Public Disclosure Authorized Argentine Repu,blic.,,-:, Biodiversit CosevaknPrjc Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized * Project -Document. Public Disclosure Authorized THE WORL.-DAINK GEF Documentation The Global Environment Facility (GEF) assistsdeveloping countries to protect the globalenvironment in four areas:global warming, pollution of internationalwaters-, destructionof biodiversity,and depletion of the ozone layer. The GEF is jointlyimplemented bytheUnited Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, andthe World Bank: GEF Project Documents - identifiedby a greenband - prpvideextended project- specific information.The implementing agency responsible for each.projectis identified by its logoon the coverof thedocument. GjobalEnvironment-Division EnvironmentDepartment . World-Bank 1818 H Street,NW Washington,DC 20433 Telephone:(202) 473-1816 Fax:(202) 522-3256 Report No. 17023-AR Argentine Republic Biodiversity Conservation Project ProjectDocument September 1997 Country Management Unit Argentina, Chile and Uruguay Latin America and the Caribbean Region CURRENCY EOUIVALENTS Currency Unit - Peso (Arg$) EXCHANGE RATE (September 16, 1997) US$1.00 Arg$1.00 Arg$1.00 = US$1.00 FISCALYEAR January 1 to December 31 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES The metric system has been used throughout the memorandum. Vice President: Mr. Shahid Javed Burki Director: Ms. Myma Alexander Acting Sector Leader: Mr. Luis Coirolo Team Leader: Mr. Robert Kirmse This report is basedon an AppraisalMission carried out in July 1997. The WorldBank core team includedRobert Kirmse (teamleader), Random DuBois (protectedareas, FAO/CPpreparation), Douglas J. Graham(biodiversity and informationsystems), Estanislao Gacitua-Mario (social and participation issues), and Rudy Van Puymbroeck(legal). The followingspecialists contributed substantively to project preparation: Richard Smith (protectedarea management),Guillermo Wood (Costab),Patricia Parera (socialassessment and publicparticipation), Alejandra Moreyra (buffer-zoneactivities), Gary Costello (socialmitigation plan), VicenteAbreu (biodiversityinformation systems), and Jim Tolisano (institutional).The local preparationteam was coordinatedby RobertoRonchietto and Hugo Iza. Documentformatting was done by GreicyAmjadi. ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ABCP Argentina Biodiversity Conservation Project APC Area Protegido Copo APLV Area Protegido Los Venados APML Area Protegido Monte Le6n APN National Parks Administration APQC Area Protegido Quebrada del Condorito APSG Area Protegido San Guillermo Bank/FAO-CP World Bank/Food and Agriculture Organization Cooperative Program BCP Biodiversity Conservation Project BIS Biodiversity Information System CAS Country Assistance Strategy CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CC Consultative Commission COP Conference of the Parties (to the Convention on Biological Diversity) CZMP Coastal Zone Management Project DGCA Direcci6n General de Coordinaci6n Administrativa DNCAP Direcci6n Nacional de Conservacion de Areas Protegidas DNI Direcci6n Nacional de Interior DRFN Directorate for Native Forests (within SRNyDS) DTR Regional Technical Delegation (within APN) DTRP Patagonia Regional Technical Delegation EIA Estudio de Impacto Ambiental FAO/CP FAO Cooperative Program FUCEMA Fundaci6n para la Conservaci6n de Especies y del Medio Ambiente FVSA Fundaci6n de Vida Silvestre GEF Global Environment Facility GEF Project Biodiversity Conservation Project GIS Geographic Information System GOA Government of Argentina GTZ German Technical Assistance Agency IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ICB International Competitive Bidding ICyT Instituto Nacional de Capacitaci6n y Tecnologia IDB Inter-American Development Bank IIA Informe de Impacto Ambiental IMA Informe Medioambiental INTA National Institute for Agricultural Research LATEN Environmental Division of LAC (World Bank) LIB Limited International Bidding MB Mega Byte MP Mitigation Plan NCB National Competitive Bidding NFPA Native Forests and Protected Areas Project NGO Non-Governmental Organization NPAS National Protected Areas System OED Operations Evaluation Department OP Bank's Operational Policy PA Protected Area PAP Project-Affected Population PAR Project Audit Report PCR Project Completion Report PlU Project Implementation Unit (of the NFPA project) POA Annual Operating Plans PP Participation Plan PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal PU Project Unit RDBMS Relational Database Management System SA Social Assessment SAS Social Assessment Specialist SAP Social Assessment Program SGN Sindicatura General de la Nacion SIDIF Sistema Integrado de Informacion Financiera SINAIA Sistema Nacional de Informaci6n Ambiental SINAPA Sistema Nacional de la Profesi6n Administrativa SOE Statement of Expenditures SRNyDS Secretariat of Natural Resources and SustainableDevelopment STAP Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (for the GEF) TOR Terms of Reference UAI Unidad Auditoria Internal UNDP United Nations Development Program WWF World Wildlife Fund WWW World Wide Web ARGENTINE REPUBLIC BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION PROJECT TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I: PROJECT SUMMARY GRANTAND PROJECT SUMMARY .................................................... i COUNTRY/SECTORBACKGROUND ..................................................... 1 PROJECTOBJECTIVES .................................................... 4 PROJECTDESCRIPTION ..................................................... 4 PROJECTCOSTS AND FINANCING .................................................... 7 PROCUREMENT.................................................... 7 DISBURSEMENT.................................................... 10 ACCOUNTSAND AUDITING1 1.................................................... MONITORINGAND EVALUATION ..................................................... 11 RATIONALEFOR BANK AND GEF INVOLVEMENT..................................................... 12 SOCIALASSESSM ANDEN BENEFICIARY T PARTICIPATION .................................................... 14 THEMITIGATION PLAN ..................................................... 14 PROJECTSUSTAINABILITY .................................................... 15 LESSONSFROM BANK-WIDE OPERATIONS .................................................... 15 ENVIRONMENTALASPECTS ..................................................... 17 PROJECTBENEFITS .................................................... 17 PROJECTRISKS .................................................... 18 AGREEMENTS(TO BE) REACHED ..................................................... 19 SCHEDULEA: PROJECTCOSTS AND FINANCING ..................................................... 22 SCHEDULEB: PROCUREMENTAND DISBURSEMENT ARRANGEMENTS .................................................... 24 SCHEDULEC: TIMETABLEOF KEY PROCESSING EVENTS ..................................................... 27 SCHEDULED: STATUSOF BANK GROUP OPERATIONS ..................................................... 28 SCHEDULEE: ARGENTINAAT A GLANCE.................................................... 30 PART II: TECHNICAL ANNEXES ANNExA: BIODiVERSiTYASSESSMENT ..................................................... 32 ANNEXB: PROTECTEDAREAS AND ASSOCIATED SUPPORT COMPONENT ................................................... 43 ANNEXC: BIODIVERSITYINFORMATION MANAGEMENT COMPONENT .................................................... 68 ANNEXD: MANAGEMENT,MONITORING AND EVALUATION COMPONENT .................................................. 78 ANNEXE: SOCIALASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION PLAN .................................................... 85 ANNEXF: INSTITUTIONALANALYSIS .................................................... 100 ANNEXG: INCREMENTALCOSTS AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS .................................... ........ 109 ANNExH: PROJECTCOSTS ..................................................... 112 ANNExI: SUPERVISIONPLAN .................................................... 122 ANNEXJ: SELECTEDDOCUMENTS AND DATA IN PROJECT FILES .................................................... 124 MAP: IBRD No. 28753 PART I: PROJECT SUMMARY i ARGENTINE REPUBLIC--GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION PROJECT GRANT AND PROJECT SUMMARY Source of Grant: Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF Trust Fund) Recipient/ Implementing Argentine Republic/ National Parks Administration (APN) Agency: Beneficiary: Local communities, visitors to the national park system and national and international conservationists commnittedto protecting biodiversity of global importance. Amount: SDR 7.3 million (US$10.1 million equivalent) Total Project Costs: US$21.9 million equivalent (US$10.1 million GEF grant, US$11.5 million from GOA and beneficiaries, and US$289,000 PDF) Terms: Grant Financing Plan: Source Total (US$ million) GEF Trust Fund 10.1 Government Counterpart 11.1 Beneficiaries 0.4 GEF-PDF 0.3 Total: 21.9 Economic Rate of Return: N/A; see Annex G Map: IBRD No. 28753 Project Identification No.: AR-GE-39787 ARGENTINE REPUBLIC BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION PROJECT 1. BACKGROUND COUNTRY/SECTORBACKGROUND 1. Becauseof Argentina'sextensive latitudinal and altitudinalranges, and the resultingclimatic variability, the countryis characterizedby a broad mix of ecological regions and rich biologicaldiversity. Of the 178terrestrial ecoregions in Latin America and the Caribbeanidentified in a recent WorldBank/World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) study, 18 are foundin Argentina.They range from the tropical rain forests of Misiones Provinceto the cold and aridPatagonian steppes of southernArgentina.