The World Bank Palestinian Heritage Trail: Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Livelihood for Fragile Communities (P170706) Concept Environmental and Social Review Summary Concept Stage (ESRS Concept Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 07/27/2021 | Report No: ESRSC02160 Jul 27, 2021 Page 1 of 9 The World Bank Palestinian Heritage Trail: Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Livelihood for Fragile Communities (P170706) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Region Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) West Bank and Gaza MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH P170706 AFRICA Project Name Palestinian Heritage Trail: Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Livelihood for Fragile Communities Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Finance, Competitiveness Investment Project 7/26/2021 and Innovation Financing Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) Palestinian Heritage Trail Palestinian Heritage Trail Proposed Development Objective Public Disclosure To increase economic opportunities and improve livelihood for about 3,000 Palestinian individuals, present in fragile communities along the Palestinian Heritage Trail, across the West Bank, with a special focus on women and youth. Financing (in USD Million) Amount Total Project Cost 2.40 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 will use the financing from the JSDF to promote local community development through the implementation of the following three components: (1) Community Driven Development; and (2) Project Management and Administration, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Knowledge Dissemination. Jul 27, 2021 Page 2 of 9 The World Bank Palestinian Heritage Trail: Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Livelihood for Fragile Communities (P170706) The project will finance community-driven projects, trainings and relevant activities to strengthen the touristic offering of local communities, to grow their businesses and to cater to local and international tourists/walkers. The project will foster entrepreneurship for startups and already existing businesses at an individual, firm-level, with focus on female and young entrepreneurs. The project will also finance specific activities to develop the project sustainability and the monitoring and evaluation capabilities within the implementing agency. Finally the project will finance the strengthening of the project management of the implementing agency and proper knowledge dissemination. 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 Palestine Heritage Trail (formerly known as Abraham Path) is the longest trail in the West Bank with historical value. It started at a small scale, the Palestine Heritage Trail has been growing over the last five years, attracting thousands of travelers, and gaining the support of government, and non-government organizations. The Path is more than 330 km long, currently extends throughout the whole West Bank, from the village of Rummana northwest of Jenin to Beit Mirsim southwest of Al-Haram al-Ibrahimi (Ibrahimi Mosque) in Hebron. The trail passes through more than 50 cities and villages. In 2018, about 47,000 travelers walked the trail. The Palestine Heritage Trail is more than just a hiking trail. It is a means of meeting and making connections with local Palestinians and hikers from all over the world. Along the Trail’s mostly rural corridor, there are 58 rural, marginalized Public Disclosure communities, some of which living below the poverty line. Most of these very poor and marginalized communities not targeted by other programs given their locations, the lack of connectivity among them, the lack of information, and the FCV context. About 56 of these communities were previously targeted by a first World Bank project (the Abraham Path project). Those communities benefitted from the investment in the Trail soft-infrastructures and the establishment of the Palestinian Heritage Trail (PHT), organization as a supporting institution for the Path. This project will expand the interventions at community-level, building capacity and providing livelihood and economic opportunities to communities including local women’s associations, youth groups, local councils, relevant CBOs and CSOs, and to individuals, such as homestay hosts, guides, transport providers, and local business owners that want to start or strengthen their entrepreneurial activities along the Trail. D. 2. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity The Palestine Heritage Trail has been originated by the Abraham Path Initiative (API), a nonprofit, non-religious and non-political organization based in Boston, USA. Founded at Harvard University's Global Negotiation Initiative, API’s mission is to inspire people worldwide through stories, walking, and hospitality along the ancient Path of Abraham. The Trail is meant to stimulate improvement and extension of local and national walking trails to encourage economic development. To reach its mission, API works in close cooperation with local partners in each country in the Middle- East. In the West Bank, its partner is Palestine Heritage Trail (PHT), whose establishment API supported in 2013, with the specific mandate to develop the Palestine Heritage Trail in the West Bank. PHT is a Palestinian nonprofit based in Beit Sahour which is developing the Palestine Heritage Trail in the West Bank as a community-based tourism project. The organization promotes cultural diversity, tradition, human values, and Jul 27, 2021 Page 3 of 9 The World Bank Palestinian Heritage Trail: Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Livelihood for Fragile Communities (P170706) environmental awareness. PHT is a union of three Palestinian organizations, which has a close working relationship with Bethlehem University. API and primarily, PHT are the only organizations at work in the West Bank and Gaza with detailed data regarding community-based tourism. This makes PHT a leading local player in the field, a position that is supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MOTA) and by other main stakeholders that see PHT as the natural Destination Management Organization (DMO) of the Path. In 2013 the World Bank decided to provide financing through its State and Peace Building Fund (SPF) to a grant operation to contribute to job creation and income generation for rural communities along the Palestine Heritage Trail in the West Bank and to capture a set of lessons that could be applied in other fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS). This first project was recipient-executed, and the implementation of the project’s technical activities relied heavily on API in the first years of operation, mainly in areas relevant to way-marking, safety training, M&E, and marketing. As the project progressed, API delegated most of these activities to PHT, to build the local capacity in trail development and promotion. To this purpose, in late 2013, API entered into ‘a Service Agreement with PHT to implement part of the activities throughout the time frame of the project.” At the end of the project, PHT became responsible for implementing most of the project’s technical activities while API maintained primarily a project management role. For the project to be financed by the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF), MOTA recommended to work with PHT as the grant recipient and implementing agency, since they recognize PHT like the naturally responsible organization for the development of the trail (Destination Management Organization of the Palestine Heritage Trail). Even though PHT has great technical capacity, it has no Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) department or environmental and social expertise. PHT has not previous experience with World Bank safeguard or exposure to ESF. Therefore, it was agree that the M&E specialist will also develop part-time tasks as an environmental and social Public Disclosure officer (ESO) in PHT, and he/she will be supported by an environmental and social consultant on a part-time basis. It is expected that the environmental and social consultant will spend more time at the start of the project to set the system and build the capacity of the ESO (M&E specialist), and then follow up monitor E&S management throughout the process. Description of ESO responsibilities has been introduced to PHT including environmental screening process for subprojects, preparation of site-specific ESMP, implementation of the instruments, monitoring contractors’ compliance, and reporting. The project budget will account for about 6 working months per year for E&S support. II. SCREENING OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Moderate Environmental Risk Rating Moderate This project will finance community- subprojects, mainly projects of a soft nature to promote the touristic activities along the Trail. However, the project will fund the purchase of some equipment for the wine, traditional food, olive oil making, herbal soap. Also the project will finance activities like cleaning of walks and plantation of trees, and training on organic farming. These activities will likely to result in increased waste management and OHS risks and impacts. The increased touristic and economic activities will contribute to increased solid waste generation. These risks and impacts are smaller in scale, site-specific and can be easily mitigated by introducing environmental and social code of practices, occupational health and safety measures and environmental and social management plans. Accordingly, the project environmental risk classification is moderate. Jul 27, 2021 Page 4 of 9 The World Bank Palestinian Heritage Trail: Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Livelihood for Fragile Communities (P170706) Social Risk Rating Moderate The possible negative social impacts may include exclusion of some groups within these marginalized communities. Related to that is the risk of none transparent decision making on the allocation of the grants that could leave the most marginalized out of the project's benefits. Bank will work closely with implementing agencies to develop measures to address these adverse risks and will include measures to enhance the participation of such groups in the project design to manage any adverse impacts. Due to increased tourism, there are some GBV risks in addition to risks associated with labor and work conditions of direct, community, and contracted labor involved in project activities. All needed instruments will be undertaken to manage these risks. 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: ESS1 is considered relevant to the project . This is a community-driven project and specific sub-projects and project activities, their locations, and targeted communities will be identified during project implementation. The specific criteria for the selection, financing and implementation mechanism of the activities of this sub-projects will be identified in the Project Operational Manual (POM), however, for the sub-grants (matching grants) scheme the project will encourage the formation of inclusive community-based committees and engage community members in needs assessment and selection. An Environmental and Social Framework (ESMF) will be prepared by the Project Public Disclosure Implementing Agency to further examine the nature of project activities and any impacts related to them, and guidance for specific environmental and Social instruments that may need to be prepared. The ESMF will include environmental and social code of practices different community/ entrepreneur activities that will likely to be part of the CDD and matching grants activities. Particularly, the ESMF will examine issues of increased solid waste generation due to increased economic and touristic activities and will make sure best available technologies are employed in the handling and disposal of solid waste in alignment with the existing solid waste management infrastructure, increased risk of GBV due to increased local and international tourism, occupational health and safety (OHS) and related mitigation measures proportionately to the investments, given the project will fund the purchase of equipment, first- aid materials, organic farming, and planting of trees along inter-community walks and finance CDD and matching grant activities. The ESMF under preparation will examine the type of CDD projects under the scope of the operation and will have a criteria for eligibility. Areas where “Use of Borrower Framework” is being considered: N/A ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure ESS10 is considered relevant to the project. The main stakeholders are the communities living along the Palestine Heritage Trail. Within these communities, mainly rural and fragile, the project will target women and youth who will constitute more than 50% of the beneficiaries, with each cohort of them constituting more than 25% of the beneficiaries. Other beneficiaries include the path service providers. The project aims to provide livelihood and Jul 27, 2021 Page 5 of 9 The World Bank Palestinian Heritage Trail: Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Livelihood for Fragile Communities (P170706) economic opportunities to local women’s associations, youth groups, local councils, relevant CBOs and CSOs, and to individuals and the path users. For the design of the project components and for the identification of its activities, the PHT team has already conducted two consultation sessions in Feb 2019 with about 23 communities. However, based on the discussion with PHT, the consultation was carried out without taking into consideration the proper requirements of ESS10. The Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) will be developed and the existing experience of PHT will be used to determine the best way to reach these communities, taking into consideration COVID restrictions. The SEP will explain the way through which all affected communities are included in the consultation and methods to be used to reach not only the most remote and fragile communities but within them the most vulnerable and fragile members of these communities. There will be a GRM system established in accordance to ESS10 requirements. The implementing agency will disclose project information in the project area to allow stakeholders to understand the risks and impacts of the project, and potential opportunities. The information will be disclosed in relevant local languages and in a manner that is accessible and culturally appropriate, taking into account any specific needs of groups that may be differentially or disproportionately affected by the project or groups of the population with specific information needs (such as, disability, literacy, gender, mobility, differences in language or accessibility). 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 ESS2 is considered relevant to the project. The project is expected to use contracted and/or community labor in some project activities. This will be examined further as part of the labor management procedure (LMP) which will be Public Disclosure prepared before appraisal and will address risks related to OHS, COVID, working conditions, child labor and forced labor. ESS3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management ESS3 is considered relevant to the project. Increased solid waste generation is expected during project implementation as a result of the minor constructions activities, tree plantation, creation of inter-community walks, as well as due to the increased economic activities in traditional foods, making wine, olive oil and herbal soap, organic farming, in the communities along the trail. The small scale industries as part of the project will be associated with handling of some chemicals and producing of some industrial waste, which should be handled in alignment with the EHS Guidelines (General and industry-specific Guidelines). The impacts will be further quantified and necessary mitigation measures will be included as part of the ESMF. The project will not use significant amounts of water, energy, or other natural resources and will not have any implications for GHG emissions. ESS4 Community Health and Safety ESS4 is considered relevant to the project. Increased tourism, both local and international, will increase the interaction with the targeted communities. The ESMF will examine this further and determine if a stand-alone "security and safety plan" is needed to manage risks that may be related to improper tourist activities leading to possible fires and safety risks, The plan will include training materials on safety and security as part of the capacity building and awareness campaigns to the beneficiaries and communities. Code of conduct for tourists will also be Jul 27, 2021 Page 6 of 9 The World Bank Palestinian Heritage Trail: Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Livelihood for Fragile Communities (P170706) included in the ESMF to ensure that material that will be developed and mechanisms that will be put in place to attract tourists will utilize as part of dissemination. The ESMF will include measures to manage risks of COVID transmission, SEA/SH and will also cover of accessibility issues (i.e. for persons with disabilities). ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement ESS5 is not considered relevant at this time. The project will not include any activities which require land acquisition, physical displacement or adverse impacts on livelihoods or access to natural resources. No construction of the new paths or any construction in general will be undertaken under the project. ESS6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources ESS6 is not considered relevant at this time. The project will not affect any natural habitats as defined under the standard nor will it affect any ecosystem services. Project activities will not involve any removal of trees or vegetation nor will it have any impacts on aquatic or terrestrial biodiversity. Furthermore, the project does not involve the management of any living natural resources. ESS7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities ESS7 is not considered relevant. There are no indigenous communities identified in the project area. Public Disclosure ESS8 Cultural Heritage ESS8 is considered relevant to the project. Traditions and customs of the communities along the path, which is part of the intangible cultural heritage, will serve as tourist attraction, e.g., traditional food, organic farming, making olive oil, herbal soap, and wine. The trail will also pass through many tangible cultural resources. The ESMF will include measures to protect both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. ESS9 Financial Intermediaries ESS9 is not considered relevant because the current project design does not plan to utilize financial intermediaries. B.3 Other Relevant Project Risks No other relevant risks are envisaged at this stage. C. Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Projects on International Waterways No OP 7.60 Projects in Disputed Areas No Jul 27, 2021 Page 7 of 9 The World Bank Palestinian Heritage Trail: Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Livelihood for Fragile Communities (P170706) III. WORLD BANK ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL DUE DILIGENCE A. Is a common approach being considered? No Financing Partners N/A B. Proposed Measures, Actions and Timing (Borrower’s commitments) Actions to be completed prior to Bank Board Approval: The following instruments will be prepared and approved by the Bank prior to Bank Board approval: (1) Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) (2) Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), (3) Labor Management Procedures. Possible issues to be addressed in the Borrower Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP): 1- Preparation and implementation of a "Security and Safety Plan" to the beneficiary communities. Public Disclosure 2- Preparation and implementation of a Solid Waste Management plan (SWMP). 3- Implementation of stakeholder engagement plan (SEP). 4- Preparation and implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Plans (OHS). C. Timing Tentative target date for preparing the Appraisal Stage ESRS 02-Jul-2021 IV. CONTACT POINTS World Bank Contact: Ali H. Abukumail Title: Senior Private Sector Specialist Telephone No: 5380+3773 / 962-6-5103773 Email: aabukumail@worldbank.org Contact: Abdalwahab Khatib Title: Senior Financial Sector Specialist Telephone No: 5366+6515 / 972-2-236-6515 Email: abedkhatib@worldbank.org Borrower/Client/Recipient Jul 27, 2021 Page 8 of 9 The World Bank Palestinian Heritage Trail: Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Livelihood for Fragile Communities (P170706) Borrower: Palestinian Heritage Trail Implementing Agency(ies) Implementing Agency: Palestinian Heritage Trail 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): Ali H. Abukumail, Abdalwahab Khatib Practice Manager (ENR/Social) Lia Carol Sieghart Recommended on 30-Jun-2021 at 15:05:40 GMT-04:00 Safeguards Advisor ESSA Gael Gregoire (SAESSA) Cleared on 27-Jul-2021 at 10:19:26 GMT-04:00 Public Disclosure Jul 27, 2021 Page 9 of 9