This is the fourth progress report on the Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project (VPHEP) for India. Management’s action plan addressed the two principal findings of non-compliance by the Panel by: (a) proposing to clarify in greater detail how alternative water sources would be supplied if required as part of the mitigation measures; and (b) ensuring a conclusion of the ongoing negotiations with the seventeen families of the Hatsari hamlet that is compliant with Bank policy.
... See More + Management also committed to continue to follow up on other issues raised by the panel, and to ensure that the project remained in compliance with Bank policies on these issues. Management will continue to monitor the implementation of the management action plan. Management will also continue to support the ongoing negotiations between THDC India Limited and the village of Hatsari, and to the best of its ability, seek a satisfactory conclusion on the issue of compensation for resettlement and livelihood restoration.
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This is the third and final Progress Report to the Board of Executive Directors (the Board) on implementation of the Management Action Plan (MAP) in response to the Inspection Panel Investigation on the Nepal Power Development Project aimed to: (a) develop Nepal’s hydropower potential in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner to help meet electricity demand, (b) improve access to electricity services in rural areas, and (c) promote private sector participation in the hydropower sector.In response to a Request for Inspection, registered on July 24, 2013, by affected people in the Sindhuli district in the project area, the Inspection Panel recommended an investigation, and this was approved by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors.
... See More + The Request raised various concerns related to: consideration of transmission line alternatives, compensation, alleged human rights violations by police, Indigenous Peoples, and consultation and disclosure. The Inspection Panel submitted its Investigation Report to the Board on February 12, 2015. On March 30, 2015, Management submitted its Report and Recommendation, including a detailed MAP developed in response to the Inspection Panel’s findings. On July 9, 2015, the Bank’s Board considered both reports and approved the MAP.Progress with the implementation of the MAP during the past three years has advanced considerably and Management considers that the MAP is now substantially completed. Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) assistance has been disbursed to 100 percent of the households affected by displacement and about 87 percent of the compensation for land acquisition has been paid. The project has also deposited the outstanding compensation amount, plus 10 percent, into an escrow account and informed the community that this amount is available to it when it decides to receive it. The grievance redress mechanism (GRM) is operational.The project was closed in December 2013 and the remaining activities are funded from government sources. Construction of all the towers for the double-circuit transmission line and stringing of one of the two circuits is complete and the circuit is operational. Stringing of the second circuit is in progress, with 67 out of 74 km completed; this is expected to be completed by October 2018.
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On September 13, 2017, the Inspection Panel registered a Request for Inspection, concerning the Democratic Republic of Congo Second Additional Financing for the High-Priority Roads Reopening and Maintenance Project financed by the International Development Association (IDA).
... See More + The request for Inspection was submitted by community members living in Goma and its vicinity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Executive Directors and the President of IDA were notified by the Panel of receipt of the Request. Management responded to the claims in the request on October 20, 2017, and provided an update to its response to Board and Panel on November 27, 2017. In its report to the Board, the Panel found the Request eligible and recommended that the Executive Directors authorize an investigation. The investigation was authorized by the Executive Directors on December 8, 2017. On April 27, 2018, the Panel issued its report outlining the findings of the investigation. This report, responding to the findings of the Panel, is organized in six sections. Section II provides project background information. Section III summarizes the findings of the Panel. Section IV presents Management’s response to the Panel’s findings, and Section V contains Management’s Action Plan. Section VI is the conclusion. The Panel’s findings, along with Management’s responses, are described in detail in Annex 1. Annex 2 provides information on the status of the quarries and borrow pits on RN2 and Annex 3 contains a timeline of the ProRoutes Project.
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This is the third and final report to the Board on the implementation of the Management Action Plan (MAP) in Response to the Inspection Panel investigation of the Ethiopia Promoting Basic Services Phase III Project (PBS 3).
... See More + The MAP has been fully implemented. In July 2013, the Board authorized an Inspection Panel investigation following claims made by Anuak community members that PBS 3 was linked to human rights abuses that allegedly occurred under the government’s Commune Development Program (CDP) in Gambella. The Panel’s Investigation Report (No. 91854-ET), dated November 21, 2014, concluded that the alleged harm which the Panel had investigated did not stem from PBS 3. However, the Panel found that there was an operational interface, due to geographical and sectoral overlap, between the PBS and CDP, which the PBS 3 risk assessments did not adequately take into account. In its management report, Bank Management submitted a Management Action Plan (MAP) to address concerns, in particular with regard to risk assessment, financial management, and livelihoods, which the Board approved on February 27, 2015.
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On October 13, 2016, management submitted its report and recommendation, including a detailed management action plan (MAP), developed in response to the Inspection Panel’s investigation report on the Transport Sector Development Project for Uganda.
... See More + On November 22, 2016, the Bank’s Board considered both reports and approved the MAP. In its report and recommendation in response to the inspection panel investigation report, management committed to a detailed set of actions - at the local, national, and global levels - to address the impacts suffered by project communities and to improve the capacity of the Government of Uganda (GoU) and the Bank to better manage the types of issues that arose under the project. Management also acknowledged serious weaknesses in the preparation, implementation, and supervision of the project.
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This is the second report to the Board on the implementation of the Management Action Plan (MAP) for the Ethiopia Promoting Basic Services Project Phase Three (PBS 3).
... See More + Since the last report, actions have been completed regarding production of a safeguard management manual for communities (woreda); support for smallholder agriculture in Gambella; support for public financial management (PFM) in the woredas; and benchmarking of woreda PFM performance. Two actions remain outstanding, concerning improvement of the link between social accountability and financial transparency, and training of grievance redress officers. The Ethiopia PBS project operates nationwide and contributes to expanding access to, and improving the quality of, basic services such as education and health by supporting direct grants to local authorities that ensure adequate staffing and operations for such basic services, and by strengthening local capacity, transparency, accountability and financial management systems. The project has been instrumental to Ethiopia’s process of poverty reduction, economic growth, and increasing citizens’ voice through the delivery of quality basic services and improving accountability at the grassroots level. A six-month state of emergency was declared by the Government of Ethiopia on October 9, 2016. After a short initial delay following the proclamation of the state of emergency, the implementation of activities related to Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM),Financial Transparency and Accountability (FTA) and Social Accountability (ESAP) is now progressing well. The World Bank and other partners are closely monitoring the current situation in Ethiopia to ensure that the citizen engagement activities in the MAP can be implemented as expected.
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This is the sixth progress report to the Board of Executive Directors on implementation of the management action plan (MAP) in response to the inspection panel investigation report for Private Power Generation (Bujagali) Project for Uganda.
... See More + On March 7, 2007, the inspection panel registered a request for inspection from the Ugandan national association of professional environmentalists (NAPE) and others alleging various environmental, social, and cultural harms as a result of the project. Management responded to the request on April 5, 2007. Following Board approval of the panel’s recommendation on May 18, 2007, the inspection panel undertook to investigate the allegations. The inspection panel submitted its investigation report to the Board on August 29, 2008. On November 7, 2008, management submitted its report and recommendation, along with a detailed MAP, which included strengthening institutional capacity of the various authorities responsible for the project; social assessment and mitigation measures, including updating of the socio-economic baseline, follow up on programs to address vulnerable groups, and sharing of project benefits; measures to address physical cultural resources, including chance find procedures; and environmental assessment and mitigation measures.
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The Power Development Project (PDP) aimed to build capacity to manage the development of Nepal’s hydropower potential in a prudent and sustainable manner; increase access to electricity services in rural areas; and promote private participation in the power sector.
... See More + The Request for Inspection, registered by the Panel on July 24, 2013, was submitted by 103 indigenous and non-indigenous families from three villages of the Sindhuli district in Nepal, supported by a coalition of civil society organizations and individuals. The requesters’ key claims were that the Bank had not complied with its policies in relation to (a) analysis and due consideration of alternatives in the alignment of the Khimti–Dhalkebar Transmission Line (KDTL) and the corresponding potential adverse impacts associated with the alignment; (b) compensation to land holders with properties under the Right of Way (RoW); (c) alleged human rights violations during a confrontation between protesters in Sindhuli District and the police; (d) the project’s approach to addressing Indigenous Peoples in the project area; (e) consultations with affected peoples in Sindhuli District; and (f) disclosure of relevant safeguard documents. Management presented its response to the request on September 18, 2013, including several actions that were to be completed by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) by April 2014. The Panel’s investigation concluded that there was compliance with regard to Environmental Assessment – health impacts; Involuntary Resettlement – choice of instrument; Indigenous Peoples; and protection of Physical Cultural Resources. With regard to the additional Vulnerable Community Development Plan (VCDP) activities requested by the affected people during the consultation in March 2016, the NEA will continue to engage with the community in Sindhuli with a view to mutually agreeing on eligible actions. The NEA will implement the updated VCDP activities for Sindhuli immediately after they are finalized. The Bank will continue to monitor the consultation process for the update and implementation of the VCDP activities for Sindhuli.
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The Third Phase of the Promoting Basic Services Project (PBS 3), which operates nationwide, was approved by the Board in September 2012 supporting the improved quality and delivery of decentralized services in education, health, agriculture, water supply, and rural roads in Ethiopia.
... See More + The project also supported strengthening of fiduciary systems, citizen engagement, and improving development data to allow results to be monitored. There is clear evidence that district-level spending is effective in improving basic service delivery, especially for health and education. The PBS, in particular, has helped to make spending more effective and has resulted in impressive development achievements. Joint donor and government supervision missions in April and November 2015 concluded that PBS 3 has maintained satisfactory implementation progress. The program for results (PforR) replaces Bank support to sub program A of the PBS, which financed woreda block grants at the inter-governmental fiscal transfer’s system level. It also includes policy and regulatory changes designed to integrate citizen engagement, safeguards, and fiduciary improvements supported by PBS program B into day-to-day governance at the local level. In July 2013, the Bank’s Board authorized an inspection panel investigation following claims made by Anuak community members that the Bank’s support to PBS 3 was linked to human rights abuses that allegedly occurred under the government’s commune development program (CDP) in Gambella. The panel’s investigation report, dated November 21, 2014, concluded that the alleged harm which the Panel had investigated did not stem from PBS 3. Management’s response to the inspection panel report, dated January 31, 2015, reiterated the development achievements that PBS 3 made possible. Recognizing the concerns regarding the impact of CDP in Gambella and weaknesses in program appraisal and supervision found by the Panel, the Response included a comprehensive management action plan (MAP). On February 27, 2015, the Board of Executive Directors approved the MAP.
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On January 30, 2013, the Inspection Panel registered a request for inspection concerning the Natural Resource Management Project (NRMP) for Kenya.
... See More + The request for inspection was submitted by individuals from Sengwer communities who live, and represent other members who live, in four areas of the Cherangany hills in the western highlands of Kenya, namely the Kapolet forest (in Trans-Nzoia county), Talau and Kaipos (in West Pokot county), and Embobut forest (in Marakwet county). The requesters claimed that they had been forcibly evicted from their lands within the forests as a result of the project, and that there had been a lack of recognition and protection of their customary rights during project implementation. The Panel determined that no evictions were supported by the NRMP, but more attention should have been given from the outset to identify risks for affected people and adequately mitigate such risks as required by Bank policies on environmental assessment, project appraisal, indigenous peoples, and involuntary resettlement. The Panel also found an inadequate institutional analysis of the implementing agency, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS). The investigation report and the management report and recommendation were discussed by the Board on September 30, 2014. The Board approved the proposed management action plan and management was requested to report back on its implementation within 6 to 12 months’ time. This report is intended to provide a summary of the progress on the implementation of the action plan.
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This Report (the ‘Report’) responds to a Request for Inspection (the ‘Request’) of the Kenya Electricity Expansion Project (the ‘Project’), which the World Bank Inspection Panel (the ‘Panel’) received on October 26, 2014.
... See More + The Request was submitted by members and representatives of a Maasai community resettled due to geothermal developments in the Greater Olkaria Geothermal Area in Nakuru County, Kenya. The Panel and the Complaints Mechanism of the European Investment Bank (EIB-CM), which received complaints relating to the same concerns, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in order to coordinate processing these complaints. The Requesters claim the community agreed to resettle on the condition it will receive communal land-title, which had not been obtained as of the time of the request. They assert the resettlement adversely affected them and, instead of restoring or uplifting their livelihoods, led to impoverishment and social tensions. Many of those resettled now live far from their previous sources of income. They also allege 14 families were excluded from receiving houses at the resettlement site, among them poor, orphans, and widows. They raise concerns about the cultural compatibility of the resettlement housing, health impacts due to new drilling in the vicinity of the resettlement site, and fear of future relocation. The requesters lack trust in their community representatives and the Bank, and complain about inadequate consultation and participation, corruption, nepotism, and discrimination. The Panel’s investigation findings relate to four main groups of issues: (i) indigenous peoples and physical cultural resources, (ii) the resettlement process, (iii) the socioeconomic impacts of resettlement, and (iv) supervision and monitoring.
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This report presents the results of the Investigation of the Nepal Power Development Project (hereinafter referred as ‘the PDP’ or ‘the Project’), specifically its 220 kV Khimti- Dhalkebar Transmission Line (KDTL).
... See More + The request for Inspection was sent on July 10, 2013 by 103 indigenous and non-indigenous families from three villages of the Sindhuli district in Nepal stating that their ‘homes, lands and livelihoods have been affected by the project.’ The Panel registered the Request on July 24, 2013, and Bank Management presented its response on September 18, 2013, proposing several actions that were to be completed by April 2014. A Panel team visited Nepal between September 30 and October 4, 2013 and submitted its report and recommendation to the Board of Directors of the World Bank on October 24, 2013. The Panel recommended an investigation, but in order to take into account the implementation of the management actions, it recommended delaying the start of its investigation until after April 30, 2014. The World Bank’s Executive Board approved this recommendation on November 5, 2013. An update of the Management Action Plan, dated June 22, 2014, was received by the Inspection Panel prior to its investigation field visit and was made publicly available. A second update was provided in January 2015.
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This is the first progress report on the implementation of the Management Action Plan (MAP) covering the period of January 2012 to September 2013.
... See More + On December 17, 2009, the Inspection Panel registered a Request for Inspection for the Smallholder Agriculture Development Project (SADP) for Papua New Guinea. The Board of Executive Directors on March 25, 2010 approved the Inspection Panel’s recommendation to carry out an investigation of the alleged instances of harm fromnoncompliance. On September 19, 2011, the Panel issued its Investigation Report outlining thefindings of the investigation to the Board. On October 31, 2011 Bank Management submitted itsResponse along with a detailed Management Action Plan (MAP), in response to the Panel’sfindings. The MAP committed to actions in three key areas (a) information disclosure,consultation and broad community support; (b) environment; and (c) institutional sustainability. Management appreciated the Panel’s finding of broad concurrence with Bank policiesand procedures applicable to the Project and further noted the Panel’s conclusion that the Projectis an effective response to poverty reduction, and that the Project as designed includes provisionsto avoid conversion or degradation of critical forest areas and habitats. Managementacknowledged the Panel’s observations on specific instances of non-compliance during Projectdesign which it addressed through the MAP.
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This report presents the findings and analysis of the request for inspection of the Third Phase of the Promoting Basic Services (PBS III) Project for Ethiopia, received by the Inspection Panel on September 24, 2012.
... See More + The request was submitted by two representatives on behalf of 26 Anuak people from the Gambella region of Ethiopia. The requesters state that they have been severely harmed by the PBS program as a result of the Bank's non-compliance with its policies and procedures. They argue that the PBS program is contributing directly to the Ethiopian Government's Villagization program (officially known as the commune development program (CDP) in Gambella, that the Anuak indigenous people are being forced to leave their ancestral land under the CDP program, and that the land is then leased to investors. In its report and recommendation submitted to the Board on February 8, 2013, the Panel indicated that this investigation will have a specific focus by examining the risks of the concurrent implementation of the PBS and CDP programs in Gambella, managements analysis of these risks, and subsequent management actions. The Panel also stated that the investigation will not seek to verify allegations of specific human rights abuses linked to CDP, nor the underlying purposes of CDP as these are not within its mandate. In line with its mandate, the Panel investigation focuses solely on allegations of harm that may result from non-compliance by the Bank with its operational policies and procedures.
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The Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project (VPHEP) for India was approved by the Board of Executive Directors on June 30, 2011 and is currently under implementation.
... See More + The Bank-funded components of the project are: (i) construction of the dam and hydropower facility (US$638 million); and (ii) technical assistance for capacity building and institutional strengthening of Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDC), the project implementing agency. On August 3, 2012, the Inspection Panel registered a Request for Inspection, IPN Request RQ 12/04 (hereafter referred to as the Request), concerning the India Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project (the Project) financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The Request for Inspection was submitted by residents of Chamoli district in the State of Uttarakhand, who have requested that their identity remain confidential, and by Dr. Bharat Jhunjhunwala of Tehr district, also in the State of Uttarakhand (hereafter referred to as the Requesters). Management believes that the Bank has made every effort to apply its policies and procedures and to pursue its mission statement in the context of the Project. Management believes that the proposed actions identified in its response address the Panels findings.
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The Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project (VPHEP) for India was approved by the Board of Executive Directors on June 30, 2011 and is currently under implementation.
... See More + The Bank-funded components of the project are: (i) construction of the dam and hydropower facility (US$638 million); and (ii) technical assistance for capacity building and institutional strengthening of Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDC), the project implementing agency. On August 3, 2012, the Inspection Panel registered a Request for Inspection, IPN Request RQ 12/04 (hereafter referred to as the Request), concerning the India Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project (the Project) financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The Request for Inspection was submitted by residents of Chamoli district in the State of Uttarakhand, who have requested that their identity remain confidential, and by Dr. Bharat Jhunjhunwala of Tehr district, also in the State of Uttarakhand (hereafter referred to as the Requesters). Management believes that the Bank has made every effort to apply its policies and procedures and to pursue its mission statement in the context of the Project. Management believes that the proposed actions identified in its response address the Panels findings.
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On January 30, 2013, the Inspection Panel registered a Request for Inspection concerning the Natural Resource Management Project for Kenya. On June 28, 2013 the Panel received a second Request submitted by four representatives of the Cherangany indigenous people's community on behalf of people living in the Cherangany hills.
... See More + On August 1, 2013, the Panel requested the Board to approve the Panel's recommendation to process the Request as part of the ongoing investigation relating to the first Request for Inspection. The Board approved the Panel's request to process the second Request jointly with the first Request. On May 22, 2014, the Panel issued its report outlining the findings of the investigation. This report, responds to the findings of the Panel, and is organized as follows: section one gives introduction; section two presents the project; section three discusses special issues; section four provides a summary of the findings of the Panel; section five contains management's response to the Panel's findings; section six presents management's action plan in response to the Panel's findings; and section seven contains the conclusion. The Panel's findings, along with the management's responses, are described in detail in annex one.
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This report presents the analysis and findings of the Inspection Panel on issues raised by the Request for Inspection relating to the Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project for India received by the Panel on July 23, 2012.
... See More + The Requesters state that they do not want the Alaknanda River to be diverted or controlled in any way. The Request includes a wide range of claims of harm and noncompliance. The Panel notes that the Request has two broad sets of claims. The first set relates to interests and concerns held by people living in the Alaknanda basin, including concerns relating to the expansion of hydroelectric infrastructure in this part of India. The second set relates to existing and potential adverse local impacts on the environment and people living in the project area. Management contends that project documentation and planning address the potential impacts and concerns of the Requesters consistent with Bank policy, and provide an adaptive management approach to address issues that may arise during preparation.
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This is the fifth and last progress report covering January 2012 to April 2014. The following activities outlined in the management action plan (MAP) have been completed: (a) consultations and sensitization of communities; (b) implementation of a new round of compensation for crops and trees based on fair market value and adjusted prices; (c) updates of the socio-economic survey of project affected persons; (d) assignment of a project staff for targeted vulnerable groups during the compensation period; (e) provision of the livelihood restoration program; (f) full disclosure of compensation process; (g) engagement of an independent monitor to witness the payment process; (h) establishment of an adequate grievance mechanism that incorporates the use of alternative and project level dispute resolution methods; and (i) training of safeguards staff, including staff participation in the capacity building training programs sponsored by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment and Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
... See More + The project will continue to operate several years after the closing of the Guarantee, as these types of assets are long-term.
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The Private Power Generation Project for Uganda consists of the 250 MW run of river Bujagali hydropower station on the Nile River, eight kilometers downstream from the existing Nalubaale and Kiira power station; a 220 kV double circuit transmission line (Bujagali-Kawanda), funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); a 132 kV double circuit line from Kawanda to Mutundwe, and a 132 kV double circuit line from Bujagali to Nalubaale and then to Tororo.
... See More + The project was fully commissioned in August 2012. In response to a Request for Inspection submitted by a Ugandan NGO the Panel recommended an investigation, which was approved by the Bank's Board. Consequently, the inspection panel submitted its Investigation Report to the Board on August 29, 2008. On November 7, 2008, Management submitted its Report and Recommendation (MRR), including a detailed Management Action Plan (MAP), developed in response to the inspection panel's findings. Management has regularly provided Progress Reports on the MAP to the Board, of which this is the fourth. The following activities will continue to be monitored as part of the MAP: (i) continued and satisfactory implementation of the Sustainable Management Plan (SMP) for the Kalagala Falls; (ii) electrification of households in the Naminya Resettlement Area and affected nine villages, as a part of the community development program; and (iii) satisfactory implementation of the supplemental action plan.
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