ID: 1623
Presenting Author: Vaideeswaran Sankaran
Session: 571 - Overlooked Impacts of MDB-financed Road Projects and Accountability
Status: pending
Vaideesh will co-chair and lead a discussion on complaints on road projects received by the WB Inspection Panel and the ADB Compliance Review Panel, focusing on the impacts of subsidiary projects.
Multilateral Development Banks invest billions in road projects, as road infrastructure and transportation are seen as critical for economic development and trade as well as access to public services, especially for communities residing in rural areas. However, road projects also often result in negative impacts for communities and the environment. The highest number of complaints filed with the WB Inspection Panel and the ADB’s Accountability Mechanism concern road projects. These two mechanisms were created over 30 years ago to allow individuals and communities to raise concerns if they believe they have been or are likely to be adversely affected by WB or ADB-financed projects.
The workshop will focus on 4 often overlooked challenges: induced impacts on Indigenous Peoples; impacts from subsidiary projects; cultural heritage; and sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. Staff from both mechanisms will share insights from complaints on road projects. Participants will discuss the role of inclusive public engagement in recognizing, avoiding and mitigating negative impacts upfront, and responding to unintended consequences that may only become apparent during project implementation.
The workshop opens with a plenary framing the topic and introducing the two mechanisms. Participants then split into 4 groups, one for each area of impact facilitated by staff from two mechanisms, to discuss specific cases and the insights gained. Participants contribute their experiences on ways of engaging more inclusively with impacted stakeholders. The session closes with a feedback plena
Vaideesh is an engineer-economist providing environmental expertise to MDB operations and the private sector globally. He has also worked extensively on low carbon and climate resilience.