Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized IMPROVED RURAL CONNECTIVITY PROJECT (IRCP) REHABILITATION OF PRIMARY FEEDER ROADS IN NORTHERN PROVINCE Public Disclosure Authorized ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT BRIEF OCTOBER 2020 SUBMITTED BY Public Disclosure Authorized EASTCONSULT/DASAN CONSULT - JV LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYIMS ARAP Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plan CRN Core Road Network D District EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMA Environmental Management Act EPB Environmental Project Brief GDP Gross Domestic Product GRZ Government of the Republic of Zambia IAPs Interested and Affected Parties IRCP Improved Rural Connectivity Project Km Kilometer OPRC Output and Performance-Based Road Contract OVC Vehicle Operating Costs PAP Project Affected Person PFR Primary Feeder Roads TC Town Clerk DC District Commissioner CSO Central Statistical Office SOE State of Environment SOS Save Our Souls ARI Acute RespiratoryTract Infection TB Tuberculosis DSA District Situational Analysis GER Great East Road ICT Information Communication Technology COMACO Community Markets for Conservation RAP Resettlement Action Plan RDA Road Development Agency ROADSIP Road Sector Investment Programme SADC Southern Africa Development Community T Trunk U Urban WB World Bank ZEMA Zambia Environmental Management Agency ii Improved Rural Connectivity Project Environmental Project Brief for the Rehabilitation of Primary Feeder Roads in Northern Province Improved Rural Connectivity Project (IRCP) Rehabilitation of Primary Feeder Roads in Northern Province EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Government of the Republic Zambia (GRZ) is seeking to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the management and maintenance of the of the Primary Feeder Roads (PFR) network. This is further motivated by the recognition that the road network constitutes the single largest asset owned by the Government, and a less than optimal system of the management and maintenance of that asset generally results in huge losses for the national economy. In order to ensure management and maintenance of the PFR, the government is introducing the OPRC concept. The OPRC is a concept is a contracting approach in which the service provider is paid not for ‘inputs’ but rather for the results of the work executed under the contract i.e. the service provider’s performance under the contract. The initial phase of the project, supported by the World Bank will be implementing the Improved Rural Connectivity Project (IRCP) in some selected districts of Central, Eastern, Northern, Luapula, Southern and Muchinga Provinces. The project will be implemented for a period of five (5) years from 2020 to 2025 using the Output and Performance Road Contract (OPRC) approach. GRZ thus intends to roll out the OPRC on the PFR Network covering a total of 14,333Kms country-wide. Project Objective The overall objective of the project is to improve rural accessibility for communities in the selected areas of Northern Province. The rehabilitation of the rural roads will lead to the following: ▪ Guarantee a high degree of pass ability throughout the year to contribute to economic development and poverty reduction. ▪ Increased access to sources of raw materials and thus facilitate value chain development in rural areas; ▪ Facilitate access to rural and urban markets for primary agro-producers which will contribute to sustainable livelihoods; and ▪ Increased access to health and educational service, connecting rural communities to urban markets. Project Area, Cost and Implementation Date The civil works of selected PFR in Northern Province, estimated to be 403.210Km and cost US$16,128,840.00 using the US$40,000/km rate, will begin as soon as approval is granted by ZEMA. The project will be implemented for a period of five (5) years from 2020 to 2025. iii Improved Rural Connectivity Project Environmental Project Brief for the Rehabilitation of Primary Feeder Roads in Northern Province The proposed PFR for rehabilitation are situated in the five (5) districts of Northern Province which include; Kasama, Mbala, Mungwi, Luwingu and the newly established Senga District. The roads are shown in the table and maps below: List of OPRCS Project Roads in Northern Province – Package 7 List of OPRCS Project Roads in Northern Province – Package 8 iv Improved Rural Connectivity Project Environmental Project Brief for the Rehabilitation of Primary Feeder Roads in Northern Province Proposed Roads in Mungwi District of Northern Province v Improved Rural Connectivity Project Environmental Project Brief for the Rehabilitation of Primary Feeder Roads in Northern Province Proposed Roads in Mbala and Senga Districts of Northern Province The Need for Environmental and Social Impact Assessment In order to ensure that the positive impacts are enhanced and the negative impacts are prevented or minimized, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), through the preparation of an Environmental Project Brief (EPB), has been prepared for a road network per province in line with the provisions of the Environmental Management Act of 2011 and the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, SI 28 of 1997. The World Bank introduced an environmental assessment (EA) policy, Operational Policy (OP) 4.01, and Bank Procedures (BP) 4.01. These apply to any Bank-financed or implemented project if there is the potential for that project to result in adverse environmental impact. It is also designed as a tool to improve project performance and to enhance the quality and sustainability of projects. It does so by providing the guidance that allows borrower decision makers and Bank operational staff the flexibility to ensure that the project options under consideration are environmentally sound and sustainable. Further, based on the correspondence to RDA of 3 May 2017, ZEMA provided guidance on the need to prepare one EPB per province. This EPB is being prepared before the construction of the project commences. The EPB report will be submitted to ZEMA for decision making. vi Improved Rural Connectivity Project Environmental Project Brief for the Rehabilitation of Primary Feeder Roads in Northern Province Methodology The following activities formed the methodology that was used to prepare the EPB: ▪ Preliminary activities ✓ desktop review of documents ✓ internal planning meetings ✓ consultative meetings ✓ site reconnaissance visits to familiarise the consultants with the proposed project. ▪ Assessment of the site to detail the various existing and likely impacts. Baseline information of the project obtained through desktop review of documents and validated through site visits. ▪ Development of policy, regulatory and institutional framework that meets World Bank safeguard policies and national laws and is proportional to project’s scope and impact ▪ The development of a project-level (or where appropriate sub-project level) grievance redress mechanism (GRM) for the project that can address construction and operations phase grievances that may arise, as well as those related to resettlement and compensation ▪ Assessment of project impacts – biophysical and social ▪ Generation of measures to mitigate the significant negative effects of the project and development of an environmental management and monitoring plan. ▪ Preparation and submission of the project report. Consultations The project preparation has been engaging with various project stakeholders since December 2018. The following types of stakeholder engagement activities have taken place to date: ▪ Formal and informal communication with government agencies at the national, provincial and local levels; ▪ Local community members who include farmers and school authorities. Details about the meetings and consultations held with representatives of government agencies and institutions are presented below in the table below. Key Stakeholder Consultations Place Date Participants Key points raised Office of the 19 March 2020 Senga Hill District • We wish more primary feeder roads President, Commissioner were included in the IRCP to ensure Senga Hill easy movement of goods and services District in this rural district Office of the 19 March 2020 Mbala District • Job opportunities should be awarded President, Commissioner to the local people Mbala vii Improved Rural Connectivity Project Environmental Project Brief for the Rehabilitation of Primary Feeder Roads in Northern Province • Ensure that the affected people are compensated adequately Council 20 March 2020 Mungwi Council • Local contractors should be used for Offices, Secretary the project Mungwi • Local people should be given first District priority for job opportunities Office of the 21 March 2020 Luwingu District • Access to the rural roads is hampered President, Commissioner by the poor road network, especially Luwingu during the wet season when streams District get flooded • Improvements in the road network will assist farmers of beans and maize A report detailing the other community stakeholder consultations that were held has been attached as an annex to this report. The EPB will be uploaded on the RDA website as part of the disclosure exercise.. ZEMA will also submit the reports to authorizing agencies such as local authorities for comments as part of the decision-making process. RELEVANT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK The following are some of the national legislation including World Bank Safeguards policies related and relevant to the project being developed by RDA: ▪ The Lands Acquisition Act, 1994 ▪ The Workers Compensation Act, No. 10 of ▪ The Lands Act (Cap 184)