The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) Concept Environmental and Social Review Summary Concept Stage (ESRS Concept Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 01/12/2021 | Report No: ESRSC01597 Jan 12, 2021 Page 1 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Region Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Liberia AFRICA WEST P175263 Project Name Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Agriculture and Food Investment Project 3/16/2021 5/25/2021 Financing Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) Republic of Liberia Jeanine Milly Cooper Proposed Development Objective The project development objective (PDO) is to improve agriculture productivity and access to markets for selected value chains in the Project targeted areas. Public Disclosure Financing (in USD Million) Amount Total Project Cost 55.00 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 development objective (PDO) is to improve agriculture productivity and access to markets for selected value chains in the Project targeted areas. The RETRAP is to support recovery and reconstruction of the rural economy of the country, a post conflict state with a rapidly growing population and coming out of 14 years of civil war which left it with low levels of human capital, dilapidated infrastructure, and hollowed-out institutions, which is now facing the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic. The new Administration, which came into power in January 2018, has signaled its intent to pursue an agenda of pro-poor growth. The government has developed a five-year National Development Plan referred to as the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD). As stated in the PAPD, the government recognizes the need for inclusive and sustainable economic diversification to achieve structural Jan 12, 2021 Page 2 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) transformation and growth, the urgency of facilitating private sector participation in the economy, and the importance of the agri-food sector as an engine of growth. The Government of Liberia has made a request for a Financing to the tune of $55 million to launch the path to rural economic recovery in needy Counties through improved rural access and agricultural marketing infrastructure, development of stronger value chains and crowding in private sector. The project will collaborate with the WBG Transport & ICT Global Practice to support the rebuilding of decimated roads, Climate-smart Agriculture and Resilience and rural access and agricultural marketing infrastructure s, which have left the majority (70%) of our people who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods impoverished. The proposed project directly responds to the Government’s request and will contribute to the key objectives of the Government. The Project will help stimulate poverty-reducing growth in the non-oil economy by: (i)financing investments in human and physical capital; (ii)building capacity of community organizations and government at all levels to deliver services; (iii)i improving capacity of the economically-active rural poor to raise their incomes through targeted activities; (iv) crowd in the private sector into the agriculture sector by providing enabling environment including promoting improvement and maintenance of rural roads, and supporting the activities for the enhancement of agro-logistics performance. The Project will directly contribute to empowering local rural communities through its community- driven development (CDD) approach. The project addresses important challenges to developing agri-food value chains in Liberia. These include: (i) the weak capacity of support institutions for delivery of agribusiness services; (ii) the poor organization of smallholder Public Disclosure farmers; (ii) the low agriculture productivity due to limited access to improved technologies, modern inputs, and advisory services; (iii) the weak access to markets due to inadequate post-harvest, transport, and marketing infrastructure; and (iv) the limited private sector investment in production, processing capacity and value-added activities. To address these challenges, the project will contribute to creating long-term economic opportunities for value chain actors by applying a three-fold approach: (i) strengthen critical institutions overseeing the development of the sector; (ii) intervene at various level of the value chain via capacity building and subprojects focused on improving agriculture productivity and resilience of the food system to climate change; and (iii) improvement of rural access and agricultural marketing through the upgrading of roads, construction of short-span critical cross-drainage structures, improvement of agro-logistics centers. It will be implemented over a five-year period. It will have five inter-related components: (i)Improving the enabling environment, enhancing support services for agribusiness development and strengthening producer organizations; (ii) Enhancing Competitiveness and Market Access through Productive Alliances; (iii) Agro-logistics and Infrastructure Investments; (iv) Project coordination and Management and (v) Contingency Emergency Response Component – CERC. The proposed Project will address all the sector issues discussed above. It will help to increase the supply of rural infrastructure by financing roads, other community infrastructure, and marketing infrastructure that rural resource users consider as priorities. The Project will support better access to inputs and product markets. It will also seek to reduce conflict between resource users by ensuring that all groups are included in the participatory planning processes that result in Business Plans and in their implementation. The Project will adopt a decentralized, demand- driven approach that provides the flexibility needed to adjust interventions to local needs and conditions, while improving targeting, reporting, and financial control mechanisms to avoid leakage of resources. Jan 12, 2021 Page 3 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1. Detailed project location(s) and salient physical characteristics relevant to the E&S assessment [geographic, environmental, social] The Project is expected to operate in 11 out of the 15 counties of Liberia: The eleven counties are divided in three groups. Group 1: covering the Bong, Lofa, Nimba, Grand Bassa, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, and Maryland with comparative advantage for the production of cassava; Group 2: covering the counties of Montserrado, Nimba, Bong, Margibi, Bomi, Sinoe and Maryland for rubber production; Group 3: covering the Regions of Grand Cape Mount, Bomi, Montserrado, Bong and Margibi for poultry/piggery production. All the counties will participate in the home gardening activities through community-driven development (CDD) approach. These counties are all important rubber-producing areas and the proposed project will provide diversification options for rubber-producing households. The selected counties generally experience a unimodal rainfall which starts from mid-April to late October, and the dry season from mid-November to mid-April. Average annual rainfall along the coastal belt is over 4,000mm and declines to 1,300mm at the forest-savannah boundary in the north. The counties have varied ecosystems including mineral ores, forests, grasslands, mangroves, wetlands, rivers, lakes and the continental shelf, hosting several birds, mammals, reptiles and insect species. There are about 8 national parks scattered around the selected counties comprising Sapo, Nimba National Park, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, Lofa-Mano National Park, Gio National Forest, Gibi National Forest, Wonegizi Nature Conservation, and Cape Mount Conservation. There are also 8 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) within the selected counties some of them are located within the national parks. These include Wologizi and Wenegizi Mountains in Lofa County; Lofa-Mano and Cape Mount in Grande Cape Mount County; Nimba Mountains in Nimba County; Zwedru and Cavalla River in Grand Gedeh County; and Sapo in Sinoe County. The rich biodiversity is being threatened by land degradation, over-exploitation of resources through excessive harvesting Public Disclosure or hunting, introduction of exotic species and ineffective institutional arrangements. The main causes of environmental degradation in the selected counties include uncontrolled logging, fuel wood harvesting, cultivation of annual and perennial non-timber crops, encroachment by human settlement, and unsustainable mineral and sand mining activities. Since the end of several years of armed conflict and extreme insecurity in 2003, Liberia has experienced an end to large-scale organized violence, and seen improvements in the experiences and perceptions of a wide range of other forms of violence. Security challenges in the country are still pervasive. Specific to this Project, violence and crime remain genuine threats in the daily life of many Liberians, and sexual violence in particular remains widespread. The international community is supporting the Government’s efforts in conflict mitigation and peace building. The country faces widespread poverty, inadequate access to basic services, very poor living conditions, food insecurity, political fragility, and weak infrastructure. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic has affected the agricultural and other sectors and could further deepen poverty in the eleven targeted counties that already suffer from worst socioeconomic performance. D. 2. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity Liberia continue to struggle with limited capacity of qualified and competent environment and social professionals in government ministries, department and agencies. The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) working with other ministries, (e.g. Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Ministry of Finance and Development Planning Ministry of Public Works (MPW), and other relevant Departments and Agencies. There is varied capacity of government institutions to manage project environmental and social risks and impacts. MOA and MPW have been implementing the STAR-P(P160945) and IDA financed transport projects (e.g. P149279) in Liberia respectively with some level of safeguards management experience in World Bank-funded project. However, these Ministries have no Jan 12, 2021 Page 4 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) experience working under the new Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), therefore their capacity would have to be built to improve the management of project environmental and social risks and impacts and to ensure effective coordination of the national and subnational level implementation of environmental and social risk mitigation measures. The Project Management Unit (PMU) will hire Environmental and Social Specialists and carry out capacity building activities as per the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) to address the E&S gap. II. SCREENING OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Substantial Environmental Risk Rating Substantial The environmental risk rating for the proposed project is substantial. The classification is based on the potential environmental risks and impacts, the sensitivity of the recipient environment and the capacity of the implementing agencies to manage the risks. The project’s adverse environmental risks and impacts will mainly emanate from interventions under Components 2 and 3. The Matching Grant (MG) scheme described under Component 2 might trigger agricultural commercialization, expansion of farmlands, expansion and/or renovation of agricultural infrastructure such as warehouses, processing facilities, electricity connectivity etc. Land clearing associated with farming and provisioning of infrastructure could contribute to deforestation, forest degradation, destruction of natural habitats, soil erosion and depletion of biodiversity. Agricultural intensification could trigger extensive use of pesticides with adverse repercussions on human health and biodiversity. The proposed support to poultry and piggery industry will produce animal waste (manure) which could contaminate ground and surface water as well as contribute Public Disclosure to green-house gas emissions if poorly managed. Similarly, effluents from processing facilities e.g. cassava processing under the MG scheme could contribute to water contamination, eutrophication and unsightly scenes in communities. These potential risks will be further assessed along with appropriate mitigation measures in the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) to be prepared for the project. The ESMF will include screening of E&S risks for sub-projects and management system to address mitigation measures, including establishment of an ESMS for the MG scheme. The proposed road improvement of 40 km under Component 3 might result in environmental, occupational, and community health and safety risks. The risks and impacts will generally range from minor to substantial but mainly localized. However, the risks associated with surface water contamination from pesticides and effluents from processing facilities could transcend communities and may have far reaching consequences, if not properly managed. An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) including ESMP will be prepared when specific project sites and activities are confirmed to assess potential risks and impacts along with appropriate mitigation measures. The Ministry of Agriculture will implement the project in collaboration with other ministries. Environmental safeguard capacity varies among ministries with no experience in the implementation of WB project under the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). The Project Management Unit (PMU) will hire Environmental and Social Specialists, and capacity building activities will be carried out as per the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), to address this gap. Social Risk Rating Substantial Jan 12, 2021 Page 5 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) The social risk rating for the proposed project is substantial. The classification is based on the potential project social risks and impacts, the country context social sensitivity issues and the capacity of the implementing agencies to manage the risks. Project interventions under Component 1 support activities that aim to strengthen institutions for improved enabling environment and service delivery including activities seeking to strengthen linkages between farmers, agro-dealers, processing firms and other private sector firm participants to develop contracts for agreed quantity and quality of outputs. The component also supports group mobilization and sensitization; community relations, training of farmer groups among others, giving priority to youth and women groups using community driven development approach and strategy. The risk of conflicts within communities and the project could arise if selection of project beneficiaries is not done in a fair and transparent manner through adequate stakeholder consultations. Strong stakeholder consultation will need to be in place to mitigate this risk. Project interventions under Components 2 presents risk of exclusion of vulnerable groups along the agri-business value-chain from benefiting from the Matching Grants particularly women and youth business. Mechanisms to prevent elite capture and to ensure meaningful and broad-based inclusion, in particular female and youth applicants will need to be in place to mitigate this risk. The potential businesses in the value chain will be screened for E&S compliances. The development of rural infrastructure to support agribusiness clusters under Component 3 can lead to temporary or permanent land acquisition, restrictions on land use and involuntary resettlement. In particular, economic or physical displacement is anticipated under the proposed rehabilitation of a 40km section of the 112km long Tappita - Zwedru Road. Other social risks include potential legacy issues related to impacts of previous road construction activities on Project Affected People (PAP) and communities along the proposed road corridor to be rehabilitated. Public Disclosure While use of local labor is anticipated, use of migrant workers and risk of use of child labor and/ or forced labor cannot be ignored. This could be mitigated by ensuring that local labor laws and the requirements of ESS 2 are followed and Labor management procedures are defined. The risk of SH/SEA/ is possible given the country context and project focus on rural areas with possibility of men and women working in unsupervised conditions. Other potential sexual exploitation and abuse risks relates to the interventions to support women’s economic empowerment (e.g. provision of improved agricultural practices, access to credit and services). A SEA/SH Risk Assessment for the Project will be undertaken using the World Bank SEA/SH risk assessment tool to assign the level of risk and propose required measures. 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: This standard is relevant to the Project as some of the interventions particularly under components 2 and 3 could have adverse impacts on people and the environment. The project’s Matching Grant (MG) scheme under Component 2 will drive innovative interventions along the value chains of cassava, rubber, poultry and piggery, some of which could have adverse impacts on the environment and people. Possible areas of support for the cassava industry could include farmland expansion, intensification and commercialization of farms, provision of processing facilities with connectivity to electricity/grid to help process cassava into starch/flour and animal feed. Interventions in the rubber industry could include production and supply of high-quality seedlings, expansion of plantations, development of Jan 12, 2021 Page 6 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) rubber processing facilities and access to market. Support for the poultry/piggery industry could include development of processing facilities to increase quality poultry/piggery feed production, technical assistance to farmers in areas of diseases control, and support for expansion of farm sizes. Assessment and management of potential E&S risks and impacts of sub-projects supported by the MG scheme is critical. Therefore, the Borrower will prepare an ESMF which will include framework for screening of E&S risks for sub-projects and management system to address appropriate mitigation measures, including establishment of an ESMS for the MG scheme. The project will support key infrastructure development including warehouses and roads to help reduce post-harvest losses and promote easy access to the market. For example, the project proposes to strategically finance a 40km road network to connect remote food production communities to market centers. These interventions could have varied adverse environmental risks and impacts which must be identified, assessed, and properly mitigated. The expansion of farmlands and development of key infrastructure are associated with land clearing which could contribute to deforestation, forest degradation, soil erosion, loss of natural habitat, depletion of biodiversity and may exacerbate climate change problems in the country. The possible connection of project infrastructure such as processing facilities and warehouses to the electricity grid might require extension of powerlines which could lead to vegetation clearance and/or continuous trimming of undergrowth vegetation to keep them off the powerlines. These could have minimum impacts on native plant populations and wildlife. Also, installation of electric poles could result in minimum disturbances to soil-inhabiting organisms. The production of commodities (cassava, rubber and vegetables home gardening) may entail the use of pesticides and exposure to occupational health and safety risks such as pesticide poisoning, surface and ground water contamination, animal attacks, personal injuries etc. Land preparation and road construction could generate dust, noise, fumes and vibrations. Workers may generate waste which could Public Disclosure contaminate farmlands and communities. Winning of sand for road construction could lead to destruction of vegetation and development of dangerous pits which could serve as death traps and breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other disease-borne vectors. The processing facilities for cassava, rubber, poultry/piggery feed production will produce effluents which could contaminate surface and underground water. Odor from effluents and raw materials e.g. rubber cup lumps could be a nuisance to communities. Likewise, the droppings/manure from poultry and piggery industries could be a nuisance and contribute to emissions of greenhouse gases. The project design includes innovations to counteract some of these potential adverse impacts. For instance, the project will embark on climate-smart agricultural practices such as mulching, ground cover cropping, drip irrigation etc. to conserve soil and water. The Matching Grants scheme could support interventions aimed at converting poultry/piggery manure into organic fertilizers to help reduce the project’s carbon footprint and contribute towards the circular economy agenda. Energy for the processing facilities could also be sourced from renewable sources using the MG as a driver. The project social risks include risk of conflicts within communities if selection of communities and beneficiaries to participate in the project is not transparent. Risk of exclusion of poor households and vulnerable groups and elite capture of project benefits (e.g. the Matching Grants, provision of farm inputs, access to information on crop management and market intelligence), poses substantial risk. Similarly, risks and impacts associated with temporary and permanent land acquisition for rural agribusiness infrastructure (e.g. warehousing, processing facilities etc.) and road rehabilitation are anticipated. Use of child and forced labor, SEA/SH risks, labor influx and risks of communicable diseases including COVID-19 are also anticipated given the country context, social sensitivity issues and the capacity of the implementing agencies to manage the project risks. Jan 12, 2021 Page 7 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) At this stage of project preparation, the exact sites and specific project component activities are not known except the proposed 40km road rehabilitation under component 3. The Borrower will therefore prepare an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and a Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) which will be consulted upon and disclosed before appraisal. The ESMF will provide guidelines on processes and procedures to follow during project implementation to screen, identify, assess and manage environmental and social risks and impacts once details of project activities are known and site(s) are confirmed. The RPF will guide the development of site-specific Resettlement Action Plans (RAP) or Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plans (ARAP) when specific sub-project locations are identified during implementation and prior to commencement of civil works. Since the 40km section of the 112km long Tappita - Zwedru Road to be constructed is already known at this preparation stage, the Borrower will prepare an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP); and advanced draft Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) prior to appraisal. The draft RAP will be finalized, reviewed and cleared by the Bank when road designs are finalized and implemented prior to commencement of civil works to mitigate project potential risks and impacts on people and communities. Participating business operators in the value chain, and the road corridor between Ganta and Tapita will be considered as associated facilitates to the project. They will be assessed and screened for any legacy or outstanding E&S issues prior to project effectiveness. Areas where “Use of Borrower Framework” is being considered: The project will not rely on Borrower’s E&S Framework Public Disclosure ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure The standard is relevant. Project stakeholders include national and subnational government agencies, local communities, in particular women, youth and vulnerable groups; private sector entities in the agribusiness value chain; civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, farmer-based organizations and other services providers. Vulnerable groups are expected to include poor, marginalized smallholder farmers and those at risk of social exclusion such as women, persons with disabilities. The MOA will prepare a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) to ensure early, continuous, and inclusive (including vulnerable/disadvantaged groups) stakeholder engagement using appropriate and culturally sensitive approaches to engaging and disclosing project related information to stakeholders as required by the ESS-10. National and subnational governments, community leaders, community facilitators, private sector entities etc. involved in the project will require close support and capacity building to effectively engage stakeholders and project beneficiaries and to avoid possible exclusion of vulnerable groups. The SEP will be both planning and management instrument for the Project stakeholders and will: i) describe the Project stakeholders and how they will be engaged during project preparation and implementation, with a focus on identifying vulnerable individuals or groups and applying measures to remove barriers to their participation; ii) describe the grievance redress mechanism (GRM) to be used by the project, including any necessary language or cultural adaptations for internally displaced persons (IDPs).; iii) include budget, responsibilities, and implementation arrangements for the implementation of stakeholder activities under the Project. The SEP will be prepared, consulted, and disclosed prior to appraisal. B.2. Specific Risks and Impacts Jan 12, 2021 Page 8 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) A brief description of the potential environmental and social risks and impacts relevant to the Project. ESS2 Labor and Working Conditions This standard is relevant as the project will involve workers at the farm level, processing facilities, road construction etc. and they may be exposed to some degree of occupational health and safety (OHS) risks. The risks could include injuries; snake bites and animal attacks; agrochemical contamination and poisoning; manual handling with its associated injuries; slips, trips; falls, stress; collision with machinery; entanglement with machine parts; vibration disorders, noise induced hearing disorders; dust and fumes inhalation etc. While the number of direct workers and contractor workers cannot be estimated at the current stage, no large-scale labor influx or labour camps are expected as use of local labour is anticipated. In line with ESS2, the use of forced labor or the use of child labor under the age of 18 for hazardous work is prohibited. The Liberia Labor law requires all workers to have the right to healthy conditions and protective equipment whilst at work, among other measures. The project will ensure workers hired are provided appropriate labour and working conditions in line with local laws and consistent with ESS2. The project is likely to be implemented in counties where COVID-19 pandemic situation will exist. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic has multiple consequences on health and movement of people, labor and social conflicts etc. that might affect project implementation. Thus, the project will be implemented under specific COVID-19 protocols at the project sites based on WHO and Government guidelines. The OHS risks and impacts will be assessed in the ESMF and subsequently in the specific safeguards instruments to be prepared at the project implementation stage. Labor Management Procedures (LMP) will be part of the ESMF to provide measures to address the terms and conditions of works. The project will commit (through the ESCP) to implement Labor Management Plans through specific sub-project level plans as necessary. The LMP will also include GRM for workers and code of conduct to Public Disclosure prevent and address any harassment, intimidation and/or exploitation within the project. All staff hired by the project will be required to sign and adhere to a standardized code of conduct. ESS3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management This standard is relevant. The production of cassava and rubber will mainly be done under rain-fed agriculture. However, seedlings of rubber may require some irrigation at the nursery which may involve water abstraction from rivers, lakes, dug-outs and/or underground. Similarly, poultry and piggery production require fresh water for maximum performance. The project will explore and incorporate rain water harvesting technologies during design of poultry/piggery housing and nursery facilities to ensure that water abstraction from the environment, if any to complement the harvested water, will be minimal and not detrimental to the environment or people who depend on such resources. The project includes climate smart agricultural practices such as mulching, ground cover cropping, drip irrigation etc. These will contribute to efficient use of water on farms and conserve soil. The MG scheme will promote innovations and businesses in areas of poultry/piggery manure processing into organic fertilizer through composting and other sustainable technologies to ensure recycling of nutrients and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (methane gases) into the atmosphere. Proper management of animal droppings will contribute towards avoidance of water pollution from run-offs into water bodies. The Borrower will ensure that value addition processing facilities do not discharge fumes, obnoxious gases, liquid and solid effluents which may be deleterious to the health and safety of communities or contribute to climate change. The production of cassava and rubber will involve extensive use of agrochemicals including pesticides. These are hazardous to the health and safety of workers and communities and could pose risks to biodiversity. Several agrochemical containers may either litter farmlands or Jan 12, 2021 Page 9 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) get washed into water bodies and cause water pollution. The Borrower will explore and incorporate renewal energy sources such as solar and wind to power water pumps and processing facilities where it is technically and financially feasible. These risks and impacts will be generally first assessed in the ESMF and subsequently in the specific ESIAs and ESMPs to be prepared for the subproject activities. Given that the project will involve the use of pesticides, the Borrower will prepare and disclose a Pest Management Plan (PMP) prior to appraisal. ESS4 Community Health and Safety This standard is relevant. The proposed interventions will contribute towards community development and improving incomes of farmers and households at the community level. However, the construction of road under component 3 will pose health and safety risks to workers and communities through emission of dust, fumes, gases, noise, vibration, and traffic risks. Excavations from road construction activities may pose risk to communities if effective barriers/fencing are not installed. Health issues anticipated include communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDs associated with labor influx, water-filled pits may serve as breeding grounds for disease-borne vectors which may be a nuisance in communities; and spread of COVID-19 in project communities through project workers and vice versa. Moreover, spray drift from agrochemicals e.g. pesticides could pollute neighboring communities and adversely affect their health. These potential risks and impacts will be further assessed in the safeguard instruments to be developed for the project which will include practical measures and protocols to safeguard workers and communities from these risks including COVID-19 protocol to prevent or minimize the spread of the virus to project community and among Public Disclosure workers as part of the ESMF. The project design of warehouses, processing facilities, road and other infrastructure will incorporate necessary structural measures for adaptation to climate and geophysical hazards considering safety risks to the communities. To address these risks, the ESMF and site specific ESIAs and ESMPs will outline detailed management and mitigation measures for community health and safety management during construction and operation. Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and Sexual Harassments is anticipated given the country context and project activities. Activities such as road construction could pose these risks. A SEA/SH risk assessment will be conducted during project preparation using the SEA/SH risk assessment tool to identify the level of risk. Relevant mitigation measures to address these risks will be articulated in the ESMF. The MOA conducted an assessment in 2018 to assess the gender issues and gaps in the agriculture sector in Liberia and to inform the design of the Smallholder Agriculture Transformation and Agribusiness Revitalization Project (STAR-P) (P160945). The Ministry will use the findings of the Gender assessment report to inform the design of the project and update the Gender Action Plan as necessary to mitigate the risks prior to Appraisal. ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement The ESS5 is relevant. The rehabilitation of road and other rural infrastructure works (e.g. warehousing, processing facilities etc.) could involve temporary or permanent land acquisition and involuntary resettlement. Other social risks include potential legacy issues related to impacts of previous and ongoing construction activities on the 112km stretch on Project Affected People (PAP) and communities along the proposed road corridor. As specific subprojects locations of some components will not be known during preparation, the project will develop a Resettlement Policy Jan 12, 2021 Page 10 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) Framework (RPF) as required by the ESS-5 to guide the preparation of site-specific instruments when sub-projects locations are identified. Since the 40km section of the 112km long Tappita - Zwedru Road is already known at this preparation stage, an advanced draft Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) will be prepared for the proposed road works, prior to appraisal. The draft RPF and RAP will be finalized by the client and reviewed and cleared by the Bank when road designs have been finalized during implementation. The mitigation measures will be implemented prior to commencement of civil works. The RPF and a draft RAP will be included in the ESCP. ESS6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources This standard is relevant. The anticipated land clearing resulting from expansion of farmlands and infrastructural development will potentially cause deforestation, forest degradation and destruction of natural habitat with adverse impacts on biodiversity. The use of pesticides, if not properly selected, could terminate several useful flora and fauna. The project will adopt integrated pest management (IPM) approaches and will only use pesticides as the last option if other sustainable pest control measures are not feasible or effective. The Project’s adverse risks and impacts on ESS6 will be assessed in the ESMF and subsequently in the specific ESIAs and ESMPs to be prepared for sub-projects with mitigation measures following the mitigation hierarchy. The PMP to be prepared for the Project prior to appraisal will assess the potential risks and impacts of pesticides on biodiversity and include necessary mitigations. Depending on the screening outcome of project activities and sub-projects, the Borrower may prepare a Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) prior to commencement of works and this requirement will be included in the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP). Public Disclosure ESS7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities Not currently relevant ESS8 Cultural Heritage This standard is relevant. Liberia has very rich cultural resources and heritage. Most Liberians have great respect for their cultural properties, and cultural properties may be found at any place. An assessment of impact of project activities on cultural heritage at the different project sites will be conducted as part of the ESMF and ESIA preparation process and mitigation hierarchy will be applied on the management of the project's potential risks and impacts. “Chance Find Procedures” will be included in the ESMF, ESIAs and ESMPs and a chance find clause will be included in works contracts requiring contractors to stop construction if cultural heritage is encountered during construction and to notify and closely coordinate with the relevant mandated Government authority for the salvaging and restoring such cultural heritage in accordance with national law. ESS9 Financial Intermediaries Not currently relevant C. Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Projects on International Waterways No Jan 12, 2021 Page 11 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) OP 7.60 Projects in Disputed Areas No III. WORLD BANK ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL DUE DILIGENCE A. Is a common approach being considered? No Financing Partners Not currently relevant B. Proposed Measures, Actions and Timing (Borrower’s commitments) Actions to be completed prior to Bank Board Approval: • Prepare, consult upon and disclose ESMF (including CERC component), RPF, LMP, Pest Management Plan, SEP (including design of a GRM) and ESCP prior to appraisal; • Prepare, consult upon and disclose ESIA and ESMP for the 40km road construction prior to appraisal • Prepare and consult upon a draft Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the 40km road construction prior to appraisal; • Conduct MOA Institutional capacity assessment on E&S using the simplified institutional capacity assessment during preparation prior to appraisal; Public Disclosure Conduct Gender and GBV Risk Assessment and Action Plan prior to appraisal Possible issues to be addressed in the Borrower Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP): • Establishment of PIU under MoA including Environmental and Social Specialists, and capacity building of MoA on WB ESF; • Implementation of the ESMF, RPF, LMP, PMP, SEP; • Finalize the draft Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the 40km road construction when designs are finalized for World Bank review and clearance, disclose and implement required mitigation measures prior to commencement of rehabilitation works • Institutional capacity strengthening for Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Ministry of Public Works and other relevant departments and agencies; • Preparation and implementation of site-specific safeguard instruments: ESIAs, ESMPs, BMP, RAPs/ ARAP, etc. as may be required after project site (s) are identified and E&S screening has been conducted; • Acquisition of necessary applicable statutory permits; • Specific actions on implementation of ESIAs, ESMPs, RAPs/ARAPs etc.; • Implementation of Project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM); • Assessment of Child Labor in the project intervention areas; • Undertake Security Risk Assessment in project sites and immediate proximity; • Implementation of GBV/s prevention protocols., • Screen associated facilities for E&S compliances. Jan 12, 2021 Page 12 of 13 The World Bank Liberia: Rural Economic Transformation Project (P175263) C. Timing Tentative target date for preparing the Appraisal Stage ESRS 16-Feb-2021 IV. CONTACT POINTS World Bank Contact: Adetunji A. Oredipe Title: Senior Agriculture Economist Telephone No: 5325+3052 / 231-777-624758 Email: aoredipe@worldbank.org Contact: John Kobina Richardson Title: Senior Transport Specialist Telephone No: 5325+3028 / 231-770-740846 Email: jrichardson@worldbank.org Borrower/Client/Recipient Borrower: Republic of Liberia Implementing Agency(ies) Implementing Agency: Jeanine Milly Cooper Public Disclosure V. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects VI. APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Adetunji A. Oredipe, John Kobina Richardson Practice Manager (ENR/Social) Senait Nigiru Assefa Recommended on 25-Nov-2020 at 16:45:32 GMT-05:00 Safeguards Advisor ESSA Nathalie S. Munzberg (SAESSA) Cleared on 12-Jan-2021 at 08:44:34 GMT-05:00 Jan 12, 2021 Page 13 of 13