On August 6, 2018, the Inspection Panel ('the Panel') received a Request for Inspection (‘the Request’) of the Lebanon Water Supply Augmentation Project and the Greater Beirut Water Supply Project and its Additional Financing (AF) (‘the Projects’).
... See More + The Request was submitted by Lebanon Eco Movement, a network of 60 environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs), representing 42 local inhabitants, workers and community representatives. The Request also includes as attachments a petition signed by around 1,500 residents of impacted villages and an online petition with around 2,200 signatures of people from Lebanon and other countries opposing the construction of the Bisri Dam. The Requesters asked for confidentiality and authorized Lebanon Eco Movement to represent them during the Panel process. The Requesters are concerned about the construction of the dam on the Awwali River in the Bisri Valley in Lebanon and claim that the assessment of alternatives was inadequate. The Request alleges harms to natural habitats, forests, cultural heritage, agriculture, water sources, as well as a lack of consultation and participation. The Requesters also express concerns related to the geology and seismology of the project area. The Requesters allege that the Projects are based on an insufficient client understanding of the water balance in Lebanon and an incomplete consideration of alternatives, and the construction of the dam will result in the dismantling of a exceptional archeological complex and the inundation of a unique riparian ecosystem. They claim that it will destroy a productive local economy, threaten the safety of local communities and will be built in an area that is not geologically convenient. The Requesters claim that the ‘project's catastrophic harms’ outweigh the claimed benefits.
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Inspection Panel Notice of Registration 129988 SEP 12, 2018
Green growth aims to reconcile economic growth and environmental sustainability, marrying environmental objectives to productivity objectives, job creation, adoption of technology and greater added value.
... See More + In Uruguay, natural capital plays a central role in promoting its export-oriented growth model. Although the country has already been involved in a sustainable growth trajectory for key economic sectors (such as agriculture, tourism, forest management, energy), Uruguay needs to define a green growth strategy to face the emerging environmental challenges, and to meet its goals of production and international commitments targets in a sustainable way.In this context, this report provides a roadmap to promote green growth in Uruguay, with the objective of promoting growth and, at the same time, preserving the asset base on which this growth depends. The work developed is based on the findings of the Technical Assistance Green Growth in Uruguay financed by the World Bank that took place between August 2016 and March 2018, as well as Uruguay's experience in environmental sustainability policies, the collection of international evidence, and World Bank's experience with Uruguay during the last decade.This report proposes an operational definition for Uruguay, presents an analysis of the achievements made so far in the country in the environmental-productive field, and examines future challenges for which a green growth approach could be important. Soil erosion, water pollution from nutrients, pesticide management, and greenhouse gas emissions represent some of the recurring themes in the country's decision-making. In addition, the management of water quality and water quantity variability represent particularly important challenges, both for production and for the availability of water suitable for domestic consumption.Lastly, this work includes recommendations to generate a green growth strategy in Uruguay. For this purpose, a five-step roadmap is proposed to promote green growth and to advance on its strategic goals. These steps are: identify green growth policies to boost the country's growth, identify the environmental benefits of these policies, establish criteria to prioritize potential policies of green growth, design green growth policy instruments, and establish the mechanism to evaluate and adjust green growth policies. This roadmap is complemented with recommendations on the institutional framework needed to support the sustainability of a green growth vision.This report is part of a series of five complementary analytical products generated under the World Bank's Green Growth Technical Assistance in Uruguay.
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The development objectives of the Cultural Heritage Preservation and Tourism Sector Support Project for Haiti are to: (a) increase the attractiveness of the cultural heritage sites in North of Haiti for tourists; (b) improve the living environment for the residents living in North of Haiti; and (c) support the Recipient’s capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible emergency, as needed.
... See More + The following are the restructuring changes: (a) dropping the following activities: (i) renovation of the old prison, (ii) rehabilitation of Antênor Firmin house, and (iii) rehabilitation of the Alliance Française; (b) reallocation of funds to component C, inclusive tourism sector development support and to component E, project implementation, evaluation and monitoring; (c) reformulation and or adjustment of indicators; and (d) adjustments in procurement.
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Uruguay's export-led growth model depends heavily on its rich base of natural assets. Although innovative environmental initiatives have been implemented and boosted trade competitiveness, the identification of green market opportunities with higher added value, may benefit economically to Uruguay as well as promote sustainable use of natural resources.In this sense, the report presents an economic analysis of the demand for green segments in international markets focusing on the main export sectors (beef, dairy products, soybeans and tourism).
... See More + These sectors were selected for their great contribution to exports and their intensive use of Uruguay's natural assets. Greener – or more environmentally friendly - products can increase the diversification of exports to niches of higher added value, promoting investments in capacity building and the adoption of new technologies and practices.The report analyzes and delves into the differences between several "green" and "sustainable" beef labels. In terms of green soybeans, the report specifically focuses on non-genetically modified (non-GM) soybeans for their long-term environmental benefits. In terms of dairy products, this report focuses on organic dairy products, due to significant economic premiums and environmental and animal health benefits associated with organic labels. The analysis of these markets, in terms of geography, centers on the main export destinations of Uruguay, such as the European Union, the United States and Asia, including China. The analysis carried out on sustainable tourism focuses on adventure tourism and ecotourism.The report finds that there are important growth prospects and attractive mark-ups in the segments of sustainable beef, non-genetically modified soybeans and organic dairy products, and a potential to strengthen Uruguay's international supply of sustainable tourism. In addition to the economic benefits, these segments can bring important environmental co-benefits associated with the sustainable production and processing practices of "green" value chains. For example, reduction in greenhouse gases emissions, reduction in the use of pesticides and herbicides, soil preservation, reduction on nutrient pollution, among others.In general, this report sheds light on niches of strong demand that could offer new opportunities to Uruguay, and provides recommendations for future work. Among the four sectors analyzed, a low hanging fruit is associated with sustainable beef. In addition, Uruguay could potentially explore the niche of organic milk powder. To make the most of the growth opportunities in the tourism market, currently focused on "beach and sun", the report includes recommendations to diversify and improve the existing supply.This report is part of a series of five complementary analytical products generated under the World Bank's Green Growth Technical Assistance in Uruguay.
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