Central Cross Island Road Upgrading Project (RRP SAM 51268)

SUMMARY POVERTY REDUCTION AND SOCIAL STRATEGY

Country: Project Central Cross Island Road Upgrading Project Title:

Lending/Financing Asian Development Fund Department Pacific Department/Transport and Modality: grant / Division: Communications Division

I. POVERTY AND SOCIAL ANALYSIS Poverty targeting: general intervention A. Links to the National Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Growth Strategy, and Country Partnership Strategy The Central Cross Island Road Upgrading Project is consistent with the Strategy for the Development of Samoa 2017–2020 and the Samoa Transport Sector Plan 2014–2019, which identifies the need for transport connectivity to enable better access to basic services and improve people’s quality of life. As articulated in the development strategy, Samoa emphasizes the importance of improved infrastructure in achieving the national vision and has the specific key outcome of “transport systems and networks improved,” with the objective of having “road transport infrastructure upgraded and capacity increased,” including Central Cross Island Road. The project is also consistent with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Pacific Approach 2016–2020 and ADB’s country operations business plan, 2015–2017 for Samoa. The Pacific Approach, which serves as ADB’s country partnership strategy for Samoa, highlights the need to reduce the cost of doing business and provide social services by improving connectivity through land, sea, and air links, among other measures. B. Results from the Poverty and Social Analysis during Project Preparation or Due Diligence 1. Key poverty and social issues. While extreme poverty is not present in Samoa, many rural communities suffer from poverty of opportunity and unequal distribution of benefits compared with urban areas. About 20% of Samoans live below the national poverty line, which in fiscal year 2014 was defined as ST59.27 per capita per week, or ST525.25 per household per week. Vulnerability to poverty and inequality has increased since 2008. The project road spans urban, peri-urban, and rural areas of island, from those in the north closest to the capital, , where income levels are high and embassy compounds abound, to subsistence farming communities in the south, where average household income can vary from ST150 to ST400 per week. Students from these areas must travel to high school in Apia and commute on the project road by bus. While a health clinic is available in Siumu in the south, the key medical facilities services are also in Apia, which is most easily accessed by the project road. 2. Beneficiaries. The project will directly benefit 16 communities along the road, or 7,031 people who rely on the road for access to essential services. Other beneficiaries are local schools, businesses, shops, hospitals, and places of work. Poor and vulnerable groups, such as students at the Loto Taumafai School of Disability, will benefit from the upgraded road, and women will also have faster access to markets to sell their produce. The overall population of Upolu (145,000 people) will benefit from the upgraded road, which connects Apia in the north to popular tourist and leisure areas on the south coast of the island. 3. Impact channels. The project will increase road safety for commuters and pedestrians, including school and college students. It will improve access to public services, enable increased attendance in tertiary education, provide faster and safer access to medical services and markets predominately located in Apia, and spur economic activity in the medium to long term through increased tourism activities and employment for rural communities. The climate- proofing of the road will support its use as an alternative evacuation route during cyclones. Gender mainstreaming activities will lead to more safety for women and children using the road, and greater employment opportunities during the project. 4. Other social and poverty issues. Samoa is exposed to many natural hazards, including cyclones, tropical storms, earthquakes, flooding, and droughts, resulting in increased vulnerability for disadvantaged households. The Samoan economy is also vulnerable to shocks, from global economic crises to localized impacts after disasters triggered by natural hazards. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic severely hit tourism in Samoa, with the country’s economy expected to contract from 3.5% in 2019 to –3.0% in 2020, before slightly rebounding to 0.8% in 2021. 5. Design features. Dissatisfaction with the current road condition is very high. Police statistics indicate that the project road causes the most accidents in Samoa. These occur mainly along narrow and winding uphill and downhill sections, which generate an unsafe environment for pedestrians since no formalized footpaths or pedestrian crossings are in place. Students and commuters who travel by bus have no designated and safe bus stops to board or disembark. During consultations, project road residents and commuters reported that a major traffic hazard for both car drivers and passengers are the buses, which stop wherever hailed by people. This leads to cars behind backing up and frequently overtaking. The upgraded road will minimize these issues by widening certain road sections and installing footpaths, streetlighting, safe pedestrian crossings, and sheltered bus stops. The upgrade

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includes climate-resilient drainage facilities to withstand increased rainfall intensity so that the road can be used as an evacuation route during tropical storms. II. PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERING THE POOR 1. Participatory approaches and project activities. The project team will continue to consult stakeholders during project implementation—(i) residents and affected people along the road; (ii) mayors of villages (, Vailima, Vaoala, Malololelei, Tiapapata, Paputa, Nafanua, Siumu Sasae, and Siumu Sisifo); (iii) Siumu women’s representatives; (iv) bus drivers using the project road and representatives of the bus drivers’ association; (v) representatives of schools, including the Loto Taumafai Disability School; (vi) road commuters; and (vii) local households and businesses such as Myna’s supermarket. 2. Ongoing awareness training on HIV and gender-based violence will be provided to youth groups and women's groups, and school and village groups will receive road safety training, as outlined in the project's gender action plan (GAP). 3. Civil society organizations. Civil society organizations (CSOs) and nongovernment organizations (NGOs), such as Women in Business and Loto Taumafai, will be consulted about the construction of the project. The project's social safeguards and gender specialists will be responsible for engaging with CSOs and NGOs under the project's communication and consultation plan, as outlined in the project administration manual (PAM). 4. The following forms of CSO participation are envisaged during project implementation, rated as high (H), medium (M), low (L), or not applicable (NA) Information gathering and sharing (M) Consultation (M) Collaboration (NA) Partnership (NA) 5. Participation plan. Yes. No The participation activities are reflected in the GAP, and the project management unit (PMU) will prepare a stakeholder communications plan for consultations with CSOs, as outlined in the PAM. III. GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT Gender mainstreaming category: effective gender mainstreaming A. Key issues The gender analysis revealed the following key gender issues relating to the project: (i) Safety of women traveling along the road or in the buses. Women are much less likely to drive and are key users of public transport. Consultations highlighted particular concerns about road safety (speeding and lack of speed bumps; lack of footpaths and bus bays, which forces women to board and alight on the road) and personal safety on buses or while waiting for them and when walking along the road (e.g., verbal and physical harassment). (ii) Limited employment opportunities. High literacy rates and relative parity in education have not translated into improved employment prospects for women, and gender gaps persist—30% of men are in paid employment vs. 20% of women, and men's labor force participation is 40% while women's is 24%. Construction work is not considered desirable employment by women so the project design focused on women's involvement in road maintenance work (e.g., roadside clearing, beautification) and support services during construction (e.g., cooking, cleaning). (iii) Violence against women and girls. Samoa has high prevalence rates of violence against women and girls (VAWG), and the project-related construction works bring additional and specific risks relating to sexual exploitation and abuse, which will need to be mitigated. B. Key actions The project's key gender design features are: (i) ensuring that the road design takes into consideration women’s priorities by including streetlights, footpaths, and covered bus shelters to improve their safety; (ii) factoring in their road safety concerns by providing speed signs and speed bumps, and ensuring that road safety training provided for schools and village groups is gender sensitive; (iii) addressing women’s personal safety concerns and VAWG issues by ensuring that contractors provide mandatory training on sexual exploitation and abuse as well as HIV to all its staff, and that bus drivers operating on the project road be given training on gender-sensitive issues and sexual harassment prevention; (iv) supporting women in technical and managerial positions by working with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to develop an institutional strategy for managing gender issues in the workplace, including providing gender training; formulating plans to support more women in the workplace; and identifying gender dimensions of commuter safety that are under the jurisdiction of the LTA; and (v) making income-generating opportunities available to women during construction (10% of roles for women) and road maintenance (30%). IV. ADDRESSING SOCIAL SAFEGUARD ISSUES A. Involuntary Resettlement Safeguard Category: A B C FI 1. Key impacts. The project involves the upgrade of about 20 kilometers of road along the current 22-kilometer route. While there is no anticipated need to resettle people or permanent structures such as houses, land parcels will need to be acquired from private and customary land allotments to (i) widen the road, improve its alignment, and install bus bays; and (ii) establish a uniform right-of-way road corridor. Drainage outfall easements will also be required. Numerous privately owned assets such as fences and hedges will require relocation or removal. A few small roadside stalls will need to be moved back from the road. Utility services (power, communications, water) will also be affected. 2. Strategy to mitigate the impacts. A draft resettlement plan was prepared and disclosed to affected people. Land will be acquired by the government following national laws and ADB safeguard policies. Compensation will be paid

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for affected assets, and assistance provided to move the small roadside stalls. The resettlement plan will be updated and finalized once the land surveys are completed, and negotiations have taken place with private and customary landowners. All land will be acquired and compensated before civil works start. 3. Plan or other Actions. Resettlement plan Combined resettlement and indigenous peoples plan Resettlement framework Combined resettlement framework and indigenous peoples Environmental and social management planning framework system arrangement Social impact matrix No action B. Indigenous Peoples Safeguard Category: A B C FI 1. Key impacts. No affected individuals or groups meet ADB's definition of indigenous peoples as distinct and vulnerable. 2. Strategy to mitigate the impacts. No strategy or plan is required. 3. Plan or other actions. Indigenous peoples plan Combined resettlement plan and indigenous Indigenous peoples planning framework peoples plan Environmental and social management system Combined resettlement framework and indigenous arrangement peoples planning framework Social impact matrix Indigenous peoples plan elements integrated in No action project with a summary V. ADDRESSING OTHER SOCIAL RISKS A. Risks in the Labor Market 1. Relevance of the project for the country’s or region’s or sector’s labor market, indicated as high (H), medium (M), and low or not significant (L). unemployment (L) underemployment (L) retrenchment core labor standards (M) 2. Labor market impact. The project is expected to generate local employment during construction. Works contracts will prioritize local labor. Contractors will be required to comply with national labor laws, such as core labor standards. The project will ensure equal opportunities for women, and equal wages for men and women for work of equal value. B. Affordability The upgraded road will make goods and services more affordable, reduce travel time, and improve access to markets. C. Communicable Diseases and Other Social Risks 1. The impact of the following risks are rated as high (H), medium (M), low (L), or not applicable (NA): Communicable diseases (L) Human trafficking (NA) Others (please specify) safety (M), cultural disrespect (M), gender inequality (L)______2. Risks to people in project area. While HIV prevalence is low in Samoa, the country has high rates of chlamydia, and elevated risks of other emerging or re-emerging communicable disease outbreaks, such as measles and COVID-19. To manage the impact associated with the risk of a communicable disease outbreak because of the project, the bidding documents and contracts for works will include specific provisions, such as requiring the contractors to implement a mandatory training program for their employees on the prevention of communicable diseases, in coordination with the PMU. VI. MONITORING AND EVALUATION 1. Targets and indicators. The social development and gender targets in the design and monitoring framework include the number of footpaths and pedestrian crossings featuring gender dimensions and disability requirements, as well as a pilot to support gender-inclusive maintenance contracts that encourage local employment. It also sets targets for the implementation of campaigns to encourage changes in road safety behavior. 2. Required human resources. The project will include 25 person-months of social, gender, and communication consulting inputs. LTA monitoring across the entire project (in addition to unrelated projects) to be provided by its current in-house safeguards specialist. 3. Information in the project administration manual. The PAM outlines the poverty and gender-responsive requirements of the project and includes a consolidated GAP. 4. Monitoring tools. Poverty and social dimension monitoring tools will include a semi-annual GAP report, and semi- annual safeguard monitoring reports. Sources: ADB. 2020. Tourism-Driven Economies in the Pacific to Feel Brunt of COVID-19 Pandemic. Manila (3 April). Government of Samoa. 2018. Police Statistics. Apia. Ministry of Health. 2018. Global Aids Monitoring Report for Samoa 2018. Apia. Samoa National Statistics Office. 2016. Census of Samoa. Apia. Samoa National Statistics Office and UNDP Pacific Centre. 2016. Samoa Hardship and Poverty Report.