| Project Detail |
The Project is proposed under the Bank’s COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Facility. The Project objective will be achieved by maintaining and accelerating rural infrastructure spending; creating short term employment and income generation; building capacity of local labor and national contractors to ensure quality infrastructure delivery building on the national standards established with the development partners; establishing foundations for learning and knowledge sharing among key project stakeholders to scale up rural infrastructure and rural basic services delivery in future programs. The Project will also support the Government’s communications effort to: (i) enhance awareness of targeted rural population about social distancing and hygiene to help contain the spread of the current pandemic; and (ii) build their preparedness and resilience during COVID-19 and beyond. The Project components are: Component A – Investing in Rural Economic Development (USD 63.50 million, of which AIIB financing: USD 56.00 million): This component aimed at generating local short-term jobs under the construction contracts for rural roads and water and sanitation financed by the Project and the ensuing operation and maintenance tasks. These short-term jobs will be targeted to the vulnerable group in project areas, including jobless returning migrants negatively affected by the COVID19 pandemic: (i) Sub-Component A1 – Rural Road Infrastructure: This will include: (i) upgrading and climate proofing of about 235 kilometers of existing rural roads; (ii) adaptation of unstable bridges and collapsed drainage systems to improve access to markets, schools and health centers and sustain urban-rural linkages within the provinces as well as with the national capital and increase climate resilience; and (iii) greening of the embankments using nature-based solutions and indigenous materials to accommodate safe walking and cycling and promote rural roads’ safety; and, (ii) Sub-Component A2 – Water Sanitation and Hygiene: This will include: (i) Restoring and climate proofing of about 75 community ponds with a strengthening of the embankments using nature-based solutions; (ii) construction of 75 new community ponds and associated WASH facilities; (iii) mapping of safe water access points in the village within a 250 to 350 meters range from each house to reduce water duties allocated to women and children; (iv) promoting sanitation and hygiene, especially handwashing practices to deliver basic COVID-19 prevention measures to the vulnerable groups of the rural population; and (v) community mobilization for the design, operation and maintenance and raising community awareness on safe water use, sanitation and hygiene improvements as part of COVID-19 primary emergency response. *OFFICIAL USE ONLY Component B -- Strengthening capacity development and Project Management Support (USD 4.00 million of which AIIB financing: USD 4.00 million): (i) Re-skilling of the local residents and the national contractors to deliver quality rural infrastructure and basic rural services under the Project as well as provide the foundation for scaling-up future rural infrastructure programs; and (ii) Project management support to the central PMU and the provincial PIUs, given the decentralized implementation arrangements with multiple small contracts across the country, the project provides for project management support consultants for handholding during implementation and organizing learning and knowledge sharing events among key stakeholders. Objective The Project objective is to sustain the rural economy and livelihood of vulnerable rural population and returning migrants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic |
