program level interlinked with the Centralized GRS of the Government of Bangladesh. Since several IAs are involved, individual IAs should share its record and actions on grievances to DAE for final tabulation to share with MoA and the World Bank. DAE, in consultation with MoA may develop and circulate a standard format to this effect. MoA will integrate Program GRM with the centralized GRS promoting its wider access to Program 46 | P a g e Objectives and issues Recommended measures/actions beneficiaries and stakeholders. Necessary budget has to be allocated for this purpose from the Program fund. 47 | P a g e ANNEX A: GOVERNMENT PLAN OF ACTION, thematic areas and Theory of Change The National Agriculture Policy (NAP) 2018 of the GoB aims to transform the agriculture sector by emphasizing improve R&D capacity, extension system, agricultural mechanization, adoption of GAP, irrigation systems, post-harvest management, marketing and logistics infrastructure and services, and food safety. The main development of the Government Plan of Action for Implementation of the NAP (PoA-NAP) is to achieve a safe, profitable agriculture and sustainable food and nutrition security in Bangladesh. Its objective is to ensure food security and improve socioeconomic conditions of people by increasing productivity and production of crops, farmers’ income, crop diversification, ensuring nutritious and safe food production, improving marketing system, and ensuring profitable agriculture and efficient utilization of natural resources. The PoA-NAP also describes various activities and interventions that will feed each of these programs. Each program under these thematic areas will be broadly aligned with the proposed PARTNER Results Areas. The proposed PARTNER Results Areas will be broadly aligned with each program under these thematic areas: Thematic Area 1: Promoting Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security : This Thematic area has the objective of promoting sustainable intensification, diversification and management of production systems in order to ensure the Country’s food security and to help it achieve nutrition security in the face of an increasing population projected to be 199.6 million by 2031, up from the current 170 million. It must do so despite a binding constraint of projected reduction in available land for agriculture. This will require strong measures to increase climate resilient productivity on one hand and increase input use efficiency on the other. Six programs are grouped under this theme, these are: i) Crop diversification and sustainable production of safe and nutritious food; ii) Sustainability of production systems and management of natural resources; iii) Climate Smart Agriculture; iv) Strengthening Specialized Agriculture, Protected Cultivation and Production Systems in Special Geographical Areas; v) Efficient and Economic Extension Systems for Fast and Effective Transfer of Technology; and vi) Enhancing Availability of Quality Inputs including Credit, Storage and Marketing Thematic Area 2: Increasing Income and Livelihood Opportunities for Farmers with an objective of increasing income for the farmers by promoting systems that will help them reduce the cost of cultivation, reduce post-harvest losses and improve agriculture marketing of their products through the following five program areas: i) Post-Harvest Management: agro-processing and development of safe & quality value chain; ii) Appropriate Scale Mechanization & Use of Clean Energy in Farm; iii) Promotion of Industrial & Export-oriented Crops Clusters & Collaboration with Private Sector; iv) Increasing Real Income of Farmers, Labors and women farmers for their empowerment; and v) Attracting, Skilling and Retaining Youth for Innovation-based development in Agriculture Thematic Area 3: Modernization of Agricultural R&D, Education and Extension with an objective of supporting R&D for development of problem-solving technology that will help increase not only productivity per unit of area and time but will also help maintain a green and safe environment through judicious use of external inputs like chemical fertilizers and pesticides and the good management of natural resources like soil, water and biodiversity. This theme has two main Program areas of i) Quality investment in Agricultural Research for development; and ii) Intellectual Property Rights Sovereignty on Natural Resources and International Partnership. 48 | P a g e PARTNER’s Theory of Change Key Program Activities Outputs Intermediate Outcomes Outcomes Challenges Long-Term Outcomes •GAP standards and protocol developed and adopted •Increased area under fruits and Bangladesh’s agriculture is highly concentrated on rice with limited diversification, low input use efficiency, poor agricultural practices, limited marketing, large post-harvest losses, poor and inadequate agri-logistics and services, and limited private investment along the Results Area 1. Promoting Sustainable and Nutritious Food Production vegetables with GAP certification •Development of crop-specific GAP standards and protocols •Stress-tolerant, nutrient-dense, HYV of rice and non-rice crops (DLI1) and CSA packages available •Generation of stress-tolerant, nutrient-dense, rice and non-rice HYV •Increased area under high-yielding •FarmersField Schools and Technology Villages established and •Scale up farmers-based VC specific seed multiplication networks agri-food VC. Climate change and insufficient R&D pose additional challenges to sustainable agricultural growth. rice varieties (DLI2) operational •Establishment of Farmers Field Schools and Technology Villages •Increased area under non-rice •MoA agencies’ staff, farmers and others trained in GAP, cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and •Training and demonstrations for MoA agencies’ staff, farmers, and others improved input varieties, efficient irrigation technologies, and horticulture crops (DLI3) •Support to farmers’ aggregation, access to markets, and linkages with off- CSA •Increased area under resilience- takers through productive partnerships •Functional producers’ organizations and productive partnerships building, efficient irrigation •Consumer awareness campaigns with off-takers established and operational technologies (DLI4) •Consumer awareness on food safety and nutrition increased •Improved farmer aggregation and market linkages Results Area 2. Increasing Entrepreneurship and Access to Services along •Improved digital access to •Krishak Smart Card rolled out to farm families the VCs extension, input access, market •Digitalservices (extension, input access, market access, and access, and financial services for •Increased crop •Establishment & operationalization of a digital service delivery system to finance) available to farmers farmers farmers (DLI5) diversification •E-voucher pilot completed •Increased availability •Support to rolling out of the Krishak Smart Card •Improved access to accredited seed of high-value, safe, •Laboratories established, refurbished, upgraded certification and food safety testing •Increased nutritious •Implementation of an e-voucher pilot for the provision of input subsidies and nutritious food •Scientists, officers, and lab technicians trained for agribusinesses and safe food •Establishment, refurbishment, upgrading of laboratories production •Accreditation received for ag commodities testing processes •Women and youth who are •Development of testing processes for agricultural commodities •Increased in laboratories (DLI6) employed or self-employed commercialization and •Training of scientists, officers, and lab technicians •Partnerships/MoUs established with businesses and financial •Increased value-addition •Establishment of partnerships/MoUs for OJT of women and youth, with institutions for OJT, incubation, and financial support entrepreneurship in financial institutions, and with incubation centers agri-food VCs •PARTNER award established and operational •More climate resilient •Training of women and youth entrepreneurs •Women and youth trained in commercial agriculture, agri-food sector •Establishment of PARTNER award agribusinesses, new agricultural innovations, and •Efficient utilization of agricultural services (DLI7) agricultural inputs and •Awareness campaigns natural resources •Awareness raised on food safety testing Results Area 3. Modernizing Institutions and Policies for Agriculture •Partnerships with global agricultural research institutions •Improved research outcomes Transformation established and operational •Improved VC coordination and •Increasing investment in R&D at NARS Institutes (DLI8) •Partnerships with MoA agencies and the private sector promotion through VC •Establishment of partnerships with global agricultural research established and operational promotional bodies institutions, MoA agencies, and the private sector •Digitalextension operational with the participation of private •Improved availability of •Development of digital extension with private sector sector providers agriculture data, market research •VC promotional bodies established and operational (DLI9) and demand forecast (DLI10) •Policy and regulatory framework for VC promotional bodies •Establishment of and support to VC promotional bodies •Farmers’ organizations able to participate in promotional bodies •Strengthening of farmers’ organizations •MoA ICT infrastructure and systems operational •Strengthening of MoA ICT infrastructure and systems •Staff trained in data collection and processing, market •Training of staff in data collection and processing, market research and research and demand forecast demand forecast 49 | P a g e ANNEX B: RESULTS AREAS, DLIs AND ANNUAL DLRs To achieve its development objective, the proposed PARTNER Program would focus on three results areas which are aligned with the PoA Thematic Areas: (i) Promoting Sustainable and Nutritious Food Production, (ii) Increasing Entrepreneurship and Access to Services along the value chains, and (iii) Modernizing Institutions and Policies for Agriculture Transformation. These RAs have strong synergies and are mutually supportive. Result Area 1: Promoting Sustainable and Nutritious Food Production. The proposed Program will promote productivity gains in rice to ensure self-sufficiency while increasing land availability seasonally or permanently for other crops with a high domestic and international market potential. The operation will support a more efficient use of inputs and address food safety concerns through the promotion of GAP. Crop diversification and a more balanced and efficient use of inputs (fertilizer, pesticides, water) is expected to enhance climate resilience and mitigation. Under this Results Area, there are four DLIs: DLI#1 - Development, rollout, and adoption of GAP standards in fruit and vegetable production (US$ 60 million). Farmers overuse fertilizers, pesticides, water, and other inputs which not only increase GHG emissions but exacerbate food safety concerns and the inefficient use of limited resources; furthermore, export opportunities are reduced. In December 2020, the MoA issued the “Bangladesh Good Agricultural Practices Policy 2020�. PARTER will contribute to implement such a policy. DLI 1 will track (i) completion of Bangladesh GAP standards, addressing the needs of farmers and consumers, and covering food safety, product quality, environmental management and climate resilience, and workers’ health safety and welfare; (ii) the development of specific GAP protocols (including IPM) for 5 fruits and 10 vegetables, in consultation with VC participants; (iii) training of farmers on GAP practices, and training of staff responsible for GAP certification; and (iv) the number of hectares planted to selected fruits and vegetables that have been certified as having adopted GAP standards and specific protocols. By the end of the Program, a total of 300,000 hectares of fruits and vegetables will have been certified as having adopted GAP standards/protocols. The third-party independent verification agency (IVA) will verify whether farmers have been certified for adoption of GAP standards/protocols through on-site review in the Upazilas where DAE reported adoption under the PforR. DLI#2 - Development and adoption of High Yielding Rice Varieties (US$55 million). Rice productivity growth has slowed down in the last decade. Sustainable rice productivity growth to maintain rice food security requires closing the existing substantial yield gaps, particularly during the Aman and Aus seasons and reducing production costs and GHG emissions. BRRI has already released some HYV seeds and technologies that farmers can adopt, but they need to be disseminated; in addition, new stress-tolerant/low-carbon HYV and climate-smart technologies need to be developed and disseminated. Increasing rice productivity will allow the release of some land (Boro season) for crop diversification. DLI2 will will monitor (i) the development of new BRRI varieties that are stress tolerant, climate resilient, low-carbon, nutrient-dense, bio-fortified, and premium quality; (ii) production and marketing of recently released HYV seeds through the establishment and operation of a farmers-based seed multiplication network; and (iii) the adoption of new rice HYVs (including those developed over the past 5 years) over the three harvesting seasons. Extension will promote farmer appropriate technology packages customized to the HYV (including fertilizer and water use recommendations) to ensure optimal results. By the end of the Program, a total of 200,000 hectares will have adopted rice HYVs. BRRI will track the adoption of improved rice varieties by farmers and generate reports on the amount of land that has come 50 | P a g e under these new varieties. The third-party IVA will verify the adoption of new HYV rice technologies by farmers through on-site review in the Upazilas where BRRI reported adoption under the PforR. DLI #3 Crop diversification towards non-rice cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and horticulture crops (US$65 million). Past improvements in food production have not been translated into adequate nutritional outcomes as food consumption patterns remain poorly diversified (64% of the dietary energy supply came from cereals in 2016-17). However, because of increased urbanization and expected income growth, the demand for fruits, vegetables, and animal products is expected to increase by more than 50 percent by 2030. In addition, rice production has become less profitable due to a significant increase in labor wages and irrigation costs, whereas prices of other foods have been steadily increasing. The GoB introduced crop diversification as a key component of the National Agricultural Policy not only to address nutritional and farmers’ income issues, but to increase the sector’s resilience to climate change and other shocks. This DLI will will monitor (i) the development and on-farm trials/demonstrations of improved HYV (climate-smart, low-carbon, stress-tolerant, nutrient-dense) and other technologies for non-rice cereals, pulses, oilseeds, spices, and horticulture crops; (ii) production and marketing of seed/saplings/propagative materials through the establishment and operation of farmers-based multiplication networks; and (iii) the number of new hectares (from the Boro season) planted to non-rice crops. By the end of the Program, 200,000 hectares will have been converted to non-rice crop production. BARI will track the adoption of the improved technologies by farmers and generate reports on the amount of land that has come under the new crops and technologies. The third-party IVA will verify the adoption of new crops and new technologies by farmers through on-site review in the Upazilas where BARI reported adoption under the PforR. DLI #4 Adoption of efficient irrigation technologies (US$60 million). Ground water storage is declining. Some Boro rice areas already face water shortages. In addition, in the coming decades, Bangladesh is likely to be adversely affected by the rise in sea level, saltwater intrusion, rainfall variability and an increase of the mean temperature. Current irrigation practices and high energy subsidies to irrigate cropland led to inefficient use of water. In fact, water use efficiency in Bangladesh is one of the lowest in South Asia (MoA estimates that only 3 percent of total irrigated land can be considered efficient in terms of water use); small and fragmented landholdings reduce this efficiency even further. Technologies to increase water use efficiency in agriculture are available and have already been introduced by BADC and BMDA. DLI 4 will track (i) the development of a policy/regulatory framework and a strategic plan that, in consultation with the private sector (equipment providers), will identify constraints and solutions (including incentives, training and support) for the adoption of efficient irrigation technologies (including partnerships, service delivery models, and applicable technologies to specific crops/regions). The strategic plan will define (i) the scaling up of efficient irrigation technologies across the country; and (ii) adoption of improved and efficient irrigation technologies (AWD, buried pipes combined with AWD, energy- efficient sprinkler, and drip irrigation) by farmers. By the end of the Program, 100,000 hectares will have adopted efficient irrigation technologies. BADC will track the adoption of the improved technologies by farmers and generate reports on the amount of land that has come under these new technologies. The third-party IVA will verify the adoption of new technologies by farmers through on-site review in the Upazilas where BADC reported adoption under the PforR. Result Area 2: Increasing Entrepreneurship and Access to Services along the value-chains. The proposed Program aims at making the provision of services and subsidies to farmers more efficient, helping with the reform of the food safety system by strengthening the national testing laboratories, and promoting access to better markets. This RA will support the PoA’s programs 6, 8, and 9. PARTNER will also aim at improving working conditions of female farmers and promoting an active participation of the women and youth as agents of change by providing them with appropriate skills and access to 51 | P a g e services to enable their retention on the job market or creation of their own higher value jobs along the agri-food value chains. Under this RA there are three DLIs: DLI #5 Expansion of digital agricultural services provision through ‘Krishak Smart Card’ (US$70 million). The large number of farmers in Bangladesh (16.5 million) poses significant challenges for efficient extension service and public/private support delivery, which is crucial to improve agricultural productivity and resource use efficiency. For instance, only around 5 percent of farmers are visited annually by State agricultural agents; a vast majority lacks access to high quality inputs and financial services. In addition, incentives to farmers are not being delivered in the most efficient way as the MoA lacks farmers and service-providers databases. DAE is piloting the use of the Krishak Smart Card in 9 districts, but the card needs to include additional features and a mobile application needs to be developed. DLI 5 will track (i) the development of a policy/regulatory framework (digital agriculture roadmap) by DAE for the KSC, including the preparation of an action plan to roll out extension services and other support through the Smart Card. The action plan will include a framework to pilot an E-voucher program in selected Upazilas to deliver input subsidies through the Smart Card; (ii) the number of Upazilas where digital extension services have become available; (iii) the number of Upazilas where the E-voucher pilot is implemented; and (iv) the number of farmers receiving services (extension, inputs, finance, and market access) through the KSC. The action plan will mainstream measures to promote gender equality and social inclusion (e.g., targeted outreach and communication, additional support to access the Smart Card). By the end of the Program, 5,000,000 farmers will have received digital services. DAE will track the recipients of digital services and generate reports on the number of farmers that received support through the KSC. The third-party IVA will verify the receipts of inputs and services support by farmers based on random sampling in the Upazilas among the farmer beneficiaries reported by DAE under the PforR. DLI #6 Promotion of the accreditation of seed certification and food safety testing processes (US$40 million). Food safety remains a significant concern for horticulture crops. The country lacks proper testing facilities, skilled scientists and lab technicians. Some exporters and entrepreneurs are unaware of testing requirements and the MoA lacks a PPP framework to set up labs and facilitate testing certification. DLI 6 will track (i) the number of accredited testing laboratories established and operational (e.g., plant pathology, entomology, and soil science) for promoting exports of selected commodities (i.e., potatoes, vegetables, and fruits), especially in export prone areas (based on the assessment of the lab testing and following national and international standards, the BAB will provide accreditation certificates); (ii) the number of trained scientists and lab technicians (public and private sector); and (iii) the number of testing methods and processes (plant protection, plant quarantine, plant pathology, entomology, soil science, pesticide residue, and toxicology) accredited for promoting food safety and exports of selected commodities. By the end of the Program, 10 laboratories will have been accredited for 20 testing processes. The third- party IVA will review and verify the achievement of the results reported by DAE by reviewing the pertaining policy changes, the labs’ accreditation, and the accreditation of testing processes. DLI #7 Promotion of Ag entrepreneurship for youth and women (US$43 million). Current unemployment rates among women and educated youth in rural areas are particularly high. Participation of youth and women in commercial agriculture, agribusiness, and service provision to farmers is minimal. Compared to older men, women and youth lag behind in terms of access to services and market information. The Ministry of Youth and Sports has developed some training programs for youth, but hands-on training programs and support for startups are lacking. DLI 7 will track (i) the number of partnerships with businesses (commercial agriculture, agribusinesses, agricultural innovation companies, and agricultural services) for youth’s and women’s OJT; and (ii) the number of youth and women entrepreneurs trained in the above-mentioned areas (including OJT). By the end of the Program, 20,000 youth and women will have been trained. The third-party IVA will verify the achievements reported by DAM on random sampling basis. 52 | P a g e Result Area 3: Modernizing Institutions and Policies for Agriculture Transformation. The proposed Program aims to reform the agricultural research, education and extension system, improve VC coordination and promotion, and improve the efficiency, effectiveness, coordination and information management of agricultural policies and programs. There are three DLIs under this RA. DLI #8 R&D activities for new technologies and innovations increased along with an operational evaluation system for NARS institutes (US$100 million). Current expenditure in agricultural R&D stands at 0.4 percent of GDP. The Plan of Action of the NAP 2018 aims at raising that figure to 1 percent. Empirical evidence has demonstrated the significant positive impact of investment in R&D on agricultural productivity, but NARS institutes lack capacity in infrastructure and HH.RR. Furthermore, NARS institutes lack a well-functioning performance evaluation system that not only demonstrates clear progress in quality research but allows them to prioritize and assign scarce resources to those specific R&D activities with the highest social and economic returns. DLI 8 will track (i) increased budget for agriculture research activities, including HR capacity development (in areas such as speed breeding, precision agriculture, efficient input use, adaptation to climate change and climate mitigation, and so on), and infrastructure such as laboratory equipment, a vertical farming facility, and seed breeding and soil testing facilities; and (ii) the number of MoUs established with global agricultural research institutions, labs, universities, public agencies, and private organizations for collaborative research. By the end of the Program, the budget for agriculture research will have increased by 10 percent every year and at least 30 MoUs will have been established. The third-party IVA will review and verify the achievement of the results reported by BARC accordingly.. DLI #9 Establishment and operationalization of value chain promotional bodies for select commodities (US$30 million). Several factors constrain value-chain integration and competitiveness: limited participation of value-chain stakeholders in policy formulation, limited public-private dialogue for the development of the value chains, lack of coordination among value- chain participants for the expansion of value-chains, and limited R&D by the private sector. Value- chain promotional bodies are state-recognized public-private platforms which bring together participants from all stages of the same agricultural commodity chain; they work on expanding commodity markets through advertising campaigns, market research, new product development, quality standard setting and consumer awareness. DLI 9 will monitor (i) the development and adoption by MoA of a policy and regulatory framework (including an operation manual) for private sector-led VC promotional bodies; and (ii) the establishment and operation of VC promotional bodies for (but not limited to) mango, jackfruit, tomato, potato, and fine rice. Short- and long-term strategic plans of action will be prepared for each VC, including the identification of mechanisms for the sustainability of the VC promotional body. In addition, annual VC specific reports will be prepared, covering VC performance and support provided by the Technical Steering Committee, which will be created under DAM. By the end of the Program, five VC specific promotional bodies will be operational. The third-party IVA will verify the development of the necessary policy framework and the establishment and operating procedures of the VC promotional bodies by reviewing relevant documents. DLI #10 Improvement of quality information system (agricultural statistics and market research services incl. foreign markets) (US$20 million). The agricultural sector lacks quality statistical data, market information, and sector analysis, all of which is crucial for evidence-based policy making. PARTNER will strengthen ICT infrastructure and systems and HH.RR. capacity in data collection, entry, processing, and analysis. DLI 10 will monitor (i) the number of Upazilas with staff’s capacity developed for quality data collection (GEMS training, tablet distribution, and so on); special attention will be paid to the harmonization of MoA’s agricultural information with that of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; and (ii) the preparation of quarterly agricultural policy notes, including domestic demand assessment and forecasts for major cereal crops and vegetables by a research market team that will be established under DAM. The third-party IVA will verify the 53 | P a g e facilities/systems/quarterly agricultural policy notes by reviewing documents and outputs from the activities completed each year. 54 | P a g e ANNEX C: CORE PRINCIPLES AND ASSOCIATED KEY PLANNING ELEMENTS OF ESSA The ESSA has been prepared in a systematic way and the key issues are given due consideration in assessing E&S systems applicable to PforR Program activities. The ESSA considered Program circumstances and the extent to which the Program systems are consistent with the six core principles and associated key planning elements.14 Specialists preparing the ESSA may draw from other relevant assessment methods or guidance materials developed for specific subject areas that may be considered best practice and authoritative—for example, the World Bank’s Involuntary Resettlement Sourcebook. The six core principles and their applicability are stated below: Core principle Applicability 1. Core principle 1: General Principle of Environmental and Core Principle 1 is applicable Social Management for the E&S management of the E&S management procedures and processes are designed to (a) Program. Environmental promote E&S sustainability in Program design; (b) avoid, management of civil work- minimize, or mitigate against adverse impacts; and (c) promote related activities and OHS will informed decision-making relating to a Program’s E&S effects. be key issues in promoting sustainability of the proposed Program procedures will do the following: Program and adequate • Operate within an adequate legal and regulatory framework safeguard measures should be to guide E&S impact assessments at the Program level. in place to avoid adverse • Incorporate recognized elements of E&S assessment good impacts and health risks. practice, including (a) early screening of potential effects; (b) Core Principle 1 equally applies consideration of strategic, technical, and site alternatives to social management of the (including the ‘no action’ alternative); (c) explicit assessment Program. No notable adverse of potential induced, cumulative, and transboundary impacts; project-related social risk and (d) identification of measures to mitigate adverse impact is expected during environmental or social impacts that cannot be otherwise implementation of the project. avoided or minimized; (e) clear articulation of institutional responsibilities and resources to support implementation of plans; and (f) responsiveness and accountability through stakeholder consultation, timely dissemination of Program information, and responsive grievance redress measures. Core Principle 2: Natural Habitats and Physical Cultural The proposed Program Resources investments are not likely to E&S management procedures and processes are designed to affect natural habitats of avoid, minimize, and mitigate against adverse effects on natural aquatic flora and fauna habitats and physical cultural resources resulting from the including fish as well as Program. terrestrial flora and fauna adversely. As such, Core Principle 2 is not applicable. 14 https://web.worldbank.org/archive/website01541/WEB/IMAGES/ENTIREOM.PDF#page=295&zoom=100,92,1 38 55 | P a g e Core principle Applicability Core Principle 3: Public and Worker Safety The Program will support small E&S management procedures and processes are designed to and medium scale new protect public and worker safety against the potential risks construction and civil works associated with (a) construction and/or operations of facilities or and therefore there will be other operational practices developed or promoted under the issues associated with public Program; (b) exposure to toxic chemicals, hazardous wastes, and and worker safety during otherwise dangerous materials; and (c) reconstruction or construction activities. rehabilitation of infrastructure located in areas prone to natural Therefore, core principle 3 will hazards. be applicable. Core Principle 4: Land Acquisition No land acquisition is planned Land acquisition and loss of access to natural resources are for the Program. As such, Core managed in a way that avoids or minimizes displacement and Principle 4 is not applicable. affected people are assisted in improving, or at least restoring, their livelihoods and living standards. Core Principle 5: Indigenous People and Vulnerable Groups As the Program area Due consideration is given to cultural appropriateness of, and encompasses whole equitable access to, Program benefits giving special attention to Bangladesh, whenever any rights and interests of tribal people and to the needs or concerns subproject including their of vulnerable groups. screening are planned in tribal community occupied areas, • Undertake FPIC of tribal people who are potentially consultation/FPIC will be affected (positively or negatively) to determine whether undertaken with the tribal there is broad community support for the Program. community by MoA/IA at each • Ensure that tribal people can participate in devising stage of the Program at the opportunities to benefit from exploitation of customary local level through FGD and resources or tribal knowledge, the latter to include the physical contact and the inputs consent of the small ethnic and vulnerable community will be sent to macro level for (tribal people). planning purpose. • Give attention to groups vulnerable to hardship or disadvantaged, including the poor, the disabled, women and children, the elderly, or marginalized ethnic groups. If necessary, special measures are taken to promote equitable access to Program benefits. Core Principle 6: Social Conflicts Not applicable. 56 | P a g e ANNEX D: PROCEEDINGS OF STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Employment and Resilience (PARTNER), P176374 Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh; Ministry of Agriculture Virtual meeting Date: 07/06/2022 Time: 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM The World Bank, Dhaka Office ESSA Assessment Team conducted a virtual stakeholder consultation on 07 June 2022. Some 57 participants including MoA/DAE, DAM, BADC, BARI, BRRI, BARC and BMDA officials, DAE’s district, Upazila level and Union level officials, soil research institutions, agriculture research organizations, farmers and their associations including the Asian Farmers Association, universities, a farmer from Shapahar, Rajshahi and a representative from the Asian Farmers Association joined the meeting. Dr. Shakawat Ahmed Sharif from DAE initiated the discussion on being requested by Mr. Mahashin. DAE’s focal person presented a short briefing on the PARTNER Program that included project area, project objectives, scope of work and the Program interventions. Bank environmental and social team apprised the audience on the findings of the ESSA on Moa/IAs’ capacity to undertake the Program, institutional responsibilities and implementation performance of MoA in different projects, related govt. and MoA policies, social and environmental benefits and risks involved with the project and ways to mitigate the risks. The team emphasized on the importance of consultation with all related stakeholders including “Free, prior and Informed Consultation� with the tribal community while undertaking Program interventions in areas where they inhabit. The participants were interested on the assessment, findings and recommendation provided in the ESSA. The Bank Team informed the audience that in this Program the Bank is focusing on three Result Areas namely: a. Promoting Sustainable and Nutritious Food Production; b. Increasing Entrepreneurship and Access to Services along the Value Chains; and c. Modernizing Institutions and Policies for Agricultural Transformation. The Stakeholders were very satisfied with the deliberation on the Program, and were convinced that when completed, it would provide them with transformational shift of agriculture in support of diversification towards high-value crops, ensuring food and nutrition security, and building long-term sector resilience to climate change. They were also appreciative of the Program’s efforts to empower women in agriculture and increasing job opportunities for the youth, mechanization, crowding in the private sector as much as possible, as well as increasing the volumes of quality and safe produce marketed in the country, The audience was informed PARTNER Program will also increase food quality and certification through the adoption of food standards for primary producers and the establishment of accredited testing facilities. After the briefing session, the floor was opened for Q/A by the participants/ stakeholders. MoA and Bank’s ESSA Teams replied to the questions/queries/comments. The main discussion issues and reply given are narrated below: 57 | P a g e Key discussion issues and replies in the Meeting: Name and Reply from MoA/ESSA Serial Issue Raised Appointment Team 1. Md. Azadur Rahman, BMDA focuses on 16 northern districts and this The Team thanked for his XEN, BMDA Program would be of great benefit to the farmers comments. and others involved in the chain. 2. Dr. Nirmal Chandra He appreciated the Program activities and hinted The Team thanked him for Shil, BARI that for calculating GHG emission, there is need to his valuable observations undertake GHG Model based study. This needs and agreed with his capacity Development. He also hinted that under comments. the present context, mechanization in farming, conservation in agricultural practices – particularly tillage, limited irrigation etc. need to be undertaken. 3. Mr. Amirul Islam, He hinted on the overuse of chemical Pesticides that The Team thanked him and Asian Farmers’ were harming the nutrition of the soil and killing informed that the issue Association many an insect that are required for pollination. He was very important and advised to promote organic pesticides. would be addressed in the Program. 4. Mr. Razu, DAM He indicated that the Program plans to train 10,000 The Team thanked Mr. unemployed youth (50% women) in agribusinesses, Razu for his observations input and service provision to farmers, and Agri- and informed that though tourism in special agroecological zones such as hill bringing 50% women under tracts, haor, orchards in dry zone areas. It could be the fold of training was difficult to attain this benchmark, particularly with challenging, yet the IAs can women, given the socio-cultural context of the undertake mass awareness country. He also advised to have ‘One Stop Solution’ program to woo the for promoting entrepreneurship. desirous women. The idea of establishing ‘One Stop Solution’ for promoting entrepreneurship was considered for further study. 5. Dr. Nazmul Islam, He lauded the Program intervention and thanked The Team thanked him for BADC the World bank for financing this GoB Program. his comment. 6. Mr. Md. Ashraful He indicated of use of vehicles and infrastructural The team noted his Alam, PSO, BARC developments in non-agricultural lands. He noted observations. that GHG emission from agricultural activities were negligible in the overall context of the country. 7. Dr. ATM Morshed He cited an example of uncontrolled mechanization The team thanked him for Alam, CSO, BJRI in farming whereby some cows died after taking his very focused Parthenium weed in some northern part of the intervention and promised country. It was later revealed that the weed came to work on this issue in the from the tractors that were tilling in some other Program. areas where this weed was available and through mechanized harvesting, the weed has reached other areas. He stressed on surveying Noxious weeds before undertaking tilling using mechanical means. 8. Dr. Babul C Sarker, There could be some provision of giving incentive to The idea was taken by the Fruit Research Unit the farmers for reducing GHG emission. ‘Irrigation team for further for Compensation’ may also be pondered upon. discussion. 58 | P a g e Name and Reply from MoA/ESSA Serial Issue Raised Appointment Team 9. Dr. Nurul Islam, CSO, He emphasized on soil health; how soil is polluted The team lauded his SRDI, BARC and how to improve soil health through dedicated observation and informed soil tests. that this matter was part of the Program intervention. 10. Mr. Sotten Kumer, He informed that though the Program envisages ‘No The Team informed that ADD Land Acquisition’, there could be necessity to given the Program acquire land for infrastructural development if the intervention by different existing land in the IA identified areas are IA, it has been assed that inadequate. there would be no land acquisition. However, if there is a requirement as such, it would be undertaken under a different Project/Program. 11. Dr. Md. Abdus Salam He indicated that while Crop Diversion is a good and The team noted his progressive intervention, it must be weighed observation and informed against negatively triggering Food security. GoB that this matter would be may ponder upon Crop Insurance to avert such risks studied in future meetings. on the farmers. 12. Mr. Abdur Rahim, DD, He said that while we are talking of Climate smart The team thanked Mr. HC, Banani, Bogura agriculture, High Value Crop etc. to double food Rahim for his observations production and ensure food security, we should also and informed that this focus on organic farming, IVF and IVNS. He matter would be observed that many a fruit sapling from different considered in the coming countries are being brought to Bangladesh meetings. indiscriminately – Necessary research need to be undertaken and upon confirmation through the research result, only the adaptable fruit saplings could be permitted. He also reminded that whatever technology we adopt, it should avoid and mitigate negative effects. In the closing remarks, Mr. Mahashin commented the following: a. Agriculture is contributing to 10-14% of the GDP. b. The Bank could share the quantity of GHG emission by the IAs if such data/study was undertaken by the Bank. c. It is important to have a ‘Baseline Data’ at the beginning of the Program so to compare with the terminal data to reveal what has been achieved. d. He reiterated that since MoA/DAE is well acquainted with Bank’s safeguard policies through the 3 Bank supported projects, it has developed necessary Grievance Redress Mechanism and other issues relating LMP, SEA/SH, social and environmental issues etc. Mr. Mahashin thanked the participants for their agility and valuable contribution in the consultation meeting. He thanked and appreciated the Bank staffs’ sustained support in contributing for the Program and making the Consultation Meeting a successful one. The meeting terminated at 9:30 PM. 59 | P a g e ANNEX E: E&S ACTIONS TO BE INCORPORATED IN THE PROGRAM ACTION PLAN (PAP) The Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) has identified key environmental and social (E&S) measures in response to the gaps in the national E&S Management System (ESMS) in agriculture sector with the World Bank E&S core principles for PforR finance. The measures have been consolidated into actions to be incorporated in the Program Action Plan (PAP). The Program Implementation Plan (PIP) will include E&S guidance to ensure that these actions are completed on time to continue green and resilient approach of implementation of the Program. The following three specific Program actions related to E&S Systems have been identified for the PAP and procedures for carrying out these actions will be translated into the PIP as E&S Guidance, subsequently confirmed in the Program ESMF to the E&S guidance. E&S Action 1: Developing and Operating Program E&S Management System. There exists a need for establishment and roll-out of a robust E&S management system for managing E&S risks and impacts in compliance with the national regulatory framework and the World Bank Core Principles for PforR. Therefore, the Program will support development of an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) to guide MoA/DAE and other implementing agencies (IAs) in developing site/activity specific E&S risks management tools like E&S Impact Assessment (ESIA), E&S Management Plans (ESMPs) including Pest management plan (PMP), Labor management plan (LMP), Community/Stakeholder engagement plan (SEP), and Gender & Gender Based Violence (GBV) Prevention Plan, as applicable. The E&S risks management procedures outlined in the Program ESMF, when developed, will be integrated in the Program Implementation Plan (PIP) for objectives, requirements and procedural guidance to the IAs in assessment and management of E&S risks and impacts of the Program activities. The procedures will be aligned with requirements of the national E&S system and the E&S Core Principles of the World Bank for PforR finance. E&S Action 2: Strengthening Program E&S Management and the Corporate E&S Management Systems. Field-level experience suggests that there exists a gap in the existing systems for implementation of ESMPs for regular operations of the IAs. Therefore, PARTNER will support recruitment of E&S consultants and providing trainings to the Program specific staff of the IAs on E&S risks management. PARTNER will specifically support MoA/DAE to develop corporate E&S management systems including updating and upscaling the Program ESMF for their own national program to adopt as a corporate E&S management system (ESMS) along with establishment of an E&S and Communications Section (ESCS) within DAE/MoA with dedicated staff to gradually mainstreamed beyond the Program period with relevant desks at all the IAs for corporate management of E&S risks in their regular operations. The E&S trainings will ensure that: (i) the E&S Guideline in the PIP for compliance by the contractors & subcontractors are reflected in the contractual agreements; (ii) the subcontractors & labor contractors are sensitized about their obligations related to E&S compliance including OHS, CHS and risks of SEA/SH. E&S Action 3: Facilitating E&S Compliance Monitoring and Reporting. The Program Coordination Unit (PCU) at DAE on the Program will engage its dedicated focal persons and relevant E&S consultants in ensuring E&S compliance monitoring of all the Program activities engaging relevant staff of the partner agencies. These focal persons & consultants will: (i) ensure that daily records of site supervision are made available at the project sites; and (ii) produce Quarterly E&S Monitoring Report (QESMR). Additionally, the MoA/DAE and the IAs will ensure that site-specific ESMPs (C-ESMPs) of the contractors include specific clauses & monitoring measures on environmental and social issues, labor influx management, child labor restrictions, and minimizing risks of SEA/SH. The MoA/DAE will arrange a strong monitoring system under the Program and establish a GRM for settlement of Program related complaints and suggestions, workers’ complaints and with a protocol of sensitivity to the SEA/SH related grievances. Table E.1 provides the monitoring protocol for implementation of the E&S Program actions under the Program. Table E.1 Monitoring PAP Implementation on E&S Management Action Respon- Recu- Due Date Completion Measurement Description sibility rrent 1: Developing PCU/ DAE Three Program Environmental and Social and Operating months Management Framework (ESMF) Program E&S after prepared and rolled out covering E&S Management mobilization management tools like ESIA)/ESMP, SEP, PMP, LMP, and Gender & GBV System of Prevention Plan. consultants Four ESMF and other instruments are months integrated in the E&S Guideline in the after PIP to address intrinsic E&S mobilization management requirements relevant to the Program and procedures. of consultants Action Respon- Recu- Due Date Completion Measurement Description sibility rrent 2: Strengthening DAE/ MoA Yearly Trainings (on E&S risk & impact Program E&S and Other mitigation, labor management, GBV Management IAs risks & incidents, stakeholder and the engagement, and Grievance Redress Service (GRS) issues) are designed and Corporate E&S conducted Management Systems (ESMS) Before The subcontractors & labor initiation of contractors are trained about their physical obligations related to E&S compliance works including OHS CHS and SEA/SH at works sites By 10 Corporate ESMF prepared, approved months of by MoA and operationalized across Program MoA and its organizations. inception Second year Document the measures taken for establishing an Environmental, Social and Communications Unit (ESCU) at MoA/DAE with relevant desks at the IA institutions. 3: Facilitating DAE/ MoA Recurrent Daily record of community E&S Compliance and Other engagement, participation and Monitoring and IAs grievance resolution including site Reporting supervision issues associated with Program activities available at sites and local offices of the IAs. Quarterly QESMR and site-specific E&S tools are prepared. Before Site-specific ESMPs (C-ESMPs) of the initiation of contractors are prepared before physical execution of the physical works. works References: • World Bank, Dhaka, Program Concept Note for Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Employment and Resilience (PARTNER), P176374 dated 02 February 2021 • World Bank Policy on PforR Financing • Program Appraisal Document for Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Employment and Resilience (PARTNER), P176374; September 02’ 2022 • PARTNER, P176374, Preparation Mission; April 4-13, 2022; Aide Memoire (AM) • PARTNER, P176374, Pre-Appraisal Mission; October 23 – November 4, 2022; Aide Memoire (AM)