| Project Name | East to South Coast Road Connectivity Project | ||||||||
| Project Number | 54326-001 | ||||||||
| Country / Economy | Timor-Leste |
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| Project Status | Proposed | ||||||||
| Project Type / Modality of Assistance | Loan |
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| Source of Funding / Amount |
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| Operational Priorities | OP1: Addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequalities OP2: Accelerating progress in gender equality OP3: Tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability OP5: Promoting rural development and food security OP6: Strengthening governance and institutional capacity |
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| Sector / Subsector | Transport / Road transport (non-urban) |
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| Gender | Effective gender mainstreaming | ||||||||
| Description | The project will help the Government of Timor-Leste meet its transport sector priorities to enhance connectivity to markets and services and its social and national development agenda, through (i) rehabilitating and upgrading approximately 93.9 kilometers (km) of national road sections of Com-Lautem-Lospalos-Iliomar and four bridges in Lospalos, Tirilolo, and Irabere in the east and the south coast areas of the country, designed for better resilience to climate change and social inclusion; (ii) improving road asset management capacity and systems; and (iii) enhancing awareness of road safety and gender-related issues within the project area. The project supports continuing efforts of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other development partners to help upgrade and sustain the country's national road network. | ||||||||
| Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy | Due to a lack of investment in rehabilitation and maintenance, the road network in Timor-Leste deteriorated during the 25-year conflict that preceded independence in 2002. Deterioration continued even after 2002, and low connectivity and inefficiency in roar sector have constrained the country's efforts to develop. Also, the road sector of Timor-Leste is vulnerable to disasters, including heavy rains, among others, whose impact may have become more severe in recent years due to climate change. ADB has improved over 460 km of the road network mainly in the north coast and the north-south connections in the country. The project will expand ADB support to improve connectivity in the east and south coast areas, which will enhance agriculture and tourism industries in particular and help the government achieve its goal of economic diversification. Moreover, the project will support road asset management program. It will also further help to raise awareness of transport policy makers and road engineers on climate change and disaster resilient design standards and measures in the transport sector. ADB's engagement over the years has provided a few lessons in designing and implementing road transport projects. One is the importance of maintaining a sustained and reliable institutional capacity. ADB will provide substantial technical assistance to support the MPW's capacity for project management and safeguards compliance. The proposed project supports Timor-Leste's Strategic Development Plan (SDP), 2011-2030. For infrastructure development, the SDP aimed to rehabilitate and upgrade all existing roads and bridges by 2020. While approximately 50% of the most important national road sections will be rehabilitated and upgraded by the end of 2022, further investments are required. The project is aligned with ADB's country partnership strategy for Timor-Leste, which emphasizes the need for additional infrastructure investment to support inclusive growth and the development of a robust operation and maintenance system for roads. The project is also aligned with four of the operational priorities of ADB's Strategy 2030. |
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| Impact | Communities connected and access to markets improved |
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| Outcome | Road transport connectivity and efficiency improved in the east and south areas of the country |
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| Outputs | National road section rehabilitated and upgraded Road asset management improved Awareness of road safety and gender-related issues enhanced |
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| Geographical Location | Com, Lautem, Los Palos | ||||||||
| Safeguard Categories | |
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| Environment | B |
| Involuntary Resettlement | B |
| Indigenous Peoples | B |
| Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects | |
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| Environmental Aspects | The project is classified as category B for the environment. The initial environmental examination (IEE) was prepared by the MPW in accordance with ADB's SPS. A simplified environmental impact statement that is broadly equivalent to an IEE under SPS requirements will be required at a later stage for the government's clearance. The IEE will be disclosed on ADB's website, locally, and by Timor-Leste's environmental impact assessment procedure. |
| Involuntary Resettlement | The project is classified category B for involuntary resettlement following social impact assessment, census of affected households, and preparation of inventory of loss. Resettlement and ethnic group development plans (REGDP) have been disclosed on ADB website and the summary version (project information booklet) in the form leaflets will be disclosed to the affected persons and stakeholders in appropriate languages. |
| Indigenous Peoples | The safeguard categorization is category B for indigenous peoples. |
| Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation | |
| During Project Design | Stakeholder Communication Strategy/ Action plan and grievance redress mechanism procedure will be prepared. Stakeholder consultations has been conducted as part of safeguards due diligence during project preparation. |
| During Project Implementation | Stakeholder Communication plan will be implemented and monitored throughout project implementation. |
| Business Opportunities | |
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| Consulting Services | Consulting services packages will be determined during project preparation stage. |
| Procurement | Procurement packages will be determined during project preparation stage. |
| Responsible ADB Officer | Fukayama, Takeshi |
| Responsible ADB Department | Sectors Group |
| Responsible ADB Division | Transport Sector Office (SG-TRA) |
| Executing Agencies |
Council for Administration of the Infrastructure Fund |
| Timetable | |
|---|---|
| Concept Clearance | 20 Oct 2021 |
| Fact Finding | 21 Jun 2022 to 12 Jul 2022 |
| MRM | 01 Dec 2022 |
| Approval | - |
| Last Review Mission | - |
| Last PDS Update | 24 Nov 2022 |
| Project Page | https://www.adb.org//projects/54326-001/main |
| Request for Information | http://www.adb.org/forms/request-information-form?subject=54326-001 |
| Date Generated | 30 November 2023 |