INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Public Disclosure Copy Report No.: ISDSC472 Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 12-Mar-2013 Date ISDS Approved/Disclosed: 12-Mar-2013 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: Rwanda Project ID: P126498 Project Name: Rwanda Feeder Roads Development Project (P126498) Task Team Tesfamichael Nahusenay Mi Leader: Estimated 10-Sep-2013 Estimated 25-Mar-2014 Appraisal Date: Board Date: Managing Unit: AFTTR Lending Specific Investment Loan Instrument: Sector(s): Rural and Inter-Urban Roads and Highways (100%) Theme(s): Rural services and infrastructure (80%), Decentralization (20%) Financing (In USD Million) Total Project Cost: 45.00 Total Bank Financing: 45.00 Total Cofinancing: Financing Gap: 0.00 Public Disclosure Copy Financing Source Amount BORROWER/RECIPIENT 0.00 International Development Association (IDA) 45.00 Total 45.00 Environmental B - Partial Assessment Category: Is this a No Repeater project? B. Project Objectives 1. The proposed Project Development Objective (PDO) of the Rwanda Feeder Roads Development Project (RFRDP) is to enhance all season road connectivity to agricultural marketing centers in selected districts, resulting in sustained and improved access for rural communities. The proposed PDO will be achieved by: (i) improving access roads to agricultural marketing centers in selected areas; and (ii) enhancing the capacity of participating districts to manage rural transport infrastructure. 2. The proposed project contributes to the overarching goal of increasing agricultural production, ensuring food security, and enhancing agricultural marketing. The project is designed as an integral part of the agricultural support initiatives in Rwanda. This project, coupled with the Public Disclosure Copy agriculture operations, is expected to have impact on improving the livelihood of the rural population, and this will be monitored during implementation. C. Project Description 1. Component 1 – Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Selected Feeder Roads (US$33.8 million)-This component will finance the rehabilitation and/or upgrading of selected feeder roads, improving connectivity to agricultural marketing centers in the four participating districts, namely: (i) Karongi (Western Province); (ii) Rwamagana (Eastern Province); (iii) Gisagara (Southern Province); and (iv) Nyamasheke (Western Province). The objective is to rehabilitate and upgrade about 300 km of roads targeting areas identified by the agriculture sector, in particular those: (i) having high agricultural production; (ii) areas selected for agro processing; and (iii) agricultural sites where the government has launched CIP, LWH and RSSP. This component is split into two sub components: 2. Sub-component 1.1 – rehabilitation and upgrading of selected feeder roads (US$32.95 million) - This will involve the rehabilitation of the existing road and/or upgrading of roads to meet the new standard. This component caters for rehabilitation and upgrading of about 300 km of feeder roads connecting agricultural market centers to the main roads; roads connecting farm areas to agro processing sites; and selected access roads linking the rural community to market centers, while giving attention to access serving the agricultural project sites of LWH and RSSP. This also includes supervision services associated with the proposed roads improvement works. 3. Sub-component 1.2 – technical services (US$0.85 million) - This will cater for design and bid document preparation for about 700 km of priority roads to be improved under the proposed project; and updating the Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), and Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) for the same roads. Preparatory activities for engaging a project management firm supporting the implementing entities will be covered under this sub-component. This sub Public Disclosure Copy component will be implemented by a PPA, under component 1. 4. Component 2 – Maintenance of Selected District and Feeder Roads (US$6.5 million): This component will finance routine and periodic maintenance of about 400 km (about 100 km in each of the participating district) of district and feeder roads, including the roads to be improved under this project. The periodic maintenance will also include spot improvement that allows repairing, replacing and installing drainage structures in selected areas and reconstructing short sections sustaining sub-grade failure. To ensure sustainability of the investment the Road maintenance Fund (RMF) will allocate about US$250,000 every year for each district starting the second year of the implementation of this project, for a total of three years. The contribution from RMF will be in a form of parallel financing and country systems will be applied for procurement. However, due to revenue limitations, RMF could cover only about half of the maintenance cost, and thus the project will have a provision to bridge the gap. Funds to be allocated by the Bank for this component will be channeled to periodic maintenance. This component will have two sub components. 5. Sub-component 2.1 – maintenance under RMF, including: (a) Maintenance works (US$2.8 million) - to be used for the maintenance of district and feeder roads under the proposed project; and (b) Supervision and technical auditing (US$0.2 million) - to be allocated as a provision for intermittent supervision and technical auditing of the maintenance works. The main supervision work will be carried by district engineers. 6. Sub-component 2.2 – maintenance under the proposed credit, including: Public Disclosure Copy (a) Maintenance works (US$3.0 million) - to be used for the maintenance of district and feeder roads under the proposed project; and (b) Supervision services (US$0.5 million). 7. Component 3: Institutional Development for Rural Infrastructure Management and Preparation of Follow-on operation (US$7.7 million) - This component will support the strengthening of the implementation capacity of the participating districts and national level project coordination and implementation entities. It will also enhance the strategic framework for feeder roads development and rural transport services improvement, and support to the preparation of follow-on operations. This component is categorized as follows: 8. Sub-component 3.1 - Capacity building of core project implementing entities (US$5.9 million): The core capacity building tasks and the proposed arrangements are as follows: (a) Support to district capacity building through national level entities/ TA provided to districts commonly, and support to the national level implementing entities institutional development (US$2.4 million), mainly common TA services for districts and strengthening the capacity of the RSSP- Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and RTDA, through (i) provision of core specialists to support the districts and national level institutions; and (ii) Provision of office manager to the National Project Coordination Team (NPCT) to support the team in the day to day activities; and (iii) provision of basic project management support equipment to the NPCT/RSSP-PIU and RTDA. (b) Support to institutional development for the four districts to enhance the capacity for rural infrastructure management (US$3.0). The objective is to support human resource development and operational costs. This will finance human capital building to strengthen the Infrastructure, Finance, Procurement, Environmental Management, and Planning Units, through provision of Technical Assistance (TA) and project management support equipment. The TA at national and district levels will be provided by a project management firm. Public Disclosure Copy (c) Support to the strengthening of the capacity of the Road Maintenance Fund (RMF) (US$0.5 million), through provision of TA, training and studies improving the effectiveness and efficiency of Road Fund management. 9. Sub-component 3.2 - Support to technical, social and financial audit (US$0.4 million): The services will be carried out by independent auditors to assess proper application of project funds for the intended purpose. 10. Sub-component 3.3 - Support to monitoring project outputs, outcomes and impact (US$0.2 million). The M&E expert to be engaged to support the NPCT will be responsible to the assessment and reporting. This component will cater for surveys to be carried in due course of implementation. 11. Sub-component 3.4 - Support to operating costs (US$0.4 million): This will finance project coordination and management tasks through provision of goods, technical assistance, services, workshops and training and operating costs required for the purpose of project implementation. 12. Sub-component 3.5 - Enhance the strategic framework for feeder roads development and rural transport services improvement, and support the preparation of follow-on operations and organizing LCAs (US$0.8 million). This includes: (a) Preparation of business plans for feeder roads development (US$0.2 million) to provide a strategic framework for development and maintenance of feeder roads, as well as enhancing human resources and financing of feeder roads for the four Districts. The business plans will also outline options for rural transport services improvement; Public Disclosure Copy (b) Design, feasibility study and ESIA (US$0.4 million) - for selected priority feeder roads for future improvement; and (c) Training and organization of LCAs (US$0.2 million). 13. Sub-component 3.4 - Support to operating costs (US$0.4 million): This will finance project coordination and management tasks through provision of goods, technical assistance, services, workshops and training and operating costs required for the purpose of project implementation. 14. Sub-component 3.5 - Enhance the strategic framework for feeder roads development and rural transport services improvement, and support the preparation of follow-on operations and organizing LCAs (US$0.8 million). This includes: (a) Preparation of business plans for feeder roads development (US$0.2 million) to provide a strategic framework for development and maintenance of feeder roads, as well as enhancing human resources and financing of feeder roads for the four Districts. The business plans will also outline options for rural transport services improvement; (b) Design, feasibility study and ESIA (US$0.4 million) - for selected priority feeder roads for future improvement; and (c) Training and organization of LCAs (US$0.2 million). D. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) 15. The proposed project will focus on improving feeder roads in four districts, namely: (i) Karongi (Western Province); (ii) Rwamagana (Eastern Province); (iii) Gisagara (Southern Province); and (iv) Nyamasheke (Western Province). In terms of the roads to be improved, priority will be given to roads connecting agricultural marketing centers, often located at sector headquarters to main roads and district centers, followed by collector roads linking villages, cells (hamlets) and agriculture Public Disclosure Copy project sites to market centers and sector head quarters. 16. The roads in Karongi are mainly hillside roads. The roads in Gisagara traverse partly hilly and partly flat terrain. Rwamagana is mainly flat, but at certain locations the roads cross swampy or marshlands. The roads in Nyamasheke cross mainly hilly areas. 17. The hills are densely populated with scattered settlements often located on the small holdings of individual households. However, the government has launched an initiative, which encourages the scattered settlers to live in small townships established at selected central locations for a population living in a defined rural neighborhood. 18. The hills are covered with farms and small grazing lands, with no or limited vegetation. Forest areas are mainly in the national reserves. 19. The marshlands are often in between hills and more and more used for small scale community owned irrigation based farming. The farms usually live on the foot of the hills adjacent to the marshland. The roads crossing marshlands may have to be raised and the side slopes may have to be flatter and involve widening, but this will not require relocating people. The existing roads often cross on the shorter side of the marshland, which will limit the negative impact. The impact on fauna and flora is expected to be limited as the roads follow existing routes, and road sides are cultivated or already cleared. 20. Roads in the hilly terrain require construction of culverts, often small in size, following the Public Disclosure Copy existing natural water course. Side drains may require stone pitching and check dams to control erosion. The soil along the roads is mostly soft that could be excavated by labor, which helps in limiting damages to the environment, as labor construction involves gentle cutting and minimal spillovers, when a road section has to be widened. E. Borrowers Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies 21. The four participating districts will be the implementation entities for project related environmental and social aspects for the rehabilitation, upgrading, spot improvement, as well as maintenance works. The districts will be supported by the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), environmental and social safeguard staff. The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) will provide guidelines and monitor implementation of safeguard measures. 22. RTDA has environmental and social specialists that look after safeguard issues for the main road contracts, but it has not yet established Environmental and Social Management Unit. The Environmental Officers of the districts under the Environment and Water Resource Management Units are responsible for environmental and social safeguard aspects of development projects, but due to capacity limitation their engagement is restricted to minor community level development actions. In addition to the support by RTDA staff, training and TA for safeguards will be provided by the project management Consultancy Firm to be engaged under the project. 23. The new Road Act, which requires upgrading some feeder roads to seven meter width, may involve widening the existing road formation by two to three meters. This may necessitate expropriation of some farm lands and relocating households. Bidding process shall not be launched for a particular road section until every person affected by the works on that section has been relocated and/or properly compensated according to Bank policies. The project has proposed the adoption of stage construction, which will allow the rehabilitation of roads to a 4.5 meter width Public Disclosure Copy standard, where ESIA indicate that over 200 people (about 50 people per district) shall be displaced as a result of application of a higher standard, as such type of roads fit within the existing road alignment and width. As stage construction approach would not be adopted for the proposed project an ESIA has to be undertaken and the extent of the impact has to be determined. In cases where the roads proposed for upgrading would involve significant negative impact, a detailed ESIA and RAP has to be prepared, consulted upon, and disclosed. 24. Further, to avoid adverse negative environmental and social impacts, including on health and safety, when a road proposed for improvement under this project has to be widened, no road contract tender should be launched before a road specific ESIA and RAP based on final design is prepared, the ESMP with the mitigation measures is incorporated in the bidding documents, and every person affected by the works on that section has been relocated and/or properly compensated according to Bank policies. 25. The EA category for this project is Category B. However, the change in the road width design standard may require changing the EA category to category A. This EA category will be reviewed during appraisal and will be amended depending on the widening requirement of the priority roads to be proposed for upgrading under this project by the government. F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Antoine V. Lema (AFTCS) Public Disclosure Copy Jane A. N. Kibbassa (AFTN3) II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Environmental Assessment OP/ Yes Potential adverse environmental and social BP 4.01 impacts include: noise, dust, soil and water erosion, and health and safety. An Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), will be prepared, consulted upon, and disclosed prior to appraisal. An ESIA/ ESMP will be prepared once sites and works have been finalized. Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 Yes Marshlands may be traversed by the project roads and, for this reason, the Natural Habitats policy is triggered. These wetlands may have ecological value, and provide shelters to populations of birds, insects, and aquatic animal species and to flora. The ESMF and ESIA will include mitigation measures. Forests OP/BP 4.36 TBD The road rehabilitation will follow existing alignments with some widening, which are not expected to have negative impacts on forest resources. However, potentially adverse impacts will be assessed in the ESMF and ESIA. Public Disclosure Copy Pest Management OP 4.09 No N/A Physical Cultural Resources OP/ Yes Cultural heritage resources are not yet fully BP 4.11 known, but some road works may be located in the influence area of some sites. Graves could be located in the right of way. The ESMF and ESIA will address impacts on physical cultural resources and provide a cultural management plan including “Chance Finds�. Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 No N/A Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP Yes Civil works will induce land acquisition. A 4.12 Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) will be prepared, consulted upon, and disclosed prior to appraisal. RAPs will be prepared during implementation as and when necessary. Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No N/A Projects on International No N/A Waterways OP/BP 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP No N/A 7.60 Public Disclosure Copy III. SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN A. Tentative target date for preparing the PAD Stage ISDS: 11-Feb-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: The ESMF and RPF will be prepared, reviewed, consulted upon, and disclosed prior to appraisal by February 15, 2013. IV. APPROVALS Task Team Leader: Name: Tesfamichael Nahusenay Mi Approved By: Regional Safeguards Name: Alexandra C. Bezeredi (RSA) Date: 12-Mar-2013 Coordinator: Sector Manager: Name: Petrus Benjamin Gericke (SM) Date: 14-Dec-2012 Public Disclosure Copy 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.