Argentina | World Bank

Argentina: Basin Sustainable Development Project

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:12:41 GMT

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2009 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project:

IBRD Loan: US$840 million

Terms: Fixed-Spread Loan

Project ID: P105680

Project Description: The Matanza-Riachuelo (M-R) Basin Sustainable Development Project for Argentina aims to improve sewerage services in the M-R river basin, other parts of the province, and the city of Buenos Aires by expanding transport and treatment capacity. There are four components to the project grouped under two broad macro-components; the first macro component is sanitation. The second macro component includes: support for industrial pollution abatement; and environmental territorial management. The industrial pollution abatement component include technical assistance to improve environmental monitoring and enforcement of environmental targets for selected industrial activities, as well as financing of cleaner production investments to enhance and support environmental compliance among polluting small and medium size enterprises.

Media Contact:

Gabriela Aguilar

(202) 473-6768

gaguilar2@worldbank.org

For more project information, please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64312881&piPK=64302848&theSitePK=40941&Projectid=P105680

Argentina: Basic Protection Project

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:10:55 GMT

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2009 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project:

IBRD Loan: US$450 million

Terms: Fixed-Spread Loan

Project ID: P115183

Project Description: The Basic Protection Project for Argentina aims to increase the effectiveness of Argentina’s income transfer programs for the unemployed and families with children and to create the preconditions for expansion of the safety net. The specific objectives are to: Help the Government to protect expenditures on core income transfer programs, at a time of increasing fiscal pressures; Support the expansion of the Seguro program (Employment Benefit and Training), aimed at increasing employability of unemployed and informal sector workers through temporary cash support, training, and job placement services. Support the Government’s strategy to reform the “Family Allowances” programthat provides income transfers to families of lower income formal sector workers, increasing transparency and accountability, and setting the operational pre-conditions for a possible expansion of coverage in the near future. Enhance the capacity of the Government to monitor poverty and social protection, through technical assistance for the design and implementation of a national “Social Protection Survey” and the improvement of analytical capacity.

Media Contact:

Gabriela Aguilar

(202) 473-6768

gaguilar2@worldbank.org

For more project information, please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&contentFed=yes&Projectid=P115183

World Bank: Approves Largest Sanitation Operation in Latin America for US$840 Million to Clean the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin in Argentina

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:51:21 GMT

Contacts:

In Buenos Aires: Yanina Budkin (54-11) 4316-9724

ybudkin@worldbank.org

In Washington: Gabriela Aguilar (202) 473-6768

gaguilar2@worldbank.org

Washington DC, June 9, 2009.- The Board of Directors of the World Bank today approved a loan for US$840 million in support of the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Sustainable Development project. The loan will support the government’s Integrated Basin Cleanup strategy to progressively eliminate discharges to the M-R River, thereby improving water quality and environmental conditions.

“The Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin is the most contaminated urban river basin in Argentina and home to some 3.5 million people. The project will support an integrated approach to basin clean-up in the longer term. The World Bank is proud to be part of this long term process that supports state policies in Argentina to clean up the basin” said Franz Drees-Gross, co- Task Manager for the operation in the Bank.

"The financial assistance provided by the World Bank represents a turning point given its importance and the impact it will have on the basin. It will help decrease the environmental burden, social issues and industrial waste," said Homero Bibiloni, Argentina's Environment and Sustainable Development Secretary..

The Matanza-Riachuelo River is polluted by industrial pollution discharges, sewage from households not yet connected to sewerage systems, overflows from contaminated storm drainage systems and other sources. In order to address these, the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Sustainable Development Project will:

· Improve sewerage services in the M-R River Basin and other parts of the Province and City of Buenos Aires by expanding transport and treatment capacity;

· Support a reduction of industrial discharges to the M-R River, through the provision of industrial conversion grants to small and medium enterprises;

· Promote improved decision-making for environmentally-sustainable land use and drainage planning, and pilot urban drainage and land use investments, in the M-R River Basin; and

· Strengthen the basin agency’s (ACUMAR) institutional framework for ongoing and sustainable clean-up of the M-R River Basin.

The proposed project has four components:

(i) Sanitation: Investments in sanitation infrastructure including the Left Bank collector, the Baja Costanera bypass collector, the Riachuelo preliminary treatment plant, inflow and effluent pumping stations at the Riachuelo preliminary treatment plant, the Riachuelo outfall, the Industrial collector, and the Right Bank collector.

(ii) Industrial Pollution Abatement: Technical assistance to improve environmental monitoring and enforcement of environmental targets for selected industrial activities, as well as financing of cleaner production investments to enhance and support environmental compliance among polluting small and medium size enterprises;

(iii) Environmental Territorial Management: Technical assistance for environmental land use planning and financing for pilot urban and drainage works; and

(iv) Institutional Strengthening and Project Management: Financing for technical studies to support project implementation; a communication strategy to inform key stakeholders; project management activities; and support for the institutional strengthening of ACUMAR.

The government’s medium to long term objective for the sustainable management of the basin is the progressive elimination of point source discharges to the M-R River, which would result in water quality improvements in a 15 – 20 year timeframe.

The World Bank will support the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Sustainable Development Program by means of a two-stage Adaptable Program Loan (APL). The first stage of this program, approved today, provides a fixed-spread loan of US$840 million, payable in 30 years, including 5 years of grace.

For more information on the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Sustainable Development Project please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P105680

For more information about the World Bank in Argentina please visit:

www.bancomundial.org.ar

World Bank: Strategic Alliance with Argentina for US$3.3 Billion Starts Today

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:28:05 GMT

Contacts:

In Buenos Aires: Yanina Budkin (54-11) 4316-9724

ybudkin@worldbank.org

In Washington: Gabriela Aguilar (202) 473-6768

gaguilar2@worldbank.org

Washington DC, June 9, 2009.- The Board of Directors of the World Bank today endorsed the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Argentina until 2012, and allocated US$3.3 billion for its execution. The Board also approved two projects, the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Sustainable Development Project for US$840 million and the Basic Protection Project for US$450 million, totaling almost US$1.3 billion in new lending.

"We are working with Argentina to help maintain key social expenditures in the context of the global economic crisis and address longer term social and sustainable growth issues,” said Pedro Alba, World Bank Country Director for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. “The new strategy is focused on supporting Argentina to advance its own development agenda, and the two projects are good examples of this support. The Social Protection Project will help Argentina strengthen its social safety net, while the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Project will help the authorities address perhaps the most visible environmental challenge of the country.”

Economic and Public Finance Minister, Carlos Fernández, said “These operations allow the Government to strengthen counter cyclical policies to mitigate the impact of the international crisis.”

The proposed Country Partnership Strategy 2010-2012 (CPS) seeks to advance the Government’s development vision by providing strategic support in three key areas:

· Sustainable growth with equity

· Social inclusion

· Improved governance

Together with the Government of Argentina, it was agreed that the bank will provide support in the following areas:

· Upgrade infrastructure to address potential bottlenecks to competitiveness, and underpin medium-term growth and poverty alleviation.

· Improve competitiveness, quality, and exports of agriculture and livestock production.

· Address a growing problem of natural resource degradation.

· Consolidate and expand progress in reducing poverty by increasing household incomes and integrating marginalized groups into the productive marketplace.

· Consolidate improvements in health indicators.

· Strengthen the effectiveness, efficiency, transparency and accountability of the public sector.

· Expand performance management and improve the quality of public expenditure and enhance service delivery outcomes and trust in institutions.

Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Sustainable Development Project

Matanza-Riachuelo is the most contaminated river basin in Argentina and the most visible environmental issue in the country. The basin is home to Argentina’s largest concentration of urban poor. Of the approximately 3.5 million inhabitants in the basin, 1.2 million live below the poverty line.

The Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Sustainable Development Project will:

· Improve sewerage services in the M-R River Basin and other parts of the Province and City of Buenos Aires by expanding transport and treatment capacity;

· Support a reduction of industrial discharges to the M-R River, through the provision of industrial conversion grants to small and medium enterprises;

· Promote improved decision-making for environmentally-sustainable land use and drainage planning, and to pilot urban drainage and land use investments, in the M-R River Basin; and

· Strengthen ACUMAR’s institutional framework for ongoing and sustainable clean-up of the M-R River Basin.

The Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Sustainable Development Project is supported by a US$840 million fixed-spread loan payable in 30 years, including 5 years of grace. The loan is the first of two loans under a 10-year Adaptable Program Lending (APL) package.

Basic Protection Project

The Basic Protection project for US$450 million will increase the effectiveness of Argentina’s income transfer programs for the unemployed and families with children, by supporting the Family Allowances and Employment and Training Insurance (Seguro de Capacitación y Empleo) Programs.

”We are proud to support the Government’s efforts to continue building a strong and inclusive safety net to help mitigate the impact on the poor of the global economic crisis,” said Rafael Rofman, World Bank Project Manager.

Benefits under the “Family Allowances” program (Asignaciones Familiares) are targeted to low and middle income formal salaried workers earning less than AR$4,800 who represent approximately 85 percent of the formal labor force, or 30% of the households in the country.

On the other hand, “Employment and Training Insurance” is the Government’s main instrument for assistance to the unemployed. It provides beneficiaries with a monthly benefit for up to two years, ranging from AR$200-275. In addition, participants receive job search support through municipal employment offices and the network of employment services, including: labor intermediation services for public and private sector employment, basic and professional training, participation in training courses, and technical assistance for starting small businesses.

The Basic Protection Project would be financed by a US$450 million Specific Investment Loan (SIL) with 30 years maturity and a grace period of 5 years.

For more information about the Country Partnership Strategy please visit:

www.bancomundial.org.ar

For more information on the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Sustainable Development Project please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P105680

For more information on the Basic Protection project please visit:

http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P115183

Argentina - Sustainable Industrial Development Project

Tue, 19 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentina - Petrobras (PESA) Gas Transport System Project

Tue, 19 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentina - Petrobras (PESA) Gas Transport System Project

Tue, 05 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentina - Petrobras (PESA) Gas Transport System Project

Tue, 05 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentina - Basic Protection Project

Mon, 04 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The objective of the Basic Protection Project is to increase the effectiveness of Argentina's income transfer programs for the unemployed and families with children, by improving selected design features and the transparency and accountability of the family allowances and Seguro program, and by transferring beneficiaries from other, less effective schemes and programs, to the family allowances program and the Seguro program. There are three components to the project. The first component of the project is the provision of Seguro grant. The second component of the project is the provision of family allowances grants. The third component of the project is a technical assistance component for monitoring, evaluation, and dissemination of social protection programs. The first and second component of the project will provide financial support to two of the social protection programs in Argentina with the highest current and potential impact on living conditions and human capital accumulation of two particularly vulnerable populations. The third component will provide technical assistance to improve monitoring capacity at the Ministerio de Trabajo, Empleo y Seguridad Social - Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security (MTESS). For years, social policy designers and officials in Argentina have had serious limitations due to the lack of complete, reliable data on some basic indicators.

Argentina - Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Sustainable Development Project

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The objective of the Matanza-Riachuelo (M-R) Basin Sustainable Development Project for Argentina is to improve sewerage services in the M-R river basin and other parts of the province and city of Buenos Aires by expanding transport and treatment capacity. There are four components to the project grouped under two broad macro-components; the first macro component is the sanitation. Investments in sanitation infrastructure including the left bank collector, the Baja Costanera bypass collector, the Riachuelo preliminary treatment plant, inflow and effluent pumping stations at the Riachuelo preliminary treatment plant, the Riachuelo outfall, the Industrial collector, and the right bank collector. The second macro component includes: a) support for industrial pollution abatement; and b) environmental territorial management. The industrial pollution abatement component include technical assistance to improve environmental monitoring and enforcement of environmental targets for selected industrial activities, as well as financing of cleaner production investments to enhance and support environmental compliance among polluting small and medium size enterprises. The environmental territorial management component include technical assistance for environmental land use planning and financing for pilot urban and drainage works. Finally, the fourth component is the institutional strengthening and project management.

Argentina - Matanza-Riachuelo Basin (MRB) Sustainable Development Project

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentina - Matanza-Riachuelo Basin (MRB) Sustainable Development Adaptable Lending Program Project

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentina - Buenos Aires Second Secondary Education Project

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Ratings for the Buenos Aires Second Secondary Education Project for Argentina are as follows: outcomes of the project were unsatisfactory, risk to development outcome was substantial, bank performance was moderately unsatisfactory, and borrower performance was moderately unsatisfactory. Some lessons learned included: changes at the federal level, which are beyond the control of the borrower, can have a major impact on the outcome of sub-national projects. The project's implementation was severely affected by the unstable macroeconomic conditions that prevailed in the late 1990s and eventually resulted in the country's collapse in December 2001. Likewise, the program was negatively affected by periodic strikes, chronic teacher absenteeism, and many other structural weaknesses of the Province of Buenos Aires (PBA) educational system. The experience of this project indicates that'vertical'interventions focusing on individual schools need to be complemented with'horizontal'interventions with a cross-cutting impact throughout the education sector. The project effectiveness and overall impact will have significantly improved if an intensive cross fertilization and systematic learning strategy had been conceived as part of the project's design. Such strategy will have permitted the identification and dissemination of best practices within participating schools and the PBA in general through training, workshops, seminars, technical assistance, demonstration events, conventions, and publications. The project's design and implementation strategy included clear targeting criteria to focus project activities in schools serving primarily high risk students to improve the equity of the basic general education system in then PBA. This helped ensure that the project benefited the intended population.

Argentina - Basic Protection Project

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentina - Basic Protection Sector-wide Approach Project

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentina - Basic Protection Sector-wide Approach Project

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentina - Basic Protection Sector-wide Approach Project

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentina - Basic Protection Project

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentina - Rural Corridors and Biodiversity Project

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Argentine youth : an untapped potential

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Argentina's youth, 6.7 million between the ages of 15 and 24, are an important, but to a certain extent untapped, resource for development. Over 2 million (31 percent) have already engaged in risky behaviors, and another 1 million (15 percent) are exposed to risk factors that are correlated with eventual risky behaviors. This totals 46 percent of youth at some form of risk. Today's youth cohort is the country's largest ever and it's largest for the foreseeable future. If policymakers do not invest in youth now, especially in youth at risk, they will miss a unique opportunity to equip the next generation with the abilities to become the drivers of growth, breaking the intergenerational spiral of poverty and inequality and moving Argentina back into the group of high-income countries. If youth are educated and skilled, they can be a tremendous asset for development. If not, they can burden society and public finances. Overall, Argentina is blessed with high enrollment rates in school, low levels of crime and violence, and moderate to low drug use by youth. However, youth employment, smoking and binge drinking (including its effect on traffic accidents), teen pregnancies, and HIV pose challenges for youth policy. While most youth in Argentina are educated, skilled, and healthy, a large group is potentially at risk of engagingin myopic behaviors, including school absenteeism and leaving, substance use and abuse, delinquency, crime, and risky sexual behavior. The consequences of these risky behaviors, unemployment, adolescent pregnancy, sexually-transmitted diseases, addiction, incarceration, violence, and social exclusion, make it difficult for youth to successfully transition to adulthood, imposing large costs on individuals and society. Applying the framework of the world development report 2007, this report examines the five life-changing transitions that all youth confront: leaving school and continuing to learn, starting to work, developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, forming a family, and exercising citizenship.