Tajikistan - Emergency Flood Assistance Project (supplemental credit)

Report No. PID9315 Project Name Tajikistan-Emergency Flood Assistance (+) Project (Supplemental) Region Europe and Central Asia Region Sector Urban Housing Project TJPE68786 Borrower(s) Republic of Tajikistan Implementing Agency Republican Project Coordination Unit of the Center for the Liquidation of Consequences of Natural Disasters (RPCU/LNCD), Tajikistan Contact Person: Mr. Nurullo Ashurov, Director Tel: (992 372) 210358 Fax: (992 372) 210356 Email: stihiya@TAJNET.COM Environment Category B Date PID Prepared June 28, 2000 Appraisal Date August 1999 Board Date December 14, 1999 1. Country and Sector Background In May and June of 1998 torrential rains of unprecedented strength led to severe floods in Tajikistan causing extensive damage countrywide to economic and social infrastructure. The Association responded to a request for assistance made by the Government of Tajikistan by preparing the Emergency Flood Assistance Project for which a credit of SDR 3.8 million (Cr. 3123-TJ) was approved on August 27, 1998. EFAP finances the repair and reconstruction of about 9 bridges, 270 km of roads, power transmission lines and substations, as well as the strengthening of river embankments in various regions of the country. Work under the project began in December 1998. 2. Objectives In early July 1999, Tajikistan was again hit by rains of unusual intensity causing flash floods and landslides which damaged and destroyed additional economic and social infrastructure in areas of the center and south of the country already affected by the floods of 1998, as well as in new areas, especially in the north. The Supplemental Credit provides the resources needed for the repair and reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by the floods of July 1999 in various regions of the country some of which are still recovering from the floods of the previous year. The credit would be complementary to a loan of US$5 million equivalent currently under consideration by ADB and would thus support the efforts of the donor community to help the country mitigate the economic and social effects of the disaster. 3. Rationale for Bank's Involvement While coping with damages caused by the catastrophic floods of 1998, the Government  incurred new costs associated with severe flooding in 1999. The flood damage in both years occurred in the Khatlon oblast in the south, Pendjikent and Aini in the Northwest and this year in the Asht rayon and other parts of northern Leninabad oblast as well as the Karategin-Tavildara valley. Although seasonal floods are a somewhat common occurrence in Tajikistan the intensity of the rains which fell in early July 1999 was exceptional and caused damages of a magnitude that was far beyond what could be expected. Because they occurred in areas of the country that were still struggling to recover from the catastrophic effects of the floods of the previous year, the severe damages caused by the new floods seriously threaten the viability of investments already made under the ongoing EFAP project and risk to put in jeopardy the economic recovery of the communities affected. The specific economic infrastructure works proposed under the Supplemental Credit are different from those in the EFAP. However, the supplemental credit deals with the same needs as those addressed by the EFAP: (i) the proposed rehabilitation works are located in the same geographical areas covered by the EFAP; (ii) the works would help to support the economic capacity of the flood stricken areas; (iii) the costs associated with the floods are unexpected, that is they are cost overruns to the infrastructure system which the Government is managing and the EFAP is supporting; (iv) the Supplemental Credit is proposed within the context of a broader response by international organizations, and the Government and people of Tajikistan to the humanitarian and economic disaster. 4. Description The proposed Supplemental Credit would finance the repair and reconstruction of infrastructure items similar to those included in the ongoing EFAP Project, namely (a) damaged national and municipal roads and bridges located mainly in the southern part of the country; (b) river embankments to protect the exposed sections of roads and villages from rising river waters; and (c) rehabilitation of power transmission lines to reconnect communities that were cut off from power service. The works would be executed using the same implementation arrangements and the same implementing agency (RPCU/LCND). 5. Financing Total ( US$m) Government 0.2 IDA 2.0 Total Project Cost 2.2 6. Implementation The project will be implemented over a period of two years, beginning September 1998. Overall responsibility for project implementation will rest with the Executive Office of the President of the Republic, in which a Project Coordination Unit (PCU) for the project is established. The project is under implementation by the "Republican Project Coordination Unit of the Center for the Liquidation of Consequences of Natural Disasters" (RPCU/LNCD). The project has been under implementation since September 1998 and will close in December 2001. 7. Sustainability As an emergency operation designed in line with the Bank/IDA Guidelines for Economic Recovery Loans (ERL) the proposed project aims primarily at addressing short-term needs of reconstruction and repair of damages caused by floods. Appropriate measures will be taken, however, to eliminate the risk of credit resources being used for the reconstruction of infrastructure in all cases where appropriate responsiveness to actual needs and future material viability cannot be ensured. - 2 -  Future investments should be guided by a strategy for the design of a resilient, long-term approach to mitigate the adverse effects of flooding. During discussions with the joint IDA-ADB appraisal mission in August 1999, the Government has recognized that borrowing funds for recurring natural disasters, though extraordinary in this case, is not sustainable without a flood management strategy. Following these discussions, the Government has requested the assistance of IDA and ADB for a study that would develop a comprehensive flood management plan. The study would most likely include (a) a review of the current situation; (b) recommendations for short -, medium- and long-term mitigation measures; (c) improvements in hydrological criteria for works; (d) improvements in designs and techniques for road and bridge construction as well as embankment remediation measures; (e) design of a flood forecasting and warning system; and (f) an action plan that helps the Government coordinate agencies and organizations when a flood occurs. 8. Lessons learned from past operations in the country/sector The Bank Group's experience in working in Tajikistan is still relatively limited and too recent to allow to draw specific lessons that are relevant for an emergency operation. The Bank and IDA have, however, a large experience with emergency reconstruction projects in other parts of the world. Assessment of past operations shows that that successful implementation of reconstruction projects includes: (a) early bank involvement in defining a reconstruction strategy; (b) a good assessment of damages and needs; (c) flexible and expeditious programming, simplicity in design and implementation arrangements; (d) a willingness to help local authorities with project preparation; and, when and where needed, (e) diversification of reconstruction programming into various sectors; and (f) the use of pilot projects in community-based activities and in programs to support local initiatives. 9. Program of Targeted Intervention (PTI) N 10. Environment Aspects (including any public consultation) Issues : None 11. Contact Point: Task Manager Mr. Bernardo Gomez The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-2386 Fax: (202) 614-0901 12. For information on other project related documents contact: The InfoShop The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 458-5454 Fax: (202) 522-1500 Web: http:// www.worldbank.org/infoshop Note: This is information on an evolving project. Certain components may -3 -  not be necessarily included in the final project. Processed by the InfoShop week ending July 7, 2000. - 4 -  Annex Because this is a Category B project, it may be required that the borrower prepare a separate EA report. If a separate EA report is required, once it is prepared and submitted to the Bank, in accordance with OP 4.01, Environmental Assessment, it will be filed as an annex to the Public Information Document (PID) . If no separate EA report is required, the PID will not contain an EA annex; the findings and recommendations of the EA will be reflected in the body of the PID.