The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) Combined Project Information Documents / Integrated Safeguards Datasheet (PID/ISDS) Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 04-Apr-2019 | Report No: PIDISDSA26271 Feb 28, 2019 Page 1 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) BASIC INFORMATION OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA A. Basic Project Data Country Project ID Project Name Parent Project ID (if any) Benin P167678 Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Practice Area (Lead) AFRICA 02-Apr-2019 31-May-2019 Environment & Natural Resources Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Investment Project Financing Ministry of Economy of the Ministry of Environment Republic of Benin and Sustainable Development Proposed Development Objective(s) To improve the integrated management of targeted GFs, to increase access of the main consumption cities to fuelwood produced sustainably, and to strengthen selected NTFP value chains for forest-dependent communities Components PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 75.00 Total Financing 75.00 of which IBRD/IDA 75.00 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 World Bank Group Financing International Development Association (IDA) 75.00 IDA Grant 75.00 Feb 28, 2019 Page 2 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) Environmental Assessment Category B-Partial Assessment Decision The review did authorize the team to appraise and negotiate Other Decision (as needed) B. Introduction and Context Country Context Benin is a coastal State in West Africa located in the tropical zone with a total surface area of 114,763 km². It is bordered by Togo (West), Nigeria (East), Burkina Faso and Niger (North), and the Atlantic Ocean (South). In a politically stable and democratic regime for nearly 30 years, the Government of Benin (GoB) maintains a decentralized territorial administration comprising 77 municipalities (elected) in 12 departments. The population was estimated at 11.2 million in 2017, of which 51 percent are women, 52 percent are 18 or younger, and 55 percent live in rural areas (national census, RGPH4). If the current growth rate of 3.2 percent per year is maintained, the population could reach 17.6 million by 2030. With a per capita income of just US$820 in 2016, Benin is among the poorest countries in the World. The share of the population living below the national poverty rate was estimated at 40% in 2015, of which 63.5% earn less than a dollar/day (EMICov 2015). Poverty rate is higher in rural areas (42%) than in urban areas (32%). In 2014, youth (15-29 years old) unemployment rate was at 14.3% and the percentage of youth in the informal sector was 89.6% (ETVA 2014). The country ranks 163 out of 189 on the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) 2017. In addition to transit trade with neighboring countries, especially Nigeria, Benin’s economy relies heavily on agricul ture (cotton, in particular). The agriculture sector is the second largest contributor to GDP (25 percent) and employs around 70 percent of the labor force (15-64 years old)1. Benin's agriculture—primarily extensive, slash-and-burn—is one of the major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. Sectoral and Institutional Context The Benin's forest areas are divided into two categories: 1 The informal economy represents 65 percent of GDP, engaging 90 percent of the labor force and more than 95 percent of the female labor force. Services and agriculture, accounting for approximately 50 and 25 percent respectively of total value added, are both dominated by the informal sector. The large share of services reflects Benin’s role as a transit and trade hub for landlocked countries in the north, primarily Niger and Burkina Faso, but also the large amount of informal re-export trade and commerce with Nigeria, which amounts to some 20 percent of GDP and 25 percent of government revenue. (Source: Benin CPF 2018) Feb 28, 2019 Page 3 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) a) the Classified Estate Domain (CED), a national heritage belonging to the Central State, is managed by the Directorate General of Water, Forests and Hunting (DGEFC: Direction Générale des Eaux et Forêts et Chasse), the National Office for Wood (ONAB: Office National du Bois), and the National Center for the Management of Wildlife (CENAGREF), all three entities being under the authority of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MCVDD: Ministère du Cadre de Vie et du Développement Durable). The CED includes: (i) 46 Gazetted Forests (GFs), of which 39 (as well as seven Reforestation Perimeters) are managed by the DGEFC and seven managed by ONAB mainly for timber production for export; and (ii) two National Parks (Pendjari and W) with three hunting zones managed by the CENAGREF. b) the Protected Estate Domain (PED), which comprises the rest of the forest areas in the Rural Domain. The PED forests, authorized for multiple usages, including agriculture, are under the territorial jurisdiction of the municipalities and managed by the mayors under the supervision of the DGEFC. The forest policy (law 93-009 of July 1993) that governs the forest regime in the Republic of Benin was revised in 2012. It is currently being updated with funding from the European Union to incorporate new guidelines for sustainable forests management and is expected to be submitted to Parliament approval by mid-2019. A number of policy and strategy documents have also been produced to improve the management of forest and natural resources, including the: (i) National Program for Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (2008); (ii) National Strategy for Rural Wood Markets (2008); (iii) National Strategy and Action Plan on Biodiversity 2011-2020 (2011) and (iv) National Strategy for Climate Change mitigation and adaption (2018). In addition, Benin has also ratified several international conventions relating to the management and conservation of forest resources. Despite this institutional context for management of the sector, the decrease of Beninese forest cover, particularly over the decade from 2007-2016, is concerning: Benin’s national forest cover, estimated at 8.12 million hectares in 2007 (70.4% of the national territory), fell to 7.9 million hectares in 2016 (68.5% of the territory), a loss of over 215,000 ha. If the current deforestation rate is maintained, the per capita forest area, which more than halved from 1.63 ha in 1980 to 0.87 ha in 1995, will fall even further, to 0.29 ha by 2025 (MEHU/DGFRN 2012). The root cause of deforestation and forest degradation in Benin is the weak capacity of the Forest Administration to ensure management operations in Gazetted Forests. The Administration has personnel in the field who, although technically competent, lack adequate operational means to monitor the GFs. This presence in the field is limited by serious shortcomings in physical assets, most glaringly in forest rangers living quarters, which are in poor condition (lacking in access to water, electricity, means of communication). With surveillance being carried out sporadically and in half-measure, Gazetted Forests have become the theater of: (i) expansion of clandestine farms, which rely on extensive slash-and-burn agriculture; (ii) transhumance or the settling of herds in GFs; (iii) unregulated removals of fuelwood; and (iv) establishment of human settlements in GFs. The indirect causes of deforestation include increasing demographic pressure and climate change, the latter of which is slowing down the forest cover regeneration process and reducing biomass in the GFs through faster drying up and silting of streams, more frequent flooding, and increased soil erosion. C. Proposed Development Objective(s) Development Objective(s) (From PAD) Feb 28, 2019 Page 4 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) To improve the integrated management of targeted gazette forests, to increase access of the main consumption cities to fuelwood produced sustainably, and to strengthen selected NTFP value chains for forest-dependent communities. Key Results PDO Level Indicators (i) Forest areas under sustainable management (ha); (ii) Sequestration of CO2 in target areas (in metric tons/CO2 eq.); (iii) Wood energy plantations established for supply to the three major consumption hubs (ha); (iv) Communities adjacent to targeted GFs with increased access to income sources through NTFP value chains (number). (v) Direct beneficiaries (of which women); (vi) Satisfaction of beneficiaries (level of engagement, by gender and age per target area). D. Project Description The project will consist of four components: 1) Support to Forests Governance; 2) Integretaed Management of Gazetted Forests; 3) Development of Selected Non-Timber Forests Products Value Chains; 4) Project Management. E. Implementation Institutional and Implementation Arrangements An Integrated Projects Management Unit (IPMU) will be responsible for the implementation of all WB- financed environment, forestry and NRM projects, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Environment, and Sustainable Development, including West Africa Coast Areas (WACA), the GFM project and the upcoming Green Climate Fund (GCF) project. The current WACA PIU will be upgraded to an IPMU. It will be composed of the following shared units by all projects under its responsibility: (i) Financial Management, (ii) Procurement, (iii) Safeguards, (iv) Monitoring & Evaluation, (v) Communication and (vi) administrative support, as well as a shared Steering Committee. The shared Steering Committed will be in place before project effectiveness. These units will be strengthened as needed with fiduciary, safeguards, M&E and Communication staff to support the GFM project implementation. Each project under the IPMU will have a dedicated project coordinator and a Technical Assistant depending on the project workload. For the GFMP, the dedicated coordinator will be supported by an international top-notch forestry specialist. Both will be recruited competitively before project effectiveness. The Director General of DGEFC in his role as National Coordinator of the Government Forestry Program, will be the Director of the GFMP to mainly ensure synergies with that Program. The decentralized Technical Forests Management Units (CTAF) in the field will ensure technical execution of project activities. The CTAF will report to the GFM project coordinator, who will in turn report to the General Director of DGEFC. The headcount of CTAF employees has been increased by the Government to include personnel fully dedicated to project implementation, especially for timely implementation of production forests activities. Feb 28, 2019 Page 5 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) . F. Project location and Salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) The project will be nationwide. G. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Abdoulaye Gadiere, Environmental Specialist Gertrude Marie Mathilda Coulibaly Zombre, Social Specialist SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) The project will finance works for the physical demarcation of conservation areas, the restoration of selected urban GFs in major cities as urban parks. The operation under preparation will also support the development of timber production, fuelwood production as well as the Income Generating Activities(IGA)such as animal husbandry, vegetable gardening and Non Timber Forest Products(NTFP) as well. Such activities are most of the time, associated Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 Yes with potential adverse impacts on environment even though these impacts are considered as being moderate. However, the locations of specific investments will not be known with certainty prior to board approval. Consequently, an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) was developed ,reviewed, consulted upon and disclosed both in Benin and on the Bank’s website on March 12, 2019. Performance Standards for Private Sector No This policy is not triggered under this project. Activities OP/BP 4.03 Activities related to the physical demarcation of conservation areas, the restoration of selected urban GFs in major cities as urban parks, the Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 Yes development of timber production, fuelwood production as well as the Income Generating Activities could impact negatively Natural Habitats if Feb 28, 2019 Page 6 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) not well managed. The ESMF developed in line with OP4.01, includes a chapter related to Natural habitats proper management during physical works. Some activities such as the agro-forestry, the physical demarcation of conservation areas, could also impact forests. In addition, the objective of the Government objective to increase the volume of timber produced annually from the current 65,000 to 250 000 m3 through large-scale plantations in Forests OP/BP 4.36 Yes selected GFs (Alibori Supérieur, Ouémé Superieur, Dogo and Lama) in order to increase the sector contribution to the economy could lead to some forests overexploitation. A specific section focused on forest resources protection was developed and included in the ESMF. The project will support adoption of agricultural intensification and agroforestry methods through a stocktaking of existing successful national and regionally employed agroforestry methods and agricultural intensification techniques in order to Pest Management OP 4.09 Yes recommend those practices most suitable to the project target zones. For that reason the O4.09 is triggered. Consequently, a Pest Management Plan(PMP) was developed and included in the ESMF to guide any potential use of chemical products as part of the project. The project intends to support the physical demarcation of conservation areas as well as IGA such vegetable gardening. Such activities could induce excavations with potential cultural properties discoveries. In order to anticipate and to be sure Physical Cultural Resources OP/BP 4.11 Yes that all the precautions were taken to protect and safeguard physical cultural resources, the ESMF includes a section on how to handle in a proper way chance finds of cultural assets within the project area. There are no Indigenous People as per the definition Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 No of the policy in the project areas. No involuntary resettlement is anticipated. However, the demarcation of conservation areas could lead to the limitation of access of resources. Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP 4.12 Yes To anticipate any issue related to these aspects, the project has prepared a Process Framework. Once prepared, that document was reviewed, consulted Feb 28, 2019 Page 7 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) upon and disclosed in Benin and on the Bank's website on March 13, 2019. Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No The project will not finance dams nor rely on dams. Projects on International Waterways The project is not expected to affect international No OP/BP 7.50 waterways. Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 No The project will not be located in a Disputed Area. KEY SAFEGUARD POLICY ISSUES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT A. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues 1. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts: Overall, the Benin-gazetted forests management project aims at safeguarding gazetted Forests as well as restoring degraded areas. Based on that, it will induce essentially positive impacts. However, some activities such as the physical demarcation of conservation areas, the restoration of selected urban GFs in major cities as urban parks, the development of timber production, the fuelwood production as well as the Income Generating Activities(IGA)such as animal husbandry, vegetable gardening and Non Timber Forest Products(NTFP) might produce potential adverse impacts. However,such adverse impacts are expected to be moderate, site specific and manageable at an acceptable level. That is why the project is rated as a category B. 2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area: The Benin-gazetted forests management project aims to protect the forests by limiting significantly their degradation. This measure could involve a reduction of the agricultural productions' yield by stopping the itinerant agriculture. The impossibility to expand henceforth farming areas in conjunction with demographic explosion could exacerbate land disputes. However, the project will support adoption of agricultural intensification and agroforestry methods through a stocktaking of existing successful national and regionally employed agroforestry methods and agricultural intensification techniques in order to recommend those practices most suitable to the project target zones. 3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts. N/A 4. Describe measures taken by the borrower to address safeguard policy issues. Provide an assessment of borrower capacity to plan and implement the measures described. As the exact geographic locations of project specific interventions are not yet determined with certainty, the Borrower has developed two environmental and social safeguards instruments, namely an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) including a Pest Management Plan, in compliance with the triggering of OP/BP 4.01 (Environmental Assessment) and OP 4.09 (Pest Management) and a Process Framework(PF) as per OP/BP 4.12 (Involuntary Resettlement) triggering. Further to that, the ESMF includes two chapters focusing on Natural Habitats and Forests safeguarding. Both chapters make the project fully in compliance with the OP4.04 and OP4.36. Additionally, a section related to a procedure of Feb 28, 2019 Page 8 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) “chance find� was also included in the ESMF in line with the triggering of the OP4.11. The ESMF lays out procedures for screening and mitigating impacts from construction and operation of the irrigation schemes, and includes the following: (a) checklists of potential environmental and social impacts and their sources; (b) procedures for participatory screening of proposed sites and activities and the environmental and social considerations; (c) procedures for assessing potential environmental and social impacts of the planned project activities; (d) institutional arrangements for mitigating, preventing, and managing the identified impacts; (e) typical environmental management planning process for addressing negative externalities in the course of project implementation; (f) a system for monitoring the implementation of mitigation measures; and (g) recommended capacity building measures for environmental planning and monitoring of project activities. The Pest management’s section deals with safeguard measures to be taken in the case of the use of pesticide to fight against agriculture predators. However, organic fertilizers and biological technics are supplies recommended to be use first. Moreover, that section sets up guidance and guidelines with the aim of protecting population health and environment integrity in promoting best practices. Specific ESIAs will be prepared for relevant activities before project implementation along with Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs). The ESIAs will provide mitigation measures for all the potential impacts as a result of the triggering of the above-mentioned safeguard policies. The Process Framework will guide new modalities of gazetted forest as well as restored areas access and use of their resources. Responsibility and oversight of the Project’s overall compliance with national legislation and Bank safeguard policies will rest with the environmental and social specialists in the PIU, as the main persons in charge of project implementation and monitoring of safeguard aspects. They will be working in close collaboration with the national entity responsible for ensuring the compliance of the project’s activities with the national legislation namely ABE(Beninese Environment Agency). That government’s body will conduct periodic monitoring of project’s compliance with proposed mitigation. It also receive guidance and technical support from bank’s environmental and social safeguard specialist during implementation support missions or through sessions of training. 5. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. The populations who will be impacted by the project activities are mainly the rural communities. They are the forest owners, the farmers, the hunters, the coalmen and forest loggers. During the project preparation, these various socio- professional layers have been consulted. In addition, these consultations have concerned the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) such as the NGOs opening in the environmental management and the natural resources fields , producers organizations, associations, private operators, deputies, etc. These meetings are held in the form of workshops, of meetings, meetings of work. After the preparation of safeguard instruments, a validation workshop with the participation of the ABE and all the above-mentioned stakeholders was held on February,2019. At this occasion, comments and suggestions from participants were taken in both documents. Feb 28, 2019 Page 9 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) B. Disclosure Requirements OPS_EA_DISCLOSURE_TABLE Environmental Assessment/Audit/Management Plan/Other For category A projects, date of Date of receipt by the Bank Date of submission for disclosure distributing the Executive Summary of the EA to the Executive Directors 20-Feb-2019 08-Mar-2019 "In country" Disclosure OPS_RA_D ISCLOSURE_T ABLE Resettlement Action Plan/Framework/Policy Process Date of receipt by the Bank Date of submission for disclosure 20-Feb-2019 08-Mar-2019 "In country" Disclosure Benin 12-Mar-2019 Comments OPS_ PM_D ISCLOSURE_TA BLE Pest Management Plan Was the document disclosed prior to appraisal? Date of receipt by the Bank Date of submission for disclosure Yes 20-Feb-2019 08-Mar-2019 "In country" Disclosure OPS_PM_ PCR_TABLE If the project triggers the Pest Management and/or Physical Cultural Resources policies, the respective issues are to be addressed and disclosed as part of the Environmental Assessment/Audit/or EMP. If in-country disclosure of any of the above documents is not expected, please explain why: N/A Feb 28, 2019 Page 10 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) C. Compliance Monitoring Indicators at the Corporate Level (to be filled in when the ISDS is finalized by the project decision meeting) OPS_EA_COMP_TABLE OP/BP/GP 4.01 - Environment Assessment Does the project require a stand-alone EA (including EMP) report? Yes If yes, then did the Regional Environment Unit or Practice Manager (PM) review and approve the EA report? Yes Are the cost and the accountabilities for the EMP incorporated in the credit/loan? Yes OPS_ NH_COM P_TA BLE OP/BP 4.04 - Natural Habitats Would the project result in any significant conversion or degradation of critical natural habitats? No If the project would result in significant conversion or degradation of other (non-critical) natural habitats, does the project include mitigation measures acceptable to the Bank? No OPS_ PM_COM P_TA BLE OP 4.09 - Pest Management Does the EA adequately address the pest management issues? Yes Is a separate PMP required? No If yes, has the PMP been reviewed and approved by a safeguards specialist or PM? Are PMP requirements included in project design? If yes, does the project team include a Pest Management Specialist? NA OPS_ PCR_COM P_TA BLE OP/BP 4.11 - Physical Cultural Resources Does the EA include adequate measures related to cultural property? Yes Does the credit/loan incorporate mechanisms to mitigate the potential adverse impacts on cultural property? Yes OPS_IR_ COMP_TA BLE OP/BP 4.12 - Involuntary Resettlement Has a resettlement plan/abbreviated plan/policy framework/process framework (as appropriate) been prepared? Yes If yes, then did the Regional unit responsible for safeguards or Practice Manager review the plan? Feb 28, 2019 Page 11 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) Yes OPS_F O_COM P_TA BLE OP/BP 4.36 - Forests Has the sector-wide analysis of policy and institutional issues and constraints been carried out? NA Does the project design include satisfactory measures to overcome these constraints? NA Does the project finance commercial harvesting, and if so, does it include provisions for certification system? NA OPS_ PDI_ COMP_TA BLE The World Bank Policy on Disclosure of Information Have relevant safeguard policies documents been sent to the World Bank for disclosure? Yes Have relevant documents been disclosed in-country in a public place in a form and language that are understandable and accessible to project-affected groups and local NGOs? Yes All Safeguard Policies Have satisfactory calendar, budget and clear institutional responsibilities been prepared for the implementation of measures related to safeguard policies? Yes Have costs related to safeguard policy measures been included in the project cost? Yes Does the Monitoring and Evaluation system of the project include the monitoring of safeguard impacts and measures related to safeguard policies? Yes Have satisfactory implementation arrangements been agreed with the borrower and the same been adequately reflected in the project legal documents? Yes CONTACT POINT World Bank Salimata D. Follea Sr Natural Resources Mgmt. Spec. Feb 28, 2019 Page 12 of 13 The World Bank Benin: Gazetted Forests Management Project (P167678) Borrower/Client/Recipient Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Benin Implementing Agencies Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development Severin NSIA Director General severin_nsia2002@yahoo.fr 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 APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Salimata D. Follea Approved By Safeguards Advisor: Practice Manager/Manager: Maria Sarraf 05-Apr-2019 Country Director: Katrina M. Sharkey 05-Apr-2019 Feb 28, 2019 Page 13 of 13