Framework for Managing Social and Environmental Risks associated with the OBA Project

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 513.

Below is an outline of the agreed framework for managing environmental and social risks under the OBA project:

· Environmental and social assessments must be carried out by municipalities for each activity/intervention proposed in the SWM-SIP. For all interventions proposed, municipalities will assess the potential adverse environmental and social risks and impacts; develop mitigation measures, as well as environmental and social management plans. The objective is to ensure that all solid waste management activities/interventions proposed in the SWM-SIP are environmentally and socially sound, and are implemented in a manner that does not adversely affect the environment or the social wellbeing of the residents of the municipality or the surrounding areas in the short and long term. A detailed step-by-step description is provided in the Project Operation Manual, together with guidance on the type and nature of risks/impacts to be expected in standard SWM operations. Municipalities will be assisted by SWMTSC and/or consultants funded under Component 2 of the project.

· To ascertain the impacts, the extent and type of environmental and social assessment required, a screening must be conducted by each municipality for each activity/intervention proposed under the SWM-SIP. A detailed screening checklist is provided in the Project Operations Manual. Based on the outcome from the responses in checklist, each activity will be classified into categories depending on legal requirements and the nature and magnitude of its potential environmental and social impacts.

· Besides the environmental and social risks directly related to OBA supported activities (such as those identified in Section 3 above), environmental and social issues related to any ‘linked^[6]' activities should also be screened and assessed. The ‘linked' activities should be subjected to the same environmental and social standard as that of the OBA supported activity.

· The OBA project will use the same categorization system as applied under UGDP: NETP categorization system. This is outlined below.

· For environmental impacts, the following categorization will be used:

o Category I: Negative listing of activities/interventions (these are ineligible for funding). Activities in the category of ‘negative listing' will be rejected at screening. Criteria for ‘negative listing' related or linked to the OBA project are as follows:

§ Activities or interventions not included in the SWM-SIP of the municipality.

§ Activities requiring EIA

§ Activities using or depending for its resources from national parks and protected areas or any critical aquatic and terrestrial habitat area.

§ Activities that are located in defined/ known high risk zone such as landslide prone area, steep slopes, highly degraded land in hills, riverine area susceptible to annually flooding, and in areas causing large-scale soil erosion.

§ Any activity that involves significant land clearance and excavation on slopes greater than 45 degree.

§ Activities affecting a nationally or internationally renowned heritage site

§ Activities involving major environmental harm.

§ Activities that produce hazardous wastes

o Category II: Activities or interventions requiring IEE based on Nepalese regulations.

o Category III: Activities or interventions that do not require IEE according to Nepalese regulations but their implementation and operation still have some adverse environmental impacts.

o Category IV: Activities to be recommended for approval without any environmental assessment.

· For social impacts with respect to resettlement planning requirements, the following categorization will be used:

o Category A: Significant impact, a full Resettlement Plan is required

o Category B: Non significant impact, a short Resettlement Plan is required

o Category C: No negative impacts, no resettlement report is required

· The OBA project does not involve construction of landfills or other waste facilities that require acquisition of private land or resettlements. Thus, all activities are expected to fall into category C with respect to resettlement planning. Category A and B activities will not be eligible under the OBA project.

· For social impacts with respect to Indigenous Peoples Plan, the following categorization will be used:

o Category A: An Indigenous Peoples Development Plan (IPDP) is required

o Category B: An activity-specific action favourable to indigenous peoples is required and addressed through specific provision in related plans such as a Resettlement Plan, or a general Social Action Plan

o Category C: No IPDP or specific action required

· OBA interventions will not involve construction of landfills or other waste facilities that require acquisition of private land or resettlements. The project requires that municipalities already have access to an existing landfill that is operational, and is considered environmentally acceptable within GoN environmental guidelines and standards.

· During the planning of SWM-SIP activities, municipalities will follow the following steps:

o Step 1: Collection and assessment of preliminary information about environmental and social issues of proposed activities/interventions

o Step 2: Environmental and social screening and categorization

o Step 3: Preparation of an Environmental and Social Management Plan

· Environment and social issues, if any arising in the planning stages and/or likely during implementation of a particular activity/intervention, shall be flagged and addressed immediately and appropriately. Based upon the categorisation, additional steps should be taken up as appropriate/if necessary shall be taken up before approval and commencement of implementation.

· The OBA project requires participating municipalities to prepare specific Environmental and Social Management Plan, and include the plan as an Annex to the SWM-SIP. The ESMP shall deal with all on-going and planned new activities and improvements in the planning period of the SWM-SIP. A template for the ESMP is provided in the Project Operations Manual.

· The ESMP addresses the main environmental and social issues arising due to implementation of the SWM-SIP and suggests a strategy and action-plan to mitigate the adverse impacts and enhance the beneficial impacts. It consists of a set of mitigation, monitoring, and institutional measures to be taken during implementation of the SWM-SIP to eliminate adverse environmental and social impacts, offset them, or reduce them to acceptable levels. The plan also includes the actions needed to implement these measures, together with cost/budget and institutional responsibility.

· Approval of the ESMP will take place at the same time as SWM-SIP approval. In other words, SWM-SIP approval is subject to clearance of the necessary environmental and social screening and assessments.

· The ESMP shall be followed throughout SWM-SIP implementation.

· While responsibility for environmental and social safeguards planning and management will lie with the participating municipalities, the process and outcomes will be monitored by TDF with the support of SWMTSC. The monitoring will focus on key issues agreed with the municipalities, TDF and the SWMTSC, as part of the ESMP.

· Monitoring of the ESMP will be done on a quarterly basis and a status report on compliance/non- compliance with the mitigation measures should be submitted

· An annual environmental and social safeguards monitoring report shall be prepared by an independent expert at each activity level and submitted to the TDF with a copy to SWMTSC for the their review and necessary course of corrective measures to be taken wherever necessary. TDF shall forward this report to the World Bank as part of the Annual progress report within three months upon completion of the Nepal's fiscal year.