PROJECT INFORMATION DOCUMENT (PID)
APPRAISAL STAGE
Project Name
Region
Sector
Project ID
GEF Focal Area
Borrower(s)
Implementing Agency
Environment Category
Date PID Prepared
Date of Appraisal
Authorization
Date of Board Approval
Report No.: AB2216
Coastal Marine and Biodiversity Management
AFRICA
General agriculture, fishing and forestry sector (65%);Subnational government administration (20%);Other social services
(10%);Central government administration (5%)
P070878
Biodiversity
REPUBLIC OF GUINEA
[ ] A [X] B [ ] C [ ] FI [ ] TBD (to be determined)
March 7, 2006
March 17, 2006
April 28, 2006
1. Country and Sector Background
Guinea has a rich endowment of natural resources (renewable and non-renewable) and its
economy is almost entirely dependent on these. The rural poor are particularly dependent on
renewable natural resources and therefore the sustainable management of those resources.
Mineral mining and agriculture represent the most important economic activities, providing
employment to about 80 percent of total population. Agriculture is the dominant activity of the
rural population (65 percent of employment), while 30 percent of the rural population is
practicing livestock holding. The importance of fishing (5 percent of rural employment) is
reflected in its contribution to the national diet (40 percent of animal proteins are provided by
fish consumption). Household energy depends for 99 percent on wood fuels, and the healthcare
system depends for 80 percent on traditional medicine practices, which rely on the availability of
flora and fauna species.
Guinea has four main agro-ecological zones – Coastal, Moyenne Guinée, Haute Guinée and
Guinée Forestière. The Coastal zone, which comprises fifteen percent of the counry's territory, is
home to about forty percent of Guinea's population. Studies of coastal population trends over
time indicate a spectacular increase of 292 percent between 1963 and 1996. This population
explosion is due to the fact that the coast is traditionally a resource-rich area (agro-pastoralism,
minerals, fish) and that this is where most of the cities are located, including the capital,
Conakry.
One-quarter of West Africa’s mangrove wetland ecosystem, which stretches from Senegal to
northern Angola, lies along Guinea’s coast. The irregularity of Guinea’s mangrove dominated
shoreline provides a multitude of ecological niches. These habitats, particularly the marine and
estuarine waters, are known to be among the richest on the West African coast in terms of
diversity, productivity and food potential. They are essential for the survival of several species of
migrating birds that are globally endangered or threatened, and for species that are economically
important (fish and game).
The ecology of this wetland system is closely entwined with that of the ‘upstream’ coastal
plateau and the ‘down stream’ continental sea shelf… This coastal ecology is coming under
tremendous pressure from increased demand for land for food production, transhumance,
fuelwood, etc. These pressures have been exacerbated by the persistence of poverty and lack of
alternative sources of income or access to adapted technologies among the rural population.
Unless current ways of managing these natural resources change, an irreversible degradation of
the ecosystems is inevitable. This would have direct economic and environmental consequences
for the population at the local level, as well as impact medium and long-term national
development strategies. It would also jeopardize sub-regional and international efforts to protect
and maintain significant coastal ecosystem in particular related to Guinea’s important mangrove
stands.
A concerted effort at national and local level is necessary … However, as in many other
countries in the sub-region, the institutional framework, and the capacity to implement laws and
policies, is insufficient to cope with the complexity and dynamics of integrated coastal zone
management. A large number of institutions, linked to various sectors, are engaged in a variety
of economic activities that directly or indirectly affect coastal wetland and marine ecosystems.
These institutions have different mandates, with potentially competing policies and objectives.
Potential links and synergies between biodiversity conservation and sectoral goals have not been
established. The need to ensure collaboration among these institutions in order to develop an
integrated and sustainable approach to coastal zone management faces challenges, such as (i) low
technical, human and financial capacity of many of these institutions in coastal resource
management; and (ii) lack of effective mechanism to coordinate activities and establish
consultation among various institutions and donor-funded activities whose activities have direct
impacts on coastal ecosystems.
The Coastal Marine and Biodiversity Management Project is designed to address these issues in
collaboration with ongoing regional initiatives. It is a five year project focused on developing
the local and national institutional capacity necessary to halt and where possible reverse the
consequences of unsustainable resource use. It will develop instruments and test approaches for
sustainable natural resource use. The Project will complement a highly successful communitydriven development program – the Village Communities Support Project (PACV).
2. Objectives
The GEF Project’s overall development objective is to promote rational management of Guinea’s
coastal biodiversity for both conservation and sustainable development ends in selected priority
areas, with a particular emphasis on assisting communities in and around these priority areas to
plan, implement and maintain environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive alternative
livelihoods options.
The GEF Project’s global environmental objective is to promote the conservation of globally and
nationally significant habitats and species in Guinea’s coastal zone in selected priority areas
encompassing coastal RAMSAR sites. The GEF Project will work with local, national, regional
and international partners to promote and implement an integrated approach to the conservation
and sustainable use of globally important biological resources in Guinea’s coastal zone.
3. Rationale for Bank Involvement
The Bank has considerable experience to offer in institution and capacity building, be it for
coastal management or environmental and social protection mechanisms, and its environmental
safeguards are recognized as setting international standards. In addition, the Bank has
recognized participatory community-based approaches as key to the successful implementation
of rural development activities.
The Bank adds value through providing technical assistance for designing and implementing
coastal and biodiversity projects that draw on worldwide experience gained through management
of its important GEF portfolio. The Bank, as a GEF implementing agency, can therefore bring
incremental grant resources and partnerships with other stakeholders to assist Guinea in tackling
coastal and marine biodiversity issues of global environmental concern. In the particular case of
the GEF Project, the link with the PACV is very important given the project’s proven track
record in its participatory approaches with local populations.
4. Description
The GEF Project will intervene in up to 17 CRDs in the coastal zone (see map below). Special
emphasis will be placed on CRDs around selected Ramsar sites and shared watersheds. In
addition, geographic contiguity of watershed coverage will be sought with the planned
Community-Based Land Management Project (PGIE). As part of project preparation three
priority RAMSAR sites were identified, Isles Tristao and Alcatraz, and Rio Pongo. A root
causes and threats analysis is presented in Annex 18. Identification was done in collaboration
with the Regional Program for the Conservation of Coastal and Marine Protected Areas in West
Africa (Programme Régionale de Conservation de la zone côtière et marine de l’Afrique de
l’ouest, PRCM), which includes a wide representation of international NGOs.
The GEF Project will be associated with the first and second phase of the Village Communities
Support Program (Programme d'Appui aux Communautés Villageois, PACV) and be
implemented from 2006-2010. Start-up of the GEF Project will coincide with the last year of the
first phase of the PACV, while full implementation (four years) would coincide with the second
phase (2007-2010). Selection of initial intervention areas has kept into account existing coastal
zone coverage of the PACV. The GEF Project is intended to be a catalyst for sustainable natural
resource use. Its results will be fully integrated, and scaled up along the entire coastal zone, as
part of the third phase of the PACV (2011-2014).
The first phase of the PACV has three specific objectives: (i) establish an effective and efficient
mechanism for transferring public funds to local communities for the financing of prioritized
rural community infrastructure; (ii) improve the regulatory, institutional, and fiscal environment
and develop local capacity for decentralized rural development; and (iii) rehabilitate and promote
regular maintenance of infrastructure and rural roads.
The PACV presently includes three components: (i) a local investment fund to finance village
infrastructure; (ii) support for local development; and (iii) program management, monitoring and
evaluation.
The project has five closely inter-linked components. Three of these will provide incremental
support to the PACV. Two components do not have an equivalent in the PACV and go beyond
the objectives of the PACV. In support of its Global Environmental Objective, the GEF Project
seeks to address identified threats in and around the targeted sites in collaboration with other
partners and ongoing initiatives (Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Fisheries through the National
Fisheries Research Center (Centre National des Sciences Halieutiques – Boussoura; CNSH-B),
Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and PRCM). Below follows a
summary of the five components, details are provided in Annex 4.
Component 1: Protection and conservation of coastal RAMSAR sites
This is the first of the two additional components, which does not have an equivalent in PACV.
It will have three sub-components:
1.1
Integrated Coastal Conservation Zone. This sub-component aims to establish at
least one integrated coastal conservation zone and develop management plans through
participatory mechanisms. Two intervention areas, incorporating wetlands recognized under the
RAMSAR Convention, will be included (i) Iles Tristao and Ile Alcatraz (two separate sites under
the RAMSAR convention) and (ii) Rio Pongo.
1.2
Conservation Zone Management. This sub-component aims to support the
implementation of the management plans. It will also provide the CRDs and local communities
with the core technical tools and financial support for the establishment and management of the
coastal conservation zone around Tristao/Alcatraz, including restoration. The scope of this subcomponent will depend mostly on the management scheme adopted and activities will be site
specific.
1.3.
Impact Monitoring and Evaluation. This sub-component aims to build impact
monitoring and evaluation capacity for the two identified sites. During GEF Project preparation,
innovative socio-economic and ecological indicators have been developed, tested and validated
by communities in proximity to the target sites. These impact indicators have been reviewed in
detail and are fully integrated into PACVs monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system. In
addition, site management effectiveness will be measured annually through the adapted WWFWorld Bank tracking tool for protected areas.
The lead agency for implementing this component will be the CNSH-B for the Iles
Tristao/Alcatraz site and DNEF for the Rio Pongo site. Targeted support will be provided under
this component (operating costs, minimal equipment and transportation).
Component 2: Enabling environment for integrated coastal zone management
This is the second additional component, which does not have an equivalent in PACV. It will
have 2 sub-components:
2.1. Institutional strengthening. Under this sub-component, four sets of activities would
be supported:
(i) a study to identify options for financial sustainability of the establishment and management of
coastal conservation zones. This study would be carried out after mid-term review and be based
on the management arrangements most likely to be used for the different RAMSAR sites. The
study would include a public expenditure review of Ministry of Environment (ME) and other line
ministries involved in coastal conservation, investigate local level partnerships with financial and
development agents for continued implementation of productive activities that combine
conservation with socio-economic use of the ecosystem, and review the viability of the
Environmental Fund (Fonds de Sauvegarde de l'Environnement, FSE), which was created by
Government but never operationalized..
(ii) targeted capacity building of the Office for the Coordination of Strategies and Planning
(Bureau de Coordination des Stratégies, de la Planification et de la Prospective, BCSPP) in the
area of environmental impact assessment that would enable this structure to evaluate the impact
of proposed upstream mining and large infrastructure activities and be a partner in the
development of eventual mitigation activities.
(iii) review of the adequacy of the legal framework related to ICCZ management on the basis of
existing recommendations.
(iv) basic training and participation in workshops to deepen national understanding of different
management approaches to integrated coastal zone management. Targeted beneficiaries would
be from the various ministries involved in the GEF Project.
The lead agency for implementing this sub-component will be ME. Targeted support will be
provided (training, consulting services, minimal equipment and operating costs).
2.2. Coastal Zone Knowledge and Communication. This sub-component is concerned
with the existing knowledge, communication and coordination gaps at international, national,
and local levels identified in the GEF Project's communications strategy. It has two sets of
activities:
(i) establishment of an institutionalized integrated coastal zone conservation mechanism under
MP. This mechanism would enhance flow information and experiences, and strengthen
coordination efforts between concerned stakeholders at national and international levels. .
(ii) support to the existing Info center of the National Observatory of Guinea (Observatoire
Guinée Maritime - Observatoire Nationale de la Guinée, OGM/ONG) to facilitate and enhance
access to coastal and marine related information. The GEF Project would support the creation
and maintenance of an internet-based portal.
The lead agency for implementing this sub-component will be MP. Targeted support will be
provided (consulting services, study tours, minimal equipment, and operating costs).
Component 3: Local Investment Fund.
Additional resources will be provided as matching grants to communities for activities that have
an incremental impact on biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource use, thereby
contributing to local and global benefits. These activities are presently not eligible under the
PACV. Only those activities will be funded that are identified in the Local Development Plans
(see Component 4). Procedures will be transparent so that for communities there is only one LIF
(details defined in LIF manual), with different funding windows. Eligibility criteria for activities
have been defined and project preparation funds have been used to test the interest, participation
and technical and financial feasibility of eligible micro-projects in the CRD Kanfarandé around
the Tristao islands.
This component will be managed by the Regional Coordination Unit (Unité Régionale de
Coordination, URC) of the PACV in Boké. This URC was planned to be created under the
second phase of the PACV. The GEF Project will finance its first year of operation.
Component 4: Support for Local Capacity Building.
The Local Development Plan (Plan de Développement Local, PDL) is the agreed basis for all
development activities at the CRD level and is a key element of Government's decentralization
policy. The PDL is developed using participatory processes tested by the PACV. Current PDLs
focus primarily on community-based infrastructures as this was the limitation of the PACV LIF.
The GEF Project will provide additional funding to assist populations of targeted CRDs adapt
existing PDLs using a more holistic development approach emphasizing sustainable use
activities. The specificities of micro and sub-watersheds inside the CRD would serve as
geographic basis for the planning process. The PDL for Kanfarandé was adapted as part of GEF
Project preparation.
This component will be managed by the National Directorate for Decentralization (Direction
Nationale de Décentralisation, DND) of MATD. The GEF Project will provide incremental
support (consulting services, training and study tours, minimal equipment, and operating costs).
Component 5: Program Management, Monitoring and Evaluation
The objective of this component is to ensure cost-effective, efficient and streamlined project
implementation of the four other components. The GEF Project would provide incremental
funding to the operational structures of PACV.
5. Financing
Source:
BORROWER/RECIPIENT
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY
LOCAL COMMUNITIES
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT - ASSOCIATED IDA FUND
FOREIGN MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS (UNIDENTIFIED)
Total
($m.)
1.1
5.0
1.6
10.6
5.3
23.71
6. Implementation
Overall management and coordination of the GEF Project will be ensured by the Project
Coordination Unit (Cellule Nationale de la Coordination, CNC) under the Ministry of Planning.
The PACV CNC, which has shown its strength during the implementation of the first phase of
the PACV, will be appropriately strengthened by the GEF Project with the addition of (i) an
accountant, (ii) a procurement assistant, (iii) a geographer specialized in GIS systems to
strengthen the M&E unit, (iv) a focal point to assist the National Coordinator; and (v) a focal
point at the URC in Boké to support implementation on the ground and assist the local team
based on the Iles Tristao with the process of creating an ICCZ. Such a decentralized technical
support will also be in line with supervision mission recommendations, which point to the need
for closer supervision and strengthened local support.
Implementation arrangements for the first two components will be reviewed at mid-term on the
basis of experience gained and the recommendations of a planned GEF/UNDP supported
capacity assessment of the Ministry of Environment. The remaining three components will be
completely integrated into the PACV and implemented through its existing mechanisms.
Project implementation will be on the basis of detailed work programs. For each component a
detailed work program has been prepared for the first 18 months of implementation. Preparation
of subsequent annual work programs, budgets and procurement plans will follow the same
calendar as for the PACV, to ensure appropriate integration. Review and approval of the work
program will be the responsibility of PACV's Steering Committee (SC), which meets twice each
year2. At the first meeting, the results of the previous year's work program and the proposed
work program and budget for the following year are discussed, while the second meeting is used
to review progress towards attaining work program objectives.
Implementation progress of work programs will be reviewed bi-monthly by the Technical
Implementation Committee (Comité d'exécution technique, CTE) of the PACV.
1
Totals may not add up to due rounding.
The present SC does not include the Ministry of Environment. The SC will be expanded to include such
representation before the end of calendar year 2006.
2
7. Sustainability
The project has been designed in line with the country’s relatively weak human resource,
institutional and financial capacity and provides for piloting, testing, evaluating and adapting
before scaling-up in a second site. Sustainability is a central theme of the proposed Project,
which aims to enable integrated management of the coastal zone. Guinea has recognized that
coastal and marine biodiversity concerns cannot be addressed in isolation, and will be affected
by broader development decisions in and outside the coastal zone. The project will therefore
also seek to establish a broader legal and institutional framework, primarily in the form of
environmental assessment regulations and harmonization of legislation, to ensure the judicious
management of environmental and social factors and thus promote adoption of a sustainable
economic development path. Moreover, the project will be firmly embedded in long-term subregional efforts (see PRCM framework). Finally, the broader approach to local capacity building
and menu of micro-projects eligible for funding under the project, which will be tested in up to
17 CRDs in the coastal zone, will be mainstreamed by the PACV following successful testing,
ensuring replication over a larger area and sustainability beyond the project's implementation
period.
8. Lessons Learned from Past Operations in the Country/Sector
Lessons have been taken from Guinea and a number of other projects, financed by the Bank and
other institutions, which have shared the goal of integrated coastal zone management and the
establishment of protected areas and effective, sustainable management systems.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
Weak institutional and local capacity and lack of participation.
Need to consider environmental concerns in coastal zone interventions and constraints.
The lack of a holistic approach to development.
The following general lessons from past experiences in the country and from other
biodiversity projects within the World Bank have been incorporated in the project design:



There is a need to take into account all interrelated ecosystems (i.e., the coastal plan, the
maritime wetlands, and the continental shelf) and to model the impact of planned
interventions on the whole system.
There is a need to accept beneficiaries in all their complexity (i.e., their multifarious
activities, and individual and collective strategies) and in terms of their political, social
and economic reality (which constitutes the dynamic and external aspect of Maritime
Guinea’s evolution).
Beneficiaries must be involved and given the necessary information on which to base
their considerations as it is only them who have a vital interest in conservation, either
because their livelihoods depend directly on biological resources or because their quality
of life depends significantly on use and existence values of biodiversity. They need to be
helped in this task, from the design stage up to the phase of simulating post-project
management. The problems of land tenure and possible land re-apportionment need to be
dealt with.






It is important to take the time to help beneficiaries and to train them, over the course of
several cropping seasons, in the use of the proposed new techniques. They should also
receive feedback on the results of any sociological, technical and economic monitoring
that has taken place.
Methods of mass communication must be developed so that the project’s contacts are not
limited to a few individuals who may not be representative of the population. Increased
participation by interested stakeholders and, in particular, local communities, NGOs, and
the private sector must be ensured.
There should be an independent scientific structure capable of measuring trends and
dynamics at the regional level and over an indeterminate period of time.
Past experience should be exploited and its results disseminated.
Establishing financial mechanisms that fully cover operational costs on a sustainable and
long-term basis.
Decentralizing responsibilities from the national to regional environmental agencies.
9. Safeguard Policies (including public consultation)
Safeguard Policies Triggered by the Project
Environmental Assessment (OP/BP/GP 4.01)
Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04)
Pest Management (OP 4.09)
Cultural Property (OPN 11.03, being revised as OP 4.11)
Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12)
Indigenous Peoples (OD 4.20, being revised as OP 4.10)
Forests (OP/BP 4.36)
Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37)
Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP/GP 7.60)*
Projects on International Waterways (OP/BP/GP 7.50)
Yes
[X]
[X]
[]
[]
[X]
[]
[]
[]
[]
[]
No
[]
[]
[X]
[X]
[]
[X]
[X]
[X]
[X]
[X]
10. List of Factual Technical Documents








*
Evaluation Environnementale et Sociale du PGIRN
Cadre de gestion du processus de réduction des impacts sociaux négatifs de la
limitation d’accès aux domaines classés et aux zones tampo
Etudes préliminaires (Baseline studies)
Stratégie de communication du PGIRN
Manuel Système de suivi évaluation des impacts
Inventaire des données disponibles sur la Guinée Maritime
Manuel de procédures administratives, financières, comptables et de passation des
marchés
Manuel d'exécution du FIL
By supporting the proposed project, the Bank does not intend to prejudice the final determination of the parties' claims on the
disputed areas
11. Contact point
Contact: Dirk Nicolaas Prevoo
Title: Operations Officer
Tel: (202) 473-3358
Fax:
Email: Dprevoo@worldbank.org
12. For more information contact:
The InfoShop
The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20433
Telephone: (202) 458-4500
Fax: (202) 522-1500
Email: pic@worldbank.org
Web: http://www.worldbank.org/infoshop