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Kenya: Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (IDA Credit 2907-KE and GEF TF 23819)

​Outcome of the Investigation into the Kenya Water Hyacinth Chopping Pilot

of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project

Washington, May 14, 2001 - The World Bank Board of Executive Directors recorded their approval of the recommendations made by World Bank Management in response to the Inspection Panel's findings in its Investigation Report on the Water Hyacinth Chopping Pilot of the Kenya Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project.

Management was not in full compliance with OD 4.01 with respect to meeting the overall purpose and nature of the OD including, as acknowledged by Management, adequate consultations with affected groups and NGOs. The Inspection Panel concluded that Management was in compliance with OD 4.01. (Environmental Assessment) with respect to categorization of the Project, OD 4.15 (Poverty Alleviation) and OP 10.04 (Economic Evaluation of Investment Operations). The Panel also concluded that Bank Management was not in compliance with paragraph 42 of OD 13.05 on Bank Supervision.

Bank Management accepted the Panel's findings and recommended six actions: (i) continued monitoring; (ii) vigilant surveillance; (iii) heightened community participation; (iv) cross country participation in supervision missions; (v) renewed activity of the Panel of Scientists; and (vi) possible repeat of the pilot. The Inspection Panel's Report was prepared in response to a Request for Inspection submitted by RECONCILE (Resources Conflict Institute), a Kenyan

non-governmental organization, acting for and on behalf of persons in the Nyanza Gulf area of Lake Victoria within the Republic of Kenya. RECONCILE was also the representative of OSIENALA (Friends of Lake Victoria), an NGO representing people living in Kisumu, and the Kenya Chapter of ECOVIC (the East African Communities Organization for Management of Lake Victoria Resources) who represented communities living along the Kenya side of Lake Victoria.

The Requesters claimed that they were likely to suffer harm as a result of failures and omissions by the Bank in the design and implementation of the water hyacinth mechanical chopping pilot of the LVEMP in Kenya. In particular, they claimed that the mechanical method for shredding the water hyacinth in the Lake and allowing it to sink to the bottom would result in ecological and environmental degradation which would, in turn, adversely affect communities living on the shores at the Nyanza Gulf. They also claimed that this method to control the water hyacinth was selected without a prior Environmental Assessment or appropriate community consultation.

The Panel registered the Request on November 22, 1999, and the Board approved the Panel's recommendation for an investigation on March 20, 2000. The Panel sent its Investigation Report to the Board on December 28, 2000.

To read the Inspection Investigation Panel Report and the Management Response, see Documents Relating toKENYA: Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project.

For more information on the Inspection Panel please visit our website atwww.inspectionpanel.org.