DESCRIPTION
The Project will help address gaps in sanitation service coverage in municipalities particularly in low-income communities and informal settlements that conventional sewer systems cannot reach. The Project will support different sanitation services depending on the specific needs of municipalities, which may include septic tank maintenance services, construction of communal sanitation facilities and public toilets, decentralized sewer systems, and wastewater treatment facilities. The Project will also support institutional and capacity building of project implementing agencies, development of sustainable operational models, and awareness building in beneficiary communities.
The Project will include the following components: Component 1 - Sanitation and Hygiene Improvement; Component 2 - Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building; and Component 3 - Project Management and Coordination.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION
Applicable Policy and Standards. The Bank’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP) including the Environmental and Social Exclusion List (ESEL) and relevant Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs) will apply to the Project. The details and locations of the specific activities are not yet identified; therefore, a framework approach will be adopted by the Project.
ES Categorization and Rationale. The Project is being proposed to be Category B, considering it will finance wastewater treatment plants in decentralized locations, associated facilities, and the operation of sanitation systems. During the appraisal, the Project’s Categorization will be further reviewed and finalized following the feasibility studies; Environmental and Social (E&S) assessments, and site visits.
E&S Scoping and Planned Instruments. The draft Environmental and Social Management Planning Framework (ESMPF) that includes the Resettlement Planning Framework (RPF) and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) has been prepared. These instruments will be updated during project preparation and implementation to include E&S instruments, such as Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and generic Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), Resettlement Plan (RP), according to national laws and policies, and the Bank’s ESP and ESSs. Potential infrastructure and civil works under the Project could have significant impacts on both the environment and the community.
Environmental Risks and Impacts. The construction and implementation of sanitation infrastructure will significantly improve living conditions, improved health, and sanitation, which will have significant effects on the health of the population and environment of those municipalities. At the same time the proposed Project activities will generate various adverse social impacts associated with land acquisition, resettlement, economic displacement, impacts on cultural heritage, disturbance to community and traffic, the influx of labor, health hazards, and labor safety issues due to facility siting, civil works and O&M. Vulnerable groups, including indigenous peoples, women, the elderly, individuals with disability, those below the poverty line, and in informal sectors such as manual latrine cleaners can be disproportionately affected. In addition, the formalization of the septic tank desludging services will economically displace individuals or small enterprises that provide informal manual latrine cleaning services. A survey of such project-affected people or groups will be conducted as a part of the baseline social surveys of the Project.
Climate Change. The Global Climate Risk Index rates Bangladesh as the seventh most affected country in the world from extreme weather events. The flash floods of 2022 affected 49,885 sanitation facilities. To reduce the negative impacts of extreme weather events, improved sanitation systems will be planned and implemented to be climate-smart and disaster-resilient. The ESMPF and Project Implementation Manual (PIM) will help to ensure this by incorporating appropriate adaptive measures into the project planning and providing guidelines for the design, construction, and operation of sanitation infrastructure that is climate-smart and disaster-resilient.
Gender Aspects. Women and men often have different roles in sanitation activities and their needs, preferences, and challenges regarding sanitation services also vary across the groups. It is important to recognize the distinct challenges and opportunities faced by women and men, as well as other gender minorities. To recognize and address the issues, a Project-specific gender and social inclusion action plan will be developed to enhance the mainstreaming of vulnerable groups. The action plan is expected to include clear targets, gender-disaggregated data, vulnerable group design features, and measurable performance indicators to promote participation and benefits. Moreover, a gender-based violence prevention plan will also be prepared to manage the heightened risk of exploitation stemming from labor influx.
Stakeholder Engagement, Consultations, and Information Disclosure. Along with outlining the disclosure strategy of the Project, the SEP, as encapsulated in the draft ESMPF, will highlight how consultation and communication will be conducted throughout the Project cycle. The SEP will identify all categories of stakeholders and will inform the design of the mitigation measures and E&S assessments. In addition, the PMU shall be responsible for the overall results monitoring and reporting for the Project. Detailed monitoring and reporting arrangements with clearly defined roles and responsibilities as well as the templates for periodic and annual progress reports will be developed and included in the PIM. The ESMPF and RPF will be disclosed on the government’s designated website and AIIB website once they are finalized but not later than the required time bound on its E&S categorization. The executive summaries of the E&S documents will be translated into Bengali and published online.
Project-Level Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and ES Monitoring. A Project-specific and gender-sensitive Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) will be established to receive, acknowledge, evaluate, and facilitate the resolution of the complaints relating to E&S issues with corrective actions proposed. This will be undertaken using understandable and transparent processes that are gender-responsive, culturally appropriate, and readily accessible to all segments of the affected people, including workers during project construction.
