HARPER ROAD PAVING PROJECT PHASE II (Fish Town-Karloken and Harper Junction-Cavalla Customs Road Sections)

Home , Cavalla River, Maryland County, River Gee County

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PROJECT: MULTINATIONAL MANO RIVER UNION PROGRAM: FISH TOWN – HARPER ROAD PAVING PROJECT PHASE II (Fish Town-Karloken and Harper Junction-Cavalla Customs Road Sections)

COUNTRY: LIBERIA

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT & RESETTLEMENT ACTION PLAN SUMMARY

Date: July 2014 Project Team: Mr. J. Aguma, Senior Transport Economist, OITC.1 Mr. A.Mwila, Senior Transport Engineer, OITC.1 Mr. P.Tambah, Senior Infrastructure Engineer, LRFO/OITC.1 Ms. E. Ndinya, Senior Environmental Specialist, Project Team ONEC.3, Mr. N. Kulemeka, Chief Socio-Economist, ONEC.3 Ms. M.Mabe-Koof hethile , Pr. Procurement Specialist, LRFO/ORPF.1,

Sector Manager: Mr. J.K. Kabanguka Sector Director: Mr. A. Oumarou Resident Representative: Ms. Margaret Kilo

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (ESIA) SUMMARY

Project Name: Multinational Mano River Union Program: Fish Town – Harper Road Paving Project Phase II (Fish Town – Karloken and Cavalla Customs Road Section) Country : Liberia Project Number: P-Z1-DB0-103

1. Introduction

The Government of Liberia (GOL) through the Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) is intending to secure funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB), for the upgrading of the 130Km road of the Fish Town to Harper City section of the proposed Zwedru-Harper Road Corridor. The study road lies within Maryland County. The Ministry of Public Works awarded the Consultancy Contract for the Feasibility Studies and Detailed Engineering Designs for Upgrading of Section 2 of the Ganta to Harper Road Corridor between Zwedru - Harper City (255 km) and Harper Junction - Cavalla Customs (16 km).

The Ganta to Harper Road Corridor Project is to be implemented in three Phases (or Lots). Phase I is 50Km Harper City – Karloken Town Road Project which was approved for financing in 2013. Phase II is Fish Town - Karloken Road Project and includes the Harper Junction to Cavalla Road Section which is the focus of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study and this ESIA summary. This road section forms part of the Mano River Union (MRU) Basin Program within which are Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast. Phase III is the Fish Town – Zwerdu Road Section.

The proposed project covers a total of 96Km, 80Km of Fish Town – Karloken Town road section and 16Km of the Harper- Cavalla Customs road section. The project will involve realignments and construction of various other road components such as bridges, culverts, and development of ancillary works (material sites, camp & garages).

According to the regulatory requirements of the Environmental Protection and Management Law of Liberia (2002) the proposed road construction project falls within the activities that require a mandatory EIA, i.e. Building and Civil Engineering Industries. Likewise, according to AfDB’s policy & guideline, the project is classified under Category 1, and therefore requires the preparation of an ESIA as well as preparation of standalone ESMP. This ESIA Summary has been prepared from the project documents in accordance with AfDB’s Environmental and Social Assessment Procedures (ESAP). In addition, over 200 persons will be involuntarily displaced by the project. Since the ESIA is based on a detailed engineering, a full Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) has been prepared and is included as Annex 1.

2. Project Description and Justification

The existing laterite road is a primary two-lane highway as defined by MPW/IIU, which travels through mostly rural areas. The entire Ganta – Harper corridor is unpaved but has been engineered to good riding comfort. The gravel surface road from Karloken to Fish Town

1 and from Harper Junction to the border at Cavalla is well graded with good camber to drain runoff from the carriageway into the unlined parallel drains on both sides of the road. The average width of the carriageway is about 6m with shoulders on both sides having average width of 3m. Few towns have their roads protected by drains to carry runoff from the carriageway. The horizontal and vertical alignments follow the existing rolling terrain with occasional steep vertical grades within the prioritized 80 km from Karloken to Fish Town and 16 km from Harper Junction to Cavalla.

The proposed Karloken - Fish Town (80 km) and Harper Junction to Cavalla (16 km) project roads consist of upgrading graveled surface to paved surfaced roads. The work will generally consists of clearing the topsoil, earthworks and excavation of longitudinal ditches, construction of culverts and several bridges, pavement construction, erosion control measures, drainage improvement, safety improvements including reflectorized paved markers, sidewalks, curb, gutter through urban areas and other ancillary works.

The project road will remain as a 2-lane facility (each lane will be 3.65 m wide) and will largely follow the existing road with major re-alignment in about 174 places. Re-alignment shifting may occur at river crossings in order to maintain the existing bridge open while new bridges are under construction and present areas where there exist deep curves or short line of sight. Flattening of the horizontal curves included in the design at the certain locations will eliminate potential hazardous driving conditions. This kind of realignment will require some resettlement, which has already been considered under the RAP. The realignments are meant to enhance road safety.

Notwithstanding, the functionality of current design, the intense wet climatic conditions in Liberia present major challenges in the maintenance of unpaved roads which often come with high life cycle costs. In the absence of a suitable maintenance funding framework, such as a Road Fund, Liberia would increasingly find it difficult to maintain unpaved roads that require consistent technical and cost attention. Paving of the Karloken to Fish Town and Harper Junction to Cavalla roads would ensure that design of the roads is robust, fully responsive to the terrain and climatic conditions and have low life-cycle costs.

The implementation of the upgrading of the road corridor is consistent with the GOL’s policy of upgrading all primary roads and provides connectivity with neighboring countries in the sub-region. The Harper Road is an important link to the Border Post with Ivory Coast at Duokudi. The Ganta – Harper Highway is also an alternative link on the Trans-Coastal: Lagos –Nouakchott Highway as identified by ECOWAS with the potential to facilitate Sub- regional Trade and Integration in the future.

The project would improve access to transport services for the rural population in River Gee and Maryland Counties with the rest of the country; improve farm to market linkages as well as uplift the quality of life of the people of the project area. The road corridor is situated in an area heavily endowed with mineral and agriculture resources such as rubber that could take the populace to greater socio-economic development.

3. Policy, Legal and Administrative Framework

The relevant policy and legislative framework was reviewed to make sure that the proposed project is in line with the available national policies and legislation. The Constitution of Liberia which was drafted in 1984 forms the basis of environmental law in Liberia, particularly Article 7 which provides for public participation of all citizens in the protection and management of the environment and natural resources in Liberia and places responsibilities on state organisations to ensure that this is met.

The most important policy documents include: the Constitution of Liberia, the National Environmental Policy, the National Transport Policy and Strategy (NTPS), National Policy for Reconstruction and Development, the National Gender Policy (NGP), the Gender and Development Act of 2001. The African Development Bank’s group new Integrated Safguards Policy and related ESA Procedure (AfDB 2001) were also reviewed to identify policies that can be triggered by the project development & follow the funding procedure.

The National Environment Policy of Liberia mandates a comprehensive set of laws and legal framework to protect the environment through sustainable development and management. It also establishes the EPA and the institutional arrangements that support the Agency, to protect the environment. The EPA is an autonomous agency under the Presidency with a Policy Committee chaired by the minister for Lands Mines and Energy. The EPA has a key responsibility for matters relating to the issuing of an environmental impact assessment license and for compliance monitoring relating to environmental regulations and standards.

4. Description of the Project Environment

Bio-physical Environment

Climate: The climate of River and Maryland Counties is synonymous with the rest of Liberia. The climate is tropical with relatively small variations between day and night and between seasons. There are two seasons ‐the wet season from May to October and the dry season from November to April.

Rainfall: Liberia experience more rainfall than other areas in West Africa. The continental and maritime air masses alternate their movements back and forth and from the north to south. This brings some seasonal differences in rainfall intensity. The coastal region has the heaviest rainfall from between 3900mm to 4500mm annually in the west and about 2500mm of rainfall annually in the south eastern part of the country. Rainfall decreases going north and inland except highlands and the northernmost part of the country. The eastward of the country following the Cavalla River receive over 1700mm of rain annually.

Humidity, Temperature, Wind, and Sunshine: The mean monthly relative humidity varies between 70 and 90%. The mean daily bright sunshine hours varies in excess of 4.0 hours. The mean monthly temperatures of the project catchment vary from 24.5oC and 27.5oC. Wind speeds are generally light being of order of 6 knots. Strong winds are usually associated with convective thunderstorm activity during the rainy season and are short in duration. Temperature, humidity and wind affect run-off. High temperatures, low relative humidity and strong winds result in higher evaporation and subsequently reduce runoff. The highest temperature recorded in the project area is 32°C and the minimum is 22°C.

Topography: River Gee and Maryland Counties have generally gently rolling hills with wide and shallow valleys with the following identified geographical belts: mangrove swamps and

3 beaches along the coast, wooded hills and semi deciduous shrub lands along the immediate interior, low mountains in northeast, dense tropical forests and plateaus in the interior.

Geology: The project site is located within the Eburnean Age Province. And commencing at Fish Town, the rock type is mainly quartz diorite gneiss unit. This rock unit is leucocratic to melanocratic fine- to coarse-grained granular biotite quartz diorite gneiss. There are local interbeded schist units within this rock type. Migmatite is also common. There are also intrusions of small quartz diorite units. From about the middle to the end of the road at Karloken, the rock type is mainly mica schist. This rock unit is leucocratic to melanocratic fine- to medium-grained schist with local sillimanite.

Soil: Specifically for the project area, the soil type is generally silty reddish-brown with high content of clay which might result from the weathering of sedimentary rock. There are also few areas with lateritic gravel. From the hydrologic point of view, soils with high content of clay often result in high run-off due to it relatively impervious nature.

Water Resources and Drainage: The project area is endowed with abundant water resources. Data from the rural water supply program indicate that the depth to the water table in shallow wells can be less than one meter. Drilled boreholes can be as deep as 100 meters. However, no reliable data on boreholes and yields and data on water quality both from surface and groundwater could be obtained. River Gee and Maryland Counties have large rivers: the Cavalla, located in the East, the Gee River, in the Northwest, River Nun in the West and Ni Dellor in the West. Cavalla River is the longest in Liberia and runs at the border between the country and Cote D’Ivoire.

Important habitat flora and fauna: There are no protected areas like national parks, wildlife reserve etc traversed by the proposed road route. The Liberian mongoose, the giant forest hog, chimpanzees, red colobus (a long-tailed monkey), bongo antelope, leopard and the golden cat are amongst the animal population inhabiting Liberia’s forests. The forests are also home to hundreds of birds; several dozens of reptiles, including crocodiles and poisonous snakes; amphibians and at least a thousand different insects. These are mainly located in Sarpo and Grebo Forest Reserves which are more than 40km from the project road.

The vegetation found covering the project area consists of primary and secondary forests and savannah. Most of the forests along the road are open, with only isolated huge trees such as Antaris, toxicaria, Pentaclethra macrophylla, Piptadenias-trum africanum, Sacoglottis. Terminaliasuperba and Triplochiton, scleroxclon, which give abundant forest re-growth. They are 260 species of trees including the Mahogany, African Walnut, Mahere, Teak, Ebony, Ironwood, Makore, Sikon and Camwood within the project area of influence. Shifting cultivation practices are also destroying the forests in the area.

Maryland County has a lot of Rubber Trees Plantations. The ESIA Study revealed that along the Karloken to Fish Town corridor; about 9 farms will be affected. A total of 308 oil palm and rubber trees within the right-of-way at these farms will be cleared. No farm was noticed along the Harper Junction to cavalla corridor.

Socio-economic Environment

Communities, Towns and Villages along the road: The project road considered under this ESIA traverses fourteen (14) communities along the Karloken to Fish Town corridor and four (4) communities along the Harper Junction to Cavalla corridor. Along the Karloken – Fish 4

Town link of 80 kilometer, the road passes through the following towns: Suwruken, Tawoken, Wlegboken, Gbawelleken, Warteken, Wiah Town, Wissitoken, Woliken, Geeken, Sarbo Sweken, Woffiken, Konken and Fish Town, For the Harper Junction to Cavalla custom link of 16 kilometer, the road passes through the following towns: Taile, Pedebo, Yokudi and Duokudi.

Population: The population of River Gee County is estimated at 66,789 with male and female populations at 52.2% and 47.8% respectively. In River Gee County, the project road passes through Potupo, Sarbo, Tuobo and Nyenebo Districts, with a total population of 23,228. The population ratio of male to female in the project area in 51.35% to 48.65%. The population of Maryland is estimated at 135,938 with male and female populations at 52.1% and 47.9% respectively. The population within the project influence area is estimated at 38,024. The ratio of male to female is 51.5% to 47.8% respectively.

Age Distribution: The age distribution of the population within the combined project areas of influence indicates that almost 45.9 percent of the population fell between the ages of 0 and 15, 50.1 percent of the population fell between 16 and 59, while 4 percent fell between 60 and above. The population groups of 0 and 15 and 60 and above together formed the non- active sector of the population in the counties. This is an indication how crucial it is for such an active population to become economically independent and hence the need for schemes that will enable the youth to become gainfully employed.

Education Facilities and Attainment: There is one (1) University College and one (1) Rural Teachers Training Institute in the project area, the William V. S. Tubman University and Webbo Rural Teachers Training Institute (WRTTI) respectively. There are also several junior and senior high schools in the area, two (2) of which will be directly affected by the project: the Duokudi Public School and Yokudi Public School. Other schools in the project area in Karloken, Wlegboken, Sarbo Sweken and Fish Town will not be affected directly by the project.

In Maryland County, with respect to school attendance in the communities along the route, 29.8% of the population had never been to school, 15% are drop outs, 9.4% completed grade 12 and 45.8% are currently in school. An estimated 41% of Maryland County’s population cannot read or write. In River Gee County, school attendance in the communities along the route is 31.6% has never been to school, 7.6% are drop-outs, 1.9% have completed grade 12 and 58.9% are currently attending school.

Access to Markets, Schools and Farms: Well-constructed markets are located in the larger towns such as Fish Town and Sarbo Sweken. 20% of the respondents had access to such markets as it was located within or close proximity to their residences. For 45%, it was more than an hour walk, while for 35%, it was not even available within their communities and more than three hours walk.

Access to school for children was relatively higher with 70% having such access. For 24%, children had to walk for about an hour to get to the nearest school; while for 6%, it was not available within their communities.

The place of work for most of the respondents is at their farms, as the majority of the respondents in the rural areas are farmers. 54% of the respondents indicated that they walk about one hour to get to their farms; 32% responded that they walk for about 2 hours to get to their farms. 14% had easy access to their workplaces.

Health Facilities: Maryland County has 17 health facilities and River Gee County has 3 functional health facilities out of the 656 national totals. There is 1 hospital each at Harper and Fish Town, 1 health center at Sarbo Sweken and clinics in some communities along the road. Malaria has been recorded as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Liberia. The project areas reported 47,288 malaria cases out of which 19 was fatal in 2012. The reported malaria cases represented 2.83% of the national case. 4.6% of the HIV positive cases purportedly came out of Maryland.

Access to Electricity and Water: There is presently no access to national electricity in the project area. However, under the West African Power Pool project, electricity distribution network is been extended from Ivory Coast into the project area Cavalla Customs to Harper. It is expected that before the end of the year 2014, Maryland will benefit from electricity from the national grid, while it is expected to be extended to Fish Town, along the project route, within another year.

The ESIA study revealed that the sources of water used for domestic purposes included boreholes, streams, wells and rivers. 5 boreholes (with hand pumps installed) and 1 well are expected to be impacted by the project, especially along the Harper Junction – Cavalla routes, where these facilities have been installed presently within the ROW.

Access to Communication: The most common means of communication in the project areas is by means of mainly two (2) radio stations: The Voice of Pleebo located in Pleebo, for the Maryland County area, and Radio Gee located in Fish Town, for the River Gee County area. Towns and villages closer to these two (2) locations get coverage from the stations and those farther do not.

There are mobile phone services in most of the project area, provided by LoneStar Communication and CellCom. Facilities are installed in the larger towns, providing services in the surrounding towns. Towns and villages farther away do not have phone service.

The common means of communication in the project area is the “town crier” system. A person is appointed in most of the towns and villages as the “town crier”. Information intended for residents is given to the town criers who walk around the towns and villages early morning or late evening, at which time residents are expected to be home, disseminating the message by mouth. Sometimes, a public announcement system is used.

Economic Activities: The Project is located in River Gee County and Maryland County. These counties are located in the Southeast of Liberia. River Gee and Maryland Counties, and the other South-eastern counties of Liberia, have previously lacked economic activities, employment and development. The main obstacles impeding growth in this region is the lack of incentives to stimulate private investment and the logistical challenges involved in accessing some of the remotest rural areas with no basic transportation infrastructure. Prior to the war, the project counties possessed a variety of agricultural processing industries such as rubber, sugarcane, palm oil production and logging. Today, subsistence farming, rubber tapping and informal palm oil and sugar cane production are the main sources of livelihood.

5. Project Alternatives

The road section which is proposed for upgrade is already in existence, what is expected is to improve the road from the current status. Two main project alternatives have therefore been considered: the No Project Development Option and the Engineering Intervention Option.

The No Project Development Option: This alternative implies that the selected road corridor within Maryland and River Gee Counties will not be improved and that it would be left in its present state characterized by several defects and related impacts. The main defects include the following: (i) Narrow road widths at several sections; (ii) Presence of sharp curves with poor visibility at some sections; (iii) Poor pavement conditions; (iv) Slippery road conditions in the rainy season; (v) Inadequate drainage and erosion control measures contributing to the gradually deteriorating condition of the some segments of the road.

On the environmental score, the existing road maintenance would require earthworks and opening up of gravel sites during periodic maintenance. The combined effect of these problems affect the smooth transportation of people and goods to and from the areas in the road corridors. Speed of travel on these roads will continue to be slow and vehicular breakdown rate will continue to increase. Some communities are usually cut off during the rainy season and will continue to suffer. Social and economic activities within the communities will generally decline. With gender, the condition of women will continue to remain vulnerable as there will be fewer economic opportunities for them within the traditional conservative system. Therefore the no-project option was evaluated but not considered as a feasible option.

Engineering Intervention Option: This option assumes that engineering measures will be provided to correct the problems experienced under the current road conditions. In considering the various alternative solutions to the present state of the roads, the project aim of opening up the Southeast region of Liberia to increase productivity, reducing transportation costs for the agricultural target centers and improving critical social services and road safety have been considered.

The road works standards proposed under the project comprise the following: Alternative 1: Upgrade Gravel road to Double Bituminous Surface -Surface Dressing (chip sealing); Alternative 2: Upgrade Gravel road to Asphaltic Concrete Surfacing with Crush Stone Base; Alternative 3: Upgrade Gravel road to Asphaltic Concrete Surfacing with Stabilized Base (Mechanical).

Results of the sensitivity analyses and the economic evaluation performed for the various engineering alternatives yielded the following: Alternative 3, yielded the optimal investment and performed best in the entire Sensitivity test. Alternative 1 was the least attractive.

Although there are environmental implications associated with the engineering alternatives, appropriate mitigation measures would be implemented to control them, thus justifying the case for implementing the project. Even though the initial cost of the paved road improvement program would be much higher, the accrued benefits to be derived from this option socially, environmentally, and economically, far supersede all other options.

6. Potential Impacts

Positive Impacts

Regional Integration and Co-operation: The proposed project will bring significant benefits to the regional and country economy following adequate, safe, cost effective and reliable transport service. A considerable reduction in vehicle operating costs is anticipated once the project has been implemented. The Harper - Karloken Road is an important link with the Border Post with Ivory Coast at Pebedo Border Crossing and Cavalla River Crossing, the Ganta – Harper Highway and is also an alternative link on the Trans-Coastal: Lagos – Nouakchott Highway as identified by ECOWAS with the potential to facilitate Sub- regional Trade and Integration in the future.

Improved safe and efficient connectivity in the project area: Road projects can lead to reduction in accidents when they involve significant improvements in vertical and horizontal alignments, improved carriageway width, junction layout or greater separation of pedestrians, non-motorized traffic and motor vehicles. The proposed project road design will contribute to improving road safety and the comfort of road users in several ways: (i) Sight distance and visibility especially at approaches to bridges will be improved; (ii) Road signs (both warning and directional) and road markings have been included in the design; and (iii) Adequate shoulders have been designed throughout its length.

Generation of local employment during road construction: The construction of the project road will create employment opportunities both directly or indirectly during construction and operational phases. Increase in direct employment is estimated to be significant primarily during construction, (approximately 158 skilled and 117 unskilled labourers). Indirect employment will result from for example, material sourcing – sand harvesting, supply of fuel for construction materials, cooking for construction workers.

Improved Access to Social Services: Majority of the inhabitants of the project area have difficulty in accessing markets, schools, hospitals, government offices and other amenities. This is due to high transport costs, longer travel time, low economic growth and poor/lack of services due to the poor road network in the area. This will be improved with the construction of the road. The communities felt that the journey time will be shortened and there will be improved access to markets to sell their produce. Both the male and female gender felt that the upgrading of the road will result in efficient traffic flow with savings in both time and cost, thus there will be improved communication, which at present is a big problem.

Improvement of local economy: The communities acknowledged that the project road will contribute to the growth and development of the local economies of the two counties and business at the towns along the road. The following socio-economic benefits are anticipated; (a) Increased business opportunities at the market centers due to the presence of the project workforce during construction; (b) Employment of locals during the construction phase of the project; (c) Strengthening of local economy through the establishment of micro-enterprises such as bulking points, catering services; (d) Easy access to markets for farmers to sell produce.

Ease of transportation for Women: Women play an important role in agriculture and general economy of the project area. However, the existing road and the existing constraints at the Cavalla River crossing makes it hard for women to access markets for their products due to the high transport costs as public transport operators are few. And as a result, the transport fares are high. The poor state of the road and lack of a bridge at Cavalla leads to use of canoes or boats for river crossing, old motor cycles, converted cars, buses and trucks for road

8 travel. These vehicles are very uncomfortable, gender insensitive and often overloaded. It is even worse for women who are pregnant. Due to the poor state of the road, it takes very long for women to reach trading centres and hospitals. This will however change with the construction of the proposed road, thus empowering women in the counties.

Negative Impacts

Land Take and Resettlement: The proposed upgrading of the project road will involve land acquisition and demolition of 370 structures and 9 farms in the Right of Way (RoW). In addition, community structures will be affected such as, two schools – the Doukudi Public School and Yokudi Public School located along the Harper Junction – Cavalla corridor of the road and six churches along the two road corridors.

A detailed analysis of the impacts of land acquisition and structures in the project area are part of a RAP already undertaken (Summary in Annex 1). Hence, the impact of land acquisition is expected to have significant effect on livelihood and economic activities of the project area.

Impact of Construction Camps: This activity will involve construction of buildings for office, construction camps and houses, workshops, fuel storage, car washing, store-rooms vehicle parking areas, crusher site and asphalt mixing plant during the construction phase. This will involve clearing of vegetation and pose sanitary & health problems in the construction camps. Due care should be taken to maintain hygienic conditions at site by providing proper drinking water and sanitation facilities. However, the impact due to such activities is reversible and short term. Ablution and potable water shall be provided. These activities will give rise to negative impacts to the receiving environment if not well mitigated.

Impacts of Material Sourcing: The two rock deposits identified for quarrying in Maryland are within 3km offsets from the existing concrete pavement in Harper City. These can be used for the Harper Junction to Cavalla road section. For the Karloken to Fish Town road, rock deposits have been identified near the Siile Mountain, near Gekehn, and another hill near Krohnwodoken. For the both road sections, borrow areas for lateritic gravel are within an average haulage distance less than 500m offsets from the existing road alignments (Harper to Zwedru and Harper Junction to Cavalla). Generally, lateritic gravel was found in larger quantities along the project corridor. The identified locations in Maryland County are Haile, Duokudi, outside Harper city and at Swe Mountain. The locations in River Gee County are Siile Mountain, Krohnwodoken and Yoluke Mountain. Sand deposits were found at Kia Creek near Suwruken and at Harper city. The ESIA established that there was abit of artisanal quarrying at the rock deposits but no activities at the sites identified for sourcing lateritic gravel.

Impact on Public Health: Respiratory infections and minor throat and eye irritations are expected, especially during the dry season as a result of the emission of vehicular pollutants and dust (carbon monoxide and particulates). The presence of construction workers and related increase in disposable cash makes the transmission of STDs a possibility. Inadequate management of construction waste and domestic waste generated at the work sites and sewage from the construction camp(s) would create conditions for the growth of vectors of diseases such as cholera and dysentery. The outbreak of these diseases would have far- reaching negative implications for the health of residents. The increase in health cases could bring pressure to bear on personnel and resources at the limited health posts in the county.

Occupational and Community Health and Safety: Injuries at construction work-sites, falling objects, as well as from the (mis) use of equipment and tools, cuts from stepping on sharp objects such as nails and other metal off-cuts are likely to occur during the implementation of the project. In addition, the community members may also get accidents at construction work-sites such as falling in open pits or excavations. This impact is considered significant since it affects human lives and would therefore require adequate mitigation measures.

Impact on Ecological Resources: The road passes near forest areas. These areas are rich in bio-diversity. The envisaged borrow pits and land acquisition in the project road will bring about vegetation clearance and tree felling. This would have irreversible and long-term impact on the flora and fauna of the project area. It was observed during the ESIA study that no endangered flora/fauna are found in the project influence area. Hence, the impact of the loss of vegetation will not be very severe.

Climate Change Impacts: A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2001), provided indicators for monitoring climate change on road project as follows: (a) 0.09 to 0.88m sea level rise (central value 0.48m), which is up to 8.0cm per decade; (b) Annual temperatures will increase by 2 to 6 0C by 2100 with more extreme hot days.(c) Expected increase in frequency and severity of extreme weather events. (d) Reduction in annual rainfall; (e) Extreme rainfall events, influencing flood levels and potential frequency of flooding and sea level rise. The proposed project may be affected by temperature increase which may affect bituminous road layers due to rapid oxidation. The project road being near the coastal area, there are concerns on the capacity of road drainage structures expecialy during seasons of extreme weather conditions.

7. Mitigation/ Enhancement Measures and Complimentary Initiatives

Mitigation and Enhancement Measures

Employment: Proposed enhancement measures for employment include: (i) employment of work force mainly from the locality where the construction work is on-going; (ii) employment of women and provision of training for women in the different skills; (iii) employment, wage system, and other administrative measures for the local workforce should be in line with the country’s law. Recommendations will be made in the Contract and Bidding Documents to the contractor to employ people from the local communities. The workers employed should be well remunerated, facilitated with personal protective equipment and treated well for them not to feel insecure about their jobs.

Resettlement and Compensation: To mitigate the impacts of resettlement, a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) has been developed and the Summary is included in Annex 1. No construction shall commence in any road section until land and property expropriation procedures have been completed and cash compensation paid. These conditions shall be included in the Project Loan Agreement.

Mitigation of impacts on Construction Camps: During the ESIA study, many locations were identified as possible sites for camp construction. Discussions were held with officials of the two counties and it was agreed that before the commencement of the project, the contractor will identify the best-suited location(s) to the county authorities for approval. The county

10 authorities will consult with the local authorities of the designated areas to ensure that the selected locations are free of all encumbrances or traditional hindrance. The contractor will be allowed to construct it camp(s) at said location(s) on condition that the contractor abide by all traditions and norms of the locals.

Mitigation for Material Sources: Mitigation measures for material sources include (i) The construction contracts should have a clause prescribing quarry, borrow sites and access roads as part of the site, so that the powers and authority of the Engineer extend to them in the same way as to other areas where works are being undertaken; (ii) The Project will re-evaluate to ensure that the design optimizes the net balance of cut and fill; (iii) The Contractor should certify that the locations of identified borrow pits and quarries are ideal and they are not likely to impact negatively to the neighbourhood; (iv) The contractor is required to submit the list of borrow pit areas to the consulting supervisor who then submits it to EPA for approval; (v) Written agreements should be developed and signed between the land owners and community leaders and the contractor.

Occupational and Community Health and Safety Plan: The contractor should prepare a Health and Safety plan (HASP) and Emergency Response Plan and ensure that it is compliant with the safety aspects. The Contractor shall submit Statements covering the procedures for the main activities which could generate emergency situations through accidents or neglect of responsibilities. These situations include, but are not limited to: (i) Accidents at the work place; (ii) Accidental fires; (iii) Accidental leaks and spillages; (iv) Vehicle and plant accidents.

Tree Planting: After completion of the project, the trees will be replanted along the road corridors with consideration on: (i) Minimizing the impacts of loss of vegetation by limiting the number of trees to be felled where possible; (ii) Landscaping should be done with a lag of 3 to 4 months from the start of the work on any section. The section should be deemed to be complete when the landscaping is over. (iii) Survival rate of plants must be included in the contract specifications so as to ensure that the compensatory plantation achieves the objective of replacing cut trees. (iv). Indigenous and endemic tree species suitable for the area should be planted at the onset of the wet season. The plants should be provided with adequate protection from animals and proper monitoring should be carried out to ensure their growth.

Complementary Initiatives

Prevention of the Spread of Communicable Diseases: Among the risks of infrastructure and transport projects is the spread of HIV/AIDS among project workers and communities during construction; and as a vector of transmission through long-haul drivers especially that this road is a regional road. The project design shall include sensitization programs of the dangers of HIV/AIDS through prevention and awareness campaigns during project implementation; and through linkages with local NGOs, CBOs and Health Authorities in the project area, create the capacity for continuous prevention and awareness campaigns for road users. In addition, given that the area is rampant with the spread of malaria; all construction workers should be supplied with treated mosquito nets, and be supported in seeking rapid treatment.

Road Safety Education Campaigns: Considering that the road project shall upgrade the road from gravel to bitumen, the result is often increased speeds and increased volumes of motorized traffic. Road accidents, especially for children and young adults (operating motor cycles), would potentially increase. The project will include road safety educational

11 campaigns for road users, communities and school children. In addition, the technical designs will be informed by safety audits to ensure the design is safety sensitive and inclusion of speed calming measures, adequate signage, separation of motorized and non-motorized traffic especially in built up areas, among others.

Gender Mainstreaming and Sensitization Campaigns: This would include creation of opportunities for both men and women to obtain jobs during construction; delivery of messages that would inform and educate communities to refrain from gender based violence; enforcing preparation and compliance with Workers Code of Conduct; and provision of training sessions for women traders in business acumen and book-keeping. This program would complement the Danish supported program under Danish Refugee Council which is also sponsoring women economic empowerment programs through training in soap making, training in bread making and baking, and trading.

Youth Empowerment: The project area has a significant number of youth who are engaged in stone and quarry production. The project will offer job opportunities to this group of youth to work in quarries and material sources, either as direct labor or as suppliers of certain types of materials. Detailed arrangements will be made with the Contractor to assess suitability and mechanisms of engaging the youth associations to participate in the road construction project.

8. Expected Residual Effects and Environmental Hazard Management

To manage residual effects and hazards during project implementation, the following issues were identified as requiring special attention: (i) Material sources location, especially the quarry sites; (ii) Signage must be erected at the locations for livestock grazing and crossings. The exact locations of crossings will be identified by the local administration in consultation with the locals; (iii) Designs must take into consideration the soil conditions especially the poorly drained clay loam soil areas; (iv) Informative signs shall be considered for all social amenities (educational institutions, hospitals, trading centers, etc.; (v) The Contractor shall ensure that all pertinent permits, certificates and licenses have been obtained prior to any activities commencing on site and are strictly enforced/adhered to; (vi) The Contractor shall maintain a database of all pertinent permits and licenses required for the contract as a whole and for pertinent activities for the duration of the contract.

The failure of environmental mitigation can result in serious impacts such as erosion, increased road accidents and disruption of the community lifestyles. Construction of a road also involves occupational health and safety risks to road workers, primarily in the areas of storage and handling of dangerous materials, and operation of heavy machinery close to traffic, slopes and watercourses. The anticipated risks in this project include: (i) Exposure to excessive dust particles or toxic fumes from bitumen and other chemicals used in road works; (ii) Potential collapse of trenches; (iii) Risk of accidents involving passing traffic; (iv) Risk of bush fires during dry seasons; (v) Risk of rock falls during blasting; (vi) Risk of fuel spills and therefore contaminating soil and groundwater.

The risks can be mitigated to a large extent through: (i) Strengthening staff skills and training in environmental management; (ii) Monitoring environmental actions and responsibilities and making provision for remedial actions; (iii) Planning for remedial measures in case initial planned actions are not successful; (iv) Limiting time of exposure to dust particles, chemicals and noise; (v) Establishing safety and inspection procedures in materials handling, operating

12 heavy equipment and constructing trenches; and (vi) Safe handling of toxic materials, explosives and other hazardous substances.

9. ESMP Implementation and Monitoring Program

The Environment and Social Management has been developed with project knowledge and information available to date. Some of the Project’s final details, such as proposed locations of construction camps, actual locations of borrow areas to be used by the Contractor, disposal areas for construction debris among other issues, are unknown at the present time. As project commencement and scheduling plans are developed and changed, components of the Management Plans might require amending. The Environmental & Social Management is therefore a working document, which can be updated whenever new information is received or site conditions change. The Contractor will be expected to develop a Construction ESMP (CESMP) prior to commencement of civil works.

The Project will comply with all local laws and regulations, which seek to ensure that the construction work does not adversely affect the environment and community resources. The Supervising Consultant may periodically revise the ESMP in consultation with the Contractor, and subject to the approval from the Ministry of Public Works/Infrastructure Implementation Unit (MPW/IIU) and the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia. Revisions may be made to accommodate changes in work, weather and site conditions. The ESMP should be made available to all Project Staff.

Environmental management records shall be kept on site during the duration of construction and shall include the following: (i) The updated version of the ESMP/ CESMP; (ii) All necessary permits and licenses; (iii) All site specific plans prepared as part of the updated ESMP/ CESMP; (iv) All written instructions and reports issued by the RE /Supervising Consultant; (v) A register of audit non-conformance reports and corrective actions; (vi) All related environmental, social, health and safety management registers and correspondence, including any complaints; (vii) All records shall be kept at site premises and maintained in a legible state for the full period of construction. The estimated cost of ESMP implementation is USD 200,000. Most of the mitigation measures will be included in the Bill of Quantities for the contractors to bid.

The Environmental and Social Officer shall conduct quarterly audits to ensure that the system for implementation of the ESMP is operating effectively. During the construction and operation phases, monitoring will be undertaken to ensure that proposed mitigation measures for negative impacts and enhancement measures for positive impacts are implemented. The Environmental Monitoring Plan has been prepared. Internal monitoring shall be undertaken by the Environmental officer of MPW/IIU while the external monitoring will be undertaken by EPA. .

10. Public Consultation and Public Disclosure

Consultations with local residents were undertaken in several major cities/towns in the project area. They were held at Fish Town, Sarbo Sweken and Kanweaken in River Gee County, and in Harper and Cavalla Customs in Maryland County. This assisted in baseline data gathering by validating information from other sources. The objectives of the public consultation process were: (i) To inform the public of the details of the proposed road project;

(ii) To ask local residents about problems they anticipate with the project and how these can be mitigated; (iii) To gather information on likely impacts of the project as perceived by the locals.

Over 200 members of public attended the meetings in the project areas. The four public meetings had low female turnout because the communities are patriarchal in their social setup and males take the lead in all major decisions and communal development matters. However, with the rising gender sensitization and women involvement in political and social matters, we anticipate more females and gender balance in subsequent consultations.

Generally, the local communities consulted were positive about the proposed project since they anticipate numerous benefits upon implementation of the project. They highlighted a number of benefits of the proposed road project, as follows: improved road surface; access to medical services; agricultural development; reduced transport costs and travel time. The community concerns included; prompt and just payment of compensation for project affected persons; road accidents as a result of higher speeds; breakdown of social values due to influence from migrant workers among others.

Once the final ESIA report is ready, it will be disclosed in Liberia by the Ministry of Public Works, through its Infrastructure Implementation Unit (IIU) and the EPA. There will also be newspaper adverts. Summary of the RAP will be hosted in the affected areas. Copies will also be disclosed at the Administrative Buildings in Fish Town, River Gee County, and in Harper, Maryland County. The ESIA and RAP Summary and Reports will also be disclosed on the African Development Bank’s website for 120 days prior to the presentation of the project to the Board of Executive Directors for Approval.

11. Conclusion

The findings of the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) conclude that the impact of upgrading to bitumen standards the Zwedru – Harper road, specifically Phase II or Lot 2 – Karloken to Fish Town and Harper Junction to Cavalla - is positive overall on the socio-economic environment of the area. However, the impact of the project on the bio- physical environment is potentially slightly to moderately negative both in the construction phase and over the life of the road (operation phase), if appropriate mitigation and support measures are not employed. The social impacts of land take and resettlement have been addressed during the RAP studies.

Based on the finding of positive impact on the project as a whole, the following recommendations were made; (1) The road project should be granted a license to commence. (2) A monitoring program should be adhered to by the supervising Engineers and MPW/IIU during operation of the road. (3) MPW/IIU should liaise with other entities/organizations having utilities on the road to ensure that they only use the edges of the road reserve to avoid future costs of relocation of service and inconvenience. (4) MPW/IIU should survey and put beacons on the road reserves so as to stop encroachment and ease maintenance of roads.

Annex 1

Resettlement Action Plan Summary

Project Name: Multinational Mano River Union Program: Liberia Fish Town – Harper Road Project Phase II (Fish Town – Karloken and Harper Junction – Cavalla Customs Road Section) Country: Liberia Project Number: P-Z1-DB0-103

1. Introduction

Liberia has not had a good road network since its independence. The situation was aggravated by the long period of civil strife during which maintenance could not be undertaken. The Government of Liberia and The African Development Bank have embarked on a rehabilitation effort in phases, of a 510 km road between Ganta in Nimba County and Harper, in the South Eastern region of Maryland. The improved road will create a valuable link for the country to the Trans African High way corridors of West Africa. This road section forms part of the Mano River Union (MRU) basin within which are Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast. This Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) Summary is based on the Lot 2 of the Zwedru – Harper Road Project focusing on Karloken – Fish Town and Harper Junction spur to Cavalla Custom. The RAP shall cover description of the project, project area, and area of influence; project impacts; organizational responsibility; community consultation, participation and disclosure; integration with host communities; socio-economic studies; policy, legal and regulatory framework; grievance redress mechanism; eligibility, entitlement and compensation; implementation schedule; cost for the Resettlement Action Plan; and monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

2. Description of the Project, project area, and area of influence

The road considered under this Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for rehabilitation and paving is the link of the Zwedru-Harper road between Karloken (Maryland County) and Fish Town (River Gee County) and the road from Harper Junction to the Cavalla Custom (Maryland County) at the border with Ivory Coast. Along the Karloken –Fishtown portion of 80 kms the road passes through the following towns: Suwruken, Tawoken, Wlegboken, Gbawelleken, Warteken, Wiah Town, Wissitoken, Woliken, Geeken, Sarbo Sweken, Woffiken, Konken into Fish Town. For the Harper Junction - Cavalla Custom link of 16 km the road passes through: Taile, Pedebo, Yokudi and Duokudi. The road traverses tracts of communal lands and is to meet the statutory international standards of 22.86 m of right-of-way (RoW).

The implementation of the project along the two (2) corridors will necessitate the removal of structures within the RoW, leading to relocation of occupants and compensation of structures. A total of 1,460 people will be affected and 370 structures will be removed. Expected aggregate land take amounts to approximately 7 acres of farmland covered by rubber and palm oil trees.

From consultation meetings, communities are positive and accept the project. The concerns raised, however, centered on timeframe and amount of compensation for the loss that will result from undertaking of the project.

3. Project Impacts

The implementation of the development project along the two corridors will result in some negative impacts for the communities notably, loss of residences, permanent loss of land, loss of access to public facilities, adjustment of fences or relocation of businesses. In all, 1,460 people, 370 structures, 9 farms and 380 trees will be affected by the Project as shown in the summary (Table 1).

Table 1: Summary Table of the RAP

Region South Eastern Liberia

Counties River Gee and Maryland Counties Type of Civil Work and Road Length Rehabilitation and pavement of Lot 2 of the Zwedru-Harper: Karloken to Fish Town- 80kms. Harper Junction to Carvalla – 16 kms. Total Number of Structures 370 Total Number of Farms 9 Trees 380 Total Number of Project Affected Persons 1,460 (PAPs)

(Vulnerable Persons) 72 Number of Affected Communities: Karloken to Fish Town 14 Harper to Cavalla Town 4

Public Facilities Schools 2 Churches 6 Graves 10 Hand Pumps and Wells 6

4. Organizational Responsibility

Ministry of Public Works (MPW) through the Infrastructure Implementation Unit (IIU) will have the over-all responsibility for the coordination and execution of the RAP. The following institutions, with experience in displacement and resettlement programs will be involved:

 Ministry of Finance (MOF)  General Auditing Commission (GAC)  Liberian Refugee Repatriation &Resettlement Commission (LRRRC)  Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy (MLME)  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  Internal Audit Secretariat (IAS)

5. Community Consultation, Participation and Disclosure

Consultations were held with all stakeholders through the entire process of RAP preparation. Individuals, groups and institutions potentially interested in the Project were engaged in a stakeholders’ forum on May 24, 2013, in Harper City, and Pololo in Maryland County, where issues relating to the project impacts were discussed. Meetings in River Gee County took place on May 30, 2013, in Kanweaken City, and on June 3, 2013 in Fish Town. The key stakeholders in the project areas in the two counties, (River Gee and Maryland) include: County leaders, Superintendents, community leaders, household heads, business owners and; structure owners. Focus group discussions were also held with youth, women, and farmers unions. During the meetings information on the cut-off –date (June 3, 2013) for the census was provided; questions raised by the communities were addressed; and concerns regarding mainly compensation were expressed. Talk shows were held on radio stations in Pleebo, (Maryland County) and Fish Town (River Gee County). A follow-up verification exercise of assets was undertaken in April and May 2014.

MPW/IIU will conduct future public consultations prior to the payment of compensation. PAPs will be notified of payment modalities and start date of civil works. PMW/IIU and EPA will disclose the RAP in Liberia and the summary, posted in affected areas, administrative buildings in Fish Town, River Gee County and in Harper, Maryland County.

6. Integration With Host Communities

The project being linear does not expect to move people to distant places to new communities. It was expressed during RAP preparation that most of the affected households had been allocated new tracts of land within the same towns and cities. Furthermore, based on the choice of the mode of compensation, where the households are largely on communal land, the chiefs in the different communities have agreed to provide new tracts of lands for them. However, where households chose to go elsewhere, the Bank Policy requires that the host community be provided with timely and relevant information and where applicable host communities to receive assistance.

7. Socio-economic Studies

The project proponent ensured that a Socio-Economic Survey (SES) was conducted of the project affected communities and households. This was done for the purpose of gaining information on their situation and present living standards. Farming and petty commercial activities are the major undertaking in the project area with a few employed in the public sector. A total of 1,460 household heads, children, wards and elderly will be affected by the project along the two corridors. Of the 285 households interviewed, males are in the majority (221), while females make up the minority (64). The majority of the households in the project areas belong to the Grebo ethnic group. Few belong to one of the other 16 major ethnic groups of Liberia.

Affected households that will lose portion or the entire structures within the project area and are occupying communal land, the community heads had agreed to provide similar land that the affected structures occupy. From Karloken to Fish Town, 291 structures and 9 farms were recorded; while 79 structures were recorded between Harper Junction to the Cavalla custom. It was observed that some households own more than one structure and a farm.

In accordance with the AfDB Policy, criteria for vulnerability were considered for the following conditions: Affected persons who are female heads of household; elderly persons of over 70 years of age and those with physical disability. The survey indicates that majority of the people are aged between 18 and 64. There were 16 households with the elderly. Of the total number of households interviewed, 15% have formal education, though most only completed secondary school. About 49% dropped out of school at some time in elementary, junior or senior secondary school; and 36% never entered school. The schools are government public schools in the towns of Duokudi and Yokudi along the Harper Junction – Cavalla corridor and three of the churches are Roman Catholic, with the other three belonging to the Episcopalian, Methodist and AICA denominations.

Of the total 285 households interviewed, 19% indicated that they would need up to 1 month to relocate, while 81% stated that they would need up to 3 months to do so after receiving compensation. The survey found out that the preferred mode of compensation was cash.

8. Policy, Legal and Regulatory Framework

Preparation of the RAP was based on Liberian national laws and policies and the African Development Bank’s Involuntary Resettlement Policy and Environmental and Social Assessment Procedures and guidelines. Where discrepancies or gaps existed in the national laws, the Bank’s policies were taken into account:

Key National Laws:

 Liberian Constitution (1986): Article 22 (a) and (b) gives right to all Liberian citizens to own property. Article 24 guarantees the inviolability of property rights but also provides for the expropriation of property for public purposes. In case of expropriation, it requires prompt payment of compensation.

 Land Right Policy (2013): Provides policy on four (4) basic types of land rights: i) Public land, ii) Government land, iii) Customary land; and iv) Private land. The policy gives equal protection to lands under customary practice to that under private ownership, and aims to protect equally the rights of women and men.

 Aborigine Law (1956): Entitles tribes to as much of the public land as is required for farming and other activities essential for the tribe in the inhabited area.

 Property Law (1976): Establishes the conditions under which citizens may own and dispose of real estate.

 Revised Rules & Regulations Governing the Hinterland of Liberia (2001): Article 66 and 67 grant tribes in a rural area to utilize land in their locale. Strangers wishing to utilize such land to other activities shall compensate for the use of land.

 National Environmental Policy (2003): Aims at improving the physical environment, quality of life and coordination between economic development, growth, and sustainable management of natural resources.

Institutional Framework:

The following institutions have statutory roles in the implementation of this RAP:

 Ministry of Works: responsible for design and construction of all civil works  Liberia Refugee Resettlement, Reintegration Commission: charged with the resettlement and reintegration of all people affected by the civil conflict.  Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy: in charge of administering and regulating public and private lands.  Environmental Protection Agency: mandated, among others, to ensure the conduct of environmental impact assessments for all projects and activities that are likely to have significant adverse effects on the environment.  Ministry of Finance: for providing funding for the RAP process

9. Grievance Redress Mechanism

The RAP Implementing Committee (RIC) set up a 22-member grievance redress committee from institutions involved. Grievance Redress Committee (GRC) is chaired by Chief of Protection from LRRC and includes one PAP representative from River Gee County, and another from Maryland County. Since most members are in Monrovia, Resident Engineers for Maryland and River Gee Counties will serve on the grievance committee. The Engineers will discuss the matters with the GRC and report back to the claimants. All claims will be recorded and communicated to the GRC for action. The grievance process will remain open, even after the completion of the project and until the project is completed and a few years

20 there-after, until any outstanding matters are resolved.

10. Eligibility, Entitlement and Compensation

Three hundred and forty nine (349) or 94% out of 370 structures will be demolished. Article 24 of the Liberian Constitution provides for basis of compensation following expropriation. Although the legislation recognizes only individuals with a legal title to affected land or property – (only 5% along the 2 corridors), the Project will extend compensation to all owners or tenants of structures and farms within the ROW, including non-holders of title deeds, in accordance with the African Development Bank’s policy and guided by the RAP.

Communal facilities and commercial properties will be compensated. Structures like kiosks, hand pumps and graves will receive relocation assistance to other locations within the communities. The number and nature of affected structures along the 2 corridors, is shown in Table 2 below:

Table 2. Nature of Affected Structures

Structures Karloken- Fishtown Harper – Total Cavalla Residential 223 47 270 Commercial 38 8 46 Public 2 12 14 Others 28 12 40 Total 291 79 370

Cut- off- date: The cut-off date for claims of loss of land or any other assets was set for June 3, 2013, following the Socio-economic survey and census. All persons and properties listed at the date of census shall be eligible for compensation (see Table 3 below for entitlements).

Valuation: The valuation of structures was based on the fee matrix set by the Real Estate Division of the Ministry of Finance. Valuation of crops followed rates set by the Ministry of Agriculture. The figures were then reviewed at market rate, considering current price indexes.

Table 3: Compensation and Entitlement Matrix

Category of Entitlement/Type Compensation PAPs of Loss Loss of Loss of Payment structure/land or Accommodation/Income Regime crops Structure Loss of structure Replacement value Relocation & Lump sum owner Transportation Assistance Crop owner Loss of crops Prevailing market N/A Lump sum price Land owner Loss of land Replacement of land N/A Lump sum or value Business Loss of income N/A Financial assistance Lump sum owner Relocation assistance Vulnerable Loss of Special assistance Relocation and disturbance Lump sum accommodation assistance payment

Compensation: The three following mode of payment options were availed to PAPs:

(i) cash compensation (ii) alternative land, or (iii) combination of both.

According to the survey, conducted, nearly all the PAPs prefer cash compensation.

Commercial properties and loss of business income: Forty six (46) PAPs with businesses to be relocated will each receive US$ 200 for loss of income during the resettlement process. Business owners are typically petty traders and will be given a period of 3 months to vacate the project area and relocate to new places of their choice most of who will be within the vicinity of the localities they are now.

Vulnerability: A total of 86 people are categorized as vulnerable, based on the following criteria: (i) head of household being female, (ii) age of the household head and affected persons being over 70 years, and (iii) being with a disability.

In addition to other compensation due to the household, each PAP registered as vulnerable will receive special financial assistance amounting to US$125.

11. Implementation Schedule

The Table 4, below, provides the time period for the implementation of the RAP process taking into account important variables such as resolution of conflicts and grievances and cash flow from GOL/MPW/IIU to the consultant monitoring the resettlement process. The time-frames will need to be adjusted in line with the finalization of the loan process.

Table 4: Implementation Schedule of the RAP

No. RAP Activity Responsible Agency Target Date (Institution) 1. Socio-economic Survey/ RAP Stanley Consultants & May 2013 Commencement MPW

2. Stakeholder Meetings Stanley Consultants & June 2013 MPW

3. Detailed Assets Survey and Compensation Stanley Consultants & May – June 2013 Estimation MPW

4. Negotiation with PAHs & RAP Budget Approval IIU/MPW May 2014

5. RAP Approval AfDB June 2014

6. RAP Disclosure IIU/MPW & AfDB June 2014

7. Grievances/Complaints Redress IIU/MPW & PAHs After Disclosure & During implementation

8. RAP Compensation Payment IIU/MPW After Disclosure

9. Relocation of Project Affected Households (PAPs) PAHs After Disclosure

10. Completion of Relocation of PAHs IIU/MPW & PAHs After Disclosure 11. Demolition Exercise of Affected Structures IIU/MPW After Disclosure 12. RAP Implementation Completion Report IIU/MPW After Disclosure

12. Cost for the Resettlement Action Plan

The Government of Liberia through MPW/IIU will finance the implementation of the RAP. An estimated total cost of US $793,491.94 (Table 5) is envisaged. The amount covers implementation, compensation, monitoring and evaluation as shown in the table here under:

Table 5: Budget for the Implementation of the RAP Cost Item Estimated Cost Karloken – Fish Town Corridor All structures 566,252.50 Loss of business income (38) 7,000.00 Relocation/Resettlement Assistance (223) 54,000.00 Assistance to Vulnerable persons (72) 8,425.00 Farms (9) 3,144.96 SUB-TOTAL 639,422.46

Harper Junction- Cavalla Corridor Structures 84,793.00 Loss of business income (8) 1,600.00 Relocation/Resettlement Assistance (47) 30,700.00 Assistance to Vulnerable Persons (14) 1,750.00 SUB-TOTAL 118,843.00

Internal Review and Implementation 5,000.00 External Monitoring and Evaluation 6,000.00 Demolition 10,000.00 Completion Report 2,500.00 GRAND TOTAL 793,491.94

13. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

Through an internal monitoring committee, a review will be carried out to monitor among other risks; (i) information about households post compensation and entitlement spending; (ii) relevance of relocation timetable for PAPs; (iii) content of grievances; efficiency of grievance procedures and; (iv) use of compensation money for those who invested in profit making enterprises. The external monitor will conduct external monitoring and evaluation to strengthen and ensure consistency of the project process. The RAP implementation committee will prepare monitoring reports until the end of the resettlement process.