Mangroves and other coastal ecosystems act as natural defenses that protect people and property from storms, floods, erosion, and other coastal hazards, reducing coastal risk. ... See More + Mangroves protect coastlines by decreasing the risk of flooding and erosion. The roots of mangroves retain sediments and prevent erosion, while the prop roots, trunks and canopy reduce the force of incoming wind and waves and reduce flooding. The Philippines has lost hundreds of thousands of hectares of mangroves in the last century. When mangroves are degraded or destroyed, the coast line becomes more exposed to the destructive impacts of waves and storm surge, and coastal communities have greater risks from the impacts of storms, floods, and sea level rise. The Philippines is at high risk from coastal hazards and natural defenses can help reduce these risks. This Technical Report, and its accompanying Policy Brief, provide a social and economic valuation of the flood protection benefits from mangroves in the Philippines. This work aims to support decisions across development, aid, risk reduction and conservation sectors as they seek to identify sustainable and cost-effective approaches for risk reduction. This Technical Report applies the Expected Damage Function approach recommended by the World Bank to quantify the risk reduction benefits from mangroves in the Philippines. Using high-resolution flooding models, the Report examines the flooding that would occur with and without mangroves under different storm conditions throughout the Philippines, and estimates the annual expected benefits of mangroves for protecting people and property in social and economic terms.  See Less -

Document Type: Working Paper Report No.: 117830 Document Date: JUL 01, 2017

Author: W. Beck,Michael; Narayan,Siddharth; Trespalacios,Dania Maria; Quiroz,Angela Disclosure Status: Disclosed

There have been few efforts to evaluate whether the positive land use changes induced by conservation interventions such as Payments for Environmental Services (PES) persist once the interventions end. ... See More + Since gains achieved by conservation interventions may be lost upon termination of the program, even apparently successful interventions may not result in longterm conservation benefits, a problem known as that of permanence. This paper examines the permanence of land use changes induced by a short-term PES program implemented between 2003 and 2008 in Matiguas-Rio Blanco, Nicaragua. This PES program had been found to have a positive and highly significant impact on land use, and particularly on the adoption of silvopastoral practices. To assess the long-term permanence of these changes, participants were re-surveyed in 2012, four years after the last payment was made. We find that the land use changes that had been induced by PES were broadly sustained in intervening years, with minor differences across specific practices and sub-groups of participants. The patterns of change in the period after the PES program was completed help us understand the reasons for the program's success, and rule out alternative explanations for the program's success. Our results suggest that, at least in the case of productive land uses such as silvopastoral practices, PES programs can be effective at encouraging land owners to adopt environmentally beneficial land use practices and that the benefit will persist after payments cease.  See Less -

Document Type: Working Paper (Numbered Series) Report No.: 115197 Document Date: MAY 01, 2017

Author: Pagiola,Stefano P.; Honey-Rosés, Jordi; Freire-González, Jaume Disclosure Status: Disclosed

The development objective of Coastal Cities Sustainable Environment Project for Vietnam is to increase access to sanitation services and improve the operational performance of sanitation utilities in the Project Cities. ... See More + This project has four components. 1) The first component, Sanitation Infrastructure Expansion, aims to contribute to PDO achievement (increase access to sanitation services) through investments in flood reduction works and drainage and wastewater collection networks. 2) The second component, Urban Connectivity Improvement, aims to create new key arterial roads/link roads/local roads or upgrade existing ones, thereby increasing the connectivity of the cities’ road network. 3) The third component, Compensation and Site Clearance, aims to provide funding for compensation, site clearance, and resettlement site works. 4) The fourth component, Implementation Support and Institutional Reform, aims to contribute to Project development objective (PDO) achievement (improve the operational performance of sanitation utilities in select cities) through a capacity strengthening program for the Project Management Units (PMUs) and relevant agencies, and reform activities related to implementation of Decree 80 (institutional reorganization, household connection policy, revolving funds in Nha Trang, Phan Rang, and Quy Nhon, service contracts and private sector participation, tariffs/cost recovery).  See Less -

Document Type: Project Appraisal Document Report No.: PAD2075 Document Date: APR 14, 2017

Disclosure Status: Disclosed

Document Type: Environmental Assessment Report No.: SFG3269 Document Date: APR 01, 2017

Author: Menang Evouna,Emeran Serge M. Disclosure Status: Disclosed

The Inspection Panel, the World Bank’s independent accountability mechanism, has released the third report in its Emerging Lessons Series. The latest report identifies lessons from Panel cases related to environmental assessment (EA) issues. ... See More + The Panel is an impartial fact-finding body, independent from the World Bank management and staff, reporting directly to the Board. In response to complaints from affected people, it has a mandate to review projects funded by the World Bank, investigate allegations of harm to people or the environment and review whether the Bank followed its operational policies and procedures. Of the 34 cases the Panel has investigated since it was created by the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors in 1993, 29 of them have involved environmental assessment issues. The Panel’s EA report identifies seven lessons that can be learned from those cases, and reaches five major conclusions. The Panel’s Emerging Lessons Series is meant to build institutional knowledge at the World Bank, enhance accountability and contribute to more effective development. The first two reports, on lessons from cases involving involuntary resettlement and indigenous peoples, were released in 2016. The fourth report in the series – on cases related to consultation, participation and disclosure of information – will be released in the fall of 2017.  See Less -

Document Type: Working Paper (Numbered Series) Report No.: 116026 Document Date: APR 01, 2017

Disclosure Status: Disclosed

The objective of the Second Regional and Municipal Infrastructure Development Project for Georgia is to improve access to and quality of municipal services and infrastructure. ... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: revision of vehicles will be required to ensure that there is no leakage of fuel and lubricating materials. All machinery will be maintained and operated such that all leaks and spills of materials will be minimized. Daily plant checks (vehicle maintenance procedure) will be undertaken to ensure no leaks or other problems are apparent. Vehicle maintenance, cleaning, degreasing etc. will be undertaken in designated areas, of hard-standing, not over made ground. Maintenance points will not be located within 50m of any watercourse; lubricants, fuel and solvents should be stored and used for servicing machinery exclusively in the designated sites, with adequate lining of the ground and confinement of possible operation and emergency spills. Spill containment materials (sorbents, sand, sawing, chips etc.) should be available on construction site; waste collection and disposal pathways and sites will be identified for all major waste types expected from construction activities; mineral construction and demolition wastes will be separated from general refuse, organic, liquid and chemical wastes by on-site sorting and stored in appropriate containers; contractor will be required to submit to the MDF copies of the licenses, permits, written agreements, certificates, etc. to prove that all materials are obtained from licensed providers; and reinstate used sections of quarries and/or borrowing areas as extraction proceeds on or properly close quarries if extraction completed and license expired.  See Less -

Document Type: Environmental Assessment Report No.: SFG3121 Document Date: MAR 07, 2017

Author: Kapanadze,Darejan Document also available in: Disclosure Status: Disclosed

The development objective of the Social Management Framework for the South East Asia Disaster Risk Management (SEA DRM) Project for Lao People's Democratic Republic is to reduce the risk of flooding and enhance disaster risk financing capacity within the Lower Mekong Sub-region. ... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation mesures are included : (i) disasters increase women’s household and care-giving work dramatically for an extended period of time as housing and social infrastructure once destroyed is slowly replaced; (ii) promote appropriate labor-saving technologies for women and men, with special attention to reducing the drudgery of women for care-related tasks; (iii) men are exposed to different risks than women; Young boys have higher morbidity rates from poor hygiene, and migrating men are more exposed to infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Men’s mortality rates from motorized transport are higher; (iv) enhance the disaster-preparedness of public health services, including staff training, establishing stocks of essential medicines and bottled water, and developing public information systems; (v) limited health and transport infrastructure make women and children more vulnerable to access to care; (vi) lower educational levels limit access to health information; (vii) establish monitoring and information systems to monitor diseases and provide early warnings about disasters can help to improve resilience by influencing behavior; (viii) women and girls from vulnerable groups (the poor, ethnic minorities) living in remote cross-border locations are at a significantly higher risk of HIV infection; (ix) implement public awareness and education campaigns, targeted at and tailored for construction workplaces, entertainment establishments, transport corridors, and at-risk local communities; (x) Gender-based Violence (GBV) can be a major issue following disasters; there is evidence that violence against women, both from their intimate partners and other men, tends to increase; (xi) ensure that evacuation shelters and emergency housing are equally accessible to both women and men, and that women have adequate privacy and security; (xii) women are often marginalized or excluded from the decisions made throughout the disaster management cycle and the relevant policies; (xiii) engage women in disaster risk management and recovery decision-making; (xiii) possible pollution of water ways or ground water by petroleum products or solvents; (xiv) dust generated from civil work and transport of construction materials; (xv) possible pollution of water ways by solids; (xvi) quarries and borrow pits can have impacts on soils, water and the natural environment; (xvii) road accidents due to in adequate control of vehicle speeds and signs/signals;  See Less -

Document Type: Environmental Assessment Report No.: SFG2446 Document Date: MAR 01, 2017

Author: Stanton-Geddes,Zuzana Document also available in: English Disclosure Status: Disclosed

The development objective of the East-West Roads Project for Kazakhstan are to increase transport efficiency along the section of the Western Europe-Western China Road Corridor within Almaty-Korgos and to modernize highway management on sections of the Western Europe-Western China Road Corridor. ... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures are includes : (i) emissions from construction machinery and equipment, emissions from cement-concrete, asphalt-concrete plants, crushers, etc.; (ii) all plants/dust-generating equipment should be in good repair and be located at distance from all sensitive zones; (iii) noise from cement-concrete and asphalt concrete plants, crushers, etc.; (iv) sewage at construction camps will be collected in septic reservoir and trans-ported/discharged at wastewater treatment plants; (v) all temporarily used lands have to be restored and re-turned in an agricultural turnover according to the legislation; (vi) contractors shall follow the relevant procedures in case of revealing of findings. In accordance with the state procedure, the works will be immediately suspended for study, recording and excavation; (vii) good road management and maintenance will ensure normal watercourses.  See Less -

Document Type: Environmental Assessment Report No.: SFG3403 Document Date: MAR 01, 2017

Author: Bure,Jacques Document also available in: Disclosure Status: Disclosed

The development objective of the Livestock Sector Innovation Project (NLSIP) for Nepal is to increase productivity, enhance value addition, and improve resilience of smallholder farms and agro-processing enterprises in selected livestock value chains in Nepal in three ecological and altitudinal zones. ... See More + Some of the negative impacts are includes : (i) likely pollution of water resources and aquatic life from pesticide usage; (ii) poisoning from improper use of pesticides by farmers and farm assistants; (iii) impact from improper disposal of pesticide containers; (iv) production losses from threats from other crop pests and diseases; (v) large scale production losses from fruit fly and armyworm outbreaks; (vi) general health and safety of farmers and environmental hazards; Some of the mitigation measures are includes : (i) increased safety risks due to handling of machinery Used in livestock farm, projects like slaughter house, dairy, etc.; (ii) contamination of vegetation (trees, crops etc.) due to unsafe disposal practices; (iii) improving the water efficiency, energy efficiency system in farms, promotion of composting, integration of waste water treatment facilities; (iv) farmyard manure could be prepared by slurry farm shed and dung of animals. This fertilizer makes the field more fertile rather than chemical fertilizers; (v) controlling access and removing obstacles to mobility on common pastures, use of soil conservation measures and sylvopastoralism, together with controlled livestock exclusion from sensitive areas; (vi) payment schemes for environmental services in livestock based land use to help reduce and reverse land degradation; (vii) improving animals diets to reduce enteric fermentation and consequent methane emissions and setting up biogas plant to initiatives to recycle manure; (viii) equal opportunity employment, no disparity in wages, establish good rapport with neighbors; (ix) health hazards associated with odour pollution and consumption of contaminated water; (x) use of safety signs in places, fencing of active work places/construction sites provision of PPE to workers.  See Less -

Document Type: Resettlement Plan Report No.: SFG3645 Document Date: MAR 01, 2017

Author: Chhetri,Purna Bahadur Disclosure Status: Disclosed

The development objective of Emergency Operation for Development Project (EODP) for Iraq is to support the country in the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and the restoration of public services delivery in Targeted Municipal Areas. ... See More + Some of the negative impacts include : i) emissions of the construction equipment and trucks used to transport construction materials; ii) noise emissions from the equipment engines used during the construction activities; iii) improper disposal of any liquid or solid wastes into the river may pollute its waters or block the water flow; iv) soil erosion could be caused by the removal of vegetation and large scale excavation activities for the construction; v) temporary storage on the site area; and management and disposal of wastes; vi) except for agricultural crops, fruit trees and farmland animals, there is no observed wild life or significant naturally grown plants or flora species due to the human activities and presence in the area; vii) disturbance and inconvenience to the local population may result due to the route diversion; viii) risks posed to human health by accidentsresulting from the use of heavy construction equipment. ix) socially harmful consequences of bridge operation are not anticipated. Some of the mitigation measures include : i) machines and equipment are periodically checked and maintained to ensure their good working condition; ii) equipment must be kept in good working order and where appropriate fitted with silencers which are kept in good working order; iii) wastewater from the worker rest areas or construction offices should be contained in solid bottom containers and should be removed regularly from site by means of authorized contractors. the wastewater should be disposed in wastewater treatment plants as determined by the municipality; iv) to prevent soil contamination by oil/grease spills, leakages or releases, all manipulations of oil derivatives in the process of construction and provision of the fuel to the machines should be performed with maximum care; v) minimize waste generation on site; vi)Provide information, through appropriate signage, to the bridge users to use the alternative route and upgrade the alternative route to be able to receive the additional number of vehicles. vii) qualified personnel must be employed for the construction equipment, and personnel must be trained for health and safety issues;  See Less -

Document Type: Environmental Assessment Report No.: SFG2335 Document Date: FEB 24, 2017

Author: Jabbour,Jocelyne Disclosure Status: Disclosed