Capacity Building & Review
- The APFBC Phase-II project has mainstreamed environmental and social safeguards into all stages of planning and implementation, aligning with World Bank ESF/ESS principles and AFD guidelines. A comprehensive Environmental and Social Assessment (ESA) and Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) were developed, categorizing sub-projects based on their risk profile and applying appropriate mitigation measures.
- Institutional capacity was strengthened through 12 orientation sessions and 18 virtual workshops during the project period, equipping FIUs and contractors with the knowledge to apply ESMS processes and utilizeutilizing digital tools such as Kobo Toolbox for standardized E&S monitoring and reporting.
- Across project interventions including plantations, community-led Entry Point Activities (EPAs) and other infrastructural projects E&S screening was conducted to ensure risks were identified. Site-specific ESMPs were prepared for higher-risk activities such as road repairs within protected areas and the Veterinary Rescue Centre at Manas, while a generic ESMP guided lower-risk projects such as construction of Office Building.
- A three-tier Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) was operationalized across 28 divisions (FIU level) and 107 JFMCs (JFMC level) supported by community sensitization sessions on GRM.
- Annual Report on Environment, Social, and Gender Action Plan Performance was prepared for each project year (2021-22, 2022-23 and , 2023-24), while , 2024-25 is under progress), to systematically record, track, and monitor E&S issues arising during the implementation of project activities.
