Page 1 PROJECT INFORMATION DOCUMENT (PID) CONCEPT STAGE Report No.: AB3016 Project Name Lower Kihansi Environmental Management Project 2 Region AFRICA Sector General agriculture, fishing and forestry sector (65%);Central government administration (35%) Project ID P105220 Borrower(s) UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA Implementing Agencies National Environment Management Council P.O. Box 63154, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism P. O. Box 9372, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Vice President ’s Office P. O. Box 5380, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Environment Category C (Not required) Date PID Prepared March 29, 2007 Estimated Date of Appraisal Authorization May 21, 2007 Estimated Date of Board Approval August 21, 2007 1. Key development issues and rationale for Bank involvement The Bank is responding to concerns raised by the Government, academicians, and environmental NGOs which have been seeking more aggressive action in reducing the downstream impact and threat of habitat loss in the Kihansi Gorge ecosystem as a result of the Kihansi Hydropower Project. The pivotal issue was the discovery of the Kihansi Spray Toad ( Nectophrynoides asperiginis) a rare species that depends upon the microclimate produced from the Kihansi River’s waterfalls. The rationale for the Bank support is derived from the value of the habitat for biodiversity conservation and the need for developing closer coordination in implementing national, energy and environmental policies. The government has also adopted an Environmental Management Strategy, which emphasizes the conservation of river catchments, including Kihansi gorge, which is quite critical in water resource management. In this regard, continued support to the on-going community-driven investments in the Kihansi river catchments to enhance water quality and quantity will also set precedence for other river basins management, including the Bank supported Water Sector Development Project. The additional financing would therefore, complement the on-going support to (i) enable the project to complete the implementation of the selected activities; and (ii) mitigate high corporate risk to the Bank. 2. Proposed objective(s) The development objectives of the Lower Kihansi Environmental Project (LKEMP) are (i) to put in place a series of medium term measures for the long-term conservation of the Kihansi gorge ecosystem and upstream catchment areas; (ii) at national level, support the development of a coordinated and consistent legal and institutional framework for environmental and water resources management and strengthening of ecosystem monitoring and assessment functions of environmental institutions. Page 2 3. Preliminary description Additional financing support will focus on selected activities mainly from three out of the four original components: (i) Species and Habitat Conservation - support to the USA captive breeding facilities, while at the same time building local captive breeding capacity, developing a recovery plan for the re- introduction of the Kihansi Spray Toad (KST) species into its natural habitat, restoration and maintenance of the KST species natural habitat, and continued monitoring of key ecological parameters; (ii) Implementation of the Landscape-Wide Conservation Plan (LWCP) for the Kihansi river Catchmen t - supporting community-based interventions for the upstream catchment management, with the aim of protecting both quantity and quality of the Kihansi river waters, and ( iii) Capacity Building for Enforcement and Compliance of Environmental quality and Water Resource Management - support for monitoring the final water right compliance and hydrology of the Kihansi river; and capacity building activities at the key institutions. The implementation of these activities will contribute to achievement of the first development objective 4. Safeguard policies that might apply The project is conceived of almost entirely as an effort to mitigate the downstream effects on the Lower Kihansi Gorge as a result of the unexpected impacts on the wetland and forest ecosystem found there 5. Tentative financing Source: ($m.) BORROWER/RECIPIENT 0 International Development Association (IDA) 3.5 Total 3.5 6. Contact point Contact: Jane A. N. Kibbassa Title: Rural Development Specialist The World Bank Country Office 50 Mirambo Street, Dar es Salaam Tel: 255-22 2163200 Fax: 255-22 2113039 DAMA : 5355+3254 Email: jkibbassa@worldbank.org Location: Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania (IBRD)