Status in the implementation of the Project

The project is currently in its preparatory stage where the Government of Malawi (GoM) through BWB and BCC are preparing various sets of instruments and documents which are required by the Bank prior to appraisal of the project.

Meanwhile the Bank has cleared for disclosure five (5) instruments; Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) , Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) , Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) and the Labor Management Procedures (LMP), which were prepared for the project.

The SEP sets out steps to ensure engagement with relevant stakeholders, beneficiary communities, and project-affected parties throughout the project cycle, whereas the ESCP sets out the environmental and Social (E&S) instruments that shall be adopted and implemented under the Project and material measures and actions that the GoM shall carry out or cause to be carried out, including, as applicable, the timeframes of the actions and measures, institutional, staffing, training, monitoring, and reporting arrangements, and grievance management.

The ESMF sets forth the principles, rules, guidelines and procedures in the assessment of the environmental and social risks and impacts of the project, measures and plans that will be put in place to reduce, mitigate and/or offset adverse risks and impacts, the costs of such measures and the capacity of BWB and BCC to manage environmental and social risks and impacts of the project.

The RPF provides a tool for the screening of subprojects and to ensure that where land acquisition for the sub-project activities is inevitable, the acquisition of such land should be conceived and executed in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of national law and the World Bank ESF, while the LMP identifies the main labor requirements and risks associated with the project and the resources necessary to address project labor issues.