USAID AFGHANI TAN FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION

Country Code: Program Area: Assistance Objective: Intermediate Results: Country or Region: Activity Name:

Funding Period: Life of Project (LOP) Amount: IEE Prepared by: Date: IEE Amendment (YIN):

306 t>c .-v' : (PH'A-tq-5£31'_,.,,,.11-(!X!) 3 j

DO.2 (Good Governance) Government Accountability to Citizens In eased 3 .1.2 Political participation of citizens incr ased Afghanistan Strengthening Afghanistan's Capacity in I ntity Management - Phase II March, 2019 to February, 2020 $4. 7 million

Fazil Menallah Aman 9/3/2019 N

ENVIRONMENT AL ACTION RECOMMENDED Categorical Exclusion Positive Determination Negative Determination With

Conditions

Climate Change Vulnerability Risk

[ ] [ ] [X]

Low [X]

Deferral Negative Determination

Exempt ion

Medium [ ] High [ ]

1.0 PURPOSE , BACKGROUND AND ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

1.1. Purpose and Background

[ ] [ ] [ ]

The purpose of this document, in accordance with Title 22, Code of Federal Reg lations, Part 216 (22CFR216), is to provide a preliminary review of the reasonably foreseeab effects on the environment of the US AID intervention described herein and recommend deter · ations and, as appropriate, conditions , for these activities. Upon approval, these determination affirmed, per 22CFR216 and specified conditions become mandatory obligation implementation . This IEE also documents the results of the activity level Climat Risk Management process in accordance with USAID policy (specifically, ADS 201 al).

This IEE is a critical element ofUSAID's mandatory environmental review and ompliance process meant to achieve environmentally sound activity design and implement ·on. Potential environmental impacts should be addressed through formal environmen tal mitig ion and monitoring plans (EMMPs) and/or Environmental Assessments (EAs), ifneede

Note that this IEE was not submitted to the MEO until September 3, 2019. AA have already been approved. Transfer of funds will not take place until this IEE approved.

1.2. Activity Description

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The Afghan government has been engaged in a multi-year process of converting ts paper-based national identity (Tazkira) registration system to an electronic database. The firs phase of this endeavor, funded by the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and im emented through IOM which supported the Afghan Central Civil Registration Authority' (ACCRA), involved the scanning of 22,400 Tazkira (identification) books, containing ident y information of millions of Afghan citizens, into an electronic database. A limited number of archable fields related to the scanned pages were included in the database - including page nu number, and province and district number . ACCRA has recently been merged w institute, the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) . For purpose of consistency with already existing documentation the name ACCRA is maintained in this IE

The second phase of the digitization project will be funded by USAID , again t ugh IOM, and will support ACCRA in creating additional searchable fields, including Name, F ther's Name, Grandfather's Name, Date of Birth, Age, and Sex of the individual. This will in ude some improvements to the database software, however most of the work under this ac ity will involve typing in the data from the estimated 30 million records in the scanned d cuments. This will also require significant quality control to ensure data is entered correctly an consistently.

At the end of this process, ACCRA will have detailed information of all individ ls who have been issued a national identification card through this registry . This process wil reducing both identity fraud as well as inaccurate information and will serve as means for reliable identity verification. This will contribute to improvements in voter regis ·ation for future elections, and the issuance of trave l and identity documents used by other Afgh Ministries such as Central Passport Department (CPD), Minis try of Foreign Affairs (MOF ) and/or Afghan Embass ies and Consulates abroad.

Illustrative Activities

• Data entry from scanned Taz.kira records into searchable fields in Digital ndex Database. • Quality Assurance/Quality Control of the data entry process and confirm tion of accurate

data. • Training for ACCRA staff to use the database to verify Tazkiras using th digitized

database • Training for approved governmental entities to access the Identity Verifi tion Platform

to confirm ID verifications queries.

In addition, IT equipment and software will be purchased and distributed to Nati nal Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA)) across the country for data collection and en

1. 250 Desktop Computers (total cost of$ 237,500) 2. 250 UPS devices for Computers (total cost of $37,500) 3. 250 Software for Computers (total cost of $37,500)

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It also possible that printers, cartridges and paper will be purchased. There will e no office refurbishment or any other type of construction .

2.0 RECOMMENDED THRESHOLD DECISIONS

IOM has stringent environmental guidelines1234 and in accordance with ADS 351.3.2 (c) and ADS 308.3 .1 l(c), USAID will rely on the UN's environmental and social policies an rocedures to minimize environmental and social harm while carrying out Strengthening Afghan C tral Civil · Registration Authority's (ACCRA's) Capacity in Identity Management activities Afghanistan. Potential hann in this case is limited to electronic waste that could result from the IT eq ipment (250 computers and 250 UPS devices) distributed to (NSIA) across the country

This IEE recommends a Negative Determination with Condition(s). The Conditions ar

1. IOM shall submit and USAID AOR shall review on regular basis (bi-annual or nnual) publicly available reports to ascertain projects' environmental and social compliance with the Pl environmental procedures in this activity;

2. In case of non- or u_nsatisfactory compliance with IO M's safeguards, AOR and discuss with USAID/ Afghanistan Senior Management and BEO/OAP A appropriate co including potentially withholding funds.

3. The AOR shall provide this IEE to the PIO's representative in Afghanistan and gether with MEO/CII.., shall explain what the above points mean.

3.0 CLIMATE CHANGE RISK SCREENING

vailable Afghanistan is extremely vulnerable to the impacts from global climate change. information sugges ts that since 1960 annual temperature have increased 0.6°C rise even more and there is an increase in the frequency of extreme weather eve droughts and rainstorms which may affect water availability 5

. With projec ted ec population growth, Afghanistan's water storage limitations and reliance on sno transboundary watersheds create significant climate change vulnerabili ty . To mi negative impacts of climate change, USA ID is required by ADS201mal 0 to inco change risk screening for all new projects as of October 1, 2016. Climate risk sc the activities under ACCRA components to adjust its activities to better adapt to and maximize results.

d is expected to s such as

Annex 1 shows the Climate Risk Management screening for the ACCRA activit completed by the ODG technical staff. The climate risk screening conducted s climate change vulnerability risk as Low for the ACCRA activity. There are no requirements to climate risk management. At any rate, IOM will be expected to

1 htt s://environmentalmi ration.iom.int/iom-and-mi ration-environment-and-climate-ch 2 htt s://www .iom.int/sites/defau lt/files/about -iom/ rocurement/lOM-General-Procurem Processes-Jan-2016-final. pdf 3 https://www.iom.int/policy-documents

4 https://publications.iom . int/system/files/pdf/iom project handbook 6feb2012 . pdf 5 https://www.climatelinks.org/resources/climate-change-risk-profile-afghan istan 6 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/201 mal_ 042817 .pdf

omic and elt and

orate climate ening will help limate change

which has been marizes the pecific pply all

3

necessary measures, as applicable, to limit climate-change induced risks to AC such as elaborated in its policy frame work on climate change.

4.0 REVISIONS

Pursuant to 22 CFR 216.3(a)(9), if new information becomes available which in

activities

activities to be funded by the project might be "major" and the project's effect" gnificant," or if additional activities are proposed that might be considered "major" and their eff ts significant , this IEE will be review ed and revised by the originator of the project and submi d to the BEO/OAP A for approval and, if appropriate, an environmental assessment will the responsibility of the USAID AOR to keep the Mission Environmental Offic USAID/ Afghanistan and the BEO/OAPA informed of any new information or c ges m scope and nature of the activity that might require revision of the IEE.

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APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDED ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS

Strengthening Afghan;Si:4ni Identity Management - Phase II, IEE

Activity Manager

Office Director

Mission Environmental Officer and Climate Integration Lead (MEO/CIL)

Regional Environmental Advisor/SCA & QAPA

Resident Legal Officer

Deputy Mission Director (A)

Mission Director

Bureau Environmental Officer/OAPA

Note to BEO:

... Capac yin

Concurrence: Date:

□ (Yi

This IEE is Procurement Sensitive, do not post until cleared by Kabul /0 A POC: Contracting Officer _ ______ _, email _ _ ___ _

This IEE may be posted upon clearance.

DISTRIB UTION: MEO, COR/AOR, OAA, RLA

•

Annex 1 Climate Risk Management screening for the ACCRA activity * = A required element, according to the Mandatory Reference

1.1: Tasks/ 1.2 : 1.3:

4: Defined or 2: Climate

5: Time- Geo -

3: Adaptive Climate Anticipated Tas~s frame graphy

Risks• Capacity Risk ( bportunities

or Interventions Rating .

• Data entry from scanned Tazkira NA. records into searchable fields all in Digital Index Afghani • Increased risk Capacity is low at

Database. stan of floods and all levels of

• Quality beat waves government,

Assurance/Qua lit resulting from including national 6. : Climate

y Control of the climate government, to R k

data entry change respond to climate 1\1 ~nagement

process and including risks, or to 0 tions

confirmation of extreme constituent

accurate data . weather concerns regarding Low N ~

• Training for events climate risks .

ACCRA staff to resulting in Provincial (because it

use the database spread of government has is

to verify diseases and large, mostly rural unlike31y

Tazkiras using will affect the jurisdiction, but that data 6. : How

the digitized normal are unable to pass entry, C mate Risks

database services and laws, raise quality a1 ~ Addressed . • Training for trainings. revenue, or assurance, in the Activity

approved • Floods or regulate training, NI

governmental l year other natural development and

entities to access disasters can because the central provision

the Identity damage the government has of

Verification physical not passed down equipment

Platform to structure of the authority to will be 7: Next Steps confirm ID the training lower levels of affected fo Activity verifications centers, it may government. by the Ir plementatio

queries . also cause negative . n

• Equipment (250 damage to the impacts of

Desktop electricity climate NI

Computers 250 connectivity, change)

UPS devices, and it will end

software) up with closure of training 8: Accepted

, centers . C mate Risks•

NI