Regional : Sustainable Environmental Management of Projects in Central and West Asia

Project Name

Sustainable Environmental Management of Projects in Central and West Asia

Project Number

48109-001

Country / Economy

• Regional

Project Status

Closed

Project Type / Modality of Assistance

• Technical Assistance

Source of Funding / Amount

TA 8663-REG: Sustainable Environmental Management of Projects in Central and West Asia

Source	Amount
Technical Assistance Special Fund	US$ 1.50 million

TA 8663-REG: Sustainable Environmental Management of Projects in Central and West Asia (Supplementary)

Source	Amount
Technical Assistance Special Fund	US$ 750,000.00

TA 8663-REG: Sustainable Environmental Management of Projects in Central and West Asia (Supplementary)

Source	Amount
Technical Assistance Special Fund	US$ 500,000.00

Strategic Agendas

• Environmentally sustainable growth
• Inclusive economic growth
• Regional integration

Drivers of Change

• Governance and capacity development
• Knowledge solutions
• Private sector development

Sector / Subsector

• Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Water-based natural resources management

• Energy / Energy sector development and institutional reform

• Public sector management / Public administration

• Transport / Road transport (non-urban)

• Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Other urban services

Gender

No gender elements

Description

The impact of the TA will be sustained environmental compliance across all ADB-financed projects in participating DMCs across CWA region. The outcome will be improved implementation of SSEMPs for category A and B projects in participating DMCs across the CWA region.

The TA will have three outputs: (i) project environmental monitoring solution (PEMS) developed; (ii) environmental management capacity of executing agencies enhanced; and (iii) executing agency performance on environmental management showcased.

Output 1 will be delivered through development and implementation of a continuous PEMS. The PEMS will serve as a monitoring, feedback, and training loop that will result in a solution customized to meet the needs and specific capacity gaps of each executing agency. The international environmental safeguards consultant will conduct a sector-focused capacity gap analysis. The international environmental safeguards consultant will develop a five-point ranking system on safeguards compliance, which will provide detailed criteria for ranking environmental compliance of ongoing projects. This ranking system will be used to accurately measure biannually the level and quality of environmental compliance in each ongoing project. After consultations with the directors and environment specialists of the executing agencies' project management units, and ADB's project team leaders in the sector divisions, a framework for the PEMS will be developed by incorporating any concerns over implementation issues. The PEMS framework will be finalized and then implemented in the field by national environmental safeguards consultants placed at ADB's resident mission in each participating DMC.

Output 2 will be achieved by developing and implementing the capacity enhancement plan. The quality of environmental management and compliance in ongoing projects is expected to increase with the implementation of the PEMS framework. The national environmental safeguards consultant placed at each resident mission will closely interact with each executing agency's project management unit, identifying executing agency- or sector-specific issues and customizing the PEMS for each executing agency. The national environmental safeguards consultant will achieve this through continuous involvement and close cooperation with all executing agencies and ADB project team leaders, and by conducting regular site visits. The national environmental safeguards consultant will first assess the capacity gaps and then develop and operationalize targeted and sustainable executing agency-specific capacity enhancement plans. Additional gaps found by the national environmental safeguards consultant will be bridged through the continuous monitoring, feedback, and training loop. Each national environmental safeguards consultant will have the annual target of improving the compliance of their projects by one ranking point, thereby ensuring improvement in environmental management at the executing agencies.

Output 3 will showcase the improvement in environmental management performance by the executing agencies. The national environmental safeguards consultant at the resident mission will liaise with government environmental institutions and agencies and nongovernment agencies in each participating DMC to establish a national environment network. This national environment network will promote better understanding of the implementation of environmental safeguards in the field, and will assist in developing mechanisms to overcome the challenges at various stages of implementation. The national environmental safeguards consultant will also prepare knowledge products to showcase the successes of executing agencies and their improved ranking in environmental management; these will be instrumental in improving environmental management capacity across all executing agencies in the participating DMCs.

Frequently conducted, project-focused environmental management and risk assessment training for each executing agency across the participating DMCs will increase national self-reliance in these areas. The TA through its continuous monitoring, feedback and training loop will address the prevailing situation of frequent turnover of executing agency environment staff by training all new staff. As a result, the TA will train a greater number of environmental professionals, thus moving toward sustainable environmental management.

1The key assumption to the success of the TA is that the executing agency environmental staff trained through the PEMS will be retained. In the event that staff turnover does occur, the nature of the capacity enhancement program is such that training will be repeated regularly, and will resemble the model of continuous on-the-job training to counter the impacts of staff turnover. The risk that the TA faces is that the prolonged decision-making process of executing agencies may cause delays in endorsing the ranking criteria, which could lead to long delays in actually implementing the PEMS. This risk will be managed by the active involvement and follow-up of the international environment consultant in keeping the process directed and well-paced.

Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy

Currently, 126 projects are under implementation across all sectors in 10 CWA DMCs; most projects involve large-scale construction and are classified as category A (16%) or category B (68%) for environment. Over the past few years, the quality of environmental impact assessments, initial environmental examinations, and EMPs as well as timeliness of submission and disclosure of these safeguard documents have improved. However, there is room for further improvement particularly as regards implementing the EMPs and preparing and operationalizing the SSEMPs. The capacity of the executing agencies' environment specialists needs strengthening, including monitoring the preparation and field implementation of EMPs and SSEMPs. Also, further capacity needs to be built to respond to scenarios not presented in the EMPs. Such scenarios could otherwise potentially result in noncompliance with the Safeguard Policy Statement, and thus could become a bottleneck to the overall implementation of the project.

Impact

Sustained environmental compliance across all ADB-financed projects in participating DMCs across CWA region

Project Outcome

Description of Outcome

Improved quality of safeguard documents and safeguard implementation to support CWRD portfolio for better compliance with SPS 2009.

Progress Toward Outcome

The TA shifted to supporting the EAs and PMUs in managing safeguard works at both processing and implementation stage.

Implementation Progress

Description of Project Outputs

1. Quality and timeliness of EIAs and IEEs improved

2. Quality and timeliness of environmental monitoring reports (EMRs) improved

3. Environmental safeguard performance of ADB projects improved

Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)

Two regional training workshops on monitoring of environmental safeguards implementation for environmental safeguards staff and managers or chief engineers of all EAs/IAs were completed in April 2018 in GEO (for ARM, AZE, GEO, KAZ, KGZ, TAJ and UZB) and May 2018 in PAK. (for AFG and PAK). These events were seen as a broad success, providing practical learning sessions from practitioners in different countries, included site visits to visit relevant projects and also ensured ADB position was made clear to EA/IAs on SPS implementation during processing and implementation.

The support of consultants to EAs and IAs has strengthen the processing and implementation of projects with respect to safeguards compliance. An international consultant was hired and was based in KGZ. The international consultant, together with the CWRD Environment Safeguards Team, developed a Manual for Monitoring of Environmental Safeguard Implementation (Manual). The international consultant conducted a training on the Manual to the country-based consultants (CBCs). The CBCs then cascaded the information down to the PIUs which is now being implemented. The use of the Manual was also a focus area during the training workshop in GEO and PAK.

A further workshop was also conducted by ADB practitioners on vibration impacts with a vibration expert. This workshop output included a Guidance Note which is currently under further development to become a bank-wide document.

Geographical Location

Regional

Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects

Environmental Aspects

Involuntary Resettlement

Indigenous Peoples

Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation

During Project Design

Discussed with AEs/IAs and relevant departments/divisions of ADB

During Project Implementation

Discussed the RETA activities with staff of Executing Agencies/Project Implementation Units.

Business Opportunities

Consulting Services

International Environmental Safeguards TA Consultant (30 person-days)

International - Regional (UZB & GEO) Environmental Safeguards Consultant (414 person-days)

National Environmental Safeguards Consultants

(i) Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan - (122 person-days)

(ii) National-Regional-Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan (108 person-days)

(iii) Armenia - (180 person days)

(iv) Azerbaijan - (180 person days)

(v) National-Regional-PAK, AFG and other countries as required

(173 days)

Procurement

Office cabinet in TJRM

Contact

Responsible ADB Officer

Duncan Lang

Responsible ADB Department

Central and West Asia Department

Responsible ADB Division

CWOD-PSG, Central and West Regional Department

Executing Agencies

Asian Development Bank

Timetable

Concept Clearance

09 Apr 2014

Fact Finding

-

MRM

-

Approval

10 Jun 2014

Last Review Mission

-

Last PDS Update

27 Sep 2018

Funding

TA 8663-REG