ESMF for Additional Financing (AF)- May 2024
This Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) has been updated in line with the proposed additional financing (AF) request for SNSOP. The proposed US$ 70 million AF was urgently needed to support the Republic of South Sudan to manage influx of refugees and returnees fleeing the conflict from Sudan, meet the high vulnerability in the country resulting from the economic crisis as well as contributing to climate change adaptation. The parent project with a total value of US$ 129 million targets 96,000 households (LIPW-67800, and DIS-28200) in 15 counties, and the additional financing will benefit 61,500 households, with a proposal to extend to 5 additional counties including Yambio and Rubkona county.
The project development objective is to provide access to social and economic opportunities to poor and vulnerable households and strengthen the national safety net delivery system. It is structured in 4 components as follows: (i) Cash Transfers and Complementary Social Measures (ii) Provision of Economic Opportunities (iii) Strengthen Institutional Capacity and Social Protection System (iv) Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Knowledge Generation. MAFS is the lead executing agency with responsibility for fiduciary and environmental and social safeguards while MGCSW is responsible for component 3, and monitoring and reporting through the SPCU. The project is funded by the World Bank and implemented by UNOPS on behalf of the MAFS & MGCSW.
Two specialized NGOs will be contracted to implement Complementary social measures and economic opportunities. The main sub-projects include small scale irrigation scheme, group farming; agroforestry, rehabilitation of small-scale dykes, hand-dug wells, ponds, community access roads; cleaning public facilities and etc. The same subprojects’ categories under the parent project are expected to be implemented under the AF. Implementation of these subprojects is expected to have an impact on the country’s socioeconomic and natural environment.
Some of the positive impacts include, creating employment opportunities, generating income to support the livelihoods for the youth and women; providing opportunities and resources to engage in agricultural production, wage and self-employment, and other economic activities.
The key negative environmental impacts may include increased soil erosion, increased surface water runoff/flash flood; open borrow pits; open shallow wells; improper waste disposal; pollution, biodiversity disturbances; pest management and health and safety issues While key Social issues may include: exclusion and inclusion error, elite capture, communal conflicts over sharing and distribution of resources, tension between refugee and host communities over limited resources, unlawful land acquisition, and Sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment of women and girls as well as gender based violence.