Environmental & Social Safeguards Third-Party Monitoring

environmental impact as more resource-efficient Arazi Records Centers (ARCs) will lead to a lower carbon footprint. The project activities, however, have some environmental risks that would mainly stem from expansion of ARCS under Components 3 and 4. The accompanying office renovation works can have Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) risks to labor and surrounding communities, including air and noise emissions. The procurement of ICT equipment may pose health and safety risks if electronic waste (e-waste) is not properly managed. The Government of Punjab through the Board of Revenue (BOR) has conducted a detailed Environmental and Social (E&S) assessment using a framework approach; and prepared an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) including an e-waste management plan in accordance with the relevant ESF standards. The social risk rating is High because land tenure is a highly contentious issue in Punjab, particularly in the context of widening social and economic inequities. In Pakistan, land disputes typically take the form of inheritance related issues amongst multiple heirs; there is widespread practice of not allowing women to claim inheritance; usually there are multiple claimants for properties who often rely on falsified documentation etc. Disputes over land ownership are likely to emerge as cadastral maps are updated and properties registered. Some level of social disharmony can also be anticipated, given widespread disputes over land (multiple claimants, disputed inheritance rights, customary exclusion of women and minors from rightful land shares, etc.). Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) has been prepared by the BoR to address risks related to land acquisition, restrictions on land use and involuntary resettlement in accordance with ESS5. There will be no forced evictions under the Project; removal of illegal occupants will only be done in a manner consistent with basic principles of due process. The Project is a major reform initiative that requires detailed consultations with stakeholders. Stakeholders include both those who are affected by the project and those who do not experience direct impacts, but who have an interest in how the project proceeds. PULSE stakeholders include landowners and property owners, real estate renters and buyers, housing societies and property developers, residents of regularized and non-regularized informal settlements (Katchi Abadis), surveyors, revenue officials, elected representatives, and the general public. As per World Bank requirements, Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM) systems are an integral component of the project administration. The Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) describes the Project GRM in detail. For the Project, a Grievance Redress Committee (GRC) will be constituted at the PMU, managed by a GRM specialist. A GRM Committee, chaired by BOR, and comprising all relevant departments will be notified which will draw on existing resources at the PLRA and BoR. The Labor Management Plan (LMP) provides estimates of the total number and type of staffing needed for the Project. The Project does not involve major civil works, and as such there is little likelihood of there being any large scale in-migration of labor on project sites. Possible labor risks have been assessed in the SEP and relate to Forced Labor or Child Labor hiring by 2 | Page

View entire presentation