.ESSD Page 1 of 8 23125 IFC I MIGA I IDA I ICSID I WB External Site . Wofid BankGroupFebruary 2000 I 1 \2 lNllFTRAINIET Regions I Sectors I 17 ESSD Network ti"1 The monthly newsletter of the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Network Vol 3 no 1, February 2000 NEWS ESSD Managers Retreat Ian Johnson and the ESSD management team met at the Wye River Conference Center, MD, January 20-21, with the objective of seeking consensus on ESSD's role in the context of the Bank's mission to reduce poverty. In a note prepared for the meeting, Ian Johnson said, "ESSD's work transcends its own network. ESSD's client base is not the 850 plus staff mapped into ESSD but the 5,000 or so staff who must embrace the concept of sustainability, be concerned with rural development, or deal with the social and environmental dimensions of their work. Our client base is the Bank." He emphasized the importance of balancing the Bank's focus on its client base with emphasis on issues, including risk, the rural action plan, and a new science and technology policy. Managers agreed on the importance of partnering with other networks in rebalancing the matrix and winning greater support for and understanding of the Networks by the Regions. Prototype Carbon Fund launch The Prototype Carbon Fund (PCF), the world's first public-private partnership designed to demonstrate the potential of market-based mechanisms for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, was launched on January 18-19, 2000. PCF is open to contributions by industrialized country governments and private companies until March 31. So far, four governments and nine companies have joined, totaling $85 million in funding. These are: Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden; and energy utilities, Chubu, Chugoku, Kyushu, Shikoku, Tohoku and Tokyo Electric Power of Japan, and Electrabel of Belgium; and the Japanese trading houses, Mitsubishi and Mitsui. Discussions are underway in a number of additional participants to bring the total fund size to the desired level of $100-$120 million. Ian Johnson, Bob Watson, Nick van Praag, and Ken Newcombe hosted separate successful press launches in Stockholm, Oslo, The Hague, on Jan. 18, and in Tokyo on Jan. 19. Local government participation at each event was at the ministerial level and senior management level for companies. Each launch event also featured previously video-taped remarks by Mr. Wolfensohn. Contact: Ken Newcombe, ENV (x36010) and Odil Tunali Payton, ENV (x36774). Changes in ESSD Management Starting January lst, ESSD now has two new directors and a new chief scientist. Bob Thompson has become the new Director of the Rural Development Department and Kristalina Georgieva has joined the Environment Department as Director. Bob Watson became the new Chief Scientist and Director o deUVelop a science and technology work program in Ian's front office. He will also continue on as head of the IPCCC. http://essd.wo ... /18001 829doebce685256a62005348d6?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=3,2, 11/6/01 ESSD Page 2 of 8 Kristalina on her new role -- Director of the Environment Department Our primary goal as an institution is to help poor people in developing countries in their struggle for better life and brighter future. This goal can only be achieved if there is adequate land, clean water and healthy urban environment, and if human, natural and social capital are used in a sustainable manner. As director for environment and chair of the environment board my role is to promote better understanding of the linkages between people's welfare and the environment, and to make sure that Bank development assistance does not take people out of poverty today only to put them back into poverty within a generation because we did not foresee the long range implications of natural resource depletion and increased vulnerability to environmental change. Bob Thompson on his new role -- Director of the Rural Department The Bank's rural development program must reduce poverty, increase agricultural productivity and sustainably manage land, water and forests. The majority of the world's poor live in rural areas and have little political clout. If the Bank is to achieve its goal of reducing poverty, it must increase its investments in rural areas and people. This will require foci in both agriculture and nonfarm rural employment, for no country has solved the problem of rural poverty in agriculture alone. This will require investments in rural schools, health, and infrastructure. World demand for food will double in the next 50 years, but there is little additional land available. Without agricultural research to sustainably increase productivity, food production will expand onto erodible and presently forested lands, destroying wildlife habitat and biodiversity and reducing the carbon sink, all unacceptable environmental outcomes. As director of rural development I see a key role as being an advocate for the under-represented low income people who live in rural areas of our client countries to facilitate their exodus from poverty while assuring food security while protecting the quality of the environment. Bob Watson on his new role -- science and technology for development In my new role as Chief Scientist and Director of ESSD my initial priorities are to assist in the development of World Bank Group strategies for the Environment and for Science and Technology, to facilitate the dialogue on cross-cutting issues, and to demonstrate the importance and utility of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and other international assessments of environmental issues to Bank clients. UPCOMING EVENTS Joint environment program between the European Union and the World Bank The European Commission is setting up a Joint Environment Programme (JEP) of US$5 million over the next three years for the preparation of up to 25 environmental projects. These funds can be used for the preparation of eligible Bank-financed projects, covering all normal preparation costs (not including Bank staff salaries). The European Commission expects to have all formalities finalized by the end of the year (i.e., contract with the co-ordinating consultant, regulatory framework). To kick-off the JEP, a meeting will be held in Washington in January/early February 2000. By then, the World Bank should have identified three projects for the initial phase of the JEP. Contact: Stefan Schwager, ECSSD (x36229). Rural-urban linkages meeting There is growing awareness across the development community and within the Bank that there is a need for greater understanding of, and attention to, the spatial dimension of national development planning, including the linkages between rural and urban development. The rural-urban linkages meeting, held on Thursday, March 9th, 9 am-3:30 pm, in room J1-050, will raise awareness of the key issues, synergies, and opportunities for enhanced project and program development through better understanding of rural-urban linkages, to debate emerging policy issues and to inform a follow-up action planning process of pilot country initiatives, capacity building, and research. Keynote speakers will include Cecilia Tacoli of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), UK, and author of major works on rural-urban linkages, Robert E. B. Lucas, Boston University, USA, author of many works on migration, other international resource persons and Bank staff presentations. The meeting is sponsored by the Rural and Urban Sector Boards, and co-chaired by Robert Thompson, Director of Rural Development, and Frannie Leautier, Director of Infrastructure. Contacts: Felicity Proctor, RDV (x87279) or Jock Anderson, RDV (x30437) LAC-Civil Society Brown Bag series Social Capital Assessment Tool (SCAT) http://essd.wo ... /18001 829dOeObce685256a62005348d6?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=3 ,2, 11/6/01 ESSD Page 3 of 8 Contact: Elizabeth Shrader, LCSPR (x34329) Thursday, February 9th, 12:30-2:00pm Room 1-7-022 This seminar will review the structure, application, and preliminary data analysis of the Social Capital Assessment Tool (SCAT), a field-tested set of indicators and methodologies that measure levels of cognitive and structural social capital in under-served communities designated for project implementation. The SCAT draws on qualitative and quantitative data to yield a community profile, a household survey, and an organizational profile useful for determining baseline levels of social capital and monitoring progress over the course of project implementation, thereby enabling task managers and researchers to examine the relationships between development indicators and social capital accumulation or erosion. Experiences from pilot tests among urban, rural, and indigenous populations in Latin America and India will be discussed. A field manual will be available at the seminar; see also the Social Capital Initiative website under the LAC I Civil Society site at www.worldbank.orgllaccs Upcoming food policy analysis course The Food Policy Thematic Group is offering a modular Food Policy Course, Feb. 14-16, at the World Bank. The course includes compulsory overview/case study modules on Monday, Feb. 14, and Wednesday, Feb. 16. Alex McCalla will be the opening speaker. The overview discussion will cover the basic principlesI of food policy analysis and why the Bank needs be involved in this. The Case Study module will be a discussion of Mexico's and Indonesia's food policy experiences, in preparation for a food policy study tour to these countries next fiscal year. Optional modules include the following (actual availability to be based on demand): 'Incorporating food and nutrition policy into the CAS; Food self sufficiency or food security?' 'How to engage in meaningful dialogue with government, price stabilization, food stocks and other contentious issues'; and 'The food policy toolkit - an examination of the various tools available and how to choose between them: food subsidies, food stamps, feeding programs, food transfers and more'. Contact: Lynn Brown, RDV (x88175). ProVention Consortium Launch A new World Bank initiative, the ProVention Consortium, headed by Alcira Kreimer in the Disaster Management Facility, was launched on Feb. 2nd with a press briefing, and was followed by a conference Feb. 3-4. The ProVention Consortium is a global partnership of all stakeholders (government, international organizations, academic institutions, private sector and civil society) aimed at reducing disaster risk in developing countries and making disaster prevention and mitigation an integral part of development efforts. The Consortium will contribute to preventing and mitigating the social and economic impacts of disasters on the environment, communities, and individuals. Contact: Margaret Arnold, TWURD (x31378). Release of OED forestry report Forestry experts, environmental activists, industry representatives, and government policy-makers met at the World Bank at the end of January to examine the Bank's 1 0-year-old forestry strategy and contribute ideas to a new strategy under preparation. The report, A Review of the World Bank's 1991 Forest Strategy and Its Implementation, commissioned by Mr. Wolfensohn has found that the 1991 forestry strategy has a mixed record and needs to be adapted to the changing dynamics of the forest sector and the aspirations of developing countries. It concluded that World Bank involvement was highly beneficial and appreciated in forest poor countries by promoting regeneration and tree planting and by helping to meet the basic needs of the poor through production forestry. On the other hand, the Bank's conservative strategy inhibited a fruitful dialogue with country authorities in forest rich countries and discouraged support of innovative forest management schemes sponsored by local communities and enlightened private interests.The report can be found on Rural Development's forestry website. Contacts: Uma Lele, OED (x30619) or Odin Knudsen, RDV (x85118). The Global Environment Facility Council meeting The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council, at its December 8-10, 1999, meeting in Washington, approved UNDP, UNEP, and World Bank project proposals for a total of $161.60 million in GEF funding. This included seven new Bank-GEF projects for a total GEF funding of $97 million of which the bulk ($79 million) will support projects in the climate change focal area. Also, over the last ten months, the GEF has approved 17 medium-sized projects put forward by the Bank for a total GEF funding of $12.2 million under the expedited procedures. At the Council meeting, Bank management also had an opportunity to brief http://essd.wo .../18001829dOeObce685256a62005348d6?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=3,2, 11/6/01 ESSD Page 4 of 8 Council members on the preparation of the Bank Group's Environment Strategy and get their feedback on its proposed focus and external consultation process. Additional information can be found by visiting http:/lessd.worldbank.org/essd/env/env.nsf. Contacts: Lars Vidaeus, ENV (x34188) or Dinesh Aryal, ENV (x88323). A one-day Environmental Assessment thematic conference The Environmental Assessment (EA) anchor organized a one-day EA thematic conference on Jan. 13th, inviting Bankwide EA practitioners to participate in discussions on two major issues of interest: the EA Sourcebook updates and the third EA review. Rusdian Lubis, the EA Anchor team leader, took the opportunity to introduce and welcome Kristalina Georgieva as the new ENV director, to the EA family. Robert Goodland made a presentation on the EA Sourcebook updates while Art Breustle outlined the current and planned activities that are a part of the Third EA Review. Contact: Arati Belle, ENV (x87950). Development of systems of payments for environmental services The Environmental Economics and Indicators Program Team (EEI) is assisting several country teams, particularly in LAC, in developing systems of payments for environmental services, with particular emphasis on watershed services. Projects that aim to use such systems are under development in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and elsewhere. Interested task managers can access materials on this issue from the EEI website at http://www-esd.worldbank.org/eei, click on 'New Initiatives', and then on 'Payments for Environmental Services'. Contact: Stefano Pagiola, ENV (x82997). Biodioversity in the LAC region A conference to discuss patterns of funding for biodiversity in the LAC region (a joint effort of ENV and LAC) was held Dec. 13-14 and was attended by around 120 participants. These included representatives from donor agencies (primarily foundations and multilateral and bilateral agencies), international NGOs, and representatives from LAC environmental trust funds. David de Ferranti opened the conference, Tom Lovejoy delivered a plenary presentation on long-term trends in biodiversity conservation in LAC, and Gonzalo Castro presented the results of the funding analysis. The conference provided an opportunity to learn about donors' priorities and constraints, as well as factors influencing how projects and activities are funded or not. It is also evident that LAC Trust Funds are starting to play an important role in terms of strategic thinking and in serving as effective intermediaries for many large funders. The analysis confirmed that the Bank is the largest biodiversity funder in LAC (even when GEF and PPG-7 grants are not included). Contacts: Tom Lovejoy, LCSES (x87837) or Gonzalo Castro, ENV (x31107). LAC-Civil society papers With the aim of sharing best practices in involving civil society organizations in the Bank's programs, the LAC Civil Society Team has recently produced the following publications: - Thinking Out Loud, describing a series of innovative case studies on participatory instruments surrounding Bank products. - Food for Thought, containing proceedings from a series of Brown Bag Lunch about civil society participation, organized during FY99. Copies of these publications are available from Roby Senderowitsch (x85344) or via e-mail to: rsenderowitsch@worldbank.org Facilitating access to the Bank NGOs, other Civil Society Organizations, academics, and the general public can now access the LAC Civil Society web page easily through: http://www.worldbank.org/laccs The site is available in English and Spanish and provides useful information about the LAC Civil Society Regional Strategy, the involvement of civil society organizations in Bank programs, and links to other relevant sites within the Bank. In addition, the LAC Civil Society Team has recently established an open communication channel. From now on, anyone who has access to an e-mail can send us suggestions, ask questions about our programs, and request information by writing to: LAC_Civilsociety@worldbankorg http://essd.wo ... /18001829dOeObce685256a62005348d6?0penDocument&ExpandSection=3,2, 11/6/01 ESSD Page 5 of 8 West Africa workshop on food safety strategies Collaborative Roles between the Public and Private Sectors and International Organizations was discussed at the West Africa Workshop on Food Safety Strategies held in Dakar, Senegal, Jan. 24-26. Organized jointly by the Rural Development Department and the Africa Region, the World Bank-sponsored workshop brought together food safety officials and private sector representatives of the West Africa region for three days of discussions along with counterparts from international organizations, France, and the United States. Following on the success of the first Bank-sponsored workshop in San Jose, Costa Rica in August 1999, the Dakar conference focused on trade facilitation and means of implementing the WTO Sanitary & Phytosanitary Agreement. In RDV, the organizers of the Workshop are the Animal Resources Thematic Group (Cees de Haan) and the Agribusiness & Markets TG. Contact: Susan Theiler, RDV (x87682). Methodology workshop on the impact evaluation of village level participation in Africa A Methodology Workshop on the Impact Evaluation of Village Level Participation in Africa, was held Jan. 18-19. The workshop's objective was to discuss the methodology for the impact evaluation of Village Level Participation work which is currently being implemented in about 6,000 villages in 11 African countries. A consortium of companies lead by ITAD, a specialized UK-based consulting firm, has been selected to carry out the impact evaluation in a random sample of 360 villages in three different countries. Contact: Jan Weetjens, AFTR1 (x81683). A new course on energy and the environment A new course for Bank staff on energy and the environment was held in Washington, Dec. 13-15. The focus of the course was on the impacts of energy consumption, especially the effects of air pollution on human health. Participants were presented with a number of tools and methodologies for assessing and valuing health and other air pollution impacts. Also presented were a number of case studies taken from Bank-supported lending and technical assistance activities in the energy and transport sectors, that have addressed air pollution issues. The course was sponsored by the Environment and Energy Efficiency Thematic Group. Contact: Todd Johnson, EASES (x82435). Meetings with UNICEF on natural and technological disasters Ian Johnson led a Bank delegation with Mats Karlsson, Vice President of External Affairs, to the United Nations' Inter-Agency Standing Committee meeting held at UNICEF in New York on December 6,1999. Carol Bellamy, UNICEF Executive Director, chaired this biannual meeting of executive heads of UN agencies, major NGO consortia, and other organizations dealing with policy and operational issues on complex emergencies and natural/ technological disasters. The Bank joined this coordination mechanism last year and the Bank was for the first time represented at the VP level. Contact: Kaz Kuroda, SDVPC E (x82259). Workshop in Vietnam on eliminating lead from gasoline A workshop was held in Hanoi on November 29-30, 1999, to discuss the elimination of lead from gasoline in Vietnam. Organized by the Ministry of Transport with assistance from the World Bank, CIDA, Sida and US-EAP/EPA and attended by a broad range of Vietnamese officials and experts and international experts, the workshop concluded that a switch to unleaded gasoline could be done quickly and at low cost -- in part due to the lack of existing domestic refineries. To follow up, in February 2000 a government directive on eliminating lead from gasoline will be issued and a national steering committee will be formulated to implement the directive in accordance with a detailed action plan for each government agency involved in the elimination process. The action plan is being prepared with assistance from the World Bank. Contacts: Todd Johnson, EASES (x82435). Performance Awards Congratulations to the following staff who were nominated and approved for Spot Awards on Dec. 22nd: ESDRM Team -- Implementation of SAP into ESSD: Dao Tran Becky Alfaro-Flores Feroza Vatcha Patricia Millard Vino David Preethi Wijeratne Ellen Ferguson Marjorie Dobson Patty Noel http://essd.wo .../18001829dOeObce685256a62005348d6?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=3,2, 11/6/01 JSSD Page 6 of 8 Anjali Chadha Anna Marie Rebueno ESSD Local Support Providers Team -- Outstanding contribution to office moves to ensure minimum disruption of IT equipment: Becky Leavitt Jaime Yepez Razmik Bazikan ESSD Application Development Team -- Development of web sites and InfoClient data base: Michael Kane Zeina Afif Becky Leavitt, ESDKM - Development of "Civil Society InfoMall" and "ESSD Awards" systems Vino David, ESDVP - Outstanding developmental assignment as Administrative Assistant in ESDVP Nancy Pinto, ESDRM - SAP Champion CALENDARS 'vUpcoming Training/Brown-Bags/Seminars/Workshops Feb. 9 Social Capital Assessment Tool (SCAT) The World Bank Contact: Elizabeth Shrader, LCSPR (x34329) Feb. 14-16 Food Policy Course The World Banik Conitact: Lvnn Brown, RDV (x88175) j March 9 Riural-Urban Linkages: Policy Implications for D)evelopment Plaining The World Banik Contact: Felicity Proctor. RIDV (x87279) or Jock Anderson, RDV (x30437) 'w Sector Weeks This coming year's sector weeks will be held: March 20-22 ENV* March 22-24 SDV March 28-31 RDV * March 22 Joint ENV/SDV field trip, with any interested RDV family member welcome to join. vESSD Calendar - 14-18 38th UN Commission on Social Development http://essd.wo ... /18001829dOeObce685256a62005348d6?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=3,2, 11/6/01 J SSD Page 7 of 8 New York, NY Sponsor: The United Nations 23 Green 2000: Agenda for Business New Delhi, India Sponsor: TERI/FICCI ............_I lifj a r c h 2-5 International Landcare 2000 Conference Melbourne, Australia Sponsor: Department of Natural Resources and Environment with Walidron Smith Conference Network United Nation's Day for Women's Rights and International Peace 8 World BankNWWF High-Level Meeting 16 Washington, DC Contact: Kristyn Ebro World Water Day 22 Sponsor: UNEP IDB Meetings 27-29 New Orleans, LA Sponsor: The Inter-American Development Bank 16 Earth Day 16-18 WBIIMF Spring Meetings Washington, DC 27-29 8th UN Commission on Sustainable Development New York, NY Sponsor: The United Nations 15-26 Convention on Biological Diversity Nairobi, Kenya 22 CGIAR Mid-Term Meeting Dresden, German Sponsor: CGIAR Contributors: Arati Belle, Lynn Brown, Gonzalo Castro, Todd Johnson, Kazuhide Kuroda, Paul O'Connell, Stefano Pagiola, Catalina Ramos Cunanan, Roby Senderowitsch, Elizabeth Shrader, Susan Thieler, Odil Tunali Payton, Lars Vidaeus, Jan Weetjens "ESSentials" is the monthly internal electronic newsletter of the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Network of the World Bank Group. Its purpose is to unify the 800 network staff, including 100 in field offices and share important news on sustainable development with network staff and interested Bank colleagues. Please send ideas or articles to Kristyn Ebro, editor, MC4-119, x82736. To obtain prior issues of "ESSentials" or more information on ESSD, check our website: http://essd http://essd.wo ... /18001829dOeObce685256a62005348d6?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=3,2, 11/6/01