The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) Appraisal Environmental and Social Review Summary Appraisal Stage (ESRS Appraisal Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 01/13/2023 | Report No: ESRSA02451 Jan 13, 2023 Page 1 of 12 The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Region Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Romania P179786 Project Name Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Environment, Natural Investment Project 12/2/2022 3/30/2023 Resources & the Blue Financing Economy Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) Ministry of Finance Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests Proposed Development Objective Public Disclosure The Project Development Objective is to strengthen the institutional capacity of selected public entities to monitor pollution from agriculture, and to transfer knowledge on agricultural pollution reduction for adoption by participating farmers. Financing (in USD Million) Amount Total Project Cost 58.47 B. Is the project being prepared in a Situation of Urgent Need of Assistance or Capacity Constraints, as per Bank IPF Policy, para. 12? No C. Summary Description of Proposed Project [including overview of Country, Sectoral & Institutional Contexts and Relationship to CPF] The Project supports strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Environment Waters and Forests (MEWF), the National Administration Romanian Waters (ANAR), the National Phytosanitary Authority (NFA) and the Directorate of Land Improvements and Land Fund (LILF) of the MARD to monitor pollution reduction from agriculture. The Project will go beyond the previous support provided for nutrient pollution in the Integrated Nutrient Pollution Control Project and will include targeted investments on equipment, technologies, and software to address other types of agricultural pollutants. It will also strengthen MEWF’s monitoring, evaluation and reporting administrative Jan 13, 2023 Page 2 of 12 The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) capacity to leverage the absorption of the NRRP agricultural waste management component available resources. The Project will strengthen the institutional capacity of ANAR through investments in digitalization and equipment to ensure sampling and testing of pesticides, antimicrobials, heavy metals, and other pollutants, including training services. The NFA will benefit from strengthened institutional capacity through targeted investments on systems, equipment, mobile laboratories, IT solutions and trainings for integrated pest management and sustainable use of pesticides. The LILF will benefit from software development for integrated collection, processing, analyzing, mapping, and reporting of data, ensuring traceability of pesticides and pollutants. Lastly, the Project promotes knowledge transfers, innovations and increased awareness for preventing and reducing rural pollution by strengthening role model farms, developing national knowledge transfer networks and conducting public information campaigns. D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1. Detailed project location(s) and salient physical characteristics relevant to the E&S assessment [geographic, environmental, social] Romania continues to see substantial poverty and inclusion challenges especially in rural areas. Approximately 45 percent of the population still lives in rural areas, where poverty rates are six times higher than in metropolitan areas. About 70 percent of Romania’s poor are currently living in rural areas many finding work in subsistence agricultural activities. Agriculture continues to account for one in every four persons employed (23 percent), and disproportionately contributes to growth, amounting to 15 percent of GDP growth compared the EU-27 average of 3 percent. Romania has by far the EU’s largest share of subsistence and semi-subsistence farms producing mainly for their own consumption. Over 70 percent of 3.4 million Romanian farms manage less than two hectares and generate incomes less than EUR15, 000 per year. Romanian agriculture made some advances towards reducing its carbon Public Disclosure footprint over the last decades. However, agriculture remains the main culprit for environmental pollution in rural areas. The combination of a large number of farms and poor livestock management coupled with underdeveloped sanitation and low capacity of small farmers, leads to nitrate and microbial contamination of shallow groundwater and poses a general health risk for Romania’s rural population. As articulated in the Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) 2018, Romania is at risk from a range of hazards, including natural disasters - earthquakes, floods, droughts/extreme heat events -, epidemics/pandemics, and technological accidents. The frequency and severity of these hazards is being exacerbated by climate change, especially as it relates to precipitation and its inevitable impact on droughts and floods. Current land use change practices are reducing the capacity to retain and manage water with the resultant increase in threats of flooding to both rural and urban populations. With these increased threats, the potential damage to natural, physical, and human assets can curtail economic growth, jeopardize fiscal sustainability, and negatively affect the well-being of Romania’s population. They risk deepening inequality, as poorer counties are disproportionately affected by these disaster risks. The agricultural sector is increasingly at risk from the impacts of climate change, notably to drought, floods, high temperatures and early/late frosts. Small-holder farmers are particularly vulnerable as their ability to cope with climate shocks is limited. A complex and holistic approach to adaptation in the sector has not so far been developed and is clearly required. Promoting climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices in Romania is important in identifying the potential for the sector to deliver on climate change adaptation as well as mitigation, given that it is the second largest source of Green House Gas emissions in Romania. The Project is covering the whole country, predominantly in rural areas and will be delivered in three components: (i) institutional strengthening and capacity building; (ii) knowledge-sharing and information/innovation transfer; and (iii) Jan 13, 2023 Page 3 of 12 The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) project management. The project activities will aim to generate capacities, strengthen coordination arrangements, processes, systems and resilience of these institutions to the benefit of individuals, businesses, and environment sector. In addition, the project will investment in role model farms that will showcase climate-smart agriculture approach and innovations for pollution mitigation in rural areas. The project will support selected farmers (by providing different specific equipment, other facilities and practices), including also effluent management practices to achieve on-farm circular economy through nutrient cycling. It will also develop knowledge transfer networks by providing trainings for farmers on new climate smart techniques, eco-innovations, and pollution mitigation as well as an awareness raising campaign targeting the general public about various types of pollutants, their economic and environmental impact. The key stakeholders and direct beneficiaries of this project are the key environment institutions such as MEWF, NFA, LILF and ANAR. other stakeholders who will benefit from the awareness campaigns and knowledge and innovation transfer activities include farmers from the local, national and regional levels. Interested parties will include NGOs that advocate for agri-environment commitments and organic farming, traditional leaders of local communities of farmers and representatives of territorial institutions (for environmental protection, health protection, health and safety, agriculture etc), other civil society representatives, groups which may be interested by project activities. Female entrepreneurs will be encouraged to showcase their innovations, and will ensure that female farmers have equal access to opportunities under the project. The project is expected to be gender tagged. D. 2. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity The Project will be implemented by the Project Management Unit of the INPCP located within the MEWF. The PMU at MEWF has a long history of successful project implementation, the most recent one under INPCP since 2008. For Public Disclosure PMU this is the first project under the new WB ESF/ESSs and with support from the Bank specialists they have been involved in the preparation of this project, including preparation of the draft ESMF, LMP, SEP and ESCP. The PMU also has a proven track record on project monitoring and evaluation which will mitigate potential risks associated with project implementation including procurement, financial management, M&E and compliance with safeguards. At present, the PMU has 21 employees under INPCP, but do not have staff knowledgeable about environmental and social risk management procedures. For the new project, it is planed to recruit a social specialist, an environmental specialist and a communications specialist within 30 days of loan agreement effectiveness as outlined in the ESCP. The Borrower’s environment and social implementation performance will be monitored regularly based on project reports and site visits during implementation. The project management component includes capacity building around the ESF, including where needed, hiring consultant and non-consultant services. The Bank team will also carry out ESF training of relevant PMU staff. II. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Moderate Environmental Risk Rating Moderate The environmental risk rating associated with the proposed project is assessed as moderate, given the nature and scale of potential negative impacts of its activities. The project is expected to result in overall positive environmental and social impacts as the project aims at preventing and reducing environmental pollution in rural areas, especially derived from agriculture practices, through capacity building of key environment institutions, as well as through knowledge/ technology sharing to farmers and general awareness campaigns on main causes and main mitigation Jan 13, 2023 Page 4 of 12 The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) measures of environmental pollution in rural areas. Although the long-term impacts of the project are likely to be positive, its activities carry several risks that are mainly generated by the activities under Component 2. The upgrading/modernization of selected farms for demonstration purposes and the investment grants for the role model farms to be supported under Component 2.1 may potentially include small-scale civil works, which are likely to have a number of predictable and readily mitigated environmental impacts that will most likely be moderate in nature. The civil works activities will include mainly rehabilitation of existing buildings including shelter repairs, plastering and painting. The anticipated impacts under this component mainly relate to physical impacts, construction labor and site management, material management on small construction sites, dust and noise, generation of solid waste from residual construction materials (possible small quantities of hazardous waste from asbestos containing materials), and in some cases possible local water/groundwater issues. These environmental risks and potential impacts are predictable and expected to be temporary, reversible, low in magnitude and manageable in a predictable manner through the implementation of cost-effective mitigation measures in line with the national laws as well as the use of the World Bank Environmental & Social Standards (ESS), Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines (EHSG) and Good International Industrial Practices (GIIP). The proposed project activities under Component 1 consist in general support/technical assistance and institutional capacity building of the MEWF and its subordinated ANAR, and the NFA, LILF subordinated to the MARD, and investments on equipment, technologies, and software targeted to address specific agricultural pollutants. The potential environmental risks and negative impacts will be very specific, minor and only related to the generation of e-waste and obsolete equipment and accessories. Therefore, waste/e-waste management plans will be developed under the project in accordance with existing procedure of MEWF, ANAR and NPA procedures and best practices. The project addresses environmental risks through a Project-specific Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) which includes Environmental and Social Screening Public Disclosure Procedure to be used for defining grant eligibility, and guidance on the development of specific ESMPs/ESMP Checklists, as needed. The ESMF and the Application Guidelines (prepared by the PMU, part of the POM) will include, among others, an explicit list of activities ineligible for grant financing, tool for environmental screening and guidance on preparation of activity-specific ESMPs/ESMP Checklists and subsequent ESMP monitoring and reporting. As recommended in the ESMF, site-specific ESMPs/ESMP Checklists will be prepared during the matching grant application process. Although the Client (PMU) has extensive experience with the previous projects on the Bank’s safeguards, there is no experience and limited capacity in applying the ESF, and therefore, additional efforts will be required to build the capacity for the application of the new ESF. Social Risk Rating Moderate The social risk rating is moderate. Overall, the project outcomes aim to improve environmental health and increase socio-economic benefits for the Romanian population with a particular impact for rural inhabitants who are largely dependent on semi-subsistence agriculture. Component 1 of the project focuses on institutional strengthening and capacity building for environment institutions. This component does not trigger significant social risks. Component 2 is centered around awareness raising among farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs about new technologies and innovations that reduce pollution and propose effective measure to tackle agricultural waste; with the aim to achieve behavioral changes. The social risks relate mainly to component 2 with regards to stakeholder identification and engagement to ensure that the knowledge transfer activities lead to behavioral change and there is equitable access to the opportunities to participate in and benefit from the networks, technologies, innovations and demonstration farms. Firstly, targeting the entire general public in Romania with the awareness campaigns is broad, making it challenging to develop messaging and utilize methods of engagement based on needs, interest and incentives. This has been remedied through a comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan, which will act as a basis for developing subsequent campaigns and associated activities. The stakeholder engagement plan has clearly delineated specific Jan 13, 2023 Page 5 of 12 The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) groups of stakeholders per component and identifies groups such as women, Roma communities and other farmers on the margins of intersectional exclusions in the rural areas. the SEP also lists interested parties including NGOs that advocate for agri-environment commitments and organic farming, traditional leaders of local communities of farmers and representatives of territorial institutions (for environmental protection, health protection, health and safety, agriculture) as well as other civil society representatives. Considering the aim of achieving behavioral change, the client will hire the services of a behavioral specialist as needed during project implementation, to provide technical support that complements social and communications functions in the PMU. Secondly, ensuring equitable access to opportunities such as the national and regional workshops, field trips, and study tours under the project the project will develop an inclusive criteria, establish a helpdesk and conduct sustained stakeholder dialogue to inform the selection of model farms, farmer organizations, agricultural entrepreneurs, researchers, eco-businesses, and hosts of innovation to participate and benefit from the project activities under sub component 2.1 and 2.2. For the activities relating to model farms, the risks are minimal, considering that there will be no major civil works. However, the project may invest in facilities, machinery and equipment on existing farms, which will require land use. The stakeholder and risks associated with land use will be further assessed and appropriate mitigation measures be developed through site-specific ESMP/ESMP checklists prior to the establishment of the model farms. While the project is not expected to conduct considerable civil works, an abridged version of labor management procedures has been included in the ESMF, identifying categories of project workers, associated risks and management arrangements. The ESMF includes procedures to screen and manage the risks and impacts to the health and safety of project-affected communities and beneficiaries, including groups that might be vulnerable and these will be integrated into the subsequent ESMP/ESMP checklists. Public Disclosure B. Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) that Apply to the Activities Being Considered B.1. General Assessment ESS1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts Overview of the relevance of the Standard for the Project: The management of the environmental and social risks and impacts has adopted a framework approach, considering that the specific type of investments on the model farms and the location of the farms have not been specified, except that these investments will include facilities, equipment, and machinery that will lead to the prevention and reduction of pollution in rural areas. The investments on farms are likely to involve minimal civil works that could cause a variety of low-moderate scale, localized impacts typical to such construction activities, like generation of noise and dust; solid waste (possible small quantities of hazardous waste from asbestos containing materials) generation; small-scale impacts on water/underground water from improper management of wastes/other materials or accidental spills. The potential environmental risks and negative impacts under Sub-component 1.2 will be very specific, minor and only related to the generation of e-waste and obsolete equipment and accessories. Therefore, waste/e-waste management plans will be developed under the project in accordance with existing procedure of MEWF, ANAR and NPA procedures and best practices. PMU will elaborate through the ESMP/ESMP Checklists the extent of land use on each site and make a thorough assessment of the farm assets as well as to identify those who have stake on the land and how they will be engaged. Jan 13, 2023 Page 6 of 12 The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) The project will focus on social inclusion to ensure that people are well-informed about the project’s objectives and vulnerable groups can participate in and benefit from the project, including a gender tag; all of these have been integrated in the PAD and SEP accordingly. The client has prepared an Environment and Social Management Framework (ESMF), which identifies all potential environmental and social risks and impacts and propose appropriate mitigation measures. The ESMF also assesses the possibility of associated facilities, particularly on the investments made on the farms to identify and mitigate risks for activities that are not funded as part of the project and, in the judgment of the Bank, are: (a) directly and significantly related to the project; and (b) carried out, or planned to be carried out, contemporaneously with the project; and (c) necessary for the project to be viable and would not have been constructed, expanded or conducted if the project did not exist. The ESMF also outlines guidance on how to apply due diligence to components and sub- components that do not involve civil works. The ESMF also includes links to good agriculture practice notes, in particular those that are in line with the EU relevant regulations. When specific locations and type of investments are known for the model farms, the client will prepare environmental and social management plans (ESMP) or ESMP Checklists to screen risks and impacts for those particular investments. The ESMP/ESMP Checklists will also stipulate guidelines for the works to be conducted on the farm facilities as well as in relation to equipment, machinery and the use of chemicals, disposal of waste and overall impact on biodiversity. The ESMP/ESMP Checklist will be an integral part of bidding documents for contractors carrying out works and supplying equipment and machinery under the Project. Contractors will also be required to prepare their own ESMP/ESMP checklist accordingly. Mitigation measures in all these documents will be developed following the mitigation hierarchy commensurate with the activities' risks and impacts in line with Good International Public Disclosure Industry Practice (GIIP), World Bank Group environmental, health and safety guidelines (EHSG). The environmental and social requirements of ESSs will be taken into account for all technical assistance to be provided under the project. The terms of reference (TOR) for all such technical assistance will be reviewed and approved by the Bank to ensure that all relevant ESSs requirements are fully incorporated in such TORs, in a manner acceptable to the Bank. Commensurate with the negligible/low labor risk for ESS2 workers, the Labor Management Procedures (LMP) are brief and incorporated into the ESMF. The Application Guidelines should include measures to protect workers hired by grant beneficiaries in terms of nondiscrimination and equal treatment of workers, overtime work, annual and daily rest period, OHS risks, fair wages and labor conditions, and selection criteria and monitoring procedures to minimize the use of informal and migrant labor. A Stakeholder Engagement Plan is prepared separately and includes stakeholder identification, risk assessment and proposed engagement activities through the project cycle. These instruments will be be publicly consulted and also be disclosed by the Bank. The subsequent draft site-specific ESMPs will follow similar procedures for disclosure and consultation during implementation. The client in agreement with the Bank, has developed an Environment and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), which sets out the measures and actions required for the project to achieve compliance with the ESF over a specified timeframe. The Borrower will provide to the Bank and disclose final or updated documentations as specified in the ESCP. ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure Jan 13, 2023 Page 7 of 12 The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) A comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan (SEP) has been prepared and implemented in accordance with ESS 10. The SEP maps stakeholders for each of the project components and proposes appropriate inclusive means and methodologies of engagement. In addition to agencies such as MEWF, ANAR and NFA who are the key stakeholders, other stakeholders include farmers and farmer associations and organizations, rural populations, including women and Roma, innovators and agri-entreprenuers as well as the academia. Considering that the project intends to conduct campaigns and associated activities that will lead to behavioral change, the services of a behavioral change consultant will be hired to provide technical support during implementation. In the case of investments made on existing farms, the SEP includes details of relevant stakeholders and process of engaging prior, during and at the end of the period in which the farms will be used for the purposes of the project, all of which will be elaborated further in the site-specific ESMPS/ESMP Checklists. The SEP also includes details on the requirements of information disclosure, public consultations and an outline of the grievance redress mechanism which has SEA/SH uptake channels in the project. The PMU has already established a project-level Grievance Mechanism (GM) for the previous project and will maintain it throughout project implementation, while dedicating sufficient resources and staff time to GM management. The GM has included provisions for appropriate procedures and capacity to handle complaints associated with project activities, to be used also in the current proposed project B.2. Specific Risks and Impacts A brief description of the potential environmental and social risks and impacts relevant to the Project. ESS2 Labor and Working Conditions While the project is not expected to conduct considerable civil works, an abridged version of labor management Public Disclosure procedures has been included in the ESMF identifying categories of project workers, associated risks and management arrangements. Project workers include direct workers, contracted workers, primary supply workers and civil servants. It is expected that the providers of ICT services would be reputable companies that employ qualified and educated workers who do not belong the vulnerable groups of workers. The risk of such companies not complying with conditions of work (for example, that they are not paying their workers regularly, that they practice informal labor or child labor) minimal. The LMP is based on the Romanian National Labor Code and relevant international conventions accessed by Romania and will be compliant with WB ESS2. The LMP specifies the labor and working conditions for each of the categories of workers in the project. Civil servants will remain subject to the terms and conditions of their existing public sector employment agreement, unless they are legally transferred to the project. Key aspects of the LMP pertaining to contracted workers, such as Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), nondiscrimination and equal opportunities in employment, a wage policy, measures to prevent child and/or forced labor, a functioning grievance and redress mechanism for workers, measures to manage SEA/SH risks, etc. will be included in the Contractors' ESMP/ ESMP checklists. Community workers are not expected to be engaged in the Project. The LMP also includes a Code of Conduct for workers engaged in project related small civil works and a detailed worker’s grievance mechanisms for Project workers. ESS3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management Activities related to model farms will be implemented in all the 8 development regions of Romania and will showcase sustainable farming practices pertaining to comprehensive pollution management: collection, storage, composting, application of manure and chemical fertilizers, use of modern field machinery for pesticides application, practices for Jan 13, 2023 Page 8 of 12 The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) reduced emissions and reduced losses of fertilizers and pesticides. These will require interventions at farm level, including financing of small-scale civil works, equipment and machinery that will address resource efficiency and pollution prevention and management measures through the project lifecycle consistent with WB ESF and GIIP to ensure sustainable use of resources and minimizing adverse impacts on human health and the environment. The potential risks and impacts of sub-component 2.1 activities (mainly the investment grants for financing projects costs between EUR 10,000 to 200,0000) to establish the facilities, equipment and machinery at the model farmsmay include noise and dust emissions and the generation of construction wastes, including hazardous and non-hazardous waste, pesticides use and workers health risks related to pest management activities. Waste management, including the specific management of potential small quantities of hazardous waste from asbestos containing materials, as well as construction related wastes will also need to be considered, especially in rural areas with weak waste management infrastructure. The project's ESMF provides specific guidance on raw material use and pollution prevention that will be reflected in the site-specific ESMPs. The site-specific ESMPs/ESMP Checklist for each activity will include thorough treatment of pollution prevention and management aspects associated with all proposed civil works and direct impacts of construction, including air, water and noise pollution, as well as solid waste minimization and management. The ESMF also includes guidelines on Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management, particularly dealing with waste management, hazardous materials management, pesticide use, and e- waste, among others. The management of ACM waste will include identification, workers protection, storage and final disposal. Energy and resource efficiency will be promoted through incorporation of green procurement clauses in civil works contracts. Mitigation and monitoring measures will be further elaborated in detail in site-specific ESMPs/ESMP Checklists where required by applicable national regulations, ESS3 and the ESF’s mitigation hierarchy, WBG’s EHS General, and sector- Public Disclosure specific (if applicable) guidelines, and GIIP. ESS4 Community Health and Safety The potential risks and adverse impacts on community health and safety are associated with the activities related to the model farms under component 2. Potential risks and impacts include location specific and moderate amounts of emissions of dust, noise, odor, and vehicle exhausts; increased waste and wastewater generation. Community exposure to waste (including hazardous waste), particulate matters, polluted water, etc. may lead to increased risks of health issues resulting from poor site management, communicable diseases relating to poor animal welfare and sanitation. Production units/model farms supported by the project will be required to follow EU guidelines for safe and sustainable farming and food processing and FAO guidelines on herbicide/pesticide use. Thus, increase in risks to community health and safety is not expected although accidental pollution releases are possible. Other risks may relate to gatherings of groups of people to conduct training, capacity building and other campaigns under the project which may lead to spread of COVID-19 virus and SEA/SH. The ESMF and subsequent ESMP/ESMP Checklists will include procedures to screen and manage the risks and impacts to the health and safety of project-affected communities and beneficiaries, including groups that might be vulnerable. The ESMF will also highlight the need for training and during the project implementation there will be developed specific guidelines, requirements and provisions in this regard for PMU staff, local authorities, and project beneficiaries (farmers, enterprises, or associations). ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement Jan 13, 2023 Page 9 of 12 The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) The project expects to make investments to upgrade/modernize existing farms for demonstration. This will involve land use, although it is not clear at this stage whether this will imply acquisition or restriction, hence this ESRS cannot make an accurate assessment of number of persons or households that may be affected. Thorough assessment on land use will be made in site-specific ESMP/ESMP checklists. For each site, the client will be expected to demonstrate that involuntary land acquisition or restrictions on land use are limited to direct project requirements for clearly specified project purposes within a clearly specified period. In choosing existing farms on which the project will conduct demonstration activities, the project will design criteria that avoids or minimizes land acquisition or restrictions on land use, especially where this would result in physical or economic displacement, while balancing environmental, social, and financial costs and benefits, and paying particular attention to gender impacts and impacts on the poor and vulnerable. This criteria will be elaborated in the Project Operation Manual. Based on the assessment of the risks and impacts associated with the investments on specific farms through ESMPs/ ESMP Checklists, the client may prepare a livelihoods restoration plan for the specific site. The plan will set out procedures and standards for compensation, and incorporate arrangements for consultations, monitoring and addressing grievances. The plan will be be prepared as a stand-alone document or integrated into the ESMP/ESMP Checklists, depending on the nature and level of the risks associated with this standard. ESS6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources The Standard is not relevant, as there will be no impact on local biodiversity, as proposed improvements / endowment with equipment will be made in already anthropogenic affected areas, like laboratories and farms. Public Disclosure ESS7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities There are no Indigenous Peoples in Romania. ESS8 Cultural Heritage This ESS is not relevant, as the project will support only a very limited construction or rehabilitation of buildings/facilities within already existing agricultural processing/operational agricultural farms, it is very unlikely that there will be any interaction with the known cultural heritage sites. However, in the event of chance finds, the Borrower will deal with it taking into account national legal requirements that are fully consistent with good international practice. Chance find procedures will be included in the ESMF and will be part of mitigation measures to be provided in site-specific ESMPs/ESMP Checklists. ESS9 Financial Intermediaries This project is not a FI operation. C. Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Projects on International Waterways No Jan 13, 2023 Page 10 of 12 The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) OP 7.60 Projects in Disputed Areas No B.3. Reliance on Borrower’s policy, legal and institutional framework, relevant to the Project risks and impacts Is this project being prepared for use of Borrower Framework? No Areas where “Use of Borrower Framework” is being considered: Use of borrower framework not being considered IV. CONTACT POINTS World Bank Contact: Alexandru Cosmin Buteica Title: Environmental Specialist Telephone No: 5247+394 / 004-021-2010394 Email: abuteica@worldbank.org Contact: Berengere P. C. Prince Title: Lead Natural Resources Management Specialist Public Disclosure Telephone No: 473-0536 Email: bprince@worldbank.org Contact: Banu Setlur Title: Senior Environmental Specialist Telephone No: Email: bsetlur@worldbank.org Borrower/Client/Recipient Borrower: Ministry of Finance Implementing Agency(ies) Implementing Agency: Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests V. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Jan 13, 2023 Page 11 of 12 The World Bank Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects VI. APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Berengere P. C. Prince, Alexandru Cosmin Buteica, Banu Setlur Practice Manager (ENR/Social) Varalakshmi Vemuru Cleared on 06-Dec-2022 at 03:38:22 GMT-05:00 Public Disclosure Jan 13, 2023 Page 12 of 12