The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) Project Information Document (PID) Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 16-Dec-2019 | Report No: PIDA27000 Dec 01, 2019 Page 1 of 9 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) BASIC INFORMATION OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA A. Basic Project Data Country Project ID Project Name Parent Project ID (if any) Mauritania P167328 Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Practice Area (Lead) AFRICA 11-Dec-2019 18-Mar-2020 Water Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Investment Project Financing ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF Ministere de MAURITANIA l'Hydraulique et de l'Assainissement Proposed Development Objective(s) To Increase access to improved water and sanitation services in selected rural areas and small towns, and to strengthen the performance of sector institutions. Components Component 1: Sustainable improvement of access to drinking water and sanitation in Assaba, Gorgol and Guidimakha Component 2: Sustainable improvement of access to safe water and sanitation for the refugees and host communities Component 3: Institutional Support, Capacity Building and Project Management Component 4: Contingency Emergency Response Componen PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 40.00 Total Financing 40.00 of which IBRD/IDA 40.00 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 World Bank Group Financing Dec 01, 2019 Page 2 of 9 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) International Development Association (IDA) 40.00 IDA Grant 40.00 Environmental and Social Risk Classification High Decision The review did authorize the team to appraise and negotiate Other Decision (as needed) B. Introduction and Context Country Context 1. Mauritania is an arid country in West Africa, with a complex set of developmental challenges. Its population of 3.98 million (2018) has grown at 2.8 percent per annum since 2000. Nomadism, once prevalent, is all but disappearing, with half of the country’s population made up of former nomads who have settled in recent decades. The urban share of the population (51 percent in 2018) is growing fast and Mauritania now has the second most rapid urbanization rate in Africa. The capital, Nouakchott, comprises 1,155,000 people (57 percent of the urban population). Rural areas make up 49 percent of the population and are comprised of mostly recent settlements (more than 8,100 to date) that are sparsely populated (60 percent of rural settlements comprise fewer than 150 people). In addition, rural areas have lagged urban ones on many socio-economic indicators, including poverty; mortality, health care, literacy, school enrolment and access to drinking water and sanitation. 2. Mauritania has experienced highly volatile, yet positive growth rates since 2010. The economy is heavily reliant on mining exports (iron, copper, gold, etc.), oil and fishing. Despite exogenous shocks related to commodity markets, economic growth averaged 4.5 percent over the 2001-2015 period, while inflation remained low (1.5 percent). The IMF projects that GDP will reach 6.7 percent in 2019, compared to an average GDP growth in West Africa of 3.9 percent in 2019. However, the failure to harness effectively Mauritania’s water resources and other natural endowments in livestock and fisheries has constrained economic diversification and employment. For instance, only 20 percent of the potential for irrigated land – estimated at 135,000 hectares - is utilized. Mauritania is also vulnerable to periodic droughts and a sharp acceleration of desertification of previously inhabited and cultivated areas. 3. Mauritania has seen a decline in poverty, but rates remain particularly high in rural areas. The poverty headcount dropped from 44.5 percent of the country’s population in 2008 to 33 percent in 2014. In addition, regional comparators show that Mauritania has lower levels of inequality than its peers. However, the incidence of poverty remains particularly high in rural areas, where it exceeds 44 percent of the population. The wilayas, or provinces, of Guidimaka, Tagant, Assaba, Gorgol and Hodh Chargui and Hodh El Gharbi are the most rural areas of the country and also have the highest rates of poverty. Per capita GDP reached US$ 1,120 in 2016, placing the country at the bottom of the middle-income Dec 01, 2019 Page 3 of 9 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) country (MIC) category. The informal economy accounts for 40 per cent of GDP and employs about 86 percent of the working-age population. 4. The country’s human Capital Indicator (HCI) is 0,35 and other social outcomes are below those of most MIC and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries. Although a MIC, Mauritania ranks 150 out of 157 in the global HCI. On average, people complete 6.26 years of schooling, whereas the SSA average is 8.2. The under-5 mortality rate is 79 deaths per 1,000 births (2017), against the SSA average of 83 and the MIC average of 53. In addition, below average school performance results in Mauritania having a Human Capital Index of 0.35, making it the ninth lowest globally. 5. As of October 31st, 2019, Mauritania hosts 56,680 registered refugees in the Mbera camp, 95 percent of whom are Malians who have been arriving in the country since 2012. The Malian refugee population is predominantly concentrated in the M’Bera refugee camp in the south-east of Mauritania ─ regrouping a population which at this point ranks as the fourth largest city in the country. There are also some small enclaves of refugees scattered in host communities near the camp. Humanitarian actors, led by UNHCR and the World Food Program (WFP), have provided the bulk of assistance to refugees, and to some extent, host communities in Mauritania. However, conscious of the likely prolonged nature of refugee inflows into the country, the Government of Mauritania (GOM) issued a Refugee and Host Community Policy Development Letter, which lays out strategic directions for the national short- and medium-term response to the situation. A Refugee Protection Note, developed by UNHCR to assess the adequacy of GoM’s refugee policy, is currently scheduled for review in Geneva in December 2019. 6. The Board approved Mauritania’s eligibility for the IDA 18 Refugee and Host Community Sub-Window (RSW) in November 2018. Mauritania currently meets the three eligibility criteria: (i) the number of UNHCR-registered refugees, including persons in refugee-like situations, it hosts is at least 25,000 o 0.1 percent of the population; (ii) the country adheres to an adequate framework for the protection of refugees; and (iii) the country has an action plan, strategy or similar document in place. Sectoral and Institutional Context 7. Mauritania’s water resources – particularly its groundwater resources - are largely unexploited and unequally distributed. Mauritania had an average of 2,800 m3 of water per capita per year in 2014, which is above the water scarcity threshold of 1,000 m3. About 97 percent of the renewable water resources are concentrated in and around the Senegal river, the only permanent river in the country. Groundwater (3 percent of renewable resources) is unevenly distributed and difficult to mobilize. It is also poorly monitored and there is little documentation about it, for instance on its quantity, quality and recharge rate. The lack of knowledge or planning is especially critical given the high risk of droughts and flooding in some parts of Mauritania, phenomena that are expected to become more intense and more frequent due to climate change. By contrast, the transboundary Senegal River is adequately monitored and managed through the multi- country Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (Organisation de Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Sénégal, OMVS) and its Master Plan for Integrated Water Resources Management. 8. Access to water and sanitation is relatively high, especially in urban areas, but far from universal. As measured by established indicators, national and urban access rates are higher in Mauritania than rates observed on average in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (Figure 1). However, only 45 percent of the rural population had access to basic drinking water services in 2015 – 34 percent through piped systems and 11 percent through hand pumps. According to a 2016 inventory of piped systems, solar pumping is used by 80 percent of the water posts and 50 percent of the mini-AEPs and AEPs. Annex 2 provides more information about the current drinking water system in rural areas. Dec 01, 2019 Page 4 of 9 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) 9. The development of sanitation lags water supply service. In 2015, 80 percent of the urban population, and 23 percent of the rural population had access to an improved sanitation facility (either individually or shared with other households). Open defecation, practiced by about 30 percent of the population, is especially prevalent in rural areas, where it is practiced by 61 percent of the population. While there has been some improvement in terms of access to sanitation in institutions and public locations, only 35 percent of schools and 61 percent of health centers at national level have onsite sanitation facilities. C. Proposed Development Objective(s) Development Objective(s) (From PAD) To Increase access to improved water and sanitation services in selected rural areas and small towns, and to strengthen the performance of sector institutions. Key Results The following indicators will be used to assess project performance: • Number of people provided with access to improved water sources (disaggregated to include number of refugees) • Number of people provided with access to improved sanitation facilities (disaggregated to include number of refugees) • Groundwater monitoring reports produced and disseminated • Delegation of rural water services to private operators in selected geographic zones completed • MHA staff trained and equipped to undertake strategic planning and project management activities D. Project Description . . Legal Operational Policies Triggered? Projects on International Waterways OP 7.50 Yes Projects in Disputed Areas OP 7.60 No Summary of Assessment of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts . Environmental and social risks and impacts include the following: sustainability of groundwater resources to support the development and continued functioning of small town water supply systems; use of local labor for construction in compliance with national Mauritanian and ILO standards; provisions for community health and safety commensurate with community training on construction of household latrines as well as potential increased wastewater associated with increased water supply; construction material resourcing, use, and disposal; potential negative impacts on biodiversity, living natural resources, and/or physical cultural resources; management of land acquisition, involuntary resettlement, and voluntary land donation in accordance with national laws and World Bank standards; inclusion of vulnerable populations in stakeholder engagements, as well as in access to project outcomes, including access to Dec 01, 2019 Page 5 of 9 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) improved potable water supply, access to latrines, and access to open-defecation and hand-washing awareness campaigns and learning resources. Environment and social risks are deemed moderate for environment and high for social. An environmental and social impact assessment of the project (feasibility study) has been conducted to identify risks and propose practical mitigating measures. There are some positive aspects of the project, especially on gender, that could help mitigate some of the risks. Thanks to improved water supply and WASH in schools, children, especially young girls, will be able to go to school more easily thanks to better sanitation facilities. Building latrines in the refugee camps and the awareness raising campaigns will also help to reduce open defecation in these communities, which would have a positive impact on the environment and on health outcomes of people. The use of double-pit latrines will alleviate the impact of sludge in an area with no proper treatment facilities. In addition, the training provided to sanitation workers could help ensure more safe conditions of work for fecal sludge emptiers and other works. There is also potential to reuse the treated sludge for reforestation, thus enhancing the project’s environmental benefits. The use of solar as the energy source for water pumping during the water supply works will also have strong positive environmental benefits. The main E&S risks relate to social risks related to gender-based violence (GBV). As part of project preparation, an initial GBV risk assessment has been conducted, with a score of 18.5 out of 20 given for the project, which is considered “high� risk. Some of the key GBV risks identified in the project areas include: prevalent intimate partner violence; sexual violence; weak legal frameworks on gender violence; high rates of child marriage and high rates of female genital mutilation. The GBV risks are especially high in the M’Bera refugee camp. Discussions with UNHCR highlighted some of the preventive and mitigation measures being taken against GBV, including putting in place community structures – a GBV committee, women’s groups, school clubs and designating GBV focal points in schools – and others. There is also a psycho-social counsellor under the protection partner which provides psychosocial support to survivors and health partners who provide health care and emergency PEP kits in case of violence although accessibility to these services is uneven. The security forces also play a major role in the prevention and response to all crimes including GBV in the refugee camp. In addition, a GBV sub-working group meets on monthly basis and sees the participation of all partners and stakeholders including local authorities as well as refugees. A referral pathway has been developed and adopted to assist eventual survivors although it has some flaws. Considering the actions already in place in the camp and hose communities, an action plan will be developed during appraisal to complement these efforts and mitigate any residual risks related to the project. Some actions have already been identified to mitigate GBV risks in project areas, particularly in camps, as part of the overall gender analysis (see Section IV). These include constructing latrines and standposts in order to respect women’s privacy and safety needs; increasing the number of individual connections to reduce time spent collecting water; and including gender specific questions to the user satisfaction survey to be developed as part of M&E for the project overall. E. Implementation Institutional and Implementation Arrangements A Project Implementation Unit (PIU) within the MHA’s Front Office will be responsible for day-to-day project coordination and management, including: (i) carrying out fiduciary activities; (ii) preparing and implementing annual work plans and budgets in collaboration with sector institutions involved in the project (MHA, SNDE, ONSER and CNRE), to be approved by the CP and the World Bank; (iii) ensuring compliance with safeguards documents for project activities; and (iv) monitoring and evaluating project activities and preparing progress reports and M&E reports. Accordingly, the PIU will be staffed by: a project coordinator, one procurement specialist, [one financial manager and one accountant], one Dec 01, 2019 Page 6 of 9 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) environmental specialist, one social and gender specialist and one reporting officer. The details of the constitution and functioning of the PCU will be refined during project preparation, drawing on experiences of other Bank projects that have taken a similar approach e.g. the recently closed local government development program (P127543) in Mauritania. In addition, staff from the implementing agencies (e.g. MHA, SNDE, ONSER) could be seconded to the PIU, thus helping to enhance coordination. A Steering Committee will be established that brings together representatives of the MHA, sector institutions (CNRE, ONSER and SNDE), ARE, the association of local elected representatives and the Ministry of Economy and Industry. This Committee will serve as a useful platform for regrouping diverse types of actors and facilitating the coordination of cross- cutting project activities. However, it will not have any decision-making powers. The Committee will meet once a year to review and advise on the annual work plans and budget prepared by the project implementation unit (PIU) as well as any other issues relevant to the smooth implementation of project activities. The technical implementation of the first two components of the project will be carried out as follows: • DH will implement the water supply sub-component in rural areas in cooperation with ONSER, ARE and UNHCR (in the refugee camp). • DA will implement the sanitation sub-component in cooperation with UNHCR (in the refugee camp). In addition, DA with the support of DRHA and municipalities will supervise the implementation of the sanitation component in institutions and public locations. • An MOU will be developed with UNHCR on the handing-over of sanitation and water operations in the camp to the DA on sanitation and with MHA/ ONSER on water supply. • SNDE will implement the water supply sub-component in 7 small towns and rural areas. One of these areas includes Kiffa, an urban city, that has been identified by CMU and GOM as one of cities where spatial synergy should be enhanced between the Bank’s Urban and Energy projects. However, the water project will select some rural areas surrounding Kiffa for some of the interventions. • CNRE will accompany the implementation of these 2 components for what concerns its mission, notably via the validation of the technical designs for the boreholes and the monitoring of the related works, in addition to the consultants in charge of controlling the works. 49. The third component (Institutional Support, Capacity Building and Project Management) will be implemented by the PIU in collaboration with ARE, the PPP Unit, CNRE, ONSER, SNDE and the technical departments of the MHA. Arrangements and procedures for the institutional coordination and execution of the project, the fiduciary aspects; for M&E and reporting; for safeguards monitoring and mitigation; and for the responsibilities and mandate of the support entities will be detailed in the Project Implementation Manual (PIM) and the Financial and Administrative Manual. . CONTACT POINT World Bank Mohamed Nanzoul Senior Infrastructure Specialist Dambudzo Josephine Muzenda Dec 01, 2019 Page 7 of 9 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist Borrower/Client/Recipient ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA Implementing Agencies Ministere de l'Hydraulique et de l'Assainissement Saadou Ebi Mohamed El Hacen MONANE Chargé de Mission au Cabinet du Ministre saadouebih@yahoo.fr FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects APPROVAL Mohamed Nanzoul Task Team Leader(s): Dambudzo Josephine Muzenda Approved By Environmental and Social Standards Advisor: Practice Manager/Manager: Country Director: Laurent Msellati 17-Dec-2019 Dec 01, 2019 Page 8 of 9 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) Dec 01, 2019 Page 9 of 9