World Bank Board of Executive Directors approves investigation of the GHANA: Second Urban Environmental Sanitation Project

Washington, November 27, 2007. On November 09, 2007, the World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved, on a non-objection basis, the Inspection Panel’s recommendation to investigate the issues raised in the Request for Inspection related to the Ghana: Second Urban Environmental Sanitation Project (IDA Credit No. 3889-GH).

The Panel received the Request for Inspection on August 16, 2007. The Request was submitted by the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) on behalf of the Agyemankata Community, which lives in an area known as Kwabenya in Ga District, Ghana.

The Project aims to improve urban living conditions in Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale, and Tema in regard to environmental health, sanitation, drainage, vehicular access, and solid waste management in a sustainable fashion, with special emphasis on the poor. The Project is financed by an IDA Credit equivalent of US$64.39 million (SDR 41.6 million). The subcomponent in question was initially financed by DfID.

The Requesters contend that their community will be detrimentally affected by the sanitary landfill that is being funded by the Project. They claim that the negative impact of the landfill on those living near it and the possible pollution of their water supply will result in an involuntary displacement of much of the community and leave many of the remainder of the community living in conditions detrimental to their health. The Requesters further state that the landfill has raised several potentially contentious environmental and social issues.

After reviewing the Request for Inspection and Bank Management Response to the Request and visiting the Project area, the Panel determined that the Request and the Requesters satisfied the eligibility criteria for an inspection and that conflicting claims and assertions expressed by the Requesters and Management merited an investigation. The Panel, in its Eligibility Report, noted proposed actions and commitments set forth in the Management Response, which are intended to address some of the critical issues and concerns raised by the Request. The Panel recommended that the Board of Executive Directors authorize an investigation into the matters alleged in the Request, and noted that it would take into account progress in the implementation of the actions proposed by the Bank. The Board approved the Panel’s recommendation.

The Panel’s Eligibility Report and Recommendation, the Request for Inspection and the Management Response are available in the Panel’s website atwww.inspectionpanel.org. For additional information about the Inspection Panel, please contact the Panel’s Secretariat atipanel@worldbank.orgor at Tel. 1 202 458 5200.