According to the Bank’s website, the Project Development Objective is to strengthen climate and water information management, improving irrigation services delivery, and enhancing access to climate resilient water supply and sanitation services in selected basins.

Spanning five years (2025-2030) with an anticipated budget of USD 150 million, the project will use an area-based approach for prioritizing interventions, considering factors like security, accessibility, and local capacity. The project includes components for implementing climate and water information systems, climate resilient catchment management, irrigation services, and resilient water supply and sanitation systems. It will also focus on institutional strengthening, capacity development, project management, and a contingent emergency response component.

The environmental risk is assessed as substantial due to the project's support for several interventions that may involve environmental risks. While the anticipated risks and impacts are generally site-specific, reversible, and of low magnitude, they require appropriate mitigation measures to address them effectively. Notably, interventions under Sub component 3.1, "Restoring Access to and Improving Quality of Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) Services," will involve restoring and expanding access to WSS services. These activities include the rehabilitation and construction of medium- to large-scale WSS infrastructure, such as pipelines, networks, water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), decentralized desalination plants, water wells, pumping and booster stations, and related civil works.

Common environmental concerns include construction waste, wastewater, dust, noise, traffic deviations, and occupational health and safety risks. Although no large-scale, significant, or irreversible impacts are anticipated, some interventions may pose substantial risks, such as exposure to sewer gases during the rehabilitation of sewer networks or WWTPs.

The social risks and impacts associated with the project are rated as substantial which can be summarized as follows: 1. Exclusion of Vulnerable Groups: There is a potential risk of elite capture and the exclusion of vulnerable groups and individuals, such as women, persons with disabilities, from the benefits of the project. This exclusion could lead to social tensions within the communities if the selection criteria are not fully understood or implemented fairly and transparently. 2. Potential of land acquisition: The project may require the need for a land due to the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure. 3. Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and Sexual Harassment (SH): There are risks of SEA/SH associated with the project activities, particularly in areas where there is a significant presence of workers and community interactions. 4. Poor Working Conditions: The project may result in poor working conditions for laborers involved in the construction and maintenance of the infrastructure. 5. Child Labor: There is a risk of child labor being used in the project activities. 6. Security Risks: The project may face security risks, especially in areas with existing conflicts or instability. 7. Occupational and Community Health and Safety Risks: The project activities may pose health and safety risks to both workers and the surrounding communities, including the transmission of Cholera, diphtheria and other communicable diseases. 8. Nuisances Related to Noise and Vibration: Construction activities may cause nuisances related to noise and vibration, affecting the local communities. 9. Social Tensions and Conflicts: The project may induce social tensions and conflicts due to competition over project benefits, including employment opportunities. 10. Weak Implementation Capacity: There may be challenges related to the weak implementation capacity at the national and district levels, which could affect the effective management of social risks.

According to the Project Information Document (PID), the project has an anticipated budget of USD 150 million. The investment type is not available at the time of disclosure.

Implementing Agencies: United Nations Office for Project Services and United Nations Development Program

World Bank

Naif Mohammed Abu-Lohom
Senior Water Resources Management Specialist

Chris Philip Fischer
Senior Water Specialist

Elvira Cusiqoyllor Broeks Motta
Senior Water Specialist

Borrower/Client/Recipient

Food and Agriculture Organization
Hussein Gadain
Country Representative
Hussein.gadain@fao.org

Implementing Agencies

United Nations Office for Project Services
Bana Kaloti
Regional Director for Middle East
banak@unops.org

United Nations Development Program
Zena Ali Ahmed
Resident Representative
zena.ali-ahmad@undp.org

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

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ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF THE WORLD BANK

The World Bank Inspection Panel is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by a World Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Inspection Panel, they may investigate to assess whether the World Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can contact the Inspection Panel or submit a complaint by emailing ipanel@worldbank.org. Information on how to file a complaint and a complaint request form are available at: https://www.inspectionpanel.org/how-to-file-complaint