Initial Environmental Examination (Main Report – Part 2 of 7)
Project Number: 54211-001 March 2021 Document Stage: Draft
Viet Nam: Lotus Wind Power Project
Prepared by ERM Vietnam for Lien Lap Wind Power Joint Stock Company, Phong Huy Wind Power Joint Stock Company, and Phong Nguyen Wind Power Joint Stock Company as a requirement of the Asian Development Bank.
The initial environmental examination 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.
DRAFT INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL EXAMINATION ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK Phong Nguyen Wind Farm Project
3.3.2.3 Involuntary Resettlement Requirements The involuntary resettlement impacts of an ADB – supported project are considered significant if 200 or more persons will be physically displaced from home or lose 10% or more of their productive or income- generating assets For those involving involuntary resettlement, a resettlement plan is prepared that is commensurate with the extent and degree of the impacts: the scope of physical and economic displacement and the vulnerability of the affected persons. The ADB Operations Manual Section F1 describes the categories for SR2: Involuntary Resettlement, and are summarized below:
Category A: A proposed project is classified as Category A if it is likely to have significant involuntary resettlement impacts. A resettlement plan, including assessment of social impacts, is required.
Category B: A proposed project is classified as Category B if it includes involuntary resettlement impacts that are not deemed significant. A resettlement plan, which includes assessment of social impacts, is required.
Categories C: A proposed project is classified as Category C if it has no involuntary resettlement impacts. No further action is required.
Categories FI: A proposed project is classified as Category FI if it involves the investment of ADB funds to, or through, a financial intermediary.
3.3.2.4 Indigenous Peoples Requirements The impacts of an ADB-supported project on Indigenous peoples is determined by assessing the magnitude of impact in terms of
Customary rights of use and access to land and natural resources;
Socioeconomic status;
Cultural and communal integrity;
Health, education, livelihood and social security status; and
The recognition of indigenous knowledge; and
The level of vulnerability of the affected Indigenous Peoples community
The ADB Operations Manual Section F1 describes the categories for SR3: Indigenous Peoples, and are summarized below:
Category A: A proposed project is classified as Category A if it is likely to have significant impacts on Indigenous Peoples. An Indigenous Peoples plan (IPP), including assessment of social impacts, is required.
Category B: A proposed project is classified as Category B if it is likely to have limited impacts on Indigenous Peoples. An IPP, including assessment of social impacts, is required.
Category C: A proposed project is classified as Category C if it is not expected to have impacts on Indigenous Peoples. No further action is required.
Category FI: A proposed project is classified as Category FI if it involves the investment of ADB funds to, or through, a financial intermediary.
3.3.3 ADB Social Protection Strategy (2001) The Social Protection Strategy was approved by ADB on September 13, 2001. It is defined as the set of policies and programs designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability by promoting efficient labour
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markets, diminishing people's exposure to risks, and enhancing their capacity to protect themselves against hazards and interruption/ loss of income. The SPS spells out the scope of social protection and commitment of the ADB to develop priority interventions in five major elements:
labour market policies and programs designed to generate employment, improve working conditions and promote the efficient operations;
social insurance programs to cushion the risks associated with unemployment, ill health, disability, work-related injury and old age;
social assistance and welfare service programs for the vulnerable groups with inadequate means of support, including single mothers, the homeless, or physically or mentally challenged people;
micro and area-based schemes to address vulnerability at the community level, including micro insurance, agricultural insurance, social funds and programs to manage natural disasters; and
child protection to ensure the healthy and productive development of children.
3.3.4 ADB Gender and Development Policy (1998) ADB Gender and Development Policy, which was approved in 1998, is the guiding framework for gender and development activities. The Policy adopts gender mainstreaming as the key strategy for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment across the full range of ADB operations—from country partnership strategies to the design and implementation of gender-inclusive projects and programs. The key elements of ADB’s policy will include gender sensitivity, gender analysis, gender planning, mainstreaming, and agenda setting. To operationalize the policy, ADB’s focus of activities will be to:
provide assistance to its developing member countries (DMCs) in the areas of policy support, capacity building, GAD awareness, and formulation and implementation of policies and programs directed at improving the status of women;
facilitate gender analysis of proposed projects, including program and sector loans, and ensure that gender issues are considered at all the appropriate stages of the project cycle, including identification, preparation, appraisal, implementation, and evaluation;
promote increased GAD awareness within ADB through training workshops and seminars, development of suitable approaches, and staff guidelines to implement the policy on GAD;
assist the DMCs in implementing commitments made at the Beijing World Conference on Women; and
explore opportunities to directly address some of the new and emerging issues for women in the region.
3.3.5 Access to Information Policy (2018) The policy aims to promote stakeholder trust in ADB and to increase the development impact of ADB activities. It reflects ADB’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and participation by stakeholders in ADB-supported development activities in Asia and the Pacific. It also recognizes the right of people to seek, receive, and impart information about ADB’s operations. The policy applies to documents and information that ADB produces, requires to be produced by its borrowers or clients, or are produced and provided to ADB by other parties on the course of ADB operations.
3.3.6 ADB Accountability Mechanism Policy (2012) ADB’s Accountability Mechanism provides a forum where people adversely affected by ADB – assisted projects can voice and seek solutions to their problems and report alleged noncompliance with ADB’s operational policies and procedures. It consists of two separate but complementary functions: the problem solving function and the compliance review function. The objective of the Accountability
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Mechanism Policy (2012) is to be accountable to people for ADB- assisted projects as a last resort mechanism.
3.3.7 JICA’s Environmental and Social Guidelines The latest Environmental and Social Guidelines of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) were issued on April 01, 2010 and came into effect from July 01, 2010. The guidelines were consolidated from different guidelines for environmental and social considerations used by former Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and JICA. The objectives of the guidelines are to encourage Project proponents to have appropriate consideration for environmental and social impacts and examination of environmental and social considerations are conducted accordingly. The guidelines outline JICA’s responsibilities and procedures, along with its requirements for project proponents in order to facilitate the achievement of these objectives. In doing so, JICA endeavours to ensure transparency, predictability, and accountability in its support for and examination of environmental and social considerations. In these guidelines, JICA has created clear requirements regarding environmental and social considerations that the project proponents must meet. In particular, the project is required to incorporate the output of environmental and social considerations studies into project planning and decision-making processes. The following is seven principles that are considered very important by JICA:
A wide range of environmental and social impacts must be addressed;
Measures for environmental and social considerations must be implemented from an early stage to a monitoring stage;
Accountability and transparency must be ensured when implementing cooperation projects;
Stakeholder opinions must be included into decision-making processes regarding environmental and social considerations;
JICA itself discloses information on environmental and social considerations in collaboration with project proponents in order to ensure accountability and to promote the participation of various stakeholders;
JICA makes efforts to enhance the comprehensive capacity of organizations and operations in order for project proponents to have appropriate and effective consideration for environmental and social factors at all times; and
JICA addresses request of acceleration for the prompt implementation of projects while undertaking environmental and social considerations
3.3.8 IFC’s Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability (2012) In April 2006, the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, released a set of Performance Standards (PS) based upon the original World Bank Group Safeguard Policies, which recognised further the specific issues associated with private sector projects. The IFC PS have been broadened to include issues such as greenhouse gases, human rights, community health, and safety and security. A revised set of PS came into force on January 1, 2012. The complete list of IFC PS is provided in Figure 3.4 and more details can be found on the IFC website10.
10http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/Topics_Ext_Content/IFC_External_Corporate_Site/IFC+Sustainability/Sustainability+Fra mework/Sustainability+Framework+-+2012/Performance+Standards+and+Guidance+Notes+2012/ . The Guidance Note of PS6 is the basis of the Critical Habitat Assessment for this project.
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Source: IFC, 2019
Figure 3.4 IFC Performance Standards
3.3.9 World Bank/ IFC General EHS Guidelines Supplementing the IFC PS are the General EHS Guidelines that were released in April 2007. The EHS Guidelines are technical reference documents with general and industry-specific examples of Good International Industry Practice (GIIP). They are categorised by environment, occupational and community health and safety, and construction and decommissioning. The General EHS Guidelines are designed to be used together with the relevant Industry Sector EHS Guidelines, which provide guidance to users on EHS issues within specific industry sectors.
3.3.9.1 World Bank EHS Guidelines for Electric Power Transmission and Distribution (2007) The EHS Guidelines for Electric Power Transmission and Distribution include information relevant to power transmission between a generation facility and a substation located within an electricity grid, in addition to power distribution from a substation to consumers located in residential, commercial, and industrial areas. The EHS Guidelines for Electric Power Transmissions and Distribution are organised in the following sections:
Section 1.0 – Industry – Specific Impacts and Management
Section 2.0 – Performance Indicators and Monitoring
Section 3.0 – References and Additional Sources Annex A – General Description of Industry Activities
3.3.9.2 World Bank EHS Guidelines for Wind Energy The EHS Guidelines for Wind Energy include information relevant to environmental, health, and safety aspects of onshore and offshore wind energy facilities. It should be applied to wind energy facilities from the earliest feasibility assessments, as well as from the time of the environmental impact assessment, and continue to be applied throughout the construction and operational phases.
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3.3.10 IFC and EBRD’s Guidance Note on Workers’ Accommodation: Processes and Standards This guidance was issued by IFC and EBRD to provide specific and practical guidance on appropriate policies and standards relating to workers’ accommodation, which is required in IFC Performance Standard 2 and EBRD Performance Requirement 2. The Guidance Note on Workers’ Accommodation is organised in the following sections:
Section I: Planning and assessing requirements for workers’ accommodation. This section provides guidance on assessing the need for workers’ accommodation, assessing potential impacts of workers’ accommodation on communities, and types of workers’ accommodation; and;
Section II: Standards for and management of workers’ accommodation. This section provides instruction on standards applicable to a project, including national/ local standards as well as international standards and good practices on general living facilities; sanitary facilities; canteen, cooking and laundry facilities; and nutrition and food safety
3.4 International Conventions
3.4.1 The Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change (UNFCC) Vietnam became a signatory to the UNFCC in 1998 with full accession in 2002. This obligates Vietnam to assure that future development in the country meets the conditions of the Convention. Relevant to this project are the requirements associated with the potential generation of greenhouse gas. Further conditions of relevance include:
Enhancement of energy efficiency in relevant sectors;
Protection and enhancement of sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases;
Promotion of sustainable forest management practices, afforestation and reforestation;
Promotion of sustainable forms of agriculture;
Implementation of measures to limit and/ or reduce emissions of greenhouse gases; and
Limitation and/ or reduction in methane emissions.
3.4.2 The United Nations Convention on Biodiversity 1992 This Convention seeks to conserve biodiversity and promote its sustainable use. It requires the identification and monitoring of the biodiversity in an area and adopting the necessary conservation measure. Vietnam became party to this Convention in 1994.
3.4.3 The Basel Convention 1989 This was developed under the auspices of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) in response to the growing worldwide awareness of the problem of international traffic in hazardous waste. The Basel Convention 1989 is the first and foremost global environmental treaty that strictly regulates the trans-boundary movement of hazardous wastes. It obligates parties to ensure environmentally sound management, especially during the disposal process. The objectives of the Convention are to:
Ensure that waste is disposed of as near as possible to the place or source of its generation;
Reduce trans-boundary waste and where it cannot be avoided, to be disposed of in an environmentally sound and efficient manner; and
Provide assistance to developing countries in the management of hazardous waste and the generation.
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The Convention places a ban on the export of hazardous waste from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries to non-OECD countries.
3.4.4 International Union for Conservation of Natural and Natural Resources, Red List of Threatened Species The IUCN Red List, in 1964, was founded in order to provide a comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species, and to set of precise criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies. These criteria are applicable to all species and all regions of the world. Following the guidelines of the IUCN Red List, Vietnam’s Red List was produced in 1992, updated in 2007, and has been an effective guideline for conservation of extinction species in Vietnam.
3.4.5 The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted on September 13, 2007. Currently, the Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the Indigenous Peoples of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of Indigenous Peoples.
3.4.6 International Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966 and came in force from 3 January 1976. It commits its parties to work toward the granting of economic, social, and cultural rights, including labour rights and the right to health, the right to education, and the right to an adequate standard of living.
3.4.7 The International Labour Organization’s Labour Standards The international labour standards developed and adopted by The International Labour Organization (ILO) sets out basic principles and rights at work. They are conventions which are legally binding international treaties that may be ratified by member states. The eight fundamental Conventions of ILO are:
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948;
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949;
Forced Labour Convention, 1930;
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957;
Minimum Age Convention, 1973;
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999;
Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951; and
Discrimination Convention, 1958. Vietnam has been a member of ILO since 1994. Afterwards, labour management regulations in Vietnam have also been developed, updated and issued to ensure the alignment with requirements of the above convention. Therefore, local regulations on labour management, together with above conventions are requirements applicable to a project developed in Vietnam.
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4. IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY
4.1 Introduction This section presents the methodology used to conduct this IESE, which follows the approach illustrated in Figure 4.1.This IESE has been undertaken following a systematic process that: evaluates the potential impacts the Project could have on aspects of the physical, biological, social/socio-economic and cultural environment; identifies preliminary measures that the Project will take to avoid, minimise/reduce, mitigate, offset or compensate for potential adverse impacts; and identifies measures to enhance potential positive impacts where possible.
Source: ERM, 2019
Figure 4.1 IESE Process This section also details the methodology used for the collection and analysis of primary and secondary data used in this report. Primary and secondary information from the Project Owner, government sources, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other Project-related stakeholders have been collected to support the preparation of this report.
4.2 Screening At the initial stage of this IESE, preliminary information was provided to aid in the determination of what legal and other requirements should be applied to the Project. This step was completed utilizing a high- level description of the Project and its associated facilities.
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4.3 Scoping Scoping has been undertaken to delineate the potential Area of Influence for the Project (and thus the appropriate Study Area) and to identify potential interactions between the Project and resources/ receptors in the Area of Influence. It also helps in developing and selecting alternatives to proposed action and in identifying the issues to be considered in this IESE. The content of this IESE report has been prepared according to the output from the scoping process, which is further detailed in Chapter 5.
4.4 Project Description In order to set out the scope of the Project features and activities, with particular reference to the aspects which have the potential to impact the environment, a Project Description has been prepared. Details of the Project facilities’ design characteristics, as well as planned and possible unplanned Project activities, are provided in Chapter 2 of this IESE Report.
4.5 Baseline Conditions To provide the context within which the impacts of the Project can be assessed, a description of physical, biological, social/socio-economic and cultural conditions that would be expected to prevail in the absence of the Project is presented. The Baseline includes information on all resources/receptors that were identified during scoping as having the potential to be significantly affected by the Project. The baseline characterisation is reported in Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 of this IESE Report
4.6 Stakeholder Engagement An effective IESE Process requires engagement with relevant stakeholders throughout the key stages. This assists in understanding stakeholder views on the Project and in identifying issues that should be taken into account in the prediction and evaluation of impacts. Details of the Stakeholder Engagement activities undertaken for this Project to date are presented in Chapter 6 of this IESE Report.
4.7 Impact Assessment (IA) Impact identification and assessment starts with scoping and continues throughout the remainder of the IESE Process. The main IESE steps are summarised below and comprise of: Potential Impact Identification: to determine what could potentially happen to resources/receptors as a consequence of the Project and its associated activities; Impact Evaluation: to evaluate the significance of the predicted impacts by considering their magnitude and likelihood of occurrence, and the sensitivity, value and/or importance of the affected resource/receptor; Management and Mitigation Enhancement Measures: to identify appropriate and justified measures to mitigate potential negative impacts and enhance potential positive impacts; and Residual Impact Evaluation: to evaluate the significance of potential impacts assuming effective implementation of mitigation and enhancement measures.
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Source: ERM, 2019
Figure 4.2 The IA Process
4.7.1 Impact Prediction Prediction of impacts is essentially an objective exercise to determine what is likely to happen to the environment as a consequence of the Project and its associated activities. From the potentially significant interactions identified during the Scoping phase, the impacts to the various resources/receptors are elaborated and evaluated. The diverse range of potential impacts considered in the IESE Process typically results in a wide range of prediction methods being used, including quantitative, semi-quantitative and qualitative techniques.
4.7.2 Impact Evaluation Once the identification of potential impacts is completed, each potential impacts is described in terms of its various relevant characteristics (e.g. type, scale, duration, frequency, extent). The terminology and designations used to describe impact characteristics are shown in Table 4.1.
Table 4.1 Impact Characteristic Terminology
Characteristic Definition Designations
Type A descriptor indicating the relationship of the potential Direct impact to the Project (in terms of cause and effect). Indirect Induced
Extent The “reach” of the potential impact (e.g., confined to a Local small area around the Project footprint, projected for Regional several kilometres, etc.). International
Duration The time period over which a resource / receptor is Temporary potentially affected. Short-term Long-term
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Characteristic Definition Designations
Scale The size of the potential impact (e.g. the size of the [no fixed designations; intended to area with the potential to be damaged or impacted, the be a numerical value or a qualitative fraction of a resource that could potentially be lost or description of “intensity”] affected, etc.)
Frequency A measure of the constancy or periodicity of the [no fixed designations; intended to potential impact. be a numerical value or a qualitative description]
The definitions for the type designations are shown in Table 4.2. Definitions for the other designations are resource/receptor-specific, and are discussed in the resource/receptor-specific IA chapters presented later in this IESE.
Table 4.2 Impact Type Definitions
Type Definition
Direct Potential impacts that result from a direct interaction between the Project and a resource/receptor (e.g. between occupation of a pilot of land and the habitats which are affected)
Indirect Potential impacts that follow on from the direct interactions between the Project and its environment as a result of subsequent interactions within the environment (e.g. viability of a species population resulting from loss of part of a habitat as a result of the Project occupying a plot of land)
Induced Potential impacts that result from other activities (which are not part of the Project) that happen as a consequence of the Project (e.g. influx of camp followers resulting from the importation of a large project workforce)
The above characteristics and definitions apply to planned and unplanned events. An additional characteristic that pertains only to unplanned events is likelihood. The likelihood of an unplanned event occurring is designated using a qualitative scale, as described in Table 4.3.
Table 4.3 Definitions for Likelihood Designations
Likelihood Definition
Unlikely The event is unlikely but may occur at some time during normal operating conditions
Possible The event is likely to occur at some time during normal operating conditions
Likely The event will occur during normal operating conditions (i.e., it is essentially inevitable)
Once impact characteristics are defined, the next step in the IA phase is to assign each potential impact a “magnitude”. Magnitude is typically a function of some combination (depending on the resource/receptor in question) of the following impact characteristics:
Extent;
Duration;
Scale;
Frequency; and
Likelihood (for unplanned event)
Magnitude essentially describes the intensity of the change that is predicted to occur in the resource/receptor as a result of the potential impact. The magnitude designations themselves are universally consistent, but the definitions for these designations vary depending on the resource/receptor. The universal magnitude designations are:
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Positive;
Negligible;
Small;
Medium; and
Large
In the case of a potential positive impact, no magnitude designation (aside form “positive”) is assigned. It is considered sufficient for the purpose of the IESE to indicate that the Project is expected to result in a potential positive impact, without characterising the exact degree of positive change likely to occur. In the case of potential impacts resulting from unplanned events, the same resource/receptor-specific approach to concluding a magnitude designation is utilised. However, the ‘likelihood’ factor is considered, together with the other impact characteristics, when assigning a magnitude designation. In addition to characterising the magnitude of impact, the other principal impact evaluation step is definition of the sensitivity/vulnerability/importance of the impacted resource/receptor. There are a range of factors to be taken into account when defining the sensitivity/vulnerability/importance of the resource/receptor, which may be physical, biological, cultural or human. Other factors may also be considered, such as legal protection, government policy, stakeholder views and economic value. As in the case of magnitude, the sensitivity/vulnerability/importance designations themselves are universally consistent, but the definitions for these designations vary on a resource/receptor basis. The sensitivity/vulnerability/importance designations used herein for all resources/receptors are:
Low;
Medium; and
High. Once magnitude of impact and sensitivity/vulnerability/importance of resource/receptor have been characterised, the significance can be assigned to each impact. Impact significance is designated using the matrix shown in Table 4.4.
Table 4.4 Impact Significance
Sensitivity/Vulnerability/Importance of Resource/Receptor
Low Medium High
Negligible Negligible Negligible Negligible
Small Negligible Minor Moderate
Medium Minor Moderate Major Magnitude of Impact Impact of Magnitude
Large Moderate Major Major
The matrix applies universally to all resources/receptors, and all impacts to these resources/receptors, as the resource/receptor-specific considerations are factored into the assignment of magnitude and sensitivity/vulnerability/importance designations that enter into the matrix. The context for what the various impact significance ratings signify is presented in the box below.
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It is important to note that impact prediction and evaluation take into account any embedded controls (i.e., physical or procedural controls that are already planned as part of the Project design, regardless of the results of the IESE Process). This helps avoid a situation where an impact is assigned a magnitude based on a hypothetical version of the Project that considers none of the embedded controls. Context of Impact Significance
An impact of negligible significance is one where a resource/receptor (including people) will essentially not be affected in any way by a particular activity or the predicted effect is deemed to be ‘imperceptible’ or is indistinguishable from natural background variations. An impact of minor significance is one where a resource/receptor will experience a noticeable effect, but the impact magnitude is sufficiently small and/or the resource/receptor is of low sensitivity/vulnerability/importance. In either case, the magnitude should be well within applicable standards. An impact of moderate significance has an impact magnitude that is within applicable standards, but falls somewhere in the range from a threshold below which the impact is minor, up to a level that might be just short of breaching a legal limit. Clearly, to design an activity so that its’ effects only just avoid breaking a law and/or cause a major impact is not best practice. The emphasis for moderate impacts is therefore on demonstrating that the impact has been reduced to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). This does not necessarily mean that impacts of moderate significance have to be reduced to minor, but that moderate impacts are being managed effectively and efficiently. An impact of major significance is one where an accepted limit or standard may be exceeded, or large magnitude impacts occur to highly valued/sensitive resource/receptors. An aim of IESE is to get to a position where the Project does not have any major residual impacts, certainly not ones that would endure into the long-term or extend over a large area. However, for some aspects there maybe be major residual impacts after all practicable mitigation options have been exhausted (i.e., ALARP has been applied). An example might be the visual impact of a facility. It is then the function of regulators and stakeholder to weigh such negative factors against the positive ones, such as employment, in coming to a decision on the Project.
4.7.3 Mitigation and Enhancement Measures Once the significance of a potential impact has been characterised, the next step is to evaluate what mitigation and enhancement measures are warranted. For the purposes of this IESE, ERM has adopted the following Mitigation Hierarchy, which is shown in Figure 4.3.
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Figure 4.3 Hierarchy of Mitigation Options The priority in mitigation is to first apply mitigation measures to the source of the potential impact (i.e., to avoid or reduce the magnitude of the potential impact from the associated Project activity), and then to address the resultant effect to the resource/receptor via abatement or compensatory measures or offsets (i.e., to reduce the significance of the effect once all reasonably practicable mitigations have been applied to reduce the impact magnitude).
4.7.4 Residual Impact Evaluation Once mitigation and enhancement measures are declared, the next step in the IESE Process is to assign residual impact significance. This is essentially a repeat of the IA steps discussed above, considering the implementation of the proposed mitigation and enhancement measures.
4.7.5 Management, Monitoring and Audit The final stage of the IESE Process is defining the basic management and monitoring measures that are needed to identify whether: a) impacts or their associated Project components remain in conformance with applicable standards; and b) mitigation measures are effectively addressing impacts and compensatory measures and offsets are reducing effects to the extent predicted. A Register of Commitments, which is a summary of all actions the Project Proponent has committed to executing, with respect to environmental/social/health performance for the Project, is also included as part of this Report. The Register of Commitments includes mitigation measures, compensatory measures and offsets, and management and monitoring activities.
4.8 Cumulative Impact According to IFC 2013, “Cumulative impacts (CI) are those that result from the successive, incremental, and/or combined effects of an action, project, or activity when added to other existing, planned, and/or reasonably anticipated future ones”. According to the IFC (IFC 2013), the assessment and management
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of cumulative impacts is necessary when the Project and other developments under consideration could contribute to generating cumulative impacts on valued environmental and social component. In order to gain an understanding of the projects overall contribution to impacts, a cumulative impact assessment (CIA) was undertaken. Whilst total cumulative impacts due to multiple projects within a given area should be identified within government- led spatial planning efforts, the Project owner needs to determine the degree to which it is contributing to these overall cumulative impacts. In this regard, the objectives of the CIA are twofold:
Determine if the cumulative impacts caused by the Project and other existing or predictable future projects that would threaten the sustainability of valuable environmental component (VEC) in the area; and
Develop mitigation measures to prevent unacceptable conditions of VECs. The measures could include additional mitigation measures for the Project and also additional mitigation measures for other existing or predictable future projects in the area. The IESE and CIA are prepared based on similar logical framework, analytical process and tools. Unlike the IESE that centres on the Project as a source of impacts, the CIA focuses on VECs under influence from different projects (Figure 4.4). In a CIA, the overall resulting condition of the VEC and its related viability are assessed. This CIA closely follows the six (6) steps of the IFC Guidance (IFC 2013), as shown in Figure 4.5 IFC Guidance takes into consideration the limitations that a private developer may face carrying out a CIA as part of an IESE, or difficulties encountered in compiling such information. The limitations applicable to this CIA include:
Incomplete information about other projects and activities (e.g. the information is not available in the public domain);
Uncertainty with respect to the implementation of future projects; and
Difficulty in establishing thresholds or limits of acceptable change for VECs, and therefore the significance of cumulative impacts.
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IESE: Project-Centred Perspective CIA: VEC-Centred Perspective
Figure 4.4 IESE and CIA Analysis (IFC 2013)
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Figure 4.5 Six-Step Approach for CIA (IFC 2013)
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4.9 Risk Assessment for Unplanned Events To evaluate potential impacts from unplanned events, a risk-based approach is used to define: 1) the most likely unplanned events leading to environmental, social and/or community health impacts; and 2) those unplanned events with the most significant potential environmental, social and/or community health impacts overall. Impact significance for unplanned events is therefore determined by evaluating the combination of likelihood and consequence.
4.9.1 Assess the Scale of Consequence Indicative levels of consequence for potential impacts from unplanned events can be defined for the physical, biological, and social environment as provided below.
Table 4.5 Indicative Levels of Consequence for Potential Impacts from Unplanned Events
Incidental Minor Moderate Major Severe
Physical Impacts such as Impacts such as Impacts such as Impacts such as Exceedance of Environment localised or short widespread, widespread, long- significant, widespread environmental term effects or short-term term effects on and persistent standards and environmental impacts to environmental changes in fine/ media, meeting all environmental media, meeting all environmental media prosecution environmental media, meeting environmental OR standards all standards Exceedance of environmental environmental standards standards
Biological Impacts such as Impacts such as Impacts such as Impacts such as Impacts such Environment localised or short localised, long localised but significant, widespread as persistent term effects on term irreversible habitat and persistent reduction in habitat or species degradation of loss or changes in habitat or ecosystem sensitive habitat widespread, long- species function on a or widespread, term effects on landscape scale short-term habitat or species or significant impacts to disruption of a habitat or sensitive species species.
Social Slight, temporary, Temporary (<1 Adverse specific Adverse long-term, Adverse long- Environment adverse impact on year), adverse impacts on multiple impacts at a term, varied a few individuals impacts on multiple individuals community level, but and diverse community that can be restoration possible. impacts at a which are within restored in <1 year OR community level international or higher – OR One or more severe health standards restoration injuries to a member One or more unlikely. OR of the public including injuries, not permanently disabling Fatalities of severe. injuries. public.
4.9.2 Assess the Likelihood For the purposes of assessment, the likelihood of an unplanned event occurring can be classified as follows: 1 - Remote, not known in the industry;
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2 - Very unlikely, known of in the industry; 3 - Unlikely, may occur once or more in life of the Project; 4 - Likely, may occur once or twice per year; 5 - Expected, may occur more than twice per year.
4.9.3 Assess the Significance The consequences and likelihood of potential unplanned events are combined to determine the overall impact significance using the risk matrix shown in Table 4.6. For potential impacts that are determined to have an impact significance of Moderate or Major, risk reduction measures are identified; these can include measures that reduce the likelihood of the event from occurring (i.e. preventive barriers), those that reduce the consequences on sensitive receptors/resources if the event were to occur (i.e. mitigation or recovery measures), and those that affect the likelihood and consequence.
Table 4.6 Risk Matrix for Potential Unplanned Events
Likelihood of Occurrence
1 2 3 4 5 Incidental Negligible Negligible Negligible Negligible Negligible
Minor Negligible Minor Minor Minor Moderate
Moderate Minor Minor Moderate Moderate Major
Major Moderate Moderate Major Major Major
Consequence Severe Major Major Major Major Major
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5. IESE SCREENING AND SCOPING
5.1 Screening Results At the initial stage of the IESE process, preliminary information was provided to support in the determination of what legal and other requirements apply to the Project. This step was conducted utilizing a high level description of the Project. The screening process involved the following:
Reviewing of applicable regulatory framework for the Project;
Reviewing of available Project related activities and their impacts on various components of environment;
Collection and compilation of available secondary baseline data from different sources; and
Categorization of Project as per ADB Safeguard Policy.
For the screening step, ERM undertook discussion with the Project team and review the available documents provided by Client. The following Project categorization by ADB Safeguard Policy was presented in this section below. Environment ADB uses a classification system to reflect the significance of a project’s potential environmental impacts. A project’s category is determined by the category of its most environmentally sensitive component, including direct, indirect, cumulative, and induced impacts in the project’s area of influence. Each proposed project is scrutinized as to its type, location, scale, and sensitivity and the magnitude of its potential environmental impacts. Projects are assigned to one of the following four categories: Category A. A proposed project is likely to have significant adverse environmental impacts that are irreversible, diverse, or unprecedented. These impacts may affect an area larger than the sites or facilities subject to physical works. An environmental impact assessment (EIA), including an environmental management plan (EMP), is required. Category B. The proposed project’s potential adverse environmental impacts are site-specific, few if any of them are irreversible, and in most cases mitigation measures can be designed more readily than for category A projects. An initial environmental examination (IEE), including an EMP, is required. Category C. A proposed project is likely to have minimal or no adverse environmental impacts. An EIA or IEE is not required, although environmental implications need to be reviewed. Category FI. A proposed project involves the investment of ADB funds to or through a financial intermediary. The financial intermediary must apply and maintain an environmental and social management system, unless all of the financial intermediary's business activities have minimal or no environmental impacts or risks. Results of the environmental and social impact assessment determined that Project activities during the construction phase will result in increased noise levels, changes in air and water quality, impacts on soil, terrestrial ecology, and community and occupational health and safety, while operational impacts on water quality that relates mainly on residual impacts from construction, impacts from shadow flicker, traffic impacts, birds/ bats impacts. Most of these impacts are limited to the wind farm components and their immediate vicinity and can be minimized through application of mitigation measures as proposed in the ESMP. As such, the project is categorized as Environment Category B.
Involuntary Resettlement
The involuntary resettlement impacts of an ADB-supported project are considered significant if 200 or more persons will be physically displaced from home or lose 10% or more of their productive or income- generating assets. Projects are classified into the following four categories:
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Category A. A proposed project is likely to have significant involuntary resettlement impacts. A resettlement plan, which includes assessment of social impacts, is required. Category B. A proposed project includes involuntary resettlement impacts that are not deemed significant. A resettlement plan, which includes assessment of social impacts, is required. Category C. A proposed project has no involuntary resettlement impacts. No further action is required. Category FI. A proposed project involves the investment of ADB funds to or through a financial intermediary. The financial intermediary must apply and maintain an environmental and social management system, unless all of the financial intermediary's business activities are unlikely to generate involuntary impacts. It was confirmed by the local authorities and the Project owner through the socio-economic baseline survey that no involuntary land acquisition would occur for the all of the Project’s components (i.e. turbine layout, internal road, transmission line) given all acquired land was being managed by the Protection Forest Management Unit. Additionally, 1) there is no informal land user in the protection forest areas of the Project and 2) there is no economic displacement because the Projects do not result in: (i) any restrictions on land use (not applicable as land use is determined and governed by Huong Hoa – Dakrong PFMB) or (ii) imposition of involuntary restrictions on the use of resources on people who live around the project area. However, the removal of trees, including trau would cause a reduced volume of NTFP collection, though at a minor scale.
As such, the categorisation for involuntary resettlement of the Project is identified as Category C.
Indigenous People
The impacts of an ADB-supported project on Indigenous Peoples is determined by assessing the magnitude of impact in terms of customary rights of use and access to land and natural resources; socioeconomic status; cultural and communal integrity; health, education, livelihood, and social security status; and the recognition of indigenous knowledge; and the level of vulnerability of the affected Indigenous Peoples community. Projects are classified into the following four categories: Category A. A proposed project is likely to have significant impacts on Indigenous Peoples. An Indigenous Peoples plan (IPP), including assessment of social impacts, is required. Category B. A proposed project is likely to have limited impacts on Indigenous Peoples. An IPP, including assessment of social impacts, is required. Category C. A proposed project is not expected to have impacts on Indigenous Peoples. No further action is required. Category FI. A proposed project involves the investment of ADB funds to or through a financial intermediary. The financial intermediary must apply and maintain an environmental and social management system, unless all of the financial intermediary's business activities unlikely to have impacts on Indigenous Peoples. The social impact assessment conducted by ERM in June-August 2018 has, in consultation with ethnic minority communities (EM) in project areas, identified the project- affected EM and identify potential impacts of the proposed project on them. ADB SPS 2009 defines Indigenous Peoples as a distinct social and cultural group possessing the following characteristics in varying degrees:
Self-identification as members of a distinct indigenous cultural group and recognition of this identity by others;
Collective attachment to geographically distinct habitats or ancestral territories in the project area and to the natural resources in these habitats and territories;
Customary cultural, economic, social, or political institutions that are separate from those of the mainstream society or culture; and
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A distinct language or dialect, often different from the official language or languages of the country or region in which they reside.
Observations from the survey and background research to date specific to these characteristics are described in the below table. The four characteristics are evaluated independently, and no characteristic weighs more than the others.
No Characteristics The Van Kieu ethnic group11 Determined (Yes/No)
1 Self- Van Kieu people have their own language, scripts and unique culture Yes identification although they have integrated well to the larger Kinh community. Van Kieu ethnic group has particular ethnic features and their identity is normally recognized by other ethnic groups.
2 Collective Van Kieu ethnic group is one of three indigenous ethnic minorities Yes attachment residing in the mountainous areas of Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue provinces. In the past, the Bru people had settled in the Central Laos. Later, due to historical changes, they had to migrate to other places, including some to the east to settle down in the West of Quang Tri province where they set up their villages around the mountain called Van Kieu, which popularly pronounced as Van Kieu. According to the interview with local authorities at commune level, the Van Kieu people have inhabited and attached to the mountainous area of Quang Tri province for approximately 10 generations.
3 Customary Van Kieu people have distinct cultural practices such as community Yes institutions organization, including the patriarch system, house style, ceremony and festival, belief (Sacred Forest) and blowing rituals as described in sections above.
4 Distinct Van Kieu people have their own language and scripts which is different Yes language from the official language of Vietnam. Though they are also proficient in official language, they often interact with each other in their language.
Conclusion From the above analysis, it is concluded that the Van Kieu people is considered as IPs as this ethnic minority group fulfils all four characteristics mentioned in ADB SPS3.
Under social impact assessment section, the Project is likely to have limited impacts on Indigenous Peoples (Van Kieu people), i.e. Category B. As such, as required by ADB, an IPP, including assessment of social impacts and resource requirements for addressing impact, is required. Overall, based on above analysis, the proposed Project has been categorized as Category B as per ADB safeguard policy.
5.2 Scoping Scoping has been undertaken to identify the potential Area of Influence, potential interactions between the Project activities and environmental and social resources or receptors in the Area of Influence. This was based on (i) the project information currently available at the time of the IESE preparation process and it should be noted that the project description in Chapter 2 remains the most up to date outline of the project activities; (ii) the baseline information collected at the scoping time and (iii) the experience gained in similar projects constructed in similar environmental and socioeconomic contexts.
11 Source: http://ubdt.gov.vn/gioi-thieu/cong-dong-54-dan-toc.htm and data of Van Kieu group was taken from social baseline survey by ERM
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The IESE covers the following project elements which have been described in details in Chapter 2, including:
Site preparation (site clearance, excavation and levelling), fencing, and civil works
Wind turbine transportation and construction;
Construction of Wind turbine foundation, transmission line pylons, internal road;
Wind turbine installation;
Wind turbine operation, maintenance and decommissioning; and
Supporting facilities such as the existing batching plant and auxiliary works.
5.2.1 Scoping Results The scoping exercise is intended to ensure that the IA focuses on those issues that are most important for design, decision-making and stakeholder interests. Table 5.1 presents the resources/receptors considered during scoping.
Table 5.1 Resources/Receptors Considered during Scoping
Resources/Receptors Impacts
Environmental
Terrestrial vegetation Changes to vegetation population, health, species abundance and diversity and impact on endangered and economic species, food chain effects
Avifauna species Impacts on endangered and economic species, food chain effects
Air Emissions of NOx, SOx, PM, CO.
Water resource (Surface Changes to physical, chemical or biological quality of rivers, lakes, and other water and Groundwater) surface water bodies. Introduction of exotic species; changes in habitat quality, abundance, diversity. Effluent discharge. Contamination of shallow or deep groundwater resources. Change in groundwater resource Change in water resources availability, impacts on demands of surface water uses.
Soil Changes to physical and chemical properties and soil ecology
Noise Changes in noise level
Visual Amenity Potential impacts of the Project on specific views and on the general visual amenity experienced by people.
Shadow Flicker Potential impacts on health of project-affected people (eyes, vision) and vegetation growth
EMF Potential of electromagnetic interference (EMI) may occur from the Project development.
Social / Socio-economic
Economy and employment Change in national/local economy, employment, standard of living, occupations
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Resources/Receptors Impacts
Economic and physical Temporary or permanent restriction for accessing or using land, changes in displacement livelihood activities based on land-based resources; changes in ownership of such resources.
Infrastructure and public Improvement or pressure on existing urban/rural infrastructure or services e.g. services transportation, power, water, sanitation, waste handling facilities
Community Health and Safety
Environmental change Potential degradation in air quality (e.g. NOx, SOx, VOC, CO, PM), contamination of surface water and potable ground water, increased vibration and noise, increased night time light beyond acceptable limits, changes to the visual environment.
Communicable and non- Change in incidence and /or prevalence of communicable and non- communicable diseases communicable diseases or disease causing factors
Vector borne diseases Changes in the incidence and or prevalence of vector borne diseases, the density of these vectors and their breeding grounds
Sexually Transmitted Changes in the incidence and /or prevalence of STDs and the factors that Diseases (STDs) contribute to this (e.g. external workforce, transport routes)
Health care/recreational Changes in availability of and access to health care and recreational facilities facilities including green space
Occupational Health and There is the potential for occupational health and safety incidents Safety throughout the life cycle of the project; the risk is particularly high during construction phases (Using of heavy equipment and cranes, fall, exposure to dust, noise, hazardous materials, electrical hazards from the use of tools and machinery, working at height, overwater, EMF) ) and during the operation phase (blade throw, electrical hazards, etc.)
Traffic Safety Changes in traffic volume contributes to increase risks of traveller safety, especially the Project is located in a mountainous area.
Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous Peoples Changes in cultural resources, livelihood of Indigenous Peoples, impacts on customary right of use and access to land and natural resources, socio- economic status, cultural and community integrity; health, education, social security status, indigenous knowledge
Gender Impact Assessment Assess impacts on demographics, education attainment, participation in income Gender generation activities, labour division and decision making within the family in term of gender equality, especially ethnic minority (Van Kieu).
5.2.2 Project Area of Influence (AoI) Under IFC PS1’s definition, the AoI encompasses, as appropriate: “The area likely to be affected by: (i) the project and the client’s activities and facilities that are directly owned, operated or managed (including by contractors) and that are a component of the project; (ii) impacts from unplanned but predictable developments caused by the project that may occur later or at a different location; or (iii) indirect project impacts on biodiversity or on ecosystem services upon which Affected Communities’ livelihoods are dependent.
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Associated facilities, which are facilities that are not funded as part of the project and that would not have been constructed or expanded if the project did not exist and without which the project would not be viable. Cumulative impacts that result from the incremental impact, on areas or resources used or directly impacted by the project, from other existing, planned or reasonably defined developments at the time the risks and impacts identification process is conducted.”
Base on available information of the Projects, and information obtained from the site visit, the authority meeting, and good international industry practice on potential E&S impacts of a wind power project12. The Area of Influence of the Project includes the physical boundary of the Project activities as the core area and a wider buffer zone of 50km radius surrounding the Project site. The Project’s AoI is defined as below: . Project AoI of noise impact should be determined within 2,000m of any turbines; . Project AoI of shadow flicker should be determined as 10 times of rotor diameters from each turbine location; . Project AoI of blade throw should be determined as 1.5 times of turbine height (tower and rotor radius); and . Project AoI of biodiversity is considered as Ecological Appropriate Area for Analysis (EAAA) to be assessed to define habitat values in the immediate project vicinity where species may regularly dwell. Area of Influence of the Project is presented in Figure 5.1 and Figure 5.2.
12 Potential AoI of noise impact should be determined within 2,000m of any turbines; Potential AoI of shadow flicker should be determined as 10 times of rotor diameters from each turbine location; and Potential AoI of blade throw should be determined as 1.5 times of turbine height (tower and rotor radius)
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Figure 5.1 Areas of Influence of Noise and Shadow Flicker
Figure 5.2 Ecological Area of Influence
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Nearby sensitive receptors have been identified at the initial site visit, including:
Residential areas: The nearest house is approximately 1.8km from the WTG09 to the North, which is located in Ma Lai Pun village, Huong Phung Commune. The village is resided by Van Kieu Ethnic Minority
Water bodies: - A natural stream is approximately 2.3 km to the Southeast of the Project boundary - A large lake named Rao Quan lake is approximately 5.3 km to the Northeast of the Project boundary
Protection Forest: - Phong Nguyen Wind Farm will acquire approximately 10.37 ha of fixed-term used land (protection forest - modified) for turbine foundation, transmission line pylons, and internal roads and 6.03 ha of temporary land use (protection forest - modified) for laydown area, crane installation area, and two spoil disposal sites.
Key biodiversity and protected areas: - Project site is within 50km from Dakrong, Dong Phou Vieng, Laving –Laveun, Truong Son and Upper Xe Bangfai key biodiversity areas (IBAT, 2020); and - The Project is also within 50km from Bac Huong Hoa, Dakrong and Dong Phou Vieng Protected Areas (IBAT, 2020).
Project’s potential sensitive receptors are presented in Figure 5.3 and Figure 5.4 below.
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Figure 5.3 Key Receptors within and around Project Area
Figure 5.4 Key Protected Area
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5.2.3 Identification of Potential Impact Following the determination of Area of Influence (AoI), the Scoping Matrix is used as a tool to support a methodological identification of potential interactions each Project activity may have on the range of resources/receptors within the AoI. It consists, on one side of the matrix, a list of Project activities during the construction and operation phases which may give rise to significant impacts. These are set against a list of environmental and social resources/receptors within the AoI with potential to interact. Scope in/out Description Scoped Out An interaction is not reasonably expected Scoped Out or integrated with other An interaction is reasonably possible but none of the resulting major interactions impacts are likely to lead to significant effects
Further Consideration in Impact The interaction is reasonably possible and at least one of the Assessment resulting impacts is likely to lead to an effect that is significant Interaction likely to lead to Potential An interaction with positive impact expected Positive Impacts
All potential interactions, regardless of probability of occurrence, are considered at this stage. Those cells that are coloured white are ‘scoped out’ of further consideration in the impact assessment (IA). Those interactions that are grey are also ‘scoped out’ with supporting reasons to justify the decision. Those interactions that are shaded black are retained for further consideration in the IA process Table 5.2 indicate scoping matrix for Phong Nguyen Wind farm Project.
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Table 5.2 Phong Nguyen Wind Farm Scoping Matrix
PROJECT PHASES AND ACTIVITIES Environment Social s Ambient Air Quality Noise and Vibration Soil Quality Surface Water Quality Groundwater Quality Terrestrial Fauna and Flora Avifauna Economy& Employment Livelihood Visual Amenity Land Use Infrastructure/ Public Services Occupational Health and Safety Community Health, Safety and Security Cultural Resources of Indigenous People
Pre-Construction
Land use change
Workforce Mobilization and Presence
Land Preparation (site clearance, excavation and levelling), fencing, and civil works
Construction
Equipment and material transport and supply
Construction of turbine foundations, transmission line pylons , internal road, auxiliary works and turbine installation
Wastes, emissions and discharges generation, handling and disposal
Operation of associated facilities such as the concrete batching plant,
Construction water usage
Commissioning and Operation
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PROJECT PHASES AND ACTIVITIES Environment Social s Ambient Air Quality Noise and Vibration Soil Quality Surface Water Quality Groundwater Quality Terrestrial Fauna and Flora Avifauna Economy& Employment Livelihood Visual Amenity Land Use Infrastructure/ Public Services Occupational Health and Safety Community Health, Safety and Security Cultural Resources of Indigenous People
Workforce Presence
WTG Operation
WTG Inspection and Maintenance
Waste, emissions and discharge generation, handling and disposal
Unplanned Events
Leakage and spill incident
Fire and explosion
Vehicle collision
Blade throw
Transmission line snapping
Natural Hazards (Flood, Storm, etc.)
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6. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
6.1 Stakeholder Engagement during EIA Process As required by Vietnam EIA regulations, from December 2019 to February 2020, the Project Owner organized multiple public consultation sessions for the draft local EIA reports of Phong Nguyen Wind Farm Project at affected areas where this project is located following the below approach:
Sending letters soliciting opinions regarding Project’s potential environmental impacts to Huong Phung and Tan Thanh Commune People’s Committees and Huong Hoa - Dakrong Protection Forest Management Board; and
Arranging a public consultation meeting at the Huong Phung and Tan Thanh Commune PC’s offices with participation of local authorities, socio-political professional organizations and directly affected residential communities in the Project area. The purposes of these public consultation sessions were to gain (i) opinions on negative and positive impacts by the Project to natural environment, socio-economy and community health, (ii) opinions on mitigation measures to reduce these impacts or enhance the positive impacts, (iii) recommendations of the community to Project Owner of Phong Nguyen Wind Farm Project. Detailed comments of local community and authorities together with feedback from the Project Owner are provided in Error! Reference source not found. to Table 6.2. Table 6.1 Comment of Engaged Stakeholders on the EIA of Phong Nguyen Wind Farm Project
No. Comments of Stakeholders
I PC of Huong Phung Commune
1 The People's Committee of Huong Phung commune agreed with the analysis of the potential impacts of the Project during its preparation, construction and operation phases and mitigation measures for the project on natural environment, socio-economy and public health.
2 The Project Owner was requested to comply with the commitments stated in the local EIA.
3 The Project Owner was suggested to provide reasonable compensation and support to the affected households.
4 The Project Owner was proposed to prevent from traffic safety issues and avoid causing damage, and degradation of roads used in the project during construction phase.
5 The Project Owner was required to complete the construction phase as scheduled.
6 The Project Owner was to collect all the waste generated from construction activities.
II PC of Tan Thanh Commune
1 The People's Committee of Tan Thanh commune agreed with the analysis of the negative impacts of the Project during its preparation, construction and operation phases and mitigation measures for the project on natural environment, socio-economy and public health.
2 The Project Owner was required to collaborate with local authorities regarding land acquisition process and provide reasonable compensation and support to the affected households.
3 The Project Owner was requested to disclose transportation route, ensure that the activities of transportation of material was safe and will not affect to daily transportation activities of local people.
4 The Project Owner was suggested to take necessary precaution to avoid soil erosion during rainy season and provide preventive measures in order not to affect local people’ daily activities.
5 The Project Owner was required to keep the distances among turbines in line with Circular 02/2019/BCT.
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No. Comments of Stakeholders
III Local communities in Huong Phung Commune
1 The local communities showed the support for the development of clean energy projects.
2 The Project Owner was required to keep the distances among turbines in line with Circular 02/2019/BCT.
3 The Project Owner was suggested to prioritize local workers in recruitment for construction work and inform local authorities of influx workers.
4 The Project Owner was requested to collaborate with local authorities in land acquisition process and ensure that it is in line with legal requirement.
5 The Project Owner was required to provide action plan of reforestation after restitution.
6 The Project Owner was asked to collect waste effectively and protect the landscape.
IV Local communities in Tan Thanh Commune
1 The local communities strongly supported the Project’s development.
2 The Project Owner was requested to collaborate with local authorities in land acquisition process and ensure that it is in line with legal requirement.
3 The Project Owner was requested to provide preventive measures while transporting material, provide transportation route in order to not affect local people’ transportation activities.
4 The Project Owner was suggested to take necessary precaution to avoid soil erosion during rainy season and provide preventive measures in order not to affect local people’ daily activities.
5 The Project Owner was required to keep the distances among turbines in line with Circular 02/2019/BCT.
V Huong Hoa - Dakrong Protection Forest Management Board
1 The Management Board confirmed that the Project area was not involved in natural forest managed by Huong Hoa – Dakrong Protection Forest Management Board and the location of all turbines were in land of artificial protective forest.
2 The Project Owner was required to commit to conduct action plan as mentioned in the local EIA, collaborate with local authorities for environmental protection during the development of the Project.
3 The Project Owner was requested to control and manage their workers not to encroach the forest which was not located in the Project area. All activities such as hunting animals, birds and cutting the trees were prohibited.
Source: Local EIA of Phong Nguyen, 2020
Table 6.2 Feedback of the Project Owner on Comments of Local Authorities and Communities
No Reponses by the Project Owner
1 Regarding PC and local communities of Huong Phung and Tan Thanh Communes, the Project Owner has committed to the following measures:
Compensate and support for Project affected people in accordance with current regulations;
Comply with the provisions of the law on environmental protection in construction work of the Project;
Minimize negative environmental impacts during the construction and operation phases of the Project;
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No Reponses by the Project Owner
Disclose Project information to authorities and people before commencing land clearance;
Execute the project on schedule, clean up and return to the original state when the project finishes each facility;
Strictly implement labour safety and other safety measures during Project construction as well as operation phases; and
Implement appropriate measures to ensure traffic safety, and maintain social order and security in the locality during project implementation.
2 Regarding Huong Hoa – Dakrong Protection Forest Management Board, the Project Owner to:
Strongly agree and be fully comply with the feedbacks of the leaders of the Huong Hoa - Dakrong Protection Forest Management Board;
Closely coordinate among the stakeholders in the project implementation process; and
Strictly implement the mitigation measures stated in the report as well as other requirements written in the official dispatch in response to the Huong Hoa - Dakrong Protection Forest Management Board.
6.2 Stakeholder Engagement during IESE Process
6.2.1 Engagement Activities in May 2020
6.2.1.1 Meeting with Authorities From 4 to 7 May 2020, the Project Owners and the Project’s consultant – ERM Vietnam Company Limited (ERM), have conducted formal meetings with regulatory bodies from district, and commune levels to:
Follow-up the current socio-economic conditions and future socio-economic development plans of the Project areas; and
Obtain their opinions and concerns on the development of the Projects; The following authorities were involved in the meetings with the Project Owners and ERM: 1. PC of Huong Hoa District People’s Committee 2. People’s Committee of Huong Phung and Tan Thanh Communes; 3. Huong Hoa - Dakrong Protection Forest Management; and 4. Huong Hoa – Land Fund Development Center (LFDC). A summary of discussions, concerns, and recommendations generated in the course of Project Owner’s engagement with authorities during IESE process is provided in Appendix N. Corresponding minutes of meetings with detailed discussion as well as full lists of meeting participants are attached in Appendix N.
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Table 6.3 Summary of Stakeholder Engagement Activities with Authorities and Relevant Organisations during IESE Process
Interview Organizations Topics covered in the interview meetings Groups
State Huong Hoa - Dakrong Update the organisation about the Project development progress Agency Protection Forest and current status of the IESE; Management Obtain input on impacts of the Project relating to forest management in the Project area; and Gain feedback/perceptions on the Project development.
Local PC of Huong Hoa Update the authority about Project development progress and authorities District; LFDC; PC of current status of the IESE including land acquisition process; Huong Phung and Tan Obtain to-date socio-economic data/information including Thanh Communes infrastructure and public services development of the commune, health, livelihoods and employment of the people in the commune; Gain feedback/perceptions on the Project development; and Ask for permission and support from the People’s Committee to conduct the household survey in the area.
6.2.1.2 Engagement with Local Communities for Baseline Data and Perceptions Simultaneously, the Project team and ERM organised multiple engagement activities at the local community level from 4 May to 9 May 2020 mainly to collect the updated socio-economic baseline data and local communities’ opinions and concerns on the development of the Projects. The consultations were in the form of Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and household surveys as discussed below.
6.2.1.2.1 Key Informant Interviews
The KIIs were conducted with one village head of Ma Lai Pun Village of Huong Phung Commune. It was noted that after the consultation with the Tan Thanh CPC and Huong Hoa – Dakrong PFMB, ERM understood that residential areas of Tan Thanh are not located within the Project boundary. Hence, consultation with the village heads of Tan Thanh Commune as well as the FGDs were not conducted in Tan Thanh Commune. The KIIs were semi-structured with major questions prepared in advance in the form of open-ended questions and a statistic data table. The questions concentrated on general information about the community, infrastructure, ethnicity, vulnerable groups, education, livelihoods and employment, health, cultural heritage and perceptions about the Project
6.2.1.2.2 Household Surveys
In order to understand the socio-economic baseline including current livelihoods, income, health profile and the awareness and concerns of the affected communities about the Project, face-to-face interviews were undertaken for 60 households living in Tan Thanh (30 HHs) and Huong Phung (30 HHs) Communes. Primary data from the household surveys were used to form the socio-economic baseline section of the IESE report and to propose livelihood restoration and community development plans of the Project. Topics of engagement and feedback including concerns and suggestions from the FGDs, KIIs and Household surveys are summarised in Table 6.4.
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Table 6.4 Summary of Stakeholder Engagement Activities during IESE Process
Interviewed Organisations Topics covered in the interview meetings Group
Commune PC of Communes Update the authority with Project development; Authorities Obtain to-date socio-economic data/information including infrastructure and public services development of the Communes, health, livelihoods and employment of the people in the Communes;
Gain feedback/perceptions on the Project development; and
Ask for acceptance and support from the People’s Committees to conduct the household survey in the area.
Key Informant Head of Ma Lai Pun Village, The questionnaire of the KII interview was designed to Interviews Huong Phung Commune collect the following:
The history and organizational structure;
Housing and land (i.e. land use and land tenure);
Main livelihoods in this community area;
Infrastructure status;
Access to and availability of public facilities (i.e. electricity, water supply, etc.);
Financial situation;
Future-oriented development; and
Awareness on the development of the Project and its engagement activities.
Household 60 households living in The questionnaire of the household interview was Surveys Huong Phung and Tan designed to collect the following: Thanh Communes Family status and demographics;
Vulnerable status (i.e. who by virtue of gender, ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, economic disadvantage, or social status that may be more adversely affected by the Project development);
Livelihoods and employment (i.e. their livelihoods/employment);
Household income and expenditure;
Housing and land (i.e. land use and land tenure);
Education background (i.e. education level of members in the surveyed households);
Health status/profile and health care practice;
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Interviewed Organisations Topics covered in the interview meetings Group
Access to and availability of public facilities (i.e. electricity, water supply, etc.); and
Awareness on the development of the Project and its engagement activities.
6.2.1.3 Concerns from the Interviewed Authorities and Communities The concerns of local authorities and people regarding environmental, health and safety, social and economic issues relating to the Project collected from the aforementioned engagement activities are summarised in Table 6.5 and Table 6.6.
Table 6.5 Concerns from Authorities during IESE Engagement
Item Concerns
Environment Noise pollution due to impacts of the Project;
Effect on volume of water and local irrigation structure during construction phase;
Impacts on climate in the surrounding area
Social, Impacts on livelihood and/or income in the future; economic, cultural issues
Health & Safety Impacts on health in the surrounding area; and
Transportation route and schedule;
Technical None issues
Table 6.6 Concerns from Communities during IESE Engagement
Item Concerns
Environment Polluted environment and biodiversity during the Project implementation process;
Change in weather conditions (e.g. flood, soil slide)
Social, Impacts on local livelihoods; economic, cultural issues Affecting local route and traffic safety situation due to the Project’s heavy transportation; and
Concern on the appearance of the immigrant workforce that the Project may involve
Health Change in weather may lead to disease
Technical Soil erosion, landslide because construction work at the mountainous area issues
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6.2.1.4 Recommendations from the Interviewed Authorities and Community The key topics arising from the above meetings were in relation to queries regarding how the Project would benefit local communities in terms of employment opportunities and trainings for affected people and how the development would affect the environment and human health. During the engagement, Project team emphasised that the IESE process had been looking at all potential effects of the Project on environmental and social aspects; the results of stakeholder engagement activities would be used to influence the design of the project and mitigation measures would be recommended to minimise any potentially negative effects. Summary of recommendations from interviewed parties is outlined below; further details are provided in Appendix N.
Table 6.7 Recommendations from Stakeholder Engagement during IESE Process
Item Recommendation Authorities Communities
Environmental Comply with all relevant regulatory requirements x on environmental protection to minimize potential environmental issues during Project’s construction and operations phases
Social Prioritize local recruitment to support local x x improvement
Conduct social management programs to x x support project affected people
Engage relevant stakeholders to increase x awareness of Project’s development plan, construction schedule and potential impacts in a timely manner
Develop local infrastructure (build new concrete x x roads, well construction for local water supply and renovate the community houses)
Prevent surrounding area from risks of health x due to change of weather conditions
Technical Measures and well prepared mitigation plan to x x against slip and landslide during the construction phase
6.2.2 Stakeholder Engagement in September 2020 The second visit was conducted from 04 to 08 September 2020 with local authorities at both district and communal levels and affected ethnic minority communities. The purpose of this site visit was to:
Present an update on project design, project activities, preliminary impacts of the project and mitigation measures;
Disclose the Stakeholder Engagement Plan, Community Grievance Procedure, and Worker Grievance;
Obtain local consultation on the development of livelihood restoration and ethnic minority development programs; and
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Facilitate dialogical communication between the project and local authorities and affected communities. The engagement event included the meeting with:
District: Huong Hoa DPC;
Commune: Huong Phung and Tan Thanh Communes PC;
Ethnic Minority Communities: Ma Lai Pun Village, Huong Phung Commune; Concerns raised during the engagement event was included:
Impact of water quality and quantity from using natural water bodies;
Traffic and connecting roads;
Grievance; and
Livelihoods. Detailed discussion of these above concern will be provided in a separate Public Disclosure and Community Consultation Report dated 8 October 2020. It was noted that all of the mentioned concerns above were addressed in this IESE report and provided with mitigation measures.
6.2.3 Stakeholder Engagement in November 2020 The visit from 8 to 10 November 2020 was to obtain the information from local communities (including Heads of villages and local people) regarding concern of Project’s updated status and information of local communities on the access and use of natural resources, with a focus on non-timber forest product (NTFP) collection in the protection forest. The visit has conducted KII with Heads of the villages affected by the Project area as mentioned in Table 6.8.
Table 6.8 Engagement activities in November 2020
Commune Village KII FGD Date of Engagement
Total Female Van Kieu Ethnic Participants Minority
Tan Thanh Co Thanh 1 9 November 2020
An Tiem 1 9 November 2020
Ha Let 1 11 11 9 November 2020
Huong Phung Ma Lai Pun 1 9 2 9 8 November 2020
Huong Tan Xa Ruong 1 11 3 11 9 November 2020
Ruong 1 10 10 9 November 2020
Total 41 5 41
Source: Socio-economic survey by ERM, November 2020 All four key informants engaged in KIIs are Van Kieu ethnic people. In addition, four FGDs were conducted during the survey with the total participation of 41 Van Kieu people aged from 18 to 50 years. Of the 41 participants, 87.8% are male and 12.2% are female. Most of them work in farming for their
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main livelihoods and only five of them have supplementary occupations such as village head and village head of women’s union. A considerable proportion of FGD participants is illiterate (34.1% or 14 people), mostly in Ha Let village. The remaining 65.9% attended schools in primary level (seven people), lower secondary level (14 people), upper secondary level (five people), and college (one person). Nearly 78% of 41 participating households are categorised as poor (19 households) and near poor (13 households). The average household size is 5.8 people per household with the range from two to 14 people per household. The local concerns during the engagement are presented in Table 6.9.
Table 6.9 Concerns about the Project’s Development
Project Tan Thanh Commune Huong Phung Huong Tan Commune information Commune channel Ha Let Ma Lai Pun Xa Ruong Ruong
KII KII KII FGD KII FGD KII FGD KII FGD
No concern
Loss of crops, NTFP NTFP trees and fixed reduction reduction assets
Noise
Landslides
Water source
Health and NTFP NTFP safety collectors collectors walking walking in the in the Project Project area area
Source: Socio-economic survey by ERM, November 2020
6.2.1 Stakeholder Engagement in December 2020 This Information Disclosure and Consultation Program was conducted with local authorities (district and commune levels) and three (3) Project’s affected villages from 14 to 16 December 2020. A total of 68 local participants (villagers, village and communal leaders, and ethnic minority people) participated in the village meetings and focus group discussions, of which 43 people (63.2 %) are females. All participants are ethnic minority people (Van Kieu) (see Table 6.10). Five district and commune authority officers attended the Information Disclosure and Consultation session organised with local authorities. The objectives of the Information and Consultation Program include (i) disseminating the results of impact assessments of the Project to local people and local authorities; (ii) discussing the proposed mitigation and beneficial measures for the identified impacts by the Project; (iii) finalising the support and development measures to the ethnic minority communities in the project area as well as the livelihood restoration measures to affected persons by land acquisition of the Project; (iv) discussing schedule and arrangements for implementation of the agreed mitigation, beneficial and development measures; and (v) announcing the grievance redress mechanism to ensure that all avenues for airing grievances are available and all grievances and complaints by local people, affected persons and local
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ethnic minority communities, if any, in all the aspects of the Project are resolved in a timely and satisfactory manner. Opinions, suggestions and concerns of local people and local authorities, affected persons and ethnic minority communities are fully incorporated and addressed this IESE and related management plans (see Table 6.11).
Table 6.10 Statictics of Partcipants in the December 2020 Information Disclosure and Consultation Program
No Date Organisations Number of Gender Ethnicity Impacted by / Villages Participants Land Other Construction acquisition and Operation Male Female Van Kinh Activities Kieu
Local Communities
1 Xa Ruong 28 8 20 28 0 NA 28 village, Huong Tan commune
2 Ruong village, 20 7 13 20 0 NA 20 Huong Tan
12 December 2020 commune
3 Ma Lai Pun 20 10 10 20 0 NA 20 village, Huong Phung commune 13 December 2020
Total 68 25 43 68 0 NA 68
Percentage (%) 100 36.76 63.24 100 0 NA 100
Local Authorities
4 Huong Hoa 5 5 0 0 5 NA NA DPC; Tan Thanh CPC; Tan Lap CPC; Tan Lien CPC 16 December 2020
Table 6.11 Impacts Raised by Affected Villagers and Measures Committed by the Project Owner
No Impacts Measures Notes
Positive Impacts
1 Easier travels and The Project Owner will soon complete the economic access roads (Dec 2020) development by the The Project Owner will coordinate with other construction of the project owners and local authorities to access road regularly maintenance the access roads to keep the roads as good roads.
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No Impacts Measures Notes
2 Local labours are The Project Owner established targets of employed engaging: Has been specified in the contracts More than 20% labours is local labours with construction contractors during project construction stage; Will be in the project’s employment 20% labours is local labours during project plan. operation stage;
3 Better selling foods, The Project Owner committed to local farming products procurement, including foods, materials and and others by local equipment which are available in the local people markets.
4 Effective supports of The supports will be continued based on the The Year End 2020 Support the Project Owner framework of livelihood restoration and ethnic Program of the Project Owner to to the villages minority development plan and assessment the locals (construction of water of local needs. wells, assistance for vulnerable households, etc.) has been announced and will be implemented in December, 2020.
5 Reduce of The operation of the wind farm projects Trau trees are scheduled to be greenhouse gas themselves produces no greenhouse gas chronologically planted once a emissions emission. In addition, the Project Owner spoil disposal site is completed plans to plant Trau trees at the soil disposal from January 2021. sites. This contributes to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air. The Project is expected to provide a potential saving of 136,983 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission per year over the Projects’ lifetime.
Negative Impacts
1 Soil of excavation Soil of excavation activities of the access Mitigation measures to prevent soil activities of the road will be transported away at end of day erosions have not yet been project may be every-day. implemented for all the spoil washed-out under Spoil disposal sites will be fenced and other disposal sites of the Projects rains to the measures will be implemented in December production land and 2020 to prevent soil erosions. may contaminate the water source of the villagers.
2 Blades operation Project Owner will organise a trip to the would dry crops and representatives of villagers to visit the areas negatively impact that the blades are in operation (Huong Linh on trees. Project) to observe that crops and trees are not affected by the blades operation. Project Owner will together with villagers to verify the impacts of blades during operation stage.
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7. ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE
7.1 Introduction This section provides an overview of environmental baseline conditions within the Project area and its surroundings, including topography and geology conditions, climate and meteorology, ambient air quality, soil and water quality, and terrestrial biodiversity. The objective of this section is to outline the existing environmental conditions in the Project area. This information is used to assess potential impacts of the Project in both construction and operation phases and provide mitigation measures and/or monitoring programs to reduce adverse impacts. Information in this chapter is primarily based on studies undertaken for the local EIA (Phong Nguyen EIA, 2020), the Feasibility Study Report (Phong Nguyen FSR, 2020) and a desktop review of reliable information sources such as Quang Tri Province Portal (Quang Tri Province Portal, 2019) as well as the additional noise, avifauna and terrestrial flora baseline studies undertaken in 2020 by ERM’s subcontractors with the supervision of ERM during the IESE preparation process.
7.2 Topography Phong Nguyen Wind Farm is located in the western mountainous part of Quang Tri province and situated in Truong Son mountain range. The topography of the study area is mainly hilly, with an elevation from 150 - 1000m and much divided by small stream networks. The slope has an average value ranging from 20 - 30° (steep slope) and could go up to 40 - 50° (very steep slope). The topography of the study area has strong cleavage, creating favourable conditions for the development of river and stream networks. In general, streams in the area are developed quite commonly. The length of these streams is not large and their longitudinal profile is relatively flat (Phong Nguyen EIA, 2020).
Figure 7.1 Topography and Drainage System
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7.3 Geological Conditions The geological survey was conducted as part of the Feasibility Study for Phong Nguyen Wind Farm Project. The results from the survey show that the Project area composes of different layers of soils, specifically:
At turbines construction area:
- Layer 1: It is composed of brownish-grey clay, ranging from hard to soft plasticity state, and mixed with grit particles. The thickness of this layer is from 2.5 - 4.3m. Layer 1 has a medium load capacity.
- Layer 2: The composition is from strongly weathered granite to brownish-grey and pinkish clay, ranging from semi-hard to hard plasticity state. The distance from this layer to the ground is around 2.5 to 4m and this layer has a thickness of 5.7 to 7.5 m. Layer 2 has a good load capacity.
At substation construction area:
- Layer 1a: The composition is from brownish-grey clay, ranging from hard to soft plasticity state, and mixed with grit particles. The thickness of this layer is around 4.4m. Layer 1a has a low load capacity.
- Layer 2a: It is composed of strongly weathered granite and brownish-grey and pinkish clay, having hard plasticity state. The distance from this layer to the ground is about 4.4m and this layer has a thickness of around 5.6m. Layer 2a has a medium load capacity.
7.4 Climate and Meteorology Data on climate and meteorology are primarily obtained from the local EIA for Phong Nguyen Wind Farm Project (Phong Nguyen EIA, 2020), the website of Quang Tri Province (Quang Tri Province Portal, 2019) and from Khe Sanh Meteorological Station which is approximately 12.65km from the Phong Nguyen Wind Farm (Figure 7.2). Other meteorology and hydrology Stations in Quang Tri Province have been identified including Gia Vong, Cua Viet, Dong Ha, Thach Han and Con Co Stations.
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Figure 7.2 Locations of Meteorology and Hydrology Stations in Quang Tri Province
7.4.1 Temperature Quang Tri Province has a tropical monsoon climate, with annual average temperature between 24-25 °C in low terrains and between 22-23 °C at an altitude of over 500m (Quang Tri Province Portal 2019). The Province undergoes two (2) distinct seasons, including
Winter season: lasts over three (03) months (December through February). The temperature in winter season could go down to 22 °C in low plains or 20 °C at high attitudes of over 500m (Quang Tri Province Portal 2019).
Summer season is between May and August with a high average temperature of 28 °C. Temperatures are highest between June and July and they can go up to 42 °C (Quang Tri Province Portal 2019). High temperatures in the areas are considered favourable for some agricultural and industrial plants (Quang Tri Province Portal 2019).
The average monthly temperature in Huong Hoa District fluctuates between 18.1 °C and 26.3 °C (Figure 7.3). Temperatures differ significantly between winter and summer seasons, including:
Winter season: average monthly temperatures are between 18 °C and 19.3 °C (Figure 7.3); and
Summer season: average monthly temperatures can go up to above 26 °C (Figure 7.3).
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Source: Khe Sanh Meteorology Station
Figure 7.3 Average Monthly Temperature in Hoang Hoa District (1998 – 2017)
7.4.2 Relative Humidity Relative humidity in Quang Tri Province is considered high with an annual average of between 83% and 88%. In the rainy months, the average relative humidity is approximately 85% and it sometimes can go up to 90%. Humidity on the eastern and western sides of Truong Son Mountain Range fluctuates over time and it could deep as low as 22% in April (Quang Tri Province Portal 2019). The average monthly humidity in Huong Hoa District fluctuates between 84.5% and 90.7% (Figure 7.4). Minimum monthly humidity usually occurs during the summer season (April through July) and it could go down to 83% in May (Figure 7.4).
Source: Khe Sanh Meteorology Station
Figure 7.4 Average Monthly Humidity in Huong Hoa District (1998 - 2017)
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7.4.3 Evaporation Due to the high percentage of air humidity, the amount of evaporation in the area is not large. In detail, the monthly evaporation measured in the area varies between 41.6 and 105.0 mm (Figure 7.5). Evaporation can peak above 100mm per month in May and June and it can dip below 40.0 mm per month in December (Figure 7.5).
Source: Khe Sanh Meteorology Station
Figure 7.5 Monthly Evaporation (1977 – 2017)
7.4.4 Fog Fog usually occurs during the spring monsoons from December through March, causing limited visibility in the area. Heavy fog and light rains can occur in the area particularly in January and February. The average number of foggy days per year recorded by Khe Sanh Meteorological Station in the period of 2007 to 2018 is between 58 and 149 days (Quang Tri Center, 2019). Of this, maximum numbers of foggy days can go up to 19.3 days per month between December through March and minimum numbers of foggy days are between 1.3 and 4.8 days per month between May and August (Figure 7.6).
Source: Khe Sanh Meteorology Station
Figure 7.6 Average Number of Foggy Days per Month in Huong Hoa District (2007 – 2018)
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7.4.5 Sun Hours The average sun hours in Huong Hoa District varies between 87 and 205 hours per month (Figure 7.7). Sun hours can peak above 200 hours per month sometime between May and August (Quang Tri Portal, 2019); while minimum monthly sun hours can be lower than 100 hours during the autumn and winter months (November through next February) (Figure 7.7).
Source: Khe Sanh Meteorology Station
Figure 7.7 Average Monthly Sun Hours in Huong Hoa District (1998 – 2018)
7.4.6 Wind Regime
7.4.6.1 Wind Regime in Quang Tri Province Information of wind speed in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province is provided by Khe Sanh Meteorology Station in the period of 1998 to 2018 (Figure 7.8). The average wind speed is between 1.5 and 2.5 m/s (Figure 7.8). Wind speed has increased in the same period and eastern winds are recorded to be approximately 0.3m/s higher than western winds (Quang Tri Province Portal 2019). The northeast and east-northeast winds are dominant between December and April; while the west- southwest wind is most active between May and July (Quang Tri Province Portal, 2019). Wind velocity for the Project area is also measured at different heights (81.3 and 60.4m) and it is illustrated in Figure 7.9. Findings from the wind roses in Figure 7.9 are presented below:
At 81.3m: winds blows from the east-northeast for more than 35% of the time, followed by wind from the west-southwest (~21%), southwest (~11%) and northeast (less than 8%) (Figure 7.9); and
At 60.4m: wind blows from the east-northeast for almost 35% of the time, followed by wind from the west-southwest (~23%), southwest (almost 10%) and northeast (~8%) (Figure 7.9).
According to the local EIA, overall characteristics of winds in the Project area can be summarized below:
The main seasonal wind directions include East - Northeast and West – Southwest direction;
Wind speed is relatively stable among hours of the day at the same elevation;
Wind regimes differ at various heights;
The average annual wind speed is 8.48m/s at the height of 82.8m above the ground; and
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Wind speeds above 3m/s –which is the minimum speed needed for wind power generation-- account for around 92.5% at the height of 82.8m.
Source: Khe Sanh Meteorology Station
Figure 7.8 Wind Speed (1998 - 2018)
7.4.6.2 Wind Regime in the Project Area To assess wind potential in the project area, automatic measuring devices with frequency of 10 minutes/time were put in the measurement area from August 2017 to August 2018 and the data collected was saved in the data storage (Datalogger). Data storage is set to display and store data for sensors as follows:
02 sensors used to measure the wind speed at an altitude of 82.8m.
01 sensor used to measure wind speed at an altitude of 60.9m.
01 sensor used to measure wind speed at an altitude of 40.9m.
01 sensor used to measure wind direction at an altitude of 81.3m.
01 sensor used to measure wind direction at an altitude of 60.4m.
01 sensor used to measure humidity and pressure at an altitude of 40.1m.
01 sensor used to measure temperature at an altitude of 80.5m. The analytical results of wind measurement are as follows:
The prevailing wind direction: In terms of wind direction, there are two main seasonal directions including East - Northeast and West – Southwest direction. Months with the strongest winds are January (corresponding to the North-East monsoon) and July (with the South-West monsoon). The months with weak winds are in May and September corresponding to the transition period of the monsoon season.
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Source: Phong Nguyen EIA, 2020
Figure 7.9 Wind Rose at 81.3m (Left) and 60.4m (Right) (2017 – 2018)
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The variation of average wind speed in months of a year at a number of different heights has the same shape. In detail, wind speed tends to decrease from January to mid-May, then gradually increases and reaches a peak in mid-July. After that, the wind speed decreases moderately before rising sharply in the last months of the year.
Table 7.1 Average Monthly Wind Speed (m/s)
Month Average wind speed for 1 hour at different altitudes
82.8m (A) 82.8m (B) 60.9m 40.9 m
1 9.331 9.327 9.122 8.847
2 8.244 8.240 8.135 7.900
3 7.620 7.623 7.445 7.219
4 6.991 6.988 6.825 6.605
5 5.259 5.258 5.103 4.926
6 9.674 9.682 9.307 8.896
7 10.786 10.801 10.399 9.942
8 8.593 8.605 8.287 7.926
9 6.100 6.110 5.853 5.596
10 7.603 7.593 7.367 7.081
11 10.813 10.767 10.540 10.183
12 10.708 10.686 10.408 10.018
Average 8.480 8.476 8.234 7.930
Figure 7.10 Variation of Monthly Wind Speed
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The diagrams of real wind speed distribution measured at 82.8m altitude (A) and 82.8m altitude (B) are shown in Figure 7.11 and Figure 7.12 below:
Figure 7.11 Real Wind Speed Distribution Measured at 82.8m Altitude (A)
Figure 7.12 Real Wind Speed Distribution Measured at 82.8m Altitude (B)
7.4.7 Rainfall According to Quang Tri Portal, the average annual rainfall in Quang Tri Province is between 2,200- 2,500 mm. Maximum rainfalls usually occur from September through December and they distribute to over 70% of the annual rainfall. The number of rainy days in the Province is between 154 and 190 days per year (Quang Tri Province Portal, 2019).
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The monthly rainfall in Khe Sanh Town greatly varies throughout the year to be between 18.1mm and 430mm per month and it could reach 430mm in October (Figure 7.13). Maximum rainfalls usually occur between August and November, contributing approximately 72.8% of the annual rainfall in Huong Hoa District (Quang Tri Center, 2019)
Source: Khe Sanh Meteorological Stations
Figure 7.13 Average Rainfall in Khe Sanh Town (1998 – 2018)
7.4.8 Natural Hazards
7.4.8.1 Typhoons and Tropical Depressions A total of twelve tropical depressions and typhoons per year occurred in Viet Nam East Sea between 1959 and 2015 (MONRE 2016). Approximately seven tropical depressions and typhoons impacted Vietnam every year and five of them moved into the mainland (MONRE 2016). Tropical depressions and typhoons are most active in the north of East Sea and they tend to increase in intensity (Figure 7.14), last longer and move southward (MONRE 2016). Quang Tri Province is located in the area vulnerable to storms which usually occur in September and October (Quang Tri Province Portal, 2019). On average, there are approximately 1.2 - 1.3 storms per year in the Province (Quang Tri Center, 2019). For storms which affect the Province’s mainland usually last between 8 and 10 hours but their accompanied rains usually last up to 3 days (Quang Tri Center, 2019). The number of storms and tropical depressions which directly affect the Province tends to decrease slightly (Quang Tri Center, 2019). Storms with strong wind intensity accompanied by heavy rains could cause flash floods, affecting agricultural production and people's safety in the area.
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Source: MONRE 2016
Figure 7.14 Typhoons with Wind Exceeding 12 Category in Beaufort Scale in Vietnam East Sea (1990-2015)
7.4.8.2 Floods Quang Tri Province is sloping from the West to the east and to the southeast and it encompasses mountains, midland, narrow plains and coastal areas (Quang Tri Center, 2019). Given that the rivers and streams on the west of Truong Son Mountain Range are short and steep, narrow plains and midland areas are prone to floods and flash floods when it rains heavily. Storms and floods often occur between July and December, especially in August to October (Quang Tri Center, 2019). The list of floods recorded in Quang Tri Province is presented in Table 7.2.
Table 7.2 List of Floods in Quang Tri Province
Rivers Date of flooding Warning level13
Thach Han River 17 October 2008 II
Thach Han River 14 October 2007 III
Thach Han River 30 September 2006 -
Thach Han River 15 October 2001 II
Thach Han River 01 November 1999 III
Thach Han River 16 October 2014 III
Ben Hai River 28 October 1981 II
Ben Hai River 7 October 1992 III
Ben Hai River 8 October 2005 III
Ben Hai River 30 September 2009 II
Source: Quang Tri Center, 2019
13 Level I: flood is likely to occur Level II: flood situation is dangerous Level III: flood situation is very dangerous
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7.4.9 Extreme Weather Quang Tri Province is also prone to extreme weather conditions associated with thunderstorms, strong winds and heavy rains. Days of extreme weather in the Province is approximately 57.3 days per year (Quang Tri Center, 2019); while it is between 54 and 63 days per year in Huong Hoa District (Figure 7.15). Extreme weather in the District usually occurs between April and September and the number of days can go up to 13 days in May (Figure 7.15).
Source: Khe Sanh Meteorological Station
Figure 7.15 Days of Extreme Weather in Hoang Hoa District (2007 - 2018)
7.5 Hydrology
7.5.1 Hydrologic Conditions in Quang Tri Province Quang Tri Province has a dense network of canals and rivers (e.g. Tam Giang, Ganh Hao, Bay Hap, Song Doc, Huong Hoa, The Ship, Trem Rivers). There are three (03) main river systems in the Province, including:
Thach Han River System (also called Quang Tri River): include 37 rivers which have 17 branches at level I (e.g. Vinh Phuoc, Rao Quan and Cam Lo Brances), 13 branches at level II and 6 branches at level III. The system has a river net density of 0.92, an averaged elevation of 301m and is lopping at 20.1%. The length of the System is approximately 156km, measured based on its longest river. The basin is 36.8 km wide at average and has a total area of approximately 2660 km2;
Ben Hai River System has a basin capacity of approximately 809 km2 and it is approximately 64.5 km long. The basin has an elevation of 115 m and is sloping at 15.7%. The system has a river network density of 1.15 and a meandering coefficient of 1.43;
O Lau River System which belongs to My Chanh River running through Tam Giang lagoon to Thuan An estuary. The system covers an area of 855 km2 and is approximately 65 km long. The upper River is running through Thua Thien - Hue Province.
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7.5.2 Hydrologic Conditions in the Project area
7.5.2.1 Surface Water There are no rivers, lakes in the construction area of the Project. There are some small creeks which have seasonal flow – they are relatively small, and arid in the dry season, but quite abundant in the rainy season.
7.5.2.2 Groundwater Groundwater in the area can be exploited and used to meet the current demand of rural mountainous areas. The water table of the groundwater here has a seasonal variation, with the gradual fluctuation of the water table and it is not so much dependent on the fluctuations of rainfall and surface runoff. The groundwater level in the area has a depth of about 12.4m and above, fluctuating seasonally with large amplitude of 2.1 to 3.4m. The current form of exploitation is mainly small-scale household wells with low reserves.
7.6 Ambient Air Quality
7.6.1 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring – Reference from the EIA of Huong Phung Wind Power Project With reference to the regulatory EIA of Huong Phung Wind power project, a baseline of air quality was collected on 22 April 2019 by Center for Natural Resources and Environment Monitoring of Quang Tri province. The monitoring locations are described in Table 7.3. Refer to Figure 7.16 for the air quality monitoring locations which are referred from the EIA of Huong Phung Wind Power Project and the IESE stage of Phong Huy Project.
Table 7.3 Air Monitoring Locations
Sampling Location Description of sampling locations Coordinates (WGS84)
Longitude Latitude
KK1 Beginning at the access road 106.620414 16.7310123 The sampling point is located in Cop Village, Huong Phung Commune
KK3 Around 1,125 m from the beginning of 106.617781 16.7212029 the access road The sampling point is located in Phung Lam Village, Huong Phung Commune
Sources: Huong Phung EIA, 2020
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Figure 7.16 Air Quality Monitoring Locations Air monitoring results from the regulatory EIA of Huong Phung wind power project are presented in the Table 7.4 below.
Table 7.4 Air Quality Monitoring Data
N Parameters Unit Analysis results QCVN 05:2013/BTNMT o. KK1 KK3 (Average 01 hour)
1 Temp. oC 29.9 33.3 -
2 Humidity % 67 65 -
3 Wind velocity m/s 2.8 3.5 -
4 TSP μg/m3 166 167 300
3 5 SO2 μg/m 23 26 50
3 6 NO2 μg/m 17 19 200
7 CO μg/m3 ND ND 30,000
(<2000) (<2000) ‘-‘: Not applicable ‘ND’: Not detectable Sources: Huong Phung EIA, 2020 The air quality monitoring data at the sampling locations (see Table 7.4) showed that all the monitoring parameters met Vietnam regulations (QCVN 05:2013/BTNMT – National Technical Regulation on Ambient Air Quality). This indicates that the ambient air quality within and around the Project area is in good condition.
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7.6.2 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring during IESE Preparation During the IESE preparation, the ambient air quality monitoring was conducted in accordance with the National Technical Regulations on Ambient Air Quality (QCVN 05:2013/BTNMT) developed by the Vietnam Environmental Administration, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Legal Affairs alongside Circular No. 32/2013/TT-BTNMT dated on 25th October 2013, which was issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Detailed method of specific parameters was described below:
Particulate matter 10 (PM10) and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) were monitored over 24 hour periods with a filter rate of 5 L/min.
Total suspended Particles (TSP), VOCs, sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) were monitored over 1 hour periods with an air flow rate of 1000 L/min for TSP, 0.5 L/min for VOCs, NO2 and SO2, and 0.05 L/min for CO. The monitoring was conducted over three (3) days from 11th to 13th of May, 2020 at one location nearby the access road. The monitoring location are described in Table 7.5 below.
Table 7.5 Air Monitoring Location
Sampling Description of Distance from Coordinate (WGS84) Location sampling location sampling Longitude Latitude location to Phong Nguyen Project (m)
A1 Mr Ho Pua house, 4,13014 106.65403204 16.69680623 Miet Cu Village, 5015 Huong Linh Commune, Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province
The ambient air quality results are summarized in Table 7.6.
Table 7.6 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Result
No. Parameters Unit Results QCVN QCVN 05:2013/BTNMT 06:2009/BTNMT A1
1 SO2 (1h) µg/m3 31 350 -
2 NO2 (1h) µg/m3 17 200 -
3 CO (1h) µg/m3 1,950 30,000 -
4 TSP (1h) µg/m3 115 300 -
5 PM10 (24h) µg/m3 20 150 -
6 PM2.5 (24h) µg/m3 <10 50 -
7 VOCs µg/m3 18.1 - -
8 Benzene µg/m3 <0.4 - 22
14 Distance from A1 to Turbine No. 8 of Phong Nguyen Project 15 Distance from A1 to the access road
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No. Parameters Unit Results QCVN QCVN 05:2013/BTNMT 06:2009/BTNMT A1
9 Toluene µg/m3 2.25 - 500 Note: ‘-’: Not applicable
The results of ambient air monitoring at A1 location show that all concentrations of parameters tested were below the limits stipulated by the QCVN 05:2013/BTNMT – National Technical Regulation on Ambient Air and QCVN 06:2009/BTNMT – National Technical Regulation on hazardous substances in ambient air. The concentration of PM2.5 and Benzene were lower than the LODs at these two locations.
7.7 Noise A noise monitoring survey was conducted to collect the noise baseline condition for the Project from 11 May to 13 May 2020. The selection of the monitoring locations and monitoring procedure were implemented based on the IFC noise management Guidance. Noise measured is assessed against the IFC Criteria (Table 7.7). Detailed information of the noise survey can be found in Appendix K.
Table 7.7 IFC Noise Level Guidelines
Receptor On Hour LAeq (dBA)
Day time Night time 7:00 – 20:00 22:00 – 7: 00
Residential, institutional, educational 55 45
Source: IFC General EHS Guidelines – Noise Management, 2007
7.7.1 Noise Monitoring Locations Noise monitoring was conducted at three (03) locations in Huong Tan, Huong Linh and Huong Phung Communes of Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province for Phong Huy and Phong Nguyen Projects. In which, two of three locations were chosen as noise background for Phong Nguyen project including N5 and N6 and be described in the Table 7.8.
Table 7.8 Noise Monitoring Location for Phong Nguyen Wind Farm
Sampling Description of sampling Distance from Coordinates (WGS 84) Location locations sampling location to Phong Nguyen Longitude Latitude Project area (m)
N5 Xa Ruong Village, Huong Tan 3,97016 106.65226198 16.65703701 Commune - Huong Hoa District
N6 Ma Lai Pun Village, Huong 1,45017 106.60369552 16.69435997 Phung Commune, Huong Hoa District
The noise monitoring location is illustrated in the Figure 7.17 below.
16 Distance to turbine No. 8 17 Distance to turbine No. 7 and No. 12
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Figure 7.17 Noise Monitoring Location
7.7.2 Noise Monitoring Procedure
The noise monitoring procedure was conducted based on the IFC Guideline. LAeq, LA90 and LA10 noise levels were measured continuously for 48 hours with data logging for every 10 minutes. Weather conditions (e.g. wind speeds), exciting industrial condition and noise contribution from other noise sources at the monitoring locations were recorded and used for noise analysis. Detailed noise monitoring results about LAeq, LA90 and LA10 are listed in the Noise survey report in the Appendix K.
7.7.3 Noise Monitoring Results
Noise level (equivalent continuous sound pressure level with 'A' frequency weighting - LAeq) measured at the two (02) monitoring locations met the IFC Criteria for most of the monitoring duration in the day- time. The exceeded noise level measured in the night time were due to interference of the local activities such as the movement of in-used vehicles, dogs barking and insect sounds. Noise monitoring results for each monitoring location are showed in Figure 7.18 and discussed in detail below.
Location N5: Noise level (LAeq, 10min) ranged from 43.5 to 64.2dBA. 42.2% of the noise level measured during the day exceeded IFC's daytime standards (55dBA). Most night time noise values (96.3%) did not meet the IFC noise standard for night time (45dBA). Meanwhile, during the 48 hours surveyed, 98.3% of the noise was higher than 45dB. At monitoring area N5, the noise was most affected by dogs barking and insects sound (especially from 7:00-9:30 and 18:20-20:00 during the monitoring time).
Location N6: Noise level (LAeq, 10min) ranged from 38.1 to 61.4dBA. 98.9% of the noise level measured during the day exceeded IFC's daytime standards (55dBA) but the figure for the night- time is only 64.8%. At monitoring area N6, the noise in the night time was mainly influenced by birds and cicadas but the noise from dogs barking and motorbikes’ movement caused extreme noise level during the day (at around 19:00 on 13 May 2020 and 7:50 on 15 May 2020).
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Figure 7.18 Noise Monitoring Results
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7.8 Water Quality
7.8.1 Surface Water
7.8.1.1 Surface Water Monitoring during EIA Preparation
Table 7.9 Surface Water Monitoring Locations
Sampling Location Description of sampling locations Coordinates (WGS84)
Longitude Latitude
NM1 At the Xa Ruong stream, within the 106.66110551 16.67804920 Phong Huy project, around 4,240 m from turbine No. 8 of Phong Nguyen project
Sources: Phong Nguyen EIA, 2020
Figure 7.19 Surface water Quality Monitoring Locations The surface water monitoring results were summarised in the Table 7.10 below.
Table 7.10 Surface Water Monitoring Data
No. Parameters Unit Results QCVN 08-MT:2015/BTNMT (Colum B1)
Period 1 Period 2 Period 3
1 pH - 6.7 6.8 6.8 5.5-9
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No. Parameters Unit Results QCVN 08-MT:2015/BTNMT (Colum B1)
Period 1 Period 2 Period 3
2 DO mg/L 6.3 6.4 6.4 ≥ 4
3 TSS mg/L 5.8 13 17 50
4 BOD5 mg/L 1.7 2.1 2.5 15
5 COD mg/L 10 10 8 30
6 NH4-N mg/L 0.04 0.05 0.05 0.9
7 NO3-N mg/L 0.13 0.25 0.31 10
8 PO4-P mg/L ND ND ND 0.3 (<0,04) (<0,04) (<0,04)
9 Fe µg/L 0.62 0.75 1.01 1.5
10 Coliform MPN/100ml 28 64 120 7,500 ‘ND’: Not detectable
The monitoring data showed that all monitoring parameters met Vietnam regulations in Column B1 – for the purpose of irrigation consumption (QCVN 08-MT:2015/BTNMT – National Technical Regulation on Surface Water Quality).
7.8.1.2 Surface Water Monitoring during IESE Preparation Given no surface water body is available in the Phong Nguyen project boundary, no surface water monitoring sample was collected.
7.8.2 Groundwater As part of the regulatory EIA, groundwater monitoring data in the project area was measured at Forest Ranger Accommodation site of Huong Hoa - Dakrong Protection Forest Management Board in November 2019. The groundwater monitoring results were summarised in the Table 7.12 below. See Figure 7.20 for the groundwater quality monitoring locations.
Table 7.11 Groundwater Monitoring Locations
Sampling Location Description of sampling locations Coordinates (WGS84)
Longitude Latitude
NN1 Forest Ranger Accommodation site 105.91060704 16.67295766 where the Phong Huy Project is going to use for worker accommodation during the construction phase
Sources: Phong Huy EIA, 2020
Table 7.12 Groundwater Monitoring Data
No. Parameters Unit Results QCVN 09 – MT:2015/BTNMT
Period 1 Period 2 Period 3
1 pH - 5.2 5.3 5.3 5.5-8.5
2 TDS mg/l 42 58 53 1,500
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No. Parameters Unit Results QCVN 09 – MT:2015/BTNMT
Period 1 Period 2 Period 3
3 Hardness mgCaCO3/l 12 24 19 500
4 NH4 -N mg/l ND ND ND 1 (<0,02) (<0,02) (<0,02)
5 NO3 -N mg/l 0.28 0.37 0.25 15
6 Fe mg/l 0.078 0.067 0.074 5
2- 7 SO4 mg/l ND (<3) ND (<3) ND (<3) 400
8 E.coli MPN/100ml ND ND ND ND
9 Coliform MPN/100ml ND 3 4 3 ‘ND’: Not detectable
Most indicators of groundwater quality assessment are within the limits of QCVN 09-MT: 2015/BTNMT - National technical regulation on ground water quality. Except for Coliform in Period 3, which exceeds the permitted value of QCVN 09-MT: 2015/BTNMT. This shows that groundwater in the area near the project has shown signs of Coliform pollution.
7.8.2.1 Groundwater Monitoring during IESE Preparation Groundwater quality was monitored on 13th May 2020 at two (2) sites of household and village. There were two (02) monitoring locations including GW1 and GW2 selected for groundwater quality monitoring in Xa Ruong Village, Tan Thanh Commune and Miet Cu Village, Huong Linh Commune of Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province. At GW1, the ground water sample was extracted from a depth of 8m whereas at GW2, the sample was extracted from a depth of 5m. The main purpose of the groundwater sources is used for domestic water. These locations are described in Table 7.13 and illustrated in Figure 7.20.
Table 7.13 Groundwater Sampling Locations for Phong Nguyen Wind Farm
No. Sample Depth (m) Sampling location Coordinates (WGS84) code Longitudes Latitudes
1 GW1 8m Xa Ruong Village, Tan Thanh Commune, 106.65152826 16.65819963 Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province
2 GW2 5m Mr Ho Pua’s house, Miet Cu Village, 106.65239573 16.69806993 Huong Linh Commune, Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province
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Figure 7.20 Groundwater Monitoring Location The ground water taken at two (2) sites showed that all parameters were lower than the allowable permits of QCVN 09-MT:2015/BTNMT - National technical regulation on ground water quality (see Table 7.14). In which, parameters of ammonium, cyanide, cadmium and coliform at two (2) sites were lower than limit of detection (LOD) of the analysis methods for certification.
Table 7.14 Results of Groundwater Monitoring
No Parameter Unit GW1 GW2 QCVN 09- MT:2015/ BTNMT
1 Temperature oC 25.1 26.2 -
2 pH - 6.34 5.56 5.5-8.5
3 TDS mg/l 74.6 42.8 1,500
4 Hardness mg CaCO3/l 59 18 500
5 Cl- mg/l 1.5 1 250
- 6 NO2 mg/l 0.03 0.03 1
- 7 NO3 mg/l 0.43 0.24 15
2- 8 SO4 mg/l 12 6 400
+ 9 NH4 mg/l <0.03 <0.03 1
10 CN- mg/l <0.005 <0.005 0.01
11 As mg/l 0.0008 0.0006 0.05
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No Parameter Unit GW1 GW2 QCVN 09- MT:2015/ BTNMT
12 Cd mg/l <0.0003 <0.0003 0.005
13 Mn mg/l 0.0193 0.0113 0.5
14 Fe mg/l 0.002 0.019 5
15 Coliform MPN/ 100ml <3 <3 3 ‘-‘: Not applicable Source: Physical Baseline report, 2020
7.9 Soil Quality Soil samples were taken at two locations within the Project area of Phong Nguyen Wind Farm and nearby area on 12th - 13th May 2020 using a soil auger. Two soil samples were collected at a depth of 0.6m from the ground. These soil samples were analysed and compared with six parameters that apply to soil samples of residential land, in accordance with QCVN 03-MT:2015/BTNMT - National Technical Regulation on Permissible Limits of Heavy Metals in Soil. The sampling locations are described in in Table 7.15 and illustrated in Figure 7.21.
Table 7.15 Soil Sampling Locations for Phong Nguyen Wind Farm
No. Sample code Sampling location Coordinates (WGS84)
Longitudes (m) Latitudes (m)
1 S1 In nearby area of Phong Nguyen Wind 106.65939085 16.67928692 Farm, Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province (in Phong Huy Wind Farm area)
2 S2 In project site of Phong Nguyen Wind 106.63533629 16.67581120 Farm, Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province
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Figure 7.21 Soil Monitoring Locations The sampling results are presented in Table 7.16. All parameters tested were within the stipulated limits of the QCVN 03-MT: 2015/BTNMT- National technical regulation on the allowable limits of heavy metals in the soils. These results indicate that no systemic pollution was identified across the project area. However, isolated soil contamination may identified during more detailed land survey or construction activities.
Table 7.16 Results of Soil Monitoring for Phong Nguyen Wind Farm
No. Parameter Unit S1 S2 QCVN 03-MT:2015/BTNMT (Agricultural land)
1 Arsenic mg/Kg 7.83 1.89 41.6
2 Cadmium mg/Kg 0.39 0.20 4.2
3 Total Chromium mg/Kg 13.98 24.51 160
4 Copper mg/Kg 8.89 23.87 108
5 Lead mg/Kg 8.10 6.09 112
6 Zinc mg/Kg 20.75 31.78 271
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8. BIODIVERSITY BASELINE
This section provides an overview of terrestrial protected areas, fauna, flora and habitats within and surrounding the Project area. Of this, the protected areas, natural and modified habitats, species of conservation significant are identified in accordance with the expectations of ADB SPS 2009 and the associated international guidelines such as IFC PS6. Field surveys and desktop searches provided assessment on the presence of threatened, restricted range, migratory/congregatory species and proximity to protected areas, key biodiversity areas and other sites recognized internationally for biodiversity. Bird and bat surveys were undertaken by ERM in both the migratory and non-migratory season of 2020. Desktop searches included the local regulatory EIA which received approval in 2020 and other information sources such as journals and online articles.
8.1 Desktop Assessment This section summarises information from several databases and online data sources on biodiversity values within the landscape to determine predicted biodiversity values associated with the Project Area. The following definition of areas have been used:
The Project Footprint is defined as the development footprint boundaries located in the terrestrial zones. It is the footprint of disturbance required for the Project;
The Study Area encompasses a 50 km buffer of the Project and has been used to identify biodiversity habitats and values for consideration;
The Ecologically Appropriate Area for analysis (EAAA) has been defined as required under IFC PS6 for that species. The EAAA is used to identify the presence of critical habitat for that species (through application of the IFC PS6 critical habitat thresholds outlined in the IFC PS6 Guidance Note18); and
The Project Area of Influence (AoI) is the region in a 1km radius from the Project Area and has been assessed to define habitat values in the immediate project vicinity where species may regularly occur. The desktop review considered online sources, scientific literature and environmental studies undertaken within the Study Area. Key sources include:
NGO webpages and databases including those belonging to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF);
Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE);
BirdLife International; Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF);
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species (the ‘IUCN Red List’) and their profiles;
IUCN Red List of Ecosystems; and
Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT). The information is combined with field-recorded data obtained from field assessments undertaken for the Project and used to evaluate potential critical habitat triggers that may be associated with the EAAA for the project components. Critical habitat is assessed by screening desktop, historic and survey data to identify these triggers. Data is screened to determine whether a species or habitat is likely to meet a critical habitat threshold. The EAAA for this project is discussed in Section 8.10.
18 IFC, 2019
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8.2 Ecoregion Description WWF defines an ecoregion as a “large unit of land or water containing a geographically distinct assemblage of species, natural communities, and environmental conditions”. The boundaries of an ecoregion are not fixed and sharp, but rather encompass an area within which important ecological and evolutionary processes most strongly interact. The Ecoregion relevant to the Project Area is Northern Annamites Rain Forests [IM0136], which occupies an area of 22,533 km2. This Ecoregion lies largely in Lao People's Democratic Republic but with a significant area across the crest of the Annamite Range in Vietnam. Geological substrates are varied over this ecoregion, but there are notable large areas of limestone karst topography (WWF, n.d.). The climatic condition in this region changes abruptly throughout the year, especially along the mountain crest. The area receives an annual rainfall of between 1,500 millimeters and 2,500 millimeters (World Atlas., n.d.). The higher elevation areas of this ecological region experience cooler temperatures throughout the seasons. Mesic lower montane forests at 800-1,200 m in the northern Annamite Range generally consist of a two-tiered forest canopy reaching to about 15-25 m in height. The dense canopy structure of undisturbed humid montane forest allows little light to penetrate to ground level, so understory vegetation is sparse. More than half of this ecoregion has been cleared or degraded. However, the forests in the northwest part of the ecoregion are still in fairly good condition. A large block of montane forest straddles the Laos- Vietnam border. Nine protected areas cover about 12,200km2 (26 percent) of the ecoregion including Ho Ke Go, Nam Kading, Pu Mat, Dong Phong Nha, Phou Xang He, Nakai-Nam Theun, Hin Namno, Vu Quang, Khammouane Limestone. Both Laos and Vietnam have begun or are planning to develop several major power schemes that will inundate large areas of habitat and provide ready access to intact forest areas, thus increasing the probabilities of further habitat degradation. Major illegal and legal logging and local and transboundary wildlife poaching and trade (Laos into Vietnam) still occur. The presence of unexploded ordnances similarly poses a severe threat to wildlife, researchers, and protected area staff. The following species of conservation significance exist within the Ecoregion (Table 8.1). There are numerous birds and mammals of conservation significance which utilize the ecoregion. Note that there stands the probability that many more endemic species will be added to this list after comprehensive surveys.
Table 8.1 Critically Endangered and Endangered Species within the Ecoregion
No. Scientific Name Common Name IUCN Red List Vietnam Red Class Name Category Data Book 1 Lophura edwardsi Vietnam Pheasant CR EN Aves 2 Rheinardia ocellata Crested Argus EN Aves 3 Nomascus Red-cheeked EN EN Mammalia gabriellae Gibbon 4 Megamuntiacus Large-antlered CR VU Mammalia vuquangensis Muntjac 5 Muntiacus Annamite Muntjac DD DD Mammalia truongsonensis 6 Pygathrix nemaeus Red-shanked Douc CR EN Mammalia Langur Notes: CR : Critically Endangered; EN : Endangered; VU : Vulnerable; NT: Near Threatened; DD : Data Deficient; NA : Not Assessed; LC: Least Concern
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8.3 World Heritage Areas World Heritage Areas are areas of outstanding universal value designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as detailed in the following Sections 8.3.1 and 8.3.2.
8.3.1 World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites are sites selected by UNESCO as having cultural, historic, scientific or other form of significance. These areas are legally protected by international treaties and demarcated by UNESCO as protected zones. This allows for practical conservation of areas which would otherwise be subjected to threats such as uncontrolled and unrestricted access, and associated activities such as poaching and illegal logging. Vietnam has eight registered World Heritage Sites (UNESCO, 2019). As none of the World Heritage Sites overlap with the Study Area and the AoI, World Heritage Sites are not considered relevant for this assessment.
8.3.2 Biosphere Reserves Biosphere Reserves are areas made up of terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems, internationally recognized under UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme. They are intended to be learning sites for sustainable development where each reserve encourages sustainable management of interactions between social and ecological systems (UNESCO, 2019). Vietnam has nine Biosphere Reserves. None of the Biosphere Reserves are within the Study Area, and the closest Biosphere Reserve is the Cu Lao Cham Biosphere Reserve located approximately 200 km to the Southeast. As such, Biosphere Reserves are not considered relevant for this assessment.
8.4 Ramsar Sites The Convention of Wetlands, also known as the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and use of wetlands and their resources (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 2019). The Ramsar Convention for Vietnam has been effective from 20 January 1989, and currently has nine sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance, which cover an approximate surface area of 120,549 ha (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 2011). None of these sites are within the Study Area, and hence Ramsar sites are not considered relevant for this assessment.
8.5 Key Biodiversity Areas Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are defined by the Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership19 as sites that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity, applicable to terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Sites qualify as global KBAs if they meet one or more of 11 criteria as defined by the Partnership, grouped into the following five categories: threatened biodiversity, geographically restricted biodiversity, ecological integrity, biological processes and irreplaceability (BirdLife International, 2018). KBAs include Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA), Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE), Important Plant Areas (IPA) and Important Sites for Freshwater Biodiversity. Base on IBAT database, five KBAs have been identified within 50km radius from the Project site (Table 8.2) and a list of species of conservation significance have been identified in these KBAs (Table 8.3).
19 Key Biodiversity Partnership comprises a consortium of 12 conservation NGOs including BirdLife International, IUCN, Amphibian Survival Alliance, Conservation International, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Global Environment Facility, Global Wildlife Conservation, Nature Serve, Rainforest Trust, Royal Society of the Protection of Birds, WWF and Wildlife Conservation Society.
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Table 8.2 List of Key Biodiversity Areas within 50-km Radius from Project Site
No. Key Biodiversity Country IBA/ AZE Area (ha) Distance from Area Project Area (km)
1 Laving-Laveun Lao PDR 38,000 26
2 Upper Xe Bangfai Lao PDR IBA 31,300 40
3 Dong Phou Vieng Lao PDR 299,000 34
4 Truong Son Vietnam IBA 50,000 27
5 Dakrong Vietnam IBA 40,526 26
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Table 8.3 Species of Conservation Significance in Listed KBAs No. KBAs Scientific names Common names IUCN Red List Class name Category 1 Laving-Laveun Pseudoryx nghetinhensis Saola CR Mammalia Pygathrix nemaeus Red-shanked Douc Langur CR Mammalia Nomascus siki Southern White-cheeked Gibbon CR Mammalia Oriolus traillii Maroon Oriole LC Aves Artamus fuscus Ashy Woodswallow LC Aves Anthipes monileger White-gorgeted Flycatcher LC Aves Machlolophus spilonotus Yellow-cheeked Tit LC Aves Ixos mcclellandii Mountain Bulbul LC Aves Hypsipetes leucocephalus Black Bulbul NT Aves Tesia cyaniventer Grey-bellied Tesia LC Aves Phylloscopus poliogenys Grey-cheeked Warbler LC Aves Siva cyanouroptera Blue-winged Minla LC Aves 2 Upper Xe Bangfai Arborophila brunneopectus Bar-backed Partridge LC Aves Lophura diardi Siamese Fireback LC Aves Polyplectron bicalcaratum Grey Peacock-pheasant LC Aves Psilopogon lineatus Lineated Barbet LC Aves Psilopogon incognitus Moustached Barbet LC Aves Psittacula finschii Grey-headed Parakeet NT Aves Lalage melaschistos Black-winged Cuckooshrike LC Aves Chloropsis hardwickii Orange-bellied Leafbird LC Aves Urocissa whiteheadi Hainan Magpie EN Aves Crypsirina temia Racquet-tailed Treepie LC Aves Artamus fuscus Ashy Woodswallow LC Aves Tephrodornis pondicerianus Common Woodshrike LC Aves Gracupica nigricollis Black-collared Starling LC Aves Pycnonotus finlaysoni Stripe-throated Bulbul LC Aves Iole propinqua Grey-eyed Bulbul LC Aves Hypsipetes leucocephalus Black Bulbul LC Aves
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No. KBAs Scientific names Common names IUCN Red List Class name Category Garrulax monileger Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush LC Aves Garrulax pectoralis Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush LC Aves Garrulax chinensis Black-throated Laughingthrush LC Aves Alcippe peracensis Mountain Fulvetta LC Aves Aethopyga saturata Black-throated Sunbird LC Aves Arachnothera magna Streaked Spiderhunter LC Aves Blythipicus pyrrhotis Bay Woodpecker LC Aves Rheinardia ocellata Crested Argus EN Aves 3 Dong Phou Vieng Panthera tigris Tiger EN Mammalia Pygathrix nemaeus Red-shanked Douc Langur CR Mammalia Elephas maximus Asian Elephant EN Mammalia Indotestudo elongata Yellow-headed Tortoise EN Reptiles 4 Dakrong Pseudoryx nghetinhensis Saola CR Mammalia Pygathrix nemaeus Red-shanked Douc Langur CR Mammalia Dipterocarpus kerrii EN Plant Erythrophleum fordii Gemu EN Plant Aquilaria crassna Agar Wood CR Plant Lophura edwardsi Vietnam Pheasent CR Aves 5 Truong Son Pseudoryx nghetinhensis Saola CR Mammalia Rheinardia ocellata Crested Argus EN Aves
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Figure 8.1 Key Biodiversity Areas Surrounding Project Area
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8.6 Protected Areas According to the IUCN (2008), a Protected Area is “a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.” Under the provisions of IFC PS6, a Protected Area and Internationally Recognized area require specific management actions if development proceeds within the boundary (see requirements under KBAs outlined above). Consultation with protected area managers and the community will be required.
8.6.1 ASEAN Heritage Parks ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs) are selected protected areas in the ASEAN region recognized for their unique flora and fauna and ecosystems, wilderness and excellent values (ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, 2019). There are no AHPs located within the Study Area. The closest AHP to the Project Area is the Vu Quang National Park, approximately 220 km to the north. As such, ASEAN Heritage Parks are not considered relevant for this assessment.
8.6.2 Nationally Protected Areas There are three nationally protected areas within the Study Area (Table 8.4).
Table 8.4 Brief Information of Protected Area around the Project Area within 50 km Radius
No. Protected Area Approximate Summary Distance from Project Area
1 Bac Huong Hoa 7km Location: 16°56'21.1"N, 106°35'14.5"E Nature Reserve Country : Vietnam
WDPA ID: 555594125
Area size: 234.86 km2
Type: Not reported
Designation: National
Status year : 2012
Management Authority: People's Committee of Quang Tri
2 Dakrong Nature 24km Location: 16°36'26.3"N, 106°52'50.8"E Reserve Country : Vietnam
WDPA ID: 10384
Area size: 376.81km2
Type: Not reported
Designation: National
Status year : 2004
Management Authority: People's Committee of Quang Tri
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No. Protected Area Approximate Summary Distance from Project Area
3 Dong Phou 17km Location: 16°28'18.6"N, 106°24'29.9"E Vieng National Country : Vietnam Biodiversity Conservation WDPA ID: 312986 Area Area size: 2990.0km2
Type: IUCN Category VI
Designation: National
Status year : 1996
Management Authority: Note reported
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