Environmental Assessment Report Initial Environmental Examination February 2016 AFG: Multi Tranche Financing Facility for Energy Sector Development Investment Program (ESDIP) - Tranche 1 Kunduz and Baghlan 20/0.4 kV Distribution Project Prepared by Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) for the Asian Development Bank. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 15 August 2016) Currency unit – AFN AFN1.00 = $ 0.015 $1.00 = AFN 67.80 Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank CSC Construction Supervision Consultant DABS Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat DC Double Circuit EA Executing Agency EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMF Electric Magnetic Field EPA Environmental Protection Agency IEE Initial Environmental Examination IEC Important Environmental Component IRA Islamic Republic of Afghanistan LAR Land Acquisition and Resettlement kV kilovolt MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs MFF Multitranche Financing Facility NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NEPS North East Power System NEPA National Environmental Protection Agency NGO Non-Government Organization O&M Operation and Maintenance OHTL Overhead Transmission Line OPGW Optical Fiber Ground Wire PIU Project Implementation Unit PMO Project Management Office PPTA Project Preparatory Technical Assistance PTEC Power Transmission Expansion and Connectivity REA Rapid Environmental Assessment SEPS Southern Electric Power System ToR terms of reference TL Transmission Line Glossary DABS - Afghanistan Electricity Company Mitigation Measures -Mitigation measures are the means by which potential impacts for the project are avoided or reduced to appropriate levels Assessment - The act of judging or assessing a situation or event Avifauna - Bird species of a particular area Basin - Lowest part of a floodplain landscape Biodiversity -Variety and variability among living organisms DABS - Afghanistan Electricity Company Ecosystem - A community of organisms interacting with their inanimate environment Ramsar Convention - An international convention (adopted at Ramsar, Iran, in 1971) aimed at conserving wetlands, especially as waterfowl habitats Units of Measurement °C degree Celsius cm centimeter km kilometer km2 square kilometer m meter m2 square meter (i) In this report, "$" refers to US dollars. This Environmental Examination Report is a document of the government of Afghanistan. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank CMJV CNEEC-MAAMAAR Joint Venture DABS Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (Afghanistan Electricity Company) EA Executing Agency EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EARF Environmental Assessment Review Framework EMMP Environmental Management Monitoring Plan ICB International Competitive Bidding IEE Initial Environmental Examination IEC Important Environmental Component IRA Islamic Republic of Afghanistan kV kilovolt LV Low Voltage MFF Multitranche Financing Facility MV Medium Voltage NEPS North East Power System NEPA National Environmental Protection Agency O&M Operation and Maintenance PIU Project Implementation Unit PMO Project Management Office PPTA Project Preparatory Technical Study REA Rapid Environmental Assessment ToR terms of reference Glossary Assessment - The act of judging or assessing a situation or event Avifauna - Bird species of a particular area Basin - Lowest part of a floodplain landscape Biodiversity -Variety and variability among living organisms DABS - Afghanistan Electricity Company Ecosystem - A community of organisms interacting with their inanimate environment Mitigation Measures -Mitigation measures are the means by which potential impacts for the project are avoided or reduced to appropriate levels Ramsar Convention - An international convention (adopted at Ramsar, Iran, in 1971) aimed at conserving wetlands, especially as waterfowl habitats Units of Measurement °C degree Celsius cm centimeter km kilometer km2 square kilometer m meter m2 square meter iii Table of Contents Chapter Section Description Page Number 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Objectives of the IEE Report 2 1.3 Physical Components of the Project 2 1.4 Scope of Work 3 1.5 Limitations 3 1.6 The IEE Team 4 1.7 Structure of the Report 4 1.8 Methodology 4 1.8.1 Approaches to Preparation of IEE Report 5 2 ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS 6 2.1 Legal Framework for Environmental Protection of the IRA 6 2.1.1 Ministry of Energy and Water 6 2.1.2 Ministry of Mines and Petroleum 6 2.1.3 Ministry of Commerce and Industries 7 2.1.4 Ministry of Public Health 7 2.1.5 Ministry of Public Works 7 2.1.6 Ministry of Urban Development 7 2.2 Government Environmental Policies, Laws and Regulations 8 2.3 International Treaties 9 2.4 Environmental Safeguards of ADB 10 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 11 3.1 Overview 11 3.2 Need for the Project 12 3.3 Type and Category of the Project 13 3.4 Details of the Project 13 3.5 Project Location 16 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 21 4.1 Physical Resources in Project Area 21 4.1.1 Climate 21 4.1.2 Topography 22 4.1.3 Soil and Geological Characteristics 22 4.1.4 Water Resources 23 4.1.5 Air Quality 25 4.1.6 Noise 26 4.1.7 Irrigation 26 4.1.8 Seismology 26 4.2 Ecological Resources in Project Area 27 4.2.1 Flora 27 4.2.2 Fauna 27 iv 4.2.3 Fisheries 28 4.3 Human and Economic Development 28 4.3.1 Demography 28 4.3.2 Economic Development 29 4.3.3 Education 29 4.3.4 Agriculture 30 4.3.5 Health 31 4.3.6 Infrastructure and Communications 31 5 SCREENING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS & MITIGATION 32 MEASURES 5.1 Physical Environment 32 5.1.1 Soils and Geology 32 5.1.2 Air Quality 32 5.1.3 Noise and Vibration 33 5.1.4 Mines 33 5.1.5 Polychlorinated Biphenyls 33 5.1.6 Water and Wastewater 33 5.1.7 Solid Waste 34 5.1.8 Electric and Magnetic Fields 34 5.1.9 Environmental Benefits 34 5.2 Ecological Environment 35 5.2.1 Flora 35 5.2.2 Fauna 35 5.3 Socio economic Environment 35 5.3.1 Health, Safety and Hygiene 35 6 INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL 36 MANAGEMENT 6.1 Institutional Framework 36 7 STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION, PARTICIPATION, AND 37 CONSULTATION 8 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PLAN 38 8.1 Environmental Management 38 8.2 Environmental Monitoring Program 38 8.3 Environmental and Social Management Training 40 8.3.1 Environmental Training Specialist – International 40 8.3.2 Environment Specialist – National 41 9 CONCLUSIONS 49 v List of Tables Table Title Page No Table-3.1 Salient Features of the Subproject 11 Table-8.1 Environmental Management Plan – Matrix 43 Table-8.2 Environmental Monitoring, Mitigation and Training Cost 42 List of Figures Figure Title Page No Figure-3.1 Satellite Imagery of Kunduz 16 Figure-3.2 Baghlan - Location of Substation and Project Area 17 Figure-3.3 Kunduz - Locations of Substations and Project Area 18 Figure-3.4 Location of 220/20 kv Baghlan new Substation 19 Figure-3.5 Location of 220/ 20 kv Kunduz new Substation 20 Figure-4.1 Mean Annual Precipitation 22 Figure-4.2 Kunduz River Basin 25 Figure-4.3 Seismic Map of Afghanistan 27 Appendix-1: Wildlife in Kunduz and Baghlan Project Area References vi Executive Summary The proposed Kunduz and Baghlan 20/0.4 kV Distribution Project is expected to provide significant economic and social benefits in the region, thus contributing, to the sustainable development of human activities. Sometimes however, their wide scale deployment has to face potential negative environmental implications. These potential problems seem to be a strong barrier for a further dissemination of these systems in some consumers. To cope with these problems this IEE Report presents an overview of expected impacts. Attempt has been made to assess the potential environmental intrusions in order to ameliorate them with new technological innovations and good practices in the future power systems. The analysis provides the potential burdens to the environment, which include—during the construction, the installation phase, as well as especially in the case of the construction technologies—noise and visual intrusion, greenhouse gas emissions, water and soil pollution, energy consumption, labor accidents, impact on archaeological sites (no such sites exists within the influence area of the Project) or on sensitive ecosystems, negative and positive socio- economic effects. The IEE report presents the conclusions of the study including: (i) gains which justify project implementation; (ii) explanation of how adverse effects could be minimized or offset, and compensated to make these impacts acceptable; (iii) provisions for follow-up surveillance and monitoring. Simple visual presentations of the type and magnitude of the impacts may aid the decision-maker. The distribution project scope basically includes design, supply, and installation of plant in urban distribution networks of Baghlan and Kunduz. It is Bidder’s responsibility to ensure optimized distribution networks are designed, installed and commissioned in Baghlan and Kunduz considering environmental safeguard issues. In addition, the IEE aims to identify the likely impacts, both positive and negative and assess the impacts on the environment or impacts on the project by nature of the power distribution network construction undertaken by the DABS. The overall aim is to ensure that the power distribution system is environmentally sound and sustainable following the international requirements laid out in Agenda 21 of the Rio Convention to which Afghanistan is a signatory. This IEE follows the methodology outlined in the ADB Guidelines; ADB Safeguard Policy Statement, June 2009 (SPS 2009) and environmental Laws of the Government of Afghanistan. The experiences of other studies in preparing IEE documentation for power sector have also been reviewed.