1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
The Government of Ghana (GoG) (WB) has secured funding from the World Bank to undertake the Food System Resilience Program (FSRP2) under the World Bank Multi-phase Programmatic Approach (MPA) for Investment Project Financing Instrument. The FSRP2 is expected to be implemented over a 5-year period and aims to boost preparedness against food insecurity and improve the resilience of food systems in Ghana. The program will be implemented in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (Comité permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel, CILSS) and the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (Conseil ouest et centre africain pour la recherche et le développement agricoles, CORAF).
Under the FSRP2, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) intends to complete some outstanding activities started under the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP - P114264 and P162525), specifically to complete rehabilitation of Kpong Irrigation Scheme (KIS) located in the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions of Ghana.
GCAP prepared Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for the rehabilitation and modernisation of the KIS in 2018. However, due to inadequate funds to complete works at the KIS, the ESIA and ESMP of KIS must be updated to account for any significant changes including baseline conditions, new stakeholders etc., which might have changed the potential risks and impacts associated with these works.
The KIS is located within the Lower Volta Basin in the Eastern and Greater Accra Regions of Ghana. The initial scope of work under GCAP was a full rehabilitation and modernization of the scheme covering structures in Sections A and B and the Re-lift pump station at section C of the Scheme. However, the full scope of works was not attained due to reduced project funding as a result of the need to fund the rehabilitation of the Tono Dam Spillway in the Upper East Region due to an emergency situation which was not initially planned. The WB approved changes in output deliverables and the scope of work was varied. Although the proposed full scope of work was not completed, the functionality of KIS was achieved. The scope reduction has become a limiting factor to the full operationalization of the KIS and its impacts include:
- Further deterioration of sections of the canal embankment of the main water conveyance system (Akuse Main Canal).
- Increased water use and efficiency challenges for the 600ha farming areas where the pipe works were not carried out.
- Transport challenges of farm produce due to the bad road network for some areas where road rehabilitation could not be carried out.
- Increased agitation and social conflict from farmers whose canals were not lined.
The proposed works at KIS under this phase will include:
- Lining of the Akuse Main Canal;
- Completing the pipe works for 600ha farming area in section A;
- Automation of the irrigation system; and
- Completing the rehabilitation of farm roads.
Objective of the Update of ESIA
The Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) prepared for the FSRP 2 requires that site specific Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) and Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) be prepared for each irrigation scheme. The aim of the ESIA studies is to assess the environmental and social risks and impacts associated with the design, construction and operation of the rehabilitation and modernisation of the Kpong Irrigation Schemes. The ESIA proposes practical and effective measures to prevent or mitigate any potential negative impacts of the subprojects. In addition, an ESMP has been developed to ensure best environmental and social performance.
Given that the ESIA for the KIS under the GCAP was prepared under the WB Operational Policies (OPs) and since the FSRP2 was prepared under the WB Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), there is a need to revise the ESIA to comply with the requirements of the relevant WB Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs). Moreover, the baseline conditions could have changed in the last four (4) years (2018) since the ESIA was prepared, hence the need to update the ESIA to account for any significant changes in baseline conditions, new stakeholders etc., which might have changed the potential risks and impacts associated with the subproject.
The update of the existing ESIA now aligns with the requirements of the ESF and includes measures to prevent child labour and forced labour, community health and safety as well as Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and Sexual Harassment (SH). This is because even though these are carry-over works from the GCAP, they are being funded and implemented under FSRP2 which is guided by the ESF, and not the Operational Policies (OPs) under which the existing ESIA was prepared.