Environmental and Social Management Plan Annex to the Financing Agreement - General Considerations

Environmental and Social Management Plan Annex to the Financing Agreement, Sudan Emergency Wheat Production Project II

The Sudan Emergency Wheat Production Project II (SEWPP II), financed by the African Development Bank, follows on the largely successful Sudan Emergency Wheat Production Project (2022-25). The Project aims to enhance food security and livelihoods for smallholder farmers in target areas by enhancing production, productivity and profitability in the wheat-producing sector in Sudan. This is achieved through providing access to quality inputs, improved agronomic practices, enhanced irrigation systems, and increased value addition and market access. The Project will run during 2025-28, and will be implemented in Gezira, Kassala, Northern and River Nile states.

The Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) Annex to the Financing Agreement sets out the measures and actions required for the project design and implementation to meet the African Development Bank’s Environmental and Social Operational Safeguards, in alignment with WFP’s own WFP Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework. This document summarizes the material measures and actions required, timelines and criteria for determining the achievement of the measures and actions outlined. These broadly encompass requirements relating to capacities for environmental and social safeguards, grievance redress mechanisms, contractor management, preparation of environmental and social safeguards instruments, stakeholder engagement, accident and incident management and disclosure.

1. Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and Management Plan : The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) describes the project, the relevant legal frameworks in Sudan concerning Environmental and Social Safeguards, and existing environmental and social baseline in the project areas. The second part of the document - the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) - identifies plausible environmental and social risks / impacts from the project, and proposes mitigation measures. The ESIA / ESMP was developed on the basis of document review, key informant interviews, field consultations and observations. Community consultations were convened in New Halfa and Gezeira, and the findings of these are summarised. The ESIA / ESMP is part of a suite of Environmental and Social Safeguards Instruments that also includes the Pest and Vector Management Plan, The Hazardous Waste Management Plan, and the Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
2. Pest and Vector Management Plan: The objective of the Pest and Vector Management Plan (PVMP) is to promote the use of a combination of environmentally and socially friendly practices (hygienic, cultural, biological, or natural control mechanisms and the judicious use of chemicals) and reduce reliance on synthetic chemical pesticides and ensure that health, social and environmental hazards associated with pesticides are minimized and within acceptable limit requirements of key stakeholders (i.e. primary users among farmers and their immediate defendants/families). The PVMP describes the project, the pest problems in the project area, and sets out an integrated approach to pest management. While pesticides will not be provided through the project, it is anticipated farmers may use them, and so guidance on the proper handling of pesticides is provided in the PVMP. The PVMP also explains how Environmental and Social Safeguards will be integrated into the procurement of seeds and fertilisers for the project, including stepwise procurement compliance overview for both procurements. The PVMP is part of a suite of Environmental and Social Safeguards Instruments that also includes the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, The Hazardous Waste Management Plan, and the Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
3. Hazardous Waste Management Plan: The Hazardous Waste Management Plan (HWMP) briefly touches on the safe disposal of agricultural chemical waste, but is principally designed to ensure appropriate disposal of used batteries for solar panels. However during the course of developing the HWMP it was clarified that the project will not use batteries for solar power irrigation, and instead that irrigation powered by solar cells will only be utilized in daylight hours. As such, guidance has been provided in the plan, but it is yet to be determined if the plan is to be triggered, thus there is no timeline for implementation nor budget, since it is not clear if this plan will be applied, and at what scale, and where. The HWMP describes the project as well as the major sources of hazardous waste in Sudan. It explains relevant legal frameworks for the management of hazardous waste, and sets out a hazardous waste management plan for used solar OV batteries, along with a process for monitoring and evaluating the HWMP
4. Stakeholder Engagement Plan: The Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) for the Project defines a strategic approach to identify, engage, and work with key stakeholders throughout the wheat value chain. The plan includes a broad range of stakeholders, such as government ministries, farmers’ associations, local communities, youth and women's groups, agricultural extension workers, NGOs, private sector organizations, and development partners, and uses a power-interest matrix to categorize stakeholders and develop tailored engagement strategies. It describes the information dissemination strategy, monitoring and reporting structures, as well as the Grievance Redress Mechanisms that will be utilised by the project.