The development objective of the Second Competitiveness Enhancement Project (CEP) for Moldova is to increase the export competitiveness of Moldovan enterprises and decrease the regulatory burden they face.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (1) avoiding creation of new terraces since it is linked with loss of topsoil; (2) minimizing loss of natural vegetation and maximizing preservation of vegetation during construction; (3) ensuring appropriate pesticides handling to avoid contaminated surface runoff; (4) disposing on authorized landfills including on special toxic wastes disposal sites; (5) ensuring that work is carried out seasonally, as appropriate to avoid construction during breeding season; (6) using special platforms and tanks with a waterproof bottom for accumulation of manure and preparing of organic fertilizers; and (7) spraying water twice a day during construction to avoid dust.
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Ratings for the Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) Project for Ethiopia were as follows: outcomes were moderately satisfactory, risk to development outcome was substantial, Bank performance was moderately satisfactory, and Borrower performance was moderately satisfactory.
... See More + Some lessons learned included: local governments are best placed to take rural water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) to scale in an underserviced decentralized country such as Ethiopia. The capacity building approach of the project can be replicated in other large projects of this nature. When a project requires significant capacity building, this takes time, and implementation and disbursement schedules need to be adjusted to be realistic. Projects should be more systematic in assessing the likely sustainability of rural and urban WSS. A just-in-time monitoring approach is necessary to maximize learning and make timely course corrections during implementation. Criteria for grant and loan financing for urban WaSH should be made clearer.
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Implementation Completion and Results Report ICR2933 APR 07, 2014
The objective of the Second Urban Infrastructure Project is to improve the quality, efficiency and sustainability of water, wastewater, and solid waste services in selected cities in Ukraine.
... See More + Negative impacts include: dust, air pollution, soil erosion, waste management, water pollution, noise pollution, asbestos management, and loss of ecology. Mitigation measures include: dust and traffic emissions will be minimized by good operation management and site supervision. Dust suppression measures (e.g. water sprinkling) will be applied during long dry periods. Open surfaces at the site and nearby will be cleaned from dust regularly. Workers will be provided with protective masks when necessary; scrap metal will be separated from construction and demolition waste for re-use. Hazardous waste (i.e. asbestos-containing materials etc.) is also separated and managed properly according to regulations and instructions on hazardous waste. Disposal of all types of waste will be done only at the designated landfills. Transport and disposal of waste will be performed by a licensed organization in compliance with the respective national and company-level regulations; respective fire protection standards and instructions have to be observed. Regular inspection of the water supply facilities by the respective fire protection authorities will be conducted. Emergency plan in case of fires should be developed. Workers should receive regular training on fire situations and on the use of fire extinguishers; and the waste management plan should be updated regularly. Waste should be separated as much as practical. Waste collection, transport and disposal will be performed by an authorized organization in full compliance with the respective national and company level procedures. Special mitigation measures will be required for safe disposal of waste water treatment sludge and sludge processing for further incineration.
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Ratings for the First Phase of the Municipal Adaptable Program Loan : Uberaba Agua Viva Project for Brazil were as follows: outcomes were moderately satisfactory, risk to development outcome was moderate, Bank performance was moderately satisfactory, and Borrower performance was moderately satisfactory.
... See More + Some lessons learned included: in order to provide a timely response to Borrowers' needs, projects contemplating large civil works can be appraised on the basis of conceptual and preliminary engineering designs, but the project's costing, disbursement and implementation schedules need to clearly reflect this. Project design needs to ensure the coordination of civil works interventions so as to minimize their impact on the community. The use of an external management support firm can be positive in transferring knowledge to the local team, but the knowledge transfer can take time and a transition period is needed to ensure the local team is fully operational. Results frameworks need to be designed: (i) candidly to present what a project can actually achieve during its timeframe; and (ii) taking into account Borrowers' capacity for measuring results and the availability of reliable baseline data. The design and implementation of a strong and effective communication plan is a key instrument to address citizen demands regarding impacts from large infrastructure investments. Complex urban development projects can be managed effectively by medium-sized municipalities with a reasonable institutional and operational capacity. An integrated urban water management approach is effective, creates synergies among financing and implementation institutions, and allows local stakeholders to understand project objectives and results. The relevance of the World Bank's assistance for achieving impact and sustainability is high even when it is not the main source of funding.
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Implementation Completion and Results Report ICR2840 MAR 31, 2014
The objective of the Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation Project for Bangladesh is to increase the sustainable access to safe water and improved sanitation, as well as support the establishment of a long term water supply, sanitation and drainage infrastructure development and operational management program in Chittagong.
... See More + The project has the following components: the first component being water supply and sanitation; the second component is the sewerage and drainage; and finally, the third component is the institutional and operational development, and project management support. The changes include: (i) scaling down project interventions in the water supply and sanitation component; (ii) cancelling some project activities under the sewerage and drainage component; and (iii) amending the project development objective, or PDO and results framework to correspond with the revised project scope.
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The development objective of the Irrigation and Land Market Development Project for Georgia is to improve the delivery of irrigation and drainage services in selected areas and to ensure owners of irrigated or drained land in selected areas have registered land titles.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (1) ensuring that first aide medical kits and fire extinguishers are available at work site for workers safety; (2) watering dust sources to minimize discomfort to nearby residents; (3) ensuring that the engine covers of generators, air compressors, and other powered mechanical equipment are kept closed during operation, and equipment placed as far away from residential areas; (4) reusing and recycling construction waste whenever feasible; and (5) applying erosion control measures.
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The Maharashtra Water Sector Improvement Project for India seeks to strengthen the state's capacity for multi-sectoral planning, developments, and sustainable management of water resources, and, to improve irrigation service delivery, to increase productivity of irrigated agriculture.
... See More + The categories of expenditures have been reallocated to match with the actual work plan and progress without affecting the total cost of project. The reallocation includes mainly the increase in civil works and goods and equipment while simultaneous decrease in other categories.
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The development objective of the First Phase of the Sindh Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Enhancement Project for Pakistan is to improve agriculture productivity for small and medium size farmers in Sindh.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (1) undertaking capacity building and awareness program for the farmers regarding project intervention including integrated pest management (IPM) plan; (2) avoiding the stagnant water and following the judicious use of soft insecticides with IPM approach; (3) considering the planting of trees as an important component of environment; (4) using masks on the face for controlling air pollution and encouraging noise protectors on the ears to the people working in the agriculture activities; (5) encouraging the farmers through awareness for promotion of drip irrigation in undulating terrain; and (6) constructing washing bays at appropriate places along the water course and taking due care to monitor this activity to avoid water pollution.
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The objective of the Additional Financing for the Water Supply and Sanitation Project (WSSP) for Belarus is to increase access to water supply services and to improve the quality of water supply and wastewater services in selected urban areas in all six (6) oblasts of the Borrower.
... See More + The additional financing (AF) will help fund: (i) scale-up activities to enhance the impact of the ongoing project; and (ii) support modernization of the sector. The AF will also provide additional funds to prepare future high priority investments and finance additional costs associated with project management. The AF will deepen investments in five towns and provide first time investments in three new towns, for which designs were prepared under WSSP. These activities will help in particular to: (i) reduce the discharge of untreated wastewater (through rehabilitation of wastewater treatment plants and sewerage systems); and (ii) improve water quality to achieve compliance with standards for potable water (through the modernization of water production and distribution systems).
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The development objective of the Additional Financing for the Dam Safety and Water Resource Planning Project for Sri Lanka is to improve the development and management of water resources within the country, reduce water induced hazards to the public, and enhance the effectiveness of water related investments.
... See More + Negative impacts include: loss of crops and trees, loss of land acquisition, loss of asset, loss of income, and loss of livelihood. Mitigation measures include: community-designed coping strategies will be developed for selected dams as an integral part of the community approval process. The estimated budget provision to assure the household 'paddy buffer' was Rs 10,000 per household (to tide over one season). However, if the remedial measures disrupt the Maha season cropping, communities will be put to a lot of hardship. In such a case, 'paddy buffer' coping strategy will not suffice. A full compensation for the crop loss becomes inevitable. This will work out to about Rs 50,000 per household per year viz., Maha and Yala seasons together. The project was expected to gather significant experience during implementation. This experience was to be used to improve this community-based approach to dam rehabilitation projects. Domestic water supplies are not likely to be affected for two reasons. One, there are many open wells in any command areas. Two, no reservoir is expected to be emptied fully and even in the event of a natural disaster, some dead storage water would always be available. Still, if there is a necessity to ensure uninterrupted water supplies for drinking, the project will enlist the help of the local administration and make available water at certain key locations.
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In a changing climate, saltwater intrusion is expected to worsen in low-lying coastal areas around the world. Understanding the physical and economic effects of salinity ingress, and planning adaptation, are key to the long-term development of countries for which sea level rise has been identified as a major risk from climate change.
... See More + This paper presents a study conducted in Bangladesh, which quantifies the prospective relationship between climate-induced changes in sea level, temperature, rainfall, and altered riverine flows from the Himalayas, and the spread and intensity of salinization on river water in the coastal zone for 2050. The research takes into account the projected land subsidence of the Ganges Delta, as well as alternative scenarios of upstream withdrawal of freshwater. The findings indicate that climate change will cause significant changes in river salinity in the southwest coastal area of Bangladesh by 2050. These changes are likely to lead to significant shortages of drinking water in the coastal urban areas, scarcity of water for irrigation for dry-season agriculture, and significant changes in the coastal aquatic ecosystems. Changes in the availability of freshwater fish will likely affect the composition of capture fishery, although the increase in brackish water will enhance opportunities for brackish water aquaculture. Assessment of location-specific economic impacts of the changes in river salinity, identification of suitable adaptation alternatives, and costing of adaptation are high priorities for further analysis.
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Policy Research Working Paper WPS6817 MAR 01, 2014