Ghana - Environmental Resource Management Project

Document of The World Bank FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Report No. 19457 IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT REPUBLIC OF GHANA ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECT (Credit 2426-GH) June 29, 1999 Rural Development III Country Department 10 Africa Region This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization.  CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of December 1998) Currency Unit = Cedi (C) C 1,000 = US$0.42 US$1 = C2,355 (at closing, December 31, 1998) AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATES 1992 1993 12/1994 12/1995 12/1996 12/1997 395 820 1,050 1,441 1,733 2,239 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Metric System REPUBLIC OF GHANA'S FISCAL YEAR January 1 - December 31 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS APL Adaptable Program Lending CPPR Country Portfolio Performance Review CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research DANIDA Danish International Development Agency DFID Department for International Development EAP Environmental Action Plan EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EIS Environmental Information System EPA Environmental Protection Agency EPC/TS Technical Secretariat of Enviromnental Protection Council FAO Food and Agriculture Organization GEF Global Environmental Facility GERMP Ghana Environmental Resource Management Project GET Global Environmental Trust Fund IDA International Development Association LIPOC Land Information Project Operations Committee LWMU Land and Water Management Unit MOFA Ministry of Food and Agriculture MSD Meteorological Services Department NGO Non-Government Organization QAG Quality Assurance Group RSAU Remote Sensing Applications Unit (RSAU) SRI Soils Research Institute TS Technical Secretariat of Environmental Protection Council Vice President: Jean-Louis Sarbib, AFR Country Director: Peter C. Harrold, AFC10 Sector Leader: Jean-Paul Chausse, AFTR3 Task Team Leader: Patience Mensah, AFTR3  IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT REPUBLIC OF GHANA FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECT (Credit 2426-GH) Contents PREFACE:........................V EVALUATIION SUMMARY .............................................I PART I. I'ROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ASSESSMENT ..........1...................................1 Backgrc,und ........................I A. Statement/Evaluation of Project Objectives and Design .1 B. Achievement of Objectives.3 C. Major Factors Affecting the Project .7 D. Project Sustainability.8 E. Bank Performance.9 F. Borrower Performance.9 G. Assessment of Outcome.10 II. Future Operation.10 I. Key Lessons Learned.11 PART II. S3TATISTICAL TABLES .......................13 Table 1 Summary of Assessments .......................13 Table 2: Related Bank Credits .......................15 Table 3 Project Timetable ..............................................16 Table 4. C redit Disbursements .............................................16 Table 5 K ey I ndicators in SAR for Project Implementation ..............................................17 Table 6 Key ndicators for ProjectOe .............................................Operati. 17 Table 7 Studies Included in Project.............................................. 18 Table 8.A: Project Costs ............................................. 20 TableR 8: ProjectFinancing ..............................................20 Table 9: Economic Costs and Benefits .2............................................ 0 Table 1R: Status of Legal Covenants .2............................................. 1 Table 11: Compliance with Operational Manual Statements ..............................................23 Table 1:2: Bank Resources: Staff Inputs ............................................. Table 13: Bank Resources: Missions ............................................. 23 APPENDl[CES Appe ndix 1: Mission Aid e Memoire ...........................................25 App endix 2: Mid-Term Review Report ...........................................35 Appendix 3: Borrower's Cnin ..........................................Contri. 251 MAPS Agro-Ecological Zones - IBRD 23827 T Coastal Wetlancds Sites - IBRD 23746 This do Scument has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in th.e performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Blank authorization.  IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT REPUBLIC OF GHANA ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECT (Cr. 2426-GH) Preface TIhis is the Implementation Completion Report (ICR) for the Ghana Environmental Resource Management Project (GERMP), for which a Credit in the amount of US$18.1 million/SDR12.6 million equivalent was approved on October 15, 1992 and made effective on March 12, 1993. An associated GEF grant, GET TF 28619-GH, in the amount of US$7.2 million/SDR 5.0 million was also approved on August 28, 1992, and made effective on March 12, 1993. Cofinancing for the project was provided by DFID (previously ODA) of the United Kingdom in the amount of US$0.9 million, and by DANIDA of Denmark in the amount of US$4.3 million. The original closing date for the Credit was December 31, 1997. This was extended by one year and the C(redit closed on December 31, 1998. It was not fully disbursed, and the last disbursement took place on May 12, 1999. A balance of about US$7,800 remaining will be cancelled. The closing date for the GEF Grant (TF28619-GH) was also originally set for December 31, 1997. However, after two one- year extensions, the Grant is expected to close on December 31, 1999. A separate ICR will be prepared for the GEF Grant once it is closed. The ICR was prepared by Lucie Tran of the Agriculture 3 Technical Unit, Africa Region, with the assistance of Patience Mensah, Task Team Leader, and Hassan M. Hassan, Environment Department, and was reviewed by Jean-Paul Chausse (Sector Manager, AFTR3), and Isabelle Girardot-Berg, (Principal Agriculture Economist, AFTR3). Comments from the Borrower (EPA) and cofinancier (DANIDA) have been incorporated into this report. At the Borrower's request, the Mid-term Review summary has been added to the report as Appendix 2. Preparation of this ICR began during the Bank's final supervision/completion mission, which took place in October 1998. It is based on material in the project files. The borrower contributed to the ICR by providing its own evaluation of the project, a summary of which is attached as Appendix I of this report. The full report is available in project files.  IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT REPUBLIC OF GHANA ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECT (Cr. 2426-G) Evaluation Summary Introduction 1. In the mid-1980s, a growing concern for environmental issues led the Government of Ghana to initiate the preparation of a National Environmental Policy Statement and a National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP). In formulating the plan, the Environmental Protection Council (EPC), a Govenrment agency established in 1974, secured the active collaboration of a wide range of individuals and institutions in Ghana and the donor community, including the World Bank. In the process, EPC generated widespread awareness of the importance of the issues involved and a consensus about the need for effective action. The NEAP was endorsed by the Govemnment in 1991 and identified major problems to be addressed including soil degradation, soil erosion, deforestation and forest degradation, and degradation of the natural and built environment in the coastal zone. In addition, industrial and mining activities combined with rapid urbanization (water and air pollution) were becoming serious. World Bank funding under the Ghana Environmental Resource Management Project (GERMP) provided institutional support to the EPC (later transformed into the Environmental Protection Agency - EPA) and introduced improved land management practices and conservation efforts for biodiversity areas. Project Objectives 2. The primary objective of the project was to strengthen the capacity of Government and the people to manage environmental resources. The project focused on: (a) improving resource management and monitoring capability of the Environmental Protection Council; tb) developing an environmental information system to improve the availability of topographic and land use/land suitability information, meteorological and environmental quality data; and (c) assisting the environmental resource users to invest in the sustainable use of the resources through adoption of improved management and use practices. 3. 'To reach these objectives, the project included the following components: (a) Development of a National Environmental Resource Management system (US$18.3 million) through: * management development (institutional support to the EPC/TS, human resource development, and environmental education based on public awareness campaigns); and * development of a national environmental information and monitoring system;  - ii - (b) Land and Water Management (US$5.5 million) - a pilot project for introducing better land management practices to reduce land degradation; and (c) Coastal Wetlands Management (US$6.2 million) - providing demarcation and management of five coastal wetlands sites which are important sites for migratory waterfowl. 4. The project's objectives were clear, realistic and consistent with the Bank's strategy for environment and development in Ghana. The project's structure was complex and difficult to implement and EPC (EPA) experienced some difficulty in integration and coordination between the multiple executing agencies. Most risks were correctly identified in the SAR but others such as the level of shortage in counterpart funding, the impact of the changing role of the EPC (EPA), and the weak relationships with research institutions for the land and water management component during the project period were not anticipated. Implementation Experience and Results 5. Overall Assessment. Overall, the project's objectives were substantially achieved. The project contributed to the establishment and strengthening of a number of institutions helping to form a strong network in the area of environmental management. Valuable environmental information on most environmental problems has been generated in Ghana and disseminated widely. 6. Development of National Environmental Resource Management System. The institutional objectives for this component has been achieved but not all of the physical targets have been met. Institutional capacity-building of the EPC (EPA) has been successful and the institution has become an effective environmental management agency with a broadened mandate and legal authority. A management framework with an intersectoral network exists in five sectors (natural resources, built environment, mining and industry, environmental education, and compliance and enforcement) and regional offices are operating to ensure effective coordination and management of environmental issues. Although an effective environmental management framework has been established at the national level, the monitoring and enforcement capacities at the regional and local levels remains a challenge (for example, in the mining and industry sectors). Detailed regulations on environmental impact assessments are awaiting approval by Parliament. Environmental quality monitoring is operational and targets on staff training have been reached. Capabilities for environmental impact assessment have been established, extensive training have been carried out under the human resources sub-component (cofinanced by DFID, UK), and good progress has been made in the area of environmental education through collaboration with various groups responsible for formal and informal education (NGOs, district assemblies, women's groups), and with the media. Studies and investigations envisaged under the project fell short of targets planned due to resource constraints and priority given to capacity-building. Terms of reference for 15 studies have been prepared but only four of the major studies have been completed. 7. Institutional objectives for the development of an environmental information system (EIS) have been substantially achieved and most of the physical targets have been met. EPC (EPA) and other agencies are now well-equipped to gain access to the environmental data collected. However, whether the information and environmental data being generated will be translated into effective resource management still remains to be seen. Also, investments in the EIS equipment will need to be maintained if it is to be sustainable. It is not clear whether this support can be provided through private sector marketing of related data outputs. Nevertheless, the core databases developed under the project were well-received in Ghana and are considered a unique example of EIS development in Africa. In addition, non-project agencies have expressed interest in the data, which would expand their use beyond that of project agencies.  - LUl - 8. Map production capability has been enhanced considerably under the project and the collection, interpretation, and presentation of topographic, present land use, land ownership, land suitability and meteorological information have been developed. On land ownership issues, information on stool and family lands is complete for most of the regions targeted, but some remain to be completed. Construction of the Survey School buildings progressed slowly at the beginning of project implementation because of delays in decision-making and will have to be completed after project closing. 9. Land and Water Management. The component achieved its main objective of creating a functional Land and Water Management Unit (LWMU) although it experienced implementation problems and did not reach all of its physical targets. The component started one year later than other project components but made good progress during the project period. The participatory approach was successfully implemented with communities but the target of 68 communities to be reached proved to be too ambitious and was later lowered. Actual communities reached numbered 42. The Bank also modified its target from the individual village to the watershed, numbering several villages at a time, to improve cost effectiveness and project impact. Operation of the Land Management Fund experienced some difficulties because of poor communication and lack of efficient monitoring. Other problems experienced included the absence of a strong working relationship with research institutions which is important for practical demonstration of improved technologies to users. 10. Coastal Wetlands Management. This component was funded under a GET Trust Fund which has been extended by one more year to December 31, 1999. It will be reviewed separately, and a separate implementation completion report will be prepared once the Fund closes. 11. Major Factors Affecting Project Performance. The project performance was satisfactory overall, but the pace of implementation was affected by a number of factors including poor synchronization of donor assistance and lack of familiarity with procurement procedures on the part of the borrower, chronic shortages of counterpart funding, limited capacity within Government agencies to implement certain components, and lack of experience on the part of the executing agency at the initial stages, with this new responsibility. 12. Bank performance was satisfactory. The project was reviewed by a Quality Assurance Group (QAG,) which rated quality at entry as good. However, it noted that certain aspects of project design could have been improved. Supervision was deemed adequate and quality improved once the responsibility for supervision was shifted to the field. Future Operation 13. Certain activities initiated under the GERMP will be carried over into a follow-up operation, the Ghana Natural Resources Management Project. This operation will continue to support the EPA and build on the EIS development by generating information on forestry, wildlife, andbiodiversity. To ensure sustainability and counteract some of the problems of counterpart shortages the borrower is introducing measures to improve program budgeting and release of funds. Shortages of counterpart funds can also be alleviated by closer coordination between the Bank's macro and micro-level operations to better allocate the country's resources. In addition, proposals have been made for commercializing certain services made available through the project's initiatives, for example, the Remote Sensing Applications Unit (RSAlJ), which is already charging fees.  - 1v - Key Lessons Learned 14. Establishing the capacity to manage and implement an environmentally sustainable development strategy is a long-term goal which requires effective, sound, and coordinated policies, institutions and regulatory frameworks within key sectors. So far, monitoring and enforcement remain a challenge to be met. Ideally, the project should be implemented over a longer period more in line with the Adaptable Program Lending (APL) approach, which allows flexibility to meet evolving needs. 15. Integrating multiple executing agencies was a difficult challenge for the EPC (EPA). Such efforts in the future must be supported by work across sectors to improve coordination and implementation must be preceded by awareness-raising. 16. The Government's capacity to allocate sufficient funds to the project was overestimated even though the Government's commitment was strong. Alternative measures such as charging fees for services generated by a number of agencies under the project could have filled some of the gap in funding and enhanced sustainability of operations. 17. Counterpart funds are not the only indicators of Government commitment. The Bank did not react forcefully to the shortage of funds problem because other indicators of Government commitment were demonstrated. In fact, the shortages may reflect Government strategic budgeting in the face of strong donor support for other programs outside of its priority areas. 18. The EPC (EPA) could not single-handedly monitor all activities in all sectors. Mechanisms should have been developed which involve the private sector and civil society in monitoring environmental compliance. 19. An important lesson on community participation can be drawn from the Land and Water Management pilot component. Because communities differ, the same strategy or common formula cannot be used to obtain and sustain community participation across the country. Selection criteria for the pilots should place greater emphasis on the willingness of communities to assume ownership of this activity and to fully participate in the implementation action plans. It is important thatsocio-cultural differences of communities be properly identified at an early stage so that the appropriate strategy can be adopted to establish the pilot successfully.  IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT REPUBLIC OF GHANA ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECT (Cr. 2426-Gi Part I. Project Implementation Assessment Background 1. In the mid- 1980s, the Government of Ghana intensified efforts to establish environmental policies in response to a period of severe droughts in Ghana and extensive bushfires which heightened public awareness on environmental issues. Following some preliminary work on a National Conservation Strategy in 1987, the Environmental Protection Council (EPC), a Government agency established in 1974, was charged with preparing the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP). In formulating the plan, the EPC secured the active collaboration of a wide range of individuals and institutions in Ghana and the donor community, including the World Bank. In the process, EPC generated widespread awareness of the importance of the issues involved and a consensus about the need for effective action. The NEAP was endorsed by the Govermment in 1991, and major problems identified were soil degradation and soil erosion, deforestation and forest degradation, and degradation of the natural and built environment in the coastal zone. In addition, problems associated with industrial and mining activities and rapid urbanization, notably water and air pollution, were becoming increasingly serious. Bank funding for the Ghana Environmental Resource Management Project (GERMP) focused on providing institutional support to the EPC (transformed in 1994 into the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)), and introducing improved practices on land management and better conservation efforts forbiodiversity areas, particularly in the coastal wetlands. The Board approved the project in October 1992 and it became the first free-standing project on environmental resources management in Ghana. 2. The Bank's Credit (Cr. 2426-GH) was in the amount of US$18.1 million, with estimated cofinarncing from ODA (DFID) of US$0.9 million and DANIDA of US$4.3 million out of a total project cost of US$35.9 million. It was to be disbursed during the period 1992-1997. An associated GEF Grant (GET TF 28619-GH) in the amount of US$7.2 million was approved in August 1992 to implement the Coastal Wetlands Management component. Government contribution was estimated at US$5.4 million, mostly for staff salaries and allowances. The Credit closing date was extended by one year to December 31, 1998, and the GET Grant was extended by two, one-year extensions to December 31, 1999. A. Statement/Evaluation of Project Objectives and Design 3. The GERMP's main development objective was to strengthen the capacity of the Government and the people to manage environmental resources. It focused on: (a) improving the resource management capabilities - reorganizing and strengthening institutions involved in environmental resource management, particularly the EPC (EPA); developing environmental management skills in sectoral and local government agencies through staff training; establishing effective inter-sectoral networks dealing with environmental issues; (b) providing an improved environmental information system - supporting the management system; improving understanding of environmental relationships; providing early  -2- warning of environmental pollution and degradation, promoting public awareness campaigns; and (c) promoting sustainable use of environmental resources - introducing improved land management practices by involving communities in the planning and implementation of measures to minimize land degradation (with emphasis on the fragile coastal wetlands area); disseminating environmental information within public sector agencies at the national and district levels, and the public at large. 4. To achieve these objectives, the project included three main components: (a) Development of a National Environmental Resource Management System: (i). Management Development - build capacity in EPA to undertake coordinating, monitoring and regulating functions; develop human resources (managemerit and technical skills, environmental management training for agency staff at district and national levels); provide environmental education (increase public awareness of environmental issues, supporting electronic media and print campaigns using govermment and NGO skills); and (ii) Development of an Environmental Information System (EIS) - improve collection, interpretation, and presentation of relevant of data and information to monitor environmental quality, and create links between suppliers and users of infornation. (b) Land and Water Management - on a pilot basis - planning, implementing, and monitoring of measures to reduce land degradation. (c) Coastal Wetlands Management - the demarcation and management of five coastal wetland sites which are important for migratory waterfowl. 5. Project Objectives. The project objectives were clear, realistic and consistent with the Bank's strategy for environment and development in Ghana. The project's primary objective is as relevant today as it was when the project began. Ghana's forest areas outside the designated reserves are constantly decreasing, agricultural production is being driven higher, and the mining sector is rapidly expanding. The GERMP helped put in place the management capacity needed for Ghana to implement a sustainable development strategy. It also built on the substantial investment in sector work made by the Bank on land degradation and soil fertility management in Ghana prior to the launch of the GERMP. The project's concept received strong support both within the Bank and from the broader environmental community, and strong ownership from the Government of Ghana. It built on the support for implementation of the NEAP provided through other IDA-funded projects on agricultural extension and forestry, mining, feeder roads, and urban development, and later, environmental education through the livestock and education projects. 6. Complexity. The project management structure was complex to implement. In an area such as environment, which touches on all aspects of government, boundaries had to be overcome and a certain level of complexity was to be expected. Nevertheless, the EPC was able to work through networks of individuals cutting across these boundaries. The project formalized these networks to some extent, l This component was funded under a GET Trust Fund which will not be closing until December 31, 1999. It will not be reviewed with this completion report on the GERMP but will be covered under a separate report once the Trust Fund is closed.  -3- keeping channels open so that environmental planning did not become isolated from other national priorities. However, integrating eight executing agencies within a complex project management structure proved to be difficult for the EPC and the overlay of a number in inter-agency operating committees added to the demands on the strained institutional capacities within the project. 7. Risks. The SAR identified a slowing pace of economic recovery that would lead to shortfalls in operational funding. Other risks correctly identified were the effectiveness of the enviromnental management system as it relates to the ability to achieve effective inter-sectoral coordination of action in developing an environmental information system, and the innovative approach of the land and water management component. However, it did not foresee the EPC being transformed into an EPA with a wider/broader mandate than a coordinating agency, nor did it foresee the lack of linkages with research institutions and demonstrations for the Land and Water Management component. B. Achievement of Objectives Institut'ional Capacity-building Objectives 8. Environmental Management Development. The objective of strengthening the EPC, now the EPA, hLas been achieved and is one of the key successes of the project. Although the project did not foresee the transformation of the EPC into an environmental protection agency (EPA), a body corporate with powers for enforcement, the project responded positively to this change and supported the agency effectively in fulfilling its mandate. In fact, the expanded mandate of the EPA allowed the agency to better implement the development programs for which it was responsible. Under the project, a management framework with intersectoral networks in five sectors - natural resources, built environment, mining and industry, environmental education, and compliance and enforcement - has been established and regional offices aimed at effective coordination and management of environmental issues are operating. Under the human resources sub-component, substantial investment was made in developing human resource capability within the EPA. However, while the project was able to help set in place an effective management framework at the national level, the monitoring and enforcement capacity at the regional and local level remains a challenge. Expanded activities in key sectors such as mining and industry pose a significant challenge to the EPA at the regional and local level. While the EPA Act provides the broad mandate in terms of the need for environmental impact assessments (EIA) for activities which may have adverse impacts on the environment, detailed regulations on EIA are still to be finalized. In specific sectors such as mining, detailed regulations which address environmental impacts are still to be formulated. 9. With regards to studies and investigations, however, the program envisaged under the project was not imlplemented as originally planned. Although the terms of reference have been prepared for 15 studies, only four major ones have been completed (Development Options for five Ramsar coastal wetlands, a Feasibility Study of Chemu Lagoon, Industrial Waste, and Algae Bloom on the Coast of the Western Region). The financial requirements for the remaining studies exceeded available resources and have not been carried out. Several reasons can be attributed. In addition to delays in project start-up, focus and emphasis at the beginning of the project was placed on capacity building of EPC/EPA - studies waited. The SAR also overestimated the capacity of EPC/EPA to commission and follow-up on the studies due to shortage of staff. Furthermore, when the EPC was transformed into the EPA, the scope of the studies expanded along with EPA's mandate beyond the scope outlined in the SAR. Funding is being soughit by EPA from multilateral and bilateral donors in order to carry out the remaining studies. 10. Environmental quality monitoring is operational and targets on staff training has been achieved. Data collection and basic analysis capability targets have been reached. Basic collection and analysis are  -4- carried out in the regions while more detailed analyses are conducted at EPA headquarters and the Water Research Institute and Standards Board. Environmental Education Objectives 11. The project supported efforts of the EPA in implementing the National Environmental Education Strategy in collaboration with DFID, UK. Significant progress has been achieved in establishing partnership with different segments of society including NGOs, the media, District Assemblies and women's groups to implement elements of the strategy. Concerted efforts have been made to advance non-formal environmental education awareness as well as to integrate environmental education into the curricula of schools. Initiatives to collaborate with tertiary educational institutions including the University of Cape Coast in integrating environmental science, policy and management into traditional course curricula are progressing successfully. Sensitization workshops at the District level for District Assembly personnel have also been important in improving environmental awareness and capacity at the local level. This is an area where much more support is needed and follow on projects either at the national level or at the district level should make targeted efforts to disseminate environmental awareness within society at large. While the project only devoted a small percentage of the total funding towards this component, sound environmental management in Ghana can only be achieved by fundamental attitudinal and behavioral changes in society at large. International best practice aptly demonstrates the critical role that civil society can play in monitoring and ensuring that environmental safeguards are in place. Environmental Information System Development (EISD) Objectives 12. The objectives under this component were substantially achieved. All of the component's physical targets have been met but certain implementation and sustainability issues remain. 13. The Land Infornation Project Operation Committee (LIPOC), the official forum where all the EISD agencies came together to discuss and agree on technical issues and solve their administrative and operational problems, and its secretariat at EPC/EPA, have been running the network and providing the needed technical and administrative problem-solving skills. EPCfEPA and other executing agencies are now well-equipped to access data and information, although it remains to be seen whether investments in EIS data will translate into more effective resource management. The sustainability of EIS investments also poses problems since EIS equipment need to be maintained and it is not clear if this can be supported by private sector marketing of EIS-related output. Finally, the sharing of responsibilities between executing agencies involved in the EIS component of the project has not been without controversy. Agencies both within and outside the EIS component have voiced concerns related to data sharing in the absence of Bank enforcement as well as ambiguities in roles and responsibilities within the EIS coordination network structure. Nevertheless, the core databases developed under the project were well- received in Ghana and are considered a unique example of EIS development in Africa and Non-project agencies have expressed interest in using the data and the institutions concerned have agreed that data use should expand beyond that of executing agencies. 14. Map production capability has been enhanced considerably under the project. The Survey Department completed digital topographic maps covering the whole of Ghana, required as a basis for all natural resource and environmental information development. Procedures for color printing of thematic maps have also been developed (soil maps, land suitability maps, land use/land cover maps and land ownership maps), and land use/land cover, maps covering the whole country have been developed by the Remote Sensing Applications Unit (RSAU), now a viable institution within the University of Ghana.  15. On the land ownership issues, information on stool and family lands was completed for ten Regions (Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western, Eastern, Northern, and Volta Region). 16. A strong Geographic Information System unit was established and is operating within the Soil Research Institute (SRI), in Accra. The unit completed the digital soil mapping of the whole country at the scale specified in the SAR, research activities on digital elevation modules have been developed to study soil erosion and land degradation, and land suitability maps for 40 land utilization types at the required scales have also been produced. 17. The Meteorological Service Department (MSD) made good progress and completed the data entry and digitization of all its historic records and all backlogged meteorological data dating back to the year 1900. The Department also developed an efficient system of data management and trained most of its staff. MSD can now provide much of the data required at a level equivalent to international standards. However, the department has yet to establish an effective response system to meteorological data requirements for air and water quality monitoring. 18. The re-establishment and modernization of the Survey School including designing the curriculum, hiring and training the teachers and acquiring the basic furniture and equipment have been accomplished. However, progress on the construction of buildings was slowed down due to lack of timely decision-making on the part of the Survey Department. Land and Water Management Objectives 19. The objectives of this component were partially achieved. One of the main objectives for the first year of project was the creation of a functional Land and Water Management Unit (LWMU) in the Minisby of Agriculture and this has been achieved. This pilot component of the GERMP is cofinanced by DANIDA and its support for the pilot activities is scheduled to continue throughout 1999. Despite starting one year later than the rest of the project, the pilot made good progress with emphasis placed on capacity building. The LWMU unit was strengthened by a merger with the Agroforestry unit, training for Ministiy field staff has been carried out, and eight study tours for 67 senior staff in East and West Africa to become acquainted with land and water management programs in these countries have been organized. Training for tractor drivers/operators, bullock owners/operators and agricultural extension agents have also been carried out on appropriate tillage and land preparation methods and in handling machinery and draft animals. NGOs were actively involved in the education of farmers on the use of animal draught power. Further regional training courses are planned for the future. 20. The participatory approach of this component was successful and met with full acceptance from communities, from problem identification to planning strategies and mapping out and implementing programs to address local problems. However, the physical target of reaching 68 communities during the five-year period was considered to be overly ambitious during the course of implementation and was later lowered. Actual project activities covered 42 of the original 68 communities targeted over the projecit's five-year period. The level of community acceptance and project impact was highest in the savanna agro-ecological zones where the need for judicious management of natural resource base is most felt. Even though community enthusiasm and cooperation with project staff was high for all aspects of implernentation, targeting individual communities (villages) proved not to be cost-effective and carried limited impact because one community's non-adoption of land conservation measures had a devastating impact on a neighboring one (e.g., bushfires, sheet erosion, etc.). The last Bank mission recommended changes to adopt watersheds as a unit of operation rather than the village so that several villages occup ying a particular catchment could be involved at the same time and can develop and implement their Village Land Development Plans concurrently.  - 6 - 21. Weak linkages with the other project components, bilateral funding by another donor agency, and the fact that the pilot was executed by a different agency underscored the component's detachment from the mainstream and posed another coordination difficulty for the EPA. Bilateral funding led to collaboration problems between donors, particularly when one donor maintains strong views on its involvement at the micro-level to the exclusion of other donors. 22. Operation of the Land Management Fund, which had earmarked US$4,000 per community for initiating project activities, met with difficulties because of poor communication between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture staff and the beneficiaries, and lack of effective fund monitoring. 23. Organization and management aspects of this component were not implemented as successfully as planned. For example, the absence of subject matter specialists meant that village teams had to assume technical backstopping responsibilities for which they were not trained. With regards to linkages with research institutions, a strong working relationship with the research system was absent, even though informal links existed with individual resource persons at universities and research institutions. It will be difficult to promote the adoption of improved technologies to minimize land degradation, increase soil fertility, and raise crop yields without the practical demonstrations available through research. Project Design 25. A Quality Assurance Group2 (QAG) reviewed the project and found that the project's quality at entry was good. It benefited from strong local ownership from the beginning and the highly participatory NEAP process prior to the design of the GERMP. Project design focused on capacity-building and benefited from strong intellectual inputs from the national environment community as well as from the Bank, and incorporated several innovative elements of the time. However, three aspects of project design could have been improved. First, forestry issues were important elements of the NEAP but were not included in the GERMP because another operation, the Forest Resource Management Project (FRMP), already addressed them at the time. However, the FRMP was closed after the GERMP was launched. There could have been better coordination between the FRMP and the GERMP given the extent that both projects addressed implementation of the NEAP. Second, the land and water management component, which follows an agricultural extension model, was slow to take root, and in implementation, had few conceptual or institutional linkages with the rest of the GERMP. Third, the project was designed to build capacity within the EPA as well as among other executing agencies but, in fact, the project was constrained by the limitations of EPA's institutional capacity. Project Costs and Financing 26. Actual project costs were US$31.4 million compared to an estimated total project cost of US$35.9 million at appraisal. Government contribution amounted to about US$0.9 million out a planned amount at appraisal of US$5.4 million3 (including the Coastal Wetlands component). IDA's actual contribution amounted to US$17.9 million, compared to the estimated amount of US$18.1 million. An undisbursed balance of about US$7,800 will be cancelled4. The credit closing date was extended by one year. The rate of project implementation, as indicated by the rate of disbursements, lagged appraisal estimates by about 20 percent until 1996 and was bunched towards the end of the project. 2 Quality Asurance Group Review of Biodiversity Projects in Africa, Februay 23, 1998. 3 Of which US$1.7 million are taxes and duties. 4At appraisal, SDR 12.600 million was approved, of which SDR 12.594 was disbursed and SDR 5.795 remains undisbursed and will be cancelled.  - 7 - 27. Parallel financing was provided by DANIDA and ODA (DFID/UK). The DANIDA-financed portion of the EISD component will be closing end-July, 1999, while the cofinanced portion of the Land and Water Management component is not due to close until November 1999. However, DANIDA planned to conduct an appraisal of the latter around mid-1999 to determine if it can move into the next phase. DANIDA funding for the EISD portion amounts to DKroner 20.0 million (about US$3.0 million)<, while the Land and Water Management portion has been increased fromDKroner 20.6 million to DKroner 24.7 million (about US$3.6 million) due to an extension of advisory services. 28. DDA (DFID) approved parallel financing for an amount of about UK