The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA | Romania | IBRD/IDA | Investment Project Financing (IPF) | FY 2023 | Seq No: 4 | Archived on 18-Dec-2024 | ISR02546 Implementing Agencies: Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests 1. OBJECTIVE 1.1 Development Objective Original Development Objective (Approved as part of Approval package on 30-Mar-2023) The Project Development Objective is to strengthen the institutional capacity of selected public entities to monitor pollution from agriculture, and to transfer knowledge on agricultural pollution reduction for adoption by participating farmers. Has the Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No 2. COMPONENTS Name Modernization of Public Institutions in Charge of Pollution Control:(Cost 36,780,000.00) Knowledge-Sharing, Awareness, and Information/Innovation Transfer for Participating Farmers:(Cost 21,200,000.00) Project Management:(Cost 5,620,000.00) 3. OVERALL RATINGS Name Previous Current Progress towards achievement of PDO Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating Moderate Moderate 4. KEY ISSUES & STATUS Dec 18, 2024 Page 1 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) 4.1 Implementation Status and Key Decisions RAPID seeks to strengthen the institutional capacity of selected public entities to monitor pollution from agriculture, and to facilitate transfer of knowledge and adoption of agricultural pollution reduction practices by participating farmers. The project supports the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests (MEWF), the National Administration "Romanian Waters” (ANAR), the National Phytosanitary Authority (NFA), and the Directorate of Land Improvements and Land Fund (LILF) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in monitoring and reduce pollution from agriculture. The project was approved by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors on March 30, 2023; the loan was signed on April 6, 2023 and RAPID entered effectiveness on December 13, 2023. The Parliament has adopted the law no. 332/November 7, 2023, published on the Official Gazette no. 1022 of November 9, 2023, ratifying the Loan Agreement. Progress has been recorded with regards to the preparation of Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the various project activities. Consultations with farmer’s organizations and relevant stakeholders for the Grants Manual for an initiative that will finance the upgrade/modernization of existing farms for demonstration purposes have been organized during fall of 2024. Launching of the call for proposals is envisaged for end of March 2025. 5. SYSTEMATIC OPERATIONS RISK-RATING TOOL Rating at Approval Last Approved Rating Risk Category Approval Package - ISR Seq. 03 - 19 Jun Proposed Rating 30 Mar 2023 2024 Political and Governance Moderate Moderate Moderate Macroeconomic Moderate Moderate Moderate Sector Strategies and Policies Moderate Moderate Moderate Technical Design of Project or Program Moderate Moderate Moderate Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Moderate Moderate Moderate Sustainability Fiduciary Moderate Moderate Moderate Environment and Social Moderate Moderate Moderate Stakeholders Moderate Moderate Moderate Overall Moderate Moderate Moderate Dec 18, 2024 Page 2 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) 6. RESULTS 6.1 PDO Indicators by PDO Outcomes Baseline Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Month/Year Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of annual reports produced by the selected public entities meeting defined criteria: reports are based on digitalized and integrated data system, compliant with national or EU requirements (with improved reliability, traceabilit, or integration). - Evaluation reports produced by MEWF (NRRP-DG) meet defined criteria (in line with reporting requirements, integrated, digitalized, and traceable) - Reports produced by ANAR laboratories meet defined criteria (compliant with WFD 2000/60/EC requirements, integrated, digitalized and traceable) - Reports produced by NFA meet defined criteria (compliant with EU Reg. 2017/625 and Directive 676/91/EEC requirements, integrated, digitalized and traceable) - Reports Reporting by public entities meeting produced by LILF meet defined criteria (compliant with EU Reg. 2017/625 and defined criteria (Percentage) Directive 676/91/EEC requirements, integrated, digitalized and traceable) Note: Much of the current reporting is done through pen and paper (with no digital tool rather than Excel sheets, prone to human errors) and lacks integration with other databases and traceability of data inputs. The project will enhance institutional capacity by supporting the development of various monitoring and reporting IT/software tools and deploying relevant monitoring equipment for each of the institutions (NRRP-DG, ANAR, NFA, LILF) and should thus lead to improved capacity to report (which will be tracked and assessed based on the digitalization/reliability/traceability/integration criteria mentioned above). Dec 18, 2024 Page 3 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of evaluation reports produced by MEWF Reports by MEWF meeting (NRRP-DG) meeting defined criteria: reports are based on a digitalized and defined criteria (Percentage) integrated data system, in line with reporting requirements (with improved reliability, traceability, or integration). Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of reports produced by ANAR laboratories Reports produced by ANAR meeting defined criteria: reports are based on a digitalized and integrated meeting defined criteria data system, compliant with WFD 2000/60/EC requirements (with improved (Percentage) reliability, traceability, or integration). Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of reports produced by NFA meeting defined Reports produced by NFA criteria: reports are based on a digitalized and integrated data system, meeting defined criteria compliant with EU Reg. 2017/625 and Directive 676/91/EEC requirements (Percentage) (with improved reliability, traceability, or integration). Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of reports produced by LILF meeting defined Reports produced by LILF criteria: reports are based on a digitalized and integrated data system, meeting defined criteria compliant with EU Reg. 2017/625 and Directive 676/91/EEC requirements (Percentage) (with improved reliability, traceability, or integration). Comments on achieving targets The indicator measures, the share of participating farmers adopting improved agricultural pollution reduction practices because of Participating farmers adopting modernization of farms, trainings and farmer discussion groups of KTNs (a agricultural pollution reduction total of 8,000 farmers are expected to benefit from this project; out of them, practices as a result of the project 50% are targeted to adopt agricultural pollution reduction practices as a (Percentage) result of the project). Adoption refers to change of practice or change in the use of a technology promoted or introduced by the project. Participating farmers adopting agricultural pollution reduction Comments on achieving targets The indicator measures, the share of participating female farmers adopting practices as a result of the improved agricultural pollution reduction practices (because of project - female (Percentage) modernization of farms, trainings and farmer discussion groups of KTNs) out of the total participating farmers adopting such practices (i.e. a total of 4,000 Dec 18, 2024 Page 4 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) farmers are expected to adopt agricultural pollution reduction practices as a result of the projec, out of which 35% women). Adoption refers to change of practice or change in the use of a technology promoted or introduced by the project. 6.2 Intermediate Results Indicators by Components Not Categorized Baseline Actual (Current) Closing Period Indicator Name Value Month/Year Value Date Value Month/Year NRRP’s agriculture waste Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the NRRP’s agriculture waste management component management component financing financing mobilized (EUR) by MEWF with support by the project. Financing mobilized by MEWF with support by mobilized is defined as NRRP funds that are contracted by MEWF’s NRRP-DG the project (Number) ANAR staff have obtained skills to use Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of targeted ANAR staff who complete the the equipment provided by the training for obtaining the skills to use the equipment for monitoring and project (Percentage) reporting on the quality of surface and groundwater NFA staff have obtained skills to use Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of targeted NFA staff who complete the the equipment provided by the training for obtaining the skills to use the equipment for monitoring project (Percentage) pesticide use Comments on achieving targets The software platform will target integrated collection, processing, analyzing, mapping, and reporting of data to ensure traceability of pesticides Software platform to trace pesticides and pollutants. The software platform will draw from MARD’s various and pollutants is developed and is interfaces with other entities and their existing databases: the software will operational (Text) also record data on emissions (e.g., ammonia, nitrogen oxides etc.) and include data modelling in order to generate and transmit inter-institutional reports. Dec 18, 2024 Page 5 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) Demonstration farms that function as Comments on achieving targets Measures the number of farms that have been modernized to become role- training sites are created (Number) model farms. Share of demonstration farms that function as training sites Comments on achieving targets Measures the number of female-led farms that have been modernized to are created (female-led farms) become role-model farms. (Percentage) Comments on achieving targets Measures the number of regions across the country with project established Regions with established and and functioning KTNs for advisory services and knowledge transfer to functioning KTNs (Number) prevent and reduce agricultural pollution for participating farmers. Farmer Discussion Groups on Comments on achieving targets Measures the number of Farmer Discussion Groups on knowledge transfer knowledge transfer to prevent and to prevent and reduce agricultural pollution that are established and reduce agricultural pollution are set- operational. up and operational (Number) Share of women participating in knowledge networks, trainings, Comments on achieving targets Share of women participating in knowledge networks, trainings, and and consultations consultations (Percentage) Comments on achieving targets The indicator measures, in hectares, the land area for which new and/or improved sustainable landscape management practices have been introduced. Land is the terrestrial biologically productive system comprising soil, vegetation, and the associated ecological and hydrological processes; Land area under sustainable Adoption refers to change of practice or change in the use of a technology landscape management practices promoted or introduced by the prject; Sustainable landscape management (Hectare(Ha)) (SLM) practices refers to a combination of at least two technologies and approaches to increase land quality and restore degraded lands for example, agronomic, vegetative, structural, and management measures that, applied as a combination, increase the connectivity between protected areas, forest land, rangeland, and agriculture land. Dec 18, 2024 Page 6 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) Agricultural pollution reduction and Comments on achieving targets This refers to workshops and conferences organized during the lifetime of knowledge sharing events organized the project to share knowledge on sustainable agricultural practices to (Number) prevent and reduce pollution. Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of participating farmers under sub- Beneficiaries satisfied with project- components 2.1 and 2.2 expressing satisfaction with the newly adopted supported services (Percentage) practices, on the basis of environmental protection. Beneficiaries satisfied with Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of participating farmers under sub- project-supported services - components 2.1 and 2.2 expressing satisfaction with the newly adopted female (Percentage) practices, on the basis of environmental protection. Comments on achieving targets Share of project beneficiaries under sub-components 2.1 and 2.2 who report Beneficiaries reporting effective that the project has established effective engagement processes. engagement processes established by Beneficiaries are participating farmers in the KTNs and the farmer discussion the project (Percentage) groups established. Beneficiaries reporting effective Comments on achieving targets Share of female project beneficiaries under sub-components 2.1 and 2.2 engagement processes who report that the project has established effective engagement established by the project - processes. Beneficiaries are participating female farmers in the KTNs and the female (Percentage) farmer discussion groups established. Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of content related to climate smart Content on climate smart agriculture, agriculture, climate mitigation, adaptation and practices for emissions climate mitigation, adaptation and reductions from agriculture integrated in training materials and programs practices for emissions reductions for KTNs and FDGs developed under sub-component 2.2. The KTNs and their from agriculture integrated in training programs will function as a hub for advisory services, contributing to training materials and programs for peer-to-peer learning and practical demonstrations within the farming KTNs and FDGs (Percentage) communities, ensuring knowledge transfer on climate-smart agriculture techniques and practices. Climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience will be encompassed within the training materials encouraging reducing GHG Dec 18, 2024 Page 7 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) emissions, modernization, innovation. The farmer discussion group topics would also include practices for emissions reductions from agriculture, building resilience to climate change, and developing more resilience practices. Content on climate smart agriculture, Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of content related to climate smart climate mitigation, adaptation and agriculture, climate mitigation, adaptation and practices for emissions practices for emissions reductions reductions from agriculture integrated in the awareness campaign under from agriculture integrated in the subcomponent 2.3. awareness campaign (Percentage) Grants mobilized for CSA/GHG Comments on achieving targets This indicator tracks the share of grants (financing allocation) under emission reduction/adaptation Subcomponent 2.1 allocated to CSA/GHG emission reduction/adaptation measures (Percentage) measures for demonstrating role model farms and promoting innovation. Grievances registered related to Comments on achieving targets Percentage of the grievances submitted to the GRM established by the delivery of project benefits that are project that are addressed following the mechanism’s procedures. addressed (Percentage) Dec 18, 2024 Page 8 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) 7. DATA ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 7.1 Cumulative Disbursements 7.2 Disbursements (by loan) Loan/Credit/TF Status Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed Historical Disbursed IBRD-95050 Effective 63.60 63.60 0.00 0.64 62.97 1.01% 63.60 7.3 Key Dates (by loan) Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Signing Effectiveness Orig. Closing Rev. Closing IBRD-95050 Effective 30-Mar-2023 06-Apr-2023 13-Dec-2023 30-Jun-2028 30-Jun-2028 8. KEY DATES Dec 18, 2024 Page 9 of 10 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Romania Rural Pollution Prevention and Reduction Project (RAPID) (P179786) Key Events Planned Actual Approval 30-Mar-2023 30-Mar-2023 Effectiveness 13-Dec-2023 13-Dec-2023 Mid-Term Review No. 01 15-Dec-2025 Operation Closing/Cancellation 30-Jun-2028 9. RESTRUCTURING HISTORY 10. ASSOCIATED OPERATION(S) There are no associated operations Dec 18, 2024 Page 10 of 10