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INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET 
CONCEPT STAGE 
Report No.:  AC1150 
 
Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: November 18, 2004 
 
I.  BASIC INFORMATION 
 
A.  Basic Project Data 
 
Country: El Salvador 
Project ID: P086953 
Project Name: Land Administration and 
Protected Areas Consolidation 
Task Team Leader: Ann Jeannette Glauber 
GEF Focal Area: B-Biodiversity 
Global Supplemental ID: P092202 
Estimated Appraisal Date: December 1, 
2004 
Estimated Board Date: March 15, 2005 
Managing Unit: LCSER 
Lending Instrument: Specific Investment 
Loan 
Sector: General agriculture, fishing and 
forestry sector (50%);Housing finance and 
real estate markets (20%);General public 
administration sector (20%);Information 
technology (10%) 
Theme: Land administration and 
management (P);Personal and property 
rights (P);Rural markets (P);Municipal 
governance and institution building 
(S);Legal institutions for a market economy 
(S) 
Safeguard Policies Specialists in the task team:  Ann Jeannette Glauber, George Ledec 
Loan/Credit amount ($m.):  
Other financing amounts by source:  
($m) 
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY 
5 
B.  Project Objectives [from section 2 of PCN] 
 
The 
objective 
of the proposed project 
–
a
pilot – is to consolidate two priority protected areas in El Salvador thereby 
contributing to the rationalization and long-term sustainability of the protected areas system. Specifically, the project 
would develop and pilot-test mechanisms for the regularization of communities in and near two priority 
environmentally sensitive lands – as long as those residents abide by use limitations established in broadly consulted 
management plans – as part of a long-term comprehensive and sustainable development plan for those pilot areas. 
The project is a priority of the El Salvador Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) and the 
National Registry Center (CNR). The specific pilot areas and mechanisms for regularization will be identified 
during PDF-B implementation. This methodology could be applied across the Salvadoran protected areas system, as 
well as across the region. 
 
C.  Project Description [from section 3 of PCN] 
GEF resources would support the following priorities:  
 
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1. 
Strengthening of the legal and institutional framework for protected areas.
 The project would facilitate a 
n
ational strategy for consolidating protected areas based on extensive consultations with key stakeholders 
from government and civil society. Based on the strategy defined during implementation, this project 
would identify any changes necessary to implement an adequate legal and institutional framework for the 
national protected areas system.  
2. 
Piloting protected areas consolidation. 
The project would develop and pilot-test a methodology to 
consolidate two priority protected areas under different conservation categories, including one National 
Natural Park and one mangrove forest (“protected zone”). Specifically, based on a highly participatory 
process, the project would produce a methodology for protected area demarcation, management plan 
development and regularization of parcels, where appropriate, through mechanisms such as concessions, 
usufruct rights, or conditional titles, subject to the requirements of, and the commitment of residents to 
comply with management plans; 
3. 
Sustainable development and conservation of protected areas. 
Working with MARN, local governments 
and NGOs, the project would implement the management plans for the two pilot protected areas, including 
identification of and support to sustainable development opportunities for protected area residents;  
4. 
Institutional strengthening and capacity building. 
The project would support MARN’s development to 
oversee the national protected areas system.  
 
A
particularly innovative aspect of the project is that it is a partially blended operation
1
with the second El Salvador 
Land Administration Project (LAP II) – a recognized best practice case establishing the institutional and 
technological basis for registering and cadastering lands. The CNR, as LAP II’s executing agency, is completing the 
cadastre and registry of all lands within El Salvador, including protected areas with the help of MARN. As part of 
this effort, the GEF funds will catalyze the consolidation of key protected areas, and develop a strategy for 
consolidating other protected areas that is directly linked to the systematic land regularization process. This builds 
upon the lessons learned from the World Bank’s significant regional experience in land administration
2
-- namely 
that land administration presents a limited window of opportunity to capture and “freeze” the current state of 
population distribution in protected areas, limit allowable activities on priority ecologically sensitive lands, and 
develop a model for promoting sustainable development on those lands. If these issues are well-addressed during the 
systematic land regularization process, future degradation of critical biodiverse areas can be minimized in El 
Salvador and many other countries worldwide grappling with these issues. 
 
D.  Project location (if known) 
 
The project will  be implemented in two priority protected areas  -- one a mangrove, and another 
a
natural protected area. The specific areas will be selected during project preparation.  
 
E.  Borrower’s Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies [from PCN] 
 
The Borrower (CNR) has demonstrated significant capacity for adequately implementing 
safeguard policies during the preparation of the LAP II, with which this project is partially 
blended. Additionally, MARN, the co-executing agency, is the government institution 
responsible for overseeing environmental licensing and protected areas. Project preparation will 
1
In accordance with World Bank GEF guidelines, “Partially Blended” GEF projects are part of or linked to World 
Bank lending, but the GEF and IBRD/IDA projects are processed separately, i.e., they have two sets of PADs and 
presented to the Board separately.  However, they are jointly supervised, and therefore, have one PSR.   
2
The World Bank is currently supporting land projects in all but two Central American countries (Costa Rica and 
Belize are also addressing land issues, but with IADB support), in addition to a large and growing portfolio in 
Mexico and South America.  
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include an institutional assessment and environmental analysis, both of which will evaluate 
MARN’s capacity for overseeing environment and social related safeguard issues.  
 
II.  SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY 
 
Applicable?
Safeguard Policy 
If Applicable, How Might It Apply? 
[X] 
Environmental Assessment
(
OP
/
BP
4.01)
 
[
X] 
Natural Habitats
(
OP
/
BP
4.04) 
The project will provide support to sustainable 
livelihood activities within pilot priority protected areas.  
[
]
Pest Management
(
OP 4.09
)
[
X] 
Involuntary Resettlement
(
OP
/
BP
4.12) 
The project will involve the 
consolidation of pilot priority protected areas, thereby resulting in changes in 
access to resources of persons living within those lands. 
[
]
Indigenous Peoples
(
OD 4.20
)
[
]
Forests
(
OP
/
BP
4.36) 
[
]
Safety of Dams
(
OP
/
BP
4.37) 
[
]
Cultural Property
(draft OP 4.11 - 
OPN 11.03
)
[
]
Projects in Disputed Areas
(
OP
/
BP
/
GP
7.60)
*
[
]
Projects on International Waterways
(
OP
/
BP
/
GP
7.50) 
Environmental Assessment Category:
 
[
]
A
[X] B   [ ] C   [ ] FI   [ ] TBD (to be determined) 
 
III.  SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN 
 
A.  Target date for the Quality Enhancement Review (QER), at which time the PAD-stage ISDS 
would be prepared. 
The QER is tentatively scheduled for April 2005, during which results of the EA and Social 
Analysis will be discussed. 
 
*
By supporting the proposed project, the Bank does not intend to prejudice the final determination of the parties' claims on the 
disputed areas
 
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B.  For simple projects that will not require a QER, the target date for preparing the PAD-stage 
ISDS 
 
C.  Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed.  
The specific studies and their timing
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should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS. 
 
Project preparation will include the following studies: 
Environmental Assessment:   January 
–
April 2005 
Social Assessment:  
 
January – March 2005 
 
IV.  APPROVALS 
 
Signed and submitted by: 
 
Task Team Leader: 
Ann Jeannette Glauber 
Date 
Approved by: 
 
Regional Safeguards Coordinator: 
Name 
Date 
Comments 
Sector Manager: 
Name 
Date 
Comments 
3
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.
 
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