CCRES: Environmental and Social Safeguards

Since the CCRES is a research-oriented initiative to develop models and tools, no environmental and social impacts are anticipated during its implementation. No specific safeguard instrument needs to be developed under the Project. For the two ongoing Bank-financed projects, COREMAP-CTI (Indonesia) and PRDP (Philippine) the main beneficiaries of the tools, the safeguard instruments are already established that will apply once the application of the tools in the two projects creates safeguard issues. But since the tools developed under the CCRES will be publicly open and used by various users that include international community of coral reef, mangrove and sea-grass researchers and practitioners, climate scientists and environmental engineers, natural resource economists, behavioral economists, governance experts and modelers, a simple environmental and social safeguard guideline need to be developed. Any future application of the tools would be subject to the safeguard guidelines and mitigation measures to be established under the beneficiary project which are not covered by COREMAP-CTI and PRDP safeguard instruments. 

On environmental safeguard, the Project triggered OP 4.01 on Environmental Assessment as there might be some impacts related to the restriction to access of natural resources from the development of marine spatial plans. The Project also triggered OP 4.04 Natural Habitats since it will work in high biodiversity habitats such as coral reefs and sea grass beds, many of them still in a natural state. However, since the objectives of the project are to protect these habitats and reduce the threats to them from unplanned development or unsustainable business practices, the outcomes are expected to be highly positive. Likewise, the beneficiary projects to which CCRES is linked aim to protect the coastal ecosystem and to enhance its sustainable management through improving the management effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas and supporting communities in the monitoring of their coral reefs to protect against destructive fishing practices and safeguard their natural capital. Thus, the Project itself is expected to have overall strong positive environmental outcomes with associated social benefits linked to improved alternative livelihood options.

On social safeguard, the Project triggered OP 4.12 on involuntary resettlement as there might be some social impacts related to restriction of access to fisheries resources or restrictions on unsustainable use that could result from zoning or marine spatial plans informed by CCRES, even if not implemented by CCRES.  Any such plans would be developed in consultation with beneficiaries and any implications regarding access restrictions, for instance through zoning, would be the result of consensus, as was the case under COREMAP. For instance, the access restriction to natural resources may be caused by the application of tools developed under Component 2 where the Project will undertake a structured process to empower and enable communities to transform their local economies to more sustainable ‘blue economies’ in a sustained manner or by the application of Marine Protected Area (MPA). Though, the Project itself is expected to have overall strong positive environmental outcomes with associated social benefits linked to improved alternative livelihood options.

OP 4.10 on Indigenous Peoples is triggered. CCRES may undertake field activities in pilot locations where there are indigenous peoples. Adverse impacts to the IP groups are not anticipated. Should the project sites include indigenous communities these groups will be project beneficiaries. The main issue regarding the indigenous peoples is more on the need of meaningful consultation during the tools application, to ensure that they will get culturally appropriate benefits of the tools application.

Guidelines on Environmental and Social Safeguard

As the first step, the use of the tools shall not facilitate and shall not be used to finance any of the following activities:

  • Development of new settlements or expansion of existing settlements inside natural habitats and existing or proposed marine protected areas.
  • Any activity that will result in resettlement of individuals or community (voluntary or involuntary), which relates to the OP 4.12 Involuntary Resettlement.
  • Any activity requiring the acquisition of land in large scale. But, if land is needed for construction of a small-scale infrastructure, it will need to be a part of the community contribution and an elected village forum will need to provide written confirmation that affected individuals have not been negatively affected. Land purchasing in a small scale is still possible.
  • Housing developments.
  • Construction of ports.
  • Agricultural programs and expansion necessitating resettlement.
  • Activities that significantly convert or degrade natural habitat including those of terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems, or activities where the conservation and/or environmental gains do not clearly outweigh any potential losses, as well as cause resettlement.
  • Reclamation and new land development.
  • Large-scale agriculture activities.
  • Land development schemes to bring forest land into agricultural production.
  • Drainage of wetland wildlife habitat or of virgin forest.
  • Forestry production projects.
  • Conversion of hill forest land to other land use.
  • Any commercial logging operations.
  • Coral mining.
  • Large-scale construction expected to lead to significant negative environmental impacts.
  • Large scale drainage and irrigation projects.
  • Any activity that is likely to create adverse impacts on ethnic groups or indigenous peoples within the village and/or in neighboring villages or unacceptable to ethnic groups living in a village of mixed ethnic composition.
  • Construction or rehabilitation of places of worship.
  • Activities that will loss or damage to cultural property, including sites having archaeological (prehistoric), paleontological, historical, religious, cultural & unique natural values.
  • Manufacture, transportation, purchasing and use of large quantity of hazardous and/or toxic materials including all kinds of pesticides, toxic metals, and other organic chemicals that will poison and detriment to ecosystem and human health.

Subsequently, the matrix below provides principles or measures to mitigate any environmental and social impacts related to the environmental assessment, natural habitats, involuntary resettlement and indigenous peoples’ issues, the four safeguard policies triggered by the Project. The general guideline will apply if the tools application creates impacts due to land acquisition and indigenous peoples and provide added value and positive enhancement through environmental assessment and the conservation of natural habitats. The beneficiaries/user of the tools will then develop necessary action plans to mitigate the impacts.

Environmental Assessment

Issue

Negative environmental impacts are not anticipated as the project will not support implementation of the marine spatial plans and business model it develops. In fact, the project impacts are expected to be overwhelmingly positive. The project is designed to improve the way communities interact with the coastal resources on which they depend for essential ecosystem services, by making these services more explicit and mapping flows to demonstrate how and by whom these benefits are captured.

Principles/Measures

  • Acknowledge and enhance positive environmental impacts and improve environmental performance.
  • Consult project-affected groups and local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) about the project's positive environmental aspects and takes their views into account for enhancement.

Natural Habitats

Issue

The project will work in high biodiversity habitats such as coral reefs and sea grass beds, many of them still in a natural state. But since the objectives of the project are to protect these habitats and reduce the threats to them from unplanned development or unsustainable business practices, the outcomes are expected to be highly positive such as improving the management effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas and supporting communities in the monitoring of their coral reefs to protect against destructive fishing practices and safeguard their natural capital.

Principles/Measures

  • Generate and disseminate scientific information that has a direct, positive impact on conservation, habitat protection and the degree of threat reduction.
  • Foster cooperation among institutions in the region and inform for decision making at various levels by sharing the improvement of management effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas and the support to communities in the monitoring of their coral reefs to protect against destructive fishing practices and safeguard their natural capital.

Involuntary Resettlement

Issue

Involuntary land acquisition and resettlement are not anticipated. Access restriction particularly with the determination of marine protected area and land donation for development of community facilities may take place.

Principles/Measures

Access Restriction

  • Meaningful consultation with the potential affected people on the impacts and benefits of the activities;
  • The affected peoples should participate in the activities, for instance in determining the marine protected area;
  • To mitigate any economic displacements that might occur as a result of zoning the marine space, alternative livelihoods opportunities should be developed
  • Impacts mitigation action plan should be prepared to be agreed with the affected community;
  • The action plan should be disclosed in a place that accessible to the affected community;
  • Grievance redress mechanism will be available, accessible to the community in the affected areas

Land donation

Land donation may take place if the community facilities are to be constructed as part of the tools application.

Land donation is acceptable only if: i) the people involved are fully knowledgeable about the project and its implications and consequences and freely agree to participate in the project; and ii) the people involved have the options to agree or disagree with the land acquisition,

The following criteria are suggested as guideline:

  • The infrastructure must not be site specific;
  • The impact to the land owners must be minor, that the land to be donated must less than 10% of their productive land (the percentage is case by case basis);
  • The land required to meet technical project criteria must be identified by the community, not by project authority or line agency;
  • Verification (for example, notarized or witnessed statement) of the voluntary nature of land donation must be obtain from the donors;
  • Land title must be clear of the both sides (donor and project authority);
  • Grievance mechanism must be available

Indigenous Peoples

Issue

Criteria of Indigenous Peoples (OP 4.10 on Indigenous Peoples):

a) self-identification as members of a distinct indigenous cultural group and recognition of this identity by others;
b) collective attachment to geographically distinct habitats or ancestral territories in the project area and to the natural resources in these habitats and territories;
c) customary cultural, economic, social, or political institutions that are separate from those of the dominant society and culture; and
d) an indigenous language, often different from the official language of the country or region.

Adverse impacts to the IP groups are not anticipated. Should the project sites include indigenous communities these groups will be project beneficiaries.

Principles/Measures

  • To ensure that free, prior and informed consultations are undertaken, in a language spoken by, and location convenient for, potentially affected IP.
  • The views of IP are to be taken into account during preparation and implementation of any sub-project, while respecting their current practices, beliefs and cultural preferences. The outcome of the consultations will be documented; 
  • If the IP conclude that the sub-project will be beneficial to them, and that any minor adverse impacts, if any, can be mitigated, a plan to assist them will be developed based on consultation with the IP and local representatives. The community should also be consulted to ensure that their rights and culture are respected. The assistance may also include institutional strengthening and capacity building of indigenous villages and community groups working with the sub-project;
  • In the issue of access restriction to the natural resources, the IP will participate in the zoning and mapping activities in order to fully benefit from the subproject. In full consultation with the IP groups, the zoning and mapping activities will define the areas with customary rights of the local IP and reflect the issues in the action plan with particular actions to protect or compensate the groups;
  • Where indigenous people are identified that represent a sufficiently large interest, efforts will be made to ensure that the group is represented and that regular and formal communication is established with the group;
  • Where the indigenous people speak a language different from the majority, relevant brochures and documents will be translated in the appropriate language.
  • Grievance redress mechanism that accessible to the IP communities should be developed.

Download: CCRES: Environment and Social Safeguards (pdf)