Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project
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Environmental Compliance Monitoring Report Semi-Annual Report No. 3 Loan Number: 3260 NEP July – December 2017 Nepal: Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project Prepared by the Government of Nepal for the Asian Development Bank. This environmental Compliance Monitoring Report 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. Environmental Compliance Monitoring Report July-December, 2017 Semiannual Report No. 3 July-December, 2017 Nepal: Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project ADB Loan No. 3260 NEP and SDC TA Prepared by Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project (EEAP) for Government of Nepal (GoN) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) Environmental Compliance Monitoring Report July-December, 2017 This environmental compliance monitoring report 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. 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. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Currency unit – Nepalese Rupee (NRs) NRs. 1.00 = $ 0.0098 US $ 1.00 = NRs. 101.90 Source: Nepal Rastra Bank, 31 December, 2017 NOTES (i) The fiscal year (FY) of the Government of Nepal and its agencies ends on 15 July. FY before a calendar year denotes the year in which the fiscal year ends, e.g., FY 2017 ends on 16 July 2018. (ii) In this report, "$" refers to US dollars. Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project i Environmental Compliance Monitoring Report July-December, 2017 ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank BoQ Bill of Quantity BS Bikram Sambat (Nepali Calendar) CFUG Community Forest Users Group CISC Central Implementation Support Consultant CLPIU Central Level Project Implementation Unit DCC District Coordination Committee DDR Due Diligence Report DFO District Forest Officer DSC Design and Supervision Consultant DISC District Implementation Support Consultant DLPIU District Level Project Implementation Unit DoR Department of Roads DUDBC Department of Urban Development and Building Construction DTO District Technical Office EEAP Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project EMP Environmental Management Plan FY Fiscal Year GoN Government of Nepal GRC Grievance Redress Committee IEE Initial Environmental Examination MoE Ministry of Education MoFALD Ministry of Federal Affairs & Local Development MoUD Ministry of Urban Development MoFSC Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation NRA National Reconstruction Authority NRs Nepali Rupees PD Project Directorate SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project ii Environmental Compliance Monitoring Report July-December, 2017 Table of Contents 1. Project Background ....................................................................................................... 1 2. Impact and Outcome ..................................................................................................... 1 3. Environmental Safeguards in EEAP ............................................................................ 2 4. Overall Environmental Safeguard Status .................................................................... 2 5. Semi-annual Environmental Compliance Monitoring Report .................................... 2 Part 1: District Roads ........................................................................................................... 3 Part 2: Strategic Roads ...................................................................................................... 44 Part 3: School Buildings .................................................................................................... 59 Part 4: Government Buildings ........................................................................................... 78 Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project iii Environmental Compliance Monitoring Report July-December, 2017 1. PROJECT BACKGROUND 1. Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project (EEAP) is a project being implemented by covenant loan assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB) and counterpart funding from Government of Nepal (GoN). The goal of the project is to support Government of Nepal to accelerate rehabilitation and reconstruction following the devastating earthquake of 25 April 2015 and the major aftershock of 12 May 2015. The project will support the rebuilding of schools, roads, and district-level government buildings, and strengthen resilience to future disasters. 2. EEAP, Loan 3260 for $200 M was approved on 24 June 2015, signed on 21 August 2015 and became effective on 10 September 2015 with the objective of supporting the GoN. 2. IMPACT AND OUTCOME 3. The impact of the project is accelerated economic and social recovery in Nepal’s earthquake affected districts. The outcome will be critical economic and social services resumed with disaster-resilient infrastructure. 4. The project has following four outputs: (i) Output 1: Schools are rebuilt and upgraded. At least 700 schools will be rebuilt or retrofitted in line with school reconstruction plans to disaster-resilient standards and equipped with water and sanitation facilities, including sex-disaggregated toilets. About five will be model schools built with information and communication technology equipment, science laboratories, and improved learning spaces. However, target has been reduced 154 school buildings (MTR, October 2017). (ii) Output 2: Roads and bridges are rehabilitated and/or reconstructed. About 135 km of strategic roads and about 450 km of rural roads damaged by the earthquake and landslides will be rehabilitated. Target for strategic and district roads has been reduced to 123.9 km and 525 km respectively (MTR, October 2017). Project roads and bridges will have built back better features for road safety and climate resilience. Construction and maintenance equipment will also be procured. (iii) Output 3: District-level government facilities constructed and/or rebuilt. About 300 district-level government buildings will be rebuilt or retrofitted to disaster resilient standards with basic utilities, and furnished. This target has been reduced to 123 buildings (MTR, October 2017). Transitional district-level government offices will also be established to enable services to continue throughout the reconstruction period. (iv) Output 4: Disaster preparedness and management capacities strengthened. All outputs are assured to be disaster risk resilient. Engineering divisions of all implementing agencies will be strengthened. 5. The district roads components has received technical assistance grant from Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Also, the scope of output 1 was increased in December 2016 to include 15 additional schools to be rebuilt following the additional $ 10 million financing from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID – Grant 0529). Earthquake Emergency Assistance Project 1 Environmental Compliance Monitoring Report July-December, 2017 3. ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS IN EEAP 6. An Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) was prepared in accordance with ADB’s Safeguards Policy Statement 2009. Initial environmental examinations (IEEs) and environmental management plans (EMPs) were required for district and strategic roads where as due diligence report (DDR) with EMP were required for school and office building sub-projects along with incorporating EMP into bidding and contract documents to be implemented by contractors. 7. The Central Level Project Implementation Units (CLPIUs) are assisted by Design and Supervision Consultants (DSCs) which will include Environment Specialists engaged during project implementation. CLPIUs prepare environmental safeguard documents for approved sub-projects which receive concurrence from ADB and approval from concerned agencies of GoN. CLPIUs obtain all clearances and fulfill government requirements. The District Level Project Implementation Units (DLPIUs) have a safeguards focal person who is responsible for data required for safeguards plan preparation, monitoring and progress reports, and coordination with relevant organizations like Ministry of Forest, Soil and Conservation (MoFSC) to consult and/or obtain endorsement if necessary. CLPIUs and DLPIUs are supported by DSCs/Central Implementation Support Consultant (CISC)/District Implementation Support Consultants (DISCs). 4. OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARD STATUS 8. The overall environmental safeguard status of EEAP in reference to its output is listed below: (i) Output 1- School Buildings: For school building sub-projects, DDRs with EMP preparation are in progress and will be completed shortly. (ii) Output 2a- District Roads: All IEE reports of 17 road sub-projects have been approved from the Government of Nepal (GoN) and concurrence has been given by ADB. (iii) Output 2b- Strategic Roads: IEE of all three roads