Panel Releases A Non-Technical Summary of Its Investigation Report on Togo WACA Project

The Inspection Panel has published a non-technical summary of the report on its investigation into the Bank financed West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilient Investment Project in Togo. The project is part of a regional initiative addressing coastal erosion and climate change in West Africa. The investigation focused on two subprojects impacting Togo's coast. Requesters from coastal communities supported the project but raised some concerns including its impact on artisanal fishing and consequently, their livelihoods, lack of consultation, and the absence of a functioning grievance redress mechanism.

The Panel found that the project displayed insufficient understanding of artisanal fisheries' importance, inadequate measures to address impacts, and limited assessment of the impact of the emergency works. While efforts were made to minimize resettlement, insufficient attention was given to providing targeted livelihood support for the impacted fishing communities. In addition, the Panel found that the decision to exclude one of the areas from the project consideration could potentially exacerbate erosion in that location. 

The Panel concurred with World Bank Management on the severity of coastal challenges and the inevitability of continued erosion. The Panel's findings aim to balance environmental resilience with local social impacts, contributing to the World Bank's institutional learning and future project design. Looking ahead, Togo may need to adapt to long-term sea-level rise and intensifying storms through a combination of policy considerations and soft and hard measures.

Simultaneous with the release of a non-technical summary of its investigation, the Panel is making available a video in which Panel Chair Mark Goldsmith - and two staff members of the Panel, Serge Selwan and Camila Jorge do Amaral - describe the investigation case and Panel findings.  Learn more.