Mainstreaming Conservation in Infrastructure Projects Case Studies from Latin America Juan D. Quintero Senior Environmental Specialist The World Bank SDN Vice-Presidency SDN Vice-Presidency LCR Vice-Presidency Energy, Transport & Water Environment Sustainable Development Mainstreaming Conservation in Infrastructure Projects Case Studies from Latin America Juan D. Quintero Senior Environmental Specialist The World Bank SDN Vice-Presidency SDN Vice-Presidency LCR Vice-Presidency Energy, Transport & Water Environment Sustainable Development The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / THE WORLD BANK 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. Manufactured in the United States of America First Printing June 2007 The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this report are entirely those of the author and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or the countries they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. Photos courtesy of: Juan David Quintero, George Ledec, Paul House, Claudia Sobrevila, and the World Bank Photo Library. Contents Foreword v Acknowledgements vii Summary ix 1 Introduction 1 2 The importance of incorporating conservation into the design of infrastructure projects 3 3 Mainstreaming conservation into infrastructure projects 7 4 Maximizing benefits for natural habitats 15 5 Successful strategies 21 6 References 25 7 Annexes 27 iii Foreword iodiversity, defined as the variety of life on earth in terms of ecosys- tems, species, and genes, plays an essential role in sustaining economic Bsectors such as forestry, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, and industry. Biodiversity is the foundation of livelihoods and well-being, particularly for some whose geography and economic status make them directly dependent upon it. Moreover, biodiversity forms an important part of spiritual and cultural traditions. In a similar vein, it would be hard to overstate the impor- tance of infrastructure investments for human well-being, poverty reduction, and social and economic growth and development. Both play an essential role in human development, and it requires attention and continued learn- ing to perceive their optimal complementarities in different situations and contexts. In 2006, the World Bank underwent a reorganization to “integrate units responsible for meeting basic human needs and infrastructure ser- vices with environmental and social units that guide our actions.” The integration has produced new opportunities to see synergies and collabo- rate across traditional sectoral boundaries to mitigate adverse impacts and maximize benefits. In the context of the Sustainable Development Network integration, transport and environment staff developed a joint initiative to increase knowledge and stimulate discussion on the opportunities, risks, and linkages associated with transport infrastructure projects, biodiversity, and forests. The initiative is supporting publication of this report as one of its activities. The report highlights the Latin America and Caribbean Region Safeguard Unit’s leading and cutting edge work in mainstreaming biodiversity and environmental management in large transport, energy, and water-related infrastructure projects. In these eight cases, project resourc- es were mobilized to carry out habitat restoration projects, endangered Forward species conservation action plans, environ- investments were made. Effects also included mental education and awareness programs, introducing innovative engineering ideas ap- identification of non-catalogued sensitive plicable in other contexts, increasing land areas, establishment of new protected areas values in previously dilapidated areas, and cre- or strengthening of existing ones, manage- ating more skilled, informed, and confident ment plans, and comanagement agreements, government officials, engineers, contractors, among others. and civil society. The cases in this report il- The author notes that sometimes the con- lustrate clearly that development effectiveness servation measures and actions described were does not only come from direct sectoral invest- embedded within wider changes that involved ment. It arises also from wider ripple and even raising institutional environmental standards, intangible effects that result from awareness of revising legal frameworks, and creating new our reliance on the natural environment and divisions to address environmental issues. Such application of sound principles. changes represent significant accomplishments This report exemplifies the kinds of win- likely to produce positive results over time. wins that can be devised in large infrastructure It should also be observed that in most cases, projects when accounting for both direct and conservation efforts within these infrastruc- induced impacts on biodiversity, natural habi- ture projects had further profound spillover tats, and ecosystem functions. We earnestly effects. These effects included building citizen hope this publication will inspire new ideas, responsibility, making environments more dialogue, and action and be of assistance to beautiful and healthy, and fostering pride in those who are interested and involved in mak- the surroundings and natural and cultural ing environment- and biodiversity-friendly heritage to such an extent that complementary infrastructure investments a reality. James Warren Evans Laura Tuck Jamal Saghir Director, Environment Director, SDN Department Director, Energy, Transport, Department Latin America and Caribbean and Water Department World Bank World Bank World Bank i Acknowledgements his report was prepared by Juan D. Quintero, Senior Environmental Specialist in the World Bank’s East Asia Rural Development, Natu- Tral Resources, and Environment Department with the assistance of Ivonne Ortiz, consultant, as part of the strategy for disseminating good Safe- guard practices in World Bank-financed projects in the Latin America and Caribbean Region. The report benefited from the inputs of technical staff from the World Bank and from several institutions and agencies that worked in the construc- tion and supervision of these challenging and innovative projects. The author would like to highlight the task team leaders of the projects profiled and rec- ognize their support of environmental good practice and conservation. They are Nelson de Franco, Menahem Libhaber, Jose Simas, Aymeric-Albin Meyer, Flavio Chavez and Guillermo Ruan. The author worked on their teams to provide environmental operational support for most of the case studies. Fla- vio Chavez was the environmental specialist in the Brazil Tocantins project. Special thanks and acknowledgment are due to George Ledec, Lead Ecolo- gist, who also worked on many of these teams, for his inspiration, expertise, and guidance on addressing biodiversity and natural habitat issues. The author is grateful for information provided and helpful comments on the report made by George Ledec, Douglas Graham, Ann Jeannette Glau- ber, and Leanne Farrell of the Safeguards Team in the Latin America and Caribbean Region of the World Bank. The printing of the report is being co-funded by the World Bank’s Environment Department through the Biodiversity and Transport Infra- structure Initiative and the Regional Safeguard Team in the Latin America and Caribbean Region. In this context, special thanks are due to Laura Tlaiye, Kathy MacKinnon, Claudia Sobrevila, Karen Luz, Paula Posas, Marc ii Acknowledgments Juhel, John Hine, Reidar Kvam, and Ann Jean- other graphic materials were provided by mul- nette Glauber for the support provided for tiple sources. this publication. This report is dedicated to the memory of This report was ably edited by Janice M. Guillermo Ruan, a great task team leader and a Molina and Jane Whitten, and pictures and transport engineer with a green heart. iii Summary ight infrastructure projects with outstanding natural habitat conser- vation practices were examined in depth to evaluate the mechanisms Eand approaches responsible for their environmental successes. The wide range of World Bank-financed projects included a hydroelectric dam, a gas pipeline, flood protection works, roads and drainage works, as well as wa- ter supply and sewerage investments, in both urban and rural settings across seven countries in the Latin America and Caribbean Region (LCR).1 Results from this review show that integrating natural habitat issues into the design and operation of infrastructure projects can both substan- tially reduce the associated environmental costs and create win-win results for conservation and development. Specifically, infrastructure projects can provide and/or leverage important resources that might not be available for strictly “green” projects, resulting in a significant conservation gain. Breaking common perceptions, these projects redefine the role of infra- structure development with regard to conservation. Good design, as well as innovative engineering construction and operational techniques, were de- vised specifically to avoid natural habitats, reduce the area of the disturbed sites, minimize the magnitude and extent of unavoidable impacts, and miti- gate all remaining impacts. Project resources were mobilized to carry out restoration projects, endangered species conservation action plans, environ- mental education and