The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) Appraisal Environmental and Social Review Summary Appraisal Stage (ESRS Appraisal Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 09/29/2021 | Report No: ESRSA01532 Sep 29, 2021 Page 1 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Region Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Gambia, The AFRICA WEST P173070 Project Name Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Agriculture and Food Investment Project 9/27/2021 11/24/2021 Financing Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) Republic of The Gambia Ministry of Agriculture Proposed Development Objective The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to promote the development of inclusive, resilient, and competitive agricultural value chains, focusing on smallholder farmers and agribusinesses in project target areas. Public Disclosure Financing (in USD Million) Amount Total Project Cost 47.91 B. Is the project being prepared in a Situation of Urgent Need of Assistance or Capacity Constraints, as per Bank IPF Policy, para. 12? No C. Summary Description of Proposed Project [including overview of Country, Sectoral & Institutional Contexts and Relationship to CPF] The Gambian economy is heavily dependent on agriculture. Even though its share of total GDP has decreased over the last decade, agriculture retains a crucial role in economic growth in The Gambia. The sector contributes around 20 percent of GDP and generates 30 percent of all foreign exchange earnings. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for 80 percent of the rural population, the sector employs nearly half—46 percent—of the country’s labor force, including an estimated 72 percent of the poor and 91 percent of the extreme poor. Agriculture in the Gambia is dominated by subsistence-oriented rainfed crop and livestock production systems. The performance of the agri-food sector has been poor and erratic. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) classifies the Gambia as “a Low-Income Food Deficit Country” facing severe food security issues at both Sep 29, 2021 Page 2 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) household and national levels. The COVID-19 pandemic will worsen the country food and nutrition insecurity situation. However, agriculture and agribusiness could become robust engines of inclusive growth and job creation. The country has the potential to achieve huge gains in productivity and market share, given its rich natural resource endowment and strong domestic, regional, and international demand for its agricultural products, including rice, groundnuts, cashews, vegetables, and fruits. The design of the proposed project supports The Gambia in transforming the agricultural sector into a competitive and resilient commercial agri-food sector. This transformative change will be achieved through a logical chain of activities: (i) improving the enabling environment for agriculture/agribusiness development by expanding access to markets for producers and SMEs (through better logistics, market infrastructure, critical SPS services, and access roads), improving the policy and institutional framework, and strengthening the coordination and efficiency of value chain actors; (ii) increasing the productivity and competitiveness of producers and SMEs, as well as their resilience to climate change, by expanding access to climate-smart technologies, inputs, and services; and (iii) increasing private investment along the value chains by strengthening the key public and private institutions responsible for promoting and mobilizing private investment and by providing support services (technical, managerial, and financial) to agribusiness operators. The World Bank Group (WBG) Gambia Country Partnership Framework (CPF) 2021–26 (under preparation) and recently completed Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD), “Overcoming a No-Growth Legacy,’’ fully support the national vision and objectives for the agricultural sector. The three CPF Focus Areas recognize that The Gambia can transition out of fragility only by addressing its underlying public service delivery challenges, tackling constraints on Public Disclosure development in key economic sectors such as agriculture, and investing in human capital. The proposed project is an integral part of CPF Focus Area 2, which aims to Enable Inclusive and Resilient Private Sector Driven Job Creation through sustained support for government efforts to create an enabling business environment that fuels job creation, by boosting commercial agriculture and increasing access to finance for MSMEs, among other actions. The project will contribute to the achievement of the WBG’s twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity, as well as the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of no poverty and zero hunger by 2030. Like other African countries, Gambia—if it is to meet the twin WBG goals and realize the SDGs—must achieve economic growth that is transformational, sustained, inclusive, and pro-poor, capable of lifting the poor one million Gambians, most of whom live in rural areas and depend on agriculture as their main source of livelihood, above the poverty threshold. D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1. Detailed project location(s) and salient physical characteristics relevant to the E&S assessment [geographic, environmental, social] The Gambia is a small fragile country in West Africa, its 10, 689 sq. km area is surrounded by Senegal, except for a 60 km Atlantic Ocean front. The country has a population of 2.1 million. Most of the population is concentrated around urban and peri urban. Nationally, incidence of poverty is highest among those in rural areas. The project aims to promote commercial agriculture through the development of inclusive, resilient, and competitive agricultural value chains, focusing on smallholder farmers and agribusinesses in project target areas. The project will operate in five agricultural regions—West Coast (Brikama), North Bank (Kerewan), Lower River (Mansa Konko), Central River (Janjanbureh), and Upper River (Basse) and two municipalities (Banjul and Kanifing), which together comprise 35 Sep 29, 2021 Page 3 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) districts of 43 nationally. These areas have relatively good connectivity to urban centers which have a high and fast- growing demand for agricultural products (Banjul and its port/airport for exports, and the large regional capitals of the other regions, shown in parentheses), as well as high potential for developing commercial agriculture. The project will take place in a largely savannah context with annual rainfall between 300 mm and 1000 mm. This makes for a variation of drought and water stressed conditions across the country. The principal crops cultivated are millet, groundnut, rain fed upland rice, irrigated lowland rice. Areas around floodplains and riverbanks of the River Gambia are important habitats for wildlife and play an important role in the local economy and livelihood. The main causes of poverty are: income insecurity resulting from weather induced crop failures, shortages of cash forcing farmers to sell their produce immediately after harvest at low prices and then buy back grain at high prices during the hungry season (August-September); rising costs of living (education and healthcare) 72 percent of the extremely poor of the Gambian population depend on agriculture for their survival. It has been recorded that female- headed households, or 18 percent of the rural population, have higher levels of poverty, while over 78 percent of women engage in the agricultural sector. The four proposed priority value chains are: rice (to substitute for increasing imports), horticulture (vegetables and mango to supply urban centers and exports), cashew (for exports and domestic processing), poultry (urban markets). These value chains have been identified as having: (i) a high development potential (market opportunities and productivity gains) that can be realized in the short to medium term; and (ii) a high impact on job creation, particularly for women and youth. D. 2. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity Public Disclosure The project will be executed by the Ministry of Agriculture in coordination with key implementing partners (Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment, Ministry of Youth and Women, Ministry of Transport Works and Infrastructure, Gambia Investment & Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA), National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) , etc.) and other private sector operators through effective contractual arrangements. Recent experience in the GCAV project (P125024) revealed that the Central Projects Coordination Unit (CPCU) does not have the capacity to comply with World Bank and national requirements for environmental and social risk management. The CPCU failed to recruit an environmental or social specialist for the GCAV project. In addition, arrangements made with the National Environmental Agency (NEA) were not been respected, as required field visits to ground-truth the level of E&S risks and impacts was not conducted. CPCU staffing will be strengthened to meet the specific needs of GIRAV. CPCU is engaged to finalise the recruitment of environmental and social specialists to accompany the implementation of the project, by November 1st, 2021 . The CPCU participated in ESF and SEA/SH training in December 2020. Staff, and recruited consultants, of the CPCU will be encouraged to participate in future Bank-organized ESF capacity building activities. The Bank will provide advice and support to the CPCU for the development of the project’s environmental and social management instruments. The CPCU will be responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the recommended environmental and social mitigation measures in the E&S risk management instruments. II. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Substantial Sep 29, 2021 Page 4 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) Environmental Risk Rating Substantial Based on available information, the environmental risk classification for the Project is confirmed to be Substantial. The expected environmental impacts of project activities under component 2 such as development of modern women and youth-led firms, equipped with greenhouses and automatic irrigation and fertigation systems and dissemination of appropriate, environment-friendly and climate smart technologies, will be generally positive. However, some activities such as rehabilitation/construction of feeder road, development of irrigated areas may negatively affect the surrounding physical environment and local people. The main risks and impacts identified in the ESMF include nuisance like dust and noise, waste management and traffic safety issues to the community as well as occupational health and safety concerns related to use of community workers and to the use of construction equipment and industry machinery. Other risks include (i) soil erosion and degradation, (ii) degradation of surface water quality due to the increased use of agro- chemicals, (iii) impact on bodiversity and protected species, (iv) occupational health and safety of workers, (iv) nuisances related to air and noise emissions, and (vi) community health and safety due to increased traffic and communicable diseases (e.g. COVID-19). In addition, the CPCU’s weak track record regarding ES issues would present a challenge. Care would be taken that the criteria for micro-project eligibility include environmental and social screening and that all productive investment sub-projects (PIS) include the recommended mitigation measures. Social Risk Rating Moderate The social risk of the project is currently rated moderate for the following two reasons: 1) The capacity of CPCU needs to be monitored closely, as they have a weak track record in managing social risk, to ensure that social and environmental aspects meet ESSs principles and that stakeholders are fully engaged at all stages of the project. 2) The risks related to the management of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and sexual Harassment (SH) require Public Disclosure special attention. The planned project activities – particularly under components 1 and 2 and 3 would have positive impacts and the focus on women and youth beneficiaries would also be positive in terms of social impact. Risks of gender-based violence is rated moderate but may be exacerbated by the labor influx resulting from the civil works, and the COVID context (unemployment and underemployment) of trade in border areas. B. Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) that Apply to the Activities Being Considered B.1. General Assessment ESS1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts Overview of the relevance of the Standard for the Project: ESS1 is relevant to the project due to the potential environmental risks and impacts associated with project activities under Components 1, 2, 3 and 5. The Project will finance the widespread adoption of improved technologies to increase the productivity, competitiveness and resilience of selected value chains at farm-level but also at lower levels of the chains, including: (i) climate-smart technologies packages (high-yielding, early-maturing, and drought-resistant seed varieties, salinization tolerant genetic material, improved land and water management technologies, etc.); (ii) environmentally friendly practices for agricultural intensification in selected production systems (organic fertilizers, biological plant treatment, etc.); and (iii) technologies that address the main farming and processing constraints all along the value chain, such as the need for mechanization to address the lack of farm labor, the improvement of processing equipment or the reduction of post-harvest losses. Sep 29, 2021 Page 5 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) These activities involve a social assessment in view of the multiplicity of actors including vulnerable groups, the economic and financial stakes, the risks of conflict, misunderstanding or gender-based violence. The main environmental, social, health and safety risks associated with proposed project activities such as the rehabilitation of feeder roads and marketing infrastructure, may affect negatively the surrounding physical environment and local people. Anticipated risks include land acquisition and impact on livelihoods, loss of assets, labor influx and SEA/SH risks. Other risks include: (i) soil erosion and degradation, (ii) increased use of chemicals due to agricultural activities; (iii) occupational health and safety of workers, (iv) nuisances related to air and noise emissions, and (v) community health and safety due to increased traffic and communicable diseases (e.g. COVID-19). Labor Management: In the context of Component 1 with the rehabilitation of the feeder roads, a substantial amount of labor is expected, due to the nature of the civil works to be undertaken in the different regions and localities. However, labor and working conditions—including labor influx—could be an issue as some regions are close to international borders. SEA/SH Management and Mitigation: The Bank’s SEA/SH Risk Assessment Tool have assesses the SEA/SH risks and a Social Assessment that concludes to a moderate risk. The CPCU will ensure adequate systems are put in place to prevent acts of Gender-Based Violence/Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Sexual Harassment exacerbated/created by the project. This will be done by establishing and implementing the SEA/SH prevention and response action plan as part of the ESMF. Grievance Mechanism (GM): The GM responds to concerns and grievances of PAPs related to the environmental and social performance of the project. However, the grievance mechanism for project workers will be provided separately under the Labor Management Procedures prepared for this project. The grievance mechanism provided will set specific procedures to manage SEA/ SH complaints ethically and confidentially accompanied by an appropriate Public Disclosure response protocol. The specific location of project activities, including productive investment sub-projects (PIS) is not yet determined. Therefore, an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) addressing relevant ESF requirements, was prepared by the Borrower, to examine the risks and impacts of the project, and to provide guidance on the appropriate site-specific instruments, such as the Environmental and Social Impact Assessments/Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESIAs/ESMPs) to be prepared. The identified potential adverse risks and impacts on human populations and/or the environment are the deterioration in air quality and ground vegetation, the disturbance of fauna, the pollution of soil and water resources, the degradation of the living environment by the construction waste, the noise pollution, the risk related to health and safety. The identified risks and impacts will be managed during project implementation in accordance with the ESMF that will guide the preparation of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments/ Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESIAs/ESMPs) including adequate key mitigation measures to be incorporated into the design of infrastructure. Contingent Emergency Response (CERC): the project will prepare the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) addendum to cover the CERC activities when preparing the CERC Operations Manual. The ESMF is prepared, consulted upon with main stakeholders and disclosed in-country and on World Bank website prior to project negotiation on October 7, 2021. In addition to the ESMF, the Borrower has prepared a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) integrating a project-level GM. The SEP was developed through a participatory approach. It sets out the principles, the process of consultation and participation of stakeholders through their identification and analysis, planning of the consultation and participation strategy, the information dissemination strategy, the execution of the consultation and stakeholder participation, the grievance mechanism and the feedback strategy to the stakeholders. The plan will be implemented through interviews with the various stakeholders, public meetings, workshops or discussion groups on issues. The SEP Sep 29, 2021 Page 6 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) is an operational and flexible document that will evolve as the Project is prepared and implemented, in order to take into account the concerns and needs of stakeholders whose actions will bring more benefit and value to the achievement of the objectives of the Project. The project is expected to directly benefit 50,000 farmers and other actors in the selected agricultural value chains, finance agricultural equipment for 200 hectares and develop or rehabilitate 200 kilometers of feeder roads. As the specific locations and number of sub-projects have not been fully defined and the magnitude of the social risks and impacts are unknown at this stage of project preparation, an RPF has been prepared. The RPF defines the principles that govern involuntary resettlement resulting in the loss of land and other assets and restriction of access to sources of livelihood. It also defines the institutional arrangements, mechanisms for managing grievances or conflicts, the monitoring and evaluation system for the involuntary resettlement activities. The RPF includes an indicative implementation budget and a systematic process of engaging stakeholders at the different implementation stages in conformity with national laws and the requirements of ESS 5, ESS1 and ESS 10 of the World Bank’s ESF. If the determination is made, site-specific Resettlement Action Plans (RAP) will be prepared if needed. An Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), drawn up and agreed upon with the Bank, has also been prepared. The ESCP sets out the substantive measures and actions required for the project to meet environmental and social requirements. These measures shall be implemented within the specified timeframes, and the status of implementation will be reviewed as part of project monitoring and reporting. The ESCP will be updated to take into account findings of the subsequent environmental and social assessment, the World Bank’s environmental and social due diligence, and the results of engagement with stakeholders. The ESMF includes monitoring commitments. The environmental and social management plans (to be elaborated on by the contractors/subcontractors to be hired for the civil works) will also include monitoring commitments. The Public Disclosure World Bank will require quarterly Environmental & Safety (E&S) monitoring performance reporting during implementation. This regular monitoring and reporting on the agreed project indicators will include the timely, efficient, and effective implementation of the ESMPs and RAPs. It will also report on aspects of resolving complaints and grievances comprising Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH) cases regarding project activities. Any severe/serious incidents/accidents will be reported within 24/48 hours of occurrence. Given the fact that the Borrower has requested a project preparation advance, an Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) and a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), which covered only activities financed by the PPA for this specific period, were prepared and approved by the Bank. The environmental and the social specialists shall be in post by 1st November 2021 to guide the preparation of other safeguard instruments and will be maintained throughout the project implementation. ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure In consultation with the Bank, the Borrower prepared a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) proportional to the nature and scale of the project and associated risks and impacts. The SEP is under review, and will be finalised and disclosed prior to Appraisal. The Borrower has engage in meaningful consultations with all stakeholders throughout the project life cycle, including all regions in the Projects areas, paying attention to the inclusion of all groups. Affected Parties include local communities, community members and other parties that may be subject to direct impacts from the Project. Specifically, the following individuals and groups fall within this category: women vegetable growers, young farmers, rice farmers, food Processors, contractors, suppliers, and their workers, village Development Committees, including women, youth, and elder councils, farmers association, village chiefs known locally as “Alkalo”, producers’ associations. Interested parties in this process are: Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance and Sep 29, 2021 Page 7 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) Economic Affairs, Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Research Institute, National Roads Authority (NRA), the National Environment Agency, National Agency Food Safety and Quality Authority (FSQA), Horticultural Technical Services, Communication Unit, Dept. of Agriculture, Gambia Investment & Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA), Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, National Livestock Owners Association, National Coordinating Office for Farmer Organization, Irrigated Rice Farmers, Gambia Radio and Television Services, Media Television (Paradise TV, QTV, etc.), Print media, Telecommunication companies, Central Bank of Gambia, Local Government Authorities, Community radios, NGOs and Civil society organizations, etc. The disadvantaged and vulnerable groups include women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, persons suffering from HIV/AIDS and other chronic diseases who are generally marginalized and unable to fully participate and benefit from development actions. To ensure adequate engagement with the vulnerable individuals and groups often requires the application of specific measures and assistance aimed at facilitating their participation in project-related decision-making so that their awareness of and input to the overall process are commensurate to those of the other stakeholders. The Borrower will apply the following principles for stakeholder engagement: Openness and life-cycle approach: public consultations for the project(s) will be arranged during the whole lifecycle, carried out in an open manner, free of external manipulation, interference, coercion, or intimidation; informed participation and feedback, inclusiveness and sensitivity, flexibility: if social distancing inhibits traditional forms of engagement, the methodology should adapt to other forms of engagement, including various forms of internet communication. If major changes are made to the SEP, a revised SEP should be publicly disclosed. The SEP includes also include a grievance mechanism to address all complaints that could likely arise as a result of project activities. B.2. Specific Risks and Impacts Public Disclosure A brief description of the potential environmental and social risks and impacts relevant to the Project. ESS2 Labor and Working Conditions Under Component 1, a substantial amount of labor is expected due to the nature of the civil works related to feeder roads rahabilitation to be undertaken in different regions and localities. Labor influx could be an issue as some sites could be located close to Senegal; and also because, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many young people are likely to be searching for work. Some contractors could bring workers from outside and house them near or within local communities. These occurrences could present challenges for the project if not properly managed. The Borrower is preparing a labour management procedures (LMP) to manage labor prior to appraisal. It includes, among other things: ensuring that, to the extent possible, unskilled labor for construction/rehabilitation is hired locally, in order to minimize an influx of unskilled labor and reduce the potential for conflict. All workers will be sensitized to a code of conduct, which they will be asked to sign and keep as an annex to their work contract. This will contain detailed information on their terms and conditions of work, including the explicit prohibition of child and forced labor, particularly for activities under Component 1. Looking at the nature of the project workforce (mostly unskilled and semiskilled construction workers) and characteristics of the labour force market in The Gambia, it is likely that the workforce, especially the lower-skilled workers will be predominantly male. Female workers are expected to be employed by GIRAV through consultants and Contractors in limited numbers. It is estimated that women would represent about 5-10 percent of the workforce, and those would likely be technical (engineering) and/or administration and general services (in site offices and camps as secretaries, receptionist, cleaners, cooks, etc.). The expectation is that the majority of labour will be locally hired with the exception of a few skilled workers. All other works will be outsourced. Contractors shall be encouraged to train and hire as many workers as possible Sep 29, 2021 Page 8 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) from local communities. The LMP noted that project will take steps to prevent accidents, injury, and disease arising from, associated with, or occurring in the course of work by minimizing, as far as reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards. In a manner consistent with good international best practice, as reflected in various internationally recognized sources including the World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines. The LMP, noted that Gambia has been working towards abolishing past practices of child labour associated with the agricultural sector, and has achieved significant progress. A Grievance Mechanism, Civil Societies Groups and the Child Protection Unit of The Gambia Police Force to report cases of forced and child labour are established and responsible for the monitoring of child rights. Protections using a 24-hour helpline and internet sites should be established. No child or forced labour, involuntary or unpaid labour shall be used in any civil works activities, contracted by or directly associated with the project. These will be implemented and monitored by GIRAV Project Coordinating Team and will be included in the training to be provided to GIRAV staff, staff of Participating Financing Institutions (PFIs), and government officials in participating regions. The LMP indicates that Codes of Conduct will be applied to help ensure the project meets its ESHS and OHS objectives, as well as preventing and/or mitigating the risks of SEA/SH and VAC on the project and in the local communities. Contractors should make sure these Codes of Conduct are signed and adopted by those working on the project and are meant to: create awareness of the ESHS and OHS expectations on the project; create common awareness about SEA/SH and VAC and ensure a shared understanding that they have no place in the project; and, create a clear system for identifying, responding to, and sanctioning GBV and VAC incidents. ESS3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management Public Disclosure ESS3 is relevant to the project given the fact that the project is expected to be significant user of water and material ressources. Should the project utilize raw materials for construction activities, the material will be sourced through measures specified in Good International Industry Practices (GIIPs). The ESMF includes general measures to avoid/minimize pollution and waste generation (dust suppression, noise control, waste management at construction sites) The Borrower will put in place the necessary measures to promote the sustainable use of resources (in particular water and energy) and to minimize pollution from project activities. Site-specific ESMPs will identify measures to avoid or minimize the pollution of air, soil and water resources, as well as the degradation of the living environment by the construction waste and noise pollution. The Project will use a climate-resilient approach focused on increasing the adoption of climate smart-technologies and practices. Examples include water-efficient and labor-saving irrigation technologies; vertical farming; an array of high-yielding, early maturing, drought-resistant, and salt-tolerant varieties; solar energy for irrigation and processing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and best environmentally friendly technologies and practices (biofertilizers, organic fertilizers, integrated pest management, agroforestry, and others). The project intends to use sustainable techniques and will not use pesticides. However, certain products such as fertilizers and chemicals for the improvement of production and the protection of crops could generate pollution and degradation of water resources. Site-specific ESIAs/ESMPs will assess the risks associated with the use of agrochemicals including pesticides and adequate mitigation measures will be recommended. ESS4 Community Health and Safety Civil works for rehabilitation of feeder roads and marketing infrastructure activities can cause the influx of some workers, which can have an adverse social impact on local communities. The project will ensure the safety of Sep 29, 2021 Page 9 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) communities and other visitors during the civil works by identifying general measures in the ESMF and by adopting adequate Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) protocols following World Bank Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) guidelines. These will be supplemented by measures recommended by the site-specific environmental due diligence documents. Works contracts will also require that contractors do not expose communities to any hazardous activities, materials or substances that may be used in the project. A road safety assessment will be carried out, as part of the environmental and social assessments and effective arrangements and measures put in place to deal with emergency situations. An influx of workers, which could have an adverse social impact on local communities, will be addressed in the LMP, per ESS2 requirements. An SEA/SH risk assessment and Action Plan is included in the ESMF. While most of the workers for the small civil works are likely to be from the local communities, experience has shown that any influx of workers into a project area can lead to adverse social impacts (SEA/SH and sexually transmitted and communicable diseases), particularly in rural areas. To manage these impacts, the site-specific ESIA/ESMP will assess and include measures for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as well as COVID-19 mitigation measures in line with the World Bank’s guidance note, and propose clear incident-response procedures. ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement Project activities, aimed at promoting the development of new agribusiness firms equipped with modern irrigation technologies, such as: pressurized water management technologies to modernize production systems, on-farm water storage tanks, on-farm drip, sprinkler or pivot irrigation equipment, greenhouse, vertical farming, fencing, solar energy system and processing platforms, can have impacts on communities' assets or livelihoods. As specific sites are Public Disclosure not yet known, a resettlement policy framework (RPF) has been developed to provide principles of resettlement and organizational arrangements to be applied to subprojects. Based on the principles established in the ESMF, environmental and social screening will be conducted to determine if physical or economic displacement could occur as a result of sub-project activities. If the determination is made, site-specific Resettlement Action Plans (RAP) will be prepared. If a RAP is required at a sub-project site, no construction works will be permitted in the affected prior to compensation to those affected by the project, in accordance with ESS5. Where applicable, project affected persons should be provided moving allowances in addition to compensation, to allow them move so that the project can take possession of affected lands. The RPF and any RAPs will be published in country and on the World Bank’s website prior to project appraisal. ESS6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources The project aims to develop small-scale irrigation schemes for horticultural crops in selected project areas, (rural areas) and the civil works for irrigation infrastructure should not take place within protected areas and wildlife corridors due to a possible negative impact on biodiversity and protected species. Therefore, the E&S instruments include clauses that take aspects of biodiversity, wildlife and sustainable management into consideration; for individual subprojects, too, screening will be included to ensure these are covered; and site specific ESIAs will further assess impacts on biodiversity and wildlife and provide adequate mitigation measures where needed. The project will follow the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), 2015 which provides the framework for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The final choice of the areas selected for the project is still pending, once it is known the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DPWM) under the Ministry in charge of Sep 29, 2021 Page 10 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) Environment will be contacted to get access to the most up-to-date data on protected areas and wildlife corridors to exclude them from the project intervention areas. ESS7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities There are no Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities in the project area. ESS8 Cultural Heritage This Standard is relevant as the civil works for feeder roads reahbilitation, marketing and irrigation infrastructure will involve excavation and earth moving which could lead to chance finds of cultural heritage. As part of the preparation of the ESMF, consultations have been carried out with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MOTC) - and in particular the National Centre for Arts and Culture - to identify the known cultural heritage in project areas and to determine the type of heritage that could likely be encountered during project implementation. Extensive consultations with regional leaders and community members in the potential project areas and many state institutions reveal that the proposed project area does not contain any critical cultural heritage site (i.e., site protected by both national and international laws). The project will also avoid any impacts on locally significant However, given that in some of the works of Labor-Intensive Public Works (LIPW), it is possible that upon cultural heritage sites and/or materials, during land clearing, “Chance Find Procedures”, incorporated into the ESMF, will be implemented. The primary objective of this Chance Find Procedure is to provide practical and step-by-step Public Disclosure procedures for protecting any cultural heritage that may be accidentally discovered during the project implementation. These provisions will also be reflected in construction companies' contractual clauses. The screening mechanism in the ESMF will include questions that would lead to the exclusion of project activities that may have an adverse impact on any cultural heritage. ESS9 Financial Intermediaries This policy applies, especially to Component 3. of the project. This Component will support private investments in productive activities and related services by addressing the major market failures that constrain the financing of investments in agricultural value chains. It will (i) develop the capacity of financial institutions (PFIs) to scale up their financing of agri-food value chain actors by building their knowledge of the sector and their capacity to evaluate agricultural investment proposals; (ii) establish a matching grant (MG) instrument to co-finance competitively selected private productive investments; and (iii) provide technical assistance and capacity building to strengthen technical, entrepreneurial, and management skills of smallholders and SMEs. The project will be implemented by several financial intermediaries or FIs including the Central Bank of Gambia; commercial banks or micro-financial institutions (MFI). These FIs will put in place and maintain an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) to identify, assess, manage, and monitor the environmental and social risks and impacts of the private sectors subprojects/activities on an ongoing basis. The procedures will be proportionate to the nature of the FI and the level of potential environmental and social risks and impacts associated with the FI subprojects and include measures to: to screen subprojects against legal exclusions, screen, review, categorize subproject risk, engage stakeholders pursuant to SS10, require that all FI subprojects are assessed, prepared and implemented to meet national law and, in addition, Sep 29, 2021 Page 11 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) where an FI subproject involves involuntary resettlement (unless the risks or impacts of such resettlement are minor), or significant risks or impacts on the environment, community health and safety, labor and working conditions, biodiversity or cultural heritage, set requirements out in legal agreement, keep updated information on subprojects and apply requirements of ESSs if risk profile increases. In this perspective, the CPCU will have to carry out a capacity assessment of the FI existing E&S capacity , and a plan to fill any capacity gaps. C. Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Projects on International Waterways TBD TBD OP 7.60 Projects in Disputed Areas No No B.3. Reliance on Borrower’s policy, legal and institutional framework, relevant to the Project risks and impacts Is this project being prepared for use of Borrower Framework? No Areas where “Use of Borrower Framework” is being considered: The project will not rely on the Borrower’s Framework but will comply with all environmental and social laws, policies Public Disclosure and regulations. IV. CONTACT POINTS World Bank Contact: Aifa Fatimata Ndoye Niane Title: Senior Agriculture Economist Telephone No: 5352+4142 / - -859-4142 Email: andoye@worldbank.org Contact: Rhoda Rubaiza Title: Senior Agriculture Economist Telephone No: 5351+2208 / -223-20702208 Email: rrubaiza@worldbank.org Borrower/Client/Recipient Borrower: Republic of The Gambia Implementing Agency(ies) Implementing Agency: Ministry of Agriculture V. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Sep 29, 2021 Page 12 of 13 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects VI. APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Rhoda Rubaiza, Aifa Fatimata Ndoye Niane Practice Manager (ENR/Social) Maria Sarraf Cleared on 29-Sep-2021 at 15:09:16 GMT-04:00 Public Disclosure Sep 29, 2021 Page 13 of 13