| Project Detail |
Project Development Objective
PDO Statement
22. The Project Development Objectives (PDO) are to improve the climate resilience of the Recipient’s road network,
with emphasis on the selected project road, and in the event of an Eligible Crisis or Emergency, to provide an immediate
response to the Eligible Crisis or Emergency.
PDO Level Indicators
23. Progress will be measured against the following PDO-level results indicators:
(a) Identified planning tools adopted and being used to improve climate resilience of roads (Number);
(b) Length of road upgraded with climate resilience measures (Kilometers);
(c) Number of bridges constructed with climate resilience measures (Number); and,
(d) Identified enabling environment solutions adopted and implemented (Number).
B. Project Components
24. VCRTP consists of the following four components that incorporate the four pillars of the PCRTP SOP (see Annex 2
for more details on project components).
25. Component 1: Sectoral and Spatial Planning Tools (estimated cost US$0.28 million equivalent). This component
will upgrade the existing RIMS at PWD and its affiliated data collection tools to a Road Asset Management System (RAMS)
to enable MIPU better capture, store, update, and utilize road asset data for effective decision making. The RAMS will
introduce a system module that systematically integrates climate and disaster risk profiles of the road network as a part
of asset inventory (e.g., criticality). These risk profiles will enable PWD to prioritize road maintenance investment based on the level of exposure and sensitivity of road assets to climatic and seismic hazards along with conventional
parameters such as road conditions. The RAMS (including the data collection tools) will equip MIPU’s budgeting and
planning process with accurate and up-to-date asset information, hence increasing the effectiveness of its resource
deployment. This component will be informed by the ongoing Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery
(GFDRR)-funded RTSIDS, which assesses the existing road asset management system in Vanuatu and prepares a
transition plan to transform the current RIMS into a modernized and risk-informed RAMS.
26. Component 2: Climate Resilient Infrastructure Solutions (estimated cost US$60.75 million equivalent). This
component will finance design, physical works, and maintenance of South Santo Road to improve its resilience to
climate-related hazards and seismic disasters using innovative materials, technologies, and adaptation measures. The
investments will include: (i) sealing of the existing 60 kilometers of gravel road between Saint Michel and Tasiriki to
enhance road resilience and connectivity during rainy seasons; (ii) construction of ten new bridges to address loss of
connectivity issues resulting from previous climatic and seismic disasters; (iii) repair of four existing bridges with
improved traffic safety; (iv) construction of 102 single and multicellular box culverts to adapt to the forecasted increases
in rainfall volumes and intensities; (v) construction of other ancillary structures to improve climate resilience, such as
coastal protection, masonry covered drains, unvented drifts, and gabion retaining walls; and, (vi) procurement of Bailey
bridges for traffic diversion and emergency response. The investments will be accompanied by consulting services for
detailed design and supervision of civil works (including the establishment of a small-sized quality control laboratory
near the project site); and, conducting maintenance on South Santo Road through piloting multi-year performancebased maintenance contracts after the defect liability period.
27. Component 3: Strengthening the Enabling Environment (estimated cost US$4.97 million equivalent). This
component will strengthen the MIPU-PWD’s institutional and regulatory functions for road sector asset management
using an asset lifecycle-based approach, and thereby systematically improve the climate resilience of Vanuatu’s road
network. This will also provide project management support to MIPU-PWD. Proposed sub-components include:
(a) Sub-component 3.1: Technical Assistance (estimated cost US$1.52 million equivalent). This will include technical
support to MIPU-PWD to: (i) undertake a road condition assessment on the selected road network to assist the
MIPU/PWD with monitoring, planning and programming of road works using the RAMS; (ii) update technical
specifications based on the 2016 Vanuatu Resilient Road Manual; (iii) improve its construction material testing
laboratory in Port Vila, facilitating the utilization of local materials and accreditation of the laboratory for improved
quality assurance; (iv) implement the transition plan to put the RAMS into operation; (v) strengthen road
maintenance supervision capacity of PWD; (vi) improve practical road management capacity of PWD through
piloting the lifecycle-based asset management and undertaking road safety audits and road safety awarenessraising on the Santo’s road network outside South Santo Road; and (vii) build climate change capacity within MIPU
in collaboration with MCCA through the hiring of a Climate Change Specialist to MIPU-PWD. This subcomponent
will also support activities to address the identified gender gap and gender-based violence (GBV)/violence against
children (VAC) by implementing the Gender Action Plan (GAP) and the GBV/VAC Strategy prepared for VCRTP (see
paragraphs 73-82 for details).
(b) Sub-component 3.2: Project Implementation Support (estimated cost US$3.45 million equivalent). This subcomponent will finance Project Implementation Unit (PIU)/Project Support Team (PST) contracted staff and
operating costs associated with implementation of the project, and yearly audits of the project accounts that
MIPU will submit to the World Bank. It is proposed that a PIU, will be established in PWD from the unit currently
implementing the World Bank-funded VIRIP as well as several projects funded by other development partners, to implement VCRTP. A PST will be set up and embedded in the PIU to support MIPU in the implementation of the
project.
28. Component 4: Contingent Emergency Response (US$0 million). Since Vanuatu will remain vulnerable to climate
change and severe weather events, even with the successful implementation of the first three components, supporting
post-disaster recovery is an important feature of VCRTP. This zero-dollar component is designed to provide swift
response in the event of an Eligible Crisis or Emergency,
27 by enabling GOV to request the World Bank to reallocate
project funds to support emergency response and reconstruction. |
