INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Public Disclosure Copy Report No.: ISDSC4148 Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 10-Jun-2013 Date ISDS Approved/Disclosed: 12-Jul-2013 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: Russian Federation Project ID: P143159 Project Name: Integrated Environmental Monitoring Project (P143159) Task Team Adriana Jordanova Damiano Leader: Estimated 04-Dec-2013 Estimated 27-Mar-2014 Appraisal Date: Board Date: Managing Unit: ECSEN Lending Specific Investment Loan Instrument: Sector(s): Public administration- Information and communications (40%), Solid waste management (40%), General water, sanitation and flood prote ction sector (20%) Theme(s): Environmental policies and institutions (30%), Pollution management and environmental health (30%), Climate change (20%), Other envi ronment and natural resources management (20%) Financing (In USD Million) Public Disclosure Copy Total Project Cost: 153.00 Total Bank Financing: 50.00 Total Cofinancing: Financing Gap: 0.00 Financing Source Amount Borrower 103.00 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 50.00 Total 153.00 Environmental C - Not Required Category: Is this a No Repeater project? B. Project Objectives 16. The Project Development Objective is to improve the national capacity to produce environmental monitoring data and provide accessible, quality and regular environmental monitoring information to various users from the public and private sectors. 17. Specifically, the project will support methodological and technological enhancement of the environmental monitoring network. This will include GIS based and (remote sensing) services; enhancing data system of nationwide environmental information which is used for monitoring, Public Disclosure Copy control, planning and assessment of the environment, and research; establishment of compliance monitoring data system which contains data on pollution loading; national GIS -based portal and modern equipment, that will allow expanding decision making capacity of various users and thus strengthen the fundamentals of environmental management. The project will also support targeted regional programs for environmental monitoring in selected pilot regions, with significant environmental problems, including support to monitoring infrastructure and capacity of regional authorities for region-sector specific environmental monitoring. Key Development Indicators include: a) Accessible federal data acquisition platform providing comprehensive datasets of quality monitoring information to users from the public and private sectors established and operational at the SFD SEM; b) Improving on-line access of end-users to environmental information <=5 minutes (to date, the information on individual components of the environment is available upon request <= 15 days); c) Spatial inventory of emissions of large point sources with geo-reference in line with EMEP* reporting requirements established in two regions. *European Monitoring and Evaluation Program for emission reporting under the LRTAP Convention. C. Project Description The Project will take the form of an investment loan. The project will finance technical assistance (e. g., studies, knowledge exchange, and training), investments in ICT (system design, software and Public Disclosure Copy hardware), monitoring equipment, laboratory equipment etc. and will have four components: (1) Support to institutional, regulatory-and methodological framework for environmental monitoring; (2) Information technologies and systems of ecological monitoring; (3) Public access to environmental information; and (4) Project management. Component 1: Support to institutional, regulatory and methodological framework for environmental monitoring (estimated cost US$15.0 million). This Component will address functional gaps in the current environmental monitoring system. The activities will specifically include:(i) improvement of regulatory tools for comprehensive ecological monitoring based on good international practice; (ii) development of comprehensive environmental quality monitoring system and requirements for homogeneity and representativeness of information in line with recommendations of international organizations (e.g., WHO, WMO, OECD, UNECE) and good international practice (EU, USA, Canada etc.); (iii) development of guidelines for the anthropogenic load impact assessment and analysis of limiting and critical ecological factors; (iv) analysis of operational costs of regional segments of existing and perspective USSEM subsystems in pilot regions, using management accounting model for calculating the cost of environmental information products and economic valuation of environmental performance; (v) development of methodology for collection and processing of observation data, quality controls, formats and protocols for representativeness and accuracy of data, as well as the creation and testing an interactive information model for specific users and areas of application; (vi) staff training on new methodologies and use of new equipment for: • MENR, agencies headquarters, regional offices and branches of the sub-systems of ecological monitoring; Public Disclosure Copy • Research and information centers (e.g., Main Geophysical Observatory Voejkov, Scientific- Research Institute of Atmospheric Air, (SRI," NPO “Typhoon�, Fedorov Institute of Applied Geophysics, Federal Center for Geographic Information Systems, and the Russian Academy of Science; • Territorial environmental and geo-information centers responsible for collection and processing of environmental data. During project preparation, an analysis will be carried out of existing departmental facilities for processing and storage of environmental data, observation and data collection points, in order to substantiate the subsequent system optimization and modernization, including observation equipment, ICT and laboratory infrastructure requirements. The methodological framework for operationalizing the monitoring system will be developed under Component 1 early on during project implementation. This includes the methodological guidelines for dataset formats, archiving, spatial visualization (harmonized with the principles of the European Monitoring and Evaluation Program (EMEP). Component 2: Information technology and environmental monitoring systems (estimated cost US $125.0 million). This component will support two levels of monitoring infrastructure improvements: (i) at regional level, through elimination of major technology gaps and moderniza tion of existing observation system in the pilot regions. Candidate regions include the Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Kaluga, Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk oblasts and Krasnoyarski Krai (industrial areas), and Kostroma, Voronezh, Smolensk oblasts (agricultural areas), all of which with high concentration of pollution in densely populated areas, and (ii) at national level, through supporting integration and optimization of the existing system for collection, processing and storage of environmental observation data; and establishment of a single information space which allows for real time data processing, transmission, integration and visualization, access and data sharing by a diverse group of users. Public Disclosure Copy In selected pilot regions the project will support modernization of analytical laboratories directly related to air, water and soil quality monitoring and a demonstration model for accounting of anthropogenic impact and reporting, using spatial datasets for sector groups applicable to specific users. During preparation the feasibility of including project support to wildlife monitoring sub- systems in the pilot regions by equipping regional authorities with automated infrastructure for monitoring and control will be determined. In addition, this component will include the services of a System Integrator. His services will be key to resolve a number of system integration tasks as follows: • Conducting a pre-project survey at the federal level and in the pilot regions, including the analysis of information and telecommunication resources created and used by the federal and regional authorities for assessment of negative environmental impacts and ecological monitoring, as well as the analysis of human resource potential; • Carrying out the engineering design of the FIS of SFD, including federal and territorial segments; • Providing technical support to the leading implementing agency and Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in implementation of project activities - from formulation of technical requirements up to performing the designer supervision over the execution of contracts for creation of system components; • Ensuring system integration (format/logical, hardware and software compatibility of individual complexes, subsystems and components of FIS of SFD. Public Disclosure Copy Component 3: Public access to environmental information (estimated cost US$8.0 million). In Russia the general public had limited capacity to participate in formulation of environmental policies. Current GORF policies call for a shift towards broader involvement of public and a stronger role in local environmental matters through: (i) Enhanced public access to environmental information. Specifically, the project will target schools, community organizations to increase the demand for information and public understanding of the factors affecting the environmental quality (e.g. surface and ground waters; air quality) and health related impacts. Support will be provided to target groups in building awareness on environment related human health risks. (ii) A website (in each pilot region) with visual maps of the spatial distribution of emission levels and pollutants in selected urban centers. This will demonstrate innovative methods for providing near-time reporting of spatial and temporal distribution of air pollutants in heavily industrialized urban communities atmospheric dispersion models (ADMs), and regional Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The project will also support a series of events (i.e. conferences, workshop, scientific exchanges, knowledge sharing events) on environmental monitoring, policy development, international best practice, in respect of environmental managemen t and conservation with representation from federal and regional executive bodies, academia and non-governmental organizations. Component 4: Project management (estimated cost US$5.0 million). This component will finance project management cost in relation to PIU management and staff, and operational cost to meet the requirements of the Bank fiduciary policies on procurement, financial management, contract management, reporting and safeguards. Public Disclosure Copy 2. Implementation The project activities are designed to facilitate the implementation of the environmental policy of the Russian Federation. While successful implementation of the policies and regulations to a large extent depends on timely and accurate information on environmental conditions, increasing the transparency and access to information will have positive impact and will gradually change public behavior and expand the demand for and possibility of public involvement in local environmental matters. The project will be implemented over a five years period. The leading Implementing Agency will be the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia (MNRE). Project implementation will be carried out according to the principles of Resolution No. 43 of January 28, 2005, which requires the selection of Project Implementation Unit (PIU) prior to project appraisal. For effective implementation of administrative and technical functions, the PIU will be selected based on agreed Terms of Reference to perform the following functions: (i) organization of competitive selection of consultants and contractors in accordance with the rules of the World Bank; (ii) ensuring a target use of the loan and co-financing funds; (iii) delivery of project and financial reporting under the project; (iv) coordination of all project activities. Financial provision for counterpart funds for preparation and project implementation are already secured within the budget allocations of the Russian Federation and are linked to the lending pipeline in the CPS. A principle approval of the project concept has been granted by Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economic Development to the effect that the project financing is provided in the federal budget for planning period of 2014 - 2015, and also included in the external borrowing program of the Russian Federation for 2013 and the planning period of 2014 - 2015. Public Disclosure Copy D. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) The project will be implemented at national level, plus in two pilot regions. Selection of the regions will be carried out during pre-appraisal. E. Borrowers Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies The Borrower's capacity will be assessed during project preparation. F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Alexei Slenzak (ECSEN) II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Environmental Assessment OP/ No BP 4.01 Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 No Forests OP/BP 4.36 No Pest Management OP 4.09 No Physical Cultural Resources OP/ No BP 4.11 Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 No Public Disclosure Copy Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP No 4.12 Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No Projects on International No Waterways OP/BP 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP No 7.60 III. SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN A. Tentative target date for preparing the PAD Stage ISDS: 01-Nov-2013 B. Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed. The specific studies and their timing1 should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS: No negative impacts are expected to occur as result of the project investments at national and regional levels. There is no need to develop environmental impacts or social assessment studies for the project. IV. APPROVALS 1 Reminder: The Bank's Disclosure Policy requires that safeguard-related documents be disclosed before appraisal (i) at the InfoShop and (ii) in country, at publicly accessible locations and in a form and language that are accessible to potentially affected persons. Task Team Leader: Name: Adriana Jordanova Damiano Approved By: Public Disclosure Copy Regional Safeguards Name: Date: Coordinator: Sector Manager: Name: Kulsum Ahmed (SM) Date: 12-Jul-2013 Public Disclosure Copy