Environmental, Social and Economic Review Note (ESERN)
I. Project Overview
Identification | 9667 |
Project Title | Sustainable Land Management in the Commonwealth of Dominica |
Managing Division | Ecosystem Division |
Type/Location | National |
Region | Latin America and Caribbeans |
List Countries | Commonwealth of Dominica |
Project Description | The project is designed to establish an integrated land management model that includes agricultural, forestry and natural resources management practices that generate development and critical environmental benefits in tandem in the Commonwealth of Dominica |
Estimated duration of project: | 36 months |
Estimated cost of the project : | GEF Grant: 1,776,484 Co-finance: 13,413,999 |
| 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 | 1 | L |
SS 2: Resource Efficiency, Pollution Prevention and Management of Chemicals and Wastes | 1 | 1 | L |
SS 3: Safety of Dams | 1 | 1 | L |
SS 4: Involuntary resettlement | 3 | 3 | M |
SS 5: Indigenous peoples | 2 | 1 | L |
SS 6: Labor and working conditions | 1 | 1 | L |
SS 7: Cultural Heritage | 1 | 1 | L |
SS 8: Gender equity | 1 | 1 | L |
SS 9: Economic Sustainability | 3 | 2 | M |
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
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Development of ESE Review Note and Screening Decision
| ESERN Prepared by: | Name: Calvin James | Date: 29 October 2017 |
| Conforms to ESES Framework | Name: Yunae Yi | Date: 14 December 2017 |
| Accepted by Project Manager: | Name: | Date: |
Recommended further action from the Safeguard Advisor
The project is likely to be in the moderate safeguard risk category. But, the risks seem to be manageable through good practices--sensitivity of the local needs, close communication with the relevant stakeholders and vigilant monitoring of the project implementation.
Some root causes—topography, small percentage of agricultural land, vulnerability to natural disasters and climate variability, development pressure and conflicting interest for land use—need to be balanced and incorporated into the project design and approach together with concerned communities and stakeholders. Local communities have different and potentially conflicting economic interests. It is important to find balances among these factors and respect the needs of the marginalized population.
Local individuals’ buy-in, uptakes, replication and empowerment will be critical for long-term and meaningful restoration of the ecosystem and the soil quality. Please engage relevant stakeholders and communicate with them throughout the project implementation and report regularly on the challenges and related management approaches taken.
SS 1: Field based activities--due to their lack of understanding, misunderstanding or omission of critical targets-- can end up bringing unintended approach or results. Success of the activities and the technologies proposed in the doc could depend on whether or not they are of cultural relevance for Dominicans, affordable and easy to implement and whether or not they have been observed to be effective and adopted by other farmers in the zone. Close communication and monitoring of the project implementation will be necessary. In addition, sustainable agricultural practices such as composting, growing coconut and mango trees etc. may take a long time to show satisfying results, which will put additional strain on the already precarious situation of local farmers, who could return to make use of pesticides to increase their food production.
SS4: Establishment of potential restrictions on land use: The project doc states that, for land scarcity reasons, Dominicans are increasingly moving agriculture onto steep slopes, which are now being cleared of all the trees and are therefore subject to land erosion and land degradation. In addition, the doc explains that planting on steep could be restricted during the implementation. This action could cause restriction on use of resources that are sources of livelihood for many poor farmers. While the project intends to help local population for land tenure through financial mechanism, there will still be small land holders and those without land titles. Their livelihood issues should be considered.
SS9: The project doc states that it will assist farmers to gain access to credit. It plans to provide support (land tenure documentation and business plan) to farmers to enable them to access loans. Financial disbursement should be easily facilitated or it might discourage farmers from adopting good practices. Identify the vulnerable and marginalized people who are encroaching upon the steep slopes and work closely for their sustainable economic gain from participation.