Brazil

The development objective of the Third, fourth, and fifth Phase of Rio Grande do Sul Integrated Municipal Infrastructure Project (APL) is to strengthen the capacity... Show More + of the municipalities of Bage, Pelotas, Rio Grande, Santa Maria and Uruguaiana to provide selected infrastructure services and employment opportunities for their population. The following factors are the main drivers of the restructurings: the Brazilian Real (BRL) has appreciated significantly against the United States Dollar (USD) since Project preparation, going from an average of BRL 2.2 for USD 1 at the time of appraisal/approval to an average exchange rate of BRL 1.77 since 2010, corresponding to the contracting and disbursement launch periods, there has been a significant increase in construction costs in Brazil, accompanying the scaling up of Federal Government's investment in infrastructure and economic growth, and there were also delays in initiating some activities related to the procurement processes and/or the finalization of the detailed designs. Show Less -

The development objective of the Bahia Poor Urban Areas Integrated Development Project for Brazil is to reduce urban poverty in a sustainable manner, targeting the poorest... Show More + and most vulnerable sections of Salvador and strategic cities of the state of Bahia with access to basic services and improved housing and social support services. The closing date of the project will be extended from November 30, 2012 until October 31, 2013. This will be the third extension of the closing date for a cumulative period of 33 months. The extension is, therefore, necessary to ensure that the remaining works and resettlement activities are concluded with effective implementation support provided by the Bank. The extension would make up for the delays in implementing the resettlement activities, and allow the time needed to agree with each affected household on a customized solution and to implement it. Show Less -

Ratings for the Recife Urban Upgrading Project for Brazil were as follows: outcomes were moderately satisfactory; risk to development outcome was moderate; Bank performance... Show More + was moderately unsatisfactory; and borrower performance was moderately satisfactory. Some lessons learned includes: integrated urban upgrading, Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) and housing approach. The integrated urban upgrading approach used during the project improved efficiency, reduced project risks, promoted synergies between the various upgrading activities and increased the magnitude of the results. It allowed the implementing agencies to build their capacity to work in a coordinated manner. In addition, the project found the division of the targeted areas into Sanitation Collection Unit (UEs) to be immensely useful. Reducing design complexities: the involvement of the municipalities as both implementing agencies and co-financiers proved to be important for the outcomes of the project and for future sustainability. However, this management model also led to difficulties in implementation and coordination. Issues such as municipal autonomy, distinct technical and managerial capacities and financial constraints contributed to project delays and required high level intervention from the Governor and Mayors. Enforcing clear cut-off dates for resettlement. The Bank's resettlement policy recommends setting a cutoff date at the same time that the census is completed. After this date, no entitlements should be offered to people who settle in the area or make improvements to their homes or businesses. Under the project, resettlement was carried out in stages, and the project did not enforce the cutoff dates for resettlement eligibility. Rebalancing pre and post construction activities: the project focused on improving the living conditions of the residents of the basin through infrastructure and housing upgrades. The project did not place equal emphasis on how to sustain its results and promote the autonomy of the families. Slum upgrading projects usually have more intensive social and community development at the planning and implementation stages than at the post-implementation stage. Show Less -

The objective of the Alto Solimoes Basic Services and Sustainable Development Project for Brazil is to: (i) raise incomes, (ii) increase access to potable water and... Show More + basic sanitation; and (iii) improve health outcomes. The extension is necessary to complete ongoing civil works in the Water Supply and Health components in the municipalities of Tabatinga, Benjamin-Constant, and Atalia do Norte, as well as ongoing community-based productive sub-projects in the nine municipalities of the Alto-Solimoes region. As of June 21, 2012, the project has disbursed US$19.27 million of International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) resources, i.e. 79 percent of the loan. All remaining resources are committed, mostly for ongoing civil works in the water supply component. Consequently, the Borrower's action plan to complete the project is to complete the civil works and the community-based sub-projects that are already underway. The Procurement and FM ratings for the Project are satisfactory. The Borrower also intends to request an additional financing to continue project activities and consolidate its achievements. The additional financing is currently being discussed in light of the Bank's current lending envelope for Brazil. This will be the first extension of the project. Show Less -