Environmental, Social and Economic Review Note (ESERN)



I. Project Overview

Identification

9409

Project Title

Healthy Landscapes: Managing Agricultural Landscapes in Socio-ecologically Sensitive Areas to Promote Food Security, Well-being and Ecosystem Health 

Managing Division

Ecosystem Mnagement

Type/Location

National

Region

Asia Pacific

List Countries

Sri Lanka

Project Description

The Healthy Landscapes project will strengthen restoration and sustainable management of village tank cascade landscapes for the provision of
ecosystem services for human health and wellbeing and safeguarding of agrobiodiversity in the dry zone region of Sri Lanka and provide a cascade
landscape management model to catalyze scaling up to other cascade landscapes in the country. The project will achieve this by developing a
suitable enabling environment for sustainable cascade landscape management by strengthening knowledge and policies, supporting the
implementation of biodiversity‐rich, agroecological practices and plans, building capacity and raising awareness. The Healthy Landscapes project will
contribute to improving the flow of ecosystem services that provides healthy and safe water for human utilization as well as water and food for
livestock, a biodiverse‐rich environment conducive to good mental and psychosocial well‐being. It will also contribute to the flow of agroecosystem
services to sustain food production and livelihoods in cascade landscapes,while also catalyzing the dissemination of sustainable practices in other
parts of the country, where village tank cascade systems prevail.

Estimated duration of project:

2018‐2021

Estimated cost of the project :

GEF Grant:              2,000,000

Co-finance:              9,047,865

Funding Source:GEF

II. Environmental Social and Economic Screening Determination

Summary of the Safeguard Risks Triggered

Safeguard Standard Triggered by the Project

Impact of Risk (1-5)

Probability of Risk (1-5)

Significance of Risk (L, M, H)*

SS 1: Biodiversity, natural habitat and Sustainable Management of Living Resources

3

2

M

SS 2: Resource Efficiency, Pollution Prevention and Management of Chemicals and Wastes

3

3

M

SS 3: Safety of Dams

3

2

M

SS 4: Involuntary resettlement

1

2

L

SS 5: Indigenous peoples

2

1

L

SS 6: Labor and working conditions

2

1

L

SS 7: Cultural Heritage

3

1

L

SS 8: Gender equity

3

1

L

SS 9: Economic Sustainability

3

1

L

Additional Safeguard questions for projects seeking GCF-funding (Section IV)

NA

NA

NA

*Refer to the UNEP ESES Framework (Chapter 2) and the UNEP’s ESES Guidelines


ESE Screening Decision

  • Low risk
  • Moderate risk
  • High risk
  • Additional information required


Development of ESE Review Note and Screening Decision


 ESERN Prepared by:Name: Marieta SakalianDate: 27 January 2018
Conforms to ESES FrameworkName: Yunae YiDate: 13 February 2018
Accepted by Project Manager: Name: Danny HunterDate: 19 February 2018


 Recommended further action from the Safeguard Advisor

I agree that this project is likely to be in the moderate safeguard risk category. It is good to see that the project team carried out the environment and health assessment already in the process of developing the project document.

Specifically, safeguard concerns are:
SS1. The project stated that “ecological approaches to linking environmental health and human health are relatively new in Sri Lanka and relevant government sectors …” This will bring challenges to the project’s plan for a landscape or ecological planning approach. Despite the efforts by many actors, loss of biodiversity and the land degradation has continued due to the lack of proper technical guidance for planning and management of water resource in
the tank cascade systems. There are challenges generated from the push of modern engineering (against the traditional VTCS approaches), economic development, population movement, change of agricultural practices and others. Precautionary and science‐based management of natural ecosystems should be applied to avoid or reduce any potential harms in this area.

SS 2: Planning and management of water resources in the tank cascade systems was mentioned as one of the reasons for failure of past or existing projects in the area. Water quality has affected human health. Causes of alarming level of kidney problems are not clearly identified. The project aims to identify the causes and propose the ways to improve the health of the communities concerned. Precautionary approach is expected. Pesticides and IPM approach, if
adopted, should be introduced according to the safeguard guidelines.

SS 3: Apply safety caution with all the structural measures mentioned for tank renovation.

SS 9: “The current rate of economic development, urbanization and increasingly climate change impacts may limit the desired outcomes of an ecological approach to environmental health and human health”. Carry out the socio‐economic mapping, including gender, to identify roles and responsibilities of diverse ethnic, regional, religious, occupational, economical groups in the contexts and take the project approach based on such analysis/ knowledge. Ensure that project
benefits are shared equitably and fairly across the diverse socio‐economic groups, including marginalized and vulnerable population.

Based on the above analysis, Safeguards Advisor would like to recommend that output 1.1 (an intensive baseline assessment of the current socio‐ecological and biophysical context in both project cascade landscape areas) also includes socio‐economic analysis and addresses above comments in the project approach and develop a safeguard (+operational) risk management plan.