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Environmental ' e Assessment/Analysis Reports _ __ Public Disclosure Authorized Report E0044 Bangladesh - Public Disclosure Authorized Second Road Rehabilitation &i Maintenance Project EA Category B Public Disclosure Authorized 1 of 2 Environmental Analysis April 1993 Public Disclosure Authorized This report has been prepared by the Borrower or its Consultant *ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS' -s.;.;,.., .. ......; .;.~. ... : :-. -::.- -iYorthe SECOND ROADJREHABILTATION AND MAINTENANCEPROJECTIRM-U . APR11. 199 .- .: :-. - .,.. .. .- :. ,, . ;. .- .- .. ; . -..- . ..---PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESHI-.._ MIIS -TYOF COMMICATIONS ROADS AND ElGHVVWAYSDIMSION * ~-; Ntirfi- -"-Mc;. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~..;- .- ;.---:,- =:4..y. - ~~~-: - : . -;.;;.. - . - ; . Luis :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***.-* BergerItento ** l,I. - - - M L - ' - 0*;t@F;.z- f IN Badmai 6ugEOe,MwJmyPI S A ~~~~- .w e SarAt Lim..e. .... ... ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS for the SECOND ROAD REHABILITATION AND MAINTENANCE PROJECT (RRMP-1l) APRIL 1993 PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS ROADS AND HIGHWAYS DIVISION Prepared By: Louis Berger International, Inc. 100Ha}ed &rW ESD Orm0, New Jmey 0719 - UA Sarm Associates Limited MA Mo*hs C _mmIAm - Dbaa iN1 - _twu" Executive Summary ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS SECOND ROAD REHABILITATION & MAINTENANCE PROJECT People's Republic of Bangladesh April 1993 EXECUTIE SUMMARY INTROlDUCTION: The EnvironmentalAnalysis of the Second Road Rehabilitationand Maintenance Project (RRMP-II)presents the findings of an enviromnentalinvestigation undertaken on behalf of the BangladeshMinistry of Communications,Roads and HighwaysDepartnent (RHD). RRMP-IIis planned to implementspecific road improvementsin the westernpart of Bangladeshand is funded by the World Bank. The level of analysisis establishedby the Bank's determinationthat the project does not require a full environmentalassessment (EA) as that term is defined by its OperationalManual, Directive4.01. The project has been designatedby the World Bank as Category B within its three-part classification sybtem. (Category A requires a full EA; Category C requires no environmentalanalysis beyond that determination.) The project does, however, require a lesser level of environmentalinvestigation as defined by the investigation's terms of reference, i.e., a Category B enviroitnental analysis as summarizedherein. The analysis focuses primarily on five road realignmentsand town by-passes to be constructedas part of RRMP-II and assesses other improvementsand maintenance activities. Other than the five sub- projects, activities are confined to existing rights-of-way(ROWs), but road widenings, other earth- disturbingactivities and indirectimpacts beyond the ROWs (e.g., borrowpits) will also occur. Improved access will have a generally positive impact throughoutthe area. PURPOSE: The purpose of the analysisis to ensurethat kheproject options in general and the five sub- projects in particular are environmentallysound and sustainableand to identify ways of improvingthe project environmentally,by preventing, minimizing,mitigating or compensatingfor adverse impacts. ORGANIZATION: Althoughthe projecthas beendetermined to fall in CategoryB and does not require a formal EA, the analysis is organized in the format outlined for an EA by Bank directives, i.e., an overview assessmentof the existing conditions in the study area; identificationand assessmentof the potential positive and negative impacts of RRMP-I; analysisof alternativesto and within RRMP-IIin general, includingalternative realigmnentand bypass proposals, alternativeconstruction materials and other details; mitigationand enhancementrecommendations; environmental management and training recomunendations;and environmentalmonitoring recommendations. FINDINGS: Potential impacton the area's hydrologyis one of the most important topics of potential enviromnentalconcem. Earlier projects have had adverseimpacts on flooding characteristics.Following the re-evaluationof RHD's design parametersafter the 1988 floods, however, the sizing of bridges and other drainagestructures no longer assumesthat planned, but as yet unrealized, flood control, drainage and irrigationschemes will limit future flood flows. Bridges, ctlverts and other drainagestructures are, therefore, sized to accommodateflood levels under existing rather than hypothetical conditions and incorporatethe best availableflood data. As a result of this revised approach, RRMP-IIis not expected to have an adverse effect on flood and drainage patterns;vulnerability of roads to flood damage will be minimized. To ensure that potential adversehydrological impacts are minimized,while at the same time E_uuasM1MAny.i Peopk's Repbi of Btm,rdes ScohdRehabii & Mauuenwe Piojea WA F,mdiu Pode Dy Jhe W/U Bank EzecudJveSmunawy Pag 2 Apil 1993 taking changing conditionsinto account, the analysis recommends: * Monitoring of fooding conditions as they may change over time or become better known. Althoughthe prject is proceedingon the basis of the best availabledata and safest assumptions, changesto existingconditions are likelydue to eventualimplementation of flood control, drainage and other schemes and other factors. New information may be generated by Flood Action Program and its supportinganalysis. Monitoring of the situation to ensure optimal sizing of drainage structures is recommended. In other areas of potential environmentalconcern, the analysis finds that environmentalconsiderations have been incorporatedin each stageof the project. Resettlementand culturalresource issues at one sub- project location (Saidpur)will require resolution;generally, however, sclected sub-project alternatives are those with the least potential for adverse environmentalimpact. Nonetheless,in spite of the lack of significant adverse impact as that term is defined for environmentalreview purposes, impacts to the environment,both positive and negative,will occur and a series of mitigationand/or enhancementactions are reconunendedas follows: * Integrate Road Improvements with Urban Planning & CommercdalAccomnnodation Actions. Road developmentin Bangladeshin general and improvementsunder RRMP-I in particularhave been successfiulin opening trade and commerce and getting goods to market. Unfortmately, however, sometimesthere is no 'market there in the physical sense. Transport and land use planning are not coordinated. Physical accommodationsfor commercialactivities are meager. The effectivenessof the RRMP-Hroad improvementswill be diminished by -the overspill of commercial activity into the roadway and related congestion. It is recommendedthat the programn mitigate these impacts by includingdelineation of commercial activity areas for coordinated actions with the Ministryof Local Government(MLG), the lead agencyfor non-transportphysical planning. Coordinatedactions are recommendedin both rural market areas and urban centers, particularly Saidpurand Natore. Coordinationwith local officials will be criticalto the success of these efforts. * Increase the Extent of ConsultationWith Potentiafly Affected Populations. Consultationwith potentiallyaffected populations have been limited, possiblydue to the largely remedialnature of the project thus far, but have been conductedin conjunctionwith the resettlementaspects of the project. Opportunitiesfor integrationof actions as recommendedabove and potentialimpacts on human settlementsin both rural and urban areas (e.g., the Rajshai-NawabganjAlternate Route and Saidpur, respectively) make more broadly-basedconsultation with affected populations increasingly important. Mechanismsto facilitate such consultationsexist at the local level. Greater coordination with local governmentofficials will facilitate both the coordination of developmentprograms and consultationswith affectedpopulations. Moreoverthe assistanceof non-governmentorganizations (NGOs) in resettlementwill also support RHD in this process. * Incorporate Environmental Provisions in Contracts and Speifications. RRMP-II is particularly forate that certain pential direct and indirect impacts of the program do not appear to be substantialissues in practice, e.g., reported practices in regard to the restorationof borrow pits and constructioncamps. It is postulatedthat if this is indeed the case, it is probably attributableto the fact that these elemens are the subjea of short-term lease arrangementswith propert owners who have a contimninglong-term, stewardship interest in the land. To reinforce ESrcmmDnd Anai-&k Pepe 1Rep oFOaMgldeah Secon RehaWlaumio& MafrmowiePr'oje WAsFamdbg Pvrm4Ik 37 he W,fd Bank April J993 Excuijw Sum'ry Pqc 3 this stewardshipand to provide for the contingencyof its absence, standard provisionsfor the avoidanceof environmentaldegradation and encouragementof environmentalrestoration should be included in RRMP-U contractor contractsto provide a contracual basis for enforcement. Specificrecommendations are presented. * Use Lime Consolidation In Preference To Brick Aggregate. The possibleuse of alternative constructionmaterials is an important environmentalconsideration. RHD has generated some technical and economic documentationregarding the use of lime consolidationversus brick aggregate. From an environmentalperspective, the indirect impact of increasingthe demand for brick with its atendant degradation of agricultural land (even if temporary), additional air pollutioncaused by the burningof importedcoal (at best) and depletionof scarce wood resources (as is currently common practice) to