The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) Appraisal Environmental and Social Review Summary Appraisal Stage (ESRS Appraisal Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 12/11/2019 | Report No: ESRSA00352 Dec 11, 2019 Page 1 of 10 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Region Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Mauritania AFRICA P167328 Project Name Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Water Investment Project 12/11/2019 3/18/2020 Financing Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF Ministere de l'Hydraulique MAURITANIA 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 Public Disclosure strengthen the performance of sector institutions. Financing (in USD Million) Amount Total Project Cost 40.00 B. Is the project being prepared in a Situation of Urgent Need of Assistance or Capacity Constraints, as per Bank IPF Policy, para. 12? No C. Summary Description of Proposed Project [including overview of Country, Sectoral & Institutional Contexts and Relationship to CPF] The Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) aims to increase access to water and sanitation services in selected rural and small-town areas of Mauritania, improve service in neighboring intermediate cities, and strengthen sectoral capacities in the area of service delivery, institutional governance and knowledge of water resources. D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1. Project location(s) and salient characteristics relevant to the ES assessment [geographic, environmental, social] Dec 11, 2019 Page 2 of 10 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) The project will be implemented in the Wilays (Provinces) of Assaba, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh Chargui and Hodh El Gharbi, located in southern and southeastern Mauritania. Part of the two Wilayas of Gorgol and Guidimakha are in the Senegal River valley while the Wilayas of Assaba, Hodh Gharbi and Hodh Chargui are in the South East,cross- border in Mali, and are not crossed by the Senegal River. These Wilayas are all incredibly rural and have the highest rates of poverty and the lowest rate of access to basic water services. As of April 2019, Mauritania hosts 61,000 refugees, 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 far south-east of the Hodh Echargui, regrouping a population that would rank as the fourth largest city in the country. In these five Wilayas, the project will increase access to water and sanitation services in selected rural areas and small towns, as well as build the institutional capacities of Mauritania’s water and sanitation sector. The estimated number of total project beneficiaries is 440,000, equivalent to about 10 percent of the total population and about 20 percent of the rural population. The feasibility study will help finalize the selection of targeted communities. Ultimately, the localities will be chosen in priority rural areas, in keeping with the spatial convergence sought with other WB-funded projects, based on criteria to be determined in consultation with the Ministry of Hydraulics and Sanitation. D. 2. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity The project will be implemented by the Ministry responsible for water and sanitation. A Project Coordination Unit (PCU) within the MHA’s Front Office will be responsible for day-to-day project coordination and management, including ensuring compliance with safeguards documents for project activities; and Public Disclosure (iv) monitoring and evaluating project activities and preparing progress reports and M&E reports. Accordingly, the PCU staff will include one environmental specialist and a social and gender specialist. 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. The Directorate of Waterworks (DH) will implement the water supply sub-component in rural areas in cooperation with ONSER, ARE and UNHCR (in the refugee camp). The Sanitation Directorate (DA) will implement the sanitation sub-component in cooperation with UNHCR (in the refugee camp). In addition, DA with the support of the regional Water and Sanitation Directorate (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. The National Water Corporation (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. In addition, staff from the implementing agencies (e.g. MHA, SNDE, ONSER) could be seconded to the PCU, thus helping to enhance coordination and coverage of environmental and social risks. The poor technical and human capabilities of the directorates in charge of water and sanitation call for measures to guarantee proper project implementation by providing international resident technical assistants to the project management (namely a technical assistant for water and another for sanitation). To build synergy and improve coordination between the two project components, the project management assistants (PMAs) will be provided by the same firm to be selected following an international tender. Dec 11, 2019 Page 3 of 10 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) For 10 years the water sector water did not pilot a project funded by World Bank. The ESMF includes an institutional capacity assessment and recommended capacity building measures for environmental and social planning and monitoring of project activities. II. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) High Environmental Risk Rating Moderate The environmental risk rating remains Moderate. Potential negative impacts will be localized, with the greatest potential risk being a threat to groundwater sustainability. Potential negative impacts will also include those associated with construction of small-scale water and sanitation infrastructure. Environmental benefits are likely to accrue through stimulation of the market for latrines, an open defecation campaign, as well as a hand-washing campaign. Social Risk Rating High The project will increase access to water and sanitation services in selected rural areas and small towns, as well as build the institutional capacities of Mauritania’s water and sanitation sector. An initial gender-based violence (GBV) risk assessment has been carried out and concluded that the project has an overall high risk of gender-based violence. Thus, at this stage the project social risk rating will be increased to high. The rating may change during the project Public Disclosure implementation when a comprehensive GBV assessment will be implemented. B. Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) that Apply to the Activities Being Considered B.1. General Assessment ESS1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts Overview of the relevance of the Standard for the Project: The project is designed to increase access to improved water and sanitation services, so it has the potential to have positive impacts to the communities. Anticipated environmental risks and negative impacts of the project are associated with the small to medium scale civil works entailing construction of mini water systems and regular water systems in rural areas, rehabilitation of rural water systems, rehabilitation and expansion of water systems in small towns, construction of household shared latrines and latrine blocks and handwashing facilities in schools, health facilities, and rehabilitation of the piped water system of the refugee Camp in M’Bera. As the selection of project activities and specific areas of intervention are not yet done, the Government of Mauritania has prepared a draft Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) which has been consulted upon, reviewed by the bank and being finalized by the Borrower. The draft ESMF will be disclosed in-country and on the World Bank’s web site prior to appraisal. The draft ESMF identified and assessed key negative environmental and social risks and impacts and determined that they would be site-specific. These risks and negative impacts will be managed in accordance with the ESMF through preparation of site-specific instruments such as Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) to address: (i) sustainability of groundwater resources to support the development and continued functioning of rural and small Dec 11, 2019 Page 4 of 10 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) town water supply systems; (ii) use of local labor for construction in compliance with Mauritanian and ILO standards supplemented by the provisions of the ESS2; (iii) 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; poor construction-related waste management, (iv) vegetation clearing; (v) potential negative impacts on physical cultural resources; (vi) management of land acquisition, involuntary resettlement, and voluntary land donation in accordance with national laws and World Bank standards; (vii) access of vulnerable populations to project outcomes. The draft ESMF defines screening mechanisms and monitoring procedures for the identification and management of potential adverse environmental and social impacts and provide a grievance redress mechanism with guidance on the reception, recording, handling, and reporting of complaints that may be encountered during project construction. Site specific ESIAs and their associated ESMPs will be prepared during the implementation phase of the project when the nature, scope and geographical location of the sub-projects are known. Where needed, relevant management plans such as the Contractor’s ESMP (C-ESMP), Occupational Health and Safety Plan (OHP), Labor Management Plan (LMP), Waste Management Plan (WMP), etc. will be included in the site specific ESMPs, reviewed and approved by the World Bank prior to the start of any construction works. ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure In consultation with the Bank, the Borrower prepared an inclusive Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP). The draft SEP Public Disclosure will be disclosed prior to appraisal. It will be updated during implementation as necessary, and as communications and stakeholder engagement and communications needs evolve. The Borrower will engage in consultations with all stakeholders throughout the project life cycle, paying particular attention to inclusion of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, to provide stakeholders with timely, relevant, understandable, and accessible information. At the current phase, the key stakeholders are Direction Régionale de l’Hydraulique et de l’Assainissement (DRHA), Délégation régionale du Ministère du Développement Rural (DR/MDR), Délégation régionale/Ministère de l’Environnement et du Développement Durable (DR/MEDD), Direction du Contrôle Environnemental (DCE), Ministère des Affaires Sociales de l’Enfant et de la Famille (MASEF), Direction Régionale de Affaires Sociales et de la Santé (DRASS), Office National des Services de l’Eau en milieu Rural (ONSER), Centre National de Ressources en Eau (CNRE), Inspection du Travail, Direction Régional de l’Education Nationale (DREN), Autorité de régulation et d’organisation des transports routiers (AROTR), Wali, Hakem, Communes and Municipalities. Some of these institutions , particularly Ministère des Affaires Sociales de l’Enfant et de la Famille (MASEF), Direction Régionale de Affaires Sociales et de la Santé (DRASS), Wali, Hakem, are responsible for refugee matters. If major changes are made to the SEP, a revised SEP should be publicly disclosed. This will include the development of a Grievance Redress Mechanism for all stakeholders. A GRM is prepared by the project. B.2. Specific Risks and Impacts A brief description of the potential environmental and social risks and impacts relevant to the Project. ESS2 Labor and Working Conditions Dec 11, 2019 Page 5 of 10 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) In general, the project physical footprint is expected to be relatively discrete small and will not entail a significant amount of labor. The majority of labor will be locally hired, with the exception of skilled workers who cannot be found in the project location. Labor camps are not anticipated, and local unskilled labor will be prioritized to minimize the influx of unskilled labor and reduce the potential for harm. A Labor Management Procedures (LMP) has been prepared in order to assure that both ILO and Mauritanian standards, supplemented by the provisions of the ESS2, are applied and complied to with respect to hire, use, payment, and working conditions of any labor required for this project. The LMP includes provisions for primary supply workers, and the roles and responsibilities for monitoring project workers. The initial GBV risk is high. So site specific ESIAs will include GBV assessment. Measures to prevent and mitigate potential GBV risks involving project workers will be included in contractor and worker contracts and codes of conduct. Measures relating to occupational health and safety are addressed in the ESMF and will be considered in the site specific ESIAs. The Project will require contractors to develop and implement a grievance mechanism for their workforce, including subcontractors, as part of their C-ESMP. ESS3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management During the implementation of the project activities both resource efficiency and pollution prevention and management will be relevant. The site specific ESIAs will determine the source, type, quantity, and risks associated with the waste likely to be generated by the project and, if such waste cannot be avoided, the ESIA will propose appropriate measures to minimize, reduce and, where not possible, mitigate the risks and impacts associated with the waste. In addition, they will explore technically and financially feasible measures to improve efficient consumption of water and building materials. Raw materials for construction activities will be sourced through Public Disclosure measures specified in Good International Industry Practices (GIIPs) and the project will emphasize the reuse and recycling of construction material. ESS4 Community Health and Safety The project will provide substantial technical assistance and capacity building with respect to reducing open- defecation and increasing hand-washing. This contributes to community health and safety. Minor construction works will need mitigation measures so as not to disrupt quantity and quality of existing water sources. The sub-component which stimulates demand for and construction of household latrines includes training on how households / communities can construct their own latrines. To this end, this training will need to include content on how to ensure worker safety for digging and working in a pit, as well as other occupational health and safety preventative measures specific to latrine construction. An initial gender-based violence (GBV) risk assessment has been carried out and concluded that the project has an overall high risk of gender basedgender-based violence. The main GBV risks are associated with: (i) lack of a national framework, and weak capacity, to address gender based violence; (ii) project activities in rural areas near school schools or other places where girls and women use for their daily activities; and (iii) the recorded high cases of recorded GBV cases in refugee camps where project activities will be carried out. A comprehensive GBV assessment will be carried and as part of the site specific ESIAs and, where needed a GBV Action Plan, will then be integrated in the ESMP. ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement Dec 11, 2019 Page 6 of 10 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) Temporary Economic Displacement and involuntary resettlement: The project will provide access to water and sanitation services in selected rural areas and small towns, by financing the construction of public latrines in schools, health centers, markets, bus stations, etc. when possible, these will be built on existing land owned by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation or the municipality but it could also have impacts on usufructuary rights and private owners. Management/Mitigation: Potential sites will be screened by the Borrower’s E&S specialists to ensure that negative impacts are minimized and that alternatives are considered in cases where there may be some overlap with private owners or users. The Borrower has prepared an RPF which provides guidance for resettlement, organizational arrangements and design criteria, and commits the Borrower to prepare subsequent RAPs, as necessary, for site- specific activities that could lead to resettlement impacts where impacts cannot be avoided. ESS6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources The ESS on biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of living natural resources is expected to be of minimal relevance to this project. The ESMF includes provisions such that water sources which sustain globally or nationally cited biodiversity will be excluded from development. ESS7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities There are no Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities in the project area. Public Disclosure ESS8 Cultural Heritage As water supply development, as well as latrine construction, both involve excavation. Measures to manage "chance finds" are included in the ESMF. It is also expected that development of water supply and sanitation master plans in targeted small towns will include mapping of the oldest known populated areas, as well as any known cultural heritage sites (markets, mosques, burial grounds, etc.), so the screening process will prevent impacts on known cultural heritage. ESS9 Financial Intermediaries This standard does not apply. B.3 Other Relevant Project Risks As the Ministry of Water did not implement Bank financed project over the ten past years, the low level safeguards awareness and capacity at the Ministry level could have an impact on the implementation of the project. Capacity building will focus on Environmental and Social specialists at the level of the implementing ministry/agency, with some training at the rural level. Dec 11, 2019 Page 7 of 10 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) C. Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Projects on International Waterways Yes The policy is triggered due to the activity in the Mberra camp, which will draw water from a transboundary aquifer between Mauritania and Mali. OP 7.60 Projects in Disputed Areas No The project is not operating in any disputed areas. III. BORROWER’S ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) DELIVERABLES against MEASURES AND ACTIONs IDENTIFIED TIMELINE ESS 1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts Disclosure of the of the ESMF Recruit an environmental specialist and an social specialist in the PIU 12/2019 Reports on the status of compliance with the environmental and social documents (ESMF, CPR, LMP, SEP) Reports on the status of compliance with the environmental and social documents (GBV action plan) 12/2020 Public Disclosure ESS 10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure Disclosure of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) 12/2019 Disclosure of the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) ESS 2 Labor and Working Conditions Disclosure of the Labor Management Procedure (LMP) 12/2019 Labor Management Plan must be prepared by the Contractor 12/2020 ESS 3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management When preparing specific ESMP (i) apply a mitigation hierarchy to minimize production of waste and (ii) explore technically and financially feasible measures to improve efficient consumption of water and 12/2020 building materials ESS 4 Community Health and Safety Prepare a GBV assessment and action plan as part of the site specific ESIAs 12/2020 Dec 11, 2019 Page 8 of 10 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) Implementation of the GBV action plan 12/2020 ESS 5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement Disclosure of the Resettlement Policy Framework 12/2019 Prepare a Resettlement Plan if needed 12/2020 ESS 6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources Implement measures provided under the ESMF for protection of natural habitats, fauna and flora 12/2020 ESS 7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities ESS 8 Cultural Heritage Include a ‘‘Chance find procedures’’ will be included in all bidding documents for civil work 12/2020 ESS 9 Financial Intermediaries B.3. Reliance on Borrower’s policy, legal and institutional framework, relevant to the Project risks and impacts Is this project being prepared for use of Borrower Framework? No Public Disclosure Areas where “Use of Borrower Framework” is being considered: N/A IV. CONTACT POINTS World Bank Contact: Dambudzo Josephine Muzenda Title: Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist Telephone No: 473-1954 Email: dmuzenda@worldbank.org Contact: Mohamed Nanzoul Title: Senior Infrastructure Specialist Telephone No: 5350+3213 Email: mnanzoul@worldbank.org Borrower/Client/Recipient Borrower: ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA Implementing Agency(ies) Implementing Agency: Ministere de l'Hydraulique et de l'Assainissement Dec 11, 2019 Page 9 of 10 The World Bank Mauritania Water and Sanitation Sectoral Project (P167328) V. 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 VI. APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Dambudzo Josephine Muzenda, Mohamed Nanzoul Practice Manager (ENR/Social) Nicolas Perrin Cleared on 02-Dec-2019 at 20:36:24 EST Safeguards Advisor ESSA Hanneke Van Tilburg (SAESSA) Concurred on 11-Dec-2019 at 09:41:24 EST Public Disclosure Dec 11, 2019 Page 10 of 10