Project information document (pid) appraisal stage
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- Region LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN Country
- Project ID P132108 Parent Project ID
- Environment Category [ ] A [X] B [ ] C [ ] FI [ ] TBD (to be determined) Date PID Prepared
- Date of Appraisal Authorization September 25, 2012 Date of Board Approval
| PROJECT INFORMATION DOCUMENT (PID)
APPRAISAL STAGE Report No.: 73219
Country and Sector Background Nicaragua, the second poorest country in Latin America after Haiti, is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. The country’s physical and economic vulnerability to external shocks, including natural disasters, has hindered economic growth and poverty reduction efforts. Hurricane Mitch, Nicaragua’s greatest disaster in recent history, struck in 1998, just when the country was beginning to overcome a lingering economic depression. The North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN), with approximately 308,000 inhabitants, covers almost 31,000 square kilometers of the Atlantic coast region, the largest and the poorest of the three distinct regions that comprise Nicaragua. The Atlantic coast region, which RAAN shares with the South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS), comprises about 46 percent of the country’s territory and 11 percent of its multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual population. About 60 percent of this population lives below the poverty line, a level substantially higher than in the rest of Nicaragua. Given its culture and history, both RAAN and RAAS have enjoyed partial autonomy since the mid 1980s. Hurricane Felix, a Category 5 storm, hit Nicaragua on September 4, 2007, affecting severely RAAN. Nearly 200,000 people, or about 60 percent of the region’s population, suffered the impacts of Hurricane Felix. Agriculture and fisheries – the primary income for coastal communities in the region – were heavily impacted, housing and social infrastructure experienced major damages, and forest areas, mangroves and coastal habitats were extensively affected. Given that 60 per cent of the total population and almost 77 percent of the rural population in the region live in poverty, the challenges for sustainable recovery were significant since the poorest have proven to be the least resilient and more adversely affected. Objectives The project development objective (PDO) is to support the sustainable recovery of the communities affected by Hurricane Felix in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) of Nicaragua. Rationale for Bank Involvement On June 20, 2012 the Government of Nicaragua requested additional financing grant for the Project in the amount of US$5.0 million, in order to complete original activities and meet targets under Component 3. These include reconstruction of key social/community infrastructure such as community centers and churches that double up as emergency shelters, and small health centers that bring services to isolated communities. The AF is needed to meet reconstruction cost increases that have taken place since Project approval. Moreover, the AF will provide the required resources for additional project management, monitoring and evaluation, and to finalize training to promote Hurricane-resistant construction practices. The Government requested the additional financing considering the poverty and vulnerability levels of the region and the importance of continuing to receive implementation support from the World Bank. Description The original Project has been financed by an Emergency Recovery Credit (ERL) of SDR10.7 million or US$17.0 million equivalent, which was approved by the Bank’s Board on March 6, 2008 and became effective on October 31, 2008. The original Credit closing date was May 30, 2012, which has been extended cumulatively by 19 months to December 31, 2013. As detailed below, the Project includes four components. Component 1 was implemented by the Executive Secretariat of the National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Response (SE-SINAPRED) and the rest of the project is being implemented by the Government of the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (GRAAN). The specific activities of each component are as follows: Component 1 - Early Recovery: This component was completed on August 2012, and financed critical rehabilitation and recovery activities such as provision of early reconstruction materials, housing rehabilitation for over 2,800 families, restoration of family gardens, and fishing gear. Component 1 also financed implementation capacity strengthening of GRAAN and SINAPRED. Component 2 - Strengthening of Small-Scale Fisheries Sector: This component seeks to restore and improve the economic conditions of men and women working in the small-scale fisheries sector in the region. In addition to training and provision of fishing equipment, it includes the establishment of a revolving fund to provide credit to affected fisher folk, including inter alia, for boats and working capital. Component 3 – Reconstruction of Housing and Social Infrastructure: This component aims to reestablish the social and economic environment of affected communities by providing safer and culturally responsive housing and social infrastructure. As part of the social infrastructure, this component supports the reconstruction of community churches and centers as well as small health clinics. Component 4 – Institutional Strengthening for Project Management, Coordination and Monitoring and Evaluation: The objective of this component is to strengthen the institutional capacity of the GRAAN to implement the project, and in general, to lead regional development efforts. The proposed Additional Financing Grant will be used to reach the original targets of the social/community infrastructure under Component 3, and will include funds for adequate project management and M&E under Component 4. Specifically, (a) under Component 3, where the original targets had been reduced by almost 50 percent, the AF will allow to restore these targets. Accordingly, the AF will support the supervision and construction of eight churches, eight community centers, and two small health centers, and will allow equipping the health centers and completing the training on improved construction techniques; and (b) Under Component 4, the AF will finance Project management, Monitoring and Evaluation. As originally described, this would include, among others, coordination, training, financial management, external auditing, and implementation of the Communication Strategy. Financing The Bank will finance 100 percent of eligible expenditures under the AF Grant.
Implementation GRAAN will continue as implementing agency supported by the existing specialized Implementation Team. The latter includes, inter alia, a Technical Coordinator, an Infrastructure Coordinator, a Social Communication Specialist, an M&E officer, and qualified fiduciary staff. Both Implementation Progress (IP) and PDO Achievement have been rated Moderately Satisfactory (MS) for over 12 months in the Implementation and Results Reports (ISRs). As corroborated during the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of October 2012 and subsequent missions, the PDO remains relevant and achievable. The Project experienced delays due to a slow learning curve by SE-SINAPRED and GRAAN and weak inter-institutional coordination, coupled with weather conditions, isolation of beneficiary communities, political factors (municipal and national elections), and limited market development of the region which posed major challenges to key bidding processes. After overcoming these challenges, Project progress has reached a more stable pace reflecting improved project management under new regional leadership, stronger capacity including support through a specialized Implementation Team, and improved cohesiveness within the Project team. All major procurement processes are underway, and activities under Component 1 closed in August 2012. As of September 2012, US$11.80 million (72.50 percent of total Credit funds) have been disbursed, and close to US$4.0 million committed. Project progress is evident in the rehabilitation of houses and the implementation of the revolving fund for the small scale fisheries sector. To date over 3,980 families have benefited from roof rehabilitation and close to 200 families from housing reconstruction. An additional 105 families will soon receive their houses. Through the revolving fund, the Project has provided US$297,000 for Pikineras (women working in the small scale fisheries sector) and for other activities in the fisheries sector. The 30 boats that will be provided through the revolving fund have been acquired and potential beneficiary groups identified. The construction of six churches and seven community centers is underway, and should be finalized by the end of 2012. The Project has also provided training and fishing gear to affected communities, and provided seeds for small family gardens. Finally, the Project is in compliance with its legal covenants and with fiduciary requirements and applicable safeguard policies. Sustainability The proposed Additional Finance, as the parent Project, includes activities to promote beneficiary communities’ environmental and social sustainability. During implementation, project activities have promoted a recovery process based on “building back better” that should result in more resilient communities. Specifically, the Project includes activities that aim at improving the productivity of the fisheries sector, the primary source of income of the affected coastal communities, while ensuring that these activities are carried out in an environmentally sustainable way (for instance, boats provided under the project are fuel efficient). Moreover, the housing and social infrastructure rehabilitation and reconstruction activities ensure social sustainability by actively engaging the local communities along with environmental sustainability through the piloting of new bamboo technology with hazard-resistant techniques. Finally, the Project also builds on efforts to strengthen the national capacity for disaster risk management and the Bank’s regional and global experience in emergency recovery assistance. Lessons Learned from Past Operations in the Country/Sector The Bank has accumulated substantial regional and global experience in supporting post-disaster recovery. At the general level, experience shows that recovery is essentially a development issue. Accordingly, a recovery program needs to consider the longer-term goals of reducing disaster vulnerability while fostering sustainable development. The main challenge has been to design such a program while ensuring that the required implementation capacity can be met to ensure timely rehabilitation of affected communities. Operationally, this means that: The design of emergency recovery operations should be relatively simple and flexible, while also reflecting the priorities of the affected area and communities, and the specific needs of women, the elderly and other vulnerable groups. The recovery program for the RAAN reflects the region’s priorities, as outlined in the regional development plan, and has been developed with broad consultation of the communities. Gender issues, at the same time, have been mainstreamed into the design of the program. Implementation arrangements should be straightforward and responsive to national decentralization efforts, balancing between the needs for regional and local leadership and for centralized accountability and coordination. The Project has provided a unique albeit challenging opportunity for the regional government to take the lead in the recovery process. The learning curve of the regional government’s capacity, however, has been slower than expected, and a concerted effort required for strengthening its capacity. In countries or areas prone to natural disasters, emergency recovery operations should strive to mainstream disaster mitigation in a social and cultural responsive manner. The Project focuses on rebuilding safer communities, with houses and buildings rehabilitated or reconstructed with improved construction standards that consider disaster risk as well as traditional housing designs. The main challenge for emergency recovery operations is implementation, which increases the need for close supervision. Close management attention and adequate resources for supervision have been provided thus far not only to ensure smooth implementation, but also timely provision of global knowledge and experience. Safeguard Policies (including public consultation) The Project is considered Category “B.” The AF will not change this category since no new activities will be carried out, there are no changes proposed in the original scope of construction works nor is there expansion of the Project’s geographic area. As with the original Project, in general, no large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts are thus expected. Reflecting these factors, the same safeguards that were originally triggered would also apply under the additional financing grant. These include: Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01), Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04), Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11), and Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10). Regarding the latter, considering that the region is predominantly a multi-cultural and multi ethnic region with a majority of population of indigenous or ethnic origin, the entire project has been designed to be consistent and in full compliance with OP 4.10 (indigenous peoples safeguard policy). The safeguard instruments currently under implementation will remain valid under the AF since they were prepared taking into consideration the original activities, targets, and Project area. To date, safeguards ratings have been consistently rated Satisfactory (S) and there are no outstanding social or environmental issues. The Bank has corroborated safeguard compliance through intensive supervision by an environmental and a social specialist, more recently in June 2012. All required safeguard instruments (Environmental Analysis and Management Plan and a Social Assessment) were completed following broad-based consultations and have been published. In compliance with the environmental law, the Project has an Environmental Certification (License). A Communication Strategy complements these instruments and includes weekly broadcasts detailing project activities on popular local radio stations where potential beneficiaries are encouraged to contact project officials with any questions or concerns that they may have. Special attention is being paid by GRAAN to social inclusion and gender equity. List of Factual Technical Documents Government Documents: Consejo de Desarrollo de la Costa Caribe. 2007. Plan Nacional de Desarrollo de la Costa Caribe de Nicaragua. INPESCA. September 2007. Exploracion Evaluativa de 10s Cayos Miskitos Posterior a1 Paso del Huracan “Felix”. INPESCA. December 2007. Propuesta para el Apoyo a1 Sector Productivo Pesquero de RAAN. Specialized / International Sources: Inter-American Development Bank. July 2007. Nicaragua: Analisis Ambiental de Pais. United Nations. September 2007. Nicaragua Hurricane Felix Flash Appeal World Food Program. July 2005. Food Security and Livelihoods in the Autonomous Atlantic Regions World Bank Documents: Letter Agreement No. 45960. Advance for Preparation of Hurricane Felix Emergency Recovery Project. December 2007 External Institucional Evaluacion del Fondo de Credito Rural. World Bank. 2007 Microfinance and Disaster Risk Management: Experiences and Lessons Learned. World Bank. 2002. Contact point Contact: Enrique Pantoja Title: Sr Land Administration Specialist Tel: (202) 473-2516 Fax:
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