Environmental Safeguards - Refresher Workshop

The Environmental Safeguards Refresher Workshop outlines the framework for ensuring development projects are environmentally and socially sustainable, resilient, and contribute to long-term poverty reduction. The core principles are to "Do No Harm" by protecting people and the environment from adverse impacts, and to "Do Some Good" by enhancing environmental sustainability and social equity. This approach aligns with the Caribbean Development Bank's (CDB) mission and is essential for safeguarding ecosystems, public health, and cultural heritage while managing financial, legal, and reputational risks.
The process involves several key steps:
• Screening and Risk Categorization: Projects are screened to identify environmental, social, and gender equality risks and opportunities. They are then assigned a risk category—A (significant impacts), B (limited impacts), or C (little to no impact)—which determines the level of assessment required.
• Impact Assessment: Environmental and Social Impact Assessments are conducted to identify potential negative impacts such as pollution, habitat loss, elevated dust levels, and health and safety concerns.
• Management and Mitigation: To manage these risks, contractors develop an Environmental, Social, Health and Safety Management Plan (C-ESHSMP). This "live document" details specific mitigation measures, such as replanting programs, waste management protocols, water quality monitoring, and ensuring worker safety through personal protective equipment (PPE) and monthly briefings.
• Climate Resilience: The framework also addresses climate and disaster risks like extreme rainfall and hurricanes by integrating resilient design features, including raised road elevations and upgraded drainage infrastructure.
Finally, the process requires continuous supervision, reporting, and stakeholder engagement to ensure compliance with loan conditions and national regulations.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL
SAFEGUARDS OVERVIEW
MHWCRRP REFRESHER
WORKSHOP
Sara-Jade Govia - Operations Officer (Environmental
Sustainability)
October 3, 2024

2. ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS
TABLEOF
CONTENTS
Why we do what we do
Environmental and Social Review Procedures
Environmental Safeguards
Environmental Risks
Environmental and Social Risk Management

3. Social and Environmental Safeguards
•Development which is environmentally and socially resilient, sustainable and contributes to
poverty reduction in the long term
What do we want to achieve?
•Screen out any environmentally and socially unsuitable investments
•Provide a correct balanced view of environmental and social and gender equality risks and impacts of the
projects
•Identify and develop any environmental, social and gender equality opportunities
•Conduct activities with due regard to environmental and social and gender factors
•Document and report on environmental, social and gender impacts
How?
•Control and minimise exposure of CDB, Government of Saint Lucia, Contractors, Engineer and
individuals to environmental- and social related risks - financial, legal, reputational consequences
•CDB Credit rating
•Safeguard the wellbeing of Project Affected Persons and other stakeholders
Why?

4. Overarching Framework
PRESENTATION TITLE&DATE
CDB Mission Statement:
‘Reducing poverty and
transforming lives through
resilient, sustainable and
inclusive development’
CDB Strategic Plan Update 2022-2024
CDB Gender Equality and Operational Strategy 2019
CDB Youth Policy and Operational Strategy 2020
CDB Information Disclosure Policy
CDB Climate Resilience Strategy
CDB’s Environmental and Social Review Procedures (and Performance Requirements)

5. ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS
CDB’S ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
Pollution Prevention, Control &
Management
Toxic & Hazardous Substances
Control & Management
Cultural Property & Heritage
Critical Natural Habitats,
Biodiversity & Ecosystem
Services
Directly Affected Communities Vulnerable Groups
Land Acquisition &
Resettlement
Worker and Community
Health and Safety

6. ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS
WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACHIEVE? – PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Protect people and
environment from adverse
impacts (“Do No Harm”)
Enhance environmental
sustainability and social
equity (“Do Some Good”)
Integrate environmental
and social aspects into
decisions on project
selection, design and
implementation (quality
and risk management)
Build Borrower capacity
for environmental and
social management
Provide a mechanism for
information disclosure,
stakeholder consultation
and participation,
accountability
Respond to BMCs,
Regional and Global
constituencies

7. WHY ARE ENVIRONMENTAL
SAFEGUARDS IMPORTANT?
•Protecting plants and animals maintain the
balance that we depend on for our survival
•Clean air, water and soil are essential for our
health.
•People and industries rely on the environment for
raw material.
•Cultural and recreational value attached to the
environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS

8. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS
Identify and assess
potential environmental
and social and gender
risks and impacts
Analyse project
alternatives
Design appropriate
mitigation, management
and monitoring
measures
Impacts can be positive
Opportunities enhanced
Mitigation/enhancement
measures are
documented in an ESMP

9. RISK CATEGORISATION OF CDB-
FINANCED PROJECTS
Category Definition
A
•projects are those with the potential for significant, diverse, unique, irreversible, or otherwise adverse environmental or social impacts
and/or risks. Comprehensive formal environmental and/or social analysis is required using specialised and independent technical
expertise.
B
•projects are those with the potential for limited adverse environmental or social impacts and/or risks that are readily identified. They
may be site specific or require mitigation and management measures that are readily known and easily addressed. The environment
or social assessment may be limited, requiring that specific issues be addressed based on CDB’s PR.
C
•projects are those having little or no potential for adverse environmental or social impacts. Environmental and social appraisal is
generally not required beyond the requirements necessary to categorise the project.
FI
•typically, the structure of financing is usually through a line of credit provided by CDB, to a financial intermediary (FI) responsible for
appraisal, disbursing and monitoring resources provided for sub-projects to multiple small and medium-sized private sector
borrowers.
HOW WOULD YOU CATEGORISE THE BEST PROJECT?

10. ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS
WHAT ARE SOME POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS?
Elevated dust levels & noise
Loss/damage to habitat and plant and animal species
Pollution – water, air, soil, solid waste
Health and safety

11. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL
MANAGEMENT PLAN (ESMP)
The Contractor’s Environmental, Social, Health and
Safety Management Plan (C-ESHSMP) or ESMP is an
instrument that describes the actions that will be taken
by the Contractor during project implementation to
enhance positive impacts and to avoid, minimize,
mitigate, compensate / offset negative impacts.
THE C-ESHSMP IS A LIVE DOCUMENT
Environmental Safeguards

12. MITIGATION MEASURES FROM THE C-ESHSMP BASED ON
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS ON SITE
ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS
Impact/Risk Mitigation Measure
Loss of habitat and disturbance of wildlifeReplanting program
Register of removed vegetation
Pollution (incl. waste management) Stored in containers and disposed in approved
landfills
Register of Material Safety Data Sheets
Water quality monitoring program
Emergency spill kit
Health and safety Provided with and utilization of PPE
Basic medical facilities on site
Sanitary facilities on site
Monthly briefing
OVERALL Monthly environmental training/briefing
Continuous inspections and record-keeping

13. CLIMATE AND DISASTER RISKS
ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS
•The project is vulnerable to:
oExtreme Rainfall – Flooding, Landslides
oHigh Temperatures – Dry Conditions, Heat, Wildfires
oTropical Cyclones – Storms, Hurricanes
•Managing these risks:
oIntegrated in infrastructure design:
❖raised road elevations
❖upgrade of drainage infrastructure
oExtreme Weather/Disaster Plans

14. ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS
CDB’S REPORTING AND SUPERVISION
Environmental
/ DRM/ Climate
Change /
Social/ Gender
Issue
Mitigation
Measures
Progress
Status
Remarks on
compliance
Follow-up/corrective actions
Timeline Responsible
person(s)
•Compliance with loan conditions and national regulations
•Monitoring of environmental quality parameters
•Stakeholder engagement and feedback
•Capacity building

15. Sara-Jade Govia
[email protected]
246 256 5037
246 539 1871
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