Avian Influenza Control and Human Pandemic Preparedness and ...

Afghanistan
Avian Influenza Control and Human Pandemic Preparedness and Response
Project



Environmental Management Plan




Prepared by: The Islamic Government of Afghanistan (GOA):
Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) and Ministry of
Public Health (MOPH)




(July 27, 2007)




Executive Summary

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is embarking upon the Avian Influenza
Control and Human Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project. The project
is funded by the World Bank (WB). In line with the national legislative
requirement and WB's safeguard policies, an environmental management plan
(EMP) of the AI project has been developed. This document presents this
EMP.


Background

Since 2003, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) caused by the H5N1
subtype has been spreading at an alarming rate, from East Asia to Central
Asia, and now to the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and South Asia. In
addition to its impact on animal health, with millions of domestic poultry
having died or been destroyed worldwide, H5N1 has been causing severe human
disease.

Afghanistan has some of the poorest social, economic and health indicators
in the world with high susceptibility to communicable diseases. Inadequate
facilities and capacities to detect, control, contain and mitigate an
outbreak of communicable disease have made this country highly vulnerable
to diseases such as avian influenza.

In March 2006, an inter-sectoral Task Force prepared the Afghanistan
National Avian Influenza and Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response
Plan (ANIPPRP). Subsequently, the Government of Afghanistan requested the
World Bank to finance the Plan. The ANIPPRP was later supplemented with an
Operational Plan, which formed the basis for the World Bank appraisal for
the present project.


The Project

The overall objective of the Project is to minimize the threat posed by
HPAI to humans in Afghanistan by controlling such infections among birds,
especially domestic poultry, and preparing for, controlling, and responding
to possible human infections, especially an influenza epidemic and related
emergencies. This objective will be achieved through three types of
interventions: (i) prevention; (ii) preparedness and planning; and
(iii) response and containment.

The project will finance activities under four components: Animal Health;
Human Health, Communications and Public Awareness; and Institutional
Coordination and Project Management.

The Animal Health component will support a national program to develop and
implement HPAI prevention, containment, control, and eradication activities
in the livestock sector of Afghanistan creating an effective system for
improved bird health surveillance, diagnostic analysis and disease control
in accordance with FAO/OIE standards.

The Human Health component will support a national program of activities to
prevent, detect, respond to and mitigate the impact of human illness caused
by avian or pandemic influenza. Component activities will involve
emergency and long-term developments to address priority gaps in disease
surveillance, control and treatment. It would also contribute to MOPH's
ongoing program for re-establishing public health capacity that was
destroyed during decades of conflict.

Under the coordination of the communications specialist based at the AI
Secretariat, and with the advise and technical assistance of the
Communications Task-Team (including donors, and NGOs), the communications
component will finance baseline research, design, test and implementation
of a comprehensive and integrated communications strategy.

The last component will support the institutional coordination and
management of the Project.


Environmental Management Plan

The present EMP has been developed in response to the regulatory
requirements in the country, defined by the recently promulgated
environmental protection act, as well as the WB Operational Policies.

The overall objective of the EMP is to improve the environmental
performance of the project, and to ensure that the proposed activities do
not cause an unacceptable level of environmental impacts or public health
risks.

The EMP reviews the national regulatory and WB's safeguard policies
relevant to the project. It identifies and assesses the potential
environmental impacts and public health risks that may be caused by the
project, and also recommends mitigation and monitoring measures to reduce
if not completely eliminate these impacts. The document also determines
the training and capacity building needs with regard to the environmental
management of the project. In addition, the EMP defines the implementation
mechanism, and assigns roles and responsibilities, for the mitigation
measures, monitoring requirements and environmental trainings during the
project execution. Finally, the EMP specifies the communication and
documentation protocol for the environmental management of the project.

The present EMP has been developed in a consultative and participative
manner, thus making it relevant to the local conditions and existing
capacities within the implementing ministries. If adequately implemented,
this Plan will not only enhance the environmental performance of the
project, but will also help in mainstreaming the environmental management
within the implementing ministries.





Acronyms

|ADB |Asian Development Bank |
|AH |Animal health |
|AHID |Animal and human influenza disease |
|AI |Avian influenza |
|AIRP |Avian Influenza Response Project |
|APHI |Afghanistan Public Health Institute |
|ANIPPRP |National Avian Influenza and Influenza Pandemic |
| |Preparedness and Response Plan |
|AVA |Afghan Veterinary Association |
|CCU |Command and Control Unit |
|CDC |Center for Disease Control |
|DEWS |Disease Early Warning System |
|DFID |Department for International Development |
|EA |Environmental Assessment |
|EFP |Environmental Focal Point |
|EIA |Environmental Impact Assessment |
|EMP |Environmental Management Plan |
|ERT |Emergency Response Team |
|EU |European Union |
|EWMS |Environmental and Waste Management Specialist |
|FAO |Food and Agriculture Organization |
|FIDIC |International Federation of Consulting Engineers |
|GDPP |General Department for Policy and Planning |
|GoA |Government of Afghanistan |
|GPAI |Global Program for Avian Influenza |
|GPS |Global positioning system |
|HH |Human health |
|HLP |Horticulture and Livestock Project |
|HPAI |Highly pathogenic avian influenza |
|IST |Implementation Support Team |
|MAIL |Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock |
|MOC |Ministry of Commerce |
|MOF |Ministry of Finance |
|MOI |Ministry of Interior |
|MOPH |Ministry of Public Health |
|MORRD |Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development |
|M&E |Monitoring and evaluation |
|NAIC |National Avian Influenza Committee |
|NAIS |National Avian Influenza Secretariat |
|NEPA |National Environmental Protection Agency |
|NERC |National Emergency Response Committee |
|OIE |World Organization for Animal Health / |
| |International Office of Epizootics |
|OP |Operational Policy |
|OSHA |Occupational Safety and Health Administration |
|PAIC |Provincial Avian Influenza Committee |
|POM |Project Operational Manual |
|PPD |Planning and Policy Department |
|PPE |Personal protective equipment |
|SVD |State Veterinary Department |
|ToR |Terms of reference |
|ToT |Training of trainers |
|UNEP |United Nations Environment Program |
|UNICEF |UN International Children and Education Fund |
|USAID |United States Agency for International Development|
|USDA |United States Department of Agriculture |
|VFU |Veterinary Field Units |
|WB |World Bank |
|WHO |World Health Organization |




Contents


Executive Summary ii


Acronyms iv


1 Introduction 1-1


1.1 Background 1-1


1.2 Project Operational Manual 1-2


1.3 EMP Objectives 1-2


1.4 Methodology 1-3


1.5 EMP Components 1-3


2 Regulatory Review 2-1


2.1 National Legislation 2-1


2.3 WB Safeguard Policies 2-3


3 Pro