Page 1 INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Report No.: AC2697 Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 02/20/2007 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: Africa Project ID: P096407 Project Name: Abidjan-Lagos Transport and Transit Facilitation Project (ALTTFP) Task Team Leader: Anca Cristina Dumitrescu Estimated Appraisal Date: February 11, 2008 Estimated Board Date: September 30, 2008 Managing Unit: AFTTR Lending Instrument: Specific Investment Loan Sector: Roads and highways (50%);Other domestic and international trade (50%) Theme: Regional integration (P);Trade facilitation and market access (S) IBRD Amount (US$m.): 0.00 IDA Amount (US$m.): 136.00 GEF Amount (US$m.): 0.00 PCF Amount (US$m.): 0.00 Other financing amounts by source: BORROWER/RECIPIENT 0.00 0.00 B. Project Objectives [from section 2 of PCN] The overarching development objective of the proposed ALTTFP is to enhance economic growth in Western Africa by facilitating movement of goods and people along the Coastal Corridor and increasing regional integration among the countries crossed by the Corridor. C. Project Description [from section 3 of PCN] The regional project will cover five countries: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. At the same time, the project team proposes a tailored approach to countries' conditions. Due to the current civil unrest in Ivory Coast, as well as to the temporary suspension of Bank lending to Togo, only institutional and regulatory issues would be addressed, as a first step, in these two countries, on a grant basis; adequate arrangements should be made so that as soon as suspension is lifted, a supplemental regional grant or credit(s) can be prepared on a pre-assessment basis. The project will be a Sectoral Investment Lending (SIL) for a preliminary estimated cost of about US$136 million, of which Nigeria US$63 million; Benin US$22 million; Togo US$2 million (grant); Ghana US$46million ; and Ivory Coast US$3 million (grant). In each country, Page 2 the project will finance well defined components and sub-components to reduce the identified infrastructure and institutional bottlenecks. More specifically, the PDO is expected to be achieved through the following major components: (A) Trade Facilitation Component (about US$19 million broken down as follows: Nigeria about US$5 million; Benin about US$6 million; Togo about US$2 million; Ghana about US$3 million; and Ivory Coast about US$3 million) will include the sub-components listed below: (i) Support to the customs modernisation for trade facilitation; (ii) Support to interconnectivity between customs administrations along the corridor; (iii) Improve the legal awareness and free access to legislation information on TTF along the corridor for the road users; (iv) Support to decrease the number of road blocks by increasing awareness of TF to enforcement bodies; (v) Support to harmonisation of legislation for truck operating rules and travel documentation of passengers and users; (vi) Improvement of access, TF procedures, and security at the ports of Lagos (Nigeria), Cotonou (Benin), and Takoradi (Ghana). (B) Road Corridor Component (US$ 117 million broken down as follows: Nigeria US$58 million; Benin about US$16 million; and Ghana about US$43 million) will include the sub- components listed below: (i) Technical and design studies; (ii) Execution and supervision of civil works for road rehabilitation (possibly based on performance based rehabilitation and maintenance) of various road segments in Nigeria (the federal highway between Krake and Lagos, 90 km), Benin (the national road between Cotonou and Hilla Condji, 70 km), and Ghana (Agona - Junction to Elubo border post, 120 km); (iii) Improvement of the access roads between the port of Lagos and the federal highway (Nigeria); (iv) Provision of technical assistance, material and equipment for road safety. The overall regional project coordination will be ensured by ECOWAS in line with its designated role over the regional and corridor projects in West Africa. The Bank team recommends that the existing structure of Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organization (ALCO) created under the ongoing IDA funded HIV/AIDS regional project operate as a Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) under ECOWAS. The RCU would therefore provide for a regional "umbrella" ensuring: (i) the interface and coordination between the national PCUs, the national transit facilitation committees, and the regional transit facilitation committee within ECOWAS; (ii) the data collection and monitoring of local, national and regional project performance indicators, as well as reporting to the national transit facilitation committee, ECOWAS, and the World Bank; and (iii) provision of expertise and capacity building to the national Project Implementation Unit (PIU), as needed. At national levels, the project will be prepared and executed by PIUs. That Page 3 may be a lead agency involved in the project, or an existing unit implementing another transport project. Eventually, the project will help implementing an efficient transit regime and enforcing regional harmonized regulations in the sub-region. To that end, a comprehensive set of transit and transport procedural reforms would be applied and tested along the coastal corridor. The results of such actions will be measured and monitored through a system of local, national and regional performance indicators to be shared and made public in the member countries. If successful, the results can be scaled-up at national and regional levels by the ECOWAS member states. This "corridor approach" is proposed in recognition of the fact that national and regional- wide enforcement of ECOWAS rules and regulations has been so far disappointing. D. Project location (if known) The project will be located along the West Africa road Coastal Corridor between the cities of Abidjan and Lagos. About 70% of the IDA credit proceeds will finance civil works for the rehabilitation and periodic maintenance of the Corridor roads included in the national road network. The roads to be covered under the project have already been pre-identified; they are located throughout the national road network. The final selection of roads will be done early during project preparation, and an environmental and social impact assessment will be carried out and disclosed before appraisal, including an Impact Mitigation Plan acceptable to the Bank. The rest of about 30% of credit and grant proceeds will finance a trade facilitation components including mainly technical assistance and training for border agencies, in particular Customs. E. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies [from PCN] To be determined during project preparation. This will be the second operation along the Abidjan-Lagos road corridor, after the HIV/AIDS project. The existing capacities - e.g. within the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organization (ALCO) and within the on-going Bank-financed road programs - will be used to the extent possible. The Bank will further support the Borrowers' capacities in dealing with Safeguard related issues. F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists Mr Africa Eshogba Olojoba (AFTS3) Mr Antoine V. Lema (AFTTR) II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered Yes No TBD Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) X Environmental category: B - Partial Assessment It is expected that the periodic maintenance and rehabilitation of the corridor roads as well as the assistance to border agencies would result in positive environmental and social impacts. A successful implementation of the proposed periodic maintenance and rehabilitation is likely to improve the quality of passenger and cargo transport, create employment opportunities (mostly in the road construction industry), and indirectly contribute to the countries' economic development and to improvement in the quality of life of the affected population. However, some potential environmental and social impacts may occur in the physical works component of Component B. An environmental and so cial assessment of each road sub - project will be carried - Page 4 Safeguard Policies Triggered Yes No TBD out by the Borrowers during project preparation, under TOR acceptable to the Bank. The objective of the assessment will be to identify, qualify and quantify any negative and positive environmental and social impacts pertaining to each road, and to propose the required mitigation measures to be implemented to avoid potential negative impacts. Specific ESIAs will be conducted for each individual road covered under the project and will make the object of consultation with the affected population as the case may be. The ESMF will be disclosed prior to appraisal. Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) X Site impact assessments will determine whether any natural habitats will be affected. The results will be captured in the ESIAs, and if impact determined the technical studies will be revised. Forests (OP/BP 4.36) X Pest Management (OP 4.09) X Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11) X Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10) X Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) X The proposed civil works for road improvements will be executed on existing roads and normally within the right of way. Some rest stops and parking areas are, however, foreseen in the project design. The technical studies for roads works will determine whether any involuntary resettlement will be triggered and the project team will verify the technical studies findings by field inspection. Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) X Projects on International Waterways (OP/BP 7.50) X Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP 7.60) X Environmental Category: B - Partial Assessment III. SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN A. Target date for the Quality Enhancement Review (QER), at which time the PAD-stage ISDS would be prepared: 12/20/2007 B. For simple projects that will not require a QER, the target date for preparing the PAD-stage ISDS: N/A C. Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed. The specific studies and their timing 1 should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS. The ESMF will be issued, approved and disclosed prior to Appraisal (planned for April, 2008). 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. Page 5 The SMU has agreed to accept transfer of safeguards responsibilities. IV. APPROVALS Signed and submitted by: Task Team Leader: Ms Anca Cristina Dumitrescu 02/15/2007 Approved by: Regional Safeguards Coordinator: Mr Warren Waters 02/15/2007 Comments: Sector Manager: Mr C. Sanjivi Rajasingham 02/15/2007 Comments: