Attachments J.3, J.4, J.5, J.6, J.7, J.8.pdf

File Number/Document Control Number (DCN): [as assigned by BEO]

Feed the Future Bangladesh - Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Amendment No 3

Program/Project/Activity Data:

Activity/Project Title: Sustainably Reduce Global Hunger, Malnutrition, and Poverty

Solicitation #: [As assigned by contracting office]

Contract/Award Number (if known): N/A

Geographic Location: Bangladesh

Originating Bureau/Office: The Bureau for Resilience and Food Security

Supplemental IEE: ☐Yes ☒ No Amendment: ☐Yes ☒ No Programmatic IEE: ☒Yes ☐ No

DCN and date of original document:

Asia 12-291 - 2011- September 2015

DCN and ECD link(s) of Amendment(s):

Asia 14-0192 - FY 2011 - FY 2017 Asia 17-0783 - 10/01/2017 - 09/30/2022 Please also refer to the Bangladesh PPERSUAP4 and Manual.5

Amendment No.: 3

Funding Amount: $400M Life of Project Amount:

Implementation Start/End: October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2028

Prepared By: Muhammad Nuruzzaman, EG Office Date Prepared: July 6, 2022

Expiration Date (if any): September 30, 2028 Reporting due dates (if any): N/A

1 https://ecd.usaid.gov/repository/pdf/38057.pdf 2 https://ecd.usaid.gov/repository/pdf/39563.pdf 3 https://ecd.usaid.gov/repository/pdf/50277.pdf 4 https://ecd.usaid.gov/repository/pdf/45501.pdf 5 https://ecd.usaid.gov/repository/pdf/50669.pdf

Asia 22-104

ATTACHMENT J.3 INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION (IEE)

Environmental Media and/or Human Health Potentially Impacted (check all that apply):

None ☐ Air ☐ Water ☒ Land ☒ Biodiversity ☒ Human Health ☒ Other☒

Recommended Threshold Determination:

☒ Negative Determination ☒ with conditions ☒ Categorical Exclusion ☐ Positive Determination

☐ Deferral ☐ Exemption ☐ USG Domestic NEPA action

Climate Change:

☐GCC/Adaption ☐GCC/Mitigation ☒ Climate Change Vulnerability Analysis (included)

Adaptation/Mitigation Measures: The Climate Risk Screening Analysis that was done for the Feed the Future (FTF) portfolio for the USAID/Bangladesh Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) is presented in Table 5 of this document.

1.0 Background and Activity Description

1.1 Purpose and Scope of IEE:

This Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) document will cover the activities under the Mission IEE Asia 17-078 and subsequent Memo to the Files (MTFs) to the IEE. This IEE duly reflects on the threshold determinations and compliance status of current activities, identifies potential threshold determinations of new activities, and descopes activities that have been completed. This IEE shall be reviewed and amended as warranted to align with new/revised CDCS.

1.2 Background:

The U.S. government demonstrated its commitment to reducing global hunger, malnutrition, and poverty through the approval of the Global Food Security Act of 2016 (GFSA) and further approval of the accompanying 2022 Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS). The GFSS serves as an integrated whole-of-government strategy, with an overarching goal to sustainably reduce global hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. The GFSS builds on the successes of the Feed the Future (FTF) Presidential Initiative, in which Bangladesh has been a focus country since 2010. Therefore, the Mission has a well-established and highly successful FTF program. In addition, At the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Germany, President Biden announced that the United States is expanding Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative, to reach new countries and intensify efforts to directly address and mitigate the impacts of recent shocks to global food security and nutrition.6 The activities will contribute to the GFSS Results Framework (RF) Goal to sustainably reduce global hunger, malnutrition, and poverty by accomplishing its three main Objectives and nine Intermediate Results (IRs):

I) Inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth: Investing in inclusive, agriculture-led economic growth is a long-term, comprehensive approach to ending poverty, hunger, and malnutrition.

Growth in the agriculture sector is more effective at reducing poverty in developing countries. Rural, 6https://www.usaid.gov/liberia/press-releases/jun-27-2022-president-biden-announces-expansion-feed-future-response urban, coastal, and inland communities participate in agriculture and food systems. They produce, process, transport, trade, market, consume, and use products derived from aquaculture, farming, wild fisheries, forestry, and pastoralism. Resilient, competitive, inclusive, and sustainable agriculture and food systems drive increased productivity and profitability for producers and enterprises and lower the cost of safe and nutritious foods. Increased incomes and economic opportunities in the agriculture and food system spill over into other sectors, creating opportunities for the poor. The activities will seek to promote agricultural sector growth as well as off-farm economic opportunities, which are inclusive of smallholders and the landless, to enable households to lift themselves out of poverty and reduce their vulnerability to economic shocks.

IR1: Strengthened inclusive food and agriculture systems that are productive and profitable IR2: Strengthened and expanded access to markets and trade IR3: Increased employment and entrepreneurship IR4: Increased sustainable productivity (also contributes to Objective 2)

II) Strengthened resilience among people, communities, countries, and systems: Building resilience helps people, households, communities, systems, and countries mitigate risk and manage shocks and stresses without compromising their food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and well-being, especially among marginalized and underrepresented groups. Resilience investments strengthen risk-mitigation and management systems, shock-responsive mechanisms, and social-protection systems that reduce vulnerability and exposure to shocks and stresses, prevent loss of assets during an emergency, and lead to a stronger recovery. Programs also integrate multi-sectoral strategies to build a range of resilience capacities and productive assets that strengthen financial, social, physical, environmental, and political capital. It is also important to reinforce, grow, and protect the resilience capacities and productive assets to prevent people and households from backsliding into poverty.

IR1: Improved proactive risk reduction, mitigation, and management IR2: Improved adaptation to and recovery from shocks and stresses

III) A well-nourished population, especially among women and children: Nutrition is central to sustainable development and is required to make progress on issues such as health, education, employment, reduction of poverty and inequality, and the empowerment of girls and women. Malnutrition and chronic disease risk are interrelated: poor nutrition in early life is associated with greater susceptibility to non-communicable diseases later in life. Further, the lack of availability of or access to enough affordable, safe, and nutritious foods can be a destabilizing factor in countries that do not have the financial or technical abilities to solve their own food security and nutrition problems. FTF provides an essential, but not sufficient, contribution to achieving nutritional goals, which depend on multisectoral gains. Affordable high-quality diets are critical to achieving GFSS goals, complemented by safe drinking water and improved hygiene and sanitation, alongside nutrition-specific interventions that promote good health and best practices in childcare and nutrition.

IR1: Increased consumption of safe and nutritious foods IR2: Increased use of direct nutrition interventions and services IR3: More hygienic household and community environments

In addition to the three Objectives and nine IRs, there are ten Cross-Cutting Intermediate Results that are foundational to all areas of food security and nutrition and contribute to achieving all three Objectives and overarching GFSS Goal:

1. Strengthened global commitment to investing in food security

2. Increased gender equality and female empowerment

3. Increased youth empowerment and livelihoods

4. Enhanced climate change adaptation and mitigation

5. Improved natural resource management

6. Improved water resources management

7. More effective governance, policy, and institutions

8. Improved human, organizational, and system performance

9. Enhanced integration of conflict sensitivity, peacebuilding, and social cohesion

10. Enhanced integration of digital technologies

Five Complementary Results have been identified from other USG investments that benefit from and contribute to our global food security and nutrition investments:

1. Inclusive economic growth in complementary sectors

2. Healthy ecosystems and biodiversity

3. Stable, democratic societies that respect human rights and the rule of law

4. A reduced impact of disease

5. Well-educated populations

These results are not only necessary for food security and nutrition, but they also benefit from improved food security, creating a mutually reinforcing relationship across government policies and implementation.

1.3 Geographic Coverage

The FTF efforts covered in this IEE will continue to be country-wide, specifically regarding research and policy activities, but the programs primarily focus on the 21 south central and southwest districts of the country, which is called FTF Zone of Influence (FTF ZOI) and two districts in the southeast part of the country which is FTF Zone of Resilience (FTF ZOR). These regions include areas with some of the highest poverty and malnutrition rates, in addition to coastal areas vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Priority has been given to areas where activities can be integrated with ongoing food security and other USAID programs. In addition, the program and activities will primarily target small farmers and the food-insecure poor. The FTF efforts are designed while keeping in mind the various other donors that are active in the field. The FTF portfolio operates on the principle of adding value to the existing donor engagement, and in cases, leading the efforts.

2.0 Country Environmental Information

Bangladesh has made significant progress over the past years. Following 10 years of sustained Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of over six percent annually, Bangladesh crossed the lower-middle income threshold for the first time in July 2015.7 It has progressed from being one of the poorest countries at independence in 1971, to reaching lower middle-income status in 2015, and being on track to graduate from the UN’s Least Developed Countries list in 2026. In the last decade, Bangladesh’s average GDP growth rate has been one of the fastest in the world. Per capita incomes have also risen, from $543 in FY 2005-2006 to $2,227 in FY 2021. According to provisional estimates by the Bangladesh Bureau of statistics in May 2022, the agriculture sector is estimated to grow 2.2 percent, industry sector by 12.31

7 Country Partnership Strategy, Bangladesh 2016-2020. Asian Development Bank, September 2016, 2.

http://bit.ly/2ig7bW0.

percent and the Service sector is estimated to grow by 8.72 percent.8 This growth has been due to a demographic dividend, strong ready-made garment exports, remittances, and stable macroeconomic conditions. Bangladesh has also made a strong economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.9

Figure 1: Feed the Future Activity Area in Bangladesh

8 The Business Standard 2022. https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/bbs-projects-75-gdp-growth-fy21-22-capita-income-hit-2824-416766?fbclid=IwAR3zk9ul3Hxp-v61Sae8onzS0NAsIsBb9e1UgR0AdGg9FV1BL_NnP-5foPM 9 World Bank Press Release on COVID-19 recovery, April 2022. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/04/13/bangladesh-economy-shows-resilience-amid-global-uncertainty

Bangladesh’s development gains have not been without its environmental challenges. Bangladesh is geographically located in the world’s largest and most dynamic delta, is rife with rivers, and is also mostly made up of low-lying plains. Together this makes it one of the world’s most climate vulnerable countries.10 While its geographic bounty has contributed to securing development gains and provided people with their livelihoods, the environmental features and climate challenges pose serious threats.

Bangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated countries with a population of about 160 million living in 1,47,570 km2 including rivers. Bangladesh has been ranked as the 6th most vulnerable country in the world in terms of risks from natural hazards. The biggest threats to development and livelihoods are tidal surge, salinity, flooding, river erosion and cyclones, which are unfortunately regular features that pose challenges to food and nutritional security for a large part of the rural areas. Bangladesh also faces other challenges from growing urbanization, declining land availability, infrastructure shortages, energy supply constraints, governance issues, etc.

Floodplains constitute one of the nation's most valuable natural resources. Fish supply 60 percent of Bangladesh's animal protein consumption and are of particular importance to the poor. Capture fisheries have been in decline for some time, because of physical obstructions, overfishing, pollution and inadequate management policies and institutions.

Bangladesh has limited remaining natural forest cover, at about 10 percent of land area, and almost all that area is now seriously degraded, because of extreme population pressure for fuel wood and other forest products, as well as inadequate management. In addition, Rohingya refugee settlements have severely damaged biodiversity and depleted over 8,000 acres of reserved forest in Cox’s Bazar district.11

Nevertheless, over the past decades, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has invested over $10 billion to make the country less vulnerable to natural disasters. These investments (supported by development partners), include programs for flood management, construction of coastal polders, cyclone, and flood shelters, raising roads above flood level and installing warning systems. However, addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation will require scaling up of investments and sound environmental management, including natural ecosystems management. The GoB developed the Forest Investment Plan (FIP, 2017-2022) to identify future investment opportunities to increase the forest cover, reduce deforestation and forest degradation and improve the livelihoods of the forest-dependent people through the implementation of participatory/social forestry. The GoB has also formulated the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, a comprehensive 100-year strategic plan aimed at gradual sustainable development through adaptive delta management process. The Delta Plan acknowledges the ever-present challenge to maintain food security in the face of increasing population and decreasing agricultural land as well as the threat posed by climate change. Going forward Bangladesh requires coordinated policy and ground level actions involving agriculture, environment, forests and climate change, land, fisheries and livestock, water resources, disaster management and relief, as well as climate finance and planning.

The USAID/Bangladesh FTF portfolio integrates climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices to sustainably increase agricultural productivity and incomes; to adapt and build resilience to climate change; and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, where appropriate. The FTF activities build the capacity of farmers to adopt climate smart technologies and practices: soil fertility and organic matter management, use of integrated pest management (IPM) technologies, efficient fertilizer and water management, ruminant

10 https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/country-profiles/15502-WB_Bangladesh%20Country%20Profile-WEB.pdf 11 The Business Standard 2022. https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/bbs-projects-75-gdp-growth-fy21-22-capita-income-hit-2824- 416766?fbclid=IwAR3zk9ul3Hxp-v61Sae8onzS0NAsIsBb9e1UgR0AdGg9FV1BL_NnP-5foPM management, and biogas from manures, reduce post-harvest loss, and application of digital devices to disseminate weather/climate information, etc.

2.1 National Agricultural and Environmental Policies

Since the last FTF IEE, dated 2017, the GoB has not updated the main environmental rules or laws. The GoB formulated an Environment Policy in 1992, the objectives of which are to:

● Maintain ecological balance and overall development through protection and improvement of the environment;

● Protect the country against natural disasters;

● Identify and regulate activities which pollute and degrade the environment;

● Ensure environmentally sound development in all sectors;

● Ensure sustainable, long term and environmentally sound use of all national resources; and,

● Actively remain associated with all international environmental initiatives to the maximum possible extent.

The GoB has also adopted several supplementary policies where environment and development issues have been addressed. Important policy documents in this respect are the Forest Policy (1994), Fisheries Policy (1998), Water Policy (1998), Agriculture Extension Policy (2020), the Energy Policy (1995), National Seed Policy (2020), etc. Besides these sectoral policies, the National Conservation Strategy (NCS) and especially the National Environment Management Action Plan, 1995 (NEMAP) have been formulated to provide action plans to respond to environmental issues and promote sustainable development. The GoB also developed the Country Investment Plan for Environment, Forestry and Climate Change (2016-2020) (EFCC CIP) that emphasizes the importance of managing climate change and indicates the priorities for implementing the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP), released in 2009. Climate adaptation measures are a priority in Bangladesh's climate and development strategies such as the National Adaptation Programme of Action 2005 (NAPA), the Nationally Determined Contributions 2015 (NDC) and the upcoming National Adaptation Plan (NAP).

The Standing Orders on Disasters (SOD) of 2010, which were updated in 2019, the Climate Change and Gender Action Plan (ccGAP) of 2013, the National Disaster Management Policy of 2015, the National Disaster Management Plan for the years 2021 to 2025, the Eighth Five Year Plan 2020-2025, the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 of 2018, and the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan (MCPP) of 2021 are also significant.

The Bangladesh Environmental Conservation Act (1995) established the Department of Environment (DoE) and signaled a move towards ecosystem approaches and regulation of developments harmful to those ecosystems, particularly pollution control and mitigation and requirements for Environmental Impact Assessments. Under it, the Environmental Protection Regulations (1998) cover regulations, compliance, and enforcement. The Act includes provisions for declaring Ecologically Critical Areas (ECAs) to restrict potentially harmful activities in these areas. Ten such areas have since been declared.

The Forest Act of 1927 sets the frame for forest management and vests considerable power in the hands of the Chief Conservator of Forests to determine the use of forest lands and to penalize illegal users. The Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) Order of 1973 (later amended and gazette as the Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation)(Amendment) Act of 1974) is mainly concerned with regulating hunting but also sets out the scope for declaring protected areas as wildlife sanctuaries or national parks; notably, these are not limited to forests, nor is the Order limited to Forest Department implementation. New rules for management of Protected Areas (PAs) and for social forestry now under discussion should go a long way to institutionalizing the concept of co-management.

The Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950, and related Protection and Conservation of Fish Rules, 1985, which cover not only fish but also amphibians and aquatic reptiles, prohibit fishing by harmful methods, pollution, and other activities detrimental to fisheries, and enable declaration of closed seasons and other rules. More recently, the Conservation, Restoration and Filling Control Act of 2003 aims to address problems of siltation, encroachment, and pollution of surface waters (rivers, canals, beets, floodplains) as well as aquifers.

Bangladesh has ratified several international environmental conventions including Convention on Biological Diversity, CITIES, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, Ramsar Convention, UN FCC and others. These binding agreements are indirectly supported by the FTF interventions, as all activities are in support of host government regulations and obligations.

The FTF team has been following the mandatory environmental compliance requirements during the design and implementation of its activities. The Deputy Mission Environmental Officer has been working closely with the A/CORs/AMs on ensuring that compliance is addressed all through the life cycle. So far, all the activities that are supposed to have environmental and climate plans have approved documents in place. A/CORs/AMs are following up with implementing partners in compliance reporting.

4.0 Recommended Threshold Decisions and Mitigation Actions:

Some FTF activities are technical assistance (TA) in nature and, therefore, which will impart no negative impact on the physical or natural environment. These TA activities thus qualify for a Categorical Exclusion (CE) per 22 CFR 216.2 (c)(2)(i) as “education, technical assistance, or training programs except to the extent such programs include activities directly affecting the environment”, 22 CFR 216.2

(c) (2)(iii) as “analyses, studies, academic or research workshops and meetings”, and 22 CFR 216.2 (c)(2)(v) as “document and information transfers”. If in doubt whether the activity falls under the CE category, the Mission Environmental Officer and Climate Integration Lead (MEO/CIL) shall be consulted.

Procurement of computers and other electric and electronic equipment, and materials under all program tasks fall under Negative Determination with Conditions. The proposed action is that the implementer should provide evidence that equipment and materials are procured from certified retailers;

environmental safety and quality certificates conforming with national and/or international standards are available; equipment and materials are used in an environmentally sound and safe manner, properly disposed of, when applicable, at the end of their useful life in a manner consistent with best management practices according to USG, European Union or equivalent standards.

A threshold decision of Negative Determination with Conditions pursuant to 22 CFR 216.3 (a) (2) (iii) is recommended for several FTF activities, particularly with respect to adaptive trials and introduction of new varieties, purchasing seeds, small scale infrastructure and irrigation projects and others noted in Table 1-3 that may have negative impact on environment unless due diligence is followed.

Some FTF activities may involve the procurement and use of pesticides. No pesticides may be procured or used or recommended for procurement or use without first completing an amendment to this lEE that addresses the requirements of 22 CFR 216.3(b)12 including a Pesticide Evaluation Report/Safe Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) which must be approved in writing by the BFS and or Asia Bureau Environmental Officer. Please also refer to the Bangladesh PPERSUAP13 and Manual14.

If potentially significant adverse environmental and social effects are expected, a Scoping Statement (SS) and Environmental Assessment (EA) shall be conducted by the implementer prior using qualified team to prior to start of activities. SOW/Terms of Reference (TOR) for Scoping Statement and EA must be reviewed by MEO/CIL and approved by Asia BEO. SS and EA preparation requires meaningful consultation with potentially affected people and key relevant stakeholders.

All Threshold Decisions and required Reg. 216 actions are summarized in Table 4, below.

12 https://www.usaid.gov/our_work/environment/compliance/22cfr216 13 https://ecd.usaid.gov/repository/pdf/45501.pdf 14 https://ecd.usaid.gov/repository/pdf/50669.pdf

Table 4: Threshold Decisions and required Reg. 216 actions

Sec. Activities Effect on Natural or Physical

Environment

Threshold Decisions and required Reg. 216 actions

I All Program activities are expected to have no effect on the natural or physical environment.

This includes: education, technical assistance, training programs except to the extent such programs include activities directly affecting the environment (such as construction, demo of pesticide use, advisory services on pesticides during trainings and policy development support, etc.) consultations, participant training, document transfers and information dissemination, analysis, studies, conferences workshops, study tours, curriculum development, working with training programs, developing information networks.

Examples of activities include:

Training of extension agents and farmers; TA to fish processors; TA to support seed multiplication and farmer access to improved seeds; Trainings, seminars, and study tours, to help establish a network of agricultural input; TA to create retailers association; TA to agricultural input wholesalers to upgrade the service; Training and capacity building of local agribusinesses; Strengthening media reporting capacity etc.

No effect Categorical Exclusion (CE) No actions required. If in doubt whether the activity falls under the CE category, please consult the MEO/CIL.

II All activities regarding which no significant adverse effects are expected No special mitigation measures are needed; activities are implemented with conditions that normal good practices; engineering methods and standard instructions are followed. This includes procurement of office furniture, electric and electronic equipment, and materials (no bio-hazardous or low-radiological materials will be used for testing in this equipment).

Examples include laboratories equipment upgrade, procurement of computers and other electric and electronic equipment and materials under all project tasks.

Insignificant

Negative Determination with Conditions (NDC) The implementer is required to ensure that equipment, commodities (also see ADS

312) and materials are procured from certified retailers; environmental safety and quality certificates conforming with national and/or international standards are available;

equipment and materials are used in an environmentally sound and safe manner, properly disposed of, when applicable, at the end of their useful life in a manner consistent GOB legislation and in their absence with best management practices according to USG, European Union or equivalent standards acceptable to

USAID.

III Activities that normally do not have a significant effect on the environment if special mitigation measures are specified to prevent unintended impact The activities in this category include:

adaptive trails to test and refine new seed varieties of wheat, maize, vegetables and fish; Multiplication and dissemination of improved seeds; Promotion of use and production of FDP applicators; Introduce and intensify improved fish farming technology and management practices; Introduction of new high-yield varieties for adaptive trails; Multiplication and dissemination of improved seeds; Multiplication and dissemination of pest resistant varieties; Link input wholesalers with adaptive research activities and help them commercialize tested and approved quality inputs and practices for large scale adoption on a commercial basis; small scale construction/rehabilitation, and other.

Minor to moderate effect

Negative Determination with Conditions (NDC)

Environmental Due Diligence (EDD) in the form of Environmental Review and Assessment Checklist (IEE Annex 1) is required to identify environmental effects and develop Environmental Manual and Mitigation and Monitoring Plans when applicable.

CRMs may also be needed.

If significant adverse effects are expected, a Scoping Statement (SS) and Environmental Assessment (EA) (including PERSUAP) shall be conducted by the implementer prior to start of activities. SOW/Terms of Reference (TOR) for Scoping Statement and EA

Report (including PERSUAP if applicable) must be reviewed by MEO/CIL and approved by Asia BEO.

5.0 Climate Risk Management Summary

The Climate Risk Management Matrices summarize the results of the updated climate risk assessment conducted by USAID/Bangladesh for the current CDCS. All technical offices in USAID/Bangladesh, with support from Washington, the Deputy Mission Environmental Officers, and the Climate Integration Leads, used the Agency’s Climate Risk Screening and Management Tool to assess and address climate risks vis-a-vis Mission programming. Climate information retrieved from the Bangladesh Climate Risk Profile, Greenhouse Gas Factsheet, GoB communications with relevant international conventions, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UN, EU, and bilateral donors’ climate assessment reports helped inform the analysis, which also incorporated the results of the 2016 Climate Risk Analysis and the updated FAA 118/119 analysis. Coinciding with the new USAID Climate Strategy, the Bangladesh CDCS’ current climate analysis is being updated.

Climate risk management is an iterative process. Continued efforts to assess, address, and adaptively manage climate risks will be necessary throughout strategy implementation and are and will be integrated into activity design, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes, including through mandatory environmental impact assessment processes stipulated in 22 CFR 216. Activities will follow the next steps identified in the table and consider the climate risks, risk management options, and opportunities that have been identified. In areas of moderate and high risk, additional climate risk screening will focus on planned and potential interventions. More detailed environmental mitigation and monitoring plans with climate risk screening shall be produced at the activity level. Climate Risk Management integrated with environmental mitigation, monitoring and reporting will be incorporated into other relevant Mission planning efforts as appropriate.

Table 5: Climate Risk Screening

Developme nt Objectives (DOs)

Intermedia te Results (IRs)

Sector(s) Climate Risks Adaptive Capacity

Climate Risk Rating

Opportunities Climate Risk Management Options

How Climate Risks Are Addressed in the Strategy

Next Steps for Project/ Activity Design

Accepted Climate Risks

DO2-

Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth, and DO3- Strengthen ed Banglades h's Resilience to Shocks and Stressors

IR 2.2:

Enhanced Capacity of the Private Sector to Provide Service and Generate Revenue

Agricultural Production and Post-harvest related activities

Sea-level Rise:

Increased salinity due to sea level rise and tidal surges affect crop production, reducing germination rates, vegetative growth, etc.

Salinity intrusion reduces soil fertility, reduces crop productivity and yields, and will impact freshwater aquaculture, reducing fish yields, damaging natural habitat, and impacting breeding environments, especially for carp, catfish, and other indigenous freshwater fish

Information Capacity: In general, stakeholders are aware of climate change impacts and have moderate capacity to cope with the situation.

Effective climate monitoring systems are not in place;

climate data and information are occasionally used to inform natural resource management and conservation.

Social and Institutional Capacity:

Relevant institutions and GOB have taken a robust coordinated approach to

Modera te

- Build upon existing knowledge and awareness to move activities from coping strategies to adaptation practices.

- Diversify rural livelihoods of farm and non-farm activities.

- Promote integrated farming systems (crop, livestock, aquaculture, homestead gardening, etc.) to reduce climate risks.

- Salinity intrusion reduces arable land for crop cultivation but could provide

- Promote climate-smart agriculture practices.

- Broaden genetic base and enhance genetic variabilities--early maturity, salinity, heat, submerge tolerance varieties, etc.

- Invest in flood protection and drainage;

mobilize communities and provide resources to maintain infrastructure (i.e., polders and sluice gates).

- Social protection programs to restore or

- Build the capacity of beneficiari es to absorb, withstand and adapt to climatic shocks and variability.

- Address livelihood options for communiti es in and around climate-stressed areas.

- Assist households living around coastal areas to improve fishing and agricultural practices and/or undertake other

- Support activities that conduct research or review policies on the impact of climate change on the broader agricultural sector.

- Evaluate crop modeling, in terms of climate change scenarios, for different agro-ecological zones within the FtF Zones of Influence.

-Incorporate climate change

None.

Accepted non-climatic risks: high population pressure on natural resources;

low adoption of climate smart technologies and processes is a possibility until communities see the incremental economic and/or social benefits.

Developme nt Objectives (DOs)

Intermedia te Results (IRs)

Sector(s) Climate Risks Adaptive Capacity

Climate Risk Rating

Opportunities Climate Risk Management Options

How Climate Risks Are Addressed in the Strategy

Next Steps for Project/ Activity Design

Accepted Climate Risks species. As a result, fish habitat suitability is likely to shift, with negative impacts on fish species.

Temperatures:

Heat stress due to increasing temperatures shortens development phases, disrupts the life cycle, and ultimately impacts crop production and yields and plant physiological processes (e.g.

carbon assimilation, transpiration, photosynthesis, respiration, etc.). Rapid and frequent changes in temperature allows for the emergence of new pests, such as fall armyworm. It impacts animal address climate change (7th Five Year Plan, Second Country Investment Plan for Nutrition- Sensitive Food System).

Human Capacity:

Communities recognize the impacts of climate change in general;

individuals and communities are moderately sensitized about potential climate impacts on the environment but need support for capacity building.

Financial Capacity:

Domestic revenue sources (GoB) finance over 80 percent of climate-related additional areas for shrimp farming (a more highly valued commodity than many agricultural products).

rebuild assets after floods/cyclones alternative income-generating activities (e.g., homestead gardening, small scale livestock rearing, etc.).

mitigation into monitoring and evaluation plans.

nt Objectives (DOs)

Intermedia te Results (IRs)

Sector(s) Climate Risks Adaptive Capacity

Climate Risk Rating

Opportunities Climate Risk Management Options

How Climate Risks Are Addressed in the Strategy

Next Steps for Project/ Activity Design

Accepted Climate Risks growth as well, as heat stress reduces livestock fertility, milk production, physical growth, etc.

Tidal Surge, flooding & water logging:

More frequent tidal surges and flood events damage crops and hastens riverbank erosion and loss of arable land. Cyclones and storm surges kill livestock, destroy grazeland and damage infrastructure.

Damaging runoff impacts fish ecosystems, damages aquaculture infrastructure, and causes loss of fish stocks and increased projects/progra ms, while foreign grants finance about 20 percent.

Stakeholders have limited capacity to access climate funds.

nt Objectives (DOs)

Intermedia te Results (IRs)

Sector(s) Climate Risks Adaptive Capacity

Climate Risk Rating

Opportunities Climate Risk Management Options

How Climate Risks Are Addressed in the Strategy

Next Steps for Project/ Activity Design

Accepted Climate Risks disease outbreaks.

Infrastructu re: roads/ transport systems, markets, warehouses, etc.

Sea-level Rise:

Can cause inundation of roads, especially in the coastal areas of the Zone of Influence, limiting access to roads and markets. Sea level rise will weaken the soil surface that supports roads.

Salinity:

Increased salinity will reduce the lifespan of construction materials and ultimately damage/weake n infrastructure.

Temperatures:

Heat waves cause pavement to soften and expand, create rutting and

Information Capacity:

Stakeholders are aware of climate change impacts in general and have moderate capacity to apply that information when making decisions.

Accurate and timely weather/season al forecasting and early warning systems for severe weather events are not available to rural business communities for decision-making.

Effective monitoring systems are not in place to provide context-specific information on

Modera te

- Leverage the GoB's increasing focus and investment on infrastructure development could help mitigate climatic risks.

- Use proper construction materials and building codes.

- Ensure each project is properly designed to consider forecasts for flooding potential.

Include high level drainage management plans in all market/collecti on centers to reduce impacts on infrastructure.

- Elevate roads and collection/mark et centers in coastal areas that are prone to cyclones/floodi ng.

- Integrate climate risk consideratio ns and mitigation actions in activity scopes of work/progra m descriptions risks: High population pressure on natural resources.

Political instability may disrupt program implementati on.

nt Objectives (DOs)

Intermedia te Results (IRs)

Sector(s) Climate Risks Adaptive Capacity

Climate Risk Rating

Opportunities Climate Risk Management Options

How Climate Risks Are Addressed in the Strategy

Next Steps for Project/ Activity Design

Accepted Climate Risks potholes, particularly in high-traffic areas and can place stress on bridge joints.

Flooding/Tidal Surge: Intense and more frequent flooding/tidal surges can disrupt traffic, delay construction activities, and weaken or wash out the soil and culverts that support roads, tunnels, and bridges. Floods and tidal surges can damage or wash away market structures, disrupting markets and value chains.

changes to market systems.

Institutional Capacity:

Government institutions have taken a robust coordinated approach to plan and implement actions to address climate change impacts and opportunities (i.e., National Adaptation Plan, Delta Plan, Second Country Investment Plan for Nutrition- Sensitive Food System).

Coordination between national and sub-national governments exists but is not strong enough to promote an adequate response to nt Objectives (DOs)

Intermedia te Results (IRs)

Sector(s) Climate Risks Adaptive Capacity

Climate Risk Rating

Opportunities Climate Risk Management Options

How Climate Risks Are Addressed in the Strategy

Next Steps for Project/ Activity Design

Accepted Climate Risks climate change impacts.

Prioritizing the needs of women and girls to prevent further gender inequality from climate change impacts is still not adequately addressed.

Human Capacity:

Agriculture producers and business communities are moderately sensitized about potential climate impacts on livelihoods but need support / capacity building to adapt climate-smart practices.

Financial Capacity:

Domestic GoB revenue sources finance over 80 percent of climate-related projects/progra nt Objectives (DOs)

Intermedia te Results (IRs)

Sector(s) Climate Risks Adaptive Capacity

Climate Risk Rating

Opportunities Climate Risk Management Options

How Climate Risks Are Addressed in the Strategy

Next Steps for Project/ Activity Design

Accepted Climate Risks ms, while foreign grants finance about 20 percent. CIP

EFCC

identified roughly $1B gap (28 percent) in investment to achieve the 2021 target for Adaptation and Resilience to climate change.

Financial products and services (e.g., insurance) are currently not available to address increasing climate risks on livelihoods, though some pilot experiments are in place.

IR 3.2:

Enhanced People's Abilities to Adapt to and Recover

Climate-resilient rural livelihoods

Cyclones/Stor m Surges/Floodin g: Damage to embankments, settlements, cyclone

Information Capacity: In general, communities are aware of climate change impacts and

Modera te

- Develop and strengthen early warning systems, disaster risk reduction, and

- Build capacity to incorporate and update disaster readiness plans with information on

- Improve disaster preparedne ss as well as access to improved climate

- Raise awareness and discuss with implementin g partners, GoB, and risks:

nt Objectives (DOs)

Intermedia te Results (IRs)

Sector(s) Climate Risks Adaptive Capacity

Climate Risk Rating

Opportunities Climate Risk Management Options

How Climate Risks Are Addressed in the Strategy

Next Steps for Project/ Activity Design

Accepted Climate Risks from Shocks and Stressor shelters, transport systems, water supply and sanitation infrastructure can disproportionat ely impact marginalized populations by reducing access to basic services (i.e., health centers).

Extreme weather events (i.e., storm surges, floods) and climate change may affect people’s livelihoods by disrupting markets and value chains, increase landlessness due to river erosion and crop loss, and contribute to increased temporary displacement or permanent migration.

have moderate capacity to cope. Social and Institutional Capacity:

Relevant institutions and the GoB have taken a well-coordinated approach to address climate change in planning processes (7th Five Year Plan, Second Country Investment Plan for Nutrition- Sensitive Food System).

Human Capacity:

Individuals and communities are moderately sensitized about potential climate impacts on the environment but need support / capacity preparedness at all levels.

- Provide timely weather information to farmers using results of monitoring from early warning systems.

- Diversify livelihood strategies and increased access to savings/financ e to cope with shocks and stresses.

Construct/retr ofit agricultural infrastructure for changing climate conditions when necessary and rebuild following extreme weather and climate and ensure that plans are gender-informed.

- Enhance early warning systems and ensure it reaches the most vulnerable.

- Enhance support for information-sharing systems and services, which may involve strengthening networks and promoting dialogue and cooperation among scientific communities and practitioners.

- Further incorporate informatio n and disaster warnings.

Look for opportuniti es for longer term risk reduction and resilience through links with other programs.

Support the capacity and capabilities of GoB agencies to respond at national and local levels by strengtheni ng the Incident Manageme nt System for climate-affected hazards.

other stakeholders

- Assist with capacity building of Co- Managemen t Organizatio ns, NGOs, and GoB in community conservatio n.

- Integrate FtF and FFP activities to build rural livelihood resilience within communitie

s. - Identify intervention s to build the capacity of beneficiarie s to absorb, withstand and adapt to environment al and

Political, social and economic vulnerability of chars, haors, southwest coastal districts, remoteness and inaccessibilit y.

nt Objectives (DOs)

Intermedia te Results (IRs)

Sector(s) Climate Risks Adaptive Capacity

Climate Risk Rating

Opportunities Climate Risk Management Options

How Climate Risks Are Addressed in the Strategy

Next Steps for Project/ Activity Design

Accepted Climate Risks building.

Financial Capacity:

Domestic GoB revenue sources finance over 80 percent of climate-related projects/progra ms, while foreign grants finance about 20 percent.

Stakeholders have limited capacity to access climate funds.

extreme events.

- Leverage political will to strengthen the Disaster Management System as illustrated in 7th Five Year Plan (2016- 2020) and National Plan for Disaster Management (2010-2015).

resilience measures into recovery to mitigate negative impacts in future disasters.

For example, plant vegetation along coastlines to protect land from storm surges; and integrate disaster awareness and education projects.

Construct cyclone shelters including water and sanitation facilities and safeguard available space for keeping livestock during cyclones.

climatic changes, market shocks and variability.

- Evaluate the effectivenes s of Early Warning Systems within the Zone of Influence.

Incorporate climate change mitigation into monitoring and evaluation of biodiversity, conservatio n, and natural resources.

6.0 Implementer’s Procedures:

The USAID Agreement/Contracting Officer’s Representative (A/COR) will make sure that the implementing partners (IPs) follow the procedures below for all relevant activities, and demonstrate their compliance with these procedures in their quarterly and annual performance reports. As part of its initial Work Plan, and all Annual Work Plans thereafter, the IP, in collaboration with the A/COR and MEO/CIL shall review all ongoing and planned activities under the award to determine if they are within the scope of the approved IEE; and classify them in accordance with Table 4.

● The IP will have technical capabilities and sufficient resources to implement environmental compliance measures and have to budget for those at the activity design stage.

● All program activities will seek to raise environmental awareness, promote regional and national environmentally and socially sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, adaptation to climate change, foster the culture of environmental compliance and governance, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters with reference to it: http://www.unece.org/env/pp/welcome.html

● The implementer will include environment compliance considerations into all aspects of the program implementation and will promote and train local counterparts on environmental requirements and standards across all of the program’s activities. Such proposed activities will be included into annual work plans, and results will be reported in annual performance reports (reporting will include photographic documentation and site visit reports which fully document that all proposed mitigation procedures were followed throughout implementation of the subject work)

● Prior to the launch of each activity that received NDC determination in this IEE (Table 1, 2, 3 and Table 4 Section III) the IP should recruit as warranted a qualified environmental impact professional(s) (EIP) concurred to by A/COR and MEO/CIL, who will conduct Environmental Due Diligence (EDD) review described below and develop other required environmental compliance documentation, recommend environmental actions to be taken by the program, train project personnel (including sub-grantees and sub-contractors), coordinate implementation of mitigation measures, monitoring, and reporting. Should the EIP lack special technical knowledge to identify any special environmental impact, the implementer will consult with a specialist in the relevant area. (See Annex 5 for sample TOR for the EIP)

● Prior to the launch of each activity that received NDC determination in this IEE including sub-grants and sub-contracts, the implementer’s EIP will conduct an Environmental Due Diligence (EDD) review with the Environmental Review and Assessment Checklist (ER Checklist) (Annex 1) and Leopold Matrix (Annex 2) as an inherent part of the EDD. The EDD must be reviewed and cleared by the A/COR and MEO/CIL. The EDD process will document existing environmental concerns and foreseeable environmental effects resulting from the activities. If the EDD results in a finding of potential significant environmental impact, a Scoping Statement (SS) and Environmental Assessment (EA) will be done by the implementer prior to start of activities. TOR for Scoping Statement and/or PERSUAP, Scoping Statement and EA Report must be reviewed by MEO/CIL and approved by Asia BEO. Based on EDD results and mitigation measures from Environmental Guidelines for small-scale Activities, IFC EHS Guidelines, and other documents as referenced below, implementer will develop Program Environmental Manual (EM) / Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) as appropriate for activities that may have negative environmental impact. EM/ EMMP will establish criteria for eligibility, selection, and screening against potential environmental risk (low, moderate, and high). This documentation will then be approved by the A/COR and MEO/CIL, in consultation with the Regional Environmental Advisor for Asia (REA/Asia). If there is any already approved EM, it should be adapted to individual programs and projects and approved by A/COR and MEO/CIL. If there are approved EMs from predecessor activities, those may be updated/adapted, under guidance of

A/COR.

● Host country laws and regulations as well as all the relevant international environmental obligations, including FAO, WHO, ILO, and others for environmental protection and management shall be followed in implementing these activities. For activities categorized as “potential risks”' or “definite risks” of adverse environmental impact, the implementing partner will be required to obtain a letter from the local or regional office for environmental protection stating that the office: a) has been contacted by the implementing partner concerning the project activities; b) will maintain contact with the project; and c) will be aware of the potential environmental impacts of the project to help ensure that no detrimental impact will result from this project.

● If EDD review determines that small scale construction activities can follow best practices and standard conditions and no further assessment is required, each small scale construction activity should be conducted in a manner consistent with good design and implementation practices described in a) USAID Environmental Guidelines for Small-Scale Activities in Africa,…