INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Report No.: ISDSC255 Public Disclosure Copy Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 20-Oct-2011 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: Samoa Project ID: P126596 Project Name: Enhancing the Climate Resilience of Coastal Resources and Communities Task Team Leader: Samuel G. Wedderburn Estimated Appraisal Date: 26-Mar-2012 Estimated Board Date: 13-Jul-2012 Managing Unit: EASNS Lending Instrument: Specific Investment Loan Sector: General agriculture, fishing and forestry sector (100%) Theme: Climate change (100%) Financing (In USD Million) Financing Source Amount Borrower 0.00 Strategic Climate Fund 9.70 Total 9.70 Environmental Category: B - Partial Assessment Is this a Repeater project? No B. Project Objectives The project development objective is to reduce vulnerability to and enhance the capacity of natural ecosystems and coastal communities to recover from impacts (chronic and acute) associated with climate change. This would result in the reduced exposure to future threats and facilitate retreat/setback of key infrastructure inland of hazard zones where feasible; reduced risk of maladaptive (hard) infrastructure and other high profile investments; and build social capital and capacity for autonomous adaptation in coastal communities. To achieve these outcomes, the project would support: (i) implementation of revised Coastal Infrastructure Management (CIM) Plans in conjunction with other planning frameworks; (ii) Public Disclosure Copy facilitation of increased public awareness and access to information about climate change; (iii) enhanced participation of civil society organizations in climate change adaptation to enable them to design and implement more effective climate adaptation actions. C. Project Description To date in Samoa, the adaptation response to the exposure and risks identified has comprised mainly traditional engineering solutions centred on the construction of seawalls. However, these have often been poorly planned, sited, constructed and maintained, and can sometimes work against natural processes. An essential element of any strategy for adaptation of coastal communities to climate change, therefore, is enhancing the resilience of natural ecosystems and resources on which coastal communities depend; i.e, the goods and services such as erosion control, storm protection and water filtration. Therefore, the project would adopt a broad #ecosystem based approach# # or soft greener solutions - combined with hard infrastructure to adaptation planning and interventions. Using an ecosystem based approach; a #ridge to reef strategy# will be employed where investments supported under this project would be linked with activities already occurring under other projects in other parts of the watershed. D. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) Main island Upolu and Savai'i On the ground activities will be focused on the revision and implementation of Coastal Infrastructure Management (CIM) Plans (Project Component 1) and supporting Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to implement adaptation projects (Project Component 2). It involves different types of activities ranging from training to provision of infrastructures. The specific activities will not be known prior to appraisal as they will be identified based on a review of CIM Plans which will only be completed during the first year of the project. Thus an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) will be prepared to lay out the overall safeguards approach to manage the various subprojects. The project area will be countrywide, encompassing 16 districts in total: eight adjoining the Apia - Airport road (where the first investment project supported by the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) is being implemented), and eight others, based on the CIM Plan prioritization exercise to be undertaken during project preparation. Awareness raising and knowledge transfer activities are aimed country-wide. E. Borrowers Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies There is some familiarity with the Bank#s Safeguards requirements given the presence of ongoing projects funded by the Bank where the safeguards instruments (Land Acquisition and Resettlement Framework and Environmental Assessment Framework) have been developed. Nevertheless, capacity shortcomings will be identified during preparation and appropriate capacity strengthening included in the project. The existing frameworks shall be adapted, where relevant, to guide this project#s engagement and mitigate adverse impacts. F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Victoria Florian S. Lazaro (EASPS) Gerardo F. Parco (EASPS) II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Public Disclosure Copy Safeguard Policies Triggered Yes No TBD Explanation Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 ✖ The likely interventions in this project consist of #soft approaches# such as reforestation, mangrove rehabilitation, establishment of protected areas and hard engineering approaches such as seawall construction, relocation of utilities, etc. The policy is triggered because the project activities are likely to have environmental impacts, involve the rehabilitation/establishment of natural habitats, cause restrictions of access to protected areas, and require land acquisitions. Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 ✖ This policy is triggered because project interventions such as replanting mangroves and coastal forests and rehabilitation of natural habitats such as coral reefs could cause changes to natural habitats, restrictions of access to protected areas and acquire land acquisitions. Forests OP/BP 4.36 ✖ The policy is not triggered because the project will not affect the health and quality of forests, the rights and welfare of people whose livelihoods are dependent on forests, nor the project intends to change the management/protection/utilization of forests. Pest Management OP 4.09 ✖ This project will not be using pesticides. Physical Cultural Resources OP/BP 4.11 ✖ Further screening will be undertaken during preparation. If Physical Cultural Resources (PCRs) are present in the potential project area, the policy will be triggered and safeguards instruments will include measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate their exposure to potential adverse impacts from the project. A Chance Find Procedure will be included in the ESMF. Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 ✖ This policy is not triggered because the population in the project area do not identify themselves as members of a distinct indigenous cultural group or recognized by others as such. Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP 4.12 ✖ This policy is triggered. Hard engineering such as upgrading and construction of roads, bridges and drainage as well as ecosystem based activities are likely to impact on private properties and their Public Disclosure Copy occupants/owners particularly along the coast thus causing environmental impacts, involve the rehabilitation/establishment of natural habitats, cause restrictions of access to protected areas, and require land acquisitions. The social assessment that will be prepared as part of the project preparation will, among other things, determine the magnitude of the impact on IR and the acceptability of the project# activities to the affected communities. Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 ✖ No dam facilities are to be financed or linked to this project. Projects on International Waterways OP/BP ✖ Not applicable 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 ✖ Not applicable III. SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN A. Tentative target date for preparing the PAD Stage ISDS: 15-Mar-2012 B. Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed. The specific studies and their timing1 Public Disclosure Copy should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS: A. Target date for the Quality Enhancement Review (QER), at which time the PAD-stage ISDS would be prepared: B. For simple projects that will not require a QER, the target date for preparing the PAD-stage ISDS: March 15, 2012 C. Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed. The specific studies and their timing should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS: An Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) will be prepared to lay out the overall safeguards approach to manage the various subprojects. Applicable instruments for subprojects known by appraisal will be prepared prior to appraisal; other instruments for subprojects identified during implementation will be screened and prepared based on the ESMF. The ESMF will be built on the experiences and lessons learnt from implementing the existing ESMF and Resettlement Policy Framework prepared by an ongoing Bank-financed project (Samoa Post Tsunami Rehabilitation Project). The following key elements will be included in the ESMF: i. Screening and scoping requirements to identify the potential impacts from subprojects; ii. Measures to address potential environmental impacts from infrastructure interventions, by sound engineering design or Environmental Codes of Practices (environmental specifications for construction contractors); iii. Chance Find Procedures; iv. Resettlement Policy Framework (in proportion to the potential impacts from the project); v. Process Framework (in proportion to the potential impacts from the project); vi. Public consultation for the ESMF and consultation requirements for sub-projects; vii. Capacity building plans for the client and other implementation agencies; viii. Institutional responsibilities for reviewing and approving subprojects, budget, monitoring and reporting arrangements for the implementation of the ESMF; ix. A negative list subprojects, including activities that might cause significant impacts on natural habitats, PCRs, using materials of important biodiversity values (e.g., coral reefs) for construction purposes. IV. APPROVALS Signed and submitted by: Task Team Leader: Name: Samuel G. Wedderburn Date: 09-Nov-2011 Approved By: Regional Safeguards Coordinator: Name: Panneer Selvam Lakshminarayanan (RSA) Date: 14-Nov-2011 Comments: Public Disclosure Copy Sector Manager: Name: Charles M. Feinstein (SM) Date: 09-Nov-2011 Comments: 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.