Environmental and Social Management Frameworks for the Regional Pastoral Livelihoods Resilience Program (RPLRP)

Task Objective

The Government of the Republic of Kenya is currently developing the regional Pastoral Livelihoods Resilience Project (RPLRP) to be co-financed by the World Bank. It is intended that part of the funds be applied in developing an Environmental and Social Management Framework – ESMF to proactively guide environmental and social management and hence ensure overall sustainabilty of interventions proposed for support under the RPLRP.

What the Team Accomplished

• Considered the types of investments to be financed by RPLRP, examined potential envrionmental and social impacts , both individual and cumulative for each type of sub-project.
• Described the potential negative and positive environmental and social impacts which may have resulted from positive impacts.
• The team proposed streamlined procedures for the environmental and social assessment process and subsequent supervision of sub-projects to be integrated in the procedures manual.
• Defined a typology of projects which might require an environmental assessment (e.g Screening, Project Report of Full Cycle ESIA study by location, size of the project and other site-specific criteria.
• Developed guidelines to assist development of the operation and maintenance plans prepared by communities and local government for new investments.
• Considered potential policy and institutional issues regarding the environment and discuss means of resolution that could be undertaken during the project implementation.
• Upgraded the M&E system for the environmental and social impacts and included environmental values in the Project M&E system.
• Suggested improvements to the program for sensitization and capacity building for community leaders and county officials involved in the implementation of RPLRP.