Public Disclosure Authorized. Public Disclosure Authorized. Public Disclosure Authorized. Public Disclosure Authorized. Report No.

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1 Report No: I <--Please check for duplicates! Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet (Updated) Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 03/14/2002 Section I - Basic Information Report No A. Basic Project Data Country: TUNISIA Project ID: P Project: PROTECTED AREAS MANAGEMENT PROJECT Task Team Leader: Shobha Shetty Authorized to Appraise Date: March 18, 2002 IBRD Amount ($m): Bank Approval: June 27, 2002 IDA Amount ($m): Managing Unit: MNSRE Sector: VM - Natural Resources Management Lending Instrument: Specific Investment Loan (SIL) Status: Lending I.A.2. Project Objectives: The project's main development objective is improved management and protection of selected national parks for the purposes of conserving biodiversity of global importance and contributing to the overall improvement in welfare of local populations. I.A.3. Project Description: The project includes the following three components: (all $ amounts are indicative only) Component 1: Institutional Strengthening ($1.73 M): The objective of this component will be to reinforce the institutional capacity of the Directorate General of Forestry (Ministry of Agriculture) and the Ministry of Environment in the sustainable protected areas management. This component will support the following: (i) strengthening of the Project Management Unit; (ii) training; (iii) technical and scientific studies; and (iv) establishment of a scientific monitoring system for the protected areas. The training programs would have a strong regional focus with modules targeting park management personnel, local governments at the regional Commissariats Regionaux de Developpement Agricole (CRDA) level, and other potential partners (including the private sector and NGOs) in participatory approaches to protected areas management. It will also include training programs for the Directorate General of Forestry (Ministry of Agriculture), Ministry of Tourism, and the Ministry of Environment and Landuse Planning at the central level (where justified). Component 2: Protected Areas Management ($U.S 6.41 M): The objectives of this component are to: (i) manage and restore the ecosystems in the three national parks to protect the globally important flora and fauna; (ii) assist in the development of ecotourism activities; and (iii) establish, with the local populations, community development plans compatible with the objectives of sustainable biodiversity conservation. The three parks (out of 8) chosen include Ichkeul, Bouhedma, and Jebil. These three parks cover unique and distinctly different ecosystems - wetland, arid-mountain/pseudo savanna, and desert respectively (see Annex 2 for a brief description of each park). The project will develop detailed management plans, provide equipment, training and small infrastructural

2 facilities in all three sites. In addition, it will establish mechanisms to reduce the unsustainable use of natural resources, particularly those resources that in the past were shared common resources such as grazing lands and forests. The project will develop strategies for ecotourism that will demonstrate the links between conservation and economic benefits for the local communities. The management plans will emphasize not only the technical aspects (inventory, infrastructure, surveillance), but also strategic and sustainability issues (participatory review and assessment of existing management plans and practices by local communities, negotiations with communities on priority activities to reduce pressures on the protected areas, support for alternative livelihoods consistent with biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, scientific monitoring), and would be implemented during the project period. This component would also include the (parallel) cofinancing by the French GEF for the Bouhedma and Jebil national parks. Component 3: Public Awareness ($U.S0.7M): This component would aim to build public support for biodiversity conservation at the local/park level and regional/governorate level. Action plans will target priority groups such as local governments, site visitors, and local school children for raising the awareness of specific stakeholder groups about the importance of, and opportunities for, biodiversity conservation within the three parks. Possible delivery mechanisms include mass media, formal and informal education, and development of linkages with local NGOs, schools, tourism agencies, and other organizations to promote public understanding about biodiversity resources. For each of the parks, flagship species/themes (espoce phare) have been identified that will form the nucleus of all public awareness campaigns as well as research, monitoring and conservation activities. These would be the accacia raddiana, and the white gazelle (gazelle leptoceros) for the parks of Bouhedma and Jebil respectively and the theme of water resources management for the case of Ichkeul. Activities will be developed at the local/community level around these key species/themes in order to develop the grassroots awareness necessary to sustain long-term biodiversity conservation. I.A.4. Project Location: (Geographic location, information about the key environmental and social characteristics of the area and population likely to be affected, and proximity to any protected areas, or sites or critical natural habitats, or any other culturally or socially sensitive areas.) The project will result in global and regional benefits by contributing to sustainable conservation management in three of Tunisia's well-known national parks covering about 180,000 ha. representing diverse ecosystems with biodiversity of global and regional importance. Principal project areas benefiting are: 'Ichkeul National Park, in the north of the country, which is part of an important flyway for migratory birds; is a Ramsar site, biosphere reserve, and a world heritage site. 'Bou Hedma National Park, in central Tunisia is a Man and Biosphere (MAB) site; and 'Jebil National Park, in one of the most isolated southern areas of Tunisia contains high value, though not well studied saharien biodiversity and is likewise the home for rare species, including the white gazelle

3 The project will also establish linkages and collaboration to support and benefit from conservation initiatives in neighboring countries. The global benefits include: (a) conservation of critical saharan and wetland habitats and enhancing the probability of their long-term conservation; (b) development of incentives to maintain protected areas in the long-term; (c) established capacity to ensure adequate management of protected areas sustainably; and (d) new knowledge concerning the feasibility of community-based natural resource conservation approaches and the factors associated with success. Two of the sites (Bouhedma and Jebil) are important priorities under the Bonn Convention for the conservation of Sahelo-saharan antelopes. The Ichkeul lake and marshes have long been recognized (together with Donana in Spain, the Camargue in France and the El Kala region in Algeria) as one of the four major wetland areas in the western basin of the Mediterranean. Ichkeul National Park (covering an area of some 12,000 hectares) is one of the few sites listed under three international agreements: (a) Biosphere Reserve (1977); (b) World Heritage Convention (1979); and (c) Ramsar Convention (1980). The lake and marshes of the park provide habitat for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds (in particular ducks, geese, storks and flamingos). Improving the management of the park would help increase the numbers of wintering ducks and coots have decreased from an average of 200,000 individuals to a level situated around 50,000 at present. Other important species include the wintering geese, herons, egrets, the globally threatened Marbled Teal (Anas angustirostris), Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio), and the White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) (also globally threatened). The national park of Bou Hedma is home to the extremely rare gazelle dorcas, and the oryx antelope. Other fauna of importance are the striped hyena, golden jackal and crested porcupine. The park houses 8 of the 14 species recognized as endemic in the National Biodiversity Study such as the Acacia raddiana, Juniperus phoenicea, Pistacia atlantica, Thymelea sempervirens, Tetrapon villosus, Tricholena teneriffe, and Cenchrus ciliaris, and Digitaria communtata. In addition, the park has potential for the re-introduction of fauna, relatives of species that once roamed but have since disappeared, such as the gazelle dorcas, oryx - the straight honed antelope, addax the desert antelope, and ostriches. Some of these have already been re-introduced in the park in limited numbers. The national park of Jebil is a relatively new park and consists of very unique Saharan ecosystems that have not been very well studied thus far. The park contains internationally important biodiversity, some of which is found only in Tunisia. Globally important species include the white gazelle (gazella leptoceros), gazella abiod, and remarkable flora like calligonum that attain several meters in height in the sand dunes of the grand erg. B. Check Environmental Classification: C (Not Required) Comments: The project is not expected to have any negative environmental impacts of any kind. It is expected to generate significant positive environmental benefits through the establishment of effective management systems to conserve the natural integrity and biodiversity of Tunisia's ecosystems in three national parks. Infrastructure-related activities are expected to be small-scale involving mainly the refurbishment of visitor centers, marked trails, and signage. They will be carried out in a manner that minimizes negative environmental impacts. This will be done through ensuring that -3 -

4 the relevant environmental provisions in accordance with Bank guidelines are specified in the terms of reference (TORs) and all construction contracts. The protected area management plans to be developed under the project will involve definition of land and resource use zones within the parks and define specific measures to be undertaken to ensure sustainable management of the biodiversity resources. Key stakeholders will include the local communities, CRDAs, and NGOs. The development of the management plans will include all the key stakeholders and constitutes an environmental management plan per se. No resettlement is envisaged. C. Safeguard Policies Triggered Policy Applicability Environmental Assessment (OP/BP/GP 4.01) Yes Forestry (OP/GP 4.36) No Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) No Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) No Pest Management (OP 4.09) No Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) No Indigenous Peoples (OD 4.20) Yes Cultural Property (OP 4.11) No Projects in Disputed Territories (OP/BP/GP 7.60)* No Projects in International Waterways (OP/BP/GP 7.50) No *By supporting the proposed project, the Bank does not intend to prejudice the final determination of the parties' claims on the disputed areas Section II - Key Safeguard Issues and Their Management D. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues. Please fill in all relevant questions. If information is not available, describe steps to be taken to obtain necessary data. II.D.la. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts. The proposed project is in its entirety devoted to solve the questions of biodiversity conservation with a participatory approach. Infrastructure-related activities are expected to be small-scale involving mainly the refurbishment of visitor centers, marked trails, and signage. They will be carried out in a manner that minimizes negative environmental impacts. This will be done through ensuring that the relevant environmental provisions in accordance with Bank guidelines (OD 4.01) are specified in the terms of reference (TORs) and all construction contracts. The management plans for the three areas will thereby constitute an environmental management plan and the Bank will ensure that this conforms to the standards of OD 4.01 as a condition for financing. The project has also ensured that the activities are in accordance with the guidelines specified in O.P 4.12 on Involuntary Resettlement. In order to guarantee this, a process framework (conforming to para 7 of OP4.12) acceptable to the Bank will be submitted as a condition of appraisal. This will include, inter alia, provisions to ensure that local people will not be evicted from the parks or restricted in habitual access to them without their consent (except for restrictions on commercial hunting), and that participatory plans with full and informed prior consent will be developed to reduce pressure on resoources within the protected areas. This process framework will be referred to in the legal documents and will therefore be legally binding. The formation of local associations will provide the - 4 -

5 means by which they can jointly and voluntarily undertake protection of park resources and find alternatives to the use of any resources to which they currently have access. There is no anticipated action that will result in resettlement or in any further restriction of access to the resources in the existing parks. The management plans to be developed under the project will be in accordance with Bank safeguard policies and will not contravene any policy requirements. These same plans will define land and resource use zones within the parks and identify the specific measures to be undertaken to ensure sustainable management of the biodiversity resources. Key stakeholders in the formulation of the management plans will include the local communities, CRDAs, and NGOs. The development of the management plans will include all the key stakeholders and will constitute an environmental management plan per se. The project team as well as the team responsible for the preparation studies have taken into account all appropriate safeguard policy issues. The key isssue in the project is that of legalizing or otherwise recognizing the current occupants of the parks, and in the case of Jebil, of recognizing the legitimate users of the park spaces. The Administration is receptive to the idea of inclusion of the park occupants in the process of developing park management plans, but is constrained on the legal front regarding regularizing their status. The challenge of the project will be to ensure that participation is truly inclusive and meaningful to the local communities including the current occupants of the park. II.D.lb. Describe any potential cumulative impacts due to application of more than one safeguard policy or due to multiple project component. n.a II.D.lc Describe any potential long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area. n.a II.D.2. In light of 1, describe the proposed treatment of alternatives (if required) n.a II.D.3. Describe arrangement for the borrower to address safeguard issues II.D.4. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. The key stakeholders in this instance are first, the people living in the project areas. They have been intensively consulted and they have contributed to the process of project preparation. Other key stakeholders such as conservation organizations, businesses, tourist bureau, and other institutions have also had an active role in the diagnostics and preparation studies. A series of seminars in the three areas discussed the result of the preparation with the population and the results of these restitution workshops will be taken into account during appraisal. Because of the sensitivities surrounding land tenure and use, all the concerned stakeholders will be provided with information about safeguards and the provisions in the process framework

6 E. Safeguards Classification. Category is determined by the highest impact in any policy. Or on basis of cumulative impacts from multiple safeguards. Whenever an individual safeguard policy is triggered the provisions of that policy apply. I S1. - Significant, cumulative and/or irreversible impacts; or significant technical and institutional risks in management of one or more safeguard areas [XI S2. - One or more safeguard policies are triggered, but effects are limited in their impact and are technically and institutionally manageable I S3. - No safeguard issues I SF. - Financial intermediary projects, social development funds, community driven development or similar projects which require a safeguard framework or programmatic approach to address safeguard issues. Insert page break here F. Disclosure Requirements Environmental Assessment/Analysis/Management Plan: Expected Actual Date of distributing the Exec. Summary of the EA to the ED (For category A projects) Resettlement Action Plan/Framework: Expected Actual Date of receipt by the Bank 3/4/2002 3/8/2002 3/11/2002 3/14/2002 3/14/2002 Indigenous Peoples Development Plan/Framework: Expected Actual Pest Management Plan: Expected Actual Dam Safety Management Plan: Expected Actual If in-country disclosure of any of the above documents is not expected, please explain why. Category C - one safeguard policy applicable but impacts are very limited and institutionally manageable. Signed and submitted by Name Date Task Team Leader: Shobha Shetty 03/14/2002 Project Safeguards Specialists 1: Nicole Glineur/Person/World Bank 03/14/2002 Project Safeguards Specialists 2: John Keith Rennie-MNS/Person/World Bank 03/14/2002 Project Safeguards Specialists 3: Approved by: Name Date Regional Safeguards Coordinator: Sherif Kamel F. Arif 03/14/2002 Sector Manager/Director: M. Salah Darghouth 03/14/

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