Republic of Lebanon Council for Development and Reconstruction Lebanon Water Supply Augmentation Project Environmental and Social Panel (ESP) Third Mission – Draft Final Report (February 3-15, 2019) Jean-Roger Mercier & Arbi Ben-Achour ESP Report Mission February 2019 – Draft Final Report, February 19th, 2019 Acronyms and Abbreviations............................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction and Overview .................................................................................................................................. 3 Terms of Reference of the Environmental and Social Panel (ESP) of Experts .......................................... 3 Recent achievements ............................................................................................................................................. 3 ESP Mission’s organization .................................................................................................................................. 3 Relationships with CDR and the World Bank team......................................................................................... 3 Communications between two field missions ................................................................................................... 4 Persons and organizations met ............................................................................................................................ 4 Documents analysed .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Mission’s findings................................................................................................................................................... 4 Overall progress ................................................................................................................................................. 4 Document review .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Cultural Heritage................................................................................................................................................ 5 Summary of Mission’s recommendations .......................................................................................................... 6 Annexes ................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Annex 1 – List of persons and organizations met ....................................................................................... 7 Annex 2 – Mission schedule ............................................................................................................................ 9 1 ESP Report Mission February 2019 – Draft Final Report, February 19th, 2019 Acronyms and Abbreviations BMLWE Beirut Mount Lebanon Water Establishment BP (World) Bank Procedure BSP Benefit Sharing Program CESMP Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan CDR Commission for Development and Reconstruction (Lebanon) CH Cultural Heritage DGA Directorate General of Antiquities DRB Dam Review Board, aka Dam Safety Panel of Experts (Bisri) DSP Dam Safety Plan E&S Environmental and Social ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan ESP Environmental and Social Panel of Experts (Bisri) CH Cultural Heritage IDB Islamic Development Bank OP Operational Policy (of the World Bank) PAD Project Appraisal Document PCR Physical Cultural Resources PMU Project Management Unit RAP Resettlement Action Plan SCBR Shouf Cedar Biosphere Reserve SP Safeguard Policy (of the World Bank) ToR Terms of Reference WB World Bank WSAP Water Supply Augmentation Project (Bisri) WWTP Wastewater Treatment Plant 2 ESP Report Mission February 2019 – Draft Final Report, February 19th, 2019 Introduction and Overview 1. This report presents the results of the field mission undertaken February 4th through 8th, 2019 by ‘Environmentalist’ and Panel chair Jean-Roger Mercier (JRM) along with ‘Social scientist’ Arbi Ben Achour (ABA). 2. This report is presented by these two experts of the Environmental and Social Panel (ESP) of the Bisri Dam project. 3. This report contains, as per ESP’s Terms of Reference, mission’s findings, recommendations as well as suggested next steps. Terms of Reference of the Environmental and Social Panel (ESP) of Experts 4. According to individual experts’ contract, their Terms of Reference consist in “….ensuring that the components of the [WSA] Project, as designed and built, comply with international standards of excellence and safety for water resources infrastructure as reflected in the World Bank Safeguard Policies and the GoL’s legislations, regulations and guidelines. The ESP ’s oversight is comprehen- sive and extends to project siting, design, construction and operation, impact mitigation and moni- toring plans and resettlement instruments.” Recent achievements 5. The recent period has seen many developments in the progress towards dam and reservoir building as well as in the environmental and social risk management of the project. Most notably, the contrac- tor has been selected and retained and several of the key permits have been obtained, making the start of project major works a short term perspective. The Panel understands that, under current assump- tions, the construction works for the dam could commence as early as January-February 2020. 6. The Panel notes that CDR’s Project Management Unit has been losing its internal capacity on envi- ronmental themes since the last mission of the Social scientist (July 2018), particularly. The Unit’s communication capacity, on the other hand, has been augmented and a robust communication cam- paign has been launched. ESP Mission’s organization 7. It should be noted that this ESP mission did not include the Cultural Heritage specialist. CDR is in the process of ensuring that future ESP missions will include a CH specialist, a must, given topic’s high priority relative to the timing and advancement of the works under the project. 8. The ESP wishes to congratulate CDR for its outreach efforts, in spite of the explicit opposition to the project expressed by several civil society organizations. The Panel has participated in the preparation of a video and in a meeting where CSOs had been invited and where CDR and the Panel had a chance to respond to a series of detailed questions expressed in a free atmosphere. The communication team hired by CDR should continue its critical contribution to the design and implementation of the project. 9. The ESP equally wishes to share the excellent impression that its members got from the visit to the Jezzine Municipality and to the Maison de la Forêt. In both cases, these are international standards organizations that have the capacity to bring a strong support to the project, and their presence in the extended project area bodes well of its future success. 10. The schedule followed by ESP mission has been as originally planned by CDR’s project team and is provided in annex 2. Relationships with CDR and the World Bank team 11. The mission benefitted from a thorough preparation, particularly owing to the dedication of Mr. Elie Moussalli, Unit Manager, with the assistance of Ms. Elissar Eloreibi. That high degree of preparation maximized ESP’s contribution and the Panel hereby expresses its gratitude to the organizers for that optimization. 12. The combination of field visits and meetings in Beirut at CDR and World Bank premises was partic- ularly useful. 3 ESP Report Mission February 2019 – Draft Final Report, February 19th, 2019 13. The mission was designed to coincide with the presence of the World Bank project supervision team, led by Ms. Amal Talbi and Sally Zgheib, co-task team leaders. That mission included Beirut-based as well as non-Beirut based WB staff and consultants. The exchanges with the team during both the field visits and the meetings were fruitful and highly welcomed by the Panel members. The full list of WB team members appears in the list of persons met at the end of the present report. Communications between two field missions 14. Conference calls and work by remote were conducted in between ESP field visits. During 2018, in addition to the field visit by ESP’s social scientist, there were many interactions between ESP, CDR, the World Bank project team, Lebanese CSOs and World Bank’s Inspection Panel. 15. The Panel welcomes these interactions in between two field missions and encourages the CDR to use their knowledge of the project and its implications to continue such interaction while committing to keep the quick turnaround response to future queries. Persons and organizations met 16. The list of persons and organizations met is attached in appendix 1. Documents analysed 17. The list of documents received and analysed includes :  CDR Project’s Quarterly Progress Report 8 for the period of April, May and June 2018  CDR Project’s Quarterly Progress Report 9 for the period of July, August September 2018  The Draft Ecological Offset Plan commented by CDR  The Final Wave III report by CRI, the consultant responsible of the external monitoring of the RAP implementation (see ESP social scientist report).  World Bank’s Aide memoire for the last mission of November 2018  Draft Wastewater MasterPlan (draft of November 2018) by LibanConsult (including terms of reference of the master plan and its environmental and social impact assessment ESIA) 18. Since most of the environmental measures that ensure project’s compliance with national and World Bank safeguard policies are still at the design stage, the review of the documents programming these measures is timely and critical. In parallel, the communication efforts appropriately launched by CDR’s team should aim to educate the general public about the sequencing of these environme ntal measures. One typical example is the implementation of the ecological offset plan, which will start once the plan has been finalized and approved. Chances are that land clearing and tree felling for the dam construction works will somehow preceed the translocation and replanting/managing of new trees. The communication should help observers realize that the spectacular tree feeling will later be more than compensated, in ecological value, by operations to be conducted as soon as reasonable, perhaps outside the strictly defined project area. Mission’s findings Overall progress 19. The selection of the dam construction contractor has been made and the topographical survey team is already in place. The sites for the construction camp areas have been selected and are being sur- veyed. The ESP met with the site engineer and the survey engineer of the contractor on site during the mission. The ESP is keen to receive and review the Construction environmental and social man- agement plan (CESMP) once this document is ready. The ESP will pay particular attention to the staffing of the contractor as far as environmental and social safeguards are concerned, but also to all 4 ESP Report Mission February 2019 – Draft Final Report, February 19th, 2019 the environmental/social management plans that the consortium will produce. Hopefully, the selec- tion and start of operation of project’s engineering firm (underway) will also add one more useful layer of monitoring on the preparation and launching of the CESMP. 20. The ESP was pleased to meet with the representatives of the Ministry of Environment on the draft Ecological Offset and to verify that most of Ministry’s comments were in line with WB’s and ESP’s own comments. Document review Ecological offset plan 21. The draft plan reviewed by the ESP forms an excellent foundation for the finalization of the plan. One key aspect that has been underplayed by the authors of the draft plan so far has been the explicit reference to WB’s operational policy/bank procedure (OP/BP 4.04) which created this offset plan to begin with. Equally important is the need for the authors to be creative in terms of i) the future loca- tion of the offsets, inside or outside the project area and of ii) the mobilization of the required financial resources, which may well come partly from the benefit sharing plan. If the reference to OP/BP 4.04 is established, one of its implications is that the sustainable management of natural resources should be strongly encouraged and operationalized through the offset plan. 22. In terms of the approach, the ESP is satisfied both by the emphasis put by the authors of the draft offset plan on public consultation throughout the watershed and by the 5 months additional time given by CDR above and beyond the original 7 months to get the ecological offset plan prepared with the maximum detail and the best blueprint to implementation. Wastewater master plan 23. This is another key document that will help ensure compliance with national and WB standards and policies. The draft master plan forms, just like in the case of the Ecological Offset Plan, an excellent foundation for the final plan. The ESP wishes that the authors, when they finalize the master plan, place more emphasis on the following aspects :  Final selection of the sites in consultation with the communes and communities concerned ;  Attention to the impacts of the future plant construction works on the environment, not just at the works sites per se but also along the transportation axes ;  Integration of the possibility to supply electricity to some of the isolated treatment sites using photovoltaic, a cost-effective solution that the ESP has directly observed as currently being im- plemented (for other facilities than wastewater treatment) in the Jezzine area;  Close attention to the future optimal disposal of the sludge remaining after treatment, an issue that is difficult to manage in the context, but that needs to be dealt with upfront. Spreading the sludge on some tree farming areas is a technical and economical possibility that should be further investigated. 24. Several of these aspects can be developed as part of the ESIA that Libanconsult will also prepare, with a sequencing that allows the ESMP coming out of the ESIA to be fully integrated into the fea- sibility stage of the wastewater treatment activities. Watershed/shoreline plans 25. The ESP understands that the call for expressions of interest (EOI) has been launched. This is an area where the recruitment of the permanent environmentalist in the project team is urgent. The ESP is looking forward to the end of the consultant selection process and into reviewing, for instance, their initiating memorandum. Cultural Heritage 26. The ESP repeats the need to resolve the issue of having the Cultural Heritage expert complement the team during the future missions. Missions by an external specialist and by a World Bank expert have been conducted recently, but this does not substitute for the above. 5 ESP Report Mission February 2019 – Draft Final Report, February 19th, 2019 Summary of Mission’s recommendations It is presented in tabulated form to facilitate communication with CDR. Table VVV Summary of the mission’s recommendations Proposed actions Responsible parties Timing Environmental safeguard expert Finalize the Ecological Offset Plan as soon as pos- Consultants to work a fur- Aim for an offset sible ther 5 months and to inte- plan ready before grate CDR, WB and ESP June 30th, 2019 comments. Include a roadmap for implementa- tion. CDR/PMU to supervise. Finalize the wastewater treatment master plan as Consultants to finish the Aim for a master soon as possible work and integrate CDR, plan ready before WB and ESP comments. June 30th, 2019 Include a roadmap for im- plementation. CDR/PMU to supervise. Panel to continue to help project’s communication CDR/PMU to ensure the On a continuing coordination. basis team by remote. CDR should proceed with the recruitment of a per- CDR/PMU to take action. Environmentalist manent environmentalist in the project team to be in place at the latest on June 30th, 2019 Social safeguard expert RAP to be updated CDR: Project manage- May/June 2019 ment/consultant Preparation of a yearly GRM report CDR: Legal depart- June 2019 ment/PROJECT UNIT Recruitment of an independent expert to determine ad- CDR (project management) April, 2019 equacy of unit prices for compensation or donors Cultural Heritage Expert Need to include a CH specialist in the next ESP CDR/PMU to finalise CH ESP expert in mission place before July 31st, 2019 Full ESP Mission Timing of the next mission should be discussed and CDR in consultation with Dates finalized be- dates finalised as soon as possible donor. fore May 31st, 2019 6 ESP Report Mission February 2019 – Draft Final Report, February 19th, 2019 Annexes Annex 1 – List of persons and organizations met Person Institution Email Telephone Function Moussalem Manal Ministère de l’envi- manal.moussallem@undp.org Expert ronnement/UNDP Abouassaly Naji Libanconsult naji.abouassaly@libanconsult.com +9613320678 Head of Water and environment depart- Abdou ment Aoum Salim Libanconsult +96170128600 Project engineer El Oreibi Elissar CDR eoreibi@cdr.gov.lb +9611980096 Project Engineer Hani Nizar Shouf Biosphere Reserve nizar@shoufcedar.org +9613513845 General Manager Kandeel Mohammad World Bank mkandeel@worldbank.org +20(2)25741670 Senior Environmental Specialist Maasri Raji Mores raji.maasri@mores.com.lb +9613756464 General Manager Noushig Kaloustian World Bank nkaloustian@worldbank.org Social scientist Moussalli Elie CDR/Bisri Project emoussalli@cdr.gov.lb +9611980096 Manager Redha Hamdan CRI radha@crilebanon.com +9611 867659 Econométricien Rania Nader CRI rania@crilebanon.com +9611 867659 Public administration & finance Eid Mirna Ghantous Khoury Contracxting mirna.eid@khourycontracting.com +9613344667 Manager Tendering Zein Khalil Geoflint kzein@geoflint.com +9613219059 Managing Partner Palmieri Alessandro World Bank Dam technical consultant El Obeid Eric CDR IsDB focal point 7 ESP Report Mission February 2019 – Draft Final Report, February 19th, 2019 Eid Shafik Kherbet Bisri Mayor Fares Habib Bkessine Mayor Talbi Amal World Bank atalbi@worldbank.org +9611962900 Task Team Leader Harfouche Khalil Jezzine Municipality khalil.harfouche@jezzine.un- +9613928518 President ion.com Bejjani Hala Kulluna Irada hala@kulluna-irada.org +9613183818 Managing Director Zgheib Sally World Bank szgheib@worldbank.org +9611962900 Co-task team leader Bisri and lake project 8 ESP Report Mission February 2019 – Draft Final Report, February 19th, 2019 Annex 2 – Mission schedule Date Time Subject Location Attendees CDR: Elie Moussalli, Elissar El Oreibi 09:00 AM Meeting between CDR and ESP CDR ESP: Jean-Roger Mercier, Arbi Ben Achour 10:00 AM CDR: Elie Moussalli, Elissar El Oreibi ESP: Jean-Roger Mercier, Arbi Ben Achour 10:00 AM Meeting with MORES (Ecological Off- CDR WB: Amal Talbi, Sally Zgheib, Mohammad Kandeel, Alessandro Palmi- 11:30 AM set Plan Consultant) eri, Noushig Kaloustian Others: MORES Team (Raji Maasri, Salam Nassar) Monday February CDR: Elie Moussalli, Elissar El Oreibi 4, 2019 ESP: Jean-Roger Mercier, Arbi Ben Achour (full day) 11:30 AM Meeting with Ministry of Environ- CDR WB: Amal Talbi, Sally Zgheib, Mohammad Kandeel, Alessandro Palmi- 01:00 PM ment and Chouf Biosphere eri, Noushig Kaloustian Others: MORES Team (Raji Maasri, Salam Nassar) MoE (Manal Moussallem) - Chouf Biosphere (Nizar Al Hani) ESP: Jean-Roger Mercier 02:30 PM Interview video CDR Others: Fantascope Team (Philippe Artanji, Rim Chhab, Josiane Bou- 05:00 PM lous) 09:30 AM Meeting with CDR PMU and Expro- CDR: Elie Moussalli, Ali Abd el Baki, Elissar El Oreibi CDR 11:30 AM priation department ESP: Jean-Roger Mercier, Arbi Ben Achour Tuesday February CDR: Elie Moussalli, Ali Abd el Baki, Elissar El Oreibi 11:30 AM Meeting with CRI (External Monitor- 5, 2019 CDR ESP: Jean-Roger Mercier, Arbi Ben Achour 01:00 PM ing of RAP implementation) - Social (full day) Others: CRI Team (Rania Nader, Redha Hamdan) CDR: Elie Moussalli, Elissar El Oreibi 02:30 PM Meeting between CDR, ESP and World ESP: Jean-Roger Mercier, Arbi Ben Achour 03:30 PM Bank Team Bank WB: Amal Talbi, Sally Zgheib, Mohammad Kandeel, Alessandro Palmi- eri, Noushig Kaloustian 9 ESP Report Mission February 2019 – Draft Final Report, February 19th, 2019 CDR: Elie Moussalli, Elissar El Oreibi ESP: Jean-Roger Mercier, Arbi Ben Achour 04:00 PM Meeting between ESP, Bank Team, World WB: Amal Talbi, Sally Zgheib, Mohammad Kandeel, Alessandro Palmi- 05:00 PM NGO and YAG Bank eri, Noushig Kaloustian Others: NGO CDR: Elie Moussalli, Elissar El Oreibi ESP: Jean-Roger Mercier, Arbi Ben Achour Wednesday Febru- Field Visit to Bisri Dam 9:00 AM WB: Amal Talbi, Sally Zgheib, Mohammad Kandeel, Alessandro Palmi- ary 6, 2019 - Social Part Bisri Site 4:00 PM eri, Noushig Kaloustian (full day) - Env. Part Others: Fantascope and MORES teams and Ms. Mirna Ghantous Eid (Khoury contracting) CDR: Elie Moussalli, Elissar El Oreibi Meeting with Libanconsult ESP: Jean-Roger Mercier, Arbi Ben Achour 10:00 AM (Wastewater Master Plan of Bisri CDR WB: Amal Talbi, Sally Zgheib, Mohammad Kandeel, Alessandro Palmi- 12:00 AM Catchment area) eri, Noushig Kaloustian Thursday February Others: Libanconsult Team (Naji Abou Assli, Salim Aoun) 7, 2019 CDR: Elie Moussalli, Elissar El Oreibi (1/2 day) ESP: Jean-Roger Mercier, Arbi Ben Achour 12:00 AM Meeting with Contractor of Bisri CDR WB: Amal Talbi, Sally Zgheib, Mohammad Kandeel, Alessandro Palmi- 02:00 PM Dam Project eri, Noushig Kaloustian Others: Nurol Ozaltin Team (represented by Khoury contracting) 10