E462 REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE Public Disclosure Authorized Irrigation Rehabilitation Project Project Implementation Unit ENVIRONMENTALASSESSMENT OF IRRIGATIONDEVELOPMENT PROJECT (SW-GR/014Env) Public Disclosure Authorized .JsN s~~~~~77~ Public Disclosure Authorized ~~ -. _ - - _ r ECODIT. Draft Final EA Report A I January 2000 AVA Public Disclosure Authorized FILECOPY EA of IrrigationDevelopment Project Ministryof Agriculture,IRP/PIU EXECUTIVESUMMARY The proposed Irrigation Development Project (IDP) aims primarily to rehabilitate and improve existing irrigation schemes and infrastructures. Because it will not create new irrigation schemes or build important new infrastructure such as dams, the IDP will not have significant impacts typically associated with such large projects. The positive socio-economic and environmental impacts of the IDP outweigh its potential negative impacts, which remain acceptable subject to full implementation of the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) recommended by this EA. Positive impacts. The proposed IDP will have significant positive impacts for the farmers and people of Armenia. It will improve agricultural output and productivity, increase income for tens of thousands of farmers, increase the supply of water for irrigation and reduce water losses, save millions of dollars annually in energy costs, reduce the dependence on pumping to supply irrigation water, reduce water-logging and flooding of tens of villages and the spread of malaria in the Ararat Valley, and safeguard human life and property for 350,000 people living below the 20 dams targeted for safety improvement. Potential negative impacts. For each significant negative impact associated with each component of the proposed IDP, Table ES-1 indicates the proposed mitigation measure, its executing agency. and its estimated capital and annual recurrent costs. The EA has also identified other conventional or less significant impacts, such as soil and water pollution, accidents and nuisances due to increased traffic, loss of soil fertility and soil erosion due to contractor negligence and poor construction practices. The EA recommends that all construction contracts contain standard provisions requiring contractors to mitigate those conventional impacts; the estimated EMP budget does not include the costs of such measures. Capacity building and traininq. The EA Team recommends that the PIU designate an Environmental Officer among its staff and form an inter-agency Environmental Committee to oversee and monitor the EMP implementation. The Committee would comprise the Environmental Officer (PIU) plus representatives of the Ministry of Nature Protection (EIA, water & other departments), the Ministry of Health, the Department of Historic and Cultural Monuments Preservation, Operation and Maintenance Enterprises, the Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Melioration Institute, and the Water Problems and Hydraulics Research Institute. The basic equipment and supplies needed to implement the EMP include computers, "sewer televising" equipment to locate and clean logged drains, specially-equipped tractor to cut plants along canals and collectors. far-reaching mechanical shovel/versatlie dredger, piezometers, water and soil test kits, hydraulic monitoring stations and flow meters. and bathymetric survey equipment. The EA team has also identified the potential need for technical assistance in designing and implementing a hazardous waste sampling and analysis campaign, best management practices for dredging and maintaining canals and collectors, and designing fish ladders on water intake weirs. Capital and recurrent costs. The proposed EMP will cost about US$889,000 in capital costs and between $137,400/year and $187,400/year in annual recurrent costs. This budget includes the costs of certain measures that are already included in the IDP Project (P) or are already carried out (or should be carried out) under other funds (0) (e.g., State Budget). When the costs of such measures are subtracted, the remaining additional costs of the EMP are $810,000 for capital costs and $49,900/year for annual recurrent costs. The mechanical shovel/versatile dredger and the specially-equipped tractor for cutting plants cost an estimated $490,000, or over half of the total capital costs of the EMP. The total EMP includes a budget of $50,000 to $100,000 each year for the disposal of excavated materials (hazardous waste and non-hazardous waste inside populated areas), or between one third and half of the total annual recurrent costs of the EMP. EA Report ECODIJT,January 2000, Page ES-I EA of Irrigation Development Pr-oject Ministry of Agriculiture, IRP/PIU TABLE ES-1 SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN: IMPACTS, MITIGATION MEASURES, EXECUTING AGENCIES, AND CAPITAL AND RECURRENT COSTS Key Potential Negative IDP Project Mitigation Measure Executing Capital Recurrent Environmental Impact Component _ Agency Cost Cost l _ -1 Ill (US$) (US$/yr) Significantimpacts __ __ __________ Insufficientavailability of water and/or X X Preparewater permit applications,obtain specialand PIU 10,000(P) 0 sanitary flow considerations secondary water use permits Design Inst. _ Disturbanceto river flows and aquatic X X Installflowmeter on sand trap canal and hydraulic Contractor 21,000 (P) 2,500 (P) fauna/floraand ecosystems monitoringstations below selectwater intakes. Armhydro- Monitorflows met Monitorwater quality and aquaticecosystem MoNP 0 11,000(0) downstream of select new water intakes Barriersto fish migrationupstream X Designand build fish ladderson weirs (small dams) of DesignInst. 15,000(P) 0 select new water intakes Contractor Impactsfrom improperdredging and X X Acquire & use adaptedmechanical shovel/dredger & PIU 490,000 12,000 maintenanceof canals and collectors tractor-typevehicle to cut plantsalongside collectors DrainageE. Uncontrolleddisposal of excavated X X X Conducthazardous waste sampling & analysis Laboratory/ 40,000 2,500 materials & demolition debris campaign for collectors' sediments and soils Consultant ___ ._... _ Preparewaste managementplans and obtainwaste PIU 10,000 (P) 0 disposal permits Design Inst. Disposeof excavatedmaterials in accordancewith Contractors 0 50,000- ___________________ wastemanagement plansand permits ____ 100,000 (P) Enhancedsoil erosion and reservoir X X Acquire bathymetricsurvey equipment(echo-sounder DOME 40,000 4,500 sedimentation _ ._ with GPS/GIS link) & monitor reservoir sedimentation __ Degradationof historic-cultural X X Monitor impactson historic-culturalmonuments & DHCMP 0 4,000 (P) monuments __ ___ _ work with PIU to selectoptimal route for new canals Impactson sensitive habitatsand X X Monitor impactson sensitivehabitats (e.g., Vordan. MoNP 0 3,000 (0) nature monuments _____ Karmir) and nature monuments Impacts(positive and negative)on X X Monitorthe incidenceof malaria in the Ararat Valley MoH 0 4,000 (0) healthand incidenceof malaria and healthconditions below new water intakes Impactson ground water table (depth X Drill 200 monitoringwells (in additionto 400 existing DrainageE. 60,000 2,400 and salinity)in the Ararat Valley wells)and use them to monitorgw level and salinity _____ X _ Acquire (and use) drainage modelingsoftware PIU _ 7,000 0 Impactson artificial lakes in Ararat X Drill 100 monitoringwells to monitorwater levels and Drainage E. 15,000 1,000 Valley __ _ __ __ _ ___salinity in artificiallakes EA Report ECODIT, January 2000, Page ES-2 EA of lmrgationiDevelopment Project Ministty of Agriculture, IRP/PIU Key Potential Negative IDP Project MitigationMeasure Executing Capital Recurrent EnvironmentalImpact Component8'/ Agency Cost Cost I 11 1 (US$) (US$/yr) Soil salinization and loss of fertility X X Install 36 hydroposts on drainage collectors and Drainage E. 23,000 4,000 (0) due to irrigation methods and water- conductimeters at pumping stations and monitor Pumping S. soil inadequacy drainage and irrigation water flow and quality ______ Acquire water and soil test kits and supplies and use PIU 8.000 500 them to conduct field tests of water and soil quality __ _ .. _ Conduct baseline soil salinity survey in Ararat Valley Drainage E. 30,000 __ 0 Monitor the evolution of soil salinity and sodicity and Soil 23,000 3,000 (0) ____ ____ agricultural yield in six reference land parcels Institute (0) ___- Loss of fertile top soil due to X Acquire and use "sewer televising" equipment to PIU/ 72,000 6,000 excavation to clean clogged drains __ locate and clean clogged drains __ _ Drainage E. ___ Loss of fertile topsoil due to X X Use soil scratching vehicle to de-compact soil PIU 0 2,000 (P) temporary access roads & work areas ___ _____ _ _ Uprooting of fruit trees X ___ Compensate owners for loss of fruit trees __ PIU 0_ _ 4000 (P) Other general measures X X X Acquire five laptops and five desktop computers and PIU and 25,000 1,000 use them to store and analyze datap _ _ artners __ X X X Receive technical assistance and training, and PIU and 0 20.000 __________________________ ____ ____ participate in orientation visits abroad _ partners ___ _ Total Costs of the EMP 889,000 137-187,400 AdditionalCosts of the EMP $810,000 $/yr 49,900 a/ IDP ProjectComponents: I Rehabilitationand Improvementof Irrigationand DrainageSystems 11 Conversionof IrrigationSchemes from Pumpingto Gravity IlIl Dam SafetyImprovement MoNP Ministry of NatureProtection MoH Ministryof Health DHCMP Departmentof Historic and Cultural MonumentsPreservation DOME Dam O&M Enterprise Design I DesignInstitute DrainageE. DrainageEnterprise Soil Institute