Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project (RRP SOL 51271-001)
Resettlement Plan
June 2019
Solomon Islands: Preparing the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project
Prepared by Solomon Islands Water Authority, trading as Solomon Water, for the Asian Development Bank
This resettlement plan is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section of this website. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.
SOLOMON ISLANDS URBAN WATER SUPPLY & SANITATION SECTOR PROJECT
RESETTLEMENT PLAN Final
87028RWAW Date : 20/12/2018
87028RWAW Date : 8/03/2019
Quality Information
Project title URBAN WATER SUPPLY & SANITATION SECTOR PROJECT
Document title Resettlement Plan Final
Date March 2019
Author(s) Sally Pita / Michael McCandless / Sonia Chirgwin / Lulu Zuniga Carmine
Reference n° SLB_87028RWAW
Quality Control
Version Date Written by: Checked by: 1 23/10/2018 Salome Pita / Michael McCandless Donald Makini 2 20/12/2018 Sonia Chirgwin Sébastien Palazot 3 8//3/2019 Sonia Chirgwin and Lulu Zuniga- Carmine Sébastien Palazot
Addresses
Send to: Name Company Send on: Stephen Blaik Asian Development Bank 21/12/2018
Copy to: Name Company Send on : Ian Gooden – General Solomon Water 21/12/2018 Manager Mark Waite – Project PMU 21/12/2018 Manager
ABBREVIATIONS...... 1 GLOSSARY ...... 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 3 1. INTRODUCTION ...... 8 1.1. Project Background and Objectives ...... 8 1.2. Methodology...... 8 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...... 9 2.1. Overview ...... 9 2.2. Deleted Works from Project Scope ...... 10 2.3. Additional Works in Project Scope ...... 11 2.4. Mataniko and White River Trunk Mains Subproject ...... 11 2.5. Augmenting Reservoir Capacity Subproject ...... 14 2.6. Sewer Outfall Rehabilitation ...... 15 2.7. Sewage Pumping Stations Refurbishment Subproject ...... 17 2.8. Septage Treatment Facility Subproject ...... 18 3. SCOPE OF LAND ACQUISITION AND IMPACTS ...... 19 3.1. Measures Undertaken to Avoid and Minimize Involuntary Resettlement .... 19 3.2. Impacts on People, Land and Structures ...... 19 3.3. Impacts on Gardens and Livelihood ...... 28 4. SOCIO-ECONOMIC INFORMATION ...... 29 4.1. Characteristics of the Affected Households ...... 29 5. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION .. 31 5.1. Stakeholders ...... 31 5.2. Consultation ...... 31 5.3. Negotiation ...... 37 5.4. Information Disclosure ...... 37 6. GRIEVANCE REDRESS PROCEDURES (GRP) ...... 37 6.1. Government Process for Grievance Redress ...... 37 6.2. Proposed Project Grievance Redress Procedure...... 38 6.3. GRM Process ...... 38 7. POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK ...... 40 7.1. Solomon Islands Legal Framework ...... 40 7.2. ADB Safeguard Policy Statement (2009) ...... 43 7.3. Comparison of ADB SPS and SI Law ...... 44 8. PROJECT ENTITLEMENTS, ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS Error! Bookmark not defined. 9. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS ...... 49 9.1. Institutional Responsibilities ...... 49 9.2. Budget ...... 52 9.3. Implementation Steps ...... 53 9.4. Implementation Schedule ...... 53 10. MONITORING AND REPORTING ...... 55 ANNEX 1 – SUMMARY OF SCOPE OF WORKS, LAND REQUIREMENT AND APS ...... 56 ANNEX 2 – COPIES OF TITLES OF LAND FOR LEASE NEGOTIATIONS ...... 57 ANNEX 3: SUMMARY OF STAKEHOLDER & WORKSHOP CONSULTATIONS . 82 ANNEX 4 - TOR FOR LAND MANAGEMENT OFFICER – LAND ACQUISITION AND RESETTLEMENT ...... 105 ANNEX 5: TOR FOR THIRD PART EVALUATOR ...... 107 ANNEX 6: PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF SITE VISITS AND DISCUSSIONS .. 109
List of Tables Table 1: Subproject Sites and Locations ...... 9 Table 2: Description of Each New Water Distribution Main ...... 12 Table 3: Total Estimated Required Private Land ...... 20 Table 4: Total Estimated Required Government Land ...... 20 Table 5: Temporary Occupancy License Holders ...... 21 Table 6: Land Ownership Summary for New Pumping Stations ...... 27 Table 7: Impact on Trees and Other Plants ...... 28 Table 8: Affected People (Land Assets) ...... 29 Table 9: Affected People (Non-Land Assets) ...... 29 Table 10: Summary of Consultation Issues Raised in Initial Workshop ...... 32 Table 11: Grievance Redress Process During Construction ...... 39 Table 12: Comparison of Solomon Islands Law and ADB Policy and Gap - Filling Measures ...... 44 Table 13: Entitlement Matrix ...... 48 Table 14: Resettlement Implementation - Roles and Responsibilities ...... 50 Table 16: Summary of Indicative Land Acquisition and Compensation Costs ...... 52 Table 16: Generic Indicators for Monitoring ...... 55
List of Figures Figure 1: Location of Proposed Project Sites in Honiara ...... 10 Figure 2: Location Maps of New Trunk and Distribution Mains ...... 12 Figure 3: Titingge Scheme – Existing and Proposed Site Options for Reservoir ...... 15 Figure 4: Honiara Current Outfalls ...... 16 Figure 5: Proposed Rehabilitated Outfalls ...... 17 Figure 6: Proposed Pumping Station Sites ...... 17 Figure 7: Septage Treatment Facility Potential Location ...... 18 Figure 8: Proposed site layout of reservoir site at Titingge Ridge...... 23 Figure 9: Point Cruz Proposed Outfall Route ...... 25 Figure 10: Piping Route for Naha Outfall...... 25 Figure 11: Piping Route for Ranadi Outfall ...... 26 Figure 12: RP Implementation Schedule ...... 54
ABBREVIATIONS
ADB Asian Development Bank AP Affected Person CLAC Customary Land Appeal Court CoL Commissioner of Lands DP Displaced Person EA Executing Agency FTE Fixed Term Estate GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism IOA Inventory of Assets IOL Inventory of Losses LAO Land Acquisition Officer LAR Land Acquisition and Resettlement LTA Land and Tittles Act MLHS Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey MoFT Ministry of Finance and Treasury MOA Memorandum of Agreement PE Perpetual Estate PMU Project Management Unit PPA Project Preparation Assistance RF Resettlement Framework RP Resettlement Plan SIA Social Impact Assessment SI Solomon Islands SPS Safeguards Policy Statement SW Solomon Water TA Technical Assistance TOL Temporary Occupancy Licenses UWSSSP Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project
GLOSSARY Affected Household/ Family: All members of a household residing under one roof and operating as a single economic unit; who are adversely affected by the Project or any of its components. It may consist of a single nuclear family or an extended family group. Affected Person (AP): All the people affected by the Project through land obtaining, relocation, or loss of income; and include any person, household [sometimes referred to as project affected family (AF)], firms, or public or private institutions. APs, therefore, include (i) persons whose land or other productive assets such as trees or crops are affected; (ii) persons whose businesses are affected and who might experience loss of income due to the Project impact; (iii) persons who lose work/employment as a result of Project impact; and (iv) people who lose access to community resources/property as a result of the Project. Assistance: Support, rehabilitation and restoration measures extended in cash and/or kind over and above the compensation for lost assets. Compensation: Payment in cash at current market value or in kind for an asset or a resource that is obtained or affected by a project to which the affected people are entitled in order to replace the lost property or income. Cut-off date: The date, after which people will NOT be considered eligible for compensation, i.e. they are not included in the list of APs as defined by the census. Normally, the cut-off-date is the date of the detailed measurement survey. Detailed Measurement Survey: The detailed inventory of losses that is completed after detailed design and marking of project boundaries on the ground. Displaced Persons: Are those who are physically displaced (relocation, loss of residential land, or loss of shelter) and/or economically displaced (loss of land, assets, access to assets, income sources, or means of livelihoods) (ADB SPS) Entitlement: The range of measures comprising cash or kind compensation, relocation cost, income restoration assistance, transfer assistance, income substitution, and relocation which are due to business restoration which are due to APs, depending on the type and degree /nature of their losses, to restore their social and economic base. Non-titled: People who have no recognizable rights or claims to the land that they are occupying and includes people using private or state land without permission, permit or grant i.e. those people without legal title to land and/or structures occupied or used by them. ADB’s policy explicitly states that such people cannot be denied compensation. Project: The Solomon Islands Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project (UWSSSP) funded by ADB. Resettlement: All the impacts associated with loss of physical and non-physical assets, including homes, communities, productive land, income-earning assets and sources, subsistence, resources, cultural sites, social structures, networks and ties, cultural identity, and mutual help mechanisms. Vulnerable: Who might suffer disproportionately or face the risk of being marginalized from the effects of resettlement and includes: (i) female-headed households with dependents; (ii) disabled household heads; (iii) poor households that fall on or below the poverty line; (iv) landless; (v) elderly households with no means of support; (vi) households without security of tenure; (vii) households of indigenous population or ethnic minority.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Resettlement Plan (RP) has been prepared in accordance with the regulatory framework of the Land and Titles Act of the Solomon Islands Government, and the ADB’s social safeguard requirements under the ADB Safeguard Policy Statement (2009). The Resettlement Plan adheres to the principles and procedures outlined in the Resettlement Framework (RF) for the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project (UWSSSP), adopted by the Government. The UWSSSP aims to improve access to water supply and wastewater services to urban and peri-urban areas in Honiara, and in Gizo, Western Province. The UWSSSP is being implemented by the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, and the European Union. The Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) is the Executing Agency, and the Implementing Agency is Solomon Water (SW). The ADB funded a technical assistance package to undertake the required feasibility studies and investigation, which includes technical, economic and financial viability, social inclusiveness and overall sustainability. An important component of the work is conducting due diligence assessments in order to develop water supply and sanitation infrastructure that satisfies the requirements of the government and ADB Safeguards Policy 2009. The preparation of the RP was carried out with Solomon Water (SW), in consultation with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey following site identification, land title search and provision of project scope to date. The project approach is to avoid and minimize land acquisition and resettlement impacts wherever possible. The implementation of the project will unavoidably involve the permanent and temporary loss of some lands and non-land assets including structures or dwellings, trees, crops and other plants. These impacts have undergone screening and categorization and the project has been categorized as Category B since it will affect less than 200 persons and APs will not lose more than 10% of their productive assets.
Land Requirement There is a total of six (6) subprojects that have been selected following detailed feasibility assessments under the UWSSSP. The project components include: (i) New water treatment plant to reduce turbidity of the Kongalai water source during periods of heavy rain; (ii) Augmenting trunk mains from Mataniko and White River to the existing water supply network; (iii) Augmenting reservoir capacity by building a second reservoir at Titingge Ridge; (iv) Rehabilitation and upgrade of sewer outfalls; (v) construction of additional sewage pump stations at several locations and refurbishment of King George VI and Point Cruz wastewater pump stations; and, (vi) Construction of a septage treatment facility to service the Greater Honiara Area. In addition, preliminary feasibility work has been undertaken to improve the water supply in Gizo. As there are still a number of uncertainties for the Gizo subproject, this has not been included in the RP. Once this work is finalized, the RP will need to be updated. There will be a total of 20,648 m2 of land impacted by the project. Of this, 15,706 m2 will require the negotiation of land agreements with five individual private land owners including a land with three joint owners), two companies, and another land owning entity for the septage treatment site, which is yet to be determined. Note that the septage treatment site may end up being allocated from Government land, but to cover the possibility of it being on private land, it has been included in this total for potential impacts. The additional 4,942 m2 will be works undertaken on government land such as road reserves, Solomon Island Port Authority land, and the land where the National Referral Hospital is sited. The SW approach to secure the land is through lease agreement. In discussions with land owners to date, there is good support for the project, and a willingness to enter into a long term lease agreement with SW.
Affected Persons There are five private land owners owning three land parcels, two private companies, and one private landowner to be identified (once site selection has occurred for the septage treatment plant) who are all identified as affected persons. In addition, it is likely that there will be impacts on non-land assets. One informal AP and associated gardens are likely to need relocation at the proposed Titingge Ridge reservoir site. Where the trunk mains will be upgraded at White River, there are houses and gardens now built over the existing trunk main. Whilst the detailed design will try to minimize disruptions, up to nine households may be impacted through the temporary loss of structures or gardens, that can be re-established once the works are complete.
Stakeholders’ Consultation At every stage of the project, close consultation and continued disclosure to APs, stakeholders, and the general community is critical. Copies of this RP will be available at the offices of SW, Ministry of Lands Housing and Survey, and the Honiara City Council, as well as on the website of ADB. The executive summary of the RP will be provided to APs. There are three categories of stakeholders under this project: (i) government, (ii) private sector including business owners and land owners and (iii) the communities within project areas and the public. The government stakeholders include: (i) national government, (ii) Ministry of Finance and Treasury, (iii) Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey, (iv) Solomon Water, (v) Honiara City Council, (vi) Solomon Island Ports Authority, and (vii) Ministry of Infrastructure Development. The PPTA team consulted with the major stakeholders during the site visits in February 2019 and earlier in the feasibility study in July 2018. A total of three stakeholder workshops were held, with 24 attending the initial meeting in July, and a further 49 representatives of NGOs, Government, community and potential APs attending one of the consultations and disclosure workshops held on 20th and 21st of February 2019. These discussions indicated a high level of support from Government and the community, with an understanding of the need to improve water supply and sanitation in the urban area. Also, the project team undertook individual meetings with APs (both land owners and land users). Of the five private land owners, all were willing to enter into a long term lease agreement with SW. Consultation between SW and the two corporations is well progressed, with the owners of both sites supportive of the development. This will be followed up with further consultation during the detailed design, with the RP to be updated as infrastructure siting is finalized. Negotiation for land lease agreements and an Inventory of Loss will then be completed. Full payment of all compensation will be required as a prerequisite to works starting on any of the sites.
Entitlements All eight land owners (5 households, 2 corporations, and 1 to be determined based on final siting of the septage treatment plant) are considered affected persons (APs), and thus entitled to compensation under the project. In addition, the nine affected land users (3 with temporary occupancy licenses, 3 perpetual estate/FTE and 3 land users) who will potentially have losses to non-land assets are additional APs bringing the total to 17 APs. The Entitlement Matrix below provides a summary of how losses through the project are to be addressed and the basis of any compensation.
ENTITLEMENT MATRIX PERMANENT LOSS OF LAND Application Entitled APs Entitlement Alienated land Registered owner (PE, Cash compensation as agreed between CoL and owner OR required for project FTE) new FTE lease for replacement land. Cash compensation to construction be based on full replacement cost or existing market price. External evaluator to determine this fair price as the basis for negotiation with AP. Transaction costs. Customary land Landowners and users Replacement land of equivalent size and quality or cash required for project compensation as agreed between CoL and landowner group. construction Cash compensation to be based on full replacement cost or existing market price. External evaluator to determine this fair price as the basis for negotiation with AP. Transaction costs. LOSS OF STRUCTURE Application Entitled APs Entitlement Houses, commercial Registered owner Cash compensation at undepreciated/full replacement value of structures etc. on the structure without deduction for salvaged materials and land required for including construction cost, and relocation assistance and project construction shifting allowance1. In cases where AP can be considered a vulnerable group, consideration should be given to constructing a replacement house of better quality. In rebuilding a house for relocation, ensure relocation land is equivalent or improved in terms of proximity to employment, education etc. Houses, commercial Owner of structure, Cash compensation at full replacement value without structures etc. on regardless of legal deduction for salvaged materials, and relocation assistance road ROW or other status and shifting allowance. public land LOSS OF CROPS, TREES, ETC Application Entitled APs Entitlement Gardens, trees, Owners of crops, trees, Compensation at replacement cost/current market prices as crops, perennials, regardless of legal determined by the Forest Division for timber trees and the productive status Department of Agriculture for crops or productive plants/trees. trees/plants Provision of 30 days’ notice to harvest standing seasonal crops. If harvest is not possible, cash compensation for crops (or share of crops) equivalent to prevailing market price.
Cash compensation for perennial crops and fruit bearing trees based on annual net product market value multiplied by the number of productive years. Cash compensation equivalent to prevailing market price of timber for non-fruit trees LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD
Loss of income Landowners, users Shifting allowance and replacement/compensation for source damaged assets and estimated loss of earnings during resettlement period. Assistance to source alternative site to replace previous income generation activity, or assistance in replacement of livelihood source. LOSS DUE TO TEMPORARY OCCUPATION BY THE PROJECT Application Entitled APs Entitlement
Alienated and Landowners, users Rent as negotiated with landowners. All temporary use of land customary land will be through written agreement with the landowner/lease- holder and land will be returned to the landowners after rehabilitation to original or better condition.
1 The shifting/relocation allowance will be agreed between the Solomon Water and the household/AP on a case-by case basis. The shifting allowance will be adequate to cover (i) dismantling of the structure; (ii) transport of structure/housing materials salvaged and all household effects/commercial goods; and (iii) costs of alternative accommodation, if required, while the structure is being re-built.
Compensation at full replacement cost for damages within land used for project. The project will ensure that APs have uninterrupted access to their land and livelihood sources. In case of any unavoidable loss of access, APs will be provided compensation for their losses at replacement cost. VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS
Loss of assets Identified through Additional cash assistance depending on extent of disruption consultation with to vulnerable APs. Provision of transport cost, and daily community leaders allowance equivalent to the APs daily income from the loss of (households headed by asset (temporary or permanent) e.g. housing, small canteens, women, elderly, betel nut until they have managed to re-established their disabled, poor) livelihood with the maximum of 7 days support as agreed with the APs during consultations. UNFORESEEN OR UNINTENDED IMPACTS Identified at final Determined in Unanticipated involuntary impacts will be documented and design phase or accordance with RF mitigated based on the principles provided in ADB’s during principles. involuntary resettlement policy and the Project’s Resettlement implementation Framework.
Budget The total budget for the resettlement plan is $795,315 USD, which provides indicative amounts for land acquisition, relocations, minor reconstructions of infrastructure moved for the works, implementation costs, and a 10% contingency amount. The following table provides an overview of indicative costs.
S.N. Items Cost (SBD) Cost (USD) A Estimated Compensation
Compensation for land (1.6 1 8,000,000 1,015,744 ha x SBD 500/sq m)*
Provision for damages to 2 5,000 650 crops/trees Provision of water access Cost to be 3 to APs e.g. pipe estimated during connection detailed design Payment for potential Cost to be damages to utilities (road, estimated during 4 power and detailed design communications etc) Sub-total (A) 8,005,000 1,016,394 B Implementation 1 Land Survey (DMS) 375,000 47,650 2 Consultations 10,000 1,270 Sub-total (B) 385,000 48,920 A + B Total 8,390,000 1,065,314 Contingency (10%) 839,000 106,531 TOTAL (SBD & USD) 9,229,000 1,171,845 * Based on the highest leased amount by Solomon Water land lease on Honiara central area as of February 2019. Source: Feasibility Study Consultants
Grievance Redress Mechanism A Grievance Redress Mechanism will be established during the detailed design phase. This outlines a clear process for getting complaints addressed and resolved, or making inquiries about the implementation of the project. This will also be provided to APs so that they have a clear understanding of how to resolve issues as they arise. The following outlines the steps in the GRM: Step Process Duration 1 Affected Person (AP) takes the grievance to the PMU Any time site supervisor. Site supervisor discusses with contractor, CAC and Within 2 days complainant and resolves the issues. Written site instruction issued to contractor if necessary. GRM register updated and copies provided to CAC and SW.
If unresolved 2 Grievance is submitted to PMU, who 2 weeks in consultation with the village chief, CAC, the contractor and any relevant agencies, agree to a solution and record the results. Grievance submission may be in writing or verbally, with the PMU recording the complaint details. 3 PMU reports back to community and AP and gets 1 week acknowledgement the complaint has been satisfactorily resolved. 4 If the issue remains unresolved, an initial mediation 2 weeks meeting is held with the complainant, contractor, SW, relevant representatives of the community, the PMU, and any external parties that have expertise in relation to the issue. Any resolutions agreed to will be documented and signed by relevant parties. 5 If mediation is unsuccessful, AP or their representative Decision within 2 weeks takes the grievance to Ministry of Lands and other relevant government authorities for resolution, informing the PMU of this action. 6 If not resolved the PMU must take the matter to the 2 weeks relevant national agency for decision. 7 The relevant agency can deliberate for ≤ four weeks and 4 weeks resolve the case If unresolved or if at any stage the AP is not satisfied with the progress AP or community leader representative can take the matter to appropriate state or national court. The PMU will record the complaint: date, complainant, grievance, attempts at resolution, and outcome.
Implementation Timetable
The Project is currently at the start of the Detailed Design phase, which is expected to conclude in Q4 2019. At this stage, there will be an updated RP based on actual design. It is anticipated that all lease arrangements and compensation negotiations are concluded by Q1 2020, as payment is a pre-requisite to the start of any construction works. SW aim to commence the implementation of the UWSSSP by Q1 2020.
EGIS Resettlement Plans | DRAFT
1. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this Resettlement Plan (RP) is to investigate and document the status of land ownership in the proposed project sites. The proposed activities are analyzed, with potential involuntary resettlement impacts identified, along with appropriate mitigation measures. The ADB Social Policy Statement 2009 (SPS 2009), the World Bank Safeguards Policies and the laws of the Solomon Islands Government provide the framework for the RP. The consultation processes undertaken are described in this RP, along with any concerns arising from key stakeholders, recommendations to address these concerns, and implementation measures. This RP is one of the due diligence reports (DDRs) required by the ADB, and describes the following key aspects: • Brief project background; • Component activities; • Current status of land ownership or use; and • Identification of land requirement for subproject components and potential issues.
1.1. Project Background and Objectives Solomon Water (SW) has prepared a 30 Year Strategic Plan and 5-year Action Plan, with planned improvements in the delivery of safe and reliable water and sewerage services in the urban areas of its operations. From these plans, SW have identified a number of high priority projects for development. The initial project preparation work is undertaken through a technical assistance (TA) project provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), with the project to be known as the Solomon Islands Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project (UWSSSP). This report has been prepared as one of the outputs of this technical assistance. The Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project (UWSSSP) aims to improve access to water supply and wastewater services in the urban and peri-urban areas of Honiara, Tulagi, Auki and Gizo in the Western Province. The Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) will be the executing agency (EA) and Solomon Water will be the Implementing Agency (IA) for the proposed project. The project will assist Solomon Water (SW) to implement high priority components identified in their 30-Year Strategic Plan, and a 5-Year Action Plan. The project outputs are proposed as follows: (i) Output 1 - secure and safe urban water supplies, (ii) Output 2 - effective, efficient and safe urban sanitation services, (iii) Output 3 – enhanced awareness of hygiene and water issues and sustained improved hygiene behavior, and (iv) Output 4 - SW is financially and technically sustainable. SW is a state-owned enterprise created under the Solomon Islands Water Act of 1992 and mandated to provide the proper management and development of urban water resources and sewerage services in the Solomon Islands. The Technical Assistance includes investigating technical feasibility, analysis of economic and financial viability, ensuring social inclusiveness and overall sustainability. Due diligence on technical, economic, financial, institutional, governance, social impact, and safeguards for the ensuing loan will also be completed under the TA.
1.2. Methodology During the project feasibility study, resettlement planning sought information from site visits, meetings with government, private sector, and community representatives and a desktop review of existing project documents. There were four main objectives during the consultations: (i) presentation of proposed infrastructure developments, (ii) confirmation of support for the project, (iii) identification of potential project issues or existing concerns; and (iv) collection of recommendations from individual meetings and community consultations on how to address existing or potential issues related to the proposed subprojects. In order to categorize the extent of land acquisition and resettlement (LAR) impact and to produce a socioeconomic baseline of the households likely to be affected by project interventions, a
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combined census and socioeconomic survey was undertaken in July and August 2018, with follow-up detailed interviews and meetings conducted in February 2019. The Affected Persons (APs) were identified on the basis of the concept designs. Given that the detailed design work, commencing in February 2019, will further refine and update component designs, there will be a requirement to update this RP in order to address any significant changes in subproject scope or design. This iterative process ensures the RP is integral to decision making and risk management.
2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
2.1. Overview The project is expected to deliver the following four (4) outputs: • Output 1 – secure and safe urban water supplies; • Output 2 – effective, efficient and safe urban sanitation services; • Output 3 – enhanced awareness of hygiene and water issues and sustained improved hygiene behavior; and, • Output 4 – SW is financially and technically sustainable. The expected outcomes from these outputs is, “improved efficiency, accessibility and sustainability in water and sanitation services”. The scope of work under UWSSSP comprises six sub-projects in Honiara. There are further subprojects proposed for the rehabilitation and expansion of the water supply scheme in Gizo, Western Province and water supply improvements in Auki and Tulagi. These subprojects have not been included in the RP given the need for feasibility work and consultation to be completed, now planned for the detailed design phase. The proposed sub-projects for Honiara are shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Subproject Sites and Locations
UWSSSP Subprojects Sub Project Name Location
1 Water treatment plant at Kongulai2 West Honiara
Mataniko and White River Trunk Mains - Augmenting trunk mains from Mataniko 2 Central and West Honiara and White River bore fields to the existing water supply network.
3 Service Reservoir Capacity Augmentation at Lower Panatina3 and Titingge Ridge East and West Honiara
Sewer Outfall Rehabilitation - Rehabilitation of sewer outfalls and consolidating to 4 Central and East Honiara improved outfalls at Point Cruz, Mataniko4, Naha and KGVI Sewage Pumping Stations Refurbishment - Construction of new wastewater pump Central, West and East 5 stations at several locations and refurbishment of King George VI and Point Cruz Honiara wastewater pump stations. 6 Construction of a septage treatment facility to service the Greater Honiara Area. East Honiara
2 This is a new sub-project to address water turbidity at Kongulai. In the original RP, sub-project 1 was the Lungga River Water Supply Scheme, which has been deleted from the project scope of works by SW due to significant funding requirement. 3 Lower West Kola’a reservoir has been deleted due to technical reasons, with the replacement site of Panatina selected by SW 4 This outfall has been added due to technical reasons. During detailed design it will be determined if the Point Cruz outfall is retained, or sewage transferred to the Mataniko pumping outfall located at the former water treatment plant at the National Referral Hospital.
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The location of proposed works in Honiara is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Location of Proposed Project Sites in Honiara
2.2. Deleted Works from Project Scope In the Draft RP submitted in December 2018, the analysis was based on the proposed works within the Feasibility Study Reports. In discussion with the Solomon Water team in Honiara in February 2019, there have been some changes in the project design. There have been some investments removed and others included in order to enhance the technical and financial feasibility of the project. This section provides the rationale for these decisions. In keeping the RP up to date with technical decision making, the document reflects the ongoing design and safeguards process. The detailed design team and SW will continue to review and update the RP as changes in design occur. The investment in the Lungga River Water Supply Scheme has been removed from the project scope, with the focus to improve infrastructure that addresses water losses before increasing the water quantity supplied. It is expected that the reduction of NRW will provide an additional supply of 6 MLD, which represents the needs of approximately 40,000 residents. The Lungga River Scheme is an investment that Solomon Water will pursue, as increasing water supply to meet demand growth is critical in the medium term. However, due to financial constraints, it was decided to remove this sub-project from the UWSSSP. The proposed sewage pumping station for Rove has also been removed from the UWSSSP due to financial constraints and ongoing revision of the overall wastewater strategy, which initially aimed to redirect all wastewater to the Eastern part of the City, where it could be treated by a centralized WWTP. The seven other new pumping stations remain, along with the refurbishment of the pumping stations at Point Cruz and King George VI. The West Kola’a Reservoir has also been removed from the scope of works. As described in Section 3.3 of the Service Reservoir Capacity Augmentation Feasibility Report, the choice of the West Kola’a Reservoir site was pending further investigation into the water source yield from Mataniko. The study cautioned that if the safe yield of the Mataniko water source (existing borefield or new spring) is inadequate to cater for the design needs, then the alternative of construction of additional storage at
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Panatina is to be considered. As the Mataniko water source will be inadequate to supply additional water, the alternative proposal to construct 6 ML of water storage at Panatina is now the proposed option. Land has been identified for siting within the land area of the existing SW Panatina water tanks.
2.3. Additional Works in Project Scope As discussed in paragraph 27, the addition of the Panatina reservoir to the scope is in order to replace the West Kola’a Reservoir. A further sewerage outfall will be constructed at Mataniko. The main reason for this outfall is to collect the wastewater from a large area including Tuvaruhu, Vara Creek, Chinatown, Mataniko and Mbokonavera, and discharge into the ocean. The two existing outfalls in the Mataniko River, respectively Vara Creek and Tuvaruhu, will be closed. In addition, there is a need for this outfall as this catchment area won’t be connected to Naha outfall, as originally planned. During the detailed design phase, the options for Point Cruz wastewater disposal will be further investigated. For this RP it is assumed that the current proposal for a sewage ocean outfall will be retained at Point Cruz. Alternatively, the sewage would be pumped to the outfall proposed for Mataniko. The final decision will be made on the basis of technical feasibility, capital and operational costs, and resettlement implications. A further additional sub-project which has been added in recently, is the proposed construction of a water treatment plant for the existing Kongulai water source. Improving the water quality from Kongulai has been highlighted as a priority for SW, as the existing situation places significant strain on the water supply of Honiara with the Kongulai spring providing 30% of the Honiara water supply. Whilst the water source at Kongulai is sufficient, run-off during periods of heavy rain causes high turbidity. At these times, the Kongulai source is shut off to prevent infrastructure damage and poor-quality water in the system. Whilst this may only occur for a total of one month in a year, the consequent water shortages in the system create supply interruptions for much of Honiara. To address this situation, a water treatment plant is proposed for Kongulai. It was initially proposed on the site of the existing SW lease area in Kongulai, but at 400m2 it is unlikely to be large enough for the plant which is estimated to require 1,000 m2 of land. Having the capacity to treat turbidity from the Kongulai source is important in ensuring continual supply.
2.4. Mataniko and White River Trunk Mains Subproject The proposed Mataniko and White River Trunk Mains Subproject seeks to improve the water service in Mataniko, Kongulai, and White River areas. The ageing water supply network requires continuous maintenance and improvement works, yet the percentage of non-revenue water remains high. The water system has a large proportion of small diameter distribution pipelines and inadequately sized trunk mains, resulting in poor supply pressure. To address these issues, the proposed Mataniko and White River Trunk Mains Subproject will construct: (i) 3 trunk mains in the Mataniko area, (ii) one trunk main in Kongulai area, (iii) 2 distribution mains in White River area. The White River wells might be recommissioned after cleaning and conducting yield tests, not requiring the development of infrastructure on new sites. However, the refurbishment of White River Bore wells is quite unlikely. Figure 2 provides site maps showing the proposed infrastructure and existing land development.
Table 2: Description of Each New Water Distribution Main
Trunk Main Size (DN) mm Length (m) 1 Mataniko M1 400 1,550 2 Mataniko M2.1 560 670 3 Mataniko M2.2 400 3,230 4 Kongulai W0 400 2,760
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5 White River W2.1 500 1,900 6 White River W2.2 400 1,500
Figure 2: Location Maps of New Trunk and Distribution Mains
1. Mataniko Scheme (M1)
2 & 3 Mataniko Scheme- Trunks M2.1 & M2.2 - From LWK Reservoir to Mataniko Junction & Mataniko Junction to Panatina
4. Kongulai Tank to White River Storage Tanks
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5 & 6 White River Borefield Trunks- W2.1 and W2.2. From White River Reservoir to Kongulai Junction & from Kongulai Junction to Rove
2.5. Augmenting Reservoir Capacity Subproject The proposed Service Reservoir Capacity Augmentation Subproject will increase the water storage capacity of Honiara’s water supply system through the construction of additional water tanks at Panatina and Titingge Ridge areas At Titingge Ridge, there is an existing reinforced concrete rectangular reservoir, which was constructed under a previous JICA program. The existing site is insufficient to construct additional storage of 6 ML. There are two sites in the vicinity that have been identified as potential sites for future reservoirs (see Figure 3Error! Reference source not found.)
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Following a multi-criteria analysis undertaken during the Feasibility Study, Site A was nominated as the preferred site (see Service reservoir Capacity Augmentation Feasibility Report Chapter 7). The main difference between the sites is projected hydraulic performance,
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Figure 3: Titingge Scheme – Existing and Proposed Site Options for Reservoir
2.6. Sewer Outfall Rehabilitation There are currently 17 sea and river sewer outfalls, which SW plan to reduce to four. The proposed upgrade and construction of four outfalls at Point Cruz, Naha, Mataniko and KGVI will provide functional wastewater outfalls, allowing a number of existing outfalls to be superseded. The Point Cruz Outfall will have the capacity for additional flows from the west. The Naha Outfall will accept the combined wastewater flows from thirteen existing outfalls east of the Mataniko River. A new outfall is planned for the proposed KGVI gravity mains, which will receive wastewater flows from the existing Ranadi-1 Outfall including flows from the Panatina area. A further outfall at Mataniko will capture the outflows from the Mataniko River area. An overview of existing and proposed upgraded outfalls is presented in Figure 4. The proposed outfalls will have discharge points without diffusers at: (i) -25m chart datum (CD) for Point Cruz, (ii) -43m CD for Naha, (iii) -38m CD KGVI. Discharge point at (iv) Mataniko is unknown at this stage as it has been added to the scope of the Detailed Design stage. However, as for the other outfalls, it will be implemented to achieve the minimum dispersion requirements as per the Australian and New Zealand standards for ocean outfall discharge.
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Figure 4: Honiara Current Outfalls
The four outfalls will provide improved performance through the construction of longer outfall pipes to aid with wastewater dispersal. In order to reduce the environmental and health impacts of effluent disposal, the wastewater will be pre-treated prior to any discharge into the Ocean (screening stage and potential macerator). The longer term view is for SW to increase sewerage coverage from 10 to 30% of residential properties by 2047, and direct all sewage to a proposed centralized wastewater treatment plant and single ocean outfall to be constructed to the east of Vura. SW’s strategy is to progressively develop the necessary infrastructure, refurbishing and constructing additional pumping stations, and directing wastewater flows to the three improved outfalls as a way to improve system performance prior to the construction of the proposed plant. Another alternative being explored during detailed design is also to close the Point Cruz Outfall and to redirect the sewage directly to the Mataniko outfall. The measures in this subproject will improve the function of the existing network, improving performance through rehabilitation of pipelines, and consolidation to four improved outfall points. Figure 5Error! Reference source not found. displays the proposed location of the outfall pipes.
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Figure 5: Proposed Rehabilitated Outfalls
2.7. Sewage Pumping Stations Refurbishment Subproject The proposed Sewage Pumping Stations Refurbishment Subproject will refurbish two (2) existing sewerage pumping stations, and construct new pumping stations and the associated sewage transmission pipelines between pumping stations. The rehabilitation of existing pumping stations is proposed for Point Cruz and King George VI, with seven additional pumping stations proposed for construction at Tuvaruhu, Vara Creek, Mataniko, Naha, Panatina, Soap and Ranadi. As shown in Figure 6. Figure 6: Proposed Pumping Station Sites
Locations of the new pumping stations were identified based on the most technically acceptable option considering operation and maintenance requirements The structures (wet well, rising main, and emergency storage) are designed based on the time horizon of 2037, while the pump specifications are given according to a 2026 design horizon (Table 3.9).
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The proposed sewerage pumping stations will incorporate an inlet manhole, a screening stage, wet well, valve chamber, emergency storage, and submersible pumps. The works will include associated sewage transmission pipelines between pumping stations.
2.8. Septage Treatment Facility Subproject Currently in Honiara, sewer service is provided to approximately 10% of the population, with water discharged directly into ocean outfalls. Three communal septic tanks are operational in Rove, Tuvaruhu and Vara Creek, with overflow discharging directly into a river for two of them, and the facility at Rove discharging into the ocean. The rest of the population have pit latrines, individual septic tanks or practice open defecation. Septic tanks are pumped out on a fee for service basis, with Honiara City Council and four private operators disposing of the waste informally or in an area of the Ranadi Landfill. The informal discharge area at the landfill tends to overflow into the adjacent creek. The existing landfill is operated by Honiara City Council (HCC), and is in urgent need of upgrading. The practice of dumping septage waste onto the landfill site increases the environmental impacts of the site. The original intention was to construct the improved facility at the Ranadi Landfill Site. However, the total footprint of the proposed STP, including the treatment process (reed beds or lagoons), circulation area, receiving facility and associated infrastructure, requires 1,1 ha of land (as a maximum, depending on the process selected). This is not available at the landfill site. Explorations of suitable sites during the Feasibility Study identified the area in Figure 7 as a potential site. However, after discussions between the CEOs of SW and Pacific Oil, who are the current site owners, it is clear that this land is not available for a STP. Identification of a suitable alternative site is an ongoing exploration with SW, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey, and now the detailed design team.
Figure 7: Septage Treatment Facility Potential Location
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3. SCOPE OF LAND ACQUISITION AND IMPACTS
3.1. Measures Undertaken to Avoid and Minimize Involuntary Resettlement The strategy for the Project is to avoid and minimize involuntary settlement impact to the extent that is possible. The implementation of physical construction will inevitably involve the permanent and temporary acquisition of some lands and other assets. A key factor in site selection and facility design is the avoidance of land acquisition and physical displacement wherever possible. 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. In undertaking the due diligence work, it is clear that none of the proposed subprojects have an impact in the vicinity of this benchmark.
3.2. Impacts on People, Land and Structures Land within the boundaries of Honiara and the project areas to the south is titled under the Land and Titles Act, either as perpetual estate (PE) (equivalent to freehold), or under fixed term estates (FTEs) with agreements in place with the Commissioner of Lands (CoL). The majority of the proposed project sites are PE or FTE titles, or located on road reserves or crown land. However, there were potentially affected households who are holding temporary occupation licenses (TOL)5 in the White River area designated for upgrading the existing water mains. Project Infrastructure Requiring Land Based on the final concept design, field visits and survey a total of 15,706 sq m of private lands are required by the project. Also, 4,942 sq m of government lands including road reserves and existing Solomon Water sites are estimated to be required by the project. Annex 1 provides an overview of proposed land requirements, and details of current land use and titles. Based on the table below, the required private lands will affect 4 land owners (1 PE and 3 FTE holders), 1 corporation (FTE holder) and 1 septage treatment site still to be determined during detailed design stage due to its large (10,000 sq m) land requirement. In addition, there are 8 temporary occupancy license (TOL) holders concentrated on the White River area site, proposed for upgrading of water mains, that may be affected due to the implementation of the subproject (see Table 3 below). In addition, there is an estimated 4,942 sq m of Government land required for the project as outlined in Table 4.
5 Temporary Occupation Licenses or TOL has been granted by the Ministry of Lands and common in the White River area. TOL grantees pay annual lease to the government and is waiting granting of FTE titles by the government. The process takes years to be issued.
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Table 3: Total Estimated Required Private Land
Table 4: Total Estimated Required Government Land
As an initial estimate, the land required for all the project sites is a total of 20,648 m2. Annex 1 provides an overview of proposed land requirements, and details of current land use and titles.
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Project Infrastructure Affecting Structures, Crops and Trees Below are the eight identified potential temporary license holders on one site (White River) that may be affected due to upgrading of the water trunk mains under or next to their houses. Solomon Water however plans to avoid as much as possible these houses by installing the pipes on vacant areas such as alongside houses and away from crops and trees.
Table 5: Affected Persons (Non-Land Assets)
Title/TOL No. Affected Persons Impacts Crops and Trees Livelihood Remarks IS34/H26/18 1. Redley (& wife Ana Sale) Temporary impact during Potentially banana plants and Rents out 2 houses; small construction; will require about a mango tree. canteen. 1 meter to dig and cover the trunk mains. However, need to be confirmed during detailed design. Trunk mains pipes TOL Holder 2. Partick (& wife Maggie) As above Graduating university could be laid out Alisa students; runs small avoiding damages to canteen. crops, houses and TOL Holder 3. Junior (and Sala Suta Lebua) As above Husband works for SI Ports other permanent Authority; wife cashier at structures. However, Supreme Casino. this will be confirmed TOL Holder 4. Dominic Kwaiota (vacant; As above Brother of AP no. 3. Works during detailed still under construction) at Pacific Casino Hotel; design. married to one of children's owners. TOL Holder 5. John Kwaiota (uncle of As above Uncle of AP no. 3 (Junior); Junior and Dominic) in-charge works for Ministry of of family land. Fisheries. Parcel no. 191- 6. Lora Teoki (brother of As above Potentially banana plants, Husband works as Sgt for Sister of the land title 002-9 Mamutai Teoki who inherited taro plants the Prison Services holder owner.Land is the land from father) Department; wife keeps a formerly under the small canteen. deceased father but now under his brother- Mamute Kaieti.
Land 7. Isaac and Rosely Geli (land As above Potentially banana plants, Husband is a carpenter; user/relative user, relatives of AP no.6) taro plants wfie operates a small within the canteen under the house land parcel 191-002-9 Same as 8. Barai Kisi (interviewed As above Potentially banana plants, above daughter); land user related to taro plants no. AP no. 6 Total 8 Affected Households with 5 TOLS, 1 PE, and 2 land uers (41 people)
As stated earlier, within the affected areas, 15,706 m2 of land is owned privately and 4,942 m2 is owned by the Solomon Islands Government. It needs to be noted that of this, 10,000 m2 is allocated for the proposed septage treatment site. With no site finalized, this may be government or private land. In order to cover the worst case scenario, the site has been allocated as private land for the RP. The required lands are not subject to any legal disputes or actions. There are no existing court cases in process that present a project risk. In all cases, the affected land area is less than 10% of the total land holding of the respective affected households and organizations. The section below describes the scope for each of the 6 sub-project components for the proposed project: Konulai Water Treatment Plant The land identified for the expected location of the Kongulai Treatment Plant is located on two parcels of land. Originally, the option of siting the development within the existing lease at Kongulai at the water pumping station was explored. However, at 400 m2, the site is unlikely to be large enough for a treatment plant. Depending on the detailed design, it is estimated that 1,000 m2 of land will be required.
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An alternative site has been identified which meets the technical requirements and has no existing use. The site is held in two parcels, one a Perpetual Estate Lease with one owner, and the second parcel a Perpetual Estate Lease held in the name of three owners. Initial interviews were conducted with the owners, and copies of the titles have been sourced. In both cases, the owners were willing to lease part of their land to SW for the construction and operation of the WTP. See Annex 2 for a copy of the land title, and Annex X for minutes of discussions with land owners. A site visit was undertaken to confirm that there are no existing land uses such as residences, agriculture or livelihood activities. The site is currently vacant, but in both cases the land owners are looking to undertake subdivision and building works, and are seeking certainty for the development siting as soon as possible. This highlights the importance of SW securing the lease areas in a timely fashion. However, the respective land owners are now aware of the proposed area and will leave the site vacant. Mataniko and White River Trunk Main Augmentation Augmentation of trunk mains from White River and Mataniko bore fields will to the fullest extent practical be carried out within public road allowances (main highway gazzeted and internal roads under Honiara City Council) and existing utility easements. It has been confirmed through field visits that the new trunk mains can be placed along the same alignment as existing lines. Whilst the route will be largely in the existing easement area, there is one section which requires the use of private property. This is a section of existing trunk mains along Namoruka Road, with the land belonging to Mr John Katalake, and SW leasing a section where the current pipe crosses the property. Upgrading the mains will not impact on the land owner, as the new mains will be laid alongside the existing one within the existing SW lease area. There is no additional land required, and access to maintain and upgrade the essential services form a part of the existing Grant Instrument for this land. The site is currently vacant without any existing use in this area. There is an area in White River where informal settlement has occurred where the current White River water mains is located. A site visit in February 2019 confirmed that houses have been built close to or over the existing buried trunk mains, and will therefore be potentially impacted by the proposed development. The nominal diameter for the new HDPE pipe to be laid in this area is 400mm. Using the industry standard for trench width for 400mm pipe, the total width allowance would be 1.5m. To minimize impact as much as possible, the final alignment of this trunk main will avoid these structures wherever possible. There will be no relocation required, but depending on final siting, there may be a need for structures to be removed and rebuilt, or minor loss of gardens requiring compensation. However, with good siting during detailed design, these impacts can be largely avoided. There are two options for this trunk main. It can either be laid alongside the existing one, or along the nearby river. During the field visit and interviews, all households that may be affected were identified and included in this RP, although final impacts can be minimized through careful siting. There are a total of eight households potentially impacted through the works. It is envisioned that through design that prioritizes avoidance of impacts, there will be no permanent loss of structures. However, the works period (estimated at 2-3 weeks) may be disruptive, and minor structures may need removal. In these instances, appropriate compensation will be negotiated. In any cases where outbuildings need relocating, or housing to be partially removed, SW will be required to negotiate compensation that is based on full replacement cost for affected houses/structures. The negotiation must also consider special assistance for vulnerable affected families. During the detailed design and Inventory of Loss, final compensation will be determined. A budget estimate has been made based on preliminary observations. There will be no relocations, but some minor compensation required for up to eight residential structures. This may require demolishing of minor structures, and rebuilding them in the same place. This will depend on final alignment, but it makes sense to build the new mains to avoid these structures as much as possible, not only to minimize disruption, but also to facilitate clear access for ongoing maintenance. The work needs to be undertaken in such a way that no AP is worse off through the project development. Service Reservoir Capacity Augmentation For the first of the two proposed sites for the reservoir augmentation, there will be no resettlement implications. At the Panatina site, the reservoir will be constructed in an existing area that is leased by Solomon Water.
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For the second proposed reservoir at Titingge Ridge, there were two siting options explored. The selected site is registered to one land-owner. However, at the site, there is one family that has built a residential dwelling and some outbuildings. They moved to the site in 2014 but have no legal right to occupy the site. Their house and outbuildings may need to be moved for the development to take place. The land owner has offered an alternative site within the same parcel of land but this will need to be negotiated with the assistance of SW. If the detailed design confirms that the family will lose their assets, they will be compensated for the loss of their house, pig pen, poultry shed and garden, and assisted to find an alternative residential site. Final asset valuation will be conducted during detailed design. As can be seen in Figure 8, it would be difficult to avoid the loss of the buildings on this site. The total affected persons is one family, comprising a total of two adults with three young children, and six children of school age from the extended family who are staying in the house to attend school. The total area of impact is estimated at 138 m2, with full removal likely for the semi-permanent house. There are two other houses in the vicinity of the proposed reservoir site that will not require relocation, but will be neighboring. Both belong to the land owner or one of his family members, and he does not foresee any issues.
Figure 8: Proposed site layout of reservoir site at Titingge Ridge.
The title for the site at Titingge Ridge is copied in Annex 2. There has been a previous caveat on the title, but these issues have been resolved and the caveat removed. The caveat was in place because the land was traditionally owned by the Valimauvo sub-tribe. However, it became registered under 2 people of the Gaubata tribe. The 2 individuals carried out a traditional ceremony to return the land to the original (Valimauvo sub-tribe) but this hand-over did not happen. Meanwhile developments on the land continued without the knowledge of the original sub-tribe owners, thus the caveat or prohibition was imposed on the 4 August 2009 by the sub-tribe representative (Paula Aruhuri). Following negotiation and consultation on developments on their traditional land, agreement has now been reached. The caveat has been removed. If there is an impasse on resolving this resettlement, the alternative site can be developed, albeit with greater technical challenges. The siting on the alternative site is at a lower elevation, meaning there would be a significant headloss within the system and therefore less delivery pressure. The land for the second option is registered to a company, Urosill. There are no structures on the land, and no encroachment from informal settlement. Whilst the decision is to proceed with negotiations for the first option, the second option remains as an alternative option in the minimal chance that the resettlement issues are too complex to resolve in a timely manner.
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Sewer Outfall Rehabilitation Rehabilitation or upgrading of existing outfalls will facilitate the closure of a number of existing outfalls in line with the Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) longer term vision of ceasing wastewater outfalls into this area. The three existing outfalls proposed for rehabilitation under the project lie on the seabed and within the foreshore; that is the land between the high and low water marks. Land within the city of Honiara is alienated, with the title held by the Commissioner of Lands on behalf of the government, but the boundary of the city extends only to the high water mark. The foreshore area and seabed could therefore be customary land. In August 2017 two traditional land owner groups were registered as PE owners of the entire foreshore area and adjacent seabed in Honiara. A meeting with the Commissioner of Lands in February 2019 confirmed that this is the situation, and that currently there is no legal challenge to this ownership. The proposed fiber-optic cable project is in negotiation with the title owners in regard to this issue, and the outcomes of this will be an important precedent for the UWSSP. SW are keeping a watching brief over this issue, and the PMU will advise the government and the ADB if there are any developments that could potentially impact the project. Land currently used by SW for its wastewater services should not pose any problems as the services are sited on government land leased to SW. However, development through the years and the lack of information on the location of facilities (especially buried pipes) by developers means that some assets may be hidden under densely developed areas, even if easements have been identified/defined previously. It is necessary that the exact alignment or location of the existing infrastructure is known, which will entail an update of information both onsite and in the SW repositories. This detailed design work will incorporate not only investigation of existing easements and infrastructure, but also the inventory of losses. Initial site inspections show that project land requirements in any individual privately owned land area will be less than the 10% of land. As can be seen in Error! Reference source not found. for the proposed outfall at Point Cruz, much of the proposed inland route for the outfall pipe follows existing roads, or can be designed to align with roads as much as practical. These are internal roads within the Ports Authority area, all of which is Government land. In discussion with SIPA, they support the development as there is an urgent need to upgrade the current system which has regular blockages and creates pollution within their container and wharf facility area. SIPA have been involved in a regional Green Ports initiative, and have identified current sewage disposal practices as a key area that needs improvement. The newer internal roads are thick concrete, and SIPA have requested that excavation of these areas be avoided where possible. It is viewed that there is enough space within the area and beside the roads to align the pipe to where it creates the least disturbance. During the detailed design, this alignment will be finalized in consultation with SIPA. A site visit to Point Cruz in February 2019 confirmed that resettlement issues are unlikely, as the pipework can be installed along the existing road. There were no areas sighted that housed permanent structures over the proposed pipeline route, with most of the area used for container storage. There will be some disruption to container storage areas and roads. All of these sites will need to be returned to their original state at a minimum, and disruptions to commercial activities minimized. These restoration activities after the completion of works will be included in the bidding packages, with construction supervision important to outcomes. The design and works scheduling will require ongoing consultation to ensure there are no major disruptions to businesses or Ports Authority activities. The land area of this proposed pipeline is under the jurisdiction of the SIPA. The pipeline is estimated at 1067 meters in length. They have leased some of the area to private entities. The site is characterized by shipping businesses, with many sites allocated for warehousing. For the Point Cruz outfall, close collaboration with SIPA will be required. To achieve the proposed construction, there will need to be some demolition and reconstruction of minor physical infrastructure. This includes sea protection works and security fencing at the outfall site, infrastructure which is owned by SIPA. The land is registered to SIPA (Lots 94 and 111). Despite the area being highly built up, it is predicted that impacts will be mostly avoided, as trenches will be small and located along the road corridor, with limited likelihood of loss of structures or assets. This can be seen in the route proposed in Figure 9Error! Reference source not found., which is along existing SIPA road infrastructure to minimize impact.
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Following the site visit, it was found that there are unlikely to be any affected persons or businesses from the construction or operations of the sewage outfall. The detailed design work will include locating existing infrastructure and confirm the alignment with the internal roads. In detailed design, if resettlement impacts arise due to the need to change the alignment, the team will determine the most effective means to upgrade the infrastructure with the least impact on subsequent development in the area.
Figure 9: Point Cruz Proposed Outfall Route
Outfall route
The proposed Naha outfall is less challenging, as the site is free from any development. Aside from the marine outfall infrastructure, the only requirement is for a 20 m length of pipe to be installed from the last manhole to the outfall (see Figure 10). The land is registered (FTE) to a company, KCM Properties Ltd (title 191-037-38), and requires a lease agreement to be negotiated with the land owner. There will be no impact besides the minor loss of land for the proposed short pipeline to the outfall.
Figure 10: Piping Route for Naha Outfall
As shown in Figure 11, the Ranadi outfall will be constructed on the site of the existing outfall which discharges on the foreshore of the Goodwood timber yard near the soap factory at Ranadi. The
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existing waste water pipeline is in the middle of the title, and was pre-existing infrastructure before the timber yard was established. Following discussions with SW in October 2018, it was agreed that the most practical approach was to move the current alignment to the eastern boundary of the property, approximately 5-5-6 meters from the boundary. This will avoid any disruption to built assets, and will allow greater ease of access for SW. . For this purpose, the leasing of a 5m wide corridor is being negotiated by SW.
Figure 11: Piping Route for Ranadi Outfall
The additional proposed outfall at Mataniko was determined as necessary by SW after the Feasibility Study was completed. An outfall at this site will be constructed within the Government owned land of the National Referral Hospital. It is an upgrade of an existing outfall, and as such no additional land requirements are envisaged for this component of the work at the NRH site.
Sewage Pumping Stations - Construction and Refurbishment The 9 sewage pumping stations (PS) include the refurbishment of 2 existing stations at Point Cruz and KGVI, and the construction of an additional 7 PS, which will all be located on Government land, with the exception of the one sited on private land at Naha (KCM Properties Ltd). The King George VI pumping station will be refurbishment of the existing site which is located at the Government property of King George VI school. For the Point Cruz pumping station refurbishment, this is on an existing site owned by the Government and leased to SW. At the KGVI PS, the facility is located in a fenced off area within the grounds of a school. Whilst the upgraded PS will fall within the existing footprint of the fenced area, there is an additional requirement for a small access road (approximately 3 m wide) and car park (6 m2) to be constructed. SW will negotiate this change to the existing lease agreement with the Government. The existing Point Cruz PS is located at the base of Mbokona Bay, where the City international harbor wharfs are located, and across the road from the existing Yacht Club. This is Government land (Solomon Islands Ports Authority), with the existing PS site leased to SW. The refurbishment presents no issues as the works can be contained to the existing site footprint.
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The 7 additional pumping stations to be constructed require a total of 1,616 m2 of land. The land ownership of the 7 new sites is as follows:
Table 6: Land Ownership Summary for New Pumping Stations
Pumping Station Site Land Ownership Tuvaruhu - Existing communal septic tank SW lease Vara Creek - Existing communal septic tank SW lease Mataniko - NRH former RBC treatment system Government land – National Referral Hospital Naha Private Land Panatina SW lease Soap Road reserve Sol Brew Road reserve
The pumping station sites at Tuvaruhu and Vara Creek will be constructed on the existing communal septic tanks sites which are both sited on Government land. SW is in the process of registering this land. For Tuvaruhu, there is an FTE from May 2018 to May 2093, which is in the final process awaiting the registration. At Vara Creek, an approval letter for the land has been issued to SW by the Ministry of Lands in March 2018, but the process is ongoing with the survey, issuing of parcel number, grant instrument and title still to be processed. There are no resettlement issues except for one of site access at Tuvaruhu. Currently the access to the Communal Septic Tank is via a private property access road. This current practice needs to be formalized as a right of way arrangement with the land owner, which will be resolved during the detailed design phase in order to secure long term site access. However if this is not possible, a new access can be constructed within the SW lease area. For the pumping station at Mataniko, this will be constructed on Government Land at the National Referral Hospital. The National Referral Hospital of Honiara hospital currently faces significant challenges with wastewater treatment, and is supportive of upgraded infrastructure. SW will negotiate with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to take over the disused Rotating Biological Contractor Plant site as a location for the proposed PS. The Ministry also own the proposed Mataniko outfall site, and SW will need to negotiate the lease of this unused area as a priority issue given land shortages in Honiara. The site for the pumping station at Naha is on the same land as the outfall to be rehabilitated and upgraded. The site is privately owned by KCM Properties Ltd (parcel 191-031), and SW will be negotiating a lease for this portion of the land. The site for the Panatina pumping station is on vacant land owned by the Government. The pumping station being named as Soap pumping station is in the vicinity of the soap factory. However, it is sited within the road reserve. The Pumping station named as Sol Brew is again named due to its proximity to the Solbrew site. However, the siting will be within the road reserve. There are some informal settlement structures in the vicinity, mostly small huts occupied by betel nut sellers. However, there is enough area in the vicinity to be able to allocate a site that will not affect these people. A priority of the detailed design work will be siting the pumping station without resettlement impacts. This is viewed as achievable. The total land area required for the 9 PS sites is estimated at 2,027 m2, including additional space for emergency storage. All identified PS sites have enough land to meet the site requirements within the existing sites leased by SW, government land, or identified road corridor areas. The exception
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to this is the Naha pumping station which will be on private land, requiring a lease agreement to be negotiated. Septage Treatment Facility The proposed site identified to construct the HCC operated septage treatment facility is owned by a private company, and currently utilized as an informal sports ground, particularly for practicing soccer. However, the land was recently sub-divided into eight lots, with the area in question sold to South Pacific Oil. It is unknown what development plans the oil company has. The area required for the treatment facility is approximately 1,000 m2, and the area known as AE Oval is 16,739 m2. Following discussion between the CEO of SW and the CEO of Pacific Oil, it became clear that the site has been reserved for substantial development and investment by Pacific Oil, and they are not willing to change these plans. The site was also not ideal given that it is prone to flooding, The limited land availability at the landfill also makes the co-location option very challenging. As found in the Initial Environmental Examination Report, the landfill does not have the required space at present. In the discussions with HCC, there is also pressure to locate a new landfill site with improved environmental performance. However, to date this alternative site has not been found. If the landfill was closed and relocated, the site could be used for septage treatment. However, this is not likely to occur within the project timeframe. The current situation as of February 2019 is that there is no suitable site that has been identified for this sub-project. SW will continue to pursue options with the Ministry of Lands. The Detailed Design team will support this process, and continue to highlight the importance of this infrastructure in terms of pollution control within Honiara and the outlying areas. Once the site has been identified for the septage treatment facility, the Resettlement Plan will be updated according to the processes in the approved Resettlement Framework.
3.3. Impacts on Gardens and Livelihood During the field research, an indicative survey was undertaken to estimate potential project impacts on established gardens through the proposed works. Table 7 provides an overview of these projected losses which will require compensation. These affected trees and plants were counted within the White River area, where the loss will potentially occur through the construction of the White River water mains. Prior to construction works in each sub-project, the inventory of loss will be undertaken in more detail, as per the processes outlined in Section 9.3.
Table 7: Impact on Trees and Other Plants
Types of Affected Trees & Other Plants No. Affected Cabbage 25 Cassava 200 Guava 5 Alite 3 Banana 69 Tave 3 Coconut 8 Inkori 1 Bush Lime 1 Total 315
Kongulai Water Treatment Plant The proposed site for the WTP is on grassland which is currently not utilized. There are no crops or trees in the vicinity of the development. Mataniko and White River Trunk Main Augmentation
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In one area in White River, the existing easement for service utilities has been encroached on by informal settlers. However, the detailed design is able to avoid gardens in most instances, with a summary of potential impacts shown in Table 7. There are no other known instances of loss with the infrastructure able to be constructed within the road reserve. However, there is always the possibility of the detailed design phase discovering more impacts when the actual pipeline is marked on site. In this instance, full compensation for loss will occur as per the methodology outlined in the Resettlement Framework. Service Reservoir Capacity Augmentation At the proposed Panatina SW lease site, there are no fruit trees or gardens in the proposed area. For the preferred site at Titingge Ridge, the informal settlement household has developed minor associated gardens. Whilst they are not significant in scale, compensation will be required. No detailed count of crops and gardens was undertaken, as the final siting within the area is unknown. Sewer Outfall Rehabilitation There are no gardens in the proposed outfall areas, and no losses predicted to livelihoods. There are five raintrees on the private land at Naha, which should be avoided in the detailed design siting process. However, if there is a loss of one or more of these trees, compensation will be paid according to the market value determined by the Ministry of Forestry and Research. Sewage Pumping Stations Refurbishment There are no gardens in the proposed Pumping Station sites, and no losses predicted to livelihoods. Septage Treatment Facility At this stage with no suitable site identified, this detailed resettlement planning was not possible.
4. SOCIO-ECONOMIC INFORMATION
4.1. Characteristics of the Affected Households
Table 8: Affected People (Land Assets)
Table 9: Affected People (Non-Land Assets)
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Table 5. Potentially Affected APs and Affected Crops and Trees Title/TOL No. Affected Persons Impacts Crops and Trees Livelihood Remarks IS34/H26/18 1. Redley (& wife Ana Sale) Temporary impact during Potentially banana plants and Rents out 2 houses; small construction; will require about a mango tree. canteen. 1 meter to dig and cover the trunk mains. However, need to be confirmed during detailed design. Trunk mains pipes TOL Holder 2. Partick (& wife Maggie) As above Graduating university could be laid out Alisa students; runs small avoiding damages to canteen. crops, houses and TOL Holder 3. Junior (and Sala Suta Lebua) As above Husband works for SI Ports other permanent Authority; wife cashier at structures. However, Supreme Casino. this will be confirmed TOL Holder 4. Dominic Kwaiota (vacant; As above Brother of AP no. 3. Works during detailed still under construction) at Pacific Casino Hotel; design. married to one of children's owners. TOL Holder 5. John Kwaiota (uncle of As above Uncle of AP no. 3 (Junior); Junior and Dominic) in-charge works for Ministry of of family land. Fisheries. Parcel no. 191- 6. Lora Teoki (brother of As above Potentially banana plants, Husband works as Sgt for Sister of the land title 002-9 Mamutai Teoki who inherited taro plants the Prison Services holder owner.Land is the land from father) Department; wife keeps a formerly under the small canteen. deceased father but now under his brother- Mamute Kaieti.
Land 7. Isaac and Rosely Geli (land As above Potentially banana plants, Husband is a carpenter; user/relative user, relatives of AP no.6) taro plants wfie operates a small within the canteen under the house land parcel 191-002-9 Same as 8. Barai Kisi (interviewed As above Potentially banana plants, above daughter); land user related to taro plants no. AP no. 6 Total 8 Affected Households with 5 TOLS, 1 PE, and 2 land uers (41 people)
As per Table 8 above, there are 5 affected households (34 people), 2 corporations, and 1 private land owner (that will be determined during detailed design), who may permanently lose a portion of their lands due to the project. Also, an estimated 9 households (50 people) may lose crops and trees and may temporarily have limited access to a portion of their land during the rehabilitation of the water trunk mains and other infrastructure. From the socioeconomic survey, there are no female-headed households among affected persons. The majority of the 14 AP household heads are aged between 25 to 77 years old. Also, the source of income for most of the head of households include farming and ownership of a house rental business (3), construction business (1), government employees (2), or work in the private sector (5) as engineer, carpenter, hotel worker, health and safety officer. Others operate a small canteen business. Those who work for government include a driver for the Ministry of Fisheries and a sergeant at the Prison Services as their professions. The 14 affected households have a total of 84 family members. The majority of all APs (10 out of 14) have secondary education, 2 with university level education, and who have attained primary school education. None were recorded as illiterate. The majority of APs interviewed stated their income as over SBD$48,000 per year6. This income comes from two principal sources: earned income, e.g. income from agriculture, business or profession. All interviewed APs reported to have access to piped water from SW while the majority reported using solar power (6 APs), Solomon Power (6), and all have access to Whiter River health clinic or the National Referral Hospital.
6 Two APs who were not interviewed but information provided by family, works as driver for the Fisheries and for Pacific Casino Hotel.
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5. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION
5.1. Stakeholders There are four groups of stakeholders within this project: the Solomon Islands Government; the business community, civil society; and affected persons. The Government stakeholders include Solomon Water, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey for all issues related to land, the road agency (Ministry of Infrastructure Development) where a number of water pipes and pumping stations will be constructed, and the Honiara City Council, the local government that is responsible for providing municipal services to the public in Honiara. The business community includes the Chamber of Commerce and their business members and individual businesses who will benefit and or be impacted by the Project. The general public includes civil society such as NGOs and community groups. It also includes development partners and agencies who support WASH-related programs. In addition, the affected persons include the landowners and land users in the subproject sites. Information shared with the above stakeholders includes the proposed project design and the project components, affected properties, entitlement on compensation, and grievance redress mechanism particularly who to contact if stakeholders have any questions and how to achieve resolution to grievances.
5.2. Consultation Consultation is an integral part of the development and implementation of the project, and is key to achieving the subprojects within planned timeframes and budgets. To date the consultations have focused on stakeholder interviews, three public consultation workshops, and conduct of the household survey with potentially affected persons. These consultations include: (i) Public consultations. There were three public consultations held during the feasibility study. The first one was in July 2018. A second and final round of public consultations was carried out by the consulting team with SW on 20 and 21 February 2019. The public consultation workshops at the end of the feasibility study presented the proposed final concept design for the six subprojects and disclosed the contents of the draft RP, particularly the entitlement of the APs and the grievance redress mechanism under the project. A total of 49 participants (24 and 25 persons during day 1 and day 2) were consulted on these dates, focusing on presenting to government, non-government, and representatives of potential APs. (see Annex 2 Minutes of Public Consultation and RP Disclosure). (ii) AP consultations. Also, follow up individual consultations with 10 out of the 14 potential APs were held between 19-27 February. The 4 APs not met with were unavailable during the team’s site visits. All consulted APs were supportive of the project, including those whose land parcels will be affected, due to their interest in accessing improved water supply and addressing pollution of the coastal areas through broken down outfalls, sewerage pipes and communal septic tanks. (iii) Claim for compensation. During consultations at White River by the PPTA team with SW, Lora Teoki, the sister of the land owner (Mamutai Teoki, FTE parcel no. 191-002-9) reported that a compensation claim was submitted by her brother to SW previously. The compensation claim was based on the SW borehole causing their land becoming swampy due to borehole leakage. They are still waiting for SW’s response.
SW will start meeting with the land owner during detailed design to discuss the landowner's claim with the objective of resolving this claim prior to project approval
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(iv) The two companies, KCW and Greenwood Ltd both located within the industrial area of Ranadi and nearby Naha area, were previously consulted by SW and both are supportive of the project, particularly the rehabilitation of the outfall on their land. As these public structures were installed prior to their securing the land, there is a Grant Instrument in their lease requiring them to provide access for maintenance purposes of these outfalls. These consultations will continue during detailed design. (v) The landowner of the proposed reservoir at Titingge Ridge7 was consulted during the start of the project and attended the public consultation at Honiara Hotel on 21 February 2019. He expressed support for SW leasing his land and building a second reservoir because he wants to have better water supply for his family and community. Also he welcomes the potential long term income generated from the SW land lease. (vi) There is still no site for the septage treatment facility, thus no landowner to consult. This will be determined based on-site selection during detailed design. (vii) In July 2018, SW conducted an initial public consultation workshop, formally presenting the proposed six subprojects to key stakeholders and seeking their views. A total of 24 stakeholders and representatives participated (6 female and 18 male), with participants from civic organizations, community leaders, and officials of various government offices. Stakeholders expressed support for the proposed subprojects, and engaged in discussions on particular concerns. Key issues included (i) construction procedures affecting the newly paved roads, (ii) the need to coordinate with other government agencies, (iii) need for SW to cover more areas for the proposed sewerage system improvements, (iv) need for a sewage treatment plant to address significant pollution of city’s environment, and (v) need to address the procedural requirements for project implementation. The summary of the workshop discussion is presented in the table below.
Table 10: Summary of Consultation Issues Raised in Initial Workshop (2018)
Group Represented Issues/ Concerns Raised Project’s Response
Solomon Islands If the proposed pipelines will be laid, will it any new pipeline to be laid will be alongside Chamber of Commerce mean laying pipes across the newly built the road and for crossings, the pipeline will be and Industry road? underneath the road
Honiara City Council HCC expressed its desire for SW to SW’s strategic plan identified the construction (HCC) construct a wastewater treatment plant for of a wastewater treatment plant for the the sewerage since the coastal area is sewerage system later in the planning years, already polluted but not in first 5 years of the plan
SW will extend the length of the sewerage marine outfalls to improve the dilution of the waste discharges. In addition, screens will be installed in the outfalls pumping stations to screen out the plastic and large solids to reduce the amount of pollution to the sea.
Honiara City Honiara’s Mayor expressed his desire for At present SW’s sewerage system only covers SW to give priority on constructing a a small area of the city and with its limited sewage treatment plant since the coastal resources, it is trying hard to address the issue area and other parts of the city are on sewage pollution. already polluted. Ministry of Environment, Will SW increase its sewerage coverage SW plans to cover some 30% of the city, while Climate Change, to a large part of the city? the rest will be the responsibility of the city Disaster Management council. However, this will be supported by a and Meteorology proposed subproject on septage treatment (MECDM) plant to address the septage generated by the septic tanks.
7 Mr. John Tupe
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Group Represented Issues/ Concerns Raised Project’s Response
Ministry of Infrastructure MID expressed its desire for better SW does not want to excavate newly paved Development (MID) coordination between MID and SW roads. Whenever feasible, it will use pipeline regarding construction of the proposed tunneling construction method to avoid pipelines since more road improvements excavating the newly pave roads. are being planned for the future. National Council of How will SW address the issue of SW will close down the Kongulai water source Women Kongulai water source – its quality and when the proposed subproject for Lungga the shutting down sometimes due to Water Treatment Plant will become problems with the landowners? operational. For the moment, there is a need to shut down the Kongulai water source during heavy rain due to poor water quality.
Environment ECD points to the need for the project to Environmental assessment is being Conservation Division have environmental assessment and undertaken and the legal requirements for land (ECD) address the issue on land acquisition acquisition will also be complied
Consultation was undertaken to provide specific input into the design and feasibility process. This provided the opportunity to present the project objectives and proposed activities whilst gaining insight into potential challenges on the ground. The project team met with NGOs, Government ministries, school representatives, Honiara City Council, and community representatives from Burns Creek, Fulisango and Lord Howe during the initial stage of the feasibility study. Following on from the initial consultations, the process of the household survey and census of affected persons (APs) also provided the opportunity to disclose information about the proposed works, and document any specific concerns. This is particularly important in the discussions with APs, who need to understand how the project will impact them, and the process to receive fair compensation. With the draft feasibility studies complete, and a clear picture of the proposed infrastructure and siting options, an additional round of consultation was carried out on 20-21 February 2019. The aim of this was to provide further opportunity for input, particularly in relation to any social or environmental issues. Area specific meetings were held with local communities to ensure there is increased awareness about the proposed infrastructure development, and that not only benefits, but also potential impacts are clearly discussed. Affected households were consulted, with additional insights sought on any resettlement issues (with the RP updated if necessary to reflect any new information). Further consultation will then take place at the detailed design phase, and throughout project implementation. Maintaining open channels of communication is essential to minimize project impacts, and to avoid risks such as community or land owner / land user disputes. The PMU will include a safeguards team, during the implementation of the project. The safeguards team has a clear role in monitoring all social and environmental issues, including the implementation of the Resettlement Plan. Community stakeholders including customary landowners, chiefs, church leaders, women and youth groups, people with disability, and business operators (small to large) will again be consulted at the detailed design and implementation stages. These consultations will update them on key project activities, confirm and address any concerns that have been raised earlier, and include discussion of the project’s grievance redress mechanism during the detailed design and implementation stages.
Table 11: Summary of Consultation Issues Raised in Final Public Consultations and RP Disclosure (2019) 20th February 2019
No. Question/Comments Raised By Response Response By 1 Ongoing Consultations Atenasi Ata - This is start of the process; Ian Gooden SICCI there will be further (CEO consultations during the Solomon Power) detailed design process and approvals for designs.
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No. Question/Comments Raised By Response Response By 2 Will illegal settlers be John Tupe – Will depend on assessment FS compensated more than Tintinge and valuation of affected Safeguards Landowners? Landowner property and as per SIG Consultant market valuation 3 Suggested coordination Mike Qaqara - Noted and will coordinate Mike Waite, with phase 2 road MID with road consultants PMU Head, consultants on design to Solomon Power avoid cutting through Will use designs as per
AS/NZ Dispersion standards newly constructed Kukum Mike Waite Highway for appropriate dilution and dispersion. EIA Report Pre-treatment at outfalls Assess application and type of discharge, pre-treatment if Industrial/Business waste necessary and discharges
4 Concern on high Jessica Warahiru- SIG is reviewing Mike Waite installation cost of water SIWIBA submissions to reduce the and Ian meters different fees Gooden SW plans to use pre-paid meters to help households manage budget water expense 5 Why ADB policy and Duddley Teuwauri ADB policy refers to FS compensation focus on - HCC vulnerable households which Safeguards women and not youths? includes female, youth and Consultants male that are low income 6 Delivery of WASH and Mike Qaqara - International NGO to be Mike Waite coordination with MID MID engaged for delivery of wash in collaboration with local NGO’s Happy to support coordination at design stage especially in the provinces IWC to help identify delivery mechanisms of WASH in informal settlements. 7 Why is water in SI Ellen – Ex SW Government subsidies in Fiji Ian Gooden expensive compared to and candidate for is about 80% whilst in SI it is Fiji or PNG National about 2% Parliamentary Current cost reflects cost for Elections providing the service 8 Meter reading based on Holmes - SICA Raise issue with Customer Ian Gooden estimates Care through Michelle to High water bills address
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No. Question/Comments Raised By Response Response By Schools and Churches Was considered but not should not be classed as allowed under SW Commercial customers policy/classification rules 9 Consideration for climate Gareth - OXFAM Climate change report FS proofing of infrastructure compiled and will support the Safeguards Were environmental detailed design input. Consultant issues addressed in the GCF application will be design submitted next month that addresses adaptation and not mitigation 10 Was the previous JICA Mike Qaqara - No but this project will build Mike Waite improvements ineffective MID on improvements by JICA from Supply Duration of 5hrs to 22hrs, target is 24 hrs. 11 Note logging activities Tautele – SW is aware and is working Ray around Kongulai area Kongulai with relevant authorities such Andresen Landowner rep. as Forestry and ECD to address. 12 Coordination and working Spencer Ala – SI Agree to consult and work in Ian Gooden together with SIPA for Ports Authority close collaboration with SIPA future demand (SIPA) SIPA to provide a forecast Outfall at Port area for future requirements 13 PPP and capacity Mathew - MOFT Major projects would require Mike Waite building opportunity for international expertise and local contractors experience because of the Could local contractors value, nature and complexity bid for works of projects SW want to encourage local participations as subcontractors or JV Propose contractors forum for information sharing in April this year 14 Challenges for water Elma – Live and IWC work to help identify Ian Gooden , access to informal Learn delivery mechanisms of Mike Waite settlements and peri- WASH in informal urban areas settlements. SW will be consulting with NGO’s working in this area to support effective project design and delivery. 15 Propose boring option Mike Qaqara - Noted as a key issue and Ian Gooden over open cut MID concern and will look into construction methods for exploring boring options roads 16 Any support to Beven - SIDT SW is legislated to provide Ian Gooden village/rural supplies to for urban areas including support SIDT’s ‘Helpem peri-urban areas only and Village People’ theme not rural areas
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5.3. Negotiation The timing and nature of negotiations will vary between sites. They will start during detailed design, adhering to the following principles: • Adequate time and information will be provided to landowners to prepare for negotiations; • Negotiations will be entered into in good faith; • Due consideration will be given to all land owner requests; and • No party to the negotiation will be forced to arrive at an outcome. Solomon Water will be responsible for the availability of two key elements of the negotiation process to ensure its fairness: • Entitlement of landowners to access relevant information through a focal person within SW (the National Resettlement Specialist); • Engagement by the project of a third-party validator to oversee the fairness of the negotiation process according to ADB SPS requirements. If the third-party validator finds there is a lack of transparency and fairness in the negotiation process, including uneven access to information, this will be resolved through application of the grievance mechanism which will be in place during the detailed design and implementation phases, or corrective action plans. Records of all negotiation activities will be prepared by PMU. The third-party validator’s report will be submitted to the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) and ADB for approval before implementation of agreements. Commencement of civil works is contingent on payment of all compensation and required assistance agreed to during the negotiation phase.
5.4. Information Disclosure The RP had been disclosed to the APs and the public by Solomon Water on 20-21 February 2019, and it will also be posted on ADB and MoFT website prior to the project’s approval. There were 49 participants who attended this public consultation and RP public disclosure. All APs present during the public consultation to disclose the RP, along with government and civil society stakeholders (such as NGOs and women’s association representatives), were very supportive of the proposed project and its 6 components. In particular, potential APs including the landowners from Titingge and Kongulai were keen for the project to be implemented. Key questions from the landowners during the public disclosure pertain to difference of compensation between land owners and land users. Also, their request for the project to start soon, particularly on improving water reservoirs and pipes. The draft RP will be made available in English in accessible public locations including the Solomon Water Office, PMU Office and the Honiara City Council (HCC) Office. Solomon Water will also arrange to interpret and explain the key provisions in the commonly spoken language (pidgin) if needed. Any additional information or feedback received will be reviewed and incorporated into the final RP. The updated final version of the RP or any updates during implementation will also be disclosed through Solomon Water, MoFT and ADB websites.
6. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM (GRM)
6.1. Government Process for Grievance Redress Any disputes arising over alienated land, usually in relation to compensation or ownership, are referred to the Magistrates Court and follow the procedure set out in the Land and Titles Act and Civil Code. Disputes over the award of compensation for resumed title, or where an FTE holder seeks to get compensation for “unimproved” land, are settled in the High Court. For disputes over customary land, there is a two-step process: (i) the civil procedure through the Magistrates Court, and (ii) the customary procedure. The hearing in the Magistrates Court will
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determine whether the case can be dealt with through civil proceedings or whether the case is better handled through the customary process. If the case cannot be resolved after the Local Court hearing, it is presented as a case before the Customary Land Appeal Court (CLAC), which usually settles the case.
6.2. Proposed Grievance Redress Mechanism During Detailed Design During detailed design and implementation, it is possible that people may have concerns about the project's safeguards performance including construction activity impacts or the implementation of the RP. The following process will be used to address concerns quickly and transparently at the subproject level, based on the existing system for dispute resolution. The project will have one GRM process to resolve both social and environmental safeguard issues. Also, during detailed design phase, the PMU will continue to work with the consulting team to update the RP as design decisions are made. The consulting team includes social safeguard specialists who will work closely with SW and their Land Management Officer to progress the specific entitlements and support the negotiation process. Any grievances arising during this process must utilize the GRM as outlined in this section so that matters can be resolved effectively. Through public consultations, APs will be informed that they have a right to this complaint/grievance resolution. The record of the grievance redress mechanism will be the subject of monitoring undertaken by the Safeguards team in the PMU, and reported to the ADB.
6.3. Grievance Redress Mechanism During Construction
Prior to project implementation, the PMU (SW) will form a safeguards team comprised of the project manager, two environmental specialists (one full-time national position and one intermittent international position), and a resettlement specialist (national position, called as Land Management Officer) who will be assisted by the SW Land Management Officer. The team will be updating the RP as required, and will be tasked with the implementation of the plan. For grievances related to social safeguards, the focal point will be the PMU’s Resettlement Specialist. During the construction period, the GRM mechanism to be used by SW will be the same as used by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID), a process which has been used successfully in a number of infrastructure projects. The Contractor will establish and maintain a community advisory committee (CAC) with a minimum of five members. Membership will include village/tribal chiefs. Women representatives, and land-owning groups residing within the subproject locations. CAC’s functions include: (i) solving problems/issues arising between the contractor and the community; (ii) advising the contractor on matters affecting environment and social well-being of the community due to construction activities; (iii) providing an enabling environment for the participation of women in the subprojects’ implementation and management at community level; and (iv) keeping a register of grievances. Grievances related to the works will be resolved through the following process • First Level GRM. Most grievances during construction can easily be resolved by the contractor’s representatives at the construction site. However, all complaints arriving at the contractor’s site office shall be entered in a register that is kept at the site and monitored by the Resettlement and Environment Specialists in the PMU. A duplicate copy of the entry is given to the complainant for their record at the time of registering the complaint, and includes the procedure that will be followed in assessing the complaint, together with a statement affirming the rights of the AP to make a complaint. For anybody making a complaint, no costs will be charged to the AP. • A further copy of the complaint is forwarded to the CAC and SW. The action proposed by the Contractor is entered in the register, along with whether or not the AP is satisfied with this response. • The register shall record: (i) date, name, contact address, and reason for the complaint; (ii) any issue to be referred to the CAC; (iii) resolution proposed by the Contractor or CAC to deal with
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the complaint and date; and (iv) date when the complainant was informed of the decision and how the decision was conveyed. • Second Level GRM. If the AP is not satisfied with the response from the contractor and CAC, he/she can take the complaint to the subproject office or to SW’s PMU. The appropriate member of the PMU safeguards team will further discuss the matter with the CAC and the complainant as required, and provide advice to the PMU Manager. The PMU Manager has a maximum of 14 days to resolve the complaint and convey a decision to the complainant. • If the PMU Manager dismisses the complaint, the complainant shall be informed of his/her rights in taking the matter to the next step. A copy of the decision shall be sent to the relevant Government department (eg Environment Conservation Division if the complaint is environmental in nature, or to the Ministry of Lands Housing and Survey in disputes over land use). If the complainant is not satisfied with the PMU Manager’s decision, he/she may take the complaint to SW’s General Manager who will appoint a third-party arbitrator to form part of a GRM Committee to hear the complaint. The GRM Committee shall be chaired by SW’s General Manager and include SW’s PMU Manager, SW’s Project Engineer, the contractor, and the appointed third- party arbitrator. • Third Level GRM. If the complainant is not satisfied with decision of the GRM Committee, he/she may take further action through an appropriate legal channel such as the local court. If the AP is not satisfied with the outcome of the GRM process, they may take the complaint to the MLHS, who will appoint the COL to review the complaint. The MLHS will have 15 days to make a determination. If a satisfactory conclusion cannot be obtained through this process, the AP can take the matter to the courts (Magistrates Court or High Court). This will be at the APs cost, but if the court shows that the government ministries have been negligent in making their determination, the AP will be able to seek costs reimbursement. Prior to start of construction works, SW’s PMU, ward representative, implementation consultant, and the contractor will undertake the following in consultation with the communities: (i) establish a first level GRM as described above (contractor’s responsibility), including the formation of the community advisory committee (CAC); (ii) establish a second level GRM as described above (PMU’s responsibility); (iii) publicize the existence of the GRM through public awareness campaigns, public notifications, etc.; and (iv) ensure that the names and contact numbers of representatives of the contractors, SW’s PMU, the implementation consultants, and ward representative are placed on notice boards at the construction sites. In the event of grievances related to the ownership of lands to be acquired that cannot be resolved at the local level, then SW and COL will hold the compensation amounts in escrow or trust account. Compensation will be paid in full upon final resolution of the case in the courts or another forum, by the entitlements of the AP. See Table 12 for the steps in the GRM process for the construction phase of each subproject.
Table 12: Grievance Redress Process During Construction
Step Process Duration 1 Affected Person (AP) takes the grievance to the PMU Any time site supervisor (Contractor). Site supervisor discusses with contractor, CAC and Within 2 days complainant and resolves the issues. Written site instruction issued to contractor if necessary. GRM register updated and copies provided to CAC and SW.
If unresolved 2 Grievance is submitted to PMU/SW, who 2 weeks in consultation with the village chief, CAC, the contractor and any relevant agencies, agree to a solution and
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Step Process Duration record the results. Grievance submission may be in writing or verbally, with the PMU recording the complaint details. 3 PMU reports back to community and AP and gets 1 week acknowledgement the complaint has been satisfactorily resolved. 4 If the issue remains unresolved, an initial mediation 2 weeks meeting is held with the complainant, contractor, SW, relevant representatives of the community, the PMU, and any external parties that have expertise in relation to the issue. Any resolutions agreed to will be documented and signed by relevant parties. 5 If mediation is unsuccessful, AP or their representative Decision within 2 weeks takes the grievance to Ministry of Lands and other relevant government authorities for resolution, informing the PMU of this action. 6 If not resolved the PMU must take the matter to the 2 weeks relevant national agency for decision. 7 The relevant agency can deliberate for ≤ four weeks and 4 weeks resolve the case If unresolved or if at any stage the AP is not satisfied with the progress AP or community leader representative can take the matter to appropriate state or national court (Magistrates Court). The PMU will record the complaint: date, complainant, grievance, attempts at resolution, and outcome.
7. POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK
7.1. Solomon Islands Legal Framework
The Constitution of Solomon Islands: Section 112 of the Constitution with respect to compulsory acquisition of customary land requires Parliament to provide the following: Before the land is compulsorily acquired, there must be prior negotiations with the owner of the land, right or interest. The owner must have a right of access to independent legal advice. So far as practicable the interest acquired shall be limited to an FTE. Although Parliament has not provided for these safeguards in the Land and Title Act, the Minister of Lands and the CoL can take them into account in conducting land acquisition. In the Solomon Islands, approximately 87% of land is under the customary land tenure system, with all natural resources belonging to customary landowners8. The remaining 13% of land is ‘alienated’. Land is governed by the Land and Titles Act (1996/88), which addresses requirements for temporary occupation of land for public purposes, and provides the procedures and basis for compensation for land and any improvements thereto. The Act also provides for purchase or lease of customary land by the Government through agreement. In Honiara and in provincial capital boundaries, land is owned by the state. This crown land is held in perpetual estate title on behalf of the government by the Commissioner of Lands (CoL). The CoL can enter into 50 year fixed term estate (FTE) agreements with individuals, or shorter term temporary occupancy licenses (ToL). The Act provides a clear process for the government to undertake compulsory acquisition of registered and customary land.
8 Exemptions being the lands of the national capital area (Honiara), various provincial headquarters, and Tulaggi Island (which was the national capital until the 1960s and is alienated land).
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There are 2 ways in which land can be secured for any development by the government or any entity: • Compulsory land acquisition for public purpose. This can be used in instances where negotiation has failed, and there are no alternative sites for the proposed development. In these cases compulsory acquisition as outlined in the Act can be commenced. • Leasing of customary land through negotiated settlement. Land access for the project will follow the processes that SW currently use in their resettlement procedures. Whilst there are powers for compulsory acquisition, this process is time consuming and can create significant delays. Generally, when requiring access to a site for development, the process is as follows – (i) SW and landowner enter into MOU to protect SW’s interest in the land. (ii) The land is surveyed. (iii) A memo is submitted to Registry of Titles to generate a parcel number for the area. (iv) The lease instrument (for private land) or grant instrument (for Government land) is executed between the parties. (v) This is lodged with the Registry of Titles. (vi) Registration of lease title. The Land and Titles Act empowers the Commissioner of Lands (CoL) to be the custodian of Government land and to deal with its land interest on behalf of the Government. The Act stipulates two systems: Customary, and Crown or State Land. The Lands and Titles Amendment Act 2014 makes changes to provide greater support and transparency to the role of CoL, with a Land Board empowered to make decisions on allocation of interest in land, development of land, and the fair, transparent and equitable administration of land. This Land Board has been established and is operational, with a member from SW on the Board to represent the interest of the utility companies. For Customary Land: Part V of the Land and Titles Act deals with the purchase or lease of customary land by private treaty and with compulsory acquisition of land. Sections 60-70 outline clearly the process of purchase or lease and sections 71-77 the process of compulsory acquisition. There are two types of title registration or legal ownership acquired by CoL on behalf of the Government. (i) Perpetual Estate (PE) title: This title is established through the acquisition process either by outright purchase or compulsory acquisition of customary land. (ii) Lease of perpetual title: This title is established through the acquisition process for lease of customary land. The PE is held by trustees identified through the acquisition process, with a lease agreement entered into between CoL and the identified landowners, and subsequently registered. The process for purchasing or leasing customary land is set out in Division 1 of Part V of the Land and Titles Act as follows: • CoL must appoint a Land Acquisition Officer (LAO) to act as the Commissioner’s agent. • The LAO marks out the boundaries of the relevant land on the ground or on a map in such manner as to bring them to the notice of the persons affected. • The LAO prepares a written agreement for the purchase or lease of the land with the people who claim to be the owners. • The LAO gives public notice of the written agreement and organises a public meeting to determine whether the persons named in the agreement are the correct customary land owners. • If there is no dispute at the meeting, and no other claimants, the LAO records this fact and sends a copy of the determination to the Land Board and CoL. • If there are rival claimants, the LAO must determine the rightful owners of the land and send a copy of his determination to the Land Board and CoL, and bring it to the attention of the originally identified parties and any claimants. • An appeal of the LAO’s determination can be made to the Magistrates Court within 3 months; • The decision of the Magistrates Court can be appealed to the High Court on a question of law only. • Once any appeals have been determined, or the period for appealing has expired, the agreement for sale or lease of the land in question can be implemented.
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• Where the land is being leased, the CoL makes an order vesting PE in the persons named as lessors – commonly representatives of the customary land group found to own the land. For Crown or State Land: Part X of the Land and Titles Act deals with Crown or State Land. This is alienated land held by CoL on behalf of the Government. This Part provides for the purchase of Government Land by Individuals or companies through the process of CoL granting, transferring, subleasing or providing temporary occupation of Government Land. Note that since the passing of the Land and Titles Amendment Act 2014, a Land Board has been established with powers and functions in land allocation, removing complete control from the CoL. There can be four types of private title ownership as follows. • PE Title, equivalent to freehold. • Fixed Term Estate (FTE) Title. CoL as holder of PE title grants FTE title to individuals or companies. This is for a set term of years with certain conditions to abide. These conditions are stipulated in the grant instrument executed by the title holder and CoL. Most lease terms are 50 years in length, although there are also a number set at 75 years. FTE title is acquired through direct allocation from CoL or through the transfer of FTE by an FTE title holder. • Sub-Lease Title: The FTE title holder leases the Land to an individual or company for a period less than the FTE term with conditions agreed by both parties. • Temporary Occupation License: This refers to occupation of land under license conditions for up to three years, renewable. For FTE title holders there is a provision in the grant instrument that provides for resumption of the land by CoL for public purposes. Compensation as stated in the grant instrument will be paid in the event the land is developed. The Land and Titles Act governs compulsory acquisition of both alienated and customary land, under the following procedures9: The Minister responsible for the Act makes and publishes a declaration that particular land is required for a public purpose. The effect of the declaration is to nullify all interests in the land, and the right to occupy and use the land vests in the CoL. The declaration is published and notice given to registered owners, and in the case of unregistered and customary land to all persons or groups who might claim to have an interest. Interested persons or groups may apply to the High Court within six months to quash the declaration on the ground that the land is not required for a public purpose. Interested persons or groups have three months to make a claim for compensation to the CoL. CoL must respond within three months, either accepting the claim or making an offer. If the claimant accepts the offer, CoL must pay the amount within three months. A claimant who rejects the CoL’s offer has three months to bring an appeal in the High Court. As for land under FTEs, the agreements provide that CoL can resume the land for public purposes. This is triggered by a request by the concerned Minister to the CoL. Temporary occupation of land for up to three years is possible under a similar process. Rent is paid and loss in value and damage are compensated. Compensation (including compensation rent) for land compulsorily acquired under the Land and Titles Act is provided as follows: • An amount considered just having regard to the condition of the land and other relevant “matters and circumstances”, including loss in value of land retained by the owner. • Valuation is determined as of the date of the declaration. • In the case of customary land, other land can be provided in lieu of monetary compensation. Dispute Resolution: Disputes arising over alienated land, usually in relation to compensation as ownership is clear, are referred to the Magistrates Court and follow the procedure set out in the Land and Titles Act and Civil Code. Disputes over the award of compensation for resumed title, or where an FTE holder seeks to get compensation for unimproved land, are settled in the High Court.
9 See 2.2.3 below concerning relevant requirements of the Constitution.
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For disputes over customary land, there is a two-step process: (i) the civil procedure through the Magistrates Court, and (ii) the customary procedure. The hearing in the Magistrates Court will determine whether the case can be dealt with through civil proceedings or whether the case is better handled through the customary process. If the case cannot be resolved after the Local Court hearing, it is presented as a case before the Customary Land Appeal Court. The Solomon Islands Water Authority Act 1992 provides the governance framework for SW and outlines their functions and powers. Section 12 provides an obligation for reasonable compensation to be paid by SW for damage or loss caused by works. Under Section 14, SW has the power to open up roads and streets, provided reasonable notice is given to the appropriate Government Ministry. The surface of the road must be restored to its previous condition. This section is relevant to proposed pipelines and works to be undertaken in road reserves. Of most relevance to this RP is Section 53, outlining the process for land negotiations for the purchase of land required for purposes of the Authority. In the circumstance where agreement cannot be reached, or the delay in reaching agreement is not in the public interest, the land acquisition process under the Lands and Titles Act may be triggered. Solomon Water is well experienced in issues around property negotiation, and they have engaged with resettlement processes over the years when accessing sites to develop infrastructure for service delivery. Developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is the first step in the land negotiation process. The basis of the negotiation, including valuation of the land and any non-land assets and verification by a third party, form the key conditions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). A lease which allows temporary or permanent use of land for infrastructure development is a preferable mechanism to compulsory acquisition, which takes time and often triggers disputes. The lease or grant instrument is a key document, as this stipulates the terms and conditions of the land use, including the rights to access the infrastructure for maintenance. In reaching a fair agreement for land negotiations to date, SW have often engaged a third party evaluator. This approach is recommended in the Resettlement Framework (RF), as it provides transparency for all parties. The TOR for the third party evaluator is presented in the RF and is provided as Annex 5.
7.2. ADB Safeguard Policy Statement (2009) The Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) requires ADB-assisted projects to (i) avoid resettlement impacts wherever possible; (ii) minimize impacts by exploring project and design alternatives; (iii) enhance, or at least restore, the livelihoods of all Affected Persons (APs) in real terms relative to pre- project levels; and (iv) Improve the standards of living of the affected poor and other vulnerable groups. The SPS covers both physical displacement (relocation, loss of residential land, or loss of shelter) and economic displacement (loss of land, assets, access to assets, income sources, or means of livelihoods) as a result of involuntary land acquisition or restriction on land use, or on access to parks and protected areas. The key principles of the ADB safeguard policy on resettlement are as follows: • Screen early the project’s resettlement impacts and risks. • Carry out meaningful consultations with APs, informing them of their entitlements and resettlement options. Pay particular attention to the needs of vulnerable groups. • Establish a grievance redress mechanism to receive and facilitate resolution of APs’ concerns. • Improve, or at least restore, the livelihoods of all APs through (i) land-based resettlement or cash compensation at replacement value, as relevant, (ii) prompt replacement of assets, (iii) prompt compensation at full replacement cost, and (iv) additional revenues and services through benefit sharing schemes where possible. • Provide APs with needed assistance, including: (i) if there is relocation, secured tenure and improved housing; (ii) transitional support and development assistance; and (iii) civic infrastructure and community services, as required.
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• Improve the standards of living of the displaced poor and other vulnerable groups to at least national minimum standards. • Develop procedures in a transparent, consistent, and equitable manner if land acquisition is through negotiated settlement. • Ensure that APs without titles are eligible for resettlement assistance and compensation for loss of non-land assets. • Prepare an RP elaborating on APs’ entitlements, income and livelihood restoration strategy, institutional arrangements, monitoring and reporting framework, budget, and time-bound implementation schedule. • Disclose an RP in an accessible place and a form and language(s) understandable to APs and other stakeholders. • Conceive and execute involuntary resettlement as part of a development project or program. Include the full costs of resettlement in the presentation of project’s costs and benefits. • Provide compensation and other entitlements before physical or economic displacement. • Monitor and assess resettlement outcomes, their impacts on the standards of living of APs.
7.3. Comparison of ADB SPS and SI Law In implementing resettlement activities, it is important to compare the ADB SPS requirements with local law. The SPS principles hold primacy, and any gaps between local laws and the SPS Policy must be identified with measures proposed to meet the SPS principles. Table 13 provides this overview.
Table 13: Comparison of Solomon Islands Law and ADB and WB Policy and Gap - Filling Measures
SOL Laws on Land Gaps between ADB ADB SPS and WB Requirements Acquisition/ Resettlement SPS and WB and Gap-filling Measures on SOL Laws Involuntary Resettlement
Avoid involuntary resettlement The Constitution provides for No provision. No The RP/RF includes wherever possible. Minimize the protection from explicit reference to the measures on involuntary resettlement by exploring deprivation of property. The need for minimizing avoiding/minimizing land project and design alternatives. Constitution and Land and resettlement impacts acquisition and Tittles Act (LTA) set out the by exploring resettlement impacts. conditions under which land alternatives. may be compulsory acquired. The property can only be acquired for the public good, and with the payment of reasonable compensation. Enhance, or at least restore, the General principles of Only asset losses The RP/RF includes livelihoods of all displaced persons in compensation for land and are compensated measures on real terms relative to pre-project assets are set out in the without regard to compensation at levels. Improve the standards of Constitution and LTA. livelihoods. No replacement cost for special attention to living of the displaced poor and other affected land/assets and to poor and vulnerable vulnerable groups groups. restore/improve living standards of APs
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Screen the project early on to identify LTA sets out the process for No provision. No The RP/RF includes past, present, and future involuntary land investigation which specific requirements measures on resettlement impacts and risks. includes identification of for census, cut-off survey/census, cut-off-date, Determine the scope of resettlement affected clans/tribes and date, impact assessment of impacts and planning through a survey and/or their assets. assessment and resettlement planning. census of displaced persons, scoping of including a gender analysis, resettlement planning. specifically related to resettlement impacts and risks. Carry out meaningful consultations LTA sets out the process of Constitution requires The RP/RF includes with APs, host communities, and notification, including that all consultations re measures on consultations customary land. No concerned NGOs. Inform all landowners must be reference in Land and with APs, including displaced persons of their informed of the acquisition Title Act. vulnerable groups, during entitlements and resettlement and entitlements. preparation and options. Ensure their participation in implementation of RPs. planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of resettlement programs. Pay particular attention to the needs of vulnerable groups, especially those below the poverty line, the landless, the elderly, women and children, and Indigenous Peoples, and those without legal title to land, and ensure their participation in consultations. Establish a grievance redress LTA provides for appeal No requirements for a The RP/RF includes mechanism to receive and facilitate against a declaration of project-specific measures on project- resolution of the affected persons’ public purpose for grievance redress specific grievance redress concerns. Support the social and compulsory acquisition and mechanism. mechanism. cultural institutions of displaced amount of compensation. Formal hearing and persons and their host population. court proceedings only. Improve, or at least restore, the The Constitution requires No specific The RP/RF includes livelihoods of all displaced persons payment of reasonable requirement for land- measures of on-site through (i) land-based resettlement compensation for the based resettlement, relocation, replacement of strategies when affected livelihoods compulsory acquisition of replacement of assets, affected structures, are land based where possible or land for a public benefit, and benefit sharing. compensation at cash compensation at replacement within a reasonable period of replacement cost and value for land when the loss of land time having regard to all the Gap in the SI priority of project does not undermine livelihoods, (ii) relevant circumstances. framework with no law employment to APs. prompt replacement of assets with or policy protecting access to assets of equal or higher LTA sets out more detailed displacement of The ADB Safeguard Policy value, (iii) prompt compensation at requirements: By s79 any informal settlers will apply in issues of full replacement cost for assets that person who claims to be resettlement concerning cannot be restored, and (iv) entitled to an interest in informal settlers. additional revenues and services compulsory acquired land through benefit sharing schemes may make a claim for where possible. compensation (within 3 months); the requirements for payment are set out in s81; and the provisions for compensation are set out in s83.
There is no legal instrument or policy in the Solomon Islands that addresses displacement of informal settlers
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Provide physically and economically LTA provides for the No provision. SOL The RP/RF includes displaced persons with needed provision of alternative land laws have no specific measures on-site assistance, including the following: (i) in lieu of compensation for provisions on relocation of affected if there is relocation, secured tenure customary land compulsory relocation, transitional structures, transitional to relocation land, better housing at acquired. support and civic allowances and restoration resettlement sites with comparable infrastructure and of civic infrastructure. access to employment and services. production opportunities, integration of resettled persons economically and socially into their host communities, and extension of project benefits to host communities; (ii) transitional support and development assistance, such as land development, credit facilities, training, or employment opportunities; and (iii) civic infrastructure and community services, as required. Improve the standards of living of the The Constitution and LTA SOL Laws do not The RP/RF includes displaced poor and other vulnerable include general principles prescribe measures measures on groups, including women, to at least of compensation for on improvement of restoration/improvement national minimum standards. In rural damages or losses. living standard and of livelihoods of APs, areas provide them with legal and restoration of including the poor and affordable access to land and livelihoods of the vulnerable groups. resources, and in urban areas poor and vulnerable provide them with appropriate income groups. sources and legal and affordable access to adequate housing. Develop procedures in a transparent, LTA Part V, Division 1 sets SOL Laws do not The RP/RF describes consistent, and equitable manner if out the detailed provisions specifically require procedures for the land acquisition is through negotiated for voluntary purchase or third-party negotiation with settlement to ensure that those lease of land. verification of landowner groups people who enter into negotiated negotiated through memoranda of settlements will maintain the same or agreement. agreements (MOAs) to better income and livelihood status. be verified by a third- party. Ensure that displaced persons There is nothing in The entitlement matrix without titles to land or any the SOL Laws to for the project provides recognizable legal rights to land are address the issue of for resettlement eligible for resettlement assistance displaced persons assistance and and compensation for loss of non- without land title or compensation for non- land assets legal land rights. land assets to non-titled APs as well. Prepare a resettlement plan SOL Laws have no The RP/RF includes elaborating on displaced persons’ provision of measures on preparation entitlements, the income and preparing RP. of RP for subprojects in livelihood restoration strategy, case they involve land institutional arrangements, monitoring acquisition/resettlement and reporting framework, budget, and impacts. time-bound implementation schedule. Disclose a draft resettlement plan, LTA sets procedures in No requirements on The RP/RF includes including documentation of the notification of landowners at disclosure of an RP. disclosure measures, consultation process in a timely different stages of land including posting of manner, before project appraisal, in acquisition steps. documents on ADB website an accessible place and a form and as well as providing language(s) understandable to information to APs. affected persons and other
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stakeholders. Disclose the final resettlement plan and its updates to affected persons and other stakeholders.
Conceive and execute involuntary No equivalent provision No provision. Land resettlement as part of a acquisition/resettlement development project or program. costs will be included and Include the full costs of resettlement financed out of the project in the presentation of project’s costs cost. and benefits. For a project with significant involuntary resettlement impacts, consider implementing the involuntary resettlement component of the project as a stand-alone operation. Pay compensation and provide other LTA requires compensation There is nothing in the The RP/RF includes resettlement entitlements before to be paid within 3 months of Act to require payment measures on payment of physical or economic displacement. acceptance of the offer. before displacement. compensation for affected Implement the resettlement plan assets before start of civil under close supervision throughout works on affected land. project implementation. Monitor and assess resettlement No equivalent provision Gap. The RP/RF includes outcomes, their impacts on the monitoring measures, standards of living of displaced including requirements of persons, and whether the objectives semi-annual safeguard of the resettlement plan have been monitoring report. achieved by taking into account the baseline conditions and the results of resettlement monitoring. Disclose monitoring reports.
8. PROJECT ENTITLEMENTS, ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS The project will follow provisions in the RP for determining eligibility and compensating for all losses resulting from land acquisition or restriction on land use or access. APs will receive compensation at full replacement cost, and other resettlement support such as assistance with relocation. Titled APs will receive a long term lease from SW for use of a portion of their land or compensation for land acquired by the project. Non-titled APs are not eligible for compensation for land, but will receive compensation for assets attached to land and other assistance as required. Households headed by women and other vulnerable households will receive further assistance. Table 14 provides an overview of how the RP will be applied. All compensation and assistance will be completed prior to any physical and economic displacement. The cut-off date for identifying affected lands, families and individuals will be ascertained during the final update of the RP during the detailed design phase. This date will be when Project scoping is complete and when all affected people within the proposed project sites have been informed. Aps may use and exercise their rights to a land plot and make necessary expenditures in compliance with its purpose after negotiations with SW commence and until compensation is agreed. However, there will be no entitlement to additional compensation based on these improvements if made after the cut-off date.
Consideration for Vulnerable Groups
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Vulnerable groups (households headed by women, elderly, disabled, poor) will be assisted through provision of daily allowance equivalent to the loss of income they would have earned if their assets e.g. canteens built in their houses to be temporarily or permanently removed due to the project. In cases where a house needs relocation due to the project infrastructure development, the AP will be assisted to locate an alternative site that provides equivalent or improved proximity to employment, services, and education facilities. Replacement of the asset at an improved level is the preference over cash compensation, ensuring the family has security of accommodation. This applies to any displaced persons, whether informal settlers, or holders of legal rights to the land. Access to water will be a key consideration during negotiations, particularly for vulnerable groups. If there are any APs without connection to SW water supply, consideration will be given to improve water access through reconnection of services, and/or access to newer innovations such as cash for water meters, which provide poor households with greater control over water consumption and management of payments.
Table 14: Entitlement Matrix
PERMANENT LOSS OF LAND Application Entitled APs Entitlement Alienated land required for Registered owner (PE, FTE) Cash compensation at replacement cost or project construction existing market prices agreed between CoL and owner OR new FTE lease for replacement land. External evaluator to determine this fair price as the basis for negotiation with AP. Transaction costs. Customary land required for Landowners and users Replacement land of equivalent size and project construction quality or cash compensation at replacement cost or existing market prices. External evaluator to determine this fair price as the basis for negotiation with AP. Transaction costs. LOSS OF STRUCTURE Application Entitled APs Entitlement Houses, commercial Registered owner Cash compensation at full replacement value structures etc. on land of the structure without deduction for salvaged required for project materials including construction cost, and construction relocation assistance and shifting allowance11.
Compensation will be provided for entire structure if remaining structure is no longer viable.
Houses, commercial Owner of structure, Cash compensation at full replacement value structures etc. on road ROW regardless of legal status without deduction for salvaged materials, and or other public land relocation assistance and shifting allowance. LOSS OF CROPS, TREES, ETC Application Entitled APs Entitlement Gardens, trees, crops, Owners of crops, trees, Compensation at replacement cost/current perennials, productive regardless of legal status market prices as determined by the Forest trees/plants Division for timber trees and the Department of Agriculture for crops or productive plants/trees.
Provision of 30 days notice to harvest standing seasonal crops. If harvest is not possible, cash compensation for crops (or share of crops) equivalent to prevailing market price.
11 The shifting/relocation allowance will be agreed between the Solomon Water and the household/AP on a case-by case basis. The shifting allowance will be adequate to cover (i) dismantling of the structure; (ii) transport of structure/housing materials salvaged and all household effects/commercial goods; and (iii) costs of alternative accommodation, if required, while the structure is being re-built.
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Cash compensation for perennial crops and fruit bearing trees based on annual net product market value multiplied by the number productive years.
Cash compensation equivalent to prevailing market price of timber for non-fruit trees.
LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD
Loss of income source Landowners, users Shifting allowance and replacement/compensation for damaged assets and estimated loss of earnings during resettlement period. Assistance to source alternative site to replace previous income generation activity, or assistance in replacement of livelihood source. LOSS DUE TO TEMPORARY OCCUPATION BY THE PROJECT
Application Entitled APs Entitlement
Alienated and customary land Landowners, users Rent as negotiated with landowners. All temporary use of land will be through written agreement with the landowner/lease-holder and land will be returned to the landowners after rehabilitation to original or better condition. Compensation at full replacement cost for damages within land used for project. The project will ensure that APs have uninterrupted access to their land and livelihood sources. In case of any unavoidable loss of access, APs will be provided compensation for their losses at replacement cost. VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS
Loss of assets Identified through Additional cash assistance depending on consultation with community extent of disruption to vulnerable APs. leaders (households headed Provision of transport cost, and daily by women, elderly, disabled, allowance equivalent to the APs daily income poor) from the loss of asset (temporary or permanent) e.g. housing, small canteens, betel nut until they have managed to re-establish their livelihood. UNFORESEEN OR UNINTENDED IMPACTS
Identified at final detailed Determined in accordance Unanticipated involuntary impacts will be design phase or during with RF principles. documented and mitigated based on the implementation principles provided in ADB’s involuntary resettlement policy
9. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS
9.1. Institutional Responsibilities The following table outlines the key agencies and their responsibilities for the updating, implementing, monitoring and reporting of the progress of safeguards due diligence requirements.
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Table 15: Resettlement Implementation – Roles and Responsibilities
Agency Roles and Responsibilities Solomon Water Overall execution of the project Provides funds for land acquisition and resettlement Liaises with MLHS
Solomon Water PMU Manages the social and resettlement aspects of the project Finalizes project decisions concerning land acquisition (in consultation with MLHS re customary land) Manages design and supervision of works Manages consultants on all matters dealing with resettlement and consultations Prepares and updates RPs/Due Diligence Report Discloses the RF and RPs/Due Diligence Reports Informs APs, local authorities and interested others about the project, including compensation details Coordinates with MLHS/CoL to initiate land acquisition process Prepares inventory of losses (IOL) and census of APs Coordinates with MFT/Solomon Water to obtain budget and funds for compensation payments Regarding alienated land: prepares and attends to execution of purchaser agreements; payment of purchase price; registration in Land Registry With civil contractor schedules and makes compensation payments for non-land assets Records the compensation payment process for monitoring and reporting Establishes grievance procedure as outlined in RPs Provides data and other information to external monitoring agencies Prepares completion report Makes payments to APs Ministry of Land, Housing and Oversees and supports land acquisition and resettlement Survey/Commissioner of Lands process as the national agency responsible for land acquisition Regarding customary and FTE land, through CoL completes land acquisition CoL appoints LAO Surveyor General carries out land survey or approves survey by Solomon Water engineers Valuer General confirms land valuations LAO 50inalizes agreements and obtains execution by owners
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Agency Roles and Responsibilities Solomon Water makes payments. CoL registers transfers in Land Registry. ADB and WB Review and approve all resettlement plans/due diligence report under the respective policies of ADB, WB and the government
Disclose RP on ADB and WB website
Provide guidance as required based on safeguards monitoring report and supervision missions
Executing agency: The Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) will be the executing agency, responsible for overall administration of the project. Implementing agency: Solomon Water will be the implementing agency, with responsibility for carrying out the project, embedded within existing operations as the service delivery agency for water and wastewater services in Honiara and additional service areas. A Project Management Unit (PMU) will be formed within the IA. The PMU will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation of project activities, including social safeguard oversight, assisted by the relevant staff within the Project Implementation Assistance Consultants (PIAC). The PMU will establish a safeguards team who will ensure that all relevant safeguard plans are implemented and meet their intended objectives. The team will be composed of an international and national social safeguards specialist, along with the SW Land Management Officer, and an international and national environmental specialist. With the guidance of the UWSSSP Project Manager, they will undertake the following activities to ensure safeguard procedures are implemented at every stage of the project. • Undertake adequate consultations with and dissemination of relevant information to APs during detailed design, pre-construction, and during construction; • Ensure that the detailed design and implementation consultants take into account safeguard issues and try to avoid or minimize social impacts through appropriate design. The ESU team will brief the technical design team in this regard; • Address any project-related grievances of APs and facilitate the resolution of disputes on land ownership or land use; • Undertake ongoing public consultation to keep APs informed, and seek their inputs into the detailed design/construction of the subproject and scheduling of subproject activities; • Following the award of the civil works contract, the ESU will arrange a briefing to the contractors to raise their awareness on safeguard requirements; • Coordinate with relevant authorities to ensure that land-related activities including payment of all due compensation are completed prior to the start of the construction activities; and • Undertake regular monitoring and reporting on implementation progress of RP. • Update RP as required if there are unanticipated impacts during project implementation and prepare corrective action plan if there will be non-compliance. Solomon Water will also coordinate with Commissioner of Lands (CoL) and Ministry of Land, Housing and Survey (MLHS) and other relevant government agencies in the land acquisition process. The current management structure of Solomon Water includes a Land Management Officer, working on land acquisition, including regularization of existing service infrastructure. This is a staff
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position within SW, and she will be working closely with the PMU Resettlement Specialist on the land acquisition and resettlement aspects of the project. A TOR, as developed under the Resettlement Framework, has been included as Annex 4. All funds required for compensation for affected land, structures and gardens, including the provision of various allowances, will be allocated for by the government through the MoFT. Solomon Water will ensure that adequate funds are available for carrying out resettlement according to the budgets provided in the RP. The PMU will coordinate allocation of funds, approval of payments, and delivery of funds, monitoring of progress and reporting.
9.2. Budget The following budget was developed based on field surveys, preliminary discussions with APs and latest SW land lease negotiations record. Outlined costs will be financed by the government using counterpart funds. Valuation on affected lands and assets will be carried out and final compensation amounts will be produced based on the detailed design and outcomes of the land negotiation process. Also, the government will release sufficient budget for the implementation of compensation, resettlement and rehabilitation activities in an appropriate and timely manner. The table below shows the estimated budget to implement the LAR activities within the six subprojects under Project outputs 1 and 2. A total amount of SBD 9,229,000 (USD 1,171,845) is the estimated cost of implementing this Resettlement Plan.
Table 16: Summary of Indicative Land Acquisition and Compensation Costs
S.N. Items Cost (SBD) Cost (USD) A Estimated Compensation
Compensation for land (1.6 1 8,000,000 1,015,744 ha x SBD 500/sq m)*
Provision for damages to 2 5,000 650 crops/trees** Provision of water access Cost to be 3 to APs e.g. pipe estimated during connection detailed design Payment for potential Cost to be damages to utilities (road, estimated during 4 power and detailed design communications etc) Sub-total (A) 8,005,000 1,016,394 B Implementation 1 Land Survey (DMS) 375,000 47,650 2 Consultations 10,000 1,270 Sub-total (B) 385,000 48,920 A + B Total 8,390,000 1,065,314 Contingency (10%) 839,000 106,531 TOTAL (SBD & USD) 9,229,000 1,171,845 * Based on the highest lease amount paid by Solomon Water land lease on Honiara central area as of February 2019.
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** Estimated cost pending on further confirmation during detailed design. Crops and trees valuation schedule (2002) was provided by Ministry of Agriculture to SW and this needs to be updated to use the current market price at the time of compensation. Source: Feasibility Study Consultants
9.3. Implementation Steps The Resettlement Plan will require updating at the detailed design stage. The Detailed Design team mobilized in February 2019, and include an international and national social safeguards specialist who will work closely with the SW Land Management Officer to update the RP as technical design decisions are confirmed or changed. Once details such as the final routes of all pipeline works are completed, the RP will be reviewed and updated. At this stage, all land lease arrangements will be negotiated, and a full Inventory of Losses prepared in order to calculate lease payments and final compensation amounts. An independent valuation specialist will be engaged to determine market price or full replacement cost for any affected assets, and provide a third party checking process for determining the value of lease arrangements. It must be noted that with no site identified for the development of a septage treatment facility, it is unknown if the selected site will be government or private land, or if a leasing option is possible. In the further investigation and design work, the resettlement implications must be clear, and the RP updated in line with the Resettlement Framework procedures. Once all lease and compensation agreements have been signed, the PMU will prepare invoices for each eligible AP and submit to the MoFT. The invoices will detail the entitlements of each AP and the payment methods. Solomon Water, with assistance from the PMU will prepare a compensation completion report after the final land negotiations and Inventory of Losses has been completed. Based on the compliance report, ADB will issue NOL (no objection letter) to commence civil work.
9.4. Implementation Schedule Figure 12 presents the projected Implementation Schedule of the RP. In resettlement, there can be delays due to circumstances beyond the control of the project. A key challenge is to achieve negotiated agreements within the timeframe to ensure that project construction is not significantly delayed. This requires appropriate resourcing early in the project. The implementation of the RP will be monitored by the PMU, ensuring risks are identified and mitigated early.
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Figure 12: RP Implementation Schedule
Feb to March 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020
Activities
Preparation of final RP for feasibility phase
Submission of revised final RP to SW/ADB for approval, addressing the comments of ADB
Disclosure of approved RP
Detailed design team commence field work and continue consultation with APs as design decisions are made
RP Updated
Distribution of Information Booklet using Executive Summary as basis
Negotiation of Lease and Compensation Agreements
Allocation of resettlement fund
Delivery of Compensation to APs
▪ Formation of the GRM and timely resolution of disputes / objections ▪ (complaints & grievances)
Will continue in detailed design and throughout Project Implementation Phase Monitoring and reporting to ADB
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10. MONITORING AND REPORTING The PMU through their safeguards team will deliver monitoring and reporting throughout the project cycle. Every 6 months, all safeguards work and monitoring will be collated into a bi-annual Safeguards Report to be submitted to ADB. This provides a focal point for monitoring outcomes, and can flag any issues of concern or risk to be addressed. The PMU bi-annual reports are public documents, providing a transparency to project delivery outcomes. The PMU safeguards staff will also have input into regular project progress reports, ensuring that social and environmental safeguards are captured in an integrated manner. The PMU will document ongoing consultation efforts, recording issues of discussion. This is particularly important during the detailed design phase, with project communities, including their chiefs and elected leaders, informed of the proposed scope of works, construction schedule, grievance redress mechanism, and potential local employment opportunities. It is critical that all consultation meetings present sex-disaggregated data, and if women are not participating equally, the PMU will actively engage with women’s groups to ensure consultation is inclusive. This is essential given that it is women who bear a greater burden from the impacts of poor water supply and sanitation. Monitoring of the RP will include reporting on progress of the activities as indicated in the implementation schedule with particular focus on public consultations, negotiated outcomes for land agreements, payment of compensation, record of grievances and status of complaints and its timely resolution, financial disbursements, and level of satisfaction among APs. Potential generic indicators for monitoring are shown in the table below. ‘
Table 17: Generic Indicators for Monitoring
Aspect Indicators RP implementation General and overall compliance of resettlement activities with the RP, including payment of compensation: (i) full payment to be made to all affected persons before commencement of works; (ii) payment based on market valuation or full replacement cost for affected assets; and
Budget and timeframe Are resettlement implementation activities being achieved against agreed implementation plan? Are funds for resettlement being allocated on time? Has SW received the scheduled funds? Have funds been disbursed according to the RP? Delivery of AP entitlements Have the APs received compensation and/or entitlements for land, trees and structures in accordance with the entitlement matrix? Consultation, grievances and Have resettlement information brochures/leaflets been prepared and distributed? other issues Has the updated RP been disclosed locally? Have consultations taken place as planned? Have any APs used the grievance redress procedure? What were the outcomes? Have conflicts been satisfactorily and timely resolved? AP satisfaction Are APs satisfied with consultation, adequacy of compensation, and timeliness of compensation payment? Is the GRM working as planned, providing a timely and effective resolution process for APs? Effect on livelihoods Have APs’ standards of living been restored or improved? Vulnerable group issues Assessment of the appropriateness and effectiveness of various entitlements, programs and activities and methods of delivery for various vulnerable households and groups, and the need for adjustment or additional measures.
Transparency How information is distributed and to whom, in order to make sure that all APs have proper information and access to knowledge. Functioning of decision-making bodies and how this information is properly recorded and made available
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ANNEX 1 – SUMMARY OF SCOPE OF WORKS, LAND REQUIREMENT AND APS
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ANNEX 2 – COPIES OF TITLES OF LAND FOR LEASE NEGOTIATIONS
Augmenting Reservoir Capacity Subproject Titingge Ridge – John Tupe
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Reservoir Augmentation – Panatina Solomon Islands Water Authority (existing site)
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Kongulai Water Treatment Plant John Katalake and Choylin Douglas
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Kongulai Water Treatment Plant David Anisi
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Sewage Outfalls – Ranadi (Soap) Goodwood (Solomons) Ltd
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Sewage Outfalls and Sewage Pumping Station - Naha KCM Properties Ltd
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Sewage Pumping Station – Point Cruz Solomon Islands Water Authority existing site
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Sewage Pumping Station – King George VI Solomon Islands Water Authority existing site
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Sewage Pumping Station – Vara Creek Solomon Islands Water Authority existing site
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Sewage Pumping Station – Tuvaruhu Solomon Islands Water Authority existing site
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White River Trunk Mains TOL – Redley Sale
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Kwaeota Family- White River Trunk Mains. FTE 50 years until 3034. Available in SW file.
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ANNEX 3: SUMMARY OF STAKEHOLDER & WORKSHOP CONSULTATIONS
SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS
Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project (UWSSSP) Public Consultation for Stakeholders Honiara Hotel 20th and 21st February 2019
MINUTES OF STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS
MC – Michelle Maelaua Opening Prayer – Ray Andresen Welcome Remarks/House Keeping/Brief Outline – Michelle Maelaua Introductions – Every Participant Presentations 1. Vision and Mission, SW Strategic Plan, Current Situation and Focus areas in future – Ian Gooden (IG) – Solomon Water 2. Project Background, Funding and Project Administration - Mark Waite (MW) - Solomon Water 3. Project Concept Details – Sonia (Egis) 4. Draft RP Disclosure and ADB Safeguards Policy – Lulu Zuniga Carmine (Egis)
Participants (see attendance sheet)
20th February 2019 No. Question/Comments Raised By Response Response By 1 Ongoing Consultations Atenasi Ata - This is start of the process; IG SICCI there will be further consultations during the detailed design process and approvals for designs. 2 Will illegal settlers be John Tupe – Will depend on assessment Lulu compensated more than Tintinge and valuation of affected Landowners? Landowner property and as per SIG market valuation 3 Suggested coordination Mike Qaqara - Noted and will coordinate MW with phase 2 road MID with road consultants consultants on design to
avoid cutting through
newly constructed Kukum Highway
Pre-treatment at outfalls MW Will use designs as per AS/NZ Dispersion Industrial/Business waste standards for appropriate and discharges MW dilution and dispersion. EIA Report Assess application and type of discharge, pre-treatment if necessary
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No. Question/Comments Raised By Response Response By 4 Concern on high Jessica SIG is reviewing MW, IG installation cost of water Warahiru- submissions to reduce the meters SIWIBA different fees SW plans to use pre-paid meters to help households manage budget water expense 5 Why ADB policy and Duddley ADB policy refers to Lulu, Sonia compensation focus on Teuwauri - HCC vulnerable households women and not youths? which includes female, youth and male that are low income 6 Delivery of WASH and Mike Qaqara - International NGO to be MW coordination with MID MID engaged for delivery of wash in collaboration with local NGO’s Happy to support coordination at design stage especially in the provinces IWC to help identify delivery mechanisms of WASH in informal settlements. 7 Why is water in SI Ellen – Ex SW Government subsidies in Fiji IG expensive compared to and candidate for is about 80% whilst in SI it Fiji or PNG National is about 2% Parliamentary Current cost reflects cost for Elections providing the service 8 Meter reading based on Holmes - SICA Raise issue with Customer IG estimates Care through Michelle to High water bills address Schools and Churches Was considered but not should not be classed as allowed under SW Commercial customers policy/classification rules 9 Consideration for climate Gareth - OXFAM Climate change report Sonia proofing of infrastructure compiled and will support Were environmental the detailed design input. issues addressed in the GCF application will be design submitted next month that addresses adaptation and not mitigation 10 Was the previous JICA Mike Qaqara - No but this project will build MW improvements ineffective MID on improvements by JICA from Supply Duration of 5hrs to 22hrs, target is 24 hrs. 11 Note logging activities Tautele – SW is aware and is working Ray around Kongulai area Kongulai with relevant authorities Andresen Landowner rep. such as Forestry and ECD to address.
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No. Question/Comments Raised By Response Response By 12 Coordination and Spencer Ala – SI Agree to consult and work IG working together with Ports Authority in close collaboration with SIPA for future demand (SIPA) SIPA Outfall at Port area SIPA to provide a forecast for future requirements 13 PPP and capacity Mathew - MOFT Major projects would MW building opportunity for require international local contractors expertise and experience Could local contractors because of the value, bid for works nature and complexity of projects SW want to encourage local participations as subcontractors or JV Propose contractor’s forum for information sharing in April this year 14 Challenges for water Elma – Live and IWC work to help identify IG, MW access to informal Learn delivery mechanisms of settlements and peri- WASH in informal urban areas settlements. SW will be consulting with NGO’s working in this area to support effective project design and delivery. 15 Propose boring option Mike Qaqara - Noted as a key issue and IG over open cut MID concern and will look into construction methods for exploring boring options roads 16 Any support to Beven - SIDT SW is legislated to provide IG village/rural supplies to for urban areas including support SIDT’s ‘Helpem peri-urban areas only and Village People’ theme not rural areas
21st February 2019 No. Question/Comments Raised By Response Response By 1 Affordability of water David Quan – High costs of living IG KCM Properties NRW Macro-economic environmental High electricity cost Subsidy by SIG very low 2 Increase in production Manuta - 32ml/day MW 32ml/ day UNICEF Focus is on physical loss to Climate change and expand services water security Future expansion on treatment plant at Lungga Draft report on climate issues and water security to be issued when available WASH program
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No. Question/Comments Raised By Response Response By 3 15 outfalls to 3 Nancy Solo - Contract in place with xx for IG, MW Water quality testing HCC water quality sampling and testing To continue pre- construction to post construction Only 20% on sewerage Urban WASH program 4 Future demand for SP Frank Lui- SINU Currently working with MW Games 2023 games committee to address 5 Market value Bruno Mesach – Depends on the Lulu, IG Solomon Power Resettlement Plan Evaluation of entitlement If no title, only compensation for improvements and not on land Most properties will be SW- owned or in road reserves Minimal resettlement and compensation 6 Land owner offered their AE Enterprise Not needed at the moment IG land as available land at but options are open. East Honiara for future Contact SW on details development if required by SW 7 Does the Budget reflect Manuta - Lobbying for more money MW the priorities UNICEF to optimize benefits IWC 8 Kongulai WTP to treat Frank Lui - SINU Key project in the project to MW water and address address issues highlighted shutdown during high turbidity 9 Ground water David Quan – MMERE responsible IG contamination – KCM Properties regulatory body Boreholes 25 boreholes 65%. Risk of Regulations to govern contamination. borehole and sealing Over suction – risk of salt unregulated ones intrusion 12 chlorine station (disinfect) Damage to aquifer 10 Timeframe for Kongulai Solbrew Major investment with MW and measures to ensure construction expected in water is safe early 2020. 11 Logging at Kongulai and David Quan – Declare the area as a RA acquisition for catchment KCM Properties regulated Catchment Area
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No. Question/Comments Raised By Response Response By Not defined but working with relevant agencies for this Complex 12 East Kola operational Frank Lui - SINU Yes, in operations since IG March 2018 13 Awareness programs for Patrick - ADRA Current engagement with MM, IG water safety and security high school students for schools Behavioral changes WASH program ($2m) also involves 14 Standards in schools UNICEF To share manual with SW IG Develop Technical Design Manual – tool to help technology choices, water table, toilet options targeted for school
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2018
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CONSULTATIONS (INCLUDING LUNGGA RIVER THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM PROJECT SCOPE)
2018 CONSULTATIONS (INCLUDING LUNGGA RIVER THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM PROJECT SCOPE)
Stakeholder Issues consulted on Brief output of discussions/Opinion / Suggestions
Communities and Water - Existing water related practices; • Varied sources are used – SW, rain water, bottled water, bore well water, river individual households Status of water supply; Perceived quality, and sea water, based on the type of use. (Informal settlements quantity and sufficiency of water supply from • A ou ts a e paid ased o ete s, e do s ills, ost of ottled ate as – LordHowe, – primary and secondary sources; Water demanded by the sellers, river and sea is free. Burns Creek and storage practices; Role of water vendors; • Some communities are satisfied with what they have. Fulisango) Time spent to access water; Responsibility for • Purification not used as SW, rain water and bottled water is considered safe. water collection at household level; • Some communities have metered SW supply and water is shared with other Purification of drinking water; Household community members on payment. expenditure on water; Willingness to pay for water; Service delivery of SW Toilets (latrines) - Presence of toilets in households; Existing practices; Perceived need for toilets at home; Type of toilet at home (pit/sanitary); Challenge related to open defecation Management of waste water - Disposal of waste from toilets, domestic use Health & hygiene - Hand washing practices – before cooking, before eating; after defecation Communication needs & preferred media - Preferred communication method for generating engagement, participation and awareness on good practices Involvement of women – in water, health & hygiene practices NGO – Live and Learn Health and hygiene education need and • Involved in health and hygiene awareness and education programs with possible involvement of the organization. informal settlement and schools under Honiara City Council.
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Stakeholder Issues consulted on Brief output of discussions/Opinion / Suggestions • They have WASH training materials which they have already delivered in Vanuatu, PNG and Fiji. • They proposed establishment of community water committee for sustainability of the project assets and improved practice with representation of all groups in the community. • They can help develop water committee guidelines ensuring sustainable management of the water supply and sanitation facilities. Thus generating community ownership of the created assets. NGO - World Vision Health and hygiene education need and • Has partnered with RWASH to develop safe water policy for MHMS, and possible involvement in the health and focusing mainly on rural communities hygiene promotion program of the project. • The program a ed Citize Voi e A tio as ta geted fo Lo d Ho e Discussed on the possibility of creating settlement, Fulisango and White River. boreholes if necessary and upon the willingness to contribute by the community.
DA School Betikama The school board was informed of the SW • Would cooperate as and when necessary. project study on upper stream of Lungga river and that there will be detailed study later. School board will be asked to assist if there need arises. SDA School Kukundu The school board was informed of the SW • Would cooperate as and when necessary Western Province project study and made aware of project benefits if the Gizo project intakes come from Kolombangara. KG Vl School Informed school board of some minor • Would cooperate as and when necessary. impacts that may be caused on the school properties during the course of the SW project construction. Detailed consultations will follow once the design is complete. Government School The project objectives and current status of • Present state of drinking water in schools Teachers water and sanitation in schools • Toilet facilities in schools • Any difference in govt. and private schools • Activities in promoting hygiene awareness on hand washing and use of latrines
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Stakeholder Issues consulted on Brief output of discussions/Opinion / Suggestions Solomon Water Project proponent • Project details Authority • Strategy for 30 years • Role of other stakeholders and mechanisms of cooperation for the project • Dealing with private water operators/providers • Expected benefits for communities and institutions • User charges – pipe connections and other equipment as necessary • Preferred communication methods for different types of stakeholders • Waka Mere Commitment to Action project Ministry of Health & Discussed project objectives and key role of • In its Endeavour to deliver hygiene awareness education programs for informal Medical Services health and hygiene education in the project communities and schools in Honiara, designed National Health & Hygiene and areas where RWASH could be a training materials for all national hospitals, clinics and NGOs around the stakeholder for SW. country. • Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and quality of training on the practices of the community members. • Review hygiene awareness and education program annually from lessons learned from past programs. • Developed and distribute hygiene awareness newsletters for schools, church groups, rural clinics and vocational training centers. • Have data and statistics on water related diseases from Vura, Mataniko, Rove and White River clinics for 2015 & 2016 and will continue to do so at the request of the SW as and when needed. • Conduct periodical monitoring SW water services to identify if the service has improved or is unhygienic and report its finding to SW management. • Can provide support for developing MIS. Honiara City Council Discussed health and hygiene programs • Assist MHMS to deliver hygiene awareness promotion through city health undertaken and possible role in the project. clinics within Honiara city boundary. • Design and review hygiene awareness and education materials and distribution to rural health clinics, schools, institutions and NGOs for continuous hygiene awareness and promotion programs. • Perform awareness programs on power point to schools and communities as resource persons and only on invitation. Ministry of Women, • Have existing partnership with Ministry of Education on WASH. This is presently Youth & Children working on introduction of sanitary napkins in schools, working against Affairs domestic violence against women, developing provincial policies on health and
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Stakeholder Issues consulted on Brief output of discussions/Opinion / Suggestions hygiene, major targeted inte e tio fo o e s e po e e t is th ough economic empowerment of women. • Working with other international donors like – AusAid, UNWOMEN and SPC. • Can assist Solomon Water in educating women to conserve water and encourage them to pay water bills regularly. Ministry of Dis ussio o the “W s 30 ea st ateg o • The implementation program is likely to have land acquisition impacts which Infrastructure water and waste water management and how would affect private land owners along road corridors, for pumping stations, Development (MID) infrastructures need to be developed and overhead tanks, laying of pipes and the like. MID as stakeholder will provide managed. best advices in minimizing destruction to road corridors after the current road Also discussed potential land acquisition for improvement project completes. the project. • Develop new roads from SDA Betikana College to proposed Lungga upper river intakes.
Private water Blue Water Visited twice, but could not contact the owner or the Manager. providers Solomon Water Discussions with the Communication Team • Communication programs conducted by SW • Mainly for schools and communities. • Motivating women to get connected to SW water, pay on time, water use practices discussed, developing savings clubs to facilitate payment • No visits made to observe activities and behaviors or impact assessments • Materials used - Power point presentations, brochures, video clips, messages put on rulers, pencils, water bottles. Sometimes, questions are put in the test papers. • Messages are mainly on water management and hand washing • Plans being formulated on selecting an Ad Agency for more communication related actions • Ad Agencies being considered – Today Solomons/Small Business Magazine/Barava FM Szetu Enterprise Discussion with the Secretary to Manager and • Water is from boreholes Sales Assistance • Produce 3000+ bottles each day, 600ml + the big ones • Supply to other towns and provinces also • SW supply is unreliable, sometimes too much Chlorine and particles float • Rain water is harvested by most • Szeba water is certified every month by MHMS, have test certificates
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Stakeholder Issues consulted on Brief output of discussions/Opinion / Suggestions • Cost: 19 lts – 36.50 SBD and 600ml – 4 SBD • Also produce hard and soft drinks • Do t fa e u h o petitio , all is sold. Possi le o petito s a e the other pvt suppliers – Blue Water, Sasa Water, V Fresh, a new one is coming soon
MoHS Hygiene and Education Coordinators • The IEC materials are old and do not have any to spare • In the process of developing new ones • Currently reviewing the old ones for modification HCC Chief Health and Sanitation, Health and • Under Honiara City Act that mandates to provide – Sanitation Div. HCC - Waste management services - Health services (has clinics with doctors and nurses) - Education Services • There are 10 zones, 6 are directly catered by HCC for SWM, 4 by private services – have open trucks to collect solid waste • About 80 tons of waste is generated each day • Honiara has 65,000 population, he perceived it to be 80,000 with several new settlements getting added each day • HCC charges 400 to 1075 SBD for cleaning septic tanks for each visit from residential and commercial establishments respectively • Solid waste and septage waste is dumped at the same site • Pvt. Service providers charge 800 to 1000 SBD for the same • HCC monitors water quality for SW as well as pvt. Water suppliers • Septic tanks are cleaned when they overflow and the neighbors start to complain • HCC sanctions building plans and provides size of septic tanks, no inspection is done nor is construction monitored. Completion and occupancy certificates are issued by HCC • Weekly schedules are drawn and water quality is tested for SW as well as pvt. Water suppliers • SW had major issues in water quality, JICA upgraded the facilities, now all is well • License for pvt. Water providers is given by HCC, inspect the source and output, certificate is issued
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Stakeholder Issues consulted on Brief output of discussions/Opinion / Suggestions • Generally, 8000 gallons of tank is seen. Perceived to be mix of SW + boreholes + rain water, treated and sold • There is a communication unit doing IEC • SW is a member of the water quality committee • There is no coordination between ministries and departments for waste water and other activities, all work parallel • Does not know much about this project, perhaps the higher ups meet • Some discussions are going on for regularizing the i fo al settle e ts….this will be a good move to put in means and methods – people can be asked to organize proper sanitation mechanisms • Discussions are going on with World Bank for greater Honiara • Children are affected by stomach problems, absenteeism increases • His dep t does the following also - - Environment learning centers for school children on waste management at dump sites. There are scavengers (children and adults both) at the dump sites who collect and sell to recyclers - Composting (city has high organic waste) – domestic composting is not done, will be good if taken up - School children are taken to Botanical Garden in Honiara and taught about plants and environment • There is a 10 year waste management plan prepared by HCC. But take it forward HCC needs to open up gates to donors and funding agencies
WHO/ Ministry of National Surveillance Coordinator • Early warning of diseases – Health & Medical - Outbreak Services - Only syndromes surveillance - Monitor 5 diseases every week o Acute fever and rash o Diarrhea o Influenza like illness o Prolonged fever o Dengue like illness • Infection control • Disaster management
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Stakeholder Issues consulted on Brief output of discussions/Opinion / Suggestions • Implementation of international health regulation • Outbreaks in 2014 and 2015 – more than 20 died in each year • Rota virus is an important virus to control – affects young children below 5 yrs. Hygiene is the key issue here. The death toll was more from informal settlements
SUMMARY OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION WORKSHOP Honiara 13th July, 2018
1. Dennis Meone, Chief Executive Officer, Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CEO, SICCI) The project information should be widely dispersed and made available to the wider public. The SICCI would disseminate information to its members. Information related to the project phases should be made known and available, specifying who might be directly affected by any new infrastructure Solomon Water plans to install in Honiara, e.g. digging of drains or laying of pipes. If SICCI members are affected so they would make advance plans to accommodate these impacts. All project initiatives should be made available to SICCI so that these can be shared to the Business community and the Private sector. The roads that are currently being constructed and improved, would new water infrastructure destroy these? It was explained that new infrastructure laid will be alongside the road, not across it and if it requires crossing the road, that it will be underneath the road, not directly across the road.
2. Mr. Charles Kelly, City Clerk, Honiara City Council (HCC) He hoped that the interest shown by ADB, EU and World Bank would continue & have a positive impact on the City and hoped that the study currently being undertaken will not end up being in the shelves. A lot of planning is required to develop logistics and that is yet to be seen and noted. The City is growing very fast and rapidly and so are the challenges they bring for accommodating more people. This also means more people needing more water to drink and use. The city is moving eastwards as more people are shifting and building houses towards the east. The concern is that even within the city itself, people are not able to access water, they are still collecting water from boreholes where they have already been living for the last ten to twenty (10 to 20) years. Under these circumstances if the issue of access to water within the city itself is not addressed then how effectively can the greater Honiara be served. • The HCC needs to be more involved in the logistics and planning of designs by SW. He suggested flexibility in the current Solomon Water policy12 especially with regards to allowing more people to have access to water. The current Policy states one must be the owner of a piece of land or one must have title to the land before water connection is provided. This deters people from accessing water specifically those in the informal settlements such as Gilbert Camp and the Border line areas where communities have been living for the last 10 to 20 years and are still collecting water from streams. They have been continually approaching HCC to support and pleading for access to piped water. The Waste Water treatment plant is also necessary as the project presentations revealed and identified the outfalls on the sea-fronts polluting such areas completely. At the same time people are using sea water to wash their fish. The solution to these challenges would be through improved technology and although it is going to be an expensive exercise, the City clerk hoped that ADB, EU and the World Bank will be able to resolve the challenges of pollution through the construction of a Waste- Water Treatment Plant.
12 Prepared by Solomon Islands Water Authority (SIWA)
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HCC is in the process of reviewing its City Council Building Ordinance which was developed 30 years back. It is still being used but the Council wants to improve on it by inserting a Risk and Disaster Assessment clause. The buildings and structures on the slopes or close to river beds should able to assess risks. The Ordinance is silent on the system and processes on how water contamination is continuing. SW is on the Town and Country Planning Board and a member of SW usually attends the Board meetings. HCC would like SW to contribute to improving the Building Ordinance and develop disaster risk assessment and management clause so that those not adhering will not be issued permits to build. Once the building ordinance happens, then Honiara will have proper sewage or soak pits. The houses in Honiara are small, designed for small families. That is why the small septic tanks get filled up very quickly when 10 or more people are using the toilets in less than three to four months. We have to make some connections to the main system or introduce the technology these Japanese are introducing. When you come with the building plan, you also study the permit as to which is the best plan. The system set up in Saint Nicholas school is very good. We did t do osti g fo septi ta ks a d that it has to be dug up every 7 to 10 years. The other concern the City Clerk has is the issue of lack of public toilets due to lack of land. He appealed to SW to work closely with HCC to identify land so that more public toilets can be built. The discussions were Honiara focused and there is a need to know if the project would consider towns such as Noro & Auki and others. He also wanted to know about Gizo s situatio . Honiara Environment is also important, we have a lot of rain, people are living very close to each other hence sanitation system and Building Ordinance is important. 3. Andrew Mua, Mayor of Honiara City Council The Mayor is concerned that the Sea in front of Honiara is totally contaminated and he feels that SW is ignoring this while people continue to use the sea water to wash fish that is being sold in the main Honiara market and at village markets. HCC usually carries out sampling of the sea water every two days and it has been proven over and over again that the sea water is 100% contaminated. Due to this concern, the Mayor asserted that rather than constructing the Sewerage Treatment Plant in the second Phase, it is given priority by installing simple sewage treatment plant with extended outfalls further out to sea that will help to alleviate the u e t polluted ate f o ts. He ited ho the efflue t f o the GG s alle flo s right down to Naha and into the Kukum sea front which is polluted. The Mayor also expressed concern about the destruction og the new road for new construction of new infrastructure for this project. He asserted that all the damage to the roads in Honiara are done by three organizations mainly - SW, Telekom and SIEA (Solomon Power). If everyone puts their heads together and these future developments are mapped out by all stakeholders and partners, there would be less damage done. The Mayor mentioned that he has not seen Solomon Water enforcing the SW Act which is a very powerful Act specially to evict people who build houses close to the bore holes. All that he has seen is the disconnection of water meters he people do t pa . He ited the e a ple of the Bota i al Ga de s fo hi h HCC de olished houses built in that area because they are too close to the water source. This was easy because HCC had jurisdiction, title and ownership over the area. He would like SW to take authority and enforce the SIWA Act especially in the Panatina area for which SW has title and ownership. The Mayor s fou th o e as that the Co sulta osts a e highe tha the P oje t itself. This should ha e ee used fo the p oject itself. The Ma o o e ted that HCC does dail he ks of ate a d HCC has fou d that ottled ate s su h as Blue Wate s ottled Wate is ot as lea o as safe as “W s piped water. Water from SW is checked and it has been proven that it is clean and safe to drink. HCC has also fou d that “W s piped ate is ottled lo al o pa ies a d sold i the shops. Blue Wate , a tuall gets water from bore holes. 4. Mike from Ministry of Industry and Development (MID) Mo e k o ledge is e ui ed o “olo o Wate s 30 ea “t ategi pla e ause he o u de sta ds that ost of the i f ast u ture and contractors will be working along the main highways. The new highway being constructed is from the Honiara City Council to the Ministry of Fisheries at Kukum. The next phase of improvement will be from Ministry of Fisheries to the Airport after the development of the new International Airport whi h ill e i th ee to fou ea s ti e. MID has i itiated talks ith ADB a out fu di g a project for the improvement of the road from the roundabout at the Ministry of Finance right up to White river on which a new four (4) lane road is being planned.
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If all these pla s, MID s pla s as ell as “olo o Wate s pla s a e ette oo di ated, the o k ould e i ple e ted at around the same time frame so that issues such as relocation, shifting of utilities can be avoided. MID has learnt from past experience and with the current road works that a big chunk of money gets spent just for elo atio a d la d a uisitio . If MID is a a e of “olo o Wate s 30 ea “t ategi pla , espe iall of futu e a ti ities MID can also align their work plans and programs ith that of “W s. He as assu ed Ia Goode that a op ould e ade a aila le to hi a d also the e site he ould go to access a soft copy. He made SW aware that the location for the proposed site for the outfall in Rove is being planned for a recreational area. It would be very unpleasant to have an outfall located next to a recreational site. The other concern was about the sewage line that is being planned to run from Tuvaruhu, Vara creek the Mataniko area and connect to the National Referral Hospital Pump station. The China Town area needs to be included along the way with the Mataniko and Vara Creek areas as it is a commercial area and currently, most of the rubbish and solid waste from this area is being dumped in the Mataniko River creating an environmental hazard. The China Town should be included Tuvaruhu, Vara Creek and Mataniko main sewage line that will be connected to the National referral hospital pump station. In the first presentation, it was mentioned that there would be a reduction of 15 Outfalls to 4. There is a need to know the sewage treatment plants would also be reduced. 5. Kenneth, Property Manager, Solomon Islands National University, (SINU) Kenneth emphasized the importance of water quality and that the quality of water will be an issue as more students are enrolled and accommodated at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU). In a Student Protest which took place earlier in the year, one of the issues highlighted i the stude t s petitio p ese ted to the “INU Ma age e t as the ualit of ate i the stude ts hostels. It is a i po ta t issue e ause the ualit of ate ill ha e i pa ts o the health of the students. The other issue is about land. They have received a communication about SINU land. However, if Solomon Water is interested in using SINU land, both SINU and Solomon Water need to discussions because SINU has its own land use plan. More discussions will enable both organizations to coordi ate a d alig ea h othe s pla s. His third point was on Sewage. Currently, the houses and buildings on each of the three SINU campuses, Panatina, Ranadi and Kukum are all using septic tanks connected to each building. However, SINU is interested in Solo o Wate s futu e pla s of li ki g the se age to a Waste Wate T eat e t pla t. 6. Janet Tuhaika from the National Council of Women (NCW) A large scale communication dissemination by SW is necessary across to all levels of the community/society especially to the ordinary household. Although Janet has been living in Honiara for many years, much of the information presented is new to her and is quite technical. General mass need to understand the information so that they will be able to appreciate not only the work that SW will be doing but also the challenges that SW will faces in trying to provide water. It is the issue of access and affordability to clean water that are important. A number of people in her community usually buy bottled water for drinking from the shops because they do not trust the water that comes from SW. It is known that SW has had issues with the Kongulai water source which is sometimes shut down by the land owners. Such acts affect people, the project needs to address these issues. 7. Debra from the Ministry of Environment Debra noted that the Solomon Water project will have impacts on the environment and she emphasized the importance of the project to include Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Land acquisition are also important and Social Impact Assessment is also necessary. 8. Ian Gooden The people have been using creeks and streams for many years. However, he has also noticed in his many walks through parts of the city that people have been siphoning off water through little pipes and gadgets connected to the main pipes. One of the biggest problems and challenges Solomon Water faces is that people generally are reluctant to pay for water and expect free water. Should people want free water, they will have to collect it themselves from the streams using their buckets but if they want Solomon Water to pump the water, treat it and deliver it to their houses, they will have to pay for the added service.
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Most people can pay for water, because when they make calls to complain about their water disconnections, they are using a cell phone to make the call. So it seems as if they are prioritizing buying cell phones over paying water, which they would rather steal. This is quite a big and challenging issue which Solomon water is confronted with. The Solomon Water Communications team headed by Michelle will e o u i ati g the essage to people a d letti g the k o that, People ho steal ate a e actually stealing money from you and I because we are subsidizing and paying for that water for them! It is therefore, the paying customer/client who ends up paying more as a esult of people steali g ate f o illegal ate o e tio s. Regarding waste water, future Outfalls will be extended further out into the ocean where there is more ocean currents which will take the effluent away and give better flushing and dilution. Screens will also be put on the outfalls to screen out plastics and larger solids so that the actual biological loading into the ocean is reduced. While the construction of the wastewater treatment plant is still many, many years away, the upgrades planned for the pump stations will have a major effect on the quality of the effluent. Because the Outfalls will be extended further out, it means the effluent will not be coming back on to the foreshore and we should be expecting these significant improvements within a year or two. The City Council has planned the city into zones with conditions on building sites for people to adhere to. The SW General Manager sought the support of the City Clerk in enforcing legislation and managing the water catchment areas in the city. For example, Solomon Water has a catchment area in Panatina and another one in the Rove area. SW has not been actively managing and enforcing legislation in these areas but if they are to start activating legislation, they will be evicting people from these areas. There will be no point in building a house with a septic tank quite close to a bore hole because there will be direct contamination of the water source/table. It will be in enforcing the legislation around the management of the boreholes and water sources that SW is seeking the support of the City Clerk and the Honiara City Council. With regards to Informal settlements, Solomon Water is seeking solutions as to how it could be more inclusive and accommodating of these areas. Donors such as the Eu opea U io a d the ADB a e sho i g pa ti ula i te est i “olo o Wate s app oa h. One of the major challenges Solomon Water has encountered with informal settlements is people refusing to pay their water accounts and bills. For example, two years ago, Solomon Water officers were chased out of Burns Creek and threatened with weapons because they had gone into the area to disconnect water meters from lack of payment of bills. A lot of Solomon Water infrastructure was also smashed and damaged. For safety purposes, Solomon Water has had to withdraw their services from the area but are still optimistic and if settlers in the Burns Creek area have a changed attitude and are willing to pay for Solo o Wate s se i es, “olo o Wate is open to further discussions and negotiations. A probable solution to the above challenge in informal settlements would be to install Cash water. Similar to Cash Power and the use of cell phones, people disconnect themselves when they choose not to pay for top ups. It would therefore be a case of, no top up for cash water, no water!! Solomon Water has found though, that people use less water and are a lot more conscious of the cost of water when they have to pay for Cash Water. Everyone including the a toks a d elati es i the house a all hip-in, each contributing $50.00 to buy more water if the water stops. This will work better than paying for water through a water meter in which users will keep using the water and just taking it for granted until they have accumulated an account of say $5000.00 which they will not be able to pay. In the long run, installing Cash water would be a win-win situation for everyone. The SW General Manager appealed to the City Clerk and the Mayor to communicate, collaborate and work together with SW in dealing with and managing people in the informal settlements. If there were less people in the informal settlements or if SW had more control over how the informal settlements are developing and growing, or even if the settlers could be moved to formal settlements, SW would be able to work better to supply water. Discussions between Solomon Water and the Western Province have been ongoing for the past two years with the SW Board agreeing in principle to future plans planned for Gizo. The positive aspect of the project is that Donor funding has been secured and includes the PPA project. A requirement in the donor funding includes funding for enough staff to manage the water project in Gizo which is currently needed. The Gizo project will be cash water based from its set-up. Talks are on with Western province for the past two years. One of the requirements included on the donor funding is that salaries for much needed Solomon Water staff be included to manage and operate the Gizo project.
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When Solomon Water takes ownership over the project, the Cash Water system will have to be introduced starting from day one. Solomon Water could take over the project tomorrow but it would be a bit of an embarrassment for Solomon Water and the Government as there is no water yet. Everybody would be questioning Solomon Water where the water is, therefore, SW is not going there yet. However, there has been a lot of work done in Gizo, with Solomon Water working with the Ministry of Mines and Energy to look at short term solutions, including building dams such as at Tirokogu and the Mile 2. The Rural WASH programme has also been looking at water supplies and providing equipment to villagers such as water tanks and iron roofing to catch rain water However, a lot of water has either been lost or stolen as the water is piped and comes past villages and in through to the town. Ian highlighted the issue about the brand new, highly automated water treatment plant that was built in 2012. While it is brand new and highly automated, there is no water coming to and through it. A long term solution, therefore, has to be found to address the issue of water in Gizo. One of the options is to build a dam on Kolombangara Island and bring the water down through pipes into the ocean and up to Gizo. Donor funding will have to be sought to build the dam and pipe the water to GIzo from Kolombangara. Although the initial set-up would be expensive, the operation cost for piped water from Kolombangara would be cheaper, making the water in Gizo very cheap. The second option is to build a Desalinization plant. A desalinization plant would be cheaper to build but in the long run, will be very expensive to run and the cost of replacing the membranes and parts that would eventually break down would make the cost of water higher and more expensive. The option of using donor funding to build something bigger like a dam, which can be operated at a lower cost is more appealing and is a more likely choice. A similar scenario is happening in Tulagi where water is piped through gravity feeding from the main island in Gela, with the pipes coming on top of the reef and up on to the island of Tulagi. There is no need for pumps, and people in Tulagi have access to water twenty four hours a day. This would be the kind of solution Solomon Water would be looking at for Gizo. Solomon Water is doing the best it can with the resources it has and conceded that there is contamination of the sea water with some of the outfalls. (The GM showed on a map, the areas SW is responsible for in the city, about a 1/4 of the total city) whereas the rest of the city is either on septic tanks, long drops, open defecation and use of the bush. Firstly, that streams and rivers in the city have become brown and black due to contamination from pig pens built over rivers and streams and secondly, from all the houses that have very poor septic tanks and exacerbated by the geology of the city which does not attenuate effluent well. There was acknowledgement that in some areas, Solomon Water is putting in more sewage, but there is a very large area, about 80% of the city made up of the domestic parts of the city which is contaminating the river and the water courses as well. Solomon Water is trying, over time, to improve the collection of sewage in the areas for example, in the Rove area. Rove is still not up to standards yet, but SW is trying to pump the Sewage from Rove to the foreshore right next to the cinema and it will eventually find its way to Point Cruz. Eventually, the Outfalls will be extended further out into the sea which will enable better flow and dilution. At the moment, SW is financially constrained and it is trying to negotiate an increase in its fees with the government but this will take a couple of months. An increase in the fees would enable SW to make more improvements because at the moment, SW is absolutely reliant on donors and its own small contributions. The other areas which are priority to Solomon Water are the Tuvaruhu and the Vara Creek areas in which there is direct discharge of sewage into the Mataniko River. Thirty percent 30% of the it s populatio ill e o e ted to the “e age T eat e t Pla t. At the o e t, “olo o Wate s a ea of espo si ilit is elati el s all i terms of the entire city and will increase to about 30% of the total city while the rest will be the responsibility of the Honiara City Council. While it may be small area, Solomon Water is still seeking the support of the City Council. Over time, responsibilities might change but currently, that is where SW responsibilities are. Part of the project includes some septage facility which Mark has mentioned, but most of the city will use septic tanks which is the responsibility of the City Council to monitor and manage. Septic tanks will need regular cleaning which people need to pay for. If a septic tank is not cleaned out, the overflow will seep out and be discharged into the ground, and into the streams. In Honiara, the septic system is further exacerbated by its topography and geology, made up of coral rock which is not permeable and does not provide good biological treatment and attenuation.
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Ian explained that in a septic system, a septic tank is constructed and fitted with pipes about two feet long and extended into the ground. It is covered with gravel all around and is shallow, enabling aeration and oxygen flow which allows bio-film and bugs to grow. When effluent comes into the septic tank at a very low rate, the bugs will eat the sewage. The septic tanks built in Honiara are usually constructed with an end chamber at the bottom with no disposal fuel which will allow for vaporization and transpiration. When the effluent is discharged into the septic tank, it goes directly into the ground and because the coral rock does not attenuate it, the waste water finds its way into the water course. This is the reason why SW is very concerned about human development taking place near its boreholes. Solomon Water will not dig up the brand new road in the next twenty five years. If there is a need to place pipes across the road, a tunnel dug underneath the road will probably be the best solution. Pipes can be pushed underneath the g ou d usi g a te h i ue alled the Th ust. “olo o Wate ill do all it a to p ote t the oad. In the Rove Area, there are Sewage main trunks that will run from Rove to Point Cruz and Solomon Water will certainly be working with MID in advance on this. If there are pipe lines that Solomon Water needs to install in future, they will have them prepared for when the MID road project will be will be working in the Rove area to White river area so that Solomon Water does not need to come back to work in the area after MID has done the work but the two organizations can complete the work together. With regards to the China town area, Solomon Water will look more into the issue and could pick up areas along the way but currently, these areas of responsibility come under the Honiara City Council to manage. Ian explained that once the water goes though the water meter o to othe people s p ope t “olo o Wate a ot gua a tee the ualit of ate . Even water collected from roofs into tanks could be dirty, however, the water provided at the water meter by Solomon Water meets World standards at about 98% of the time. Water supplies in Honiara from the Kongulai water source are chlorinated and Solomon Water is doing some extra work to improve the quality. This is because when it rains, the Kongulai water source gets some sediment and silt so it has to be shut down. Solomon water is considering putting in filters on the Kongulai water supply so water can be supplied at twenty four hours a day. SW tests and monitors the quality of the water. The Ministry of Health also does a bit of testing on the water so generally, about 98% of the time, Solomon water meets the World Health Standard in terms of e-coli and coliforms which may cause stomach aches and problems. So generally, Solomon Water is compliant with World Health Standards. Solomon Water has a separate dedicated water quality team whose only role is to manage the water quality. If there is any concern by the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) on the qualit of ate , “INU a app oa h “W ho ould o du t so e tests o “INU s p ope t a d lo atio s a d ide tif he e the sou ce of the problem might be. Ian explained that it is the heavy rain catchment that usually affects the quality of water as the water gets dirty. In terms of the Konguali source, Solomon Water has been facing land issues at Kongulai and if the Lungga plant water source is up and running or is in operation, Kongulai may have to be shut down because of the land issues. SW has experienced issues with the land owners but if they are interested in providing an ongoing solution, then SW might be prepared to continue using that water source. Solomon Water has also had lengthy discussions and representations with the Government and its various Ministers. It has been working with the Ministry of Land to actually hold the lease to Kongulai which is currently leased by the government through the Ministry of Lands. Land ownership over water sources is a contentious issue and is the same with all Solo o Wate s sou es su h as i )iata i No o, Tulagi a d ost of the pla es i hi h “olo o Wate does ot o the la d. “olomon Water is working with the government to resolve these issues but it is a slow process and will take time to finalize. “W s fi st ph si al o ks a d o t a ts ill e ased i Auki ithi the e t t o o ths. With regards to the construction of waste water plants, there is secure funding from European Union which has been available for the last three years. Secondly, Funding from ADB has also been secured and confirmed but it still needs to be signed off by the Government as the Government will be the entity overseeing/managing the funding. Some of that funding will be in the form of loans and some will be in grants. SW has also been assured of the World Bank funding facility. It is not much and Solomon water will be going back to them in three ea s ti e du i g WB s e t fu di g cycle to seek more funding.
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If the donor funding does not come through, then we are in big trouble, but that is a risk that we will take. From the number of customers we have who are registered in Honiara, there are about 9,000 registered customers. If the average Honiara household comprises of five to seven people, then in total, Solomon Water is servicing about eighty thousand people. Although we will have access to European Union money/funding, it will be channeled through ADB which will be administering it. The World Bank money will come as a separate source of funding which will come later so it is a little bit more in-secure but we are doing everything we can to secure it. I Auki, No o a d Tulagi, “olo o Wate s usto e ase is u h s alle a d is the efo e o l se i i g a ouple of thousa ds hi h is h ALL of “olo o Wate s attention is in Honiara. Because of the spurt of growth in Honiara, water and waste water are absolutely important. Honiara takes up about 98 % of my time and also why all of our establishment and focus is on Honiara. There are SW Water Officers looking after the Provinces, otherwise, most of the attention is on Honiara. The other one is Green Climate fund. We are putting together an application which will be submitted to the Green Climate fund. One of these systems is set up in Saint Nicholas College. The system is ideal for an isolated area which is not near to another water source and in which land is available and one has ownership over the land. One of the things not included in the Strategic plan is costing for the septic tank system which has to be dug every seven (7) to ten (10) years. Solomon water has since worked out the cost of the last cycle of septic tanks versus the reticulation system and it has found a sewage system is a lot cheaper per property over a reticulated system. The system and technology described by the City Clerk is very good technology and does work well, but in an environment such as Honiara where there is usually a lot of rain with a lot of trees, there might not be enough transpiration taking place which is most needed. Additionally, in a city environment in which people are living very close to each other, it might not be the most suitable system. However, there will be places where this system will be absolutely useful and successful to have this type of technology. Ma k s ole entailed turning the Strategic Plan into actual Projects, and an example is the consultancy work currently being conducted by Egis which concentrates on five(5) projects:- Ho ia a Wate , Waste Wate , the T u k Mai s, Gizo Wate a d the ‘ese oi . Ma k s ole is to oversee all these projects. The rest of the Strategy has not been turned into a priority plan yet so SW would not be able to provide MID with a definite work plan but in the next year or so it should come up. SW will certainly work with MID so it does not need to dig up the new road again.
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ANNEX 4 - TOR FOR LAND MANAGEMENT OFFICER – LAND ACQUISITION AND RESETTLEMENT
Background
In pursuing its vision of “safe water for a healthy nation” Solomon Water has prepared a 30 Year Strategic Plan and 5-Year Action Plan, which embody its planned improvements to all aspects of delivering safe and reliable water supply and sewerage services in its urban areas of operations. From these strategic plans, a number of high priority projects have been identified for development, including the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Development Sector Project (“the Project”).
Activities to deliver the Project’s outputs may include:
(i) new surface water source and associated water treatment and raw and treated water transmission infrastructure on the Lungga River;
(ii) augmenting trunk mains from the Mataniko and White River borefields to the existing water supply networks;
(iii) augmenting reservoir capacity;
(iv) rehabilitation and expansion of the Gizo water supply system;
(v) rehabilitating Honiara’s sewer outfalls;
(vi) construction of new pump stations at several locations to pump sewage to the existing outfalls at King George VI and Point Cruz;
(vii) construction of a septage treatment facility to service the greater Honiara area.
Land acquisition will be required from owners and occupants at some if not all of the affected sites. A Resettlement Framework has been prepared and Resettlement Plans will be prepared for each subproject. Consultations with affected persons will be carried out with a view to negotiating agreements on compensation and other assistance.
Solomon Water has established a Project Management Unit (PMU) responsible for implementing the Project, including acquisition of the necessary land in accordance with the Resettlement Framework (RF) and Resettlement Plans (RPs). A Land Management Officer is required to work within the PMU as the principal person responsible for land acquisition and resettlement activities.
Scope of Work
Under the direction of the Project Manager, the primary job purposes of this position are,
1. Manage the land acquisition and resettlement aspects of the project.
2. Participate with ADB social safeguards specialists in planning and carrying out community consultations, social safeguards assessment and preparing mitigation measures, if applicable, on proposed subprojects.
3. Produce social safeguards reports including Due Diligence Reports, for compliance with RF and RPs.
The Officer will be required to:
1. Advise on project decisions concerning land acquisition (in consultation with MLHS re customary land)
2. Manage design and supervision consultants on all matters dealing with resettlement and consultations.
3. Prepare and update Due Diligence Reports.
4. Disclose the RF and RPs/Due Diligence Reports.
5. Inform DPs, local authorities and interested others about the project, including compensation details.
6. Coordinate with Ministry of Lands Housing and Survey and Commissioner of Lands to initiate the land acquisition process.
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7. Update inventory of losses and census of affected persons.
8. Coordinate with Ministry of Finance and Treasury/Solomon Water to obtain budget and funds for compensation payments.
9. Regarding alienated land: prepare and attend to execution of purchaser agreements; payment of purchase price; registration in Land Registry.
10. With civil contractor schedule and makes compensation payments for non-land assets.
11. Record the compensation payment process for monitoring and reporting.
12. Establish, facilitate and monitor grievance procedures as outlined in RPs.
13. Provide data and other information to external monitoring agencies.
14. Prepares completion report.
SECTION F: SELECTION CRITERIA
Minimum Qualification:
• Professional and recognized economics, engineering, environment or social sciences qualification, at least at diploma level
• Record of professional development in safeguards practices
• Training and communication competencies
• Data analysis and report writing capability
• Good interpersonal, verbal, written, communication and presentation skills
Experience in:
• Conduct of social safeguards assessments and exposure in safeguards practices
• Record of honesty and integrity
Knowledge of:
• Good understanding of safeguards issues, training, and processes applicable in the Solomon Islands
• Good knowledge of applicable policies, procedures and SIG requirements
• Awareness of safeguard issues associated with water/wastewater infrastructure works
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ANNEX 5: TOR FOR THIRD PARTY EVALUATOR
Terms of Reference for Third Party Validator – Land Acquisition and Resettlement (National, 2 person months)
Background In pursuing its vision of “safe water for a healthy nation” Solomon Water has prepared a 30 Year Strategic Plan and 5-Year Action Plan, which embody its planned improvements to all aspects of delivering safe and reliable water supply and sewerage services in its urban areas of operations. From these strategic plans, a number of high priority projects have been identified for development, including the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Development Sector Project (“the Project”). Activities to deliver the Project’s outputs may include: (i) new surface water source and associated water treatment and raw and treated water transmission infrastructure on the Lungga River; (ii) augmenting trunk mains from the Mataniko and White River borefields to the existing water supply networks; (iii) augmenting reservoir capacity; (iv) rehabilitation and expansion of the Gizo water supply system; (v) rehabilitating Honiara’s sewer outfalls; (vi) construction of new pump stations at several locations to pump sewage to the existing outfalls at King George VI and Point Cruz; (vii) construction of a septage treatment facility to service the greater Honiara area. Land acquisition will be required from owners and occupants at some if not all of the affected sites. A Resettlement Framework has been prepared and Resettlement Plans will be prepared for each subproject. Consultations with affected persons will be carried out with a view to negotiating agreements on compensation and other assistance. To ensure that these negotiations proceed in a fair and balanced manner, the project intends to engage the services of a third party validator to observe, record and validate that the negotiations have been undertaken and agreements have been concluded in accordance with the requirements of the Resettlement Plan. In case the Third Party validator finds that there is a lack of symmetry and fairness in the negotiation process, including uneven access to information, this should be resolved through application of the grievance redress mechanism set out in the Resettlement Plan. Scope of Work The Third Party Validator will provide independent verification/validation of the conformance of the negotiation process with the Resettlement Plan between Solomon Water and each affected person or group. To achieve this, the tasks required of the validator will comprise; • Reviewing the Project’s Resettlement Framework and Resettlement Plans. • Attending initial consultations and negotiation meetings. • Conducting meetings and interviews with landowners and other affected persons as required.
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• Reviewing minutes of meetings and documentation of other consultations leading up to the conclusion of agreements. • Reviewing complaints submitted under the Project’s grievance redress mechanism and participating in the ensuing discussions. • Validating that agreements are voluntary (through meetings or interviews as required) • Validating that agreed compensation and other assistance is fair and reasonable.
Note that the Third Party Validator must disclose any conflict of interest with affected persons. Outputs A brief report documenting the results of the review and validation activities will be prepared and submitted to Solomon Water and Ministry of Finance and Treasury, and will form part of the Project’s reporting to Asian Development Bank.
Qualifications The Third Party Validator should have experience and qualifications in law, land rights or negotiation. The validator must, although engaged by Solomon Water, be able to perform their role impartially. Appropriate candidates for the role may include lawyers or magistrates, or civil society organizations in related fields or roles.
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ANNEX 6: PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF SITE VISITS AND DISCUSSIONS
Consultation Meetings in Honiara, 20th and 21st February 2019
Site Visit – Titingge Reservoir Site – Site visit and meeting with land owner and informal settlers
Site Visit – Point Cruz – SIPA area and current outfall site
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Kongalai Springs and proposed Kongalai Water Treatment Plant site
White River trunk mains site with housing and gardens over existing mains
Sewage outfall sites – L-R: Ranadi site at Goodwood Timber site, Naha private land site, Point Cruz
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Existing Reservoirs at Panatina (note round tank to be demolished)
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