Niger - Forestry Project

Document of RE URN TO The World Bank REP Ci -9 DT' 6S( FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY ONE E WEEK RewrtNo.P-2218 -NTR REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF TtE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ON A PROPOSED CREDIT TO THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER FOR A FORESTRY PROJECT May 4, 1978 This document has a resttrctei distribution and may be tused by recipients only In the perfonnsace of their official duties. Its contents may ..;>t otherwise be dipciosed without World Bank authorization.  CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Currency Unit = CFAF Francs (CFAF) US$1.00 = CFAF 245 CFAF 1.00 = US$0.00408 FISCAL YEAR Republic of Niger: October 1 - September 30 FORESTRY MEASURES 1 stere =1 Im3 os staked roundwood 3 1 stere fuelwood = 0.65 m of staked roundwood - m (r) 1 stere fuelwood = 0.50 tins 3 1 metric ton fuelwood = 1.33 m of staked roundwood - m (r) 1 metric ton fuelwood = 2 steres 1 cubic meter fuelwood = 1.5 steres 1 cubic meter fuelwood = 0.75 ton WEIGHTS AND MEASURES EQUIVALENTS 1 meter (m) = 39.37 inches 1 kilometer (km) = 0.62 mile 1 hectare (ha) 2 = 2.47 acres 1 square kilometer (km ) = 0.386 square mile 1 kilogram (kg) = 2.205 pounds 1 metric ton (t)3 = 2,205 pounds 1 cubic meter (m ) = 35.31 cubic feet ABBREVIATIONS CILSS - Comite Permanent Interetats de Lutte Contre la Secheresse au Sahel FAC - Fonds d'Aide et de Cooperation FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization IBRD - International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IDA - International Development Association INRAN - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger IPDR - Institut Pratique de Developpement Rural ONERSOL - Office Nigerien de l'Energie Solaire UNDP - United Nations Development Program USAID - United States Agency for International Development  FOR OfFCIAL U ONLY NIGER FORESTRY PROJECT Credit and ProJect Summary Borrower: Republic of Niger Amount: US$4.5 million Terms: Standard Project This is a pilot and technical assistance project which would Description: assist Government in preventing further environmental disrup- tion due to progressive destruction of the natural forest cover, and improving fuelwood and building pole supplies especially for the urban areas. The Project would establish 400 ha of pilot irrigated tree plantations and 700 ha of pilot rainfed tree plantations; provide appropriate means to improve the current rural forestry activities of the Forestry Department; finance a training program in extension services; provide assistance to research; establish a workshop mainten- ance unit. The project would establish, within the Forestry Department, a Project Unit to assist in coordinating and monitoring the various project activities, monitoring project progress, gathering economic data and results of experiments, planning rural forest programs, and preparing a second phase project suitable for Bank support. Consultant services would be available to the unit to carry out complementary studies on economic, sociological and agricultural aspects. The project is intended to provide a sound basis for proceeding with larger scale national development of the forestry re- sources of Niger through expanded plantations and rural forestry projects. The project will focus on the problems of deforesta- tion and environmental deterioration. It will help to identify at the village level the incentives and development capacity needed to secure the cooperation of the rural people in imple- menting the rural forestry programs, and to develop a basic technical package and improved techniques in reafforestation and conservation for the supply of fuel wood and building wood for the urban centers and for the protection against further environmental disruption. It also aims at strengthen- ing the national forestry services. The project will present the inevitable technical and economic risks associated with such pilot activities. There is the risk that introducing exotic species may not prove to be fully adaptable to the arid conditions prevailing in Niger; further studies might also reveal that the economic costs of proceeding This document hs trited distributhoe ad u be used by fCiISDI only In the pfrfonc. of their ollcil dutie. Its contents ma rootb rl_*o be diksbd witholt World D-k authorition.  - ii - with irrigated plantations on a commercial scale is too high. However there is little risk that'the project's institutional building aspects will not be justified because even at this stage, it is possible to clearly identify alternative follow-up investment projects in rural areas. Estimated Project Costs (excluding taxes): Local Foreign Total -----