Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) Livelihood Assistance and Transitional Support (Albania) Table of Contents 1. Introduction 03 2. Background Social Conditions 04 3. Livelihood Assistance and Transitional Support (LATS) 08 3.1 1 LATS Objective 10 3.2 LATS Eligibility Criteria and Priority Groups 11 4. LATS Interventions AJMT 14 4.1 Permanent Land Acquisition Follow-up and Livelihood Needs Assessment 15 4.2 Establishing LATS Initiatives 16 4.2.1Livelihood Restoration & Strengthening 17 4.2.2 Eligibility Criteria 21 4.2.3 Proposal Evaluation 21 4.3 Transitional Support for vulnerable People 22 4.4 Transitional Support Components 25 4.5 Livelihood Assistance - Transitional Support - Special Cases 26 5. Linkages to project benefits and opportunities 27 6. LATS Disclosure 28 7. Workplan and Staffing 30 Table of Tables Table 1: Economic Profile of Households Affected by the Access Roads 6 Table 2: Priority PAPs/PAHs 10 Table 3: Geographic Distribution of Project- affected People 12 Table 4: Work Plan 23 Table of Figures Figure 1: Reliance on Source of Income 7 Figure 2: LATS Goals & Objectives 9 Figure 3: Vulnerable Assessment Tool 11 Figure 4: Transitional Support Program for Vulnerable PAPs 17 2 1. Introduction These plans describe the results of an intensive land easement and acquisition exercise undertaken by TAP and its contractors, and include a record of the commitments, procedures and TAP has prepared Livelihood be limited in their ability to claim or Restoration Plans (LRPs) for each host take advantage of compensation actions being taken country. They describe the results of (i.e. ‘vulnerable’), are identified and an intensive land easement and appropriately supported. to compensate acquisition exercise undertaken by TAP and its contractors, and include a All land owners, co-owners and the people and record of the commitments, users whose land has been acquired procedures, and actions being taken permanently and/or temporarily households impacted to compensate the people and leased by TAP are the targeted households impacted by the Project, beneficiaries of LATS. This includes by the Project. consistent with national laws and people who may as a result of international standards. restrictions imposed by TAP to physical assets or natural resources The EBRD Performance Requirement that they legitimately own and/ 5 stipulates that when a project or use, experience a temporary causes “temporary or permanent loss or permanent loss of income or of income or livelihood through, for livelihood. example, interruption or elimination of a person’s access to his/her In each of the LRPs, a Livelihood employment or productive assets”, Assistance and Transitional Support the project will provide the following in (LATS) Program to address these addition to compensation: requirements is outlined. • Livelihood assistance (for example, This document provides further detail credit facilities, training or job on the plan for implementing LATS in opportunities) and opportunities Albania. to restore, and where possible improve their income-earning capacity, production levels and standards of living, and; • Transitional support to economically displaced persons, as necessary, based on a reasonable estimate of the time required to restore their income-earning capacity, production levels and standards of living. International standards also commit a project sponsor to ensuring that those people who may be more adversely affected by the land acquisition process than others, and who may 3 2. Background Social Conditions In Albania, the Project will affect close to 5,000 households, Prior to the 2008 global financial crisis, Albania was one of or approximately 20,000 people, who own and/or use more the fastest-growing economies in Europe, enjoying than 8,000 parcels of land which the Project requires access average annual growth rates of 6%. However, since 2008 to. Close to 15% of the affected households are people who average annual economic growth has halved. use but don’t own the land parcel. The following sections The pace of growth has also been mirrored in poverty and summarize socio-economic data collected from a sample unemployment rates: between 2002 and 2008, poverty in of the Project-affected population, which is more fully the country fell by half (to about 12%) but in 2012 it increased detailed in the Livelihood Restoration Plan. to 14%. Unemployment increased from 13% in 2008 to 17% in 2013, with youth unemployment rates in Albania reaching Albania is divided into 12 administrative counties, each 27%. The UNDP reports that half of Albania’s youth reside in of which is further divided into municipalities and Local rural areas. Government or Administrative Units (LGUs). The Project affects people and land located within three National statistics provide information on the main counties, ten (10) municipalities and twenty-six (26) LGUs. economic sectors in which Albanian residents are PAPs reside in 112 villages within the Project footprint. employed. Most people who identify as ‘self-employed’ are engaged in the agriculture sector. The greatest Amongst the sample of households impacted by the proportions of people with waged employment are Project, the percentage of young people is noticeably engaged in the industry, services and construction sectors. lower, and the proportion of older people higher when compared with the rest of the country. With respect In light of the need to begin construction in Albania with to education, the majority (68%) of household heads, or work on access roads and bridges, the sample those interviewed on behalf of their household, report socio-economic survey was done in phases. completing middle or high school, 24% have completed only primary school, while 6% have attended university or technical school. When the education levels achieved by all household members are included, the percentage Table 1: Provides a profile of the Project-affected having completed or currently attending university or households interviewed as part of the socio-economic technical school increases to 11%. survey for the access roads. Criteria Korça Fier Skrapar Main activities generating income 65% farming 66% farming 71% farming 56% pensions 49% pensions 50% pensions ousehold income levels 50% below 49% below 61% below 40,000 ALL/mth 40,000 ALL/mth 40,000 ALL/mth Land parcel size Average 1.6 ha Average 3.5 ha Average 1.6 ha Extent of parcel under cultivation 77% indicate all or 90% indicate all 64% indicate all or most of the land or most of the land most of the land parcel is cultivated parcel is cultivated parcel is cultivated Percentage of households indicating their living conditions 7% 17% 25% are worse than their neighbours Amongst households affected by the compressor stations, When the occupations of all family members who are of the occupations reported by the highest percentage working age within the Project-affected household of people is farmer (38%) followed by pensioner (33%), only are included, the percentage of unemployed more than 5% of those interviewed described themselves doubles, and those indicating they perform unpaid as ‘unemployed’. work in the home (‘housewife’) increases to 11%. For the sample of households affected by the pipeline right Sources of income and the extent to which Project- of way (ROW), the breakdown is similar, but with a slightly affected households rely on different sources of income higher percentage of household heads reporting to be are depicted in Figure 1. Almost 40% of PAPs affected by the farmers (45%) and a lower percentage (3%) describing access roads and compressor stations rely on agriculture for themselves as unemployed. 50% of their income and one third rely solely on agriculture. 4 Figure 1: Reliance on Source of Income 180 163 160 140 120 100 105 106 80 80 60 49 59 40 31 39 20 24 23 19 18 21 13 24 0 5 2 3 Agriculture Retirement Livestock Public sector Private sector Remittances activity payment job (pay job (pay check) check) below 49 % 50-90 % 100 % Income levels amongst the Project-affected households are cultivated), Luzern (23%) and fruit trees (26%). Almost range from 15,000 ALL per month to 200,000 ALL. 40% of PAPs indicated that they use agricultural products to However, for the greatest majority (53%) income falls meet their household needs and to generate income. between 15,000-40,000 ALL per month (or €100-300). Livestock continues to play an important role in the economic development of Albania. However only a small In terms of the typical size of land parcels amongst Project- percentage of Project-affected households report relying affected people, the range is from 0.1 of a hectare to on livestock for more than 50% of their income, with 40% 7.5 hectares, with an average of 2 ha. More than 80% of of respondents affected by the ROW who report owning affected land parcels are cultivated, and 90% of PAPs chickens and 12% goats. report using a tractor for farming. The crops typically cultivated include wheat (26% of affected parcels which 5 11 6 Livelihood Assistance and Transitional Support (Albania) The crops typically cultivated include wheat (26% of affected parcels which are cultivated), Luzern (23%) and fruit trees (26%). 7 3. Livelihood Assistance and Transitional Support (LATS) TAP’s compensation entitlements have population deemed ‘vulnerable’ been designed to compensate fairly and at an elevated risk of being for Project land easement and disproportionally affected by Project acquisition impacts. Compensation land easement and acquisition (LEA). alone however will not guarantee livelihood restoration for all Project The goals and objectives of LATS are affected households. For the majority illustrated in Figure 2 and described in of people whose land is being leased more detail in the following sections. through the Project construction period and who cultivate annual crops, restoration of livelihoods will depend on prudent management of cash compensation and effective land reinstatement. Livelihood restoration will be more challenging for those whose land is being permanently acquired, and for those who cultivate deep-rooted perennial crops within the pipeline safety zone.