The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) Additional Financing Appraisal Environmental and Social Review Summary Appraisal Stage (AF ESRS Appraisal Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 10/21/2024 | Report No: ESRSAFA839 Jan 27, 2025 Page 1 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Operation Data Operation ID Product Operation Acronym Approval Fiscal Year P171933 Investment Project Financing (IPF) Ghana LRSSMP 2022 Operation Name Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project Country/Region Code Beneficiary country/countries Region Practice Area (Lead) (borrower, recipient) Ghana Ghana WESTERN AND CENTRAL Environment, Natural AFRICA Resources & the Blue Economy Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date The Republic of Environmental Protection Agency, 27-Jan-2025 08-Apr-2025 Ghana Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Public Disclosure Estimated Decision Total Project Cost Review Date 03-Dec-2024 117,302,945.00 Proposed Development Objective to strengthen integrated natural resource management and increase benefits to communities in targeted savannah and cocoa forest landscapes B. Is the operation being prepared in a Situation of Urgent Need of Assistance or Capacity Constraints, as per Bank IPF Policy, para. 12? No C. Summary Description of Proposed Project Activities The project is supporting a community-led integrated landscape approach to improve management of forest and savannah ecosystems in the target areas and enhance resilience of ecosystems and populations dependent on them. The interrelationship among agriculture, biodiversity (including wildlife) conservation, mining, and forestry calls for a holistic integrated landscape approach to provide ecosystem services. Smallholder farmers’ access to finance also needs to be improved and critical supply chain bottlenecks removed in the value chains by focusing on improved storage and Jan 27, 2025 Page 2 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) post-storage processing. Therefore, a win-win vision for the environment and regional economy is exploiting green drivers of growth compatible with improved watershed management, supported by appropriate commercial and social infrastructure. Tree crops are identified as a key economic driver. The potential for additional agricultural diversification and nature-based tourism needs to be supported for better resource management at the landscape level. Farm-based aquaculture is an important economic and food security activity, scaled up under the project additional financing. Uncontrolled illegal small-scale mining, including extraction of gold, sand winnowing, and stone quarrying, has resulted in serious deforestation and land degradation – requiring a meaningful effort to formalize and train small-scale miners in environmentally-smart mining as part of the landscape-wide management approach. This requires strong multi-sector coordination at both the national and decentralized levels. The Project is supporting cross-sectoral collaboration from a number of Government agencies, such as MESTI, EPA, MOFA, MLNR, Ghana COCOBOD, Minerals Commission, Water Resources Commission, Fisheries Commission, and Forestry Commission to proactively engage in finding integrated solutions to landscape management. The GoG has requested broader engagement and support from the World Bank in addressing the ASM sectoral issues in the targeted landscapes. The project is supporting a sequence of sector reform initiatives, including (a) regulatory reform and formalization of the ASM sector, (b) strengthening the government’s capacity for support and monitoring of ASM operations. Subsequently, the project aims to support (c) piloting rehabilitation on a limited number of mined out sites (according to lessons learned from the just-closed Forest Investment Program project), (d) promoting responsible entrepreneurship for ASM development, and (e) supporting sustainable livelihood alternatives within galamsey communities. However, addressing the full scope of the artisanal and small-scale mining issues will require mobilization of additional resources on a much grander scale, both from Ghana’s own budget and from external partners and sources, beyond the scope of this project. The project design has a two-fold focus to: (i) enhance landscape management planning at decentralized levels that cuts across administrative Public Disclosure boundaries, multiple sectors and multiple land uses in the target sub-basins within the savannah and cocoa forest areas. The actions envisaged through such planning will be mainstreamed into and implemented through GoG Mid-term development plans (at district-level) to ensure synergies with government-led development planning, and (ii) scale-up land use specific interventions for land restoration, and food and cash crops production linked to livelihoods, both in the Northern Savannah Region and the South-Central Region forest zones of cocoa landscapes. D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1 Overview of Environmental and Social Project Settings The project will be implemented in the Northern Savannah Zone (North East, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West Regions) and the South-Central zone / cocoa forest landscape (Western, Eastern, Central, Bono East, Western North and Ashanti Regions). The project’s landscape approach is centered around 13 sub-basins, for which integrated planning will be undertaken at the project start while management and monitoring platforms will be maintained throughout the project. In the Northern Savannah Region, the project area will fall mainly within the Guinea and Sudan Savannah Zones of Ghana. Project activities will focus on the sub-watersheds of two Volta River tributaries flowing into the country from Burkina-Faso in order to concentrate impacts and affect outcomes at the sub-watershed level. The Kulpawn-Sisilli and the Red Volta sub-watersheds have been prioritized due to sustainable land and water management needs, high poverty and presence of biodiversity corridors. The project will support conservation and restoration activities in the Gbele Resource Reserve (GRR) and Mole National Park (MNP), and Digya National Park (DNP), and fringe communities around these protected areas, fringe communities of the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve, as well in the Community Resource Management Areas (CREMA) in target wildlife corridors (Western Wildlife Corridor, Eastern Wildlife Corridor, and the Digya-Kogyae Wildlife Corridor), as well as Jan 27, 2025 Page 3 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) expand the boundaries of the Digya-Kogyae Wildlife corridor to connect the Bomfobiri Wildlife Sanctuary. The GRR, DNP and MNP are permanent estates reserved for the preservation of forest and wildlife resource. Through support to CREMAs, the project will contribute to creation of a contiguous management zones of the forested landscapes between protected areas. The GRR is home to diverse mammal species (antelope, hartebeest, bushbuck, waterbuck, savannah duikers, warthogs baboon, patas, green monkey, etc.). There is also a very rich birdlife with about 194 species. DNP supports at least six primate species, including black and white colobus, elephants and a variety of antelopes. Manatee and clawless otter are also reported to be present in the DNP. MNP is the largest national park in Ghana and has the widest range of wildlife. The park is home to over 93 mammal species, and the large mammals of the park include elephants, hippos, buffalo, and warthogs. The park is considered a preserve for antelope species including kob, Defassa waterbuck, roan, hartebeest, oribi, the bushbuck, and two duikers, the red duiker and yellow-backed duiker. The park is also home to Olive baboons, black-and-white colobus monkeys, the green vervet, and patas monkeys. The Western Wildlife Corridor provides link between the MNP and Nazinga Reserve in Burkina Faso for easy movement of wildlife species. The fauna in the corridor includes the African elephant, buffalo, roan, oribi, common duiker, buffon kob, hartebeest, waterbuck, bushbuck, baboon, patas monkey, squirrel, python, cayman, green monkey and the African elephant. It is identified as one of the few remaining elephant ranges in Ghana. The Eastern Wildlife Corridor stretches from the Kaboré Tembi National Park in Burkina Faso through the border with Ghana, extending down along the Red Volta River through the Red Volta East and West Forest Reserves. It continues through Morago East and West Forest Reserves to the Gambaga Scarp and eastward to conservation areas in Togo along the White Volta and Morago Rivers. The area enclosed by the proposed Digya–Kogyae Wildlife Corridor (DKWC) protect vital ecosystems such as the Afram and Nene Rivers and their tributaries while providing a natural and safe passageway for several wildlife species between the Digya National Park Public Disclosure and the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve in the Transitional belt of Ghana. Some of the notable wildlife species that are either resident in the corridor or make seasonal movement between the two PAs include the African elephant, buffalo, waterbuck, baboon, patas monkey and several species of reptiles, amphibians and avifauna. In the South-Central Region, the project area will be located within the Forest and the Transitional ecological zones. A large part of activities will focus in the Pra basin, which is one of the most intensively used basins in Ghana for settlement, agriculture (including cocoa), logging and mining. The total Pra Basin area is approximately 23,200 km2 and it extends through almost 55 percent of Ashanti, 23 percent of Eastern, 15 percent of Central, and 7 percent Western Regions of Ghana. The Pra Basin falls within the Upper Guinean rainforest, which has been recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot due to a high presence of endemic species. D.2 Overview of Borrower’s Institutional Capacity for Managing Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts In respect of the project activities covered under the additional financing (AF), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the lead implementing agency (LIA) with fiduciary roles and will be responsible for preparing work plans and budgets for implementation. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA); the Forest Services Division (FSD) and Wildlife Division (WD) of the Forestry Commission (FC), and Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) will collaborate with EPA in implementing different components and sub-components of the project. EPA and most of the other implementing agencies (MOFA, FC, and COCOBOD) have prior experience in implementing Bank funded projects with satisfactory performance in operationalizing the Bank’s Safeguard Policies, including under the Ghana Sustainable Water and Land Management Project (SWLMP, P098538), Ghana Forest Investment Program (GFIP, P148183), Cocoa Landscape Emissions Reductions Program (P160339) and a series of other related projects. Despite this experience, the expanded scope of the Environmental Social Framework (ESF) requires targeted training, monitoring and technical assistance to support the effective implementation of the project. EPA has designated an Jan 27, 2025 Page 4 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) Environmental and Social Safeguards Officer to lead, coordinate, and manage the E&S risks and impacts of the project. EPA has also designated a Gender Officer to lead and coordinate gender inclusion considerations on the project. In addition to the existing capacity, there will be further E&S capacity building, especially in relation to the ESF and including strengthening the LIA and IA’s existing structures and capacity for stakeholder engagement and for resolving project related complaints and gender mainstreaming. EPA will also appoint E&S focal points at the respective Regional and District offices as needed. The officer and specialists and other E&S focal persons to be appointed by implementing agencies will ensure adequate risks identification, management and reporting. II. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Substantial A.1 Environmental Risk Rating Substantial The environmental risk classification is currently substantial. The substantial rating is based on the fact that the scale of the activities, the nature and diversity of the impacts of activities under the AF are not fully known at this stage, even though it is already clear that there will be site clearing, soil excavation and civil works that could lead to air and noise pollution, loss of vegetation and fauna, habitat disruption, soil disturbance and erosion, generation of solid waste, risks of occupational health and safety of workers, risks to community health and safety, and risks to cultural heritage, etc.. However, overall, the project is expected to have positive environmental impacts by restoring and improving management of degraded watersheds and forest landscapes, improving ecosystem services, and improving livelihood of rural communities. The project has an overall objective of improving / greening current practices related Public Disclosure to subsistence agriculture, management of riparian/ watershed areas, forested areas within and between gazetted areas. In all its activities, the project will ensure protection of sacred sites (including sacred groves) within the project areas. However, some potential environmental risks can be envisaged and will be associated with activities such as construction and rehabilitation of waterholes, dugouts and CREMA facilities, alternative income generation initiatives, agriculture and agroforestry activities, rangeland establishment and management, cocoa intensification practices, woodlot establishment, enrichment planting in forest reserves and off-reserves. Project activities involving construction and rehabilitation will include site clearing, soil excavation and civil works that could lead to air and noise pollution, loss of vegetation and fauna, habitat disruption, soil disturbance and erosion, generation of solid waste, risks of occupational health and safety of workers, risks to community health and safety, and risks to cultural heritage. At this stage, the specific sites have not been identified. Once the specific sites are selected, the client will ensure that all sites are screened and any additional environmental assessments that may be required are carried out and the mitigation measures are implemented to reduce the direct, indirect and the residual impacts of these activities. The impacts associated with these risks will be localized and are not likely to be significant, and there is low probability of serious adverse effects to human health and/or the environment. The impacts can easily be prevented and/or mitigated in a predictable manner. In addition, the project will utilize established capacities, protocols, manuals, and monitoring mechanisms developed under the previous / ongoing Bank-supported interventions. The project will ensure that waste generated by these works will be disposed of at approved sites according to the national laws and regulations. The project will also ensure that mitigation measures such as dust suppression and vehicle maintenance will be applied to minimize the impact of air emissions during construction/rehabilitation. Agriculture and agroforestry activities will likely involve the use of agricultural inputs such as pesticides which is expected to be low but could lead to soil contamination, and poisoning of non-target organisms as well as adverse Jan 27, 2025 Page 5 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) health effects to humans. To avoid the risks associated with the use of pesticides, the project will continue to provide training to farmers on safe use of approved pesticides similar to the practices adopted previously under the parent project through the Integrated Pesticides Management Plan (IPMP). The project will also ensure that the use of pesticides will be limited to activities outside protected areas. Substantial A.2 Social Risk Rating Overall, the project is expected to have positive social impacts on people as the interventions will improve community management of natural resources, diversify income streams of farmers, improve livelihoods, food security, enhance women’s access to markets, and promote social inclusion. Construction of CREMA facilities will by design avoid locations that will cause Involuntary Resettlement. If design operations cannot avoid impacts, affected people and communities will be entitled for compensation. The project may also cause restrictions in access to natural resources in legally designated existing protected areas. if affected communities are not adequately consulted and their support to the project is not garnered, restriction to access to protected areas will likely agitate communities who are relying on natural resources to support their livelihoods, . Under the parent project so far, none of these risks has actualized mainly because of the project’s investments in construction of waterholes, dugouts and boreholes in fringe communities, which significantly reduce the risk of animal incursions into the PAs. Again, human wildlife conflicts occasionally occurring due to scarcity of water during the dry season, is reducing with the project investments made through the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission. Other social risks associated with confrontation between forest and wildlife guards and fringe communities (when forest land boundary demarcation, existing regulations and plans that restrict access and land use rights in protected areas are enforced) have been reduced to the barest minimum by activities of the CREMAs that have been formed and empowered under the parent project . Cases of Public Disclosure conflicts involving farming communities on one hand and Fulani pastoralists on the other due to limited grazing areas during the dry season have reduced and would be further reduced with the AF. Lessons learned from the parent project shall be used while mitigating conflict risks over grazing land. Additionally, the risk of associated with child labor in cocoa plantations in forest landscapes has been mitigated largely under the parent project through community sensitisation and awareness. The same practice will continue under the AF. From implementation of the parent Project so far, fringe communities around national parks have willingly donated land for project facilities, but the lack of proper documentation and attention to underlying ESS 5 risks could lead to negative impacts and intergenerational conflicts. Also, it is noted that many stakeholder engagements conducted by implementing agencies (IAs), without the involvement of the E&S Specialists at the PCU/ E&S focus persons at the I As, could lead to undesirable outcomes, including exclusion of vulnerable groups, miscommunication, social tension and non- documentation of outcomes. Additionally, experiences from COCOBOD's pilot rehabilitation of moribund cocoa farms have highlighted land tenure issues, leading to the exclusion of tenant farmers who lack landlord consent. Given the likelihood of gender inequality, the AF will continue to advance gender inclusion in the forest landscape management activities under implementation under the parent project, as articulated in the project Gender Action Plan, and mainstreamed into subproject designs. B. Environment and Social Standards (ESS) that Apply to the Activities Being Considered B.1 Relevance of Environmental and Social Standards ESS1 - Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts Relevant Jan 27, 2025 Page 6 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) The proposed project is directly intended to have positive environmental impacts in forest landscapes, promote reforms and address environmental and social issues related to Ghana’s natural resource management. The project has an overall objective of improving / greening current practices related to subsistence agriculture, management of riparian / watershed areas, forested areas within and between gazetted areas through adequate trainings, extension, and investments in natural resource management. However, project activities can create temporary unintentional environmental, health, and social challenges when not properly managed. To strengthen execution of the project’s risk identification framework for assessing and managing associated potential E&S risks, the Borrower has updated the existing Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) including a well designed GRM, the existing Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), which also includes the project specific Labor Management Procedures, and maintained the existing Resettlement Policy Framework and Process Framework (RPF&PF). The existing Gender Action Plan to advance women empowerment and bridge identified gender gaps through project design has been updated and included in the Project Appraisal Document. These documents have been consulted upon and disclosed by the GoG and World Bank. The SEP establishes an effective platform for productive interaction with potentially affected parties and persons with interest in the project. It also solicited feedback that has informed project design while simultaneously managing expectations of the beneficiaries and interested parties about project outcomes. The Borrower extensively consulted key relevant stakeholders, including traditional authorities, landowners, communities, and Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs) and regional and district level stakeholders, as well as in the 2 new beneficiary districts and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD). The SEP also has provided a framework based on which a good Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) was established. From implementation of the parent Project so far, the established GRM has provided avenues for project-affected persons and stakeholders to raise concerns, questions, and complaints about the project, and all of which have been Public Disclosure redressed, thus preventing potential social conflicts in project communities. The ESMF and RPF&PF provide a general impact identification framework to assist the IAs to screen project activities and institute measures to address adverse E&S impacts. Using the E&S screening tools, the project will identify the potential risks of activities and determine relevant risks assessment and mitigation plans; i.e., Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), Biodiversity Management Plans (BMPs), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), and Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plan (ARAP) that may be required. The use of pesticides is expected to be low during project implementation. Notwithstanding, the Borrower has prepared an Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPMP) consistent with ESS3, which is included in the ESMF. The IPMP assessed the nature and extent of specific risks of pesticide use that will be associated with the project agriculture, plant nurseries and agroforestry activities. Project activities in designated forest reserves, national parks, protected areas and biodiversity corridors will focus on supporting conservation and restoration initiatives. Human-wildlife conflicts which occur due to water scarcity, prompting confrontations between wildlife guards and local communities, has also been on a downward trend due to the significant contributions of the parent project. The AF will support the provision of more waterholes for wildlife in protected areas and water dugouts for livestock outside of protected areas, for greater impact. However, the construction of dugouts in protected areas may pose some risks such as habitat disturbance. In view of that, activities in protected areas will be screened using the ESMF to determine potential biodiversity risks and impacts. The screening process will confirm the need for ESIAs, ESMPs or Biodiversity Management Plans (BMPs) and other instruments as needed for the targeted areas. To safeguard biodiversity, project activities on agroforestry will ensure that invasive species are not introduced and activities in protected areas or forest reserves will enhance biodiversity protection and will minimize impacts on wildlife. The Borrower has prepared an Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) which outlines commitments to prepare and implement E&S risk management measures and instruments throughout the life-cycle of the project. As part of the ESMF, RPF&PF and SEP, the Borrower will Jan 27, 2025 Page 7 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) maintain and share with the Bank, stakeholder engagement records including a description of the different categories of stakeholders consulted, a summary of the feedback received and a brief explanation on how stakeholder concerns were considered in the risks assessment and planning. Under the parent project, the principle of avoidance has been largely applied and has therefore eliminated the risk of displacement due to due to land acquisition for implementation of project activities involving the establishment of rangelands and construction of CREMA facilities. For the most part, fringe communities around national parks have willingly donated land for project facilities, but the lack of proper documentation and attention to other underlying ESS 5 risks could lead to negative impacts and intergenerational conflicts. To address this, the client was supported by the Bank to develop a comprehensive template for documenting land donations, ensuring no households are displaced and that community leadership confirms the donations; this documentation process is however ongoing. Additionally, COCOBOD's pilot rehabilitation of moribund cocoa farms has highlighted land tenure issues, leading to the exclusion of tenant farmers who lack landlord consent. Under the AF, the Bank will provide technical support to revise beneficiary selection criteria for inclusivity. ESS10 - Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure Relevant The challenges of sustainable forest and cocoa landscape management in Ghana partly reflect a complex network of interests. Different stakeholders and groups including national and subnational regulatory agencies, traditional authorities, political leaders, landowners, Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs), timber and lumber companies, groups and associations etc., have complex networks of interests in reserve and non-reserved forest areas. In view of that, the project will need to sustain its wide coordination and engagement with various stakeholders, including Ministries, Departments and Agencies Public Disclosure (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), traditional authorities, customary landowners, individuals, group and associations in the natural resource management sector, FBOs, CSOs and NGOs, vulnerable groups including women, youth, migrant farmers and people with disabilities. The cooperation of these groups has been and will still be essential for the success of the project. The Borrower has updated and will implement the SEP for the parent project. The updated SEP outlines the characteristics and interests of the relevant stakeholder groups and individuals including measures to remove barriers to ensure vulnerable individuals or groups participation in the project, provides information on timing, places, methods of engagement, implementation arrangements and budget to support its implementation. As part of the Updated SEP, the project has maintained a GRM which provides avenues for project-affected persons and stakeholders to raise concerns, questions, and complaints about the project for redress. The Updated SEP will be publicly disclosed after Bank clearance. ESS2 - Labor and Working Conditions Relevant This standard is relevant since the Borrower will engage different categories of project workers: direct workers, contracted workers, and primary supply workers. The PCU will be supported by civil and public servants at the various implementing agencies at the national and subnational levels. While the number of workers cannot be estimated at the current stage, no large-scale labor influx is expected as works will be limited in scope; use of local labour is anticipated; and a current approach used by the implementing agencies will be pursued (e.g., the FC practices a preference for hiring local workers). In line with the ESF, the Borrower has assessed the risk of child labor or forced labor and developed measures to avoid them, including screening and monitoring mechanisms. In line with ESS2 and the Ghana Labor Act 2003 (Act 651), the use of forced labor or child labor/children under the age of 18 is prohibited. The project will not financially or technically support any activities liable to encourage the use of any child labor Jan 27, 2025 Page 8 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) (including employment of children that is economically exploitative, or is likely to be hazardous to, or to interfere with, the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development). Awareness raising sessions will be regularly conducted in the project communities to sensitize people on prohibition and negative impacts of Child and forced Labor as well as procedures for preventing the use of child labour. Such sessions will be organized in culturally appropriate manner and in local languages to encourage communities to take part in the dialogue. Project activities involving agroforestry and cocoa intensification that can be associated with the use of pesticides and fertilizers, the construction of dugouts in fringe communities, viewing platforms in the parks, among others, may expose workers to occupational health and safety risks. These risks could include worksite injuries, poisoning and skin rashes from poor fertilizer and pesticide handling, fall from heights among others. As part of the ESMF, the Borrower has prepared the Labor Management Procedures (LMP). The LMP spells out the types of workers that would be used and provide details on basic occupational health and safety requirements. Based on screening, the project may require contractors to prepare site-specific Occupational Health and Safety Plans in line with World Bank Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines (for construction activities). Such plans would include incident investigation and reporting, emergency preparedness and response procedures and continuous training and awareness to workers. The project will require contractors to establish, maintain and operate site-specific grievance mechanisms for project workers as described in the ESMF and consistent with ESS2. ESS3 - Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management Relevant This standard is relevant since the project activities on woodlot establishment, aquaculture, agroforestry and cocoa intensification can be associated with the use of pesticides and fertilizers and consumption of energy, water and raw material as well as generation of waste. Uncontrolled pesticide use can lead to several unintended and harmful Public Disclosure environmental effects. These include contamination of soil and water, poisoning of non-target organisms, disruption of natural pest controls leading to pest resurgence, and resistance. The use of pesticides is expected to be low during project implementation. Notwithstanding, the Borrower has prepared an Integrated Pest Management Plan (PMP) consistent with ESS3. The PMP will assess the nature and degree of specific risks of pesticide use that will be associated with agriculture, plant nurseries and agroforestry activities. The approved PMP will be disclosed during project implementation but prior to commencement of project activities which will involve the use of pesticides. The site-specific ESIA/ESMP for the construction of waterholes, dugouts and processing plants will require contractors to consider specific provisions to manage risks during operational phase. These construction activities will involve excavation of soils, generate waste and cause air, noise and water pollution. The project will ensure that waste generated by these activities will be disposed of at approved sites according to the national laws and regulations. The project will also ensure that mitigation measures such as dust suppression and vehicle maintenance will be applied to minimize the impact of air emissions during construction of the facilities. The Borrower will take into consideration local conditions and apply technically and financially feasible resource efficiency and pollution prevention measures proportionate to the risks and impacts of project activities. Overall, the project is expected to lead to significant reductions in negative net GHG emissions. ESS4 - Community Health and Safety Relevant This standard is relevant because project activities such as agroforestry and aquaculture may be associated with the use of pesticides. Similarly, potential construction of waterholes, dugouts and water harvesting structures as well as minor renovation and refurbishment works of CREMA facilities will generate waste and cause very limited and temporary air, noise and water pollution, which can affect the general health and safety of workers and communities Jan 27, 2025 Page 9 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) during the construction phase. The inappropriate use of pesticides may pollute community water sources and generate incidences of acute and chronic health complications. Conflicts involving farming communities on one hand and Fulani pastoralists on the other have also been reported in the project areas due to limited grazing areas during the dry season. The project will support the establishment and management of rangelands to provide grazing areas for communities and limit conflicts. Again, human-wildlife conflicts occasionally occur in fringe communities due to scarcity of water during the dry season with an associated confrontation between wildlife guards and communities near project areas. To reduce the human-wildlife conflicts, the project will support the provision of waterholes for wildlife in protected areas and water dugouts for livestock outside of protected areas, including fringe communities. Under the project, ESIAs/ESMPs will be prepared for specific subproject sites including the construction of waterholes, dugouts, processing facilities etc., and as part of that process, develop mitigation measures, including prioritizing community labor in project activities to address community health and safety will be implemented. The support to community members to engage in alternative livelihood activities such as beekeeping, aquaculture and dairy processing may respectively expose beneficiaries to bee stings and other operational injuries. To mitigate against potential environmental risks, the project will: (i) ensure the clearing of vegetation, particularly of indigenous trees will be avoided as much as possible during construction, and the clearing needs to be carried out only where necessary; (ii) where clearing is done, land will be landscaped and reclaimed by planting more trees and other forms of vegetation; (iii) avoid clearing and construction within key sensitive habitats such as wetlands, culturally protected areas, unique and special habitats; and (iv) buffer the special, sensitive and ecologically important habitats, particularly during the infrastructure designing, and (v) promote the use of appropriate and adequate PPEs for beneficiaries in the alternative livelihood interventions. To mitigate against the risks of increased incidences of water- borne diseases due to the utilization of water in dugouts, the project will: (i) ensure that such structures are not Public Disclosure constructed near homesteads; (ii) the communities will be educated and made aware of such dangers, particularly of water-borne diseases to ensure they take preventive measures such as boiling drinking water or chemically treating the water; (iii) community members will also be encouraged to use preventive measures such as sleeping under mosquito nets; (iv) such waterbodies will be protected against direct access by fencing whenever needed, by providing signages or planting trees around them which will help in avoiding contamination while at the same time minimize likely accidents; (v) construction will be done in such a way that water can be allowed to flow by gravity to minimize pumping which helps in avoiding the use of petroleum products. Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and Sexual Harassments risk is rated as low for the project using the WB SEA/SH risk screening tool. However, the project presents opportunity to advance gender inclusion in forest landscape management. The project has been designed with active focus on activities that aim to improve participation of women in project activities in beneficiary communities. The Borrower has conducted gender assessment and developed a Gender Action plan to promote women participation in the design and implementation of the project activities. ESS5 - Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement Relevant Project activities relating to the establishment of rangelands and construction of CREMA facilities may be associated with permanent or temporary physical and economic displacement resulting from land acquisition. Land use planning and enforcement of PA boundary activities will take into consideration integrative views that combine social, economic, and environmental criteria in the planning process. Prior to undertaking any boundary enforcement measures in the protected areas, the activities will be screened to assess the potential social impacts and implications on peoples assets and livelihoods; and prioritize people’s welfare in the activities. This will help identify and mitigate against potential adverse impacts relating to community economy, cultural, informal tenure, temporary or Jan 27, 2025 Page 10 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) permanent land and livelihood losses. As specific sites have not yet been determined, the Borrower has prepared a joint Resettlement Policy Framework & Process Framework to provide guidance for assessing and managing potential risks and to determine the appropriate instrument such as Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) and Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plan (ARAP) that may be required when subproject locations are identified. Relevant screening criteria are included in the project screening forms included in the ESMF. Based on thorough consultation with local communities, the Process Framework has provided the process by which members of potentially affected communities will participate in the design and implementation of the project activities that would address issues arising as a result of access restriction, if any arise. These measures will also help to address expansion of illegal farms in forest reserves and minimize potential adverse social and economic consequences on farmers. A commitment related to implementation of the RPF&PF is included in the ESCP, and the RF&PF has been reviewed, cleared by the Bank and disclosed by the Borrower and the Bank. Sefwi Wiawso, one of the new project areas under the AF, in recent past experienced tensions between the Chiefs and tenant farmers regarding the ownership rights of the lands occupied and used by the tenant farmers for cocoa cultivation, mainly. Although COCOBOD and several NGOs intervened to facilitate mutually beneficial agreements, a social conflict assessment is needed to better understand the current dynamics. This assessment will also provide insight into how the proposed rehabilitation of moribund cocoa farms under the AF could heighten any existing/ latent tensions, and its implications for stability and human security. ESS6 - Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Relevant Resources The project will support conservation and restoration activities in the Gbele Resource Reserve (GRR), Digya National Public Disclosure Park (DNP), Mole National Park and Western, Eastern, and Digya-Kogyae Wildlife Corridors, and Asenanyo, Jimira, Offin Shelterbelt, Pra Anum, Tano Sur, Suhuma, Sui River, and Moro River Forest reserves. The overall impact of this project will be positive and will involve improvements in management of forested landscapes, enrichment planting and establishment of improved boundary demarcations (e.g., demarcation with pillars, forest reserve boundary enrichment planting, establishment of green firebreaks). Basic infrastructure activities in the national parks and protected areas to support monitoring (construction of tracks and trails, satellite camps for rangers), tourism promotion (picnic sites and bird hives) and habitat enhancement (construction of dugouts and water points) could impact on local ecology and biodiversity. Vegetation clearance at sites and construction activities could lead to loss of vegetation and contribute to habitat fragmentation in the park, which could potentially affect critical habitats within the park. These impacts are expected to be site specific and can be avoided, minimized, or mitigated through site specific ESIA/ESMPs. Once the specific sites are identified, the Borrower will ensure that all project activities in these areas are screened and any additional environmental assessments that may be required are carried out and the mitigation measures implemented to reduce the direct, indirect and the residual impacts of these activities. The screening process will confirm the need for ESIAs, ESMPs or Biodiversity Management Plans (BMPs) for the targeted areas. ESS7 - Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Not Currently Relevant Local Communities Jan 27, 2025 Page 11 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) There are no known indigenous people in Ghana and project does not seek to undertake activities in any location that is likely to impact on any group of people with distinct characterization akin to the criteria for indigenous or traditionally underserved communities as spelled out in the ESS7. ESS8 - Cultural Heritage Relevant Some project activities will occur in areas where tangible and intangible cultural heritage are common. Local communities maintain shrines, deities, sacred groves in local forested location, including forest reserves, etc., and have developed years of belief systems and customary practices around some of the sites. Most communities also have traditional knowledge, cultural beliefs, values and practices relating to natural resources use and management. The updated SEP has incorporated specific considerations for engaging local communities and traditional authorities on the management of issues associated with known cultural sites and artifacts. The updated ESMF includes ‘chance finds procedures’ and other procedures for protecting customary and cultural values and assets. Subsequently, this will also be incorporated into contractors’ contracts and environmental, social, health and safety management plans (C-ESMPs) to require contractors to notify and closely coordinate with the relevant mandated Government authority for the salvaging and restoring of tangible cultural heritage if found during construction in accordance with national law. ESS9 - Financial Intermediaries Not Currently Relevant The project does not involve financial intermediary services. As such this standard is considered not relevant. Public Disclosure B.2 Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Operations on International Waterways No OP 7.60 Operations in Disputed Areas No B.3 Other Salient Features Use of Borrower Framework No Not Applicable Use of Common Approach No A Common Approach is not envisaged. C. Overview of Required Environmental and Social Risk Management Activities C.1 What Borrower environmental and social analyses, instruments, plans and/or frameworks are planned or required by implementation? 1. Operationalize the updated ESMF and RF and screen all sub-projects prior to the implementation of proposed interventions. Jan 27, 2025 Page 12 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) 2. Prepare and implement site specific ESIAs and ESMPs as may be required after project screening. 3. Prepare and implement ARAPS/RAPs as may be required and guided by the project screening & RF. 4. Prior to Board approval, conduct a social conflict assessment of the Sefwi-Wiawso district, to understand the current dynamics between tenant farmers and chiefs regarding ownership rights of the lands dedicated to cocoa cultivation by the tenant farmers. The assessment will also provide insight into how the proposed rehabilitation of moribund cocoa farms under the AF could heighten any existing/ latent tensions, and its implications for stability and human security. 5. Implement the Process Framework to provide guidance for regulating access to forest reserves. 6. Implement the Integrated Pest Management Plan. 7. Report on the implementation of the SEP as part of the E&S performance report. 8. Report on the operationalization of the Grievance Redress Mechanism as part of the E&S performance report 9. Implement and report on the Gender and GBV action plan as part of the E&S performance report. 10. Report on the implementation of SEA/SH and Child Labor prevention protocols and measures as part of the E&S performance report. 11. Report on the implementation of the LMP as part of the E&S performance report. III. CONTACT POINT World Bank Task Team Leader: Madhavi M. Pillai Title: Senior Natural Resources Public Disclosure Management Specialist Email: mpillai3@worldbank.org TTL Contact: Morten Larsen Job Title: Sr Mining Spec. Email: mlarsen@worldbank.org TTL Contact: Olamide Oluwaseyi Bisi-Amosun Job Title: Natural Resources Management Specialist Email: obisiamosun@worldbank.org IV. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Jan 27, 2025 Page 13 of 14 The World Bank Ghana Landscape Restoration And Small-scale Mining Project (P171933) The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects V. APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Madhavi M. Pillai, Morten Larsen, Olamide Oluwaseyi Bisi-Amosun ADM Environmental Specialist: Kobina Otu Okyne ADM Social Specialist: Raymond Simon Maina Kirwa Public Disclosure Jan 27, 2025 Page 14 of 14