Algeria - Municipal Waste Management Project

Page 1 INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Report No: AC321 Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 09/11/2003 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: ALGERIA Project ID: P077753 Project Name: Algeria Municipal Waste Management Task Team Leader: Hocine Chalal Estimated Appraisal Date: 06/15/2004 Loan/Credit amount ($m.): 25 Estimated Board Date: 09/23/2004 GEF amount ($m.): Managing Unit: MNSRE PCF amount ($m.): Lending Instrument: SIL Sector: Environment Theme: Urban Environment Other financing amounts ($m.) by source: TBD Safeguard Policies Specialists in the task team: Sherif Arif (environment) and Mohamed Arbi Ben Achour (Social) B. Project Objective [from section 3 of PCN] The overall goal of the proposed project is to contribute to the improvement of the urban environment in selected municipalities through the introduction of integrated and sustainable municipal waste management systems. The specific development objective of the project is the establishment of an integrated waste management system in at least two pilot municipalities in Algeria. The following indicators, that will be monitored by an independent entity for benchmarking purposes, are proposed to follow up PDO progress: \01\02 Number of people benefiting from integrated waste management as a percentage of total population \01\02 Number of people in poor areas benefiting from integrated waste management and as a percentage of total population \01\02 Quantity of waste properly treated and/or disposed of in sanitary landfills and as a percentage of total production \01\02 Level of cost recovery (user charge collection efficiency) \01\02 Percentage of waste managed by the private sector (collection, transportation/transfer and discharge/treatment) \01\02 Reduction of number of complaints from users. Page 2 C. Project Description [from section 4 of PCN] The project will include two separate components: An institutional and regulatory strengthening component: The objective of this component is to strengthen the managerial, technical and financial capacity of entities responsible for solid waste management at the national level and in selected municipalities. This component will include; (i) consultant services to prepare the development and implementation of integrated waste management plans that focuses on creating appropriate institutional incentives for sustainable service provisioning; (ii) training programs in all aspects of integrated waste management; (iii) design and implementation of a communication strategy that enhances public disclosure of information on solid waste and sanitation issues among municipalities and residents; and (iv) provision of office equipment, vehicles and equipment to conducting training and awareness campaigns, only after demonstrable improvements in the urban environment have been independently validated. Pilot investments at the municipal level: The objective of this component is to demonstrate the application of integrated waste management in one or two selected municipalities 1 based on criteria to be developed during project preparation. These investments will include; (i) purchase of equipment for collection, transport, transfer and treatment of municipal solid waste, (ii) civil works for the establishment of sanitary landfills and/or rehabilitation of dump sites; (iii) financing of operation and maintenance costs for an interim period in order to attract the private sector in landfill operations; (iv) financing output- based aid operation in poor and destitute areas, and (v) financing engineering and TA services for the supervision of implementation of the integrated waste management systems and for the establishment of a cost recovery system. The Borrower will be the Ministry of Finance and the Implementing Agency could be either the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG) (which could in turn devolve some responsibility to participating wilayas) or the Ministry of Land Use Planning and Environment (MLUPE) subject to confirmation during project preparation. It is expected that the Ministry of Finance will provide the funds through grants to the participating wilayas. The Bank has proposed to the Algerian Government that the two pilot municipalities of Annaba (northeastern part of Algeria) and Tlemcen (western part of Algeria) be considered as potential candidates in view of their readiness to implement integrated waste management, the availability of public land for sanitary landfills, and the severity of the municipal waste management problems. The project is classified as an Environmental Category A project in accordance with O.P. 4.01. An environmental and social assessment will be conducted during project preparation. D. Project location (if known) The institutional strengthening component will take place both at the central and local level in participating governorates and municipalities. The investment component will take place in a couple of municipalities not yet identified and which will have to satisfy appropriate eligibility criteria. 1 Here, municipality should be understood as a main municipality and the surrounding smaller municipalities engaged in an inter-municipal arrangement. Page 3 E. Borrower