23118 ''''--''~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- -' ---- -' ... ... ..... .... ..... . .. . .. . . ....... , ,, = ..~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. .. ...... . .... rih, no .pithl', a'J -.:h .rm n.a lV and So,iaI y Sustam7s.,.Ie D--. :,er,t %'. ;-,& Board wrestles with energy and environment On Nov 24 the Board reviewed the "New Environmental Hello from Ian... Strategy for the Energy Sector: Fuel for Thought, in its draft Intermal communication is really critical. We discussed it at the final stage. This strategy was formulated jointly by the EMT recent Council meeting and decided that we should have a short, and ENV sector boards, and IFC-making it a good model for periodic, issues-oriented newsletter. This is the first issue. All your inter-network cooperation. N umerous comments and ideas for the newsletterand how we can improve our comnmunications suggestions were made, and another draft wil I be prepared are welcome. Best wishes for a happy holiday and new year. for the Board in early 1 999. Issues raised included: Respective roles and responsibilities of developed and strategy, due end Feb. Kevin will chair a strategy group developing countries in tackling environmental problems charged with identifying synergies and coordination within Linkages and priorities between local (e.g., air pollution) ESSD, with other networks, and with external partners. and global (e.g., climate change) environmental issues Bob Watson reported on the climate change meeting in Sequencing of actions at the local, regional, and global Buenos Aires, Alex McCalla on forests and water, and Maritta levels Koch-Weser on natural disaster preparedness, all of which The Bank's priorities in its assistance program, hearing in have social implications. Andreas Raczynski described the role mind possible tradeoffs between clients' needs for afford- of the new IFC ombudsman. Bob Watson also introduced a able and plentiful energy for development, and local and discussion about compliance and quality assurance and global environmental impact outlined plans for the development of a corporate environment Pros and cons of the consultation process that was fol- strategy. This will form part of a broad sustainable lowed in developing the strategy development plan. Full notes are available on the web. * Role played by the new Country Energy/Environment Reviews. Flash from the Field The Board indicated strong interest in a full Energy The Guatemala Resident Mission has been working to put Strategy, which would address not only the environmental together a US$20 million emergency package to help the agenda in energy but also the other strategic aspects of the country cope with consequences of Hurricane Mitch. The Bank's energy work. Social Investment Fund, the Local Reconstruction Project implemented through the National Fund for Peace (FONAPAZ), the Basic Education Project, and the Roads The ESSD Council agreed at its Nov 18 quarterly retreat to Project have been re-programed to address the populations bring in representatives from other networks to promote the worst affected by the hurricane/tropical storm. A mainstreaming of sustainable development issues. Nick van complementary Bank Emergency Operation/Loan Praag outlined a network communications strategy approach, (preliminary estimate, US$25 million) is being negotiateci which was approved, and the detailed plan will now be with the government on Dec 4. The Bank's emergency defined. Kevin Cleaver led a discussion of knowledge package should help primarily with the rehabilitation and management, and the Council agreed to prepare a KM reconstruction phase that the country is now entering. In ESSentials is the monthly internal newsletter of the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Network of the World Bank Group. Its purpose is to unify the 800 network staff, including 100 in field offices, and share important news on sustainable development. Please send all ideas and articles to Alicia Hetzner, MC 4-101, ext 33379. addition, a major effort has been made to coordinate donors: a December common UN system approach/strategy is being developed for 1-11 Conference of the Parties (COP II) to the UN the eastern part of the country, particularly hard-hit by Mitch. Convention on Combating Desertification, Dakar, Senegal IFC implements revised environmental reviewprocess 9 "Development and Human Rights," Address by IFC's Environment Division has revisited its environmental Mary Robinson, UNHCR Commissoiner, HQ review procedure and harmonized its IFC safeguard policies. H auditorium, 1:10pm The revised review process is being implemented for all new 9-10 WWF/WB high-level meeting to consolidate IFC investments, and the division is conducting training Forestry All iance and look at other areas of seminars to introduce all headquarters and field staff to the partnership new policies, procedures, and guidelines. 14-16 4th Consultative Group Meeting on the Prototype Carbon Fund, HQ World Commission on Dams seeks continued 1 5-16 Annual Water Week Conference, Loews Hotel, Bank cooperation Annapolis, Maryland On Nov 19 and 23 Achim Steiner, Secretary General of the World Commission on Dams (WCD), visited the Bank. In New ESSD Network publications presentations to staff, management and EDs, Mr. Steiner highlntaigh theonee tfo themankt asupp rt Sth er Agriculture and the Environment: Pespectives on Sustainable highlighted the need for the Bank to support the work of the Rural Developmient Ed. E. Lutz commission by providing access to its knowledge base andRuaDelomnEdE.Lt Coral Reefs: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable promote acceptance of the commission's findings when they Management M.E. Hatziolos, Aj. Hooten, and M. Fodor are issued in June 2000. Created in 1997, the commission is a Manages: A Halos .. Sen, and ]. pioneering effort by IUCN and the Bank to map a way out of Ethics and Values: A Global Perspective In Serageld;n and the large dams controversy. It includes key stakeholders in the Martin-Brown public and private sectors. The commission's secretariat is in New Opportunities for Development: The Desertification Capetown, South Africa. It has raised about 60 percent of its Convention (English and French)* $10 million budget and defined a 2-year work program that Organizing Knowledge for Environmentally and Socially will culminate in the development of generally accepted Sustainable Development Serageldin and Martin-Brown guidelines for decisionmaking on dams. Partnerships for Global Ecosystem Management: Science, Economics and Law Serageldin and Martin-Brown NGO working group keeps focus on decentralization Protecting Our Planet Securing Our Future: Linkages among The NGO Working Group on the World Bank met at HQ Nov Global Environmental Issues and Human Needs* 1 6-18. Main outcomes were: (a) agreement to follow up the R. Watson, J. Dixon, S.P. Hamburg, A.C. Janetos, and Plan of Action emerging from the Participation Conference, R.H. Moss with special reference to collaborating with the Bank on - Unless starred, all are fornmal World Bank Flagship Country Partnerships to build capacity for primary publications offered for sale at the InfoShop. stakeholder participation and enhancing the Country Assistance Strategy process in partnership countries; (b) collaboration with Your ESSD resources the Bank in select processes leading up to the WDR 2001 on Are you aware of these helpful services and website? Poverty; and (c) partnering with the Bank in sponsoring a Civil Bank's Directory of Expertise: if you register in it, anyone Society/NGO Information Mall. The NGO Working Group will . ' also assist in disseminating OED's report on Nongovernmental skils can findyou. Togetinformation ortoupdate your Organizations in Bank-supported Projects, review the main listing, click on [add live link] or contact your Help Desk. findings and conclusions at the regional level, and provide Social Development and ESSD Network information feedback to the Bank. Gloria Davis will consult with the committee on the final selection of a new Civil Society/NGO packets: for use on mission or at meetings to explain what thematic coordinator, as well as the evolving role and function ESSD and the families do; intended primarily for external of the NGO Unit under the leadership of the new coordinator use. Available from Bonnie Bradford and Alicia Hetzner once s/he has been selected. respectively. ESSD 18-month calendar coming on line Contributors to this issue include: The new calendar will be on the ESSD internal website Jan 1, Karl Jechoutek, Andres Liebenthal, Mario Marroquin, and 1999. Meanwhile, major ESSD-related events through year's Peter Neame. Designed and desktopped byJim Cantrell; end include: edited by Alicia Hetzner. MPPIEST OF HOUDAYS!!