INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Public Disclosure Copy Report No.: ISDSC682 Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 20-Feb-2013 Date ISDS Approved/Disclosed: 07-Mar-2013 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: Bangladesh Project ID: P130710 Project Name: Pro-Poor Slums Integration Project (P130710) Task Team Anna C. O'Donnell Leader: Estimated 05-May-2014 Estimated 19-Jun-2014 Appraisal Date: Board Date: Managing Unit: SASDS Lending Specific Investment Loan Instrument: Sector(s): Public administration- Other social services (25%), Housing finance (75%) Theme(s): Social Inclusion (50%), Participation and civic engagement (50%) Financing (In USD Million) Total Project Cost: 80.00 Total Bank Financing: 80.00 Total Cofinancing: Financing Gap: 0.00 Public Disclosure Copy Financing Source Amount BORROWER/RECIPIENT 0.00 International Development Association (IDA) 80.00 Total 80.00 Environmental A - Full Assessment Category: Is this a No Repeater project? B. Project Objectives The proposed Project Development Objective to pilot a community based approach to improve living conditions in informal settlements in selected municipalities in Bangladesh. This will be achieved by enhancing security of tenure, improving infrastructure, and facilitating access to credit. C. Project Description The proposed project will consist of four components, as described below. Component 1: Community Mobilization and Planning This component will finance technical assistance to organized community groups to: (i) assist in securing tenure through negotiated leases, purchases or right of stay for the community; and (ii) Public Disclosure Copy prepare a Community Upgrading Plan (CUP) that will set the layout and detailed design of the infrastructure investments, and also describes the participation process, the community management structures, alternatives considered for upgrading, costs, and cost recovery arrangements. The CUPs will include layout and design for housing, and provide technical assistance to community members to access financing from the private sector and existing micro-finance organizations, if needed. This component will also finance the preparation of Environmental and Social Management Plans of selected sites that identify potential impacts and propose mitigating measures to minimize negative impacts on local populations, as well as the costs associated with implementing these plans, and will ensure all compliance with World Bank guidelines. Component 2: Urban Community Development Grants This component will finance block grants to community groups for the implementation of Community Upgrading Plans. In each area, a multi-sectoral package of tertiary infrastructure and service improvements will be provided. This includes a combination of water supply, drainage, paved access, electricity, sanitation services and solid waste management in a single package of upgrading works, depending on the expressed demands of the specific communities. If relevant, the component will finance costs associated with land filling. This component will also finance costs associated with inspection and supervision of the construction in order to ensure that the works implemented and goods supplied are in accordance with the designs, specifications and terms and conditions of the relevant contracts and standards, if needed. Component 3: M&E, Horizontal Learning and Supervision This component will support independent M&E and learning activities. This will include continuous and ongoing M&E of project results, as well as an impact evaluation of the project’s interventions that will collect independent baseline information through surveys. It will also include measures for third party monitoring that will independently verify and monitor project progress. As such, it would Public Disclosure Copy provide continuous feedback to the GoB, the Project Steering Committee (PSC), the Ministry of Housing and Public Works (MoHPW), and the National Housing Authority (NHA), as to the project progress, results, and lessons learned through implementation that could be integrated into an improved project design. In addition, this component will finance ongoing learning activities, such as peer-to-peer learning programs between community groups, and strengthening community networks at the town level. Finally, funds under this component would also be used for the supervision of the Environment and Social Management Plans, if and when applicable, to ensure compliance with World Bank guidelines. For the implementation of this component, an independent consultant or consultant team would be recruited, so as to mitigate any conflict of interest. Component 4: Project Management, TA & Strategic Studies This component will include financing for costs associated with capacity building, technical assistance and training. This will include institutional capacity building for the NHA to better engage with communities and to improve outreach, communication and consultation practices for housing, as well as improved understanding of the role of social mobilization in housing programs. This could also include building links with regional partnerships on slum improvement and housing programs. In addition, the component would finance costs associated with project management, including incremental staff, audits, and expenditures incurred by the NHA in implementation of the project, as well as for additional costs in implementing the Governance and Accountability Action Plan (GAAP), if applicable D. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard Public Disclosure Copy analysis (if known) This project’s proposed approach is to pilot a mechanism that would serve to facilitate a community- based housing program for urban poor settlements in selected slums in metropolitan cities and Class A Pourashavas (municipalities) with populations greater than 100,000. This is expected to build on the longstanding programs of development partners that have successfully mobilized and organized urban poor communities into participatory community groups and clusters. This project will build on this longstanding community engagement and provide technical assistance and financing for a community-based upgrading plan. The project is expected to significantly improve social and environmental outcomes for urban poor populations. However, the magnitude of the potential beneficiaries could also result challenges because of the complexity of potentially negative and unintended social and environmental consequences. E. Borrowers Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies The executing agency for this project is the National Housing Authority under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works (MoHPW). This project represents their first project with the World Bank. For this reason, significant capacity building will be needed to orient staff to Bank procedures, and to better familiarize the Ministry with Bank-supported operations including social and environmental safeguards compliance. MoHPW has obtained a project advance under the Project Preparation Facility that has been used to establish a Project Implementation Unit (PIU), as well as hire consultants necessary to assist with the design of the project sites including social and environmental safeguards compliance. F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Shakil Ahmed Ferdausi (SASDI) Md. Akhtaruzzaman (SASDS) Public Disclosure Copy II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Environmental Assessment OP/ Yes The project will involve land acquisition and BP 4.01 construction of tertiary infrastructure (depending on community choice). The sites require careful assessment considering (i) less impact on productive agricultural land; (ii) avoidance of landfill, wastewater/industrial effluent discharge sites and wetlands; (iii) no/ less interference with natural drainage system; and (iv) no water logging in adjacent areas due to land site development. The design, construction and operation of basic environmental facilities such as water supply, sanitation and waste disposal should fulfill the community demand as well as standard (such as WHO/Bangladesh drinking water standard). In addition, the implementation of site construction may lead to temporary site impacts. Under this project, all sites will be selected during the project preparation stages and borrower will Public Disclosure Copy prepare and Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) as well as site specific environmental assessment (EA) and environmental management plan (EMP) for each site. The project will finance preparation, implementation and monitoring of environmental management plans Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 TBD Although no impacts on natural habitats are expected, the environmental assessment will cover this aspect as well, particularly in relation to the physical location of the sub-project investments Forests OP/BP 4.36 No Pest Management OP 4.09 No Physical Cultural Resources OP/ TBD Although no impacts on cultural properties are BP 4.11 expected, the environmental assessment will cover this aspect as well, particularly in relation to the physical location of the sub-project investments Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 No The project will cover the urban centers only. The slum areas are developed largely on vacant public lands and there is no likelihood of impacts on areas inhibited by indigenous Public Disclosure Copy peoples. Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP Yes The project will develop community-based 4.12 upgrading plans on existing slums on lands owned by NHA or other public agencies or on government owned lands. The project may also opt for negotiated lease or purchase of private lands taking into account the savings potential of the community, the cost of land acquisition or lease, and the existence of leverage mechanisms, such as micro-credit. There will also be need for temporary relocation to allow land development and civil works construction. Application of Bank policy on involuntary resettlement (OP 4.12) will be understood only when a particular site will be selected for construction and screened for social safeguard compliance. NHA has, therefore decided to develop a Social Management Framework (SMF), consistent with the OP 4.12, to address social safeguard issues arising at project implementation stage and to ensure social inclusion in the process. The SMRPF will guide Public Disclosure Copy NHA to assess social impacts, and prepare Social Management Plans (SMP) including Resettlement Action Plans (RAP) in compliance with the Bank policy on social safeguards. Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No Projects on International No Waterways OP/BP 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP No 7.60 III. SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN A. Tentative target date for preparing the PAD Stage ISDS: 12-Mar-2013 B. Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed. The specific studies and their timing1 should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS: It is expected that safeguard related studies will be launched once the sites become clear and will be completed and disclosed prior to Board approval. IV. APPROVALS Task Team Leader: Name: Anna C. O'Donnell Approved By: Regional Safeguards Name: Sanjay Srivastava (RSA) Date: 21-Feb-2013 Public Disclosure Copy Coordinator: Sector Manager: Name: Maria C. Correia (SM) Date: 07-Mar-2013 1 Reminder: The Bank's Disclosure Policy requires that safeguard-related documents be disclosed before appraisal (i) at the InfoShop and (ii) in country, at publicly accessible locations and in a form and language that are accessible to potentially affected persons.