Second Rural Investment Project Additional Financing:The AzRIP projects, under implementation since 2005, have garnered widespread recognition for delivery of solid, tangible and dynamic results on the ground in improving people's lives though the upgrading of rural communities' access to infrastructure services, improved mobility, and increased farmers' incomes. A keen emphasis on sustainable infrastructure, maintenance contracts, and accountability has helped ensure that over 90 percent of infrastructure rehabilitated under the purview of AzRIP is operational. The income of over 600,000 farmers has increased, and 150,000 rural poor now have access to safe water. AzRIP-2 is a multisector investment loan targeting 600 communities in 56 rayons for community-driven rural infrastructure investments and livelihood support. The proposed Additional Financing would continue to prioritize provision of improved access to and use of community-driven rural infrastructure and expand economic activities for rural households through financing of priority rural infrastructure investments, strengthening the capacity of communities in partnership with municipalities and local support institutions to effectively identify, plan, and implement their development priorities; and building opportunities for rural employment and livelihood support services. The AF would comprise three components - one to extend delivery of community rural infrastructure (additional rounds of grants to participating communities and service to new coverage areas), the second to scale up the livelihood pilots, expanding the productive investment livelihoods component and the third to pilot a lifeline roads concept (with clusters of communities and a focus on local connecting roads) . Approval completed on 9 July 2014. Environmental Assessment Category B. Project: P147861. US$50.0 (IBRD). Consultants will be required. AZRIP PMU in State Agency on Agricultural Credit Tel: /Fax: (994-12) 493-4813, E-mail: subhan@azrip.org, Contact: Soubhan Asgerov, Project Director.