The Project’s objective is to increase access to water supply and sanitation (WSS) services and improve the service delivery capacity in selected areas of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Project is proposed to be part of the Water Supply and Sanitation Universal Access Program, designed and co- financed with the World Bank (WB) under a Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) to provide universal access and improve the sustainability of water supply and sanitation services in the Kyrgyz Republic, through three progressive phases.
Phase 1 of the WB Program (the Project) will be jointly co-financed by AIIB and WB, with AIIB providing loan to Component 1 for the construction and upgrade of water supply infrastructure with climate-resilient features and priority improvements to on-site sanitation for households and public institutions (schools, hospitals, etc.) and technical assistance, in around 126 rural villages and small towns in Chui, Issyk-Kul, and Osh regions, benefitting around 450,000 people. The Project is planned to have five components as described below:
In addition to the proposed sovereign-backed loan to finance Component 1, AIIB has approved a Project Preparation Special Fund (PPSF) grant of USD 4 million to support the subproject preparation and early implementation under the Project. Through the PPSF grant, AIIB will support the detailed design of subproject with climate mitigation and resilience features, E&S baseline survey and institutional development, to enhance technical readiness and ensure high level of E&S safeguards throughout the envisaged PPSF support to project preparation. AIIB’s participation and support in the Project also aim to promote the long-term sustainable development of the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Applicable Policy and the Categorization. As the lead co-financier, the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESF) of the World Bank (WB) including its environmental and social (ES) standards will apply to this Project, which is in lieu of AIIB’s ESF. The ES risks and impacts are readily identifiable and can be avoided, minimized, or mitigated through proper assessment and the implementation of readily available mitigation measures. The scope of the Project excludes activities that could have high ES risks. Therefore, WB has categorized the ES risk of the Project as Substantial for Environmental risk and Moderate for Social risk. According to AIIB’s ESF, the Project is classified as Category B.
Environmental and Social Instruments: While the types of subprojects and the regions/districts to be supported are known, the precise locations and design options for each subproject are not yet determined and will be finalized during Project implementation. As a result, a framework approach to ES risk management will be applied. The borrower has prepared the necessary framework documents, including an ES Management Framework (ESMF), Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF), and Labor Management Procedures (LMP). The ESMF provides a general assessment of the ES risks and impacts based on the nature and type of subprojects and the location of these sub-projects. It outlines generic mitigation measures in line with the mitigation hierarchy and provide guidance for subproject planning, design, construction, operation, implementation, and monitoring. Subproject-specific ES instruments will be developed during Project implementation, based on the framework documents. An ES Commitment Plan (ESCP) was prepared and disclosed.
Environment and Social Aspects: The Project’s environmental risks and impacts are mainly associated with small and medium scale activities under Component 1 (water supply) and Component 2 (sanitation development). The anticipated risks and impacts during construction include pollution from the generation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste, traffic congestion, dust, noise, vibration, disturbance to ecosystems, and occupational and community health and safety issues. During operation, risks are mainly related to the management of wastewater and fecal sludge from sanitation facilities, which could lead to contamination of soil and water resources, pathogen exposure, and odors if not properly managed. Site-specific ES instruments such as site-specific ES management plan (ESMP) will be prepared to guide pollution prevention, resource efficiency, and biodiversity management measures in a site-specific manner. In addition, the construction of new water supply schemes may require land acquisition, temporary land use restrictions and involuntary resettlement that could impact livelihoods in the area around the project facilities. Similarly, investments under the Sanitation Development component could involve land acquisition, temporary land use restrictions and involuntary resettlement, with potential impacts to community livelihoods. No significant risks related to labor influx and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH) are expected under the Project during construction, as most project workers will be recruited locally. The RPF prepared for the Project, has provisions to address the impacts related to both Land Acquisition and temporary land use. In case of land acquisition and impact on livelihood, Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) will be prepared and implemented by each subproject. These ES risks and impacts can be avoided, minimized, or mitigated through proper assessment and the implementation of readily available mitigation measures, in accordance with Good International Industry Practice (GIIP).
Occupational Health and Safety, Labor and Employment Conditions: The WSS subprojects involve construction and operational activities that may pose Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) risks, including hazards related to excavations, confined space entry, working at heights, and exposure to pathogens. Many activities will occur near settlements, potentially exposing communities to risks such as traffic hazards, noise, dust, vibrations, and access restrictions during construction. The ESMF and LMP will assess these risks and provide generic OHS and Community Health and Safety (CHS) guidance based on the nature of activities and associated risks. Subproject-specific ESMPs will screen and address these risks, and subproject-specific ES instruments will incorporate tailored OHS and CHS measures, and the Project will maintain records of accidents, with any fatalities or major incidents reported immediately to the WB and AIIB.
Stakeholder Engagement, Consultation and Information Disclosure: A SEP has been prepared to identify various stakeholders and outline the approach for engaging with them throughout the project life cycle. The SEP provides guidance in citizen engagement and defines appropriate mechanisms to engage with both direct and indirect project beneficiaries and other concerned parties, including vulnerable groups. Furthermore, the ESMF provides mechanisms for effective community engagement through disclosure of project-related information, consultations, input and feedback. The Borrower has disclosed the ES instruments in English and Russian on its website and WB disclosed the ES instruments in English on its website. An ES Commitment Plan (ESCP) was prepared and disclosed.
Project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM): In accordance with the requirement of the WB and AIIB, a dedicated grievance mechanism at three levels, including subproject level, Aiyl Okmotu (AO) level and national level will be established for the Project as project-level GRM. Specific communication materials including GRM brochures or posters in local language will be prepared to help local residents become familiar with grievance channels and procedures. The Project website and the GRM brochures will contain clear information on the project GRM and WB’s independent accountability Mechanism (IAM) as well as how any interested party can submit feedback, questions, comments, concerns and complaints, and will include the ability to submit complaints electronically. The contractor shall prepare a separate GRM for workers as part of the contract-specific LMP to address workers' grievances.
Monitoring and Supervision Arrangements: The State Institution for the Development of Drinking Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal and the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) will be responsible for managing the day-to-day project implementation activities, including ensuring the ES compliance of the Project. The PIU will recruit one Environmental Specialist and one Social Specialist, and PIU’s each local district unit will recruit one ES Specialist. The Bank’s ES Specialists will carry out field-based ES supervision missions to monitor the implementation of ES instruments. ES monitoring during subproject implementation provides essential data on impacts and mitigation effectiveness, enabling the PIU to assess progress and ensure timely corrective actions. PIU ES specialists will monitor compliance with the ESMF and ESMPs using checklists that have been developed. The PIU will prepare and submit semi-annual reports to WB and AIIB for review in accordance with the agreed format. Contractors will submit monthly monitoring reports on ES activities and issues, and supervision consultants’ monthly reports will also cover ES compliance. Health and safety logs, accident records, and environmental quality monitoring results will be documented.
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Jingjing Zhao
Investment Officer
World Bank
Odette Muximpua
Senior Water and Sanitation Specialist
Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry
Azamat Shadmanov
Director, State Institution for the Development of Drinking Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal under the Water Resources Service (SIDDWSWD)
Arstan Muktarov
Project Implementation Unit Director, SIDDWSWD
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