Ethnic Group Development Plan LAO
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Ethnic Group Development Plan Project Number: 42203 May 2016 LAO: Northern Rural Infrastructure Development Sector Project - Additional Financing Prepared by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for the Asian Development Bank. This ethnic group development plan is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section of this website. 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. Ethnic Groups Development Plan Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject Hmong New Year Festival, Lao PDR TABLE OF CONTENTS Topics Page TABLE OF CONTENTS A10-i LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMS A10-v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A10-1 A. Introduction A10-1 B. The Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject A10-2 C. Ethnic Groups in the Subproject Areas A10-2 D. Socio-Economic Status A10-3 a. Land Issues A10-4 b. Language Issues A10-4 c. Gender Issues A10-5 d. Social Health Issues A10-5 E. Potential Benefits and Negative Impacts of the Subproject A10-5 F. Consultation and Disclosure A10-6 G. Monitoring A10-6 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION A10-8 1.1 Objectives of the Ethnic Groups Development Plan A10-8 1.2 The Northern Rural Infrastructure Development Sector Project A10-8 (NRIDSP) 1.3 The Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject A10-9 2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK A10-10 2.1 Ethnic Groups in Lao PDR A10-10 2.2 Ethnic Groups and Development: Policy Context A10-10 2.3 ADB Safeguards for Indigenous Peoples A10-11 2.4 Ethnic Group Development Framework (EGDF), June 2015 A10-12 3. SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT A10-12 3.1 Ethnic Groups in the Subproject Areas A10-13 3.2 Socio-Economic Status A10-18 3.2.1 Land A10-19 3.2.2 Language A10-20 3.2.3 Gender A10-20 3.2.4 Health and Hygiene A10-21 3.2.5 Social Impact and Inequality A10-21 3.2.6 Social Benefits A10-22 3.2.7 Expected Sustainable Outcomes A10-23 4. BENEFICIAL AND MITIGATING MEASURES A10-23 5. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION A10-27 A10-i 6. COMPLAINTS AND GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM A10-29 7. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT A10-30 8. BUDGET AND FINANCING PLAN A10-30 9. MONITORING A10-30 9.1 Internal Monitoring A10-30 9.2 External Monitoring A10-31 TABLES Table A10-1. List of Ethnic Groups by Ethno-Linguistic Group in Lao PDR A10-10 Table A10-2. Ethnic Groups in Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject A10-13 Table A10-3. Subproject Intervention Strategies A10-24 Table A10-4. Consultation, Participation and Disclosure A10-28 FIGURES Figure 1. Location Map of Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject A10-iii Figure 2. The Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject A10-iv A10 - ii Figure 1. Location Map of Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject A10-iii Figure2. The Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject A10-iv List of Abbreviation and Terms ADB : Asian Development Bank DAFO : District Agriculture and Forestry Office DCO : District Coordination Office DOP : Department of Planning EA : Executing Agency EGDF : Ethnic Groups Development Framework EGDP : Ethnic Group Development Plan EMP : Environmental Management Plan Farmers : In this report, means people or households owning and/or cultivating agricultural lands (irrigated and non-irrigated) FS : Feasibility Study FPG : Farmers’ production Groups GAP : Gender Action Plan GOL : Government of Lao PDR HH : Household HIV / AIDS : Human autoimmune deficiency syndrome IA : Implementing Agency IEE : Initial Environmental Examination IPP : Indigenous Peoples Plan Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework (prepared for NRIDSP in IPPF : 2010, replaced with EGDF in 2015 ISF : Irrigation Service Fee Lao PDR : Lao People’s Democratic Republic LACR Land Acquisition and Compensation Approach LFNC : Lao Front for National Construction LWU : Lao Women’s Union MAF : Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry MOM : Management, Operation and Maintenance NRI or NRIDSP : Northern Rural Infrastructure Development Sector Project NSC : National Steering Committee NPMO : National Project Management Office O&M : Operation and Maintenance PAFO : Provincial Agriculture Forestry Office PPO : Provincial Project Office PPTA : Project Preparatory Technical Assistance SIA : Social Impact Assessment SIR : Subproject Investment Report SPS : Safeguards Policy Statement (of the ADB, 2009) STI : Sexually Transmitted Infection Villagers : Refers to people residing in a village in general. “Consulted villagers” in this report means representatives of village authorities, LWU, LFNC, youth, men, women and ethnic groups WUA : Water User Association WUG : Water User Group A10-v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. Introduction 1. The proposed Nam Oun subproject is comprises the rehabilitation and improvement of the Nam Oun Irrigation scheme, by means of construction of a new weir and improvement of existing main canals and related structures. It aims to increase the effective irrigated crop area of the system from 250 ha to 420 ha. The cropping system that will be introduced to maximize the use of irrigation water will be rice during the wet season and rice/other crops during the dry season. 2. The five beneficiary villages of the Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject have a total of 1,212 households (HHs) composed of 12 different ethnic groups. Of the 1,212 HHs, 559 HHs (46%) belong to the Lao-Tai Ethno-Linguistic Group with 6 specific ethnic groups (Lao/Lao Loum, Tai Lue, Tai Phuan, Tai Daeng and Tai Dam); 393 HHs (32%) are Mone Khmer Ethno-Linguistic Group with 3 ethnic groups (Khmu, Khmu Rok and Khmu Ou); 218 HHs (18%) are Hmong Iu-Mien with 3 ethnic groups (Hmong, Hmong Dam and Hmong Khao); and 42 HHs (3%) Tibeto-Chinese of Phunoi ethnic group. 3. The subproject is categorized as Category B based on the IP Screening Checklist in Table A7-20 of Annex 7 of the Nam Oun Feasibility Study (FS) Report. Ethnic groups in the area will benefit through the rehabilitation and improvement of the irrigation system. The subproject will not impact or interfere with the socio-cultural patterns or qualities of the ethnic groups in the area, nor will it disadvantage any of the ethnic groups. The subproject is expected to improve irrigation water availability and expand the irrigated area and hence, yield and production of agricultural crops as well as income from farmers. 4. This Ethnic Group Development Plan (EGDP) is prepared for the Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject located in Houn District, Oudomxay Province under the Northern Rural Infrastructure Development Sector Project (NRIDSP). The EGDP is prepared in accordance with the Lao PDR Constitution, relevant laws and policies, the ADB’s Safeguards Policy Statement (SPS) 2009 and the Indigenous People Planning Framework (2000) developed for NRIDSP (updated as Ethnic Group Development Framework under the Small Scale Project Preparation Technical Assistance for NRIDSP). 5. The Plan emphasizes a specific action plan for the Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject in order to (i) address appropriate requirements for, including consultations with, the affected ethnic groups in the subproject areas, (ii) ensure that the benefits are culturally appropriate and equally distributed for the ethnic groups within the subproject coverage; (iii) avoid potentially adverse impacts on ethnic groups; (iv) minimize, mitigate or compensate for such effects when they cannot be avoided; (v) provide implementation measures to strengthen social, legal and technical capabilities of government institutions in addressing ethnic group issues; and (vi) specify monitoring and evaluation of the EGDP implementation. 6. Subproject field visits and consultations were done in February to March 2015 during the feasibility stage of the subproject. During these activities, the villagers (ethnic groups, men, women, village authorities) were informed about the Project, and were asked of their expectations (benefits and impacts) of the subproject, and whether they agree and support the implementation of the subproject. They were also informed about the Land Acquisition and Compensation process and requirements (such as involvement in asset measurement, valuation, compensation options, and the grievance and redress mechanism) of the land/asset acquisition process. In this forum, the villagers (ethnic groups, men, women, village authorities) expressed their full support on the implementation of the subproject. A10-1 7. Findings show that the subproject is a rehabilitation and improvement of existing irrigation system and will not result to any negative impacts to people/ethnic groups, as well as assets, land and crops. The feasibility study design has considered an alignment of irrigation facilities and structures, which avoids any acquisition of private assets. The corridor of impact is mainly within, partly outside the existing 6m wide ROW along the main canal’s alignment. (Refer to Land Acquisition and Compensation Report of Nam Oun Subproject). Furthermore, the subproject will not affect or interfere with the ethnic groups’ way of using land and natural resources and their indigenous knowledge as the irrigation system had been in use by the community for quite some time. Rather, the subproject will rehabilitate and improve the existing irrigation system to improve irrigation water availability within the irrigation command area. 8. This EGDP highlights how the subproject will bring about positive benefits equitably for the ethnic groups. Actions are specified to ensure that the Executing Agency (EA) and engaged specialists carry out appropriate measures to achieve beneficial results for the ethnic groups and avoid negative impacts. The EGDP will be implemented in synergy with the project’s Gender Action Plan (GAP), which addresses women’s participation in the project to ensure that gender equality measures reach women in ethnic groups in the subproject areas. B. The Nam Oun Irrigation Subproject 9. The proposed Nam Oun Subproject is located in Houn District, Oudomxay Province.