PPAARRCC PROJECT FOREST PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (FPD), MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (MARD)

Supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment of the Tuyen Quang Dam, Viet Nam Final Report

PARC Project VIE/95/G31&031 Creating Protected Areas for Resource Conservation using Landscape Ecology

Ha Noi - September 2002 This report is prepared for the Government of Viet Nam, within the framework of the GEF and UNDP- funded project VIE/95/G31&031 “Creating Protected Areas for Resource Conservation using Landscape Ecology” (PARC) by IUCN – The World Conservation Union.

Citation: IUCN, 2002, Supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment of the Tuyen Quang Dam, Viet Nam: Final Report, PARC Project VIE/95/G31&031, Government of Viet Nam (FPD) /UNOPS/UNDP/IUCN, Ha Noi. Project Funding: The Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Implementation: Forest Protection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Executing agencies: United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) IUCN – The World Conservation Union Copyright: United Nations Development Programme Available from: www.undp.org.vn/projects/parc

The report reflects the personal points of view of the authors and does not necessarily represent those of the United Nations Development Programme, or those of the Forest Protection Department, or those of their employing organisations. This internal report of the PARC Project was written to support project objectives. It is provided as a reference on components of the landscape ecology approach taken by the project. As a result of project progress, some of the issues and activities within the report may have been superseded at the time of its electronic publication. Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorised without prior written permission from the copyright owners provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Contents

Contents...... i

Foreword ...... iv

Acknowledgements ...... vi

Acronyms ...... vii

Executive Summary ...... I Background...... I Existing environmental conditions ...... II Economic valuation...... III Socio-Economic Conditions...... III The Na Hang Hydropower Project...... IV Resettlement issues...... VI Development of impact scenarios...... VII Mitigation Measures...... XI Conclusions and Recommendations ...... XIII 1....Introduction ...... 1 1.1. Organisation and methods ...... 2 1.2. Legal aspects ...... 10 1.3. Existing environmental conditions ...... 12 2....Economic valuation of endangered species ...... 33

3....Socio-economic conditions ...... 35 3.1. People and communities...... 35 3.2. Land use situation...... 35 3.3. Economy and income ...... 37 3.4. Agro-forestry production ...... 38 3.5. Tourism...... 40 3.6. Archaeological artifacts and cultural heritages...... 40 3.7. Existing infrastructure ...... 41 3.8. Socio-economic character in the assessment zones ...... 43 4....Description of the proposal ...... 49 4.1. General Information on Tuyen Quang Project...... 49 4.2. Objectives...... 52 4.3. Dam Site Options ...... 53 4.4. Reservoir capacity to retain water ...... 56 4.5. Sources of Materials, Collection, Transport & Disposal of Wastes...... 57 4.6. Areas Flooded ...... 58 4.7. Construction Camp...... 60 4.8. Construction Activities Phasing ...... 61 4.9. Water, Food and Fuel Supply for Construction camp ...... 63 i

Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

4.10. Sewage and Solid Wastes...... 65 4.11. Power lines ...... 66 4.12. Access roads ...... 66 4.13. Operation...... 67 5....Resettlement plan...... 69 5.1. Approach and development of plan...... 69 5.2. Number of people to be resettled ...... 70 5.3. Host communities ...... 71 5.4. Compensation package...... 72 5.5. Na Hang Nature Reserve and Ba Be related resettlement...... 73 5.6. Overall Population Changes as a result of Resettlement...... 75 6....Induced activities ...... 77 6.1. Tourism Development ...... 77 6.2. Fishery Development...... 78 7....Development of impact scenarios...... 79 7.1. Disturbance...... 79 7.2. Habitat Loss, Change and Fragmentation...... 84 7.3. Direct Mortality...... 90 7.4. Competition for natural resources ...... 95 7.5. Landscape change ...... 97 7.6. Loss of cultural resources...... 105 8....Application of impact scenarios to assessment zones ...... 107 8.1. Na Hang Town and Dam site ...... 107 8.2. Khau Tinh ...... 108 8.3. Thanh Tuong (East) and Ban Bung...... 110 8.4. Thanh Tuong (West)...... 111 8.5. Vinh Yen/Son Phu ...... 111 8.6. Xuan Lac...... 113 8.7. Da Vi...... 114 8.8. Ba Be...... 114 8.9. Con Lon ...... 115 8.10. Duc Xuan/Sinh Long...... 115 8.11. Thuong Lam ...... 116 8.12. Nang Kha...... 117 9....Particular aspects assessed ...... 118 9.1. Comparison of dam sites...... 118 9.2. Comparison of quarry sites...... 119 9.3. Comparison of particular resettlement measures ...... 119 9.4. Dau Dang dam ...... 120 10..Using international biodiversity standards to assess Tuyen Quang Dam...... 122

11..Mitigation and monitoring measures...... 127 11.1. Mitigation measures already Proposed ...... 127 11.2. Additional measures to be adopted...... 127 ii

Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

11.3. Monitoring and Reporting Requirements...... 133 12..Action programme ...... 135 12.1. Agency responsibilities ...... 135 12.2. Time frame...... 138 12.3. Costs & Sources of Funds...... 140 13..Conclusions ...... 142

14.References:...... 144

Annex 1: Impact Matrices for Assessment Zones...... 146

Appendices in Separate Volume

Appendix 1. Terms of reference for the study

Appendix 2. Programme diary

Appendix 3. List of persons and organisations consulted

Appendix 4. Record of meetings

Appendix 5. Resettlement Policies for Na Hang Hydropower Project

Appendix 6. Lists of Flora and Fauna Found in Na Hang/Ba Be Nature Reserve

Appendix 7. Economic valuation of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey and Francois leaf monkey in Na Hang Nature Reserve

Appendix 8. Na Hang Nature Reserve Management Board

Appendix 9. Limestone Quarry Impact Mitigation

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Foreword

The Government of Vietnam has recently approved the Feasibility Study including a chapter on EIA of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower and Flood Prevention Dam Project and subsequently, on April 19 2002, has granted the permission for the investment. The dam will inundate areas upstream along both the Gam and the Nang Rivers, including an area of the Na Hang Nature Reserve and a portion of the Ba Be National Park - an important protected area containing nationally and globally significant biodiversity values, where the PARC project VIE/95/G31 & 031 “Creating Protected Areas for Resource Conservation using Landscape Ecology”, a joint initiative by the Vietnam Government and GEF and UNDP, has been working since 1999. Concerns are raised about the impacts of the dams on these nationally and globally recognised biodiversity values of the Na Hang Nature Reserve. The PARC Project has helped to carry out a Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed dam in early 2000 and recommended the preparation of a comprehensive EIA. In early 2002, though a comprehensive EIA for the feasibility study has been prepared and attached to the FS, in view of the scale of the proposal, the sensitivity of the area environment, the requirement for substantial resettlement, IUCN within the framework of the PARC project, has been asked to carry out a Supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed dam on Na Hang Nature Reserve and Ba Be National Park. This EIA will be supplementary to the existing EIA prepared by the Power Engineering and Construction Company No. 1 (PECC1) under EVN during the Feasibility Study stage and will focus on the assessment of the impacts of the dam and its resettlement program on Na Hang Nature Reserve and Ba Be National Park and their mitigation. It will also add to and complement the detailed EIA, which is supposed to be carried out by the Electricity Company of Vietnam (EVN) and submitted to NEA/MOSTE for appraisal during the design stage as required by the Government Decision on the Investment. In order to guide the implementation of the Supplementary EIA and to facilitate/integrate its proposed mitigation programme and recommendations into the detailed EIA mainstream process, the Government has established an EIA Task Force (TF) comprising representatives from all concerned ministries, i.e. MARD, MOSTE, MPI, Ministry of Industry, EVN, and UNDP, PARC project. This has been appreciated by both concerned national and international parties. IUCN Vietnam has been providing technical assistance to PARC project since July 1999 and was asked to carry out this Supplementary EIA Study that took place from May - August 2002. The IUCN Supplementary EIA Team comprising of an International EIA Specialist (Mr. Peter John Meynell), a National Expert on Ecology and Biodiversity (Dr. Le Xuan Canh from IEBR), two national experts on Socio-economic and Resettlement Issues (Prof. Le Thac Can from the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, and Mr. Bui Van Manh from the Institute of Agricultural Design and Projection) and a Project Assistant (Ms. Dinh Thi Minh Thu from IUCN Vietnam) has been formulated in agreement with EIA TF. In preparing the report, the Team completed field surveys, a number of consultations with different stakeholders, organised stakeholders workshops in both Hanoi and Na Hang, and provided regular briefings to EIA TF. This Final Report of the Supplementary EIA Study of the Tuyen Quang multiple-use dam project is now submitted to the PARC Project, UNDP, UNOPS and EIA TF who will be responsible for the process of integrating and bringing forward the recommendations and proposed mitigation programme into the detailed EIA mainstream process as well as their implementation. The Report has incoporated comments by the EIA TF members.

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This Study would have been impossible without the helpful assistance and cooperation of many people and organisations, particularly, Dr. Nguyen Van Cuong, PARC National Project Director, Dr. Nguyen Huu Dung, PARC National Project Manager, Ms. Ha Thi Linh and staff of PARC NPO, Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Ly, Head of the Environment Unit of UNDP, Mr. Fernando Potess, PARC/SW STM, PARC Local project Management Units, Mr. Nguyen Van Dinh from MOI, Mr. Pham Huy Hoach from PCC1 and others whose names are not mentioned here. Thanks are also extended to the IUCN team members for their highly qualified and dedicated work and great efforts in fulfilling the task in a limited timeframe.

IUCN Vietnam Country Representative Nguyen Minh Thong

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Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Acknowledgements

The EIA team acknowledge with thanks the assistance that they have been given from a variety of people and organisations. Without this assistance it would have been impossible to complete the task as effectively within the time allowed. We would like to mention in particular the staff of the IUCN office in Vietnam for facilitating all our work, especially Ms. Dinh Thi Minh Thu and Ms. Nguyen Thi Yen, and the staff of the PARC project - Mr Fernando Potess, Mr Nguyen Huu Dung, Ms Ha Thi Linh. The PARC project also allowed us to make use of the GIS mapping that has been developed for them by Mr. Luong Anh Tuan of VTGEO. The maps that have been prepared for this supplementary EIA have been outstanding. We would also like to thank the EIA Task Force members for their support and advice, and the proposers of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower project EVN, and the designers, PECC1, and the contracting company Song Da 9. Without the information and discussions both in Hanoi and on site, it would have been difficult to assess the impacts of the project. The Forest rangers, patrollers and Forest Protection staff in Na Hang Nature Reserve also providd us with very useful information and perspectives from the field, and we also appreciate the information, as yet unpublished, about monkey sightings in Na Hang from Ms. Bettina Martin of the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey Conservation Project. Permission to use the diagram showing the vegetation profile of the upper part of the Nang Gorge by BirdLife Inetrnational is gratefully acknowledged. IUCN/PARC Supplementary EIA Team Leader Peter John Meynell

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Acronyms

CITES Convention on Trade in Endangered Animals EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ERZ Economic Regeneration Zone EVN Electricity of Vietnam Company FPD Forest Protection Department FS Feasibility Study for the Na Hang Hydrpower Project GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environmental Facility GIS Global Information System IUCN The World Conservation Union MARD Minstry of Agriculture and Rural Development MOSTE Ministry of Science technology and the Environment (now Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) MPI Ministry of Planning and Investment NEA National Environment Agency NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NP National Park, e.g. Ba Be NR Nature Reserve, e.g. Na Hang NTFP Non-Timber Forest Products PAH Potentially affected households PARC Protected Areas for Resource Conservation Project PECC1 Power Engineering Consulting Company 1 SPZ Specially Protected Zone TSMCP Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey Conservation Project UNDP United Nations Development Programme VND Vietnamese Dong VTGEO Vietnam Centre for Remote Sensing and Geomatics VUSTA Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technical Associtions WCD World Commission on Dams

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Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Executive Summary

Background On April 19 2002, the Government of Vietnam gave approval to the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project – a flood prevention and power generation dam across the River Gam just below the junction between the Gam and Nang Rivers in Tuyen Quang province. It will inundate areas upstream along both the Gam and the Nang Rivers, including an area of the Na Hang Nature Reserve and a portion of the Ba Be National Park. This supplementary EIA was commissioned because of concern from both national and international organisations about the impacts upon the biodiversity values of these protected areas. It focuses on the assessment of the impacts of the dam and its resettlement program on the biodiversity of Na Hang Nature Reserve and Ba Be National Park especially on the endangered Tonkin Snub- nosed Monkey. The main purpose is to ensure that the project is carried out with respect for biodiversity conservation and with priority management effort to minimise negative impacts. The Supplementary EIA is not a full EIA of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project; this is the role of the detailed EIA to be carried out after the Government's decision to go ahead. The Supplementary EIA has been carried out with the technical assistance provided by IUCN. The PARC/IUCN Supplementary EIA team comprises an International EIA expert as team leader and three national experts in ecology, socio-economy and the resettlement issues. It has been conducted between May and July 2002 under the guidance and supervision of the EIA Task Force, consisting of the main government stakeholders and UNDP. The Supplementary EIA considers the impacts of the dam at different stages of pre- construction, construction and operation of the dam and the wide variety of induced activities including resettlement, road building, power line routes, tourism and fishery development in the reservoir. The main impacts upon biodiversity are considered to be: ƒ Disturbance of animals and plants, particularly the endangered or vulnerable species ƒ Habitat loss and fragmentation - Loss of food resources, especially those on which the threatened species depend - Loss of areas for reproduction - Prevention of animal movement - Loss of access to food and reproduction areas - Genetic isolation ƒ Direct mortality of individual flora and fauna, leading to population changes ƒ Landscape change ƒ Competition for natural resources between people and wildlife In assessing these impacts the team divided the area affected, including the core zones of the Nature Reserve and its buffer zones into 12 Assessment zones. This enabled the different types of impact to be more clearly identified. The legal requirements and regulations for a project of this nature have been identified and the process for this project described. Vietnam’s requirements of international conventions, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and CITES have been described.

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Existing environmental conditions The Na Hang/Ba Be Forest complex is situated in the Northern Indochina Subtropical Forests Ecoregion of the Indo-Pacific Region. This ecoregion supports high levels of botanical diversity and a significant proportion of the global population of eight globally threatened primates, including the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey. The Ecoregion was identified by the WWF-US as one of the 223 most biologically valuable ecoregions in the world. The geology of the immediate area contains metamorphosed limestone, recent alluvial deposits, and tufa, presently being laid down on limestone outcrops. Present karstic processes have produced an extensive cave system. The majority of the Nature Reserve consists of rugged limestone hills, with only 30% lying below 300m asl, 60% is between 300-800m asl and 10% over 800m asl. There are small areas of level floodplain, now entirely converted to rice paddies. The mild tropical climate of Na Hang is strongly influenced by the area’s high elevation. Due to great differences in the landscape and soil conditions the vegetation cover structure also varies serving as a representative for the vegetation cover in the mountainous area in Northern Vietnam. The ecological systems of the limestone mountains are characterized by closed evergreen forest with broad-leafed trees and many tracts of original primary forest, which are in good condition with many valuable and rare plant species having high scientific, environmental and conservation values. The distribution of bamboo forest occupies an essential area in the region, many of which are still untouched by human activity. This is also another specific feature of the forest in the proposed reservoir. Man-made vegetation cover is also diversified. The areas of planted forest tend to increase. The forest cover area in the proposed reservoir is still large and covers approximately 35 to 40%. The following types of vegetation are described depending upon altitude (below or above 700m) and whether the soils are derived from limestone.

• Close tropical rain evergreen forest with high humidity and broad leaves trees • Bamboo forest in the low mountainous belts • Evergreen forests in the limestone mountain valleys, on the slopes and peaks and river banks • Secondary forest affected by human activities • Secondary bushes and grass. • Man made vegetation cover Aquatic flora and fauna are described from the Rivers Gam and Nang, including phytoplankton, invertebrate and fish species. There is very little information on the freshwater molluscs in this limestone area. Of the 76 species recorded in the Lo-Gam river system, there are 25 economic fish species, of which 9 species are considered rare. These species are listed also in Vietnam Red Data Book, some of these species include: Anhvu fish, Chien fish; Lang fish. The productivity of fish catches is variable and reaches only 2-5 kg/day. The biodiversity of the terrestrial flora and fauna is very rich. There are over 2,000 species of plants in the region, and this would probably be more with further surveys of some groups which have not been well studied such as the lianas and parasitic vegetation, Magnoliaceae and Orchidaceae and water vegetation. There are records of 29 rare and endangered species growing in the area. In addition, the populations of some species have sharply declined owing to over exploitation. At least 4 species need appropriate measures taken to protect them. The vegetation resources are very rich with the following types of uses: Precious and high art value timbers; plants providing timber for construction and other industries; Fruit trees; Medicinal plants; Oil and attar production; other valuable trees. The description of the wildlife in the area contrast the relative scarcity of the fauna in the proposed inundation zone with the richness of the fauna in the core zones of the Nature II Executive Summary Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Reserve. In most of the inundation zone, the forests have been heavily logged and affected by human activities, with only some fragmented forests along the rivers and streams being in good condition. Larger animals are rarely seen in these areas. In the core zones the fauna is more diverse, especially medium sized animals such as the Viverridae and Felidae. Big- sized animals such as wild pig and serow are seen regularly and leopard and bear occasionally. Monkeys and langurs are also found in the area, in particular the endangered Tonkin snub-nosed Monkey and Francois Langur and are at particular risk from hunting and disturbance. 19 species of bats have been discovered in the Na Hang area, of which 5 have particular significance and are at risk from nearby blasting and if the caves in which they live are inundated. A total of 228 bird species have been identified in Na Hang forest. Bird species have large area of distribution and frequently move and therefore impacts on their living places are less significant. Among recorded bird species, there is one species being threatened to extinction: Red-neck Green woodpecker. The globally-endangered White-eared Night Heron, has been recorded nearby the reservoir area; the undisturbed areas of the Nang Gorge is suitable for this species and its habitat in this area would therefore be destroyed by the flooding. Birds such as the fish owls and kingfishers, which are particularly adapted to habitats involving fast moving mountain rivers and feed in the shallows, rocky pools and on the banks of such rivers will be at risk from the flooding of the rivers. One globally Near-Threatened species, Blyth’s Kingfisher has been recorded in the Nang Gorge. Another group of birds that may suffer some losses are the swiftlets that nest in limestone caves. The Himalayan swiftlet has been recorded in the Tat Ke area. There are four protected areas in the region. The most affected will be the Na Hang Nature Reserve, which comprises approximately 27,520 ha of the territory of Na Hang district and has a buffer zone measuring 14,410 ha (UNDP, 1995). The Reserve is divided into two distinct non-contiguous sectors: the Tat Ke (or northern) sector and Ban Bung (or southern) sector. Na Hang NR has on total 15 permanent staff of forest rangers in the area about 40,000ha. The recommendations from the Government are that at least one guard is required for every 1,000ha. The Ba Be National Park lies immediately to the east up the Nang River, above the Dau Dang waterfalls. It is centred on the natural limestone lake system connected with the Nang River. Cham Chu Nature Reserve has been proposed to the west of the area and also contains a small monkey population. It is potentially at risk because the resettlement plans indicate people to be resettled into communities near the reserve. Bac Me NR has total land area of 27.000ha and is located in Ha Giang province and although not a great deal is known about its biodiversity, the Gam river will be flooded into that part of Ha Giang.

Economic valuation An estimate of the economic value of the endangered moneys has been carried out, including both use and non-use values. The use values are represented by the earnings generated from tourism together with the recreational benefits tourists experience from visiting Na Hang Nature Reserve. The non-use value is calculated based upon contributions made to the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey Conservation Project, which effectively represents a global willingness to pay for preserving the species. The Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys and Francois leaf monkeys in Na Hang Nature Reserve represent a total economic value of roughly USD 2.5 million using a 10% discount rate.

Socio-Economic Conditions There are 21 communes, 1 town, and 300 villages in Na Hang district with a total population of 12,076 households or 65,673 persons, belonging to 12 ethnic groups. Among ethnic minorities, the Tay account for 57.52%, the Dao account for 23.38%, the Kinh account for 9.72%, the Hmong account for 5.31%, the remaining (4.07%) belong to the others. Shifting III Executive Summary Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report cultivation, wet paddy cultivation, livestock raising, forest protection and plantation and legal forest resources uses generate the main sources of income for these people. The district has a natural area of 147,166 ha, of which agricultural land is 7,385.99 ha and forest land is 103,955.00 ha. Details are provided of the different land uses of every commune. Agro-forestry production plays an important role in the condition of market economy. The average income per capita in Tuyen Quang is about 2 million VND and in the Na Hang area it is 40% of the average for the whole country. An estimated 14% of the population suffers from hunger and poverty. 90% of the population practice agricultural production using 1000 m2 of agricultural land and 522 m2 of paddy per person. Annual per capita food production reached 438.53 kg per head. Livestock husbandry is of special importance to the local inhabitants, especially in middle and low-lying areas where the Tay, Dao and Kinh people reside. Livestock reared in the area mainly consist of buffalo, cattle, chicken, and pig. Commune infrastructure in terms of roads, irrigation, electricity connections, schools and clinics are described briefly. The socio-economic character of each of the twelve assessment zones is outlined.

The Na Hang Hydropower Project The table below summarises key characteristics of the Tuyen Quang dam. It will be built by the Electricity Company of Vietnam (EVN) to the design by PECC1, and constructed by the Song Da 9 Company. The People Committee (PC) of Tuyen Quang province is responsible for supervision of compensation, liberation of project area and resettlement of affected people in its localities.

Project name: Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project. Project objectives: • Flood prevention for downstream area, including Tuyen Quang province, Hanoi City and the Red River delta; • Power production; • Water supply and other objectives. Project investor: Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Company Project location: Dam and power plant at Na Hang town and Vinh Yen village, Na Hang district, Tuyen Quang province, northern Vietnam. Installed power: 342 MW Annual electricity production: 1,285 million kWh. Flood regulation capacity: 1,000 million m3. Reservoir normal water level: 120m asl. Dam structure: Rock with earth core. Total investment: 7,522 billion VND (equivalent to US $501 million). Altitude of dam highest part: 125.7 m asl (5.7 m above reservoir normal level of 120 m asl). Dam’s maximum height: 101.85 m. Dam’s length at top: 1,105.42 m (Map 2).

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Dam's width at top: 20m Reservoir total capacity: 2,244.9 million m3. Reservoir efficient capacity: 1,648 million m3. Reservoir flood regulation 1,000 million m3. capacity: Reservoir dead volume: 560.8 million m3.

The principal objectives for the Tuyen Quang Dam are flood prevention in the Lo-Gam and Red Rivers, combined with hydropower generation. Security of water supply for agriculture by downstream communities during the dry season is an important additional objective. Detailed analyses of the costs and benefits of the dam over other alterntves are provided in the feasibility study. The Gam River is a branch of Lo - Gam River, which is the main left tributary of the Red River. Gam River has many tributaries. Among these the most important is the Nang River, flowing into Ba Be lake of Bac Can province, the biggest natural lake in Vietnam, and entering Tuyen Quang province after Dau Dang Falls. Since 1992, Ba Be lake and the surrounding area were incorporated into the Ba Be Nature Protected Area, and later in 1997, promoted to the position of National Park, with a total area of about 10,000 ha. Six km downstream of Ba Be National Park is Na Hang Nature Reserve Area, established in 1994, with a total area of 40,000 ha. Three dam sites have been considered within about 5 km of each other, one which floods just the Gam river and two downstream which floods both Gam and Nang Rivers. The first has been discarded because it does not provide adequate flood prevention capacity. The main difference between the other two is the degree of flooding in an attempt not to flood a well-known beauty spot – the Thac Mo waterfall. The lower site, which does flood this waterfall, is preferred because of geological suitability and cost considerations. Earth and stone for the dam are to be sourced locally within 5 km of the dam site, but sand will be brought in from the Lo River some 45 km away. Three quarry sites have been identified, one of which is already in use for upgrading the road between Chiem Hoa and Na Hang. The created reservoir will have the form of a “V” about 75 km long (45 km on Gam River and 30 km on Nang River), relatively narrow lake, with the reservoir width of about 2 - 3 km in some places at reservoir water level of 120 m asl. The total flooded area is 7,978 ha, including: • 1,568.54 ha of agricultural land • 4,640 ha of forestland. • 114.53 ha of settlement land • 1,663.93 ha of land with infrastructure The construction camp of Tuyen Quang Project covers an area of about 7.5 km2 (3 km long x 2.5 km large). The construction camp will be housing 8,500 people including some 6,000 workers, technicians, managers and administrative staff. The province has plans for increasing agricultural production in Na Hang District to provide some of the food requirements for the workers. Coal will be provided as a fuel, rather than using firewood. The implementation process will last for 5 years, the first 3 years involving the bulk of the construction activities and the final two years involved with completion and filling of the reservoir. The associated issue of the routes for the power lines for construction and later for distribution of the generated power have not yet been decided. The access road between Chiem Hoa and Na Hang is being widened to 7.5 m to accommodate the increased heavy

V Executive Summary Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report traffic. The inundated part of Na Hang town – Da Vi road will be replaced by a new road. There is still no route design of this road. The reservoir will be filled within one rainy season after completing the dam. The total capacity represents 48% of the present annual average flow. The operation of the dam will follow a pattern of ensuring that at the end of the dry season there is capacity in the dam for 1,000 million cu m. for flood control. By the end of the rainy season the dam will be full to the 120 m asl level and be used for power generation and water supply. This flood prevention capacity will reduce the flood risks and water levels in Tuyen Quang town and in Hanoi. From June to the end of September a drawdown layer of about 14.78 m will appear at Na Hang reservoir bank.

Resettlement issues Settlements in the flooded area include 17,384 people living in 3,194 households. In Tuyen Quang province: 15,793 people, living in 2,934 households. In Ha Giang province: 1,300 people, living in 211 households. In Bac Can province: 291 people, living in 49 households. The plan for resettlement of the people within the inundation zone is still under preparation. Various studies have been carried out to identify the people and communities affected and their assets for compensation, and to identify those host communities that have enough agricultural land available to accommodate them. The principle behind the resettlement is that the people moved should have a better standard of living than before and that the infrastructure in the host communities should be improved. Two trial settlements are being carried out at present. It has been calculated that the average cost of resettlement for the Tuyen Quang Hydropower project will be 349 million VND per household, giving a total cost of 1,183,208 million VND, including the various host community infrastructure costs which include construction of small irrigation systems, roads, electricity connections, schools and clinics. The destinations of all the people to be moved have not yet been defined, nor when they will be moved. There are 286 households proposed to be resettled within the protected areas and buffer zones of Na Hang Nature Reserve - 54 households will be resettled in the core zone of Tat Ke (Khau Tinh commune) coming from within the commune of Khau Tinh, 232 households will be resettled in the area of the buffer zones (Con Lon, Nang Kha communes, and Na Hang Township), in Ba Be District, 49 households with a population of 291, from Ta Ken village in Na Mau commune will be resettled in within Ba Be district. One issue raised on Khau Tinh resettlement site is that, the proposed area for resettlement of 54 households from Ban Lam 1 and Ban Lam 2 villages is also the site, which the district authority and Na Hang Nature Reserve Management Board proposed to resettle 44 households from two villages located in the Strictly Protected Area of Na Hang NR. After completion, the pattern of population in Na Hang District will have changed significantly. There will be three processes affecting this – people moving from the rural areas into Na Hang town to take advantage of the employment opportunities, resettlement of people affected by the flooding of the area. Some communes will lose more than half of their population; others will have increased numbers as a result of people being resettled, natural population growth. The expected population in the 12 assessment zones is provided. In addition the ethnic composition of the population remaining behind will change, with larger proportions of Dao and H’mong remaining in some areas. Induced activities after the dam is constructed include tourism and fishery development. It is expected that tourism will become a major activity in the area because of the dam, reservoir in the beautiful landscape, and the nature reserve, that link in with the established destination of the Ba Be National Park. It is anticipated that within 5 years of the dam completion 50,000 tourists may visit the area each year. No plans have been prepared yet for this development.

VI Executive Summary Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Similarly no plans exist for the development of fisheries on the reservoir, although it is expected that this will represent a significant resource. It is expected that the fish fauna that will develop in the reservoir will be similar to those in Ba Be lake.

Development of impact scenarios Impact scenarios have been used to describe how the impacts may arise from certain activities and where possible to assess the risks associated with them. Disturbance: Disturbance of wildlife communities from the increased activity resulting from the dam construction, can be a significant form of stress upon the populations particularly if they are sensitive species. Disturbance may change behaviour; avoidance of the most disturbed area; changes in feeding patterns; increased susceptibility to predation; changes in breeding patterns. These may result in population changes – usually reductions or extirpation from the area. Noise – Blasting in the quarry and construction areas will consist of impulsive noise and vibration events, which will spread out from the point source of the quarry and/or construction site. Three quarry sites and one site for earth-fill are envisaged with an area of influence of 3km radius around each site. In karst limestone areas where there are many caves, blasting causes vibrations can damage caves and alter the environmental conditions in the cave so that cave communities are displaced or killed. Noise – Construction and Traffic During the construction period, the general level of noise in the area of Na Hang will increase considerably. The noise will be derived from the following sources: earth moving equipment; construction traffic; movement of heavy trucks bringing sand and other materials from Chiem Hoa; general increase in traffic in the urban area. The noise corridor that will disturb wildlife is at least 1 km on each side of the road. Changed Accessibility: There are several aspects to be considered under the disturbance caused by people entering and moving around in areas occupied by wildlife. These may be identified as: Sensitivity of the wildlife in the zone to disturbance by people; changes in the numbers and type of people accessing the area; distance and difficulty of movement; increased accessibility by roads boat on the reservoir. The different types of people and access are described. Habitat Loss, Change and Fragmentation: Habitat loss and fragmentation is one of the most direct effects of the dam and the reservoir that is created. However, habitats may also be lost as a result of the induced activities, both legal and illegal. If habitats are lost or changed, some of the following impacts upon biodiversity may result: loss of area available for species for feeding and breeding; direct loss of some species that are only found in the habitats lost. Flooding will change the aquatic habitat conditions from river to a lake. Habitat fragmentation may occur as a result of the reservoir or a new road. The area available for species is smaller, and that they may be cut off from key resources for both feeding and breeding. Habitat fragmentation is important because of impacts upon social behaviour and genetic isolation. The overall losses of terrestrial habitat as a result of the dam for the protected areas is a total of 1453 ha of which 417 ha are the habitats of most concern to biodiversity conservation - Mature Evergreen forest, Mature Bamboo forest and Mature mixed deciduous forest of different degrees of canopy cover. In the area surrounding the Na Hang NR, the total inundated area is 4,622 ha lost of which 772 ha is reasonable forested land. The areas where these are most pristine tend to be where the forest is least accessible, in particular the straight sides of the narrow river valleys of the Gam and Nang Rivers and the small stream which joins the Gam River at Bac Vang. If the land is steeply sloped, as much as 1.5 – 2 times greater surface area may be lost due to inundation, and hence biodiversity richness and biomass.

VII Executive Summary Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Prior to flooding, it is proposed to clear much of the vegetation from the existing riverbanks up to 120 m. The principal objectives of this exercise are to recover any economic trees, protect water quality deterioration immediately after flooding, reduce risks of floating debris and improve access and boat transport. The methods and extent of carrying out vegetation clearance have not yet been detailed, but the contract guidance is provided. The associated risks are illegal logging above the 120m line and the risks of forest fire. Once the reservoir is filled access to these forests will be easier, and there may still be some illegal logging pressure. Burning of the cut vegetation also presents a clear risk, because limestone areas tend to dry out quickly. Changes in the aquatic habitats are extreme. During construction release of sediments and possibly pollutants into the river will be very high. The mountain river habitat for about 75 km will be converted to a stationary lake environment, from which much of the sediment will settle to the bottom of the reservoir. The lake will be very long and narrow and up to 60 m deep. During operation there will be a 20 m draw down, leaving a barren mark at low water levels in which virtually no higher aquatic plants will survive. Roads and power lines will also fragment habitats including widening of the road from Chiem Hoa to Na Hang – a total of 42 km; replacement of the flooded sections of the road from Na Hang to Da Vi; new 220 kva power line from the Tuyen Quang dam site to the south west towards Chiem Hoa.; concrete paths and other tourism related infrastructure. Direct Mortality: A number of the induced impacts of the dam will have a more direct influence upon the populations of flora and fauna than habitat loss and disturbance. Direct mortality of individuals may be important at a population or overall biodiversity level, if they cannot be sustained in the long term. They may result in local extinctions and disturbance. The demand for bushmeat is high in Vietnam, and hunting in the forest with home-made guns, traps and dogs is the principal source of supply. A qualitative assessment of the changes to supply and demand is highlighted, such as the influx of more than 8,500 people, will increase pressure upon restaurants to provide the bush meat and local people to supply it. Local tourists will continue the demand after the dam is built. Guns have been confiscated in Ba Be and Na Hang, but this is only a temporary measure. Enforcement of regulations in the restaurants will also be important. Similar arguments apply to the supply and demand for Non-Timber Forest Products and firewood, although the energy requirements for the workers will come from coal brought into the area by the company. Estimates of the demands of NTFP and firewood are provided. There will be increased opportunities for illegal logging as a result of the hydropower project. During the vegetation clearance activities, when forest contractors will be legitimately entering the areas to extract economic trees and clear vegetation up to the 120 m asl. line. There will be a great temptation for the contractors to remove additional economically valuable trees above 120 m asl. Once the reservoir is created after completion of the dam, the raised water level and still water conditions will ease access by boat to areas that have previously been difficult to reach such as the steep slopes of Khau Tinh and the Nang river gorge below Ban Lam. The present status of the fishery in Nang and Gam rivers is reported to be quite low due to overfishing. With the increased use of explosives for quarrying rock for the dam, there will be leakage and illegal use of this explosive for fish bombing, particularly when the fish populations in the new reservoir expand due to food availability. Increased ease of access after the dam construction and filling of reservoir, could lead to activities such as collection of rare plant species, especially orchids from the Nature reserve. There are 18 species of orchid recorded in Na Hang. Resettlement of the people from the inundation zone, will cause significant changes in the population Generally the populations of people inside the Nature Reserve will decrease, specifically in Vinh Yen / Son Phu and in some of the key buffer zones, such as Thuong Lam, VIII Executive Summary Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Xuan Tien, Da Vi. However, in two key areas in the Nature Reserve, the population will be increased or at least concentrated locally. The pressure upon natural resources and disturbance of the core zones of the nature reserve will be affected. In the instance of Khau Tinh, the actual numbers of people in the commune will not change, but there will be an increased number of people within easy access of key habitat for the Tonkin Snub-nosed monkey. Competition for natural resources: Increases in the numbers of people in an area adjacent to a core zone or buffer zone will bring with it increase in pressure upon the natural resources in the area – firewood, NTFP and hunting – increased livestock numbers graze in the forest edges and damage the habitat. Decrease in agricultural land may lead to increased dependence upon forest resources. Remaining populations may be forced to live and work higher up the slopes with increased dependence upon forest resources. Reduced populations around cores zones will reduce pressure upon these areas, making control easier. The balance of ethnic minorities remaining in the area will change, with higher proportions of Dao and H’mong. If resettlement does not work effectively and people are dissatisfied, they may be tempted to move back to their original home areas. The people who are left behind may have reduced access to roads, power lines and administrative centres. They need additional support to reduce dependence upon natural resources. The dam project and the associated resettlement programme bring with it changes in agricultural land and its development. Three changes that have been identified - intensified agricultural production to provide local sources of food for the rapidly increasing workforce on 31 ha for vegetable production in Na Hang district, loss of agricultural land due to inundation (a total of 1070 ha paddy fields in the assessment zones and 9 ha of upland crops; cultivation of fallow land, through irrigation schemes in the host communities. These schemes, though small, may involve dams with significant local impact. In Khau Tinh a dam is planned to irrigate 20 ha of fallow land, to the south of the commune centre which lies within 1 km of the core zone of the Tonkin monkey’s habitat. More intensive livestock farming of pigs and poultry to provide food for workers is proposed in the communes of Thanh Tuong, Vinh Yen, Nang Kha and Na Hang township. This will go some way towards providing meat for the workforce, rather than using bushmeat as a supplement. In other areas livestock changes will reflect population changes. Landscape change: The construction of the dam is a major land use conflict with significant negative impacts, and the task of landscape ecological planners is to develop effective, and implementable, mitigating management measures. The dam, reservoir and other associated infrastructure have significant impacts upon the physical landscape. The dam will be an impressive addition to an already dramatic landscape and is seen as a positive, albeit different, feature. The urban landscape will increase in Na Hang town, initially being confused due to the construction traffic, but changing afterwards to meet the demands of visitors. Upstream the landscape will change dramatically as well. The reservoir itself will be impressive, despite the drawdown of up to 20 m (i.e. between 100 – 120 m). The landscape in which the reservoir is situated remains outstanding, and the reservoir will be seen as a positve contribution. Loss of important landscape features: However, there will be some losses of important landscape features. These include Thac Mo waterfall and surrounding mature forest; Nang Gorge, 7 km of the only primary landscape feature in this part of Na Hang Nature reserve; Bac Vang stream and gorge; Beautiful valleys such as at Vinh Yen, Ban Lam, Xuan Tien, Da Vi typical of mountain valley agriculture; lower level caves, though the extent of these is unknown at present. Various waterfalls from Tat Ke and Sinh Long are unlikely to be inundated. There may be a bridge over the Nang River near to the Dau Dang waterfall, with landscape impacts on this waterfall.

IX Executive Summary Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

The quarries will produce major negative visual impacts on the landscape, especially quarry no. 1, adjacent to the dam site and immediately opposite Pac Ta peak. Quarry no. 1 will be seen immediately above the dam. New roads and power lines cut swathes through the forest and across the landscape and create a negative visual impact, because of their artificiality. Power lines for example should be routed underneath the skyline, and should follow existing cut lines and roads wherever possible. Loss of cultural resources: Cultural resources are directly related to people. Tuyen Quang reservoir will inundate the native land of 18,428 people living in 14 communes belonging to 3 districts of 3 provinces on Gam River watershed. Among the population of Na Hang district, of Tuyen Quang province, there are 17 ethnic groups - he most populous groups are Tay group (58% of district total population), and Dao group (24% of district total population). Each ethnic group has its cultural particularities, and very rich indigenous knowledge, especially knowledge on use of local biodiversity resources. Inundation will disconnect the people with this and be lost. In inundated communes there are revolution and independence wars memorial monuments. In Xuan Tien, there is also a historic cave used as warfare store of the people army during the struggle against French army in the 1950s. These impacts have been applied to the different assessment zones to identify the principal impacts and priorities for mitigation in each zone. One of the zones most at risk is the Khau Tinh area between the Nang and Gam Rivers, which have increased pressure from disturbance and increased during the construction period and afterwards. The habitats will become more isolated because of the reservoir, and direct mortality from hunting and NTFP collection are likely to increase. The Vinh Yen/ Son Phu area likewise will have similar risks, but will also lose significant agricultural land, the Thac Mo waterfall site and the lower part of the Nang Gorge. The Da Vi area is similarly at risk, but the biodiversity value is lower in this area. Upstream of the Gam River in Duc Xuan/ Sinh Long will also have increased risks during the construction period, but after resettlement, there will be fewer people in the area. The landscape change will be important when the reservoir floods a beautiful valley. The same applies to Thuong Lam, although here the biodiversity value is not considered high. In Nang Kha area, the main pressures will come during the blasting of quarry 2 and the intensification of agriculture. All areas will experience an increased risk of demand for forest products – both hunted and collected. A comparison is made of the three proposed dam sites – the now-discounted one Pac Ta site upstream on the Gam river only, the second below the Nang River confluence and the third one furthest downstream, which will flood the Thac Mo waterfall. All three flood to 120 m asl. The principle difference in terms of threats to biodiversity lies in the area flooded. Dam site 3 floods the largest area by about 223 ha most of which is agricultural, but also 15 ha of mature evergeen forest in the Thac Mo area. Dam site 1 would have flooded significantly less of the Nature Reserve – about 144 ha instead of 1452 ha, but would have had greater disturbance impacts upon the Pac Ta area than the other two sites. A comparison is made between the three quarry sites. The one of greatest concern to the Nature Reserve and the overall landscape is Quarry No 1 opposite Pac Ta mountain. It is very close to the prime sites in the Nature reserve, which it will disturb by blasting. Visually it will be seen associated with the dam from all around especially from the road into Na Hang from the south. Quarry No 2 in Nang Kha is further away and will be less damaging to the biodiversity, but will be an extra disturbance for people being resettled into the commune. The resettlement measures of greatest concern are those in Khau Tinh, where although the population would not increase, there would be a larger number of people moved into much closer access of the core area of the Tat Ke core zone of the Nature reserve. The building of the dam and irrigation scheme there will also have a significant local impact. Similarly the increase of population in Con Lon is likely to cut off the biodiversity corridor to the north. The additional threat of the proposed dam at Dau Dang to the Ba Be National Park is considered in brief. All of the risks to biodiversity described for the Na Hang Dam will apply X Executive Summary Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report and the benefits from the dam would appear to be small in comparison to the potential for damage to a national treasure. A full EIA will be required before the final decision is taken to go ahead, and no attempt is made to pre-empt the findings of that study.

Using international biodiversity standards to assess the Na Hang dam An assessment of the risks to biodiversity has been applied to the Tuyen Quang Dam using international standards developed by the World Commission on Dams. The following general conclusions were used to guide this assessment, which considered that the dam tended to be more environmentally threatening than environmentally friendly and made suggestions for improving the performance of the dam: • Dam will cause considerable changes to the landscape ecology of the area • New pressures and demands upon the natural resources – especially hunting, logging and NTFP collection • Area to be flooded will not include significant areas of prime forest, apart from one or two isolated areas e.g. Nang river gorge, Thac Mo waterfall area • Far from creating protected areas, the dam will flood some areas of existing protected areas • Resettlement will cause a net reduction in people in the NR, but return needs to be prevented and there may be additional pressure from resettled people on some areas, e.g. Khau Tinh. • Na Hang Town will develop after the dam is built as a tourism centre • Tourism is both a threat and an opportunity for biodiversity conservation and needs careful management • Unless adequate measures in place to control demands of incoming people, it is unlikely that the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey will survive in Khau Tinh core zone in 10 years time. • Riverine fish species in Gam and Nang will disappear and be replaced by species like Ba Be fish. – no alien species to be introduced into reservoir • Uncertainty about other unknown species of karst limestone system – e.g. cave speciesMitigation Measures A number of mitigation measures have already been proposed such as a gun confiscation, awareness raising campaign and enforcement of forest protection measures. Whilst a good start, these are not considered to be adequate. The additional measures proposed include: Detailed EIA and Surveys should include erosion issues during and after construction, the road widening and new road construction, power line routes, and tourism resort development. All will have impact upon the Nature reserve and developments must take the conservation of biodiversity into account. Detailed surveys are required on Limestone cave systems; mollusc fauna; Biodiversity surveys of the Nang Gorge and Bac Vang stream and of tower karst formations.

Measures to be taken during Site Preparation and Construction : • Strengthen Forest Protection Forces: additional forest rangers and training during critical construction, vegetation clearance, resettlement and operation phases. Exclude the Nang River Gorge and the Bac Vang stream from clearance activities to protect primary forest areas. Provide equipment for the rangers – communication system and transport – boats and motorcycles and two new floating ranger posts for the new reservoir. • Continue the awareness programme – Regular updates and presentations will be needed

XI Executive Summary Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

• Enforcement of forest regulations – The construction company should have strict rules for the workforce. Collaboration with the police force for spot checks of vehicles moving out of the area • Quarries and management of blasting - The blasting activities need careful management. Minimisation of the impact upon the environment around the quarry and rehabilitation afterwards is essential. Recommendations and guidelines area provided for the quarries.

Resettlement planning and implementation As a principle, people should not be resettled into the area within the Nature Reserve boundary. • Reconsider the proposed move of people from Ban Lam to Khau Tinh and in Con Lon • Do not resettle people within an area of 10 km of the boundaries of Cham Chu Nature Reserve • Include the long-proposed movement of people out of the two core zones of the Nature reserve in the resettlement programme • Reconsider the movement of people to near to the quarry site in Nang Kha • Monitor the resettlement programme for at least a year after the move of people. • Consider measures to safeguard cultural resources

Planning for the post-construction and Operational phase • Extension of the protected areas – in the Xuan Tien/ Sinh Long area • Consider artificial corridors across Nang Gorge and Bac Vang • Rehabilitation of the dam and quarry sites according to the plans developed • Tourism development – collaborate with tourism and FPD to develop tourism that works for biodiversity conservation and tourism • Fisheries development - plan fisheries activities on the reservoir along lines characteristic of the Ba Be fish species. No alien species should be introduced, establish fish sanctuaries; research conservation requirements of Anhvu fish • Establish a Protected Area development fund from a small percentage of electricity revenues. Environmental Monitoring. • Monitor sensitive species – Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, cave species and fish • Monitor important habitats - All slopes of Khau Tinh above the 120 m asl line; Nang River and Bac Vang Gorges; northern shoreline of Xuan Tien; tower karsts in the inundation zone • Monitor illegal activities - hunting, logging, bushmeat transport and sale, plant collection etc. • Monitor awareness campaign effectiveness • Audit environmental performance of construction company, Forest Protection Department, Resettlement Board and Na Hang District • Report monitored information and audit reports

XII Executive Summary Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

An action programme is presented which details the different agency responsibilities for these activities, the time frame and the estimated costs involved. These can then form the basis for discussion about implementation of the mitigation measures.

Conclusions and Recommendations • The dam itself will inundate a relatively small part of the protected areas, and an even smaller area of unspoiled forest habitat, because much of the area flooded is agricultural or degraded land. • The EIAs that have been carried out as part of the feasibility study have focussed upon the aquatic environment upstream and downstream. Little attention to the Na Hang NR and the globally important biodiversity. Indirect impacts were not really considered. This Supplementary EIA has tried to define those indirect impacts. • Pressures on the environment will increase during the course of the dam project - disturbance,habitat change and fragmentation, direct mortality by competition between the wildlife and their human neighbours brought about because of increased number of people coming into the area for work. Control of such impacts is often very difficult and the experiences do not encourage optimism. • Without appropriate measures to manage the project in a sound environmental manner, it is probable that within ten years the population of Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkeys in the Nature Reserve, will no longer exist. • Measures have been put in place and these need to be encouraged, supported and strengthened • The decision to go ahead with the dam without adequate detailed EIAs, would give a very mixed message to the international community; it does not give the impression of great commitment to conserving biodiversity. Future funding for biodiversity conservation could be in jeopardy if projects like this dam are not implemented well and if environmental concerns are not addressed in an open and adequate manner. • The dam project also represents a great opportunity for the consolidation of biodiversity conservation activities in the area. Funds that may not have been available before should be available now to provide firm establishment of the protected areas.

XIII Executive Summary Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

1. Introduction On April 19 2002, the Government of Vietnam approved the feasibility study of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project. This will entail the construction of a dam at the town of Na Hang across the River Lo-Gam just below the junction between the Gam and Nang Rivers in Tuyen Quang province. The dam will be used principally for flood control and for power generation. It will inundate areas upstream along both the Gam and the Nang Rivers, including an area of the Na Hang Nature Reserve and a portion of the Ba Be National Park. It is anticipated that the project design will be completed and that a detailed EIA study focusing on important areas (such as forest degradation, protection of Na Hang and Ba Be) will also be carried out by the end of 2002. The detailed resettlement programme will be carefully developed and agreed with concerned organisations, local authorities and communities. It is recommended that the detailed EIA should commence as soon as possible so that it can, as far as possible, be integrated with the design process. It is easier to build mitigating measures into the design as it is developed than to “add on” mitigating measures after the design has been completed. The PARC project VIE/95/G31 & 031 “Creating Protected Areas for Resource Conservation using Landscape Ecology”, a joint initiative by Vietnam Government and GEF and UNDP, has been working in the dam project area since 1999. A Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed dam was conducted by the PARC Project in early 2000 and recommended the preparation of a comprehensive EIA. This preliminary EIA was carried out for a dam to be built at the Pak Ta site, which is further upstream the Gam River, before the confluence with the Nang River. The area to be inundated under this earlier scheme was smaller and did not flood the Nang River section. Although an EIA has been prepared as part of the feasibility study, the PARC project was asked to support a supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed dam on Na Hang Nature Reserve and Ba Be National Park, in view of the scale of the proposal, the sensitivity of the environment, the requirement for substantial resettlement and the likely interest of natonal and international organisations. This supplementary EIA complements and adds to the feasibility EIA prepared by PECC 1 and provides further information and recommendations to be included in the detailed EIA and Environmental Management Plan to be produced before the end of 2002 in accordance with relevant national framework for environmental impact assessment. The supplementary EIA focuses on the assessment of the impacts of the dam and its resettlement program on the biodiversity of Na Hang Nature Reserve and Ba Be National Park and the mitigation of these impacts. In particular the threats to the endangered Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey and other threatened species need to be considered carefully. The TOR for the Supplementary EIA is shown in Appendix 1. The Supplementary EIA is not a full EIA of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project; this is the role of the detailed EIA to be carried out after the decision to go ahead has been taken. Whilst it carries no official status within the EIA process in Vietnam, it is endorsed and supported by Government and the UNDP/GEF, which is funding the PARC project. It could be seen as model for future EIAs for large-scale infrastructure projects in Vietnam, particularly when they have potential impacts upon biodiversity and protected areas. It is also a means of trying to protect the investment in the affected protected areas over the past decade funded by Government, GEF and a number of international NGOs. It is in the interests of the PARC project that all that can be done in terms of detailed design modification, mitigation actions and protected area management practices, are highlighted and incorporated into the Hydropower project and its management institutions and costs. The main purpose of this Supplementary EIA is to ensure that the Hydropower project is carried out with the least disturbance of the environment, habitats and species as possible, and to ensure that biodiversity conservation aspects are respected and receive priority management effort and to suggest mitigation measures to minimise negative impacts

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1.1. Organisation and methods

Team and Task Force Members The study has been co-ordinated by IUCN Vietnam and combines the expertise of both international and national specialists and draws upon the findings and standards recommended by the World Commission on Dams. The team consisted of the following persons. ƒ Mr. Peter John Meynell of Scott Wilson (UK) – the International EIA Expert and Team Leader ƒ Dr. Le Xuan Canh of Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources – National Ecologist with EIA experience: ƒ Dr. Le Thac Can of Vietnam Environment and Sustainable Development Institute – National Resettlement Expert with EIA experience ƒ Mr. Bui Van Manh – National Resettlement Expert with Socio-Economic Background ƒ Mr. Mikkel Kallesoe – IUCN Vietnam – Environmental Economist ƒ Ms. Dinh Thi Minh Thu – IUCN Vietnam – Project Assistant The Supplementary EIA has been supervised by a specially created EIA Task Force consisting of representatives of various government ministries and departments and UNDP. The names and organisations of the Task Force members are given below. FPD • Dr. Nguyen Van Cuong, Vice Director • Dr. Nguyen Huu Dung, Expert, FPD/PARC National Project Manager MARD • Mr. Dao Trong Tu, Vice Director, International Relations Department • Mr. Pham Trong Hien, Expert, International Relations Department UNDP • Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Ly, Director, Environmental Section Ministry of Industry • Mr. Pham Manh Thang, Vice Director, Planning and Investment Department • Mr. Nguyen Van Dinh, Expert, Planning and Investment Department Ministry of Planning and Investment • Mr. Ha Van Quy, Senior expert, Industry Department • Ms. Tran Kim Thanh, Senior expert, Department for Science, Education and Environment MOSTE • Mr. Tran Lien Phong, Head, Nature Conservation Division, National Environment Agency EVN/PECC1 • Dr. Pham Huy Hoach, Vice Director, Science, Technology and Environment Division

Time Frame and Activities The project was undertaken between May 17 and July 31. This relatively short time frame has precluded any possibility of carrying out any detailed field studies and so reliance has had to be placed upon access to existing reports and publications, discussions with key - 2 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report persons and organisations, EIA Task Force and stakeholder meetings and field visits. Team meetings have played an important role in understanding the issues, developing methods for/and assessing the impacts. The following outline of activities was undertaken – a more detailed diary is presented in Appendix 2. The lists of persons met are presented in Appendix 3. May 17 – 23: Initial team meetings, development of programme and scoping. Preparation of an Inception/Scoping Report June 5 – 11: First field trip to Na Hang by Vietnamese experts June 18 – 29: Team Leader in Hanoi, Literature review, Team meetings and meetings with project designers, and other key informants. Visit to Hoa Binh Dam. June 29 – July 7: Field trip to Ba Be and Na Hang – full team. Meetings in Ba Be National Park, Tuyen Quang, Na Hang. Visits to the proposed dam site, River Gam and various areas of Na Hang Nature Reserve; visit to Doi Binh commune model resettlement area July 8 – 17: Team meetings, task force meeting, NGO consultation meeting, and other key informants July 18 – 30: Report writing and team meetings. August 5: Presentation of draft report to Task Force and to dam proponents - EVN/PECC1.

EIA approach and Methods The decision has been taken to go ahead with the dam, notwithstanding the presence of the Nature Reserve and National Park. This is therefore not a classic EIA designed to assess different options, or to assist in the decision making process. There is no assessment of the situation with and without the dam, or the associated discussions or counter-arguments about the need for the dam and whether this is the best place for it. Although no major options for the Hydropower project have been considered, several minor design options have been considered. These include: • Upper or lower site for the dam. There are two possible sites between Na Hang town and junction of the two rivers, separated by about 2 km, although the lower one is preferred. We compare the risks and impacts on the biodiversity of the area. • Sources of materials. The areas where the rock, earth and gravel will be excavated from will be considered, to show where greatest risks are likely to be. • Clearance proposals for flooded area. The proposed clearance of the area to be flooded will be considered for impacts upon both the resulting lake environment and disturbance to the remaining terrestrial habitats • Resettlement options for villages within the Nature reserve area. The increase of populations resulting from the resettlement of people in the Nature Reserve area will necessarily increase the pressure upon resources in the area. The options for resettlement are considered from this point of view, rather than direct social impacts. In the scoping of the impacts of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower project, the team considered three aspects: • Overview of the activities during the pre-construction, construction and operational phases of the dam • Principal impacts of these activities, grouped according to Physical/Chemical, Biological/Ecological and Social/Economic characteristics • Principal areas of influence

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The major activities will be focused upon the following sites that lie within the above areas. ƒ Dam site ƒ Urban development area, the existing Na Hang town and the area where the construction workers will be housed ƒ Sites for sourcing materials where these are outside the Dam site ƒ Sites for disposal of unwanted materials where these are outside the Dam site. ƒ Host communities receiving resettled people. ƒ Linear developments such as access roads, power lines. These activities will have areas of influence around these sites depending upon the type of impact, e.g. noise and disturbance from blasting around the dam site and sourcing of materials. The intensity of the influence will tend to decrease with distance from site or difficulty of access. Thus around point sites there may be concentric zones of decreasing influence, whilst along linear developments (roads and cut lines) there will be parallel zones of influence on each side. An approach that considers these zones of influence from each of the different activities has been used to assess and highlight the impacts. The impacts of the dam upon biodiversity, the focus of this supplementary EIA, can be broadly classified as follows: ƒ Direct mortality of individual flora and fauna, leading to population changes ƒ Disturbance of animals and plants, particularly the endangered or vulnerable species ƒ Landscape change ƒ Habitat loss ƒ Loss of food resources, especially those on which the endangered or vulnerable species depend ƒ Loss of areas for reproduction ƒ Habitat fragmentation ƒ Prevention of animal movement ƒ Loss of access to food and reproduction areas ƒ Genetic isolation Table 2.1. below shows the different impacts associated with the activities of various stages of the project, and the areas of influence, as identified during the scoping phase. Table 2.1. Showing the focus of the supplementary EIA upon the activities and biodiversity impacts Project Activities Location/Area of Impact Type Comment Influence Pre-construction Survey Dam site, Sources of Disturbance Disturbance will be materials, area to be short-lived flooded Access road Linear development to dam Disturbance, habitat Access roads can extension/construct site and urban area, south loss induce illegal logging ion of dam and hunting Power supply for Linear development to dam Disturbance, habitat Cut lines can induce construction site and urban area, south loss illegal logging and of dam hunting

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Project Activities Location/Area of Impact Type Comment Influence Construction Dam site and urban area, Disturbance, Construction workers camps south of dam pressure on habitats need fuel wood, bush development and natural resources meat etc. Identification of Flooded area and adjacent Disturbance villages to be communities, Tat Ke zone flooded and land acquisition Clearance of land Flooded area and adjacent Disturbance, loss of Clearance of the land to be flooded areas, Tat Ke zone, Ba Be habitat, direct will open up adjacent NP mortality areas of forest to illegal logging, hunting, increased access Construction Dam site Site clearance and Dam site and adjacent Disturbance, Habitat Noise, vibration and preparation areas loss, landscape traffic accident risk from change construction activities Coffer dam Dam site and adjacent Disturbance Noise and vibration from construction areas construction activities Dam construction Dam site and adjacent Disturbance Noise and vibration from areas construction activities Power station Dam site and adjacent Disturbance Noise and vibration from construction areas construction activities Sites for material sourcing Blasting and earth Dam site and adjacent Disturbance, Habitat Noise and vibration from moving areas, sourcing sites, buffer loss, landscape quarrying activities zones change Material processing Dam site and adjacent Disturbance Noise and vibration from areas, sourcing sites, buffer processing zones Transport to dam Dam site and adjacent Disturbance Vehicle noise and site areas vibration Disposal of Dam site and adjacent Disturbance, Habitat Not known if unwanted unwanted materials areas, disposal sites, buffer loss, landscape materials will be zone change disposed of outside the flooded area Power lines Clearance of cut Linear development from Disturbance, Habitat Cut lines can induce lines power station, Ban Bung loss, landscape illegal logging and NR? change hunting Erection of power Linear development from Disturbance, Habitat Cut lines can induce lines power station, Ban Bung loss, landscape illegal logging and NR? change hunting Construction workers camps

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Project Activities Location/Area of Impact Type Comment Influence Sewage and waste Downstream effects, buffer Water pollution, Disposal sites for solid treatment zone habitat change, waste may be required in buffer zone Use of resources – Whole area Direct mortality, Presence of large fuel wood, food disturbance of population of workers animals and plants will put increased pressure on all natural resources in the area. Increased fuel wood collection, NTFP and bush meat hunting Health and social Urban area Disturbance Minor impact upon interaction biodiversity Flooding and Upstream flooded area, Tat Habitat loss/change, Major impact testing Ke zone, Ba Be NP, and direct mortality, downstream riverine area animal population changes, habitat fragmentation, genetic isolation Resettlement Land preparation in Host communities in Buffer Habitat change, Increased forest host villages zone, Tat Ke zone, Ban disturbance clearance for agricultural Bung zone and residential land Infrastructure Host communities in Buffer Habitat change, Increased forest construction in host zone, Tat Ke zone, Ban disturbance clearance for villages Bung zone infrastructure Movement of Host communities in Buffer Disturbance, direct Pressure upon NTFP people – population zone, Tat Ke zone, Ban mortality, animal and fuel wood resources increases Bung zone population changes, from increased populations Compensation/train Host communities in Buffer None Possibility of training for ing packages zone, Tat Ke zone, Ban conservation activities Bung zone Operation and induced activities Electricity Upstream flooded area, Population changes Water level fluctuations generation downstream riverine area in aquatic organisms, induce changes in the landscape/habitat aquatic and lacustrine changes habitat Flood control Upstream flooded area, Population changes Water level fluctuations downstream riverine area in aquatic organisms induce changes in the landscape/habitat aquatic and lacustrine changes habitat Fisheries Upstream flooded area Fish population Fishery development will development changes induce changes in fish populations due to differing pressure of exploitation Urban development Na Hang town Disturbance, direct Increased populations mortality, animal put pressure upon population changes natural resources

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Project Activities Location/Area of Impact Type Comment Influence Transport – land Tat Ke zone Disturbance, Habitat Increased access into change, direct core zones of the nature mortality reserve, with increased hunting, fuel wood collection and increase of traffic between Ham Yen, Chiem Ho and Na Hang Transport – water, Upstream areas, Tat Ke Disturbance, Habitat Increased access into river/lake zone, Ba Be NP change, direct core zones of the nature mortality reserve, with increased hunting and fuel wood collection Tourism Upstream areas, Tat Ke Disturbance Possibility of providing zone, Ba Be NP increased funds for conservation and local livelihoods from tourism

Assessment Zoning and Matrices The area affected by the hydropower project has been divided up into different zones, based largely upon physical boundaries such as the river itself, administrative boundaries, the vegetation cover and the key areas within and around the protected areas. It should be noted that because the satellite imagery and its interpretation carried out by the PARC project does not extend much further north than Duc Xuan, the analysis of the full extent of the reservoir to be created has not been carried out. Nevertheless analysis has been carried out in all the protected areas above and below the dam site. The following zones have been established (Table 2.2.) and these are shown on Figure 2.1. In order to provide a systematic basis for assessing the impacts in each of the zones, an assessment matrix has been developed based upon the concept of the Pressure – State – Response model. In this model, it is assumed that when increased pressure is exerted upon an existing resource as a result of the dam construction activities, e.g. increased disturbance of wildlife, there is a response resulting in a change in the state of that resource. Using this matrix we have assessed the Status of Biodiversity and other resources in each zone according to a range of High – Medium – Low. The current pressure upon those resources in the zone is assessed on a similar scale. For each type of impact, the risk of increased pressure upon the resource is assessed on the High – Medium – Low scale, and the response or changed status of the resource is expressed as Highly Negative, Negative, Neutral, Positive and Highly Positive. Thus, for example, the status of biodiversity in the Khau Tinh zone is considered to be High, with a Medium pressure on it from Direct Mortality – Hunting. It is expected that the risk of increased pressure from hunting will increase to High during the dam project (if no, or inadequate, counter measures are taken) and there will be a resulting Highly Negative change in the status of biodiversity resources there. The assessment matrices for each of the zones have helped the team to focus on the principal negative impacts occurring in each zone, which are described in Section 11.

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Table 2.2. Assessment Zone Descriptions Zone Name Status Justification for zone no. 1 Na Hang The town of Na Hang, dam site on This is the major focus of west bank of river. It includes a construction activity, quarrying and small portion of the Na Hang transport of materials and centre of Nature Reserve on the west bank population. 2 Khau Tinh That portion of the commune of This is one of the SPZs of Na Hang Khau Tinh lying between the Gam NR, and will effectively be a wildlife and Nang rivers “island”1 when the reservoir is created. Households around Ban Lam will be moved up to Khau Tinh commune 3 Thanh The area south of Na Hang town This contains the other SPZ of Na Tuong and east of the river, and the Hang NR, as well as the east bank (East) / Ban forested area eastwards to the Son of the river, a possible quarry site Bung Phu commune boundary and the main access road to Na Hang 4 Thanh That section of Na Hang NR lying A relatively isolated section of the Tuong on the south west bank of the river Na Hang NR (West) Gam, downstream of Na Hang 5 Vinh Yen / The lowland area south of the river An ecosystem regeneration zone Son Phu Nang and east of the river Gam. It ERZ part of the Na Hang NR also includes the area of higher population density and the road between Na Hang and Da Vi 6 Xuan Lac The commune of Xuan Lac east of This is one of the buffer zones of Son Phu the NR and a proposed conservation corridor between Ba Be NP and Na Hang NR 7 Da Vi The commune of Da Vi on both Corridor between Ba Be and Na sides of the river Nang, linking Na Hang. Significant households Hang NR with Ba Be NP moved out of this area 8 Ba Be That small part of Ba Be NP that Part of Ba Be NP, some households will be flooded by the reservoir. moved out from this area Extends up to Dau Dang waterfall 9 Con Lon Con Lon Commune and part of the Part of the ERZ of the Na Hang NR Na Hang NR and linkage with forests of Duc Xuan and Sinh Long. Proposed to receive some resettled households 10 Duc Xuan / Area to the north east of the River Buffer zone and possible extension Sinh Long Gam and bounded on the south zone for Na Hang NR. Will contain east by the nam Vang significant flooded area 11 Thuong Area south west of the river Gam, Relatively highly cultivated area, Lam including part of Trung Kanh with some significant flooding up a commune side valley 12 Nang Kha Area to the west of Na Hang town Relatively highly cultivated area with small portion of the downstream west bank of the River Gam

1 Khau Tinh will be surrounded on three sides by water, and by communities on the north side. - 8 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Figure 2.1. Sketch map of the area showing the assessment zones.

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1.2. Legal aspects

3.1. International Conventions and standards The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was signed by 156 States in June 1992 and was ratified by Vietnam in 1993. The objectives of the CBD are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources. Article 8 of the CBD identifies the in-situ conservation measures that Parties shuld seek to carry out. Article 14 addresses impact assessment and minimising adverse impacts, inter alia in Section 1(a): “Introduce appropriate procedures requiring environmental impact assessment of its proposed projects that are likely to have significant adverse effects upon biological diversity with a view to avoiding or minimising such effects and, where appropriate, allow for public participation in such procedures”. Chapter 15 states that processes and activities with significant impacts upon biological diversity should be identified: action should be taken for the conservation of biological diversity through the in-situ conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats; and that the rehabilitation and restoration of damaged ecosystems and the recovery of threatened and endangered species should be promoted. Vietnam is also a signatory to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), which prohibits and provides sanctions against the trade in andangered species – the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey and Francois’ Langur would certainly be protected under this Convention. Vietnam signed up to CITES in 1994. The other environmental convention to which Vietnam is a signatory is the RAMSAR Convention for the protection of Wetlands of International Importance. It is not considered that RAMSAR is applicable in this case.

3.2. Legal Requirement for EIA in Vietnam The legal requirements for Environmental Impact Assessment processes are enshrined in the following: 1. Law on Environmental Protection, promulgated by Order No. 29-L/CTN of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, dated 10 January 1994. 2. Decree No 175-CP, dated 18 November 1994, of the Government on implementation of the Law on Environmental Protection. 3. Circular No. 490/1998/TT-BKHCNMT, dated 29 April 1998, of Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, on making and evaluating EIA reports with regards to investment projects. According to EIA process in Vietnam, defined by MOSTE Circular No. 490/TT-BKHCNMT, dated 29 April 1998, Na Hang project belongs to category I (Water reservoir with capacity more than 100.000 million m3). For this category of project EIA process is divided in 2 phases: phase I, consisting in asking for investment permit; phase II, consisting in project detailed design. The step of feasibility study is included in phase I. In this phase, the study on project environmental impacts could be presented very simply in a chapter, or in a part of project's document. There is no request for separate EIA report, and consequently no EIA report apraisal. Only in phase II, phase of detailed design of the project, based on the already approved feasibility study report, the project owner should elaborate an EIA report and submit to environmental authority for appraisal. 4. Decision No. 1806-QD/TMg, dated 31 December 1994 of MOSTE, issuing regulations on organization and activities concerning EIA report apraisal and provision of environmental permit. - 10 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

It is apparent that the process of assessing the environmental impacts of the dam project has followed to some extent these regulations. 2 • As indicated in the FS Report, Summary, English version, page 2, an EIA section has been included in the Feasibility Study Report as Themtaic Report No 1. • An EIA part presented as Chapter 4 of 29 pages, translated into English, has been provided for the Team. • An Ecological EIA, (Feasibility Study, Hanoi, 2001), translated in English, has been provided for the Team. What relationship of this Ecological EIA with the normal EIA was not indicated. On 09 September 2001, MOSTE sent letter No. 2868/BKHCNMT - VPTD to MPI, saying that after study of the FS Report of Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project, concerning environment and resettlement, MOSTE’s opinion is that in the next phase of project preparation EVN should carry out a detailed EIA and send it to MOSTE for appraisal. The above mention activities concerning EIA Apraisal are conform with Circular No. 490 on elaboration and apraisal of EIA report of development project: • In the phase of asking for investment permission, (including FS phase) no separate EIA report is requested, just "a part or a chapter on potential environmental impacts of the project". On this basis MOSTE will state its opinion concerning the appraisal of project document in this phase. • Only in the phase of design the construction the project has to carry out the EIA report and summit to environmental authorities for apraisal. Documents to submit include: • A letter asking for appraisal, • 07 copies of EIA Report in Vietnamese, and 01 in English in case of project invested fully or partly by foreign companies. • 01 Feasibility Study report, or an economico - technical explanation of project. We are informed by the NEA that the Tuyen Quang Project still has not submitted to MOSTE/ NEA its EIA report for full appraisal. In the case of Tuyen Quang hydropower project, like many other water reservoir projects, the most important decisions concerning project's environmental impacts, such as dam site, reservoir normal water level, flood retention capacity, power generating capacity, reservoir dead volume, power transmission lines, access roads, resettlement policy and master planning, are made in phase I. In phase II environmental study can only concentrate on searching for measures to mitigate environmental impacts, which have in effect already been accepted. In all countries that have accepted EIA as a regulatory, scientific, technical measure for efficient environmental protection, an Initial Environmental Assessment should be carried out as a preliminary activity in the pre-feasibility study. Based on this it is decided whether a full EIA is required, and the details are considered along with mitigation measures in the feasibility study. This is an essential component in the decision making process. In Vietnam, the investment decision is made based upon information provided at the feasibility stage or the equivalent of an Initial Environmental Examination, while EIA activities in the detailed design phase of project consists mostly in design of environmental mitigation and protection measures. It is concluded that the EIA procedure, as applied in the case of Tuyen Quang project should be "renovated", because decisions may be taken on an incomplete assessment of the environmental situation or comparison of the alternatives.

2 Source: Legislative Regulations on Environment, Book III. Globe Editions. Hanoi, 1999 - 11 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

3.3. Biodiversity Conservation. Paragaph 6 (on Socio-Economic Issues) of Part III (Contents) of the Biodiversity Action Plan of Vietnam (approved by Decison Nr. 845/TTg, dated 22 December 1995, of the Prime Minister): "Socio-economic development programmes, managed by ministries or sectoral departments, implemented in localities close to biodiversity protected areas, have to combine their activities with protection activities, assuring the sustainability of use of the biodiversity components. Areas of economic development, close to biodiversity protected areas, or sensitive ecosystems areas, have to contribute to expenses needed for local environmental quality protection".3

1.3. Existing environmental conditions

Location and Biogeography The proposed site of the dam and reservoir is on the Gam River just below the junction between the Gam and Nang Rivers, at Na Hang town in Tuyen Quang Province. The location of the dam is at 22.35928oN and 105.40041oE. The reservoir stretches upstream about 45 km up the Gam River into Bac Me district of Ha Gang Province, and about 30 km up the Nang River into Ba Be district of Bac Can Province. Fig.4.1. shows the location of the area in Tuyen Quang Province. According to the classification of Mackinnon (1997) the Na Hang/Ba Be Forest complex is situated in sub-unit 6a (Tropical Southern China) of the Indo-Malayan Realm. Sub-unit 6a includes all of north-eastern Vietnam and part of southern China. According to the classification of Wikramanayake et al (1997) the Na Hang/Ba Be Forest complex is situated in the Northern Indochina Subtropical Forests Ecoregion of the Indo-Pacific Region. This ecoregion encompasses a small area of northwestern Thailand and large areas of southern China, northern Burma, northern Laos and northern Vietnam, north of 19 oN. The Northern Indochina Subtropical Forests Ecoregion supports high levels of botanical diversity: of the five areas of special floristic interest in Vietnam identified by Schmid (1989), three are situated in this ecoregion. Also, the ecoregion supports a significant proportion of the global population of eight globally threatened primates. Furthermore the global ranges of the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey and the Golden-headed Leaf Monkey are entirely confined to this ecoregion. As a result of its high biodiversity value, the Northern Indochina Subtropical Forests Ecoregion was identified by the World Wildlife Fund-US (WWF-US) as one of the 223 most biologically valuable ecoregions in the world (Olson and Dinerstein, 1998).4

Geology and Topography Geology The area contains metamorphosed limestone, recent alluvial deposits, and tufa, presently being laid down on limestone outcrops. The basement limestone is coarse-gained sparite and occurs in both massive and bedded deposits. The absence of fossils, together with the presence of quartz-veining indicates metamorphism, although on a low enough scale to preserve original bedding planes. Present karstic processes have produced an extensive cave system. Alluvial deposits occur in outcrops up to 15 m high and extend laterally over tens of metres. They contain predominantly quartz clasts in a silty-sandy matrix. Present-day calcium

3 (Source Vietnam Biodiversity Action Plan, Hanoi, 1995) 4 Taken from Birdlife report to the PARC project, A Rapid Biodiversity Assessment of Ban Lam and Khau Tinh areas. 2002. - 12 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report carbonate dissolution and its redeposition has resulted in extensive tufa deposits, and stalactites and stalagmites. Placer deposits of gold within these rocks have occurred in sufficient quantities to make the exploitation of the mineral on a small-scale economic. Evidence of mining activities, such as shafts and primitive mining and panning equipment, is widespread across the Ban Bung sector. Commercial scale extraction also occurs in the Gam River at the boundary of the NR. Topography The majority of the wilderness area of the reserve consists of rugged limestone hills, and it is estimated that only around 30% of the reserve lies below 300m asl, 60% is between 300- 800m asl and 10% over 800m asl (Cox 1994). In some official literature, the Na Hang region is described as "mountainous" but most of the terrain is not exceptionally high, although in some localities the hillsides are exceedingly steep and sheet cliffs are common. In the southern part of the Ban Bung sector, a ridge of prominent limestone hills contains several peaks of over 1,000m asl. The highest peak in Tat Ke sector reaches 1,082 m asl. Small areas of level floodplain, now entirely converted to rice paddies, exist both within the wilderness zones and the more intensively-used zones of the reserve. The area contains a large number of caves, due to its limestone geology, some of which contain underground streams.

Climate The climate of Na Hang NR is strongly influenced by the area’s high elevation. It has a mild tropical climate. In the winter, temperatures are low, with little rainfall. The mean monthly temperatures for January, February, and March are 15.2oC, 17.0oC and 20.3oC, respectively. Night temperatures are lower, and mist and fog often form in the morning in sites close to water. The wet season in the area is between May and October, when the majority of the annual rain falls. This summer period also has higher temperatures, with the monthly mean temperatures reaching 27.8oC in July and August.

Hydrology The NR is part of the watershed for two rivers: Gam and Nang. The Tat Ke sector is bordered to the West by the Gam River and to the East by the Nang River. The Gam River also makes up part of the Western boundary of the Ban Bung sector. The Gam River is navigable in motorized dugout canoes at most time of the year. The Pac Vang and Nang rivers are smaller and less easily passable, particular during the rainy season when flash floods are common, and at the height of the dry season when there is often insufficient water flowing over the rapids. The reserve is drained by many small rivers and streams, although the limestone geology of the area means that, during the dry season, these stream beds are largely dry, and there is little surface water. Standing bodies of water are rare in the wilderness area, one exception being a small reservoir formed by a dam near Pac Ban village in the north of the Ban Bung sector.

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Fig. 4.1. Location of the Tuyen Quang Dam and reservoir.

Reservoir floods River Gam to Bac Me

Reservoir floods Nang River to Dau Dang Falls

Na Hang Hydropower Project – Dam site

Road between Chiem Hoa and Na Hang to be widened

New Power line Sand for dam comes from Na Hang from Lo River near connects to Ham Yen electricity grid at Yen Bai

14 Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Ecology and Habitat Principal specific features of the vegetation cover The watershed area of the proposed reservoir is entirely located in the humid tropical climate region with wind changes occurring by seasons and high amount of rainwater and relatively low temperature in the winter. Due to great differences in the geographical landscape and soil conditions the vegetation cover structure also greatly vary from place to place and can be served as a representative for the vegetation cover in the mountainous area in the North of Vietnam. Fig 7.1. (on page 46) shows a map of the area with types of vegetation cover/landuse. The ecological systems of the limestone mountains are characterized by closed evergreen forest with broad-leafed trees and many tracts of original primary forest, which are in good condition with many valuable and rare plant species having high scientific, environmental and conservation values. This ecological system is very specific for limestone mountains in the North of Vietnam with rich and specific plant community composing from specific species such as Bignoniaceae (nghiến), Garcinia fagraioides (trai), Phoebe (kháo), oak (sồi), Duabangaceae- (phay), Aesculus chinensis (kẹn), Markhamia spp. (đinh), Bassia (sến), Toona (xoan mộc), Duchesnia ( dâu đá), Caryodapnophsis tonkinensis (cà lồ), Senna cassia (muồng), Dracontomelum (sấu), Bishofia (nhội), hoàng đàn... The volume of timber is very large approximately 400-500 m3/ha, from which diameter of many individuals exceeds 1 m. Diameter of some Bignoniaceae plants exceeds 2 m, Toona (xoan moc) plants reach 2 m and other plants with diameter size exceeding 1 m like Markhamia spp.-dinh), Duabangaceae- phay, Dracontomelum- sấu, Caryodapnophsis tonkinensis -cà lồ), Bischofia- (nhội). The ecological systems are very diversified, many forest areas are still untouched and rich in term of both timber volume and biological diversity. This forest ecology is usually characterized by 5 plant stories with 5 commonest tree species such as Paraschorea Chinensis -cho chi), Azadirachta (xoan dao), hazel nut (de), Pometia (sang), Manglieta glauca (mỡ), Photinia (sen), Vatica (tau mat), Adenanthera (rang rang), Michelia (gioi), dracontomelum, Dipteracarpus (cho nau), Machilus (re gung), Achinodaphne (re xanh), Manglieta (vang tam). The volume of timber is very big and reaches approximately 400-500 m3/ha; many timber trees exceeds 1 m in diameter like Paraschorea Chinensis -cho chi), Azadirachta (xoan dao), Green teakwood (tau xanh), Canarium Album (tram trang). Under this cover grow untouched bushes of big rattan up to 15 to 20 m in height and other bushes up to 4-5 m high. Primary conifer forest, with domination of pine (F. hodginsii- Pomu), spontaneously occurs in the area, where some trees with more than 1 m in diameter can be seen. This indicates the old stage of this forest. The distribution of bamboo forest occupies an essential area in the region, many of which are still untouched by human activity. This is also another specific feature of the forest in the proposed reservoir. Man-made vegetation cover is also diversified. The areas of planted forest tend to increase. Planted species are primarily Manglieta glauca (mỡ), snowbel Styrax tonkinensis (bồ đề), pine (Pinus spp.), acacia, bamboo Phyllostachys, and some other species. These reforested areas have good economic and environmental value. It is noticed that the cover area in the proposed Reservoir is still large and covers approximately 35 to 40% total natural areas of the region. The description of specific features of main vegetation cover types in the region is shown below:

Mountainous belt below 700 m with soils derived from altered rocks without limestone Close tropical rain evergreen forest with high humidity and broad leaves trees This forest is usually distributed in large areas and covers almost all watershed areas below 700 and is essential feature of the study region. The plant varieties in this primary forest without human disturbance are very rich in term of forest structure, composition and - 15 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report resources. This forest cover is typically characterized by 5 plant layers with 3 timber tree layers. The height of the highest layer is approximately 40 m, where common tree species are Markhamia spp., Paraschorea Chinensis, Annamocarya sinensis, Caryodaphnopsis tonkinensis, Dipterocarpus tonkinensis, Erythrofloeum fordii, Hopea spp; Vatica spp; Toona; Dysoxylum and other species. Trees in this layer are irregularly distributed; sometimes a group of several trees can be noticed. However, in many cases, this layer does not thrive or disappears due to human exploitation. The height of the ecologically dominant layer is about 20-30 m. Plant varieties of this layer are very rich and complicated. The presence of Castanopsis, Lithocarpus, Litsea, Cinnamonmum, Laurus, Actinodaphne, Elaeocarpus spp, Nephelium, Duabanga, Ficus species, beans Albizzia, Pithecelobium, Pelthophorum Zenia, Dalbergia, Canarium Album, C. pinnata, c tramdenum, Garuga sp, Aglaia spp, many species from Meliaceae family such as Dosoxylum, Chisocheton, Swietenia, Michelia, Magnolia, Maglietia, Garcinai spp; Endospermum chinensis and representative from others plant’s families. The height of trees in the third layer is around 10 m. In this layer, the plant’s species composition varies from place to place. The presence of representatives from Flacourtiaceae family: Hydrocarpus, Xylosma representatives; Ulmaceae family: Trema, Gironniera; Myristecaceae family: Knema; Annonaceae family: Alphonsea, Polyalthia, Cananga, Xylopia; fabaceae family: Albizzia, Dalbergia etc. Additionally, the presence of representatives from Rubiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Sapindaceae families and other families are also found. Spontaneous trees create bush layer with the height varying from 3 to 5m. However, the tree composition is also very rich. The commonest are representatives of Cafe Rubiaceae family such as Psychotrya, Canthyum, Gardenia, Randia,,, Mircinaceae family: Ardicia, Apocinaceae family: Melodinus, Rauvolfia; Euphorbiaceae family such as Croton, Claoxylon, Cleidion, Glochidion, Flueggea; Ginseng family: Schefflera, Trevesia, Polyscias and many individuals from other families. The lowest layer composed of grass and bushes less than 2 m in height, including young secondary trees of the plants composing higher timber layers. In this layers are found representatives from Acanthaceae family: Acanthus, Andrographis, Dicliptera, Justicia, Strobilaanthesetc. Urticaceae family: Elastostema, laportea, Pilea; Araceae family: Arisaema, Homalomena, Aglaonema, Zingiberaceae family: Alpina, Amomum, Zingiber; There are also representaives from Poaceae family; Alliaceae family and many species from Cyatheaceae family grow under forest cover. Additionally found are members of the Palm family: Arenga, Calamus, Caryota and many species from Magnoliaceae family. Major part of this forest is concentrated in Na Hang district (Tat Ke - Ban Bung areas), Chiem Hoa district (Cham Chu area). Major parts of the forest have been changed into poor or restored secondary forest at different stages. In this kind of forest, the traditional forest structure within the five layers of trees has been destroyed. The vegetation cover is usually composed of only 2 or 3 layers, in which timber trees may occupy one or two layers. Species composition also becomes remarkably poorer. Light-loving and fast-growing, short-lived species dominate this forest , with relicts of traditional very slow growing and abnormally formed trees with high insect development. On the newly destroyed forested area, where the land on the surface layer is still fertilized, it is often noticed the presence of Ormosia, Machilus, Litsea, Trema, Engelherdtia, hazel nut: Castanopsis, Lithocarpus, some species of Ficus genera. If the soil is lower in nutrient content, Macaranga, Mallotus, Liquidamba, Styrax dominate. On the poorest soils, it is noticed the presence of Aporusa, Cratoxylon, Phylantus, Wenlandia. This kind of forest has high economic, environmental protection and scientific values. From economic point of view, the timber volume in the rich part of this forest is relatively high. According to our inventory survey in Cham Chu (Chiem Hoa district) the timber volume there reach 45-- 500 m3/ha, including many precious kind of woods (parashrea stellata cho chi, green teakwood tau xanh, ironwood- lim, bassia- sen, duabanga sonneratioides- phay vi talauma -gioi, canary-wood (vang tam), goi nep, sang, red chestrut. This forest system is also important in watershed protection purpose because it distributes in the upper areas of - 16 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report the Gam and Lo watershed. The scientific and conservation value of this forest is also very high. The tropical evergreen rainy forest in low mountainous areas is usually a habitat for many rare and valuable plant species, which have been recorded in the Red Book of Vietnam. Bamboo forest in the low mountainous belts All of the bamboo forests in this area are secondary forests. They are growing in what was previously covered by evergreen and broad-leaved trees, which have been destroyed for shifting cultivation. Bamboos grow particularly in areas where forest rehabilitation has failed or after first stage of the exploitation of the planted forests (often on the former Manglieta glauca (mỡ), Styrax forest). In general, bamboo forests are growing on the fertilized soils. In the heavily degraded soils, the domination belongs to some species from Bambusa sp. group (tre gay, nua tep, tre gai). There can be observed representatives from almost all the bamboo family of the North of Vietnam ranging from relatively rare genera such as lung to widely distributed genera such as Neohouzeaua dullooa (Gamble) A. Camus, D. patellaris Gamble, dien, from large-sized bamboo genera to small size genera (Bambusa flexuosa Munro, Saccharum officinarum L. etc. This is also an area, where local residents plant many kinds of bamboo, among which Dendrocalamus membrranaceus Munro is the most attractive species due to its high economic value and is widely planted in the area. Grass and secondary bushes This is the most degraded vegetation cover due to human activities. In the study areas, this kind of vegetation cover spontaneously distributes and their total area is temporarily small. Their economic and environmental protection values are very small.

Vegetation cover on mountainous belt with height less than 700 m and soils derived from altered limestone areas. Vegetation cover with broad leaves trees in evergreen forest In the Gam River watershed, the primary forest with broad leaves trees still remains on the limestone mountainous areas, such as Tat Ke-Ban Bung (Na Hang district) or from Canh Tien mountain to Cao Duong peak in Cham Chu area, Chiem-Hoa district. This area can be considered as representative of the ecological system for the North Vietnam limestone mountain. The vegetation cover in this area usually has three timber layers with rich plant composition associating with specific and high value species: Burretiodendron tonkinensis (nghien), Garcinia fagraioides (trai ly), Fagraea fragrans (lau binh), Aesculus chinensis) ken, Markhamia stipulata (dinh), Chukrasia tabularis (lat hoa) and many other species such as Phoebe (kháo), oak (sồi), bassia (sến), Xerospermum trương vân, Cinnamon spp. bead-tree (xoan), Dracontomelum (sấu), bischofia (nhội), senna cassia (muồng đá), dâu đá. The timber volume is also very large. The diameter of some individuals of Burretiodendron tonkinensis, Parachorea, bead-tree is around 2 m. The calculation from some standard plots in Cao Duong mountain (Cham Chu), the average timber volume can reach 450 m3/ha, where big and precious timber such as Burretiodendron tonkinensis, Garcinia fagraioides, duabanga sonneratioides- phay vi dominate. It is interesting to note that in some places in the mountain, the dominance in the plant composition belongs to Moraceae family with representatives from Dimerocarpus, Fiscus, Streblus genera. In many places, only Dimerocarpus brenieri is growing. The following types of evergreen vegetation cover are often distributed on limestone mountains: • Evergreen forest in the limestone mountain valleys: This kind of forest often occupies narrow valleys in the low part of the limestone mountain. In general, this forest is in good condition with high tree density, large trees with diameter and height often exceeding 30 cm and 25-30 m respectively. Main trees species are Dimerocarpus, Cryptocarya, Ailanthus, Dracontomelum, Aglaia, Duabanga, Diospiros, Mischocarpus, Deutzianthus, Nephelium, Bridelia, Ficus.

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• Evergreen forest in the legs and slopes of limestone mountain: The tree density and tree size here is often smaller than that in the valleys but tree composition is similar to that on the limestone mountain valleys. • Evergreen forest on the peaks of limestone mountain: The area of this type of forest is often small and occupies peaks of limestone mountains or their watersheds. The tree density is often low, tree size (in term of both diameter and height) is smaller than that of previous two kinds of forest. Beside species contributing to the two forest types mentioned above, the domination of Meliusa balansae, Clausena, deo heo, Eclipta prostrata nho noi, D. Subarticulata Lec. thi rung, Sizygium tram tia, huyest giac, Laportea interuppta (Gaud.) Chew lá han is also noticed • Evergreen forest on the shores of water bodies: The tree composition of this forest differs from that in the above-mentioned forests. It is noticed the domination of the presence of Cleystocalyx- vối rừng, F. retusa- si, Bischofia javanica-nhội, Hydrocarpus hainanensis- phong tử, Dalbergia sp.-sưa, F. racemosa- sung, Pterocarya tonkinensis- coi; Phylantus reticulata- phen den. These forests greatly differ from each other by tree composition, tree density and size. • Secondary forest affected by human activities These are foreststhat are in different stages of restoration from degraded forest cover on the mountainous limestone area. Thus the forest structure and tree composition thus they are different from each other . On the same region, the tree composition on the limestone mountains is poorer than that on the normal mountain. There can be seen Hiliciopsis - Mạ sưa, Diospiros; Burretiodendron tonkinensis; Castanopsis; Beilschemiedia; Zyzygium-trâm; some species from Ficus genera are dominated. On the mountainous peaks with height of more than 500m, are growing species of chestnut, Elaeocarpaceae, P. heterophylum Pierre communities. At heights less than 500 m are growing species of dâu đá, Chukrasia tabularis-Lat hoa, Markhamia stipulata (dinh) Đinh , Dracontomelum -sấu, gội, On the shores of water bodies and wetland areas, are growing species of Pterocarya tonkinensis, F. racemosa, Aesculus assamica Griff kẹn, Flacourtiaceae family mùng quân, Zyzygium communities. • Secondary bushes and grass occupies spontaneous areas in the region. They often grow on the fallow land formed after shifting cultivation, forest fire, over exploited forested areas and pastured land for animals raising. In these areas, the most popular are Helitecres, Grewia, Clausena, Alangium, Evodia, Mallotus, Macaranga and other bushes of timber plant species. Among non-woody stem, the domination of species of Poaceae family has been observed with the presence of Imperata Cylindrica, Miscanthus floridulus, Thysanolaen maxima and other species from Fabaceae family such as Mimosa, Crotalaris, Desmodium, Amranthaceae family: Achyrantes, Amaranthus, Asteraceae family: Ageratum, Artemisia, Chmorolaena, Synedrella, Thespis, Asclepiadaceae family: Streptocaulon. In some places with height ranging from 300-500 m, it is noticed only the growth of Arundinaria community.

Forest status on the mountainous belt with the height ranging from 700 to 1.600 m and soils not derived from limestone rock The composition and structure of plant communities on this belt differ from thus on the other belts due to the changing temperature regime. Simultaneously with species of plant communities in the common close evergreen humid forest with broad leaves trees, there is noticed the presence of trees from conifer species. The most common are Podocarpus imbricatus Blum, Podocarpus latifolius, Keteleria, Fokienia hodginsii, and some species from Pinus genera. The most common broad leaves trees in the old forest and aged secondary forest are: Schima, Toona, Acer; Michelia, Magnolia, Maglieta (Magnoliaceae), Castanopsis, Lithocarpus, Quercus, Rhodoleia, Symingtonia, Rhododendron,Vaccinium, Agapetes genera, Aerides, Cymbidium, Harbenaria (Orchidaceae). Traditionally, they are common on this height.

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Forest status on the mountainous belt with the height ranging from 700 to 1.600 m and soils derived from limestone rock Generally speaking, forest on this belt of the limestone mountains differs from forest on the lower belt by the dominance of coniferous trees like Cupressus torulosus, Podocarpus latifolius, Pinus kwangtungensis and other species. The lower of temperature, different soil conditions (thin and uncompleted cultivated layer with water shortage in dry season) greatly affect structure of the vegetation cover. The vegetation cover of this kind of forest on the limestone mountain carries many features of close forest with low tree density (only about 400- 700 trees/ ha). The forest cover coefficient varies from 0.5 to 0.7. Structurally, plants tend to concentrate in a small community or big size trees cover a large area, under which other plants do not grow. Secondary bushes and grass occupy only small areas on the limestone mountains. Secondary timber species, especially species grown from seeds, make up only a small percentage (less than 20%) in the plant composition. Timber plants, mainly regrown from stumps of timber species specifically grow on the limestone mountain like Nephelium, Syzygium, Antidesma, Diospiros, Pterospermum, Sterculia, Ficus, In many places, fast rehabilitation of Dimerocarpus brenieri can be seen. This creates a forest community with single species.

Man made vegetation cover The planted forest occupies an essential area in the vegetation cover of the region. This region is characterized by a long-term tradition of planting trees on the forested land. In the previous time, local residents planted Manglieta glauca, Styrax tonkinensis. Today, the most popular plants are Acacia aurilculaeformis, A. mangium, Eucalyptus spp. Pinus spp. Traditionally, Bamboo forests also have been planted. Traditionally, local people plant Phytostachys around their houses and on the slope field to get young bamboo shoots for eating and their trunks for making houses. Additional to planting Phytostachys, local people also plants other bamboo genera like Prunus mai, Dendrocalamus (dien da, dien trung), Acidosasa truc can cau, Bambusa (tre gai, tre dang nga), Gigantochloa tre loc ngoc. Recently, the Thanh Hoa origine bamboo species, Dendrrocalamus membranaceus, has also been planted over large areas for making pulp for the paper industry. Tea Camellia sinensis is a traditional agricultural vegetation in the region, which has been planted on small areas around their houses and on hillocks. Fruit trees and timber trees (bead-tree, Eucalyptus spp), bamboo genera are planted around residential areas, in the home gardens. Agricultural land for rice, cassava, sweet potato, food vegetation cultivation occupies spontaneous areas on the hill slopes with low slope angle (< 25o) in mountainous valleys or former wetland areas.

Aquatic Flora and Fauna Phytoplankton Species composition 28 phytoplankton species belonging to 4 alga phyla have been identified based on the analysis of samples collected from the Gam River in the Na Hang area during November 1999. Among the phytoplankton, the diatoms have the highest number of species (14 species accounting for 50% of total species), followed by blue-green algae (8 species, 28.57%), the green algae (5 species, 17.8%). Diatoms are distributed widely in water bodies of the river type, especially, those belonging to Melosira branch (which is the typical alga of Hoa Binh and Thac Ba reservoirs). Green algae species are found in high concentrations in standing water bodies such as ponds and lakes. No Euglena algae species were found in this investigation. Such composition of phytoplankton is quite low in comparison with the past inventories (105 species belonging to 6 alga phyla). 17 phytoplankton species belonging to 4 alga phyla were identified from the samples collected in the Bac Me area of the Gam River, in July 2000. Among the phytoplankton, the - 19 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report silicic alga phylum has the highest species composition (9 species accounting for 52.9% of the total amount of species), following by blue-green alga (4 species, 23.5%) and the green alga (3 species, 17.6%). Such composition of phytoplankton is lower in comparison with the investigation conducted in November 1999 (28 species) 26 phytoplankton species belonging to blue-green, diatoms, and green alga phyla were identified based on the samples collected in the Na Hang area (from Thuy Loa to Na Hang town) of the Gam River. In the species structure, the silicic algae phyla dominate and are composed of 19 species or 73% of the species number, there are 4 green algae species (15.3%). Therefore, results show the identification of 44 phytoplankton species in the Gam River and surrounding streams in the study areas. Among phytoplankton, specific species for water flow in rivers and streams are dominant. Therefore, number of phytoplankton (in the study area) is often lower than that in entire Gam River system (105 species belongs to 4 alga phyla). The following comments can be made: • Density of phytoplankton varies from more than 5.000 to more than 15.000 units/litre, the average density is 8.047 units/litre. • Among alga, silicic alga dominates in the alga number with the average rate of 68.4% from alga number. Among silicic alga, species belongs to Melosira branch dominate. Blue-green alga occupies 23.9% and species of Oscilatoria branch dominate.

Surface Animals (Zooplankton) Species composition Results of the analysis of samples collected in survey in November 1999 allowed for identified 11 zooplankton species belonging to Rotatoria, Cladocera, Copepoda and Ostracoda groups. Results of the analysis samples collected in survey in June 2000 identified only 9 zooplankton species belonging to Rotatoria, Cladocera, Copepoda and insecta larvae. Results of the analysis samples collected in survey in November 2000 identified 20 zooplankton species belonging to Rotatoria, Cladocera, Copepoda and Ostracoda groups. In total, 26 zooplankton species and groups in the Gam River and surrounding streams in the study area have been identified. Among zooplankton, the number of Cladocera species is largest (11 species or 50% of species number) followed by Copepoda (10 species or 45.4%). The presence of Calanoida among Copepoda group has not been noticed. The following comments can be made: • Density of zooplankton is low averaging around 20 individual/m3 . The average biodiversity index for zooplankton is 4.265, which is relatively high. This feature reflects a real nature of biological systems in mountainous water bodies: low density of individual species but rich in the number of species. • In biological structure, the highest density belongs to Cyclopoida species of the Copepoda group, which occupies 38.8% of the population. Second place is occupied by Cladocera group with the dominant of small-sized species from Chydoridae family. The essential percentage (38.8%) of insect larvae in the zooplankton population reflects specific features of zooplankton systems of mountainous areas.

Bottom Animals (Benthos) Results of quantitative analysis on animals living in the bottom layer (benthos) from samples collected in November 2000 survey from Gam River and this watershed allow for identification of 10 shrimp, crab, snail, molluscs and 32 insect larvae’s species in the water

- 20 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report environment (Nomenclature table 8 & 9). This shows the diversity of these animal groups in water bodies in mountainous areas in general and in the Gam River and surrounding bodies of water. Among animals living in the bottom layer, there are only widely distributed species and no rare species, which have to be specially protected. The relatively low numbers of mollusc species recorded is considered to reflect the lack of studies upon the mollusc fauna in the rivers (this is also the case for the terrestrial molluscs) rather than low biodiversity. Limestone areas are known to be particularly rich in mollusc diversity. The study carried out for the World Commission on Dams on the impacts of dams on molluscan biodiversity, indicates that in the lower Mekong River, there are 121 gastropod species, of which 111 are endemic, and 39 bivalve species of which 5 are endemic. (Seddon, 2000). In 1998, a single cave from a limestone area in Vietnam yielded 17 cave species, 15 of which belong to a single family. (Vermeulen and Whitten, 1999)

Fish Community and Fishery Fish Species in the Gam River and surrounding streams in this watershed According to available inventory and survey data, 110 species of the fish community of the Gam River and surrounding streams (Bac Me, Ba Be, Na Hang) have been recorded (Annex 7). There are 25 economic fish species in Lo, Gam and Chay River systems (Annex 7) from which 9 species are rare and precious. These species are listed also in Vietnam Red Data Book, some of these species include: Anhvu fish (Semilabeo notabilis), Chien fish (Bagarius bagarius); Lang fish (Hemibagrus elongatus). The productivity of fish catches is not stable and reaches only 2-5 kg/day. After heavy rain, however, when the water has high turbidity, productivity can reach 10-20 kg/day. 25 economic fish species are exploited, from which some are aquaculture species such as Carp (Cyprinus carpio Linneaus, 1758), tilapia, white chub, Stenopharyngodon idella Valenciennes, 1844 (trắm cỏ) pike, mud carp (cá trôi), mrigan, eel. From natural species, the most economic species are: Onychostoma gerlachi Peter, 1880 (cá sỉnh), Saurogobio dabryi Peter, 1871 (cá đục đanh), Cyclocheilichthys iridescens Nichols and Pope, 1844 (cá hoa), Opsarichthys uncirostris Schlegel, 1842 (cá cháo), Spinibarbus caldwelli Nichols, 1925 (cá chày đất), cá mỡ, sturgeon Bagarius bagarius Hamilton Buchanan, 1822 (cá chiên), gudgeon Spinibarbus denticulatus Oshima, 1926 (cá bỗng). Local people said that sometimes they could catch carp with weight of 5-7 kg and sturgeon with weight of more than 10 kg. A review of the changing composition of the fish species in the Gam and Nang Rivers shows that surveys between 1962 and 1965 recorded 8 migratory fish species, including Clupanodon thrissa, Macrura reevesii, Coila grayii, Leucosoma chinensis, Hemirhamphus sinensis, Cynoglossus trigamnus and Fugu ocellatus. None of these species have since been recorded in the 1999 survey, and it is concluded that changing conditions in the rivers e.g. due to pollution, water regimes etc. have made migration too difficult for these species. A comparison of the fish species found in the River Gam at Bac Me and at Na Hang, shows that there are only 45 species found in the river at Bac Me compared to the much larger diversity found at Na Hang – 112 species. This is accounted for by the fact that the river is larger at Na Hang and also has a number of species also found in Ba Be. Only three species are found at Bac Me that are not found elsewhere. The total number of exclusively riverine species found at Bac Me and Na Hang is 48, the rest of species recorded are also found in Ba Be lake and thus will be able to survive the lacustrine conditions found in the reservoir. Fish species in Ba Be Lake Ba Be Lake is one of the biggest natural lakes in the north of Vietnam and is the major component of Ba Be National Park, which has a total area of 23,340 ha, of which the Lake occupies about 450 ha. It extends 8km from north to south with an average depth of 20 m and 35 m at the deepest point. According to a recent survey the fish fauna of Ba Be consists of 63 species and sub-species belongng to 46 genera, 16 families and 4 orders. The distribution of fish fauna amongst the four orders is 63% - Cypriniformes, 14.3% - Siluriformes, Perciformes – 27%, Synbranchiformes – 1.6%. - 21 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

A comparison of the fish found in Ba Be with the fish found in the River Gam at Na Hang shows that 11 species are exclusively found in Ba Be lake, while 34 species are common to both Na Hang and Ba Be. (Appendix 6.

Anhvu fish, Semilabeo obscorus Semilabeo obscorus belongs to family Cyprinidae and Order Cypriniformes. It is considered one of the tastiest fish in Hong river. It is a vegetarian species with principal food being phytoplankton. This fish has medium size (43cm) and weight is about 920g. Behaviour: The species is living in the bottom layer of the river or stream with fast flowing clear water. In northern Vietnam during rainy season from May to September the water in big river or stream is muddy and this fish goes upstream to underground water caves with warm and clear water. These places are called "Mine" by the local people , and so this fish is called "Mine fish". In the Gam river three mines of fish have been discovered: • Thanh Tuong Mine, • Thuy Loa mine (Na Hang district) and • Lac Nong Mine (Bac Me district). During the dry season from October to May of the next year the water in big river is clear and Mine fish will go down from the Mines to big rivers. Distribution: In Vietnam Semilabeo obscorus distributes in the Ky Cung, Ma, Lam, Da, Thao, Lo, Gam and Chay rivers. Due to the exploitation, the population size of this fish species has declined very fast. According to many authors, this species was recorded in small numbers in the upstream reaches of Da river. The bigest populations were recorded in Gam river from Na Hang to Bac Me. In the world,this species is also distributed in southern provinces of China. Risk from the dam: The construction of the dam is precisely where the largest population of Anhvu fish are currently found in Vietnam. The risk of extirpation by dam building activities in this area must be considered to be very high, both because of the silt load from construction and because flooding may damage the conditions in spawning caves.

Terrestrial Flora and Fauna Vegetation Community in Na Hang District and Proposed Reservoir Main characteristics of the vegetation community The vegetation community in the study area can be considered typical of communities in humid tropical regions with cold winter season. According to available documents, there are approximately more than 1.000 vegetation species present in the region (1.142 species are officially recorded in the vegetation nomenclature). There are 4 species from two families and one genera belong to Lycopodiophyta order (Nganh Thong dat), one specie from one genera, one family of Equisetophyta order (Nganh Co thap but), 49 species from 30 genera and 16 families from Nganh Duong xi Polypodiophyta order, 15 species from 8 genera, 5 families of Nganh Hat tran Naked seed order, 772 species belong to 413 genera, 111 families of Lop hai la mam: Magnoliopsida class, 189 species belong to 95 genera, 24 families of Lop Mot la Mam: Liliopsida class. (see Appendix 6) According to our assessment, there are more than 2,000 species present in the region. For this reason, it is quite difficult to get a precise assessment on characteristics of the vegetation community in the region. However, following comments can be made: • Based on the results of inventories conducted in many years by our staff in this region, the list of plants in the closed seed group, especially, timber trees belong to Magnoliopsida class is relatively extensive.

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• However, little discussion has given with regard to bushes, liana, parasite vegetation, and hoai sinh. • In the Liliopsida class, both Magnoliaceae and Orchidaceae families are relatively not very well studied. • There is also a noticeable absence of deep study on water vegetation (Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Alissmataceae, Scrophulariaceae, Naiadaceae, Hydrocharitaceae, Potamogetonaceae..families). • The inventory of Pinophyta species is relatively extensive. • However, the data on community diversity of Polypodiophyta order is not enough and surely many species of this order were not recorded in their nomenclature. There are ten families with biggest number of species as follows: • Poaceae family: 58 species in 29 genera. • Fabaceae family: 49 species in 30 genera; • Euphorbiaceae family: 40 species in 21 genera; • Rubiaceae family: 35 species in 19 genera; • Asteracea family: 23 species in 10 genera; • Arecaceae family: 22 species in 10 genera; • Orchidaceae family: 21 species, 10 genera; • Araceae family: 20 species in 12 genera; • Moraceae family: 119 species in 6 genera. However, due to the shortage of time for study on the species composition of every family, this data is only the primary data for reference. More in-depth study could be conducted, the number of taxons under each family from the list below would be bigger than that in the present nomenclature: Euphorbiaceae family; Moraceae family; Rutaceae family; Rubiaceae family; Asteraceae family; Ho Re - Lauraceae family; Ho dau: Fabaceae family; Annonaceae family; Cyperaceae family; Orchidaceae family; Poaceae family. Rare and precious plant species The value of the area is high due to the presence of many rare and precious plant species such as: • Endangered species (E): Nervilia (trầu tiên một lá); Anoectocchilus setaceus (lan lá gấm); Cupressus torulosa (Hoàng đàn); • Vulnerable species (V):- Markhamia stipulata (Thiết đinh), Garcinia fragraeoides (Trai lý); Burretiodendron tonkinensis (Nghiến); Ardisia silvestris (La Khôi); Campanula japonica (Đẳng sâm); Cibotum barometz (Lông culi), Rawolfia verticillata (Ba gạc), Stephania af.brachyandra (Củ bình vôi); Smilax glabra (Thổ phục linh); Strychnos umbellata (Hoàng nàn). • Rare species (R): Cycas balansae ( Sơn tuế đá vôi ); Chukrasia tabularis ( Lát hoa ); Disporopsis longifolia ( Hoàng tinh hoa trắng ); Paris polyphylla (Bảy lá một hoa); Reynoutria japonica (Cốt khí củ); Sargentodoxa cuneata (Huyết đằng); Stemona cochinchinensis (Bách bộ). • Threatened species (T): Acanthopanax (Ngũ gia bì hương); Annamocarya chinensis ( Chò đãi); Caesalpinia sappan (Tô mộc); Padocarpus henryi (Kim giao).

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• Unknown species (K): Drynaria fortunei (Cốt toái bổ); Melientha suavis (Rau sắng); Parashorea chinensis (Chò chỉ); Tinospora sinensis (dây đau xương); Tetrapanax papyriferus (Thông thảo); If detailed study could be conducted, many other species would be added in this list. In addition, for some species, the number of their individuals either are very small or their population has sharply decreased, possibly due to over exploitation. Therefore, appropriate measures should be taken to protect them, in particular • Homalomena occulta (Thiên niên kiện); • Costus speciosus (Mía dò); • Amomum longiligulare ( Sa nhân); • Aesculus khasyana (Kẹn). Vegetation resources In study area, the vegetation community is very rich and diversified resource. The following groups of vegetation can be specified: • Precious and high art value timbers: Timbers of this group are highly recognized in both domestic and international markets such as: Chukrasis tabularis (Lát hoa); Garcinia fragraeoides (Trai lý); Markhamia stipulata (Thiết đinh); Burretiodendron tonkinensis(Nghiến); Parashorea chinensis (Chò chỉ); Cupressus torulosa (Hoàng đàn); Padocarpus henryi (Kim giao); F. hodginsii (Pơ mu); F. fragrans (Trai lậu bình); E. fordii (Lim xanh); Maglietia conifera (Vàng tâm). Due to high or very high value of their wood and big market demand, the exploitation of these timber species is very strong, therefore the existence of these timbers is at risk (Cupressus torulosa - Hoàng đàn for example). • Groups of plants providing timber for construction and other industries: This group is very diverse and in the study area volume of some species is relatively big. According to our survey results, in the study area, there are approximately 300 plant species providing wood for consumption purposes such as:Trám trắng (C. album); Trám hồng (C. bengalense); Lim xẹt (P. tonkinensis); Chò xanh (T. myryocarpa); Phay sừng (D. sonneratioides); Nhội (B. javanica); Trương vân (Toona surenii); Chò vảy (Dysoxylum sp.); Sâng (P. pinata); Vạng trứng (E. chinensis); and many species from genera Aglaia and Amoora (Meliaeceae family) and many species from Fagaceae family Họ Dẻ (C. iners; C. bejolghota; Lithocarpus spp. ) and many species from Dze Lauraceae family Họ De (Actinodaphne, Cinnamomum, Machilus) and from other families. • Fruit trees This group composes approximately about 50 species. Main representatives are: Dracontomelum duperreanum (sấu); A. lakonensis (dâu da xoan); C. album (Trám trắng); C Tramdenum (Trám đen); G. oblongifolia (Bứa); G. multiflora (Dọc); G. cowa (Tai chua); B. sapida (Dâu da đất); A. Maluccana (Lai); C. cavalerieri (Cây đen); C. laurinum (cây đen lá rộng), C. tonkinensis (Mạy chấu); F. auriculiata (Vả); H. macrocarpa (Đại hái); Livistonia saburi (Cọ). Many fruit tree species has been used in the daily life by local residents for many generations in the history such as C. album; C Tramdenum; H. macrocarpa; Livistonia saburi. Some species event become common fruit trees (C. cavalerieri, per example), which plant in home garden. In recent years, C. album fruit is widely used domestically and selling to China with relatively high price. In many places, local residents consider C. album fruit as a high economic value tree and started plant them in home gardens. • Medicinal plants This vegetation group is also rich and has high value in the study area. It is quite difficult to record name of all species used for treatment by local residents. However, according to results of our survey, around 300 species are widely used for this purpose. These species are recorded by Professor Do Tat Loi and Professor Vo Van Chi in their works “Vietnam Medicinal plants and medicinal compositions” and Dictionary of Vietnam Medicinal plants” respectively. These species mostly belong to Apocynaceae,

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Araceae, Araliaceae, Asteraceae, Dicksoniaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Poaceae, Lamiaceae, Liliaceae, Menispermataceae, Fabaceae, Zingiberaceae families. Many species in this group have very high economic values such as Acanthopanax gracilistylus (Ngũ gia bì hương); Ophiopogon spp. (Cao cẳng); P.serralata (Sâm cau); S. glabra (Củ khúc khắc); Amomum longiligulare (Sa nhân); Homalomena occulta (Thiên niên kiện); Stephania af.brachyandra (Củ bình vôi); Drynaria fortunei (Cốt toái bổ); D. persimilis (Hoài sơn); Octophylla (Sâm nam); M. officinalis (Ba kích); Sargentodoxa cuneata (Huyết đằng) and many other species. • Oil and attar producing vegetation Nearly 100 species belong to this group. They are members of the following families: Euphorbiaceae, Rutaceae, Lauraceae, Zingiberaceae, Main representatives are: H. macrocarpa (Đại hái); A. Maluccana (Lai); J. curcas (dầu mè); Trẩu V. montana; L. cubeba (Bời lời nhớt); C. cavalerieri (Cây đen); C. laurinum (cây đen lá rộng), C. tonkinensis (Mạy chấu); Homalomena occulta (Thiên niên kiện); some species from genera Cymbopogon (C. coloratus; C. flexuosus; C. nardus). • Groups of other valuable trees Speaking about this group we should mention decorative species from different families. Some species of genera Acampe, Bulbuphyllum, Cymbidium, Harbenaria Rhaphidophora from Orchidaceae family; some species of genera Aglaonema, Epipremnum, Araceae family; and many species of genera: Cordyline, Impatiens, Begonia. Some species can be used in making rods and fine-art items such as Calamus, Dendrocalamus, Bambusa. Vegetation use for making dyes such as Dioscorea, Strobilanthes, Ingidofera, or for food products such as Bambusa, Dendrocalamus.

Wild life in the proposed Dam construction area The wildlife populations in the area have been described for the inundation zone and for the cores zones of the protected areas. Mammal fauna in proposed inundation zone Based on our long term studies the mammal fauna of Na Hang NR and surrounding area can be presented as follow: A number of medium-size and big size animals were found in the area as: Wild pig (Sus scrofa), wild cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), wild dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), red dog (Cuon alpinus), common otter (Lutra lutra), white-cheek civet (Melogale personata), zibetha civet (Viverra zibetha), indica civet (Viverricula indica), palm civet (Hemigalus owstoni) larvata civet (Paguma larvata) etc. Small animals also found such as mice, species from Sciuredae, Hystricidae, Mannidae families. However identifying the conservation status of mammals in this area is a difficult job because: • The forests in the area are logged and affected by the human activities; • only some fragmented forests along the rivers and streams are in good status. Human activities such as hunting, logging, cutting trees and clearing land for agriculture affect the wildlife very strongly. Moreover in the area many householders are raising livestock such as buffalo, cows, pigs, dogs, goat etc, which disturb wildlife and compete for forage resources. Thus previously recorded larger animals are rarely seen; large carnivores, such as Bear (Ursus spp) and Leopard (Panthera spp), and ungulates such as sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) and serow (Naemorhedus sumatraensis) have not been found in the area recently. Only the footprints of wild pig (Sus scrofa) were found in some places.

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Otters in Vietnam: In Vietnam 4 species of otters are recorded: Aonyx cinerea, Lutra lutra, Lutrogale perspicillata and Lutra sumatrana. All they are described in the Red Data Book of Vietnam. All the otters have small size from 2.5kg to 11kg and with long tail. Biology: Otters live in the places close to water sources. Food for these animals are fish, crab, Shrimp, frog etc. Group sizes sometimes reache15 animals. Distribution: In Vietnam: The species, Aonyx cinerea and Lutra lutra wide distributed in Vietnam from the North to the South, but two other species, Lutrogale perspicillata and Lutra sumatrana are distributed only in the south or central part of the country. In the world: Otters are distributed in many countries of Europe and Asia. Status: Vulnerable. In Na Hang nature reserve the species Lutra lutra was recorded during the surveys. The status of this species in the area is endangered with small population size. Risks from the Dam: The impact of the dam on this species is unknown, but it may thrive with the initial population changes of fish in the reservoir. However, it will also be at increased risk from hunting.

In core zones of Na Hang nature reserve: In core zones of Na Hang nature reserve the fauna is more diverse. The medium size animals from Viverridae and Felidae families are diverse. The larger animals as wild pig and serow have been seen regularly. The primate species such as: monkeys and langurs were watched in number of study visits by the researchers. Other big-size species as: leopard, bear appear from time to time. Some species have seasonal variation density as species from Canidae, Viverridae, Felidae, Manidae families. Sun bear have been recorded in the area but in very small numbers.

Tonkin Snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus) This monkey is endemic to Vietnam. It is found only in some places in Tuyen Quang and Bac Can provinces. In Na Hang nature reserve this species is strictly protected. Little is known about the species. Habitat. The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey lives in remote, mountainous areas being found mainly in primary subtropical lowland broadleaf forest on steep limestone hills. Plant species in its habitat include figs, dipterocarps, oaks, magnolias and maples. . The Tonkin snub- nosed monkey occurs in the Northern Indochina Subtropical Moist Forests Global 200 Ecoregion. Diet consists primarily of leaves (including bamboo) also unripe fruits. 60 species of plants are known to be utilized. Trials to keep animals in captivity failed probably mainly because of the difficult dietary demands. The leaf-eating stomach can’t cope with a diet of fruits and rice but needs a variety of leaves. Behaviour - The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey is exclusively arboreal, usually travelling at canopy level. There are no reports of it being able to swim. Long distance call like dog barking. The basic social unit is a one-male group composed of one fully adult male, with several females and young animals. The one-male groups frequently come together at sleeping sites and feeding trees and sometimes travel together. Other males form all-male bachelor groups. Bachelor groups also associate with these collections of groups.

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Population Estimates: The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey is a very shy monkey due to the high hunting pressure in the past. Records of observations by the TCP patrollers indicate that since 1998, there have been 8 sightings of groups of the monkey in Ban Bung, with the average group size of 20, ranging between 4 – 35. In the Tat Ke area there have been a total of 30 sightings with an average group size of 24, ranging between 3 and 50. Based upon these observations, an estimate of the two populations is around 35 – 45 in the Ban Bung sector, and almost certainly over 100 animals in the Tat Ke sector, maybe as high as 150. (Bettina Martin, pers.com). Threats: The decline of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey is due mainly to habitat loss from timber logging, permanent and shifting cultivation as well as hunting for meat and for use in Oriental medicine. It is also thought to have been affected by military activity in its range. More than 70% of its original habitat had been lost by 1986. The monkey escaped so far from complete extinction because locals don’t like the taste of the meat, trading possibilities are rare and only living specimens would sell with high prices. Therefore monkeys are shot only occasionally during the hunt for deer and pigs. No special Snub-nose hunting ever took place. Conservation Activities: 1994: establishment of the Na Hang Nature Reserve to protect the two biggest known groups of monkeys (one group over 100 animals, the other group around 40 animals). 2001: establishment of the Cham Chu Nature Reserve to protect the third known group of snub-noses (around 30 animals). 1997: start of Tonkin snub-nosed monkey Conservation Project (TCP). IUCN status: Critically Endangered, one of the 10 world’s most endangered primates. Risks from the dam: The main threat to the Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys comes from loss of habitat due to encroachment from people resettled in the Khau Tinh area, from disturbance by people, including hunters and, later, tourists.

Francois’ Langur (Semnopithecus francoisi francoisi) The species occurs in both sectors of Na Hang Nature Reserve, but is actively targeted by hunters. The populations are lower than the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, and may not be viable. However, it is less globally threatened, occurring in other areas of Indo-China. Unlike the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey they move around in small groups of less than 10 animals. According to reports of the patrollers in Na Hang organised by TCP, they have been seen on four occasions in the Tat Ke sector with 1 – 4 animals per group being counted since 1999. In Ban Bung sector, they are also reported by villagers, but have not been seen by the patrols. Fragmentation of habitat is a huge threat, although there is suitable habitat for these monkeys especially north of Na Hang. In the Binh An area, the monkeys are living on small isolated hills surrounded by paddy fields where they have been seen on five occasions between November 2000 – January 2001 in groups between 2 – 7 individuals. (Bettina Martin, pers.com) There are reported to be a group living around the Pac Ta area, even as many as 30 individuals (Mr. Binh, pers.com). It is also probable that there is a small population living around the Nang River gorge, where access and hence disturbance by humans is limited. Risks: Threats to the Francois’ Langur populations comes principally from disturbance and hunting pressure, rather than from direct flooding of the habitat, except perhaps in the Nang River gorge.

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Bat species in Na Hang nature reserve Of the 19 bat species identified by the scientists, 5 were of particular significance. Rhinolophus paradoxolophus has only previously been recorded in two locations (one in NW of Thailand and other one in N of Vietnam). This species thought to be endangered in Vietnam (Red data Book of Vietnam, 1992). But this species is locally common in Na Hang. A similar situation was found with Rhinolophus borneensis (Rare in Vietnam RDB, 1992). Ia io is another relatively rare species was also found at one location. This species was found in 10 locations in Vietnam and has limited range of distribution. Several other species, which have only been preliminarily identified, may be a new records for Vietnam or greatly increase known range. The species Myotis longipes was last recorded in 1932 in Sa Pa. Megadema lyra (the Large False-vampire Bat) has been recorded with one identified specimen. No members of the Megachiroptera (fruit bats) were found, although they have been previously recorded in the reserve and there is much evidence of their presence in the form of fruit seeds found in the caves. The species Rhinolophus borneensis belongs to family: Rhinolophidae, order Chiroptera. Habitat: They are living in the caves in the forests with high elevation. Distribution: Vietnam: In the northern part of Vietnam and in Con Dao Island. In the world: Cambodia and Indonesia. Status: Rare The species Rhinolophus paradoxolophus belongs to family: Rhinolophidae, order Chiroptera. Habitat: They are living in the caves in the forests with high elevation. Distribution: Vietnam: In the northern part of Vietnam. In the world: In northern Thailand. Status: Rare The species Ia io belongs to family: Vespertilionidae, order Chiroptera. Habitat: They are living in the caves in the forests with high elevation. Distribution: Vietnam: In Ninh Binh prov. In the world: In China, India, Laos and Thailand. Status: Rare Risk: Bats may be at risk during the construction of the dam if their roosting caves are located within 3 km of the blasting activities. Disturbance of bats during the breeding season may jeopardise the populations living in these caves. In addition, the reservoir will flood caves below the 120 m asl throughout the inundation zone. The extent of these caves and their bat populations is not known at present.

Bird species (Avifauna) A total of 228 bird species have been identified in Na Hang forest by different authors. Bird species have large area of distribution and frequently move and therefore impacts on their living places are less significant. Species having narrow living area will suffer most direct impacts. Therefore almost all species were recorded both in the forest and in proposed inundation zones. Among recorded bird species, there is one species being threatened to extinction: Red-neck Green woodpecker (Picus rabieri). Two species are endemic to the region are: Red-vented barbet (Megalaima langrandieri) and Pitta elliotti. Nine species are new records for the region: Aborophila rufogulalis, Criniger ochraceous, Oriolus chinensis, Phylloscopus trochiloides, Lanius colurioides and Mycerobas melanozanthos.

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In April/May 2001, BirdLife recorded the first records of the White-eared Night Heron, Gorsachius magnificus, in the limestone forests of the Ban Thi-Xuan Lac area, to the south- east of the Nature reserve. This was the first record of this globally-endangered species in Vietnam for 25 years. Whlst it has not been seen in the inundation zone, the habitat in the undisturbed areas of the Nang Gorge is suitable for this species. Its habitat in this area would therefore be destroyed by the flooding of the area. Birds which are particularly adapted to habitats involving fast moving mountain rivers and feed in the shallows, rocky pools and on the banks of such rivers will be at risk from the flooding of the rivers. Birds that might suffer loss of feeding habitat include the Fish owls – the Brown and Tawny Fish Owls (Ketupa zeylonensis, and Ketupa flavipes). Pigeons and doves also use such areas, although they may be able to continue to use the reservoir shallows. Similarly kingfishers may also experience changes in the feeding habitat, and their success in the new reservoir will depend upon changes in the fish populations. In June 2002, a Birdlife survey observed one globally Near-Threatened species of Kingfisher in the Nang Gorge – Blyth’s Kingfisher, Alcedo Hercules. (Jonathan Eames, pers.com) Another group of birds that may suffer some losses are the swiftlets that nest in limestone caves. The Himalayan swiftlet, Collocalia brevirostris, has been recorded in the Tat Ke area. It is not known which caves that it inhabits, but if these caves are within 3 km of the blasting of quarries and construction work, or below the 120m asl water line, then these will be at risk. Reptiles and amphibians It was recorded about 50 reptile species and 20 amphibian species in the region. Most of these species are widely distributed though some of them have been listed in the Red Data Book of Vietnam and requested for further protection. Insects Considerable work has been undertaken on the butterfly biodiversity in the Na Hang/Ba Be area. However, as stated in the recent report by Birdlife (2002) on a survey in Khau Tinh, “The high level of common butterfly species recorded reveals a relatively low importance of this area for (butterfly) conservation. The flooding of large areas of the study site will not significantly change the butterfly community. The loss of riverine habitats along the banks of the Nang River will adversely affect steno-topic species in the Lycaenidae and Hesperidae.”

Protected areas Na Hang Nature Reserve The Na Hang Nature Reserve (22o16'-22o31'N by 105o22'-105o29'E) is located in north-east Tuyen Quang province, northern Vietnam. For administrative purposes, Tuyen Quang province is divided into five districts. The nature reserve comprises approximately 27,520 ha of the territory of Na Hang district and has a buffer zone measuring 14,410 ha (UNDP, 1995). Some documents (Anon, 1993, 1997) currently in use by the provincial, district and reserve authorities regard the 14,410 ha buffer zone as regeneration zone and the 27,520 ha as strictly protected area, therefore making the total area at 41,930 ha and covering five communes: Thanh Tuong, Son Phu, Khau Tinh, Vinh Yen and Con Lon. Based on these documents the boundary comprised: • 12,500ha Tat Ke strictly protected area 7,030 ha (Con Lon) + 5,490 ha (Khau Tinh); • 15,000ha Nam Trang - Ban Bung strictly protected area: 6,500 ha (Vinh Yen) + 8,500 ha (Thanh Tuong); • 8,410 ha Son Phu regeneration area; • 4,500 ha Thanh Tuong regeneration area; and • 1,500 ha administrative centre.

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The Reserve is divided into two distinct non-contiguous sectors: the Tat Ke (or northern) sector and Ban Bung (or southern) sector. The boundaries of the sectors may be described as follows (only for strict protected areas and according to Cox, 1994): • The western boundary of Tat Ke (northern) sector of the NR follows the Gam River from the confluence of the Gam and Nang rivers in the south to the confluence of the Gam and Pac Vang rivers in the north. The northern boundary follows the Pac Vang River from its confluence with the Gam River until the Pac Vang reaches the Khau Tinh/Con Lon commune border, it then follows the Khau Tinh/Con Lon and Khau Tinh/Yen Hoa commune border in an easterly direction to the Yen Hoa River. The eastern boundary of the Tat Ke sector of the NR follows the Yen Hoa river in a southerly direction from the point where is crosses the Khau Tinh/Yen Hoa commune division until it reaches the district road linking Ban Lang, Khau Tranh and Na Mi villages with Na Hang town. From here the eastern boundary follows the road south to the Nang River. The southern boundary follows the Nang River from its intersection with the road to its confluence with the Gam River. • The western boundary of the Ban Bung (southern) sector of the NR follows the Gam River northward from the point where it crosses the Na Hang/Chiem Hoa district division to the border separating Thanh Tuong commune from the Na Hang urban area administrative unit. The northern boundary follows, firstly, the Na Hang urban area border with Thanh Tuong and Vinh Yen communes and, secondly, the border separating Vinh Yen commune from Son Phu commune. The eastern boundary of the Ban Bung sector of the NR at the point where the Vinh Yen/Son Phu commune border intersect with the Tuyen Quang/Bac Thai provincial division and then follows this provincial division southward to the Chiem Hoa/Na Hang district border from the Tuyen Quang/Bac Thai provincial frontier to the Gam River. The boundaries of Na Hang NR are still not very clear in some places. According to the original statutes, the NR was declared as being contained within a number of communes. However, these communes also contain towns, villages, roads and agriculture lands. This situation is untenable for the introduction of biodiversity conservation measures, and the agreement of stakeholders on boundaries and zones is of the highest priority. The recommendations from the Government are that at least one guard is required for every 1,000ha. of protected area. Na Hang NR has on total 15 permanent staff of forest rangers in the area about 40,000ha. This is actually a minimum figure, far from the recommended number 40 for the NR. In areas where problems are severe, more guards are often needed to address the problems, especially for the Dam construction process. Na Hang NR currently has its Headquarters in Na Hang town and 12 Guard posts within the Reserve in total, among them 6 Guard Posts in Con Lon, Khau Tinh, Trung Khanh, Thanh Tuong (2) and Son Phu communes and 6 Posts for Patrolling groups in Khau Tep and Tat Ke (Khau Tinh commune), Phe Trang (Son Phu commune), Nam Trang, Mo Man (Vinh Yen commune) and Ban Bung (Thanh Tuong commune). In each Guard post there should be 3 forest rangers and, in a patrolling post normally 3 patrollers stay all the time. The following improvements have been made to the guard posts: • The Pac Vang Guard Post has been upgraded and now consists of a floating guardpost at the junction between the Gam River and Pac Vang stream. • The guard post in Khau Tinh commune is in the last stage of construction. This post has high priority, because the commune center is located near by the core zone and some villages are even located within the core zone, such as Tat Ke and Na Tang villages in the northern section of NR. • The guard post in Son Phu commune may be considered as a high priority both to control access into the southern part of Tat Ke sector and to protect forest cover in the area between Ban Bung sector and Da Vi commune.

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Ba Be National Park Ba Be national park is located in Nam Mau commune, Bac Can province, Northern Vietnam, co-ordinate 22o24’N by 105o37’E. It is more than 250km from Hanoi. In the center of the park is Ba Be lake, one of the most important mountain lakes in Vietnam. The total land area of the park is 7618ha, of which 3300ha makes up a strictly protected zone and 4100ha is a tourist subzone and more than 300ha is water surface of the lake Topography: The region arround Ba Be NP comprises limestone mountains, rivers and lakes. Arround the lakes are steep mountains, ranging from 500m to 1520 m asl. The highest and most spectacular of these are Pia Booc (1520m) Hoa Son (1517m), Pu Sam Sao (1175m) and Khoa Vay (1098m) and the peaks above Pac Ngoi on the southern lake. Steep ground constitutes a large proportion of the land area within the park, the majority of which is still forested. All the good land along the river or flood plain around the lake has been converted to agriculture. Geology: Ba Be region is situated on the limestone Van Quy plateau. The landscape of Ba Be has been changed through denudation and karsitic processes. An extensive network of caves have been able to form, most of which are presumably still forming. In the highpeak areas, karst basins have also formed. Some low lying basins have formed small lakes, such as Ho Tien. The soil derived from the limestone rock is alkaline and clay-rich. The structure of the rocks and soils as a substrate for plants has dictated the type of flora present at Ba Be. Due to the topography of the area, the substrate is generally very rocky with pockets of soil in between outcrops. Consequently, on steep slopes, soil is shallow and trees have not been able to grow to any great hight. In some very steep areas and on the tops of peaks, there is little or no soil on the surface. In flatter areas soil has been able to accumulate and supports a quite different fauna and flora. Climate: Ba Be has a similar climate to the northern provinces of Vietnam. The summers are hot with daytime temparatures from 25oC to 39oC, humidity is about 95%. Rainy seasons are from June to October. The winter is cold. Average annual rainfall is 1378mm. Hydrology: The water surface of the lake is about 450ha, the length of the lake is 8km. The widest part of the lake is 0.8km and the narrowest parts is 0.2km. The deepest point is 29m. The lake is formed from the water of Cho Len, Nam Ban Tao and Bo Lu rivers. The lake has slow current from the South to North and narrows into a river again for 300m before flowing into the Nang River, which itself flows down to Na Hang from the east. Conservation Significance of Ba Be NP: The principal reason for establishing the Ba Be National Park was the conservation of the celebrated Ba Be Lake surrounded by the spectacular limestone cliffs and typical limestone forest ecosystems and wildlife. Important species include small populations of Francois’ langur, and the Tainguen civet (Viverra tainguensis) and the little known Owston’s palm civet (Chrotogale owstoni). The bat roosts in the Phuong Cave to the north of the Ba Be National Park house significant populations of bats. The fish populations in the Lake are also unique. Extensions to Ba Be NP: A buffer zone has been proposed for Ba Be NP extending south- east towards Dong Phuc commune. The proposed buffer zone area contains little of conservation importance, although it is a major part of the watershed of Ba Be lake. It is also proposed that a buffer zone to Ba Be NP be extended to include Nam Cuong and Xuan Lac communes, which have critical conservation importance within the lanscapes. Conservation significance of Xuan Lac: The area is currently densely forested, and probably contains a high diversity of tree species in addition to animals. Some illegal timber exploitation is apparent around new settlements and Ban Thi zinc mine on the southern fringe of the area. The area is commonly used for hunting. Agriculture is extending to the forest from the surrounding villages, but is mostly restricted by steep terrain. This area is identified as of extremely high conservation importance, containing at least one and posibly

- 31 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report three endangered animal species (Tonkin Snub-nosed monkey, Francois’ langur and White- cheeked night-heron). All these species are under immediate and severe threat from hunting. Conservation significance of Dong Phuc: The Tam Dao salamander, an endemic species known only from Tam Dao NP, Dong Phuc commune, Ha Giang province and Lao Cai province, occupies this upper watershed area. This species is regarded as in danger of extinction because of trade for pet and for medicinal purposes.

Cham Chu NR Cham Chu mountain forest is located in Ham Yen and Chiem Hoa districts, it ranges from the border of Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang provinces toward Minh Huong commune (Ham Yen district) and Hoa Phu commune (Chiem Hoa district). This area is watershed forest of 2 main rivers (Lo and Gam). Cham Chu mountain ranges from the Southeast toward the North and borders Trung Ha, Ha Lang, Tan An and Hoa Phu communes (Chiem Hoa district) in Northeast; Yen Thuan, Bach Xa, Minh Dan, Minh Khuong, Phu Luu and Minh Huong communes (Ham Yen district) in Southest. The outline of natural conditions in study area: Cham Chu mountain area located in Ham Yen and Chiem Hoa districts, Tuyen Quang province. It is about 250 km far from Hanoi. Total area of proposed Nature Reserve is about 51,187 ha including 10 communes: Yen Thuan, Minh Huong, Bach Xa, Minh Dan, Phu Luu, Minh Khuong (Ham Yen district); Trung Ha, Ha Lang, Tan An and Hoa Phu (Chiem Hoa district). Terrain: Cham Chu is a high and steep mountain with many peaks, from Cao Duong peak (989m a.s.l.) in the north of Yen Thuan commune to Canh peak in Minh Huong commune, Ham Yen district. There are 3 highest peaks in the centre such as Cham Chu (1,587m a.s.l.), Pu Loan (1,154m a.s.l.) and Khau Vuong (1,218m a.s.l.). This is also the highest mountain of Tuyen Quang province. Climate: Cham Chu has a tropical climate with 2 seasons: dry season lasts from October/November to March/April and rainy season lasts from April/May to October/November. It is usually cold in dry season. Hydrography: There are two main rivers in Cham Chu area: Lo river in the West and Gam river in the East. Thus this area has an important role in providing watersource for 2 rivers and agriculture of communes in 2 districts. Bac Me nature reserve: Bac Me NR was established by Decision of Ha Giang People' Committee No 143/UB-QD dated at 8, March, 1994 with total land area 27.000ha, among them 9.450ha - core zone, 17.125ha for generation zone and 1.225ha for administrative and service zone. Terrain and Hydrology: Bac Me NR is located in Bac Me district, Ha Giang province. The NR is a mountainous area with some peaks over 1000m high, the highest peak reaches to 1420m asl and locates in the bounderline with Tuyen Quang province. The lowest elevation is 200m asl. All the streams and rivers flow from the North and West of NR to the South and join with Gam river. Conservation issues: Little is known about the biodiversity of the NR but it forms part of the watershed for the Gam River, and the river and stream system is suitable habitat for many fish species. The forest is typical of limestone formations and may contain similar species as the Na Hang NR. In the NR some groups of ethnic minorities as H'Mong, Dao and Tay are living. Linkage through buffer zones would provide a logical extension to the range of the Na Hang/Ba Be complex of protected areas.

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2. Economic valuation of endangered species

In line with the recommendations set out in Vietnam's 1994 Biodiversity Action Plan of implementing economic measures as a means of biodiversity conservation, the scope of valuing the monkeys is twofold. First to try and assess the economic use and non-use values of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey and Francois leaf monkey in Na Hang Nature Reserve and secondly to put the conservation of these species into an economic context. The full text of the valuation is found in Appendix 7. In order to estimate the different economic values of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey and Francois leaf monkey several methods are used and a series of assumptions are adopted. The assumptions include that: • Discounting is conducted within the span of social discount rates recommended by the World Bank, i.e. 8%, 10% and 12%. • The year 2002 has been chosen as the base year and an eternal time horizon is applied. • All values are presented in market prices. • The visitation rates are assumed to grow from 15,000 to approximately 50,000 within a 15-year period and that 15% of the tourists are assumed to be foreign and the remaining 85% domestic. Under the above assumptions the total economic value of the monkeys is divided into use and non-use values. In this specific analysis the use values are represented by the earnings generated from tourism together with the recreational benefits tourists experience from visiting Na Hang Nature Reserve and having the opportunity of siting the monkeys in the future (although under the present circumstances siting would be very rare, because of the scarcity and shyness of the animals). The non-use value is calculated based upon contributions made to the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey Conservation Project, which effectively represents a global willingness to pay for preserving the species. In using the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey Conservation Project as the benchmark for global willingness to pay, we also recognise the contributions from Government towards the establishment and running of the Nature Reserve (c. $ 68,000 between 1993 and 2000, and about $ 23,000 per year respectively), and the contribution of the GEF funded PARC project of $8.5 million, of which about 60% goes towards the conservation of biodiversity in Na Hang/Ba Be. These figures have not been included in the calculations. As can be seen from table 1 the Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys and Francois leaf monkeys in Na Hang Nature Reserve represent a total economic value of roughly USD 2.5 million using a 10% discount rate. However this is believed to be an underestimate partly because a number of other organisations and projects beside The Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey Conservation Project are also dedicated to preserving endangered species, and thereby expressing existence values. Although the economic value of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey and Francois leaf monkey has been estimated thereby allowing the cost of extinction to be included in a cost benefit analysis, the decision of whether or not to try and preserve a species should ultimately never solely be based on economic considerations.

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Table 1: Total economic value of the endangered monkeys Discount rate 8% 10% 12% Use values Generated income from tourism Present value (PV) based on PARC (2002) $ $ $ 2,154,000 1,627,000 1,290,000 Recreational value Present value (PV) based on Hai and Thanh (1998) $ 861,000 $ 651,000 $ 516,000 Present value (PV) based on Lindberg and $ 286,000 $ 216,000 $ 171,000 Halpenny (2001) Non-use value Present value (PV) based on USD 50.000 annual $ 675,000 $ 550,000 $ 467,000 contribution Total economic value Using Hai and Thanh (1998) $ $ $ 3,690,000 2,828,000 2,273,000 Using Lindberg and Halpenny (2001) $ $ $ 3,115,000 2,393,000 1,928,000

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3. Socio-economic conditions

3.1. People and communities. According to the statistical figures, up to April 2000, Tuyen Quang population reached 746,260 persons with average density of 116 persons/km2 across the province. However, population is not evenly distributed; less people/km2 live in mountainous areas (population density in Na Hang is only 40 people/km2) and more people /km2 live in the township (in Tuyen Quang town, the population density is 35 times higher than that of Na Hang). About 600,519 persons (88% of the population) live in rural areas and 74,591 persons (12%) live in provincial and district towns. Of total population, the Kinh account for 51%, the rest are ethnic minorities the Tay, Dao, Cao Lan, Nung, Hoa Hmong, San Diu, Pa Then, Muong and others (49%). 47% of the people are in the working age group. During recent years, as the result of the family planning, population growth rate has been reduced considerably, from 2.83% in 1991 to 2.16% in 2000. Using growth rates to the years 2005 and 2010 of 1.8% and 1.5% respectively, the total population is estimated at 831,140 persons by the year 2005 and 908,600 persons by the year 2010. In 2001, for Na Hang district, there are 21 communes, 1 town, and 300 villages with a total population of 12,076 households or 65,673 persons, belonging to 12 ethnic groups. Among ethnic minorities, the Tay account for 57.52%, the Dao account for 23.38%, the Kinh account for 9.72%, the Hmong account for 5.31%, the remaining (4.07%) belong to the others. Ethnic groups have settled in a concentrated way or scattered in villages or hamlets, with the exception of some living in Na Hang town that earn their living by doing business. Shifting cultivation, wet paddy cultivation, livestock raising, forest protection and plantation and legal forest resources uses generate the main sources of income for these people. The Tay, Dao, Hmong are the groups who have been living longest in the study area. Some other groups including the Kinh, the Hoa are immigrants. Most of Kinh people moved here after 1960 under the governments' plan to build new economic zones. Many of them come from the Red River Delta provinces such as Thai Binh, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh, etc. and normally reside in centers of communes and districts. In the past, most of the ethnic minority groups have led a nomadic life and relied much on natural resources. They faced many difficulties, especially in food production. Today, thanks to the government’s policy on investment to encourage permanent settlement and cultivation, most of those groups have settled down, with the exception of some ethnic minority households residing on high lying areas such as the Hmong people.

3.2. Land use situation. Tuyen Quang province has utilized 13% of its natural land (580,090 ha) for agriculture, more than 73% for forestry (including natural and planted forest), 2.5% for special uses and 1% for residential land. The remaining 11% are river, streams, and unused land.

For Na Hang district, according to the report on socio-economic situation of Na Hang district (2002), the district has a natural area of 147,166 ha, of which: • Agricultural land: 7,385.99 ha • Forest land: 103,955.00 ha • Special use land: 861.59 ha • Residential land: 410.40 ha • Unused land and rivers/lakes and mountains rocks: 24,819.47 ha

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Bac Me district - Ha Giang province has allocated more than 8% of its natural land for agriculture, nearly 50% for forestry (natural and planted forests). The remaining is unused land such as bare and denuded hills, flat grounds, special use lands, rock mountains and lakes/streams.

In Nam Mau commune of Ba Be district (Bac Can province), Ta Ken village will be impacted from Tuyen Quang hydropower project. Nam Mau is among the remote mountain communes of Ba Be. The western part of Ta Ken lies adjacent to Da Vi commune of Na Hang district (Tuyen Quang province) while the eastern part is close to Dau Dang waterfall. Agricultural land per capita in Nam Mau is around 510m2. In Ta Ken, agricultural land occupies 14.84 ha and residential land 1.04 ha.

Table 6.1: Current land use situation and population of Na Hang district

Total Of which (ha)

Communes natural Agricultural land Forest Special Residential Unused

land Total Annual tree land Mixed Perennial Water land use land land

area (ha) Sub Paddy Subsidiary garden tree surface for land total land crop land land land Aqua

Total 147.166 7.387 6.221 3.123 3.098 936 155 74 103.95 862 411 34.548 9 1 Na Hang 1.697 147 95 17 79 47 1 4 1.245 79 30 196 township 2 Thuy Loa 11.958 243 164 123 41 69 9 1 6.510 59 19 5.127 3 Thuong Giap 2.932 200 169 90 79 30 1 1.807 19 10 897 4 Sinh Long 10.653 232 176 69 107 51 5 0 6.336 41 16 4.028 5 Thuong Nong 5.291 291 220 176 44 67 3 1 3.538 61 16 1.386 6 Phuc Yen 8.663 310 264 138 126 38 8 1 3.996 31 16 4.309 7 Xuan Lap 7.541 298 193 83 110 87 17 0 4.451 30 10 2.752 8 Hong Thai 1.575 181 125 80 45 50 5 1 818 17 6 553 9 Yen Hoa 5.808 352 329 227 102 18 4 3.242 33 25 2.156 10 Con Lon 4.266 212 185 95 91 19 7 0 3.581 37 12 425 11 Khuon Ha 3.800 319 300 204 96 13 6 1.965 53 20 1.443 12 Lang Can 7.293 341 309 265 44 29 0 3 6.309 36 22 586 13 Khau Tinh 7.275 408 374 88 286 32 2 6.097 66 13 692 14 Da Vi 7.945 806 753 247 506 53 0 4.601 32 29 2.477 15 Thuong Lam 5.262 583 479 347 132 43 42 19 3.542 30 30 1.077 16 Son Phu 7.686 284 246 118 128 11 24 3 6.929 50 20 403 17 Nang Kha 7.903 505 424 247 177 68 1 13 6.953 44 33 367 18 Vinh Yen 6.662 193 131 54 77 55 3 3 6.298 32 18 121 19 Thanh Tuong 10.730 343 268 125 143 65 5 4 9.737 37 19 594 20 Xuan Tien 6.111 375 350 74 276 25 0 3.405 18 11 2.302 21 Xuan Tan 6950 315 275 125 150 31 7 2 4506,6 25,16 13,24 2090 22 Trung Khanh 9165 451 392 131 260 34 19 6 8094 30 24 567

(Source: Land management unit of Na hang district - 2000)

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3.3. Economy and income Tuyen Quang is a mountainous province with approximately 90% of their population living in rural area. Agro-forestry production plays an important role in the condition of market economy. The province is also striving to develop industry, construction, and service sectors and step by step reduce agricultural proportion in their structure of economy. Nevertheless, GDP values of agricultural sectors still account for a large proportion of total GDP values. Total income per capita in the study area corresponds to 40% of the average for the whole country. An estimated 14% of the population suffers from hunger and poverty. Table 6.2: GDP value by sectors Unit: billion dong Items Year 1996 1998 2000 Total 1161.3 1221.1 1434.2 Industry, construction 162.7 192.8 181.2 Agriculture 668.8 662 766.8 Service 3298 1221.1 486.2 Per capita (dong) 1,736,400 1,796,300 2,071,400 (Source: Socio-economic master plan of Tuyen Quang for the period of 1996 -2010)

Table 6.3: Economic structure of Tuyen Quang province by sectors Sectors Year 1991 1995 2000 2005 2010 Total 100 100 100 100 100 Industry, construction 18.42 20.26 27.81 35.34 41.16 Agriculture 55.40 47.66 38.45 30.28 23.81 Service 26.18 32.08 33.74 34.38 35.03

(Source: Socio-economic mater plan of Tuyen Quang province for the period of 1996-2010).

In the study area of Na Hang district, the rural and agriculture economy is structured based on the principle of high economic efficiency based upon two factors: (1) proper exploitation of natural resource; (2) enhancing productivity, quality and efficiency of the agricultural sector under a market economy. Thus agricultural production is given high priority for investment and development in order to meet two main objectives: (1) to satisfy the food requirement of the population at any time; (2) to produce sufficient fodder for development of improved livestock breeding. However, due to difficult road conditions, mountainous topography and low education standards of inhabitants, especially in remote communes, the application of advanced technologies on production remain limited. As a result, crop yield is low and unstable, causing many difficulties for the local inhabitants. Total income per capita is 1,222,000 dong/year, lower than the average for the whole province. An estimated 14.76% of the population, equivalent to 1,783 households, still suffers from hunger and poverty.

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3.4. Agro-forestry production

5.1.1 Agriculture production Farming: 90% of the population practice agricultural production. During recent years, thanks to the investments in production, application of advanced technology, high yield varieties and agricultural extension services promotion, the agriculture sector has obtained significant achievements: area, yields and productivity of crops keep increasing. Production has been geared towards commodity production, some high value crop plants have been developed such as industrial trees, fruit trees and contributed to the improvement of people’s living standard and creating favorable conditions for other economic sectors. According to the statistical data, food productivity has increased annually. Total output of food production in 2001 was 268,620 tons, increased by 48,873 tons, compared to 1996. Per capita food grain was 454 kg/year.

For Na Hang district: According to the survey result in 2000, the total agricultural land area of Na Hang district is about 7,385 ha, occupying 5% of natural land area, giving 1000m2 per person of agricultural land and 522 m2 per person of paddy. In recent years, much concern has been paid to food security based on the promotion of advanced technologies and high yield plants on intensively cultivation. Livestock and off-farm production is less developed. Total output of production in 2001 reached 28,336 tons, increased by 8,873.83 tons, compared to 1996. Land use coefficient was 1.8 times. Per capita food reached 438.53 kg, much higher than that in 1996 (283 kg).

However, some villages, especially those located in remote area, face land shortages or leave land fallow without making investment for intensive farming. Many households still rely on natural resources exploitation to support their livelihood and this has caused some pressures on forest protection and conservation.

Table 6.4: Area, yield and productivity of some main crops in the study area

Na Chiem Ham Yen Son Bac Crops Hang Hoa Yen Son Duong Me Winter-spring rice: Area (ha) 946 4,003 1,301 2,178 1,882 87 Yield (quintals/ha) 39 41 43 43 45 39 Productivity (tons) 3,691 16,412 5,595 9,366 8,470 339 Summer rice: Area (ha) 2,850 5,109 2,252 4,814 4,564 122 Yield (quintals/ha) 36 40 42 41 43 36 Productivity (tons) 10,259 20,435 9,458 19,736 19,627 438 Maize: Area (ha) 2,609 2,057 1,413 3,695 4,862 548 Yield (quintals/ha) 28 30 29 29 30 35 Productivity (tons) 7,305 6,171 4,096 10,717 14,587 1,919

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Table 6.5: Some major criteria on food grain production of the project area in 2000

Na Chie Ham Yen Son Bac Items Total m Duon Hang Hoa Yen Son g Me 1. Output (1,000 tons) 168.62 21.26 43.02 19.15 39.82 42.68 2.70 Rice 123.83 13.95 36.85 15.05 29.10 28.10 0.78 Subsidiary 44.80 7.31 6.17 4.10 10.72 14.59 1.92 2. Per capita (kg/year) 390 469 327 386 485 547 Rice 256 402 257 282 319 158 Subsidiary 134 67 70 104 166 389 (Source: Resettlement plan for Tuyen Quang hydropower project)

Husbandry In general livestock husbandry is of special importance to the local inhabitants, especially in middle and low-lying areas where the Tay, Dao and Kinh people reside. Livestock reared in the area mainly consist of buffalo, cattle, chicken, and pig. Buffalo is the major draft animal found in the study area and serves for land preparation. Although some cattle are also used as draft animals, most cattle are used for meat. These livestock are the major sources of cash income. However, livestock husbandry is practiced extensively, so the livestock production yields remains low and unstable, diseases arise constantly and cause hardships for the locals. The main reasons for these diseases are the lack of preventive hygiene, no vaccinations, and veterinarians. In particular, in some remote and disadvantageous villages, the animals are still allowed to roam, causing damage to crops, while the farmers can not collect manure for their crops. Up to September 1st 2001, the whole district of Na Hang had 18,964 buffaloes, 3,389 cattle, 2,9845 pigs, 2,51992 poultry, 374 horses and 2,163 bears. On average, income from livestock husbandry reaches VND 1.1 million/household/year.

5.1.2 Forest production and natural resource use During recent years, thanks to the investment in forest protection and development as well as the changes in policies and mechanism on forest management such as delivering land, forest to local inhabitants to develop agro-forestry production, forest has been well protected and areas of planted forest increase annually. Up to 2000, total forest area in the project area is 289,569 ha. Most forest is planted and regenerated forest. Table 6.6: Forest area of the project area in 2000 Province, district Area (ha) Total 289,569 1. Na Hang 113,688 2. Chiem Hoa 60,617 3. Ham Yen 31,646 4. Son Duong 21,115 5. Yen Son 62,503

For Na Hang district alone, total forest area is 113,688 ha, of which special use forest managed by Nature Reserve Management Board (NRMP) is 34,849.18 ha, including 29,776.5 ha of natural forest, 5,072 ha of regenerated and planted forest. Recently, forestland was allocated to households for plantation and protection. Up to 2001, 50,981 ha of forestland were allocated (of which 3,122.03 ha for planting, 47,859 ha for protection) raising forest cover level of the whole district to 61%.

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Table 6.7: Forest plantation in Na Hang district Year Planted forest (ha) Regenerated forest (ha) Total 3,122.03 47,859.00 1996 273.54 20,031.00 1997 468.16 27,828.00 1998 609.05 0 1999 739.67 0 2000 524.57 0 2001 507.04 0

Up to now, the regulation on forest protection was built in most communes. The understanding of local residents on the usefulness of nature conservation has been improved greatly. But there are still some damaging activities as hunting, fuel wood collection, and NTFP exploitation such as bamboo shoot and mushroom, causing much pressure on forest resource in general and wild animals in particular. Although most of their exploitation is for domestic use, rather than for trade, it is essential to introduce nature conservation into education in primary schools so that children can understand the importance and significance of forest protection from their childhood. In addition, the activities of forest protection team should be further strengthened to minimize unsustainable forest product exploitation. Efforts to reduce hunting pressure by the Na Hang NR and Ba Be NP has led to the confiscation of more than 600 guns in core and ecological regeneration zones by end of June 2002.

3.5. Tourism At present, tourism in Na Hang district is only confined to Thac Mo (Mo Waterfall). This service is developed after construction of Thac Mo dam. Due to poor infrastructure and services, it only attracts a small number of domestic and overseas tourists who come for visit and relaxation. The PARC project Inception Report estimates that 4,000 – 5,000 people visit Na Hang per year and the Second Eco-tourism Report indicates that visitor numbers have been increasing (PARC, 2000). Benefits from this activity remain low, with minimal impacts upon the socio-economic conditions of the district. In the Na Hang tourism development strategy, there is a proposal to link with tourism of Ba Be National Park of Bac Can province. Until now, no tourism-operating unit has been set up for Na Hang Nature Reserve. By contrast tourism is a significant feature of the Ba Be National Park. Visitor numbers have increased from 2,200 in 1995 to about 26,000 in 2001. Of these between 15 – 20% are international visitors.

3.6. Archaeological artifacts and cultural heritages. According to the chairman of Na Hang district people’s committee, no archaeological artifacts and cultural heritage has been found in the project sites with the exception of Ban Cai village, Xuan Tien commune, which was used as a weapons store during the independence war against the French Army.

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3.7. Existing infrastructure

5.1.3 Transportation - roads The transport system has been strongly developed in two provinces. Tuyen Quang has nearly 2,000 km of provincial, district, commune, and inter-villages roads. 73 km of Road No 30, which connects Thai Nguyen with Tuyen Quang and Yen Bai provinces, run across Tuyen Quang. District roads are basically paved with asphalt while commune roads are being upgraded to enable vehicles to travel between commune centers. Village roads are normally 1-2m wide and simple means of transport can travel easily. This helps strengthen transport, communication, and goods exchange among various ethnic minorities.

In Na Hang district • The provincial road across the district with a total length of 82 km connecting Chiem Hoa with Na Hang districts. Of the total length, only 19 km has been asphalted, and 65 km is earthen road, causing difficulties in transportation, especially in rainy season. On this route, 3 bridges were constructed.

• Total length of district roads is 160 km, of which 52 km connecting Na Hang with Thuy Loa commune is paved with stones or rocks, 152 km is earthen road.

• Among 300 villages, 162 villages have roads to the village center with a total length of 89 km.

In Bac Me, Road 34A run across the district with a total length of 76 km connecting Ha Giang town with Bac Me before entering Cao Bang through Bao Lam and Bao Lac district. There are two district roads (each 61-km long) to connect Bac Me with Ha Giang and the Km 32 with Yen Minh. In general, commune roads can be used to travel to all commune centers. However, the quality of district roads is still low. They were basically paved with stones or rocks and unusually designed at 2.5 - 6m wide running mostly across hills and mountains. Transport therefore faces difficulty especially in rainy season. Road 34 was paved with asphalt only on length from Ha Giang town to Bac Me.

Regarding transportation, motorcycles and bicycles are the major transportation means for agricultural products in the study area. Agricultural products are delivered to the markets by the farmers and collected by commission merchants by motor cycle or bicycle individually. A system or organization for gathering and shipping products is not developed. For farming - related transportation activities such as transportation of agricultural input or output in and around the fields, primitive vehicles pulled by cow or buffalo are the major transportation means.

Public transportation of passengers is not well developed in the study area. Only mini-bus with a capacity for less 15 passengers are used as public passengers’ transportation means but the number is limited.

Inland water transportation contributes significantly to total transport in the area because of suitable river conditions. There are several inland water transportation on the Gam River and Nang River for transporting wood, agricultural products from the mountainous regions in the upper reach, construction materials from Na Hang township and passengers. That type of transportation is considered as a substitute for land transportation due to the poor road conditions.

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5.1.4 Telecommunication In Tuyen Quang, telecommunications are improveing fast. Radio and television relay stations have been built in most of the district towns . Postal network has also been developed with post offices in many commune centres. However due to inadequate service and high prices, telephones are not yet common in rural areas. Almost all the telephone users in rural areas are administrative authorities and households having small businesses. Therefore, both district and communes still face difficulties in communication.

5.1.5 Electricity Tuyen Quang has been connected to National Electricity Network. At present, under the rural electrification program, efforts are being made to supply power to all commune centers. In addition, thousands of family households have constructed and utilized micro-hydropower units that partly satisfy the demand on electricity.

In Na Hang district alone, 210km of 35KV power line and 40 transformer stations were installed to supply electricity to all communes within the district. Up to February 2002, 5,182 households have access to the national electricity grid, making up 42% of the total population.

Central town of Bac Me district and a number of communes along Road 34A have access to the national electricity grid. Electricity is also supplied from Yen Cuong hydropower station (250 kW) to meet people’s demand in rainy season. In the dry, the station can only operate 30-40% of its designed capacity due to the water shortages.

5.1.6 Irrigation works Most communes in the study area have irrigation systems, partly meeting the demand for irrigating agricultural land. Of total irrigation works, permanent works occupy only 30%, the large remaining are temporary and have small capacity. Every year localities invest much in repairing and maintaining those works with an effort to ensure that irrigation capacity is not reduced. In Na Hang alone, from 1999 to now, 245 km of irrigation channel and 37 dams were constructed.

5.1.7 Water supply In general, people in the study area are still distressed by lack of adequate amount of good quality water for living purposes. Improved access to a year-round clean water source is one of the greatest perceived needs of the people in the area. People in Na Hang Township and Kinh people in other locations take domestic water from dug-wells and from shallow tube- wells. In the rainy season the water quality of each well is good enough for households to use, but in the dry season the water level of well decreases to a very low level and water becomes greyish. Thus water quantity is unreliable, and the quality is considered unsafe, except wells using filter tanks. Furthermore, judging from the situation of water shortage in dry season, the capacity is considered not enough for usage through year. In remote and mountainous area most ethnic minority people take water from mountain ravines, streams and rivers. This may be contaminated by animal wastes and landslides, which cause bad quality water with harmful effects on human health.

5.1.8 Health At present, Na Hang district has 1 district hospital in the district center, 2 health-care stations, and clinics in every commune. Most clinics are houses of grade IV and well equipped. The main function of clinic stations is to provide medical check-ups and treatments to patients who suffer from normal diseases and carry out the National Health Programs such as the Family Planning program, Vaccine Injection program.

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According to the assessment of the district health sector, in some recent years, the health of the local residents has been improved greatly, the rate of malnutrition in children has reduced from 60% in 1995 to 40% in 2000, infant mortality rate has also reduced to 0.2% (2000). Regarding major disease, Diarrhea, parasite and respiratory and gynecological diseases are the major diseases in the study area. These diseases are related to lack of safe water access, shortage of water quantity, lack of sanitation and inadequate treatment of excreta etc.

5.1.9 Schools In the study area there are 1 upper secondary school, 14 lower secondary schools and 22 primary schools. However, many primary and lower secondary schools were constructed a long time ago and do not comply with school construction standards because of budgetary problems. The classrooms suffer from shortage of sunlight, small window without glasses. Many classrooms with damage on walls or roofs can be observed and some of them are not safe for fear of collapse. Most schools have no laboratory, library or even staff rooms. Up to the end of 2001, 3 two-story schools with 32 classrooms, 119 classrooms of grade IV and 421 temporary classrooms and other supporting works were constructed in Na Hang district. Regarding educational results, the net enrollment ratio in primary and lower secondary schools is 95% and 76.5% respectively in the school year 2000 – 2001. The net enrollment ratio from primary to lower secondary school is 90%. This means that 90% of children from 6 to 14 years go to school. However, the repetition rate and drop-out rate are rather high in lower secondary schools because of monetary problems and difficulties of transportation.

3.8. Socio-economic character in the assessment zones

The assessment zones have a population of 39,428 persons or 7,918 households allocated in 166 villages and 13 communes (Na Hang township, Khau Tinh, Con Lon, Thanh Tuong, Duc Xuan, Thuong Lam, Nang Kha, Sinh Long, Vinh Yen, Son Phu, Da Vi, Nam Mau and Xuan Lac communes). Ethnic groups comprise of the Tay, Nung, Muong, San Chi, Cao Lan, Hmong and Kinh. Among these groups the Tay and the Dao make up a large number of the population. Each group has its own cultural character. These ethnic groups settle in concentrated groups or scattered in villages or hamlets. Each family is closely connected with their relatives, clan, and their villages. This is a particular feature that that should be taken into consideration during the resettlement process with the purpose of reservation of original community and their traditional customs.

Shifting cultivation, wet paddy cultivation, livestock raising, forest protection and plantation and legal forest resources uses generate the main sources of income for these people with the exception of some living in Na Hang town who earn their living by doing business. However due to low intellectual standard, lack of techniques and experiences in production, the production output keep low and unstable, causing great hardship for local residents. On average, per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is 398 kg/year, and per capita income is 1,145,000 VN dong/year. Compared with the poverty line of VND 1.1 million, which was set in the World Bank Study in 1995, the average income is still higher. However, the income level of each family differs from one another and the proportion of families whose income levels are under the poverty level is calculated as 14%.

Among these assessment zones, Thanh Tuong East, Vinh Yen/Son Phu and Khau Tinh zones are the locations where PARC activities are taking place. The PARC project aims to help villages in agroforestry production and increasing their income and raise awareness on nature conservation. Its activities include training courses on cropping and husbandry techniques; demonstration of intensive farming and upland farming systems; model of fruit trees and forest trees, models of using improved plant and non-timber forest production. The - 43 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

objective is to raise the living standards of local residents in term of both material and spiritual aspects thereby protecting the forest. As a general finding of the survey, it can be mentioned that the average income and awareness on conservation and protection of the people in above-mentioned zones are higher than those in the remaining zones. Some key features and differences for each of the zones is shown in the following table: Table 6.8: Some key features of the assessment zones 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Items Na Khau Thanh Thanh Vinh Xuan Da Ba Con Duc Thuong Nang Yen/ Xuan/ Hang Tinh Tuong Tuong Lac Vi Be Lon Lam Kha town East west Son Sinh Phu Long Number of 20 14 8 6 18 8 17 4 15 19 21 16 villages Number of households 1211 326 417 221 880 285 886 315 351 600 1508 918 Number of 4762 1798 1878 1215 4367 1732 4855 1732.5 1878 3211 7475 4525 people Agricultural land, of which: (m2/person) 308 2174 928 896 1195 2500 1667 738.82 1127 1487 1360 1127 - Paddy land 35 469 425 415 401.5 595 510 502.16 505 349 810 550 - Subsidiary land 165 1525 476 450 456.5 750 1045 236.65 483 939.5 307 395 - Perennial tree land 1.22 0 15 17 51.5 0 0 0 36 12 98 2 Forest land (ha) 0.261 3.25 3.24 3.24 3.51 1.35 0.95 0.89 1.91 2.38 0.83 1.55 Per capita food grain - 606 404 385 386.5 485 545 425 463 418.5 583 484 (kg/year) Per capita income - 1880 1535 1325 1595. 1235 1192 1215 1311 1334.5 1316 1254 (1000 VN dong) 5

Some key features of the social - economic situation of each assessment zone are summarized as follows:

• Na Hang town: Na Hang town is the capital of Na Hang district acting as the socio- economic and political center. The district has a population of 4762 persons. With the annual population growth rate of approximately 1.8%, the population will reach to 5053 persons by the year 2005. Ethnic groups comprise of the Kinh (2009 persons); the Tay (1595 persons); the Dao (94 persons); the Hoa (155 persons); the Dao (94 persons) and others (1200 persons). Most of people here earn their living by wet paddy cultivation, livestock raising and doing small business with the exception of some who are governmental cadres. When the Tuyen Quang hydropower project is implemented, 112 off-farm households with 490 persons in group 1 and group 18 will be moved out of the inundated area. Those people will be resettled within the area itself. Thus there will be no change in term of people and ethnic composition in the area. However, as a result of resettlement, the district would gain much benefit from infrastructure improvements.

• Khau Tinh commune: located in the core zone of Na Hang Nature Reserve, the assessment zone has a population of 1798 persons. With the annual population growth rate of approximately 2.0%, the population will reach to 1908 persons by the year 2005. Ethnic groups consist of the Kinh (140 persons); the Tay (850 persons); the Dao (415 persons); the H’Mong (503 persons). Local residents rely primarily on agricultural

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production as a main source of income. They practice wet paddy cultivation and upland crop cultivation, livestock raising, forest protection. Recently, thank to the PARC activities taken to help villages in agro-forestry production and increasing their income and awareness on natural conservation such as training course on cropping and husbandry techniques; demonstration on intensive farming, upland farming system; model of non timber forest production, the living standard of local residents is improved considerably. On average, per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is 606 kg/year, per capita in come is 1,880,000 VN dong/year. Regarding the impact of Tuyen Quang hydropower project, the commune will lose 18.80 ha of agricultural land and 7.80 ha of residential land by flood. As a result, it has been proposed that 54 households with 260 persons in Ban Lam 1 and Ban Lam 2 would be moved up to the Lung Luong and Lung Vai areas, 1.5 km far from Khau Tinh commune center. Since people to be moved will be resettled within the area itself, there would be no change in people and ethnic composition. On the contrary, the commune will benefit much from resettlement in term of social - economic aspect. An estimation amount of 9,554 million dong will be invested in infrastructure improvements, agro-forestry production, and public architectural works...etc. This is a dynamic for social- economic development of the commune.

• Thanh Tuong East: at present, in the assessment area there area 417 households with 1878 people. With the annual population growth rate of appropriate 2.0%, the population will reach to 1993 persons by the year 2005. Among ethnic groups, the Tay account for 63%, the Kinh account for 26%, the Dao account for 11%. Local residents rely primarily on agricultural production as a main source of income. They practice wet paddy cultivation and upland crop cultivation, livestock raising, forest protection. However due to low intellectual standard, lack of techniques and experiences in production, the production output keep low and unstable, causing great hardship for local residents. In recent year, thanks to the PARC activities taken to help villages in agro-forestry production and increasing their income and awareness on nature conservation, (e.g. training courses on cropping and husbandry techniques; demonstrations of intensive farming, upland farming system; model of non timber forest production) the living standard of local residents has improved considerably. On average, per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is 404 kg/year, per capita in come is 1,535,000 VN dong/year. Although the area will not be flooded by the reservoir it has not enough available agricultural land to accommodate people resettled the reservoir area. Thus there will be no change in people and ethnic composition in the area.

• Thanh Tuong West: has a population of 1878 persons. With the annual population growth rate of approximately 2.0%, the population will reach to 1993 persons by the year 2005. Among ethic groups, the Tay account for 60%, the Kinh account for 6%, the Dao account for 34%. Wet paddy cultivation, and upland crops cultivation, livestock husbandry, forest protection and plantation and legal forest resources uses generate the main sources of income for these people. However due to low intellectual standard, lack of techniques and experiences in production, the production output keep low and unstable, causing great hardship for local residents. On average, per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is 385 kg/year, per capita income is 1,325,000 VN dong/year. Although the area will not be flooded by the reservoir, it has not enough available agricultural land to accommodate people resettled the reservoir area. Thus there will be no change in people and ethnic composition in the area.

• Vinh Yen and Son Phu: There are 880 households with 4367 people living in the assessment area. Among ethnic groups, the Tay and Dao make up a large percentage; the others including the Kinh, the Cao Lan represent only a small number in the population. Local residents rely primarily on agricultural production as a main source of income. They practice wet paddy cultivation and upland crop cultivation, livestock raising, forest protection. Recently, thanks to the PARC activities taken to help villages in agro- forestry production and increasing their income and awareness on nature conservation, - 45 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

the living standard of local residents has improved considerably. On average, per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is 386 kg/year, per capita in come is 1,595,500 VN dong/year, higher than the average for the whole district. Regarding the impact of Tuyen Quang hydropower project, 142 ha of agricultural land and 11.40 ha of residential land will be flooded. 501 households with 2225 persons will be resettled. These people will be moved out of the area since there is not enough cultivable land for resettlement within the area; this willcause changes in population numbers and ethnic composition. The population by 2005 will be 2273 persons - a decrease by 52% compared with the existing population. The proportion of the Dao in the total population will increased to about 65%. In addition, the centers of Son Phu commune and Vinh Yen commune will be flooded causing many difficulties in activities of economy, production, and communication and travelling. Therefore, in parallel with resettlement scheme, it is necessary to restructure the administrative units at commune levels, modify the administrative boundaries.

• Da Vi: the population of the assessment area is 4,855 persons. Among ethnic groups, the Tay occupy 74%; the H’Mong occupy 10%; the Dao 9%; the Kinh occupy 4% and the San Chi occupy 4%. Apart from some households living in Da Vi town who make their living from small businesses, local residents rely primarily on agricultural production as a main source of income. They practice wet paddy cultivation and upland crop cultivation, livestock raising, forest protection. On average, per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is 545 kg/year, per capita income is 1.192 VN dong/year. In term of the impact by Tuyen Quang hydropower project, 143.92 ha of agricultural land and 15.09 ha of residential land will be flooded. 361 households with 1942 persons will be resettled. These people will be moved out of the area since there is not enough cultivable land for resettlement within the area, causing changes in population numbers and ethnic composition. The resulting population by 2005 will be 3091 persons, decreased by 36% compared with the existing population. The proportion of the Dao and the H’Mong in the total population will be increased to approximately 31%. In addition, the center of Da Vi commune will be flooded causing many difficulties in activities of economy, production, and communication and travelling. Therefore, in parallel with resettlement scheme, it is necessary to restructure the administrative units at commune levels.

• Duc Xuan/Sinh Long: the area has a population of 3211 persons. Among ethnic groups, the Dao occupy 52%; the H’Mong occupy 28%; the Tay occupy 10% and the Kinh occupy 9%. Almost all the people practice wet paddy cultivation and upland crop cultivation, livestock raising, forest protection. On average, per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is 418 kg/year, per capita in come is 1335 VN dong/year. In terms of the impact by Tuyen Quang hydropower project, 199.37 ha of agricultural land and 10.98 ha of residential land in Xuan Tien commune will be flooded. The whole population of Xuan Tien commune including 415 households with 1964 persons will be moved. Those people will be resettled out of the area since there is not enough cultivable land for resettlement within the area, causing changes in people and ethnic composition. Resulting population by the year 2005 is 2110 persons, decreased by 34% compared with the existing population. The proportion of the Dao and the H’Mong in the total population will be increased to approximately 47% and 53% respectively. In particular, it will be impossible to maintain the Xuan Tien commune as a separate administrative unit, and it will be necessary to restructure the administrative units at district level and modify the administrative boundary to fit the new conditions.

• Con Lon: in the assessment area of Con Lon, there are 315 households with 1878 people living in 15 villages. Among ethic groups, the Tay account for 85%, the H’Mong account for 9%, the Dao account for 7%. Shifting cultivation, wet paddy cultivation, livestock husbandry, and legal forest resources uses generate the main sources of income for these people. Since the commune is located very far from the district center, communication and transport are very difficult, most people have low education standards, and lack of information about production techniques and experience. This - 46 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

affects the application of advanced production technology and agricultural output remains low and unstable, causing hardship for local residents. Total food output in rice equivalent is 869 tons. On average, per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is 463 kg/year; per capita income is 1,311,000 VN dong/year. Regarding the resettlement for the Tuyen Quang hydropower project, the area has enough land and other conditions to accommodate resettlement for 20 households from the flooded areas. This would lead to changes in population in the areaso that by 2005 as the totl population would be 2110 persons. The commune would benefit much from resettlement in term of social - economic aspect. An estimated amount of 1.856 million dong will be invested in infrastructure improvements, agro-forestry production, and public building works...etc. This is a dynamic for social-economic development of the commune.

• Thuong Lam/Trung Khanh: in the area, there are 1508 households with 7475 people living in 21 villages. Of the total population, the Tay account for 75%, the Dao account for 18% and the remaining 7% belong to the Kinh. Almost all local people practice wet paddy cultivation and upland crop cultivation, livestock raising, forest protection and plantation. Because their intellectual standard is relatively high in comparison with other areas, they often apply new technology in production, resulting in increase of crop yields. On average, per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is 583 kg/year, per capita in come is 1,316,000 VN dong/year, higher than the average for the whole district. As a result of the Tuyen Quang hydropower project, 258.76 ha of agricultural land and 17.99 ha of residential land in Trung Khanh commune will be flooded. The whole population of Trung Khanh commune, including 637 households with 2882 people will be moved. These people will be resettled out of the area, since there is not enough cultivable land for resettlement, causing changes in population and ethnic composition. By 2005, there will be 4874 people, decreased by 35% compared with the existing population. The proportion of the Tay in the total population will be increased to approximately 94%, the proportion of the Dao and the Kinh against the total population will be decreased to 6% and 0% respectively. In particular, it will be impossible to maintain the Trung Khanh commune as a separate administrative unit, and it will be necessary to restructure the administrative units at district level and modify the administrative boundary to fit new condition.

• Nang Kha: Presently, in the assessment area of Con Lon, there are 918 households with 4525 people living in 16 villages. Among ethnic groups, the Tay account for 77%, the Kinh account for 14%, the Dao account for 9%. Local people live mainly on wet-rice cultivation, upland crop cultivation, and livestock husbandry. However, due to low educational standard and lack of information on modern production techniques agricultural production is not developed. The output is low and unstable, causing hardship for local residents. Total food output in rice equivalent is 2190 tons, per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is 484 kg/year, and per capita income is 1,254,000 VN dong/year. Regarding the resettlement for the Tuyen Quang hydropower project, the area has enough agricultural land availability and other conditions to accommodate resettlement for 100 households from the flooded areas distributed in Ban Nhung – Na Chao area (60 households) and Na Kha – Na Vai area (40 households). This activity would cause changes in people and community in the area. By 2005, the resulting population will be 5386 people. The commune would benefit much from resettlement in term of social - economic aspect. An estimated amount of 4,900 million dong will be invested in infrastructure improvements, agro-forestry production, and public building works...etc, creating the dynamic for social- economic development of the commune.

• Ba Be/Nam Mau: at present, in the assessment area of Ba Be, there are 315 households with approximate 1733 people distributed in 4 villages. Among ethic groups, the Tay and the H’Mong make up a large percentage; the others including the Kinh and Dao only make up a small number of the total population. Local residents practice wet paddy cultivation, and upland crops cultivation, livestock husbandry, and forest resources uses as the main sources of their income. In general, their production still relies much on the - 47 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

nature, the efficiency of production remain low. Per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is about 425kg/year; per capita income is 1215,000VN dong/year. Of the total income, 60-70 % comes from crop cultivation, 15-25 comes from husbandry; and the rest 5% originates from forest production. With regard to the impact of the Tuyen Quang hydropower project, there will be a loss 14.84 ha of agricultural land and 1.08 ha of settlement land in Ta Ken village. 49 Tay ethnic minority households with 291 people will be moved out of the area because there is not enough land for resettlement of those people. As a result, there would be changes in people and ethnic composition in the area. By 2005, the resulting population will be 1592 people, decreased by 9% compared with the existing population. The proportion of Tay in the overall population would be decreased while the proportion of H’Mong and Dao would be increased. • Xuan Lac: in the assessment area of Xuan Lac, there are 285 households with approximate 1732 people. Among ethnic groups, the Tay and the H’Mong and Dao make up a large percentage and the rest only make up a small number of the total population. Local people practice wet paddy cultivation, and upland crop cultivation, livestock husbandry, and forest resources uses as the main sources of their income. In general, their production still relies much on the natural resources, and the efficiency of production remains low, causing much pressure on forest resources. Per capita food grain (in rice equivalent) is about 485kg/year, per capita income is 1,235,000VN dong/year. Of the total income, 70-80 % comes from crop cultivation, 10-15 % comes from animal husbandry; and the remaining 5% comes from forest production. In term of resettlement by Tuyen Quang hydropower project, the area is not affected, thus ethnic composition and community in the area would be maintained.

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4. Description of the proposal

4.1. General Information on Tuyen Quang Project Na Hang is the name of a small town located on Gam River bank, belonging to Na Hang district, Tuyen Quang province, in northern Vietnam. Gam River is a relatively large river. The river watershed area at Tuyen Quang dam's site is 14,972 km2, among these 7,420 km2 (49.6%) in the territory of Yunnan province, China5. The average annual runoff of Gam River at proposed dam site is 317 m3/sec, total average annual flow 10,010 million m3, maximal flood runoff at 1% probability 6,823 m3/sec 6. Gam River itself is a branch of Lo - Gam River, which is the main left tributary of the Red River. Gam River rises in Yunnan province in China, flowing into Vietnam in Cao Bang province, passing through Ha Giang province and entering Tuyen Quang province, where it joins the Lo River to form the Lo-Gam River. Gam River has many tributaries. Among these the most important is the Nang River, taking source in mountainous area of Cao Bang province, flowing into Ba Be lake of Bac Can province, the bigest natural lake in Vietnam, and entering Tuyen Quang province after Dau Dang Falls. Since 1992 Ba Be lake and the surrounding area were incorporated into the Ba Be Nature Protected Area, and later in 1997, promoted to the position of National Park, with a total area of about 10,000 km2. Six km downstream of Ba Be National Park is Na Hang Nature Reserve Area, established in 1994, with a total area of 40,000 km27. The implementation of Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project will strongly impact the Gam River watershed environment, including the Na Hang Nature Reserve Area and some part of the Ba Be National Park (Map 7.1). On 19 April 2002, based on conclusion of appraisal of Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project feasibility study (FS) report, which included a project’s environmental impact assessment (Thematic Report No. 1 of the FS), the Prime Minister of Vietnam issued Decision Nr. 288 QD-TTg on investment of Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project. This decision has defined the following main features of the project:

Project name: Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project. Project objectives: • Flood prevention for downstream area, including Tuyen Quang province, Hanoi City and the Red River delta; • Power production; • Water supply and other objectives. Project investor: Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Company Project location: Dam and power plant at Na Hang town and Vinh Yen village, Na Hang district, Tuyen Quang province, northern Vietnam. Installed power: 342 MW Annual electricity 1,285 million kWh.

5 / PECC1. Dai Thi project, Feasibility Study report, Book 1, page 1. Hanoi, 2001, 6 / FS Report, Hydrology, Meteorology, Book1, pageV. 7 / PARC Project. Preliminary EIA of River Gam Dam. Feb.2002, page 6. - 49 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report production: Flood regulation capacity: 1,000 million m3. Reservoir normal water 120m asl. level: Dam structure: rock with earth core. Construction structure first category. category: Total investment: 7,522 billion VND (equivalent to US $501 million ). Project’s investor: EVN. Project’s consultancy and Power Engineering Consulting Company 1 (PECC1), design: belonging to EVN

For the solution of complex technical issues, PECC1 could hire foreign experts. For the elaboration of project detailed design, calculation of project detailed expenses, listing equipments and materials purchase for the Project, EVN has to follow the conclusions of the appraisal committee and recommendations issued by related ministries, sectoral and local authorities, including those concerning the protection of Na Hang NR and Ba Be NP. The People Committee (PC) of Tuyen Quang province is responsible for supervision of compensation, liberation of project area and resettlement of affected people in its localities. The Prime Ministerial decision has also allowed EVN to start carrying out the following activities: • Improvement of Chiem Hoa - Na Hang road. • Construction of roads for rock and earth materials exploitation and transport. • Installation of electricity, water supply and communications facilities for the construction site. • Acquisition of land for construction site. • Excavation of dam’s foundation8. This Decision is based on result of a long-term study concerning the use of water resources and flood prevention on Gam River. The detailed project design and its detailed EIA report, which are now being undertaken by PECC1 of EVN, should be based on this decision. As defined in the Circular Nr. 490/1998/TT-BKHCNMT, of MOSTE, dated 29 April 1998, concerning the preparation and appraisal of the EIA reports of development projects, during the feasibility phase, a preliminary EIA, as part of the FS, is requested; and in the detailed project design phase a detailed EIA should be carried out. So far the agency to carry out this detailed EIA has not been nominated9.

8 / Decision of Prime Minister, Nr 288/QD-TTg, on 14 April 2002 9 (as at end July 2002)

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Map 7.1. Topographic and landuse map showing the extent of flooding in Na Hang NR

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The dam’s main construction characteristics are as follows: Construction type: Compressed rock with earth core. Altitude of dam highest part: 125.7 m asl (5.7 m above reservoir normal level of 120 m asl). Dam’s maximum height: 101.85 m. Dam’s length at top: 1,105.42 m (Map 2). Dam's width at top: 20m Reservoir total capacity: 2,244.9 million m3. Reservoir efficient capacity: 1,648 million m3. Reservoir flood regulation 1,000 million m3. capacity: Reservoir dead volume: 560.8 million m3. The spillway with 4 gates: (b x h = 15.00 x 15.84m) located on dam's right side. Deep flush ways under the (b x h = 4.5 x 6 m). spillway, 8 flush ways: Hydropower plant Located on the dam's left side, with 4 high pressure pipes (diameter D = 7.5m)10 .

4.2. Objectives The principal objective of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project is flood control combined with power generation. The flooding in the Lo-Gam River at Tuyen Quang and in the Red River Delta causes considerable damage each year, despite other flood protection measures, e.g. dams on other tributaries of the Red River and flood protection dykes. The Tuyen Quang Dam will contribute significantly to these flood control measures – see section 7.13. The second objective is electricity generation. The power generated from the turbines in the dam will be fed into the national electricity grid and provide additional power for the continued economic growth of the country, especially in the northern parts. In the Feasibility Study Report, Book 3 on Water and Energy economic study, a comparison of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project is made with three examples of thermo-power projects using coal. • Project producing 300 MW using coal in northern part of Vietnam • Project producing less than 300 MW using coal in northern part of Vietnam • Project producing 500 MW using coal in southern part of Vietnam The comparison shows that for the national electricity system the option with the Tuyen Quang project is in all cases more economically attractive than options without the Tuyen Quang project. To the energy efficiency should be added the flood prevention and water supply efficiency of the reservoir operation. For example, with an IRR of 10%, in the year

10 / FS Report. Book 4. Main Constructions, page 1-14. - 52 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

2008 the benefit of flood regultion is estimated at about US$82 million, and the benefit of using hydropower rather than coal is estimated at US $47 million.11 The third objective for the Tuyen Quang Dam is to provide a more secured agricultural water supply for downstream communities. Whilst there is no provision for water offtake from the dam, the regulation of flow from the reservoir will maintain the dry season flows at a higher level than the previously low and fluctuating flows. Thus downstream communities will be more assured of a slightly higher and regular flow of water down the river during the dry season. More detailed assessment of the benefits from the dam and cost-benefit analyses have been prepared in the feasibility study.

4.3. Dam Site Options In the FS report, the site of the dam has been determined based on the following design specifications: • To attain the necessary reservoir capacity of 2,249 million m3, at normal reservoir water level of 120 m asl . • To have appropriate geological conditions for dam foundation. • To have good topographic conditions for dam’s location. • To have available construction materials. • To accommodate the construction camp with 6,000 workers (8,500 workers, technicians and managers and support staff). • To have necessary conditions to resettle 3,386 households with 18,428 persons 12. Various options for the dam site have been considered on the Gam River upstream of Na Hang town, for the dam height and normal reservoir water levels between 100 m, 110 m and 120 m asl from flood regulation, water supply, power production, people resettlement and environmental impacts. The result of these considerations is reflected in the Decision of the Prime Minister on the Project’s features indicated in the previous paragraph. Based on these principles, since the preparation of the feasibility study, 3 options have been considered using these principles: • Pak Ta (Option 1), • Na Hang, upstream of inflow from Thac Mo Water Falls (Option 2), • Na Hang, downstream of inflow from Thac Mo Water Falls (Option 3). These options are shown on Map 7.2. Pak Ta option (option 1): the dam would be located 800 m upstream of River Nang estuary, or 5 km upstream of Na Hang town. With this site, the flooded area would extend up the River Gam and the River Nang watershed would not be flooded. Comparing with Na Hang site options, the total flooded area would be about 57 km2 13, at reservoir water level at 120m asl, which means 22.78 km2 less. There would be 5,944 fewer households to be resettled. The ecological impacts to the southern part of the nature reserve area would be reduced. However, the annual electricity production would be 375.33 million kWh less. The reservoir efficient capacity is 421.4 million m3 less, so flood retention in case of very high flood is more limited. According to PECC1 experts, Pak Ta site geological conditions are not appropriate

11 FS Report, Book 3, pages VI – 18. 12 /Dai Thi Hydropower project. FS Report. Resettlement Master Planning, page 6. Hanoi, 2001 13 / Parc Project. Preliminary EIA of River Gam Dam, page 4. Ha Noi, 2000 - 53 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report for a high dam. For these reasons the Pak Ta site has not been recommended by the feasibility study. The Supplementary EIA Team considered that the presence of construction camp, operating from 2002 to 2007, near Pak Ta mountain, and the operation of the power plant after construction, would create greater disturbance for the wildlife in Pak Ta area, which is part of the core zone of the reserve area. Na Hang upstream of Thac Mo Water Falls (option 2): dam site located about 1 km upstream of option 3. With this location the Thac Mo tourist area, which consists of the Thac Mo Water Falls and the small Thac Mo reservoir, could be kept intact. There would be 200 fewer households to be resettled. But with this 2nd site, because of less favorable river valley form and geological conditions, the cost of dam’s construction will be increased of 430 billion VND (equivalent to about 29 million USD). Na Hang downstream of Thac Mo option (option 3): this dam site is located 2 km downstream of River Nang estuary and 2 km upstream of Na Hang town. The flooded area will include important part of Gam River and Nang River watersheds. Total flooded area will be 79.78 km2 (with water level in reservoir at 120 m asl)14. The reservoir capacity is 1,684 million m3, including 1,000 m3 for flood retention and 684.1 million m3 for electricity generation. The number of households to be resettled is 3,666 including 17,348 people. This option leads to the largest reservoir area and highest number of resettled people, but it is the best considering flood prevention, electricity production, geological conditions for dam, and provision of building materials and facilities for construction camp. However with this option, the famous Thac Mo Water Falls tourist spot of Tuyen Quang province will be inundated. Based on field survey, the Supplementary EIA Team considered that with the formation of the reservoir, only about 50% of the Thac Mo Water Falls will only be lost. At the reservoir water level of 120 m asl, about 40 m of the 80 m falls would remain. The proposal for the 2rd option (above) - Na Hang upstream of Thac Mo Water Falls - aimed to mitigate this potential loss. Despite this Option 3 is currently the preferred option.

14 / Dai Thi hydropower project. FS Report summary, page 14. Hanoi, 2001. - 54 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Fig. 7.2. Map of Na Hang showing the location of the three dam sites and other key aspects

Dam site No. 1. (original)

Reservoir area (green hatch)

Quarry No.1

Quarry No.3

Dam site No. 2. (conserves Thac Dam site No. 3. Mo waterfall) Quarry No.2 (Preferred)

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Table 7.1. Comparison of 3 dam sites with the same reservoir water level at 120m asl Compared Unit Pac Ta Na Hang Na Hang (ThacMo Parameter (ThacMo (option 1) downstream- upstream - opt.2) opt.3) Normal water level m 120 120 120 Dead water level m 90 90 90 Flooded area km2 57 77.23 79.78 Efficient reservoir million 1226.7 Little less than 1684.1 capacity m3 option 3 Dead reservoir million 402 Little less than 560.8 m3 capacity option 3 Flood retention million 1000 1000 1000 designed capacity m3 Maximal flood m3/sec 684 Similar to option 3 795 flush flow Installed power MW 300 Similar to option 3 370 capacity Guaranted million 464.28 Similar to option 3 709.56 electricity kWh production Average annual million 947.47 Similar to option 3 1322.80 electricity kWh production Number of people people 11,440 about 17,184 17,384 to resettle Total investment billion 5,501.48 a little less than 6,846.1 VND option 3 Cost/benefit ratio 0.99 Similar to option 3 1.10 Environmental More No inundation of c.40% of Thac Mo remark disturbance to Thac Mo tourist Falls inundated at Pak Ta area area 120m asl during construction Source: FS Report, Book 4 and estimation based on FS Report related documents. According to Dr. Nguyen Van Hoach, Deputy Manager in Science, Technology and Environment of PECC1, and Mr. Vu Duc Thin, Director of Pre-investment Management Board of Tuyen Quang project, in their meeting with the Preliminary EIA Team, Na Hang option 3 could be considered as already selected. Construction preparations are already started based on this option. The description given in the following paragraphs is based mostly on the Na Hang option 3.

4.4. Reservoir capacity to retain water Because the reservoir is situated in a karst area so the issue of underground water flow from the reservoir has been carefully studied. According to the feasibility report, the reservoir with dam site at Na Hang is able to retain all of the flow in water, no underground flow or important leakage of water has been identified. Three places of limestone areas where underground flow could exist are: (1) along Pac Ta mountain, (2) the Na Hang section, and (3) the Nang Kha valley.

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The limestone block of Pak Ta is surrounded by rocks, which are not water absorptive and which are facing in an upstream direction. The downstream limestone block is located at 125 m asl, and areas where underground water can be found, are located at higher position, so the reservoir will not face water loss due to leakage. At Na Hang all of the ground water points are positioned at above 125 m asl, so there is no risk of water leakage from the reservoir. In Nang Kha valley also, all the ground water points are positioned at places higher than 145 m asl. However at the limestone layer nr 6, which has a thickness of 250m, ground water level has been observed at elevation 118 m asl. With this regard, further studies should be carried out there in the phase of project detailed design 15.

4.5. Sources of Materials, Collection, Transport & Disposal of Wastes Construction activities related to earth, rock, concrete materials include: Excavation work: 17,073,490 m3, including: • Open excavation: 13,965,900 m3, including: o Earth excavation: 7,337,000 m3, o Eroded rock excavation: 4,740,700 m3, o Hard rock excavation: 1,888,300 m3, • Underground excavation: 107,590 m3. (Source: FS Report, Book 4, page 1-14) Filling work: 10,322,060 m3, including: • Earth filling: 1,356,540 m3 for dam core • Sand and gravel: 603,270 m3, • Rock: 8,362,250 m3 Concrete work: 632,500 m3, including: • Open concrete work: 556,410 m3, • Underground concrete work: 33,550 m3 Steel work: 27,400 tonnes, including: • Open constructions: 20,990 tonnes, • Underground constructions: 1,670 tonnes. (Source: FS report, Book 5, Construction Organization, page 1-3) Materials sourcing, exploitation and transportation Main materials for dam construction include earth, rock and sand, exploited from the following sites: Earth exploitation site nr. 1: situated on Gam River right bank, 4km downstream of selected dam site, close to Na Hang - Thuong Lam road. Potential usable earth material 4,400,000 m3. Waste rock and sand to be excavated for usable earth exploitation: 760,000 m3. This site has good conditions for exploitation, but relatively far from dam site. Earth exploitation site nr. 2: situated on Gam River right bank, 5km downstream of selected dam site, close to Na Hang - Thuong Lam road. Potential usable earth material

15 / Feasibility Study Report Summary, page 6 - 57 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

3,400,000 m3. Eroded rock and sand to be excavated for usable earth exploitation: 540,000 m3. This site has good conditions for exploitation, but relatively far from dam site. Earth exploitation site nr. 5: earth excavated from dam foundation could be also used to fill dam's core. This way of exploitation could provide 1,000,000 m3 of earth material appropriate for dam core. Rock exploitation site nr. 1: limestone rock, situated on the right bank of Gam River, 2km upstream of dam site. Capacity: about 15,000,000 m3. Eroded waste rock covering good rock surface is about 10% of usable rock. Favorable condition for exploitation but difficult transportation to the 2 sides of dam, because difficulty of road upgrading. Rock exploitation site 2: limestone rock, situated on the right bank of Gam River, 6 km downstream of dam site. Capacity: some millions of m3. No eroded part to be taken out. Easy exploitation and transportation, relatively far from dam but good transportation road. The Supplementary EIA team remarks that the exploitation of rock in site 2 could have bad scenic impact to the local landscape, it is necessary to think about mitigation measures, for example not to exploit rock in the part facing the road and the river. In all of the above-mentioned sites, exploitation, processing and transportation will be done by relatively advanced imported machinery, equipment, and transportation means. Some manual labor will be used for assisting work16. Rock exploitation Site No.3: As a result of concerns about Quarry no 1. a third quarry about 6 kms from the dam site in Nang Kha commune is being surveyed. Access from this site would be along the existing laterite road leading from the Na Hang suspension bridge. If appropriate this site would be the prime quarry with Quarry No. 1 being used for any additional materials required.17 Sand exploitation and transportation: for concrete preparation and dam's filter layer is to be taken from the Lo River bed in Ham Yen, located at about 75km from Na Hang and transported to dam site by trucks. Building materials storage. Before use as dam-fill, usable earth, rock and sand are stored at 3 storage fields: storage field nr. 1, for earth and rock, on Gam River right bank close to dam's right section; storage field nr. 2, also for earth and rock, on Nang River left bank, at about 1km to dam site; storage field for sand close to storage field nr. 2. Storage fields are linked to exploitation sites dam site by good roads especially built or upgraded for dam construction (Fig. 4.3). (Source: FS Report. Book 5. Construction organization, pages 2-7, 2-8, 2-9) Wastes disposal: A large quantity of excavated earth and rock which can not be used for construction will be disposed of in 2 unusable material disposal fields: disposal field nr 1, on right bank of Gam River, close to rock and earth storage field nr 1; disposal field nr. 2, on left bank of Gam River. These disposal fields will be submerged after reservoir filling18. (Fig. 4.3)

4.6. Areas Flooded The created reservoir will have the form of a “V” about 75 km long (45 km on Gam River and 30 km on Nang River), relatively narrow lake, stretching up the Gam River valley and its tributaries, among these Nang River. At some places, such as Ban Khuoi Bo, Xuan Tien village, Ban Khuoi Phin on Gam River valley and Son Phu village on Nang River reservoir width could attain 2 - 3 km at reservoir water level of 120 m asl.

16 / Source: FS Report. Book 5. Construction organization, pages 2-7, 2-8, 2-9 17 The team were told of this development during the field visit, and this was later confirmed at the final meeting wth EVN on 5 August. 18 / Source: PECC1. FS Report. Drawing of Construction Camp. 2299-TC-01 - 58 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

The total flooded area is 79.78 km2, or 7,978 ha, including: • 1,568.54 ha of agricultural land, among these: o 218.66 ha with 2 food crops/ year, o 484.53 ha with 1 food crop/year and o 856.53 ha of various kinds of tree plantations. • 4,640 ha of forest land. • 114.53 ha of settlement land (FS Report, EIA Chapter, pages 18-19) • 1,663.93 ha (land with infrastructures, public buildings, river water surface ...) Forest land comprises forest denuded land, grassland and land with forest. Area of flooded land with forest, belonging to the NRA is estimated about 417.4 ha, comprising: • mature evergreen forest in Na Ngoan, Na Tinh, Khau Muon, Khau Tep, Pak Ban; • mature mixed forest in Khau Pau, Na Ngoang, Na Huu, Lo Khac, Pac Ban; • mixed forest with medium canopy along Pac Vang River; • secondary forest close to mature and mixed forest and planted forest (according to information provided by Forest Protection Department of Tuyen Quang province and of Na Hang district). The flooded forest area has diversified and rich resources of wild animal as well as of vegetation species: evergreen tropical broadleaf forests, bamboo forests, scrub trees. This area is also rich in wild animal species: wild pigs, wild cats, wild dogs, small wild animals and also many species of birds, fishes, reptiles and amphibians. However big wild animals such as bears, leopards, deers are now rarely seen. Snub-nosed monkey and Francois monkey don't live in these low-lying areas. Settlements in the flooded area include 17,384 people living in 3,194 households. These numbers will increase with natural population growth to 18,448 people and 3,390 households by 2005. Distribution of people in flooded area is as following: In Tuyen Quang province: 16,726 people, living in 3,386 households, belonging to 77 villages, in 12 communes, in 1 district. In Ha Giang province: 1,407 people, living in 226 households, belonging to 8 villages, in 2 communes, in 1 district. In Bac Can province: 315 people, living in 54 households, belonging to 1 village, in 1 commune, in 1 district. Survey data on Dec. 2001. 19 Flooded infrastructures include: Roads: 71 km of intercommune and intervillage roads. Bridges: 4 concrete and 3 suspended bridges. Schools: 72 primary, 11 lower secondary schools. Commune clinics: 11 clinics. People Committee offices: 11 offices houses. Markets: 2 places with houses. Dwelling houses: 3,194 houses (about 35-50 m2 large, with 10-30 m2 of supplementary houses). A total of 1,453 ha of Na Hang Nature Reserve Area (NRA) is in the flooded zone. However the FS Report summary has not mentioned about the NRA. The EIA part of the FS report,

19 / FS Report. Resettlement Master Planning. Page 6 (in Vietnamese) - 59 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report has not mentioned any special use forest in the flooded area. However, the ecological EIA has indicated that: " the reduction of forest area in Na Hang will damage and even erase the widlife living in the NRA" , and that "after dam construction local people will use modern tools, such as boats with strong motor for taking tourists, the damage could be higher"(Ecological EIA, paragraph IV). The official letter nr. 2868, dated 09 October 2001, from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MOSTE) to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) concerning the FS report of Na Hang (Dai Thi) Project, has asked for detailed assessment of Tuyen Quang Hydroproject impacts to the Na Hang Nature Protected Area, especially to the protection of snub-nosed monkeys. According to existing geological survey data, there are no mineral resources valuable for industrial exploitation in the flooded area. Along the Gam River the team observed some boats equipped with machinery for extraction of gold-bearing sand. We were told that on a good day they may extract 300 gms of gold from the sand. This extraction was intensive 10 years ago, gold sand quickly became rare and now only relatively few small boats (no more than 10 in the stretch between Na Hang and Xuan Tien) continue the exploitation. After reservoir filling this way of extraction will be possible only on small rivers and springs flowing into the reservoir.

4.7. Construction Camp

Camp Siting The construction camp of Na Hang Project covers an area of about 7.5 km2 (3 km long x 2.5 km large). The construction camp will be housing 8,500 people including workers, technicians, managers and administrative staff. The total area currently under construction is 181.2 ha, including: • offices and accommodation housing for workers: 22 ha, • support plants and water supply base: 139.2 ha, • communication roads inside of construction camp: 20,0 ha. Main units of construction camp support system include: Grinding and storage of rock and sand, with capacity of 200,000 m3/year, 4.31 ha Concrete factory, with capacity of 200,000 m3/year, 11.24 ha Cement storage house, 0.79 ha Steel processing factory, 4.76ha Wood processing factory, 0.59ha Cars and trucks area, 5.5 ha Mechanical assemblage factories, 3.0 ha Water supply base: 0.6 ha Explosive storage house, 2.0 ha Fuel storage area, 0.8 ha. The units of construction camp are located in relatively flat areas the dam, from 1.5 km upstream to 1.5 km downstream of dam axis. Parts of the office and accommodation housing, concrete factory, steel factory, and wood factory are on the right bank of Gam River. Another part of office and accommodation housing, concrete factory, mechanical factory are

- 60 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report on the left bank 20. The layout of the dam and construction camp at Na Hang is shown in Fig 7.3.

4.8. Construction Activities Phasing Construction Activities Phasing According to the Feasibility Study report, the construction of Tuyen Quang Hydropower project will last 6 years, including 1 year for preparation (FS Report, Book 5, Construction Organization, page 4-1, 4-2). The implementation process, after the preparation year, could be divided in 4 phases: Phase 1, including 1st and 2nd year of project implementation: construction activities concentrating to earth and rock work, canalization, excavating dam's foundation in dry part of river valley, filling of the dam's base part. Concrete work for canalization for dam filling on the end of the 1st year, on middle of 2nd year, concrete work for spill-way and concrete right part of dam (the dam has a concrete section on the right side). Earth and rock-work quantity should be about 10.7 million m3. Phase 2, including 3rd year of project implementation: continuation of earth and rock work for excavation of dam's foundation in river bed, filling higher part of dam, concrete work for spillway and hydropower plant. Dam's highest part should reach altitude of 71 m asl. Earth and rock filling work quantity should be about 4.02 million m3, concrete work about 211.330 m3. Phase 3, including the 4th year of project implementation: to fill the dam to altitude of 100m asl, to complete the concrete part of the dam, to build the house of hydropower plant, to put the hydraulic turbines and electric generators on place, The concrete works quantity for this period is about 189.940 m3. At the end of the flood season of this year to close the canalization for construction, to begin to retain water in the reservoir and to produce electricity with the 1st block of generators. Phase 4, including the 5th year of project implementation: Completion of construction and mechanical assemblage work. Dam will reach its highest level, all of the 4 generators assembled and begin electricity generation 21. In the Feasiblity Study Report, as well during the meeting with project's related authorities, information concerning electricity transmission, construction of road from Na Hang to Da Vi to replace to submerged part of existing Na Hang - Da Vi road has not been provided, because agencies responsible are in the step of study for design.

20 / PECC1. FS Report. Sketch 2299-TC-01 21 / PECC1. FS Report. Book 5. Construction Organization, pages 4-1 and 4-2

- 61 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Fig.7.3. Layout of the dam site and construction camp

Workers’ accommodation No. 2

Dam site No. 3

New road bridge

Source of earth fill Cement plant, machine service, Nang River equipment and stores

Gam River Na Hang Town

Workers’ accommodation No. 1

Existing Quarry No 1 road bridge

- 62 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

4.9. Water, Food and Fuel Supply for Construction camp Water for construction activities and living of workers in construction camp will be provided by 2 water supply bases: • base for domestic use water supply, providing daily 420o m3 (nr 12 on 2299-TC sketch); and • base for technical water supply providing daily 9,500 m3 (nr. 12b on 2299-TC sketch). These 2 bases will use Gam River water, with some treatment as their source 22. Concerning food, rice, important part of meat and other cooking ingredients will be supplied from Tuyen Quang town. Part of vegetables, fruits and other green ingredients will be supplied from Tuyen Quang town, Chiem Hoa and Ham Yen, districts, another part by communes in Na Hang district. In 2000 Na Hang district has developed trials to produce vegetables to supply to Tuyen Quang project workers. With some more funding and technical transfer, the commune around Na Hang town could easily supply vegetables and fruit products to the increased 8,500 population of Na Hang during the 6 years of construction process. Concerning fuel, the construction company will supply coal in the form of pit-coal, largely used in lowland regions of Vietnam, for cooking in worker canteens and houses.

Agricultural development and provisioning for workers During the construction phase, there will an additional 6,000 workers (and rising to 8,500 including technical and support staff) based at Na Hang plus some families and people moving into the area opportunistically to take advantage of the economic “boom” in Na Hang. It is possible that the population of Na Hang town (at the last census, 4,762 persons) may reach as many as 15,000 people at the height of the boom. As a result, demand for food will be 3 times higher than the existing. An estimation of required food in the period of 2002 – 2006 is presented in the following table:

Table 7.2: required vegetable and meat in Na Hang township during the construction phrase of Tuyen Quang hydropower project Year Number of consumers Required vegetables (kg) Required meat (kg) Total Of which per per Local Worker Day Month Year Day Month Year people s 2002 6,940 4,940 2,000 2,290 62,460 749,520 1,388 41,640 499,680 2003 7,980 4,980 3,000 2,633 71,820 861,840 1,596 47,880 574,560 2004 9,020 5,020 4,000 2,976 81,180 974,160 1,804 54,120 649,440 2005 9,070 5,070 4,000 2,993 81,630 979,560 1,814 54,420 653,040 2006 13,120 5,120 8,000 4,330 118,080 1,416,960 2,624 78,720 944,940

To meet the required amount as mentioned above, area of vegetables and number of livestock need to be planted or raised is as follows:

22 / FS Report. Book 5. Construction Organization, pages 6.5. - 63 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Table 7.3: Vegetables and livestock need to be planted or raised Year Area of vegetables needed (ha) Number of livestock needed (head) Cabbage Turnip- Green Mustard Pig Chicken cabbage peas greens 2002 5.86 8 5 6 6,424 62,984 2003 8.67 8 5 6 7,182 72,723 2004 2004 11.48 8 5 8,118 81,862 2005 11.61 8 5 6 8,163 82,316 2006 22.55 8 5 6 11,112 119,110

At present, vegetables and animal production in Na Hang is insufficient to supply to local demand and additional quantities have to be imported from Chiem Hoa and Tho Tang – Vinh Phuc province. Thus, in order to meet the requirement of food of the local people as well as make contribution to the provisioning for the workers in Na Hang town, the people’s committee of Na Hang district has proposed the project of advanced technology application on production of vegetables and livestock raising in Thanh Tuong, Nang Kha, Vinh Yen communes and Na Hang township. It is proposed that vegetables, such as cabbage, turnip-cabbage, green peas, mustard greens and onion, are intensively cultivated in the area . Total sown area is 31 ha including 11 ha of cabbage, 8 ha of turnip cabbage, 5 ha of green peas, 6 ha of mustard greens and 1 ha of onion. Total production output of vegetable is estimated as 970 tons/year sufficient to supply for 9000 people/year. It is proposed to rear additional livestock in the area, including 200 hybrid pigs and 12,000 chickens. Total output is estimated at 36.4 tons/year only sufficient to supply for 500 people/year. Table 7.4: Area of vegetables to be planted in Na Hang Unit: ha Communes Total Of which Cabbage Turnip Green Onion Mustard greens cabbage peas Thanh 5 2 1 1 - 1 Tuong Na Hang T 7 2 1 1 1 2 Nang Kha 14 5 5 2 - 2 Vinh Yen 5 2 1 1 - 1 Total 31 11 8 5 1 6

Table 7.5: Number of hybrid pigs and chickens to be reared in Na Hang township Unit: head Groups Number of pigs Number of chickens 7 50 3000 8 50 3000 14 50 3000 17 50 3000 Total 200 12000 - 64 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Table 7.6: Vegetables and livestock production output Kind of vegetables Quantity Productivity Yields (tons/ha) (tons) Total 31 970 Cabbage 11 ha 40 440 Turnip cabbage 8 ha 25 200 Green peas 5 ha 15 75 Mustard greens 6 ha 40 240 Anion 1 ha 15 15 Kind of livestock Quantity Productivity Yields ( kg/head) (tons) Total 12,200 heads 36.4 Pig 200 heads 80 16 Chickens 12,000 heads 1.7 20.4

In terms of land for vegetable production close attention will be paid to the cropping system and land rotation with an aim to convert two-crop land into three-crop land. As a result, cultivatable land will be increased. Increased acreage of land will be distributed to households for vegetable production. With regard to implementation organization, the Agricultural and Rural Development Unit of Na Hang district is responsible for implementing and monitoring this project. They will also keep contact with related agencies of the province and district such as the Science, Technology and Environment Department of Tuyen Quang; the Agriculture and Rural Development Department, Na Hang people’s committee, Na Hang Agro-forestry Seed and Materials Station, Na Hang Veterinary Station to get technical assistance and support in material and project management experience. Besides, an Extension Model Plot would be built, by which new agricultural technologies are taught to the farmers. The system used is the “Training and Visiting System”. This system means to provide training on site to farmers and visit them on the spot. 760 households in the areas will be selected for production. Those households will be provided extension services related to the training on new cultivation technologies, new seedlings and animal breed varieties. They will help to disseminate the required technologies to raise livestock and cultivate vegetables within the areas. Regarding investment fund: Total investment fund for production is estimated at 741,438 million dong. Of which, 212,960 million dong for seedlings and animal breed varieties and 27,845 million dong for technical training, monitoring and management is funded by the Government; 226,533 million dong is borrowed from the Bank and other economic organizations without interest for fertilizers, pesticides; the remaining 274,100 million dong is raised by the farmers for fertilizers, veterinary medicines, cages …etc.

4.10. Sewage and Solid Wastes According to the managers of the construction company (Song Da 9 Company) in charge of project implementation, workers accommodation houses, offices are designed and constructed with septic tanks. For solid wastes the construction camp will cooperate with local environmental service to organize a regular collection of waste and disposal in a suitable sanitary disposal in Na Hang town. Every factory in the construction camp will have - 65 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report its appropriate sewage and waste treatment system conforming to the environmental criteria determined by environmental authorities. It will be necessary to check the existing design and construction. It will also be necessary to monitor and control the treatment and disposal during operation for preventing the pollution of Gam River downstream water and the environment of Na Hang town.

4.11. Power lines

Route option for sending electricity to construction site The need for electricity for construction is estimated at 12,079 kW. This requirement will be met by installation of the supply of 16,447 kW. During the preparation phase this electricity will be supplied from the existing 35 kV line Chiem Hoa - Na Hang. A new 35 kV line will be established from Chiem Hoa to Na Hang based on the existing station 110/35/6 kV at Chiem Hoa. The new line will follow the existing 35 kV route. At the construction camp a 35/10/6 kV station will be established providing electricity to all units of the camp 23.

Route option for sending produced electricity to national grid So far, in the existing feasibility report, as well as in the meetings with project authorities, no detailed information has been provided concerning the route options for this transmission line. Study for the design of a 220 kV transmission line sending electricity from Tuyen Quang hydropower plant is being prepared. According to the feasibility study report, this line will begin from a supply station of 220 kV, located on dam right part, downstream at altitude of 76m asl 24. A transmision line of 220 kV, from Na Hang to Yen Bai, with a distance of 150 kms, will link this supply station with Yen Bai 220 kV voltage transforming station 25. With this orientation the 220 kV transmission line will go southwest of Na Hang town, outside of the Na Hang Nature Protected Area. If so, its impacts on Na Hang NRA will be minimized, but nevertheless and EIA should be carried out to compare routes for selection.

4.12. Access roads Dam site could be accessed from upstream by Da Vi - Na Hang town and Thuong Lam - Na Hang town local roads, appropriate only for small cars and motobikes. Part of these roads close to dam site will be upgraded for rock and earth transportation. The upgrading work will extend for about 10 - 15 km, relatively small comparing with other earth and rock work in the project. Part of the inter-commune road from Na Hang town to Da Vi commune center will be inundated by the future reservoir up the Nang River. The most important access road to the dam site is the road from downstream from Ham Yen and Chiem Hoa district to Na Hang town, covering a distance about 45 kms. All machinery equipment, fuel, cement and sand, from Lo River in Ham Yen district, will have to use this road to reach the dam site. This road is now an asphalted, relatively good road, but too narrow, only 4.5 m wide. Trucks carrying heavy and large machinery and equipment for turbines and generators would not be able to pass along this road. The construction company Song Da 9, which is responsible for Tuyen Quang project construction, is beginning to upgrade it, principally by widening of the road causeway from 4.5 to 7.5 m. The upgrading of this road has various potential noise, dust pollution, traffic inconvenience and accidents along its 45 kms length during the work, which is scheduled to last for at least 6 months.

23 / FS Report. Book 5. Construction Organization, page 6-4. 24 / FS Report. Book 4.Main Constructions, pages 2-6, 2-7. 25 / FS Report. Book 4. Main Constructions, page 4-2. - 66 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

The inundated part of Na Hang town – Da Vi road will be replaced by a new road. There is still no design of this road.26 The Supplementary EIA team are concerned about the route options that would encroach upon and increase access to the southern core areas of the Na Hang Nature reserve. (Map 7.1).

4.13. Operation

Changes in Gam River flows during construction and filling • During 1st and 2nd year of construction: no substantial change of Gam river, Na Hang town downstream runoff, • During 3rd year of construction: no sustantial change of Gam river, Na Hang town downstream runoff, • During 4th year of construction: the earth part of dam reaches the altitude of 100m asl, the concrete part of the dam completed, the 1st turbine and generator installed. In October, which is the beginning of the dry season, the reservoir begins to retain water, the 1st block of generators begins electricity production. • During the 5th year of construction: on the end of the year dam and all of other constructions completed, reservoir and power plant operate as designed. During the first water filling phase (dry season, from beginning of October, 4th year, to beginning of May, 5th year of construction), reservoir managers have to fill 1,244.9 million m3 (including 560.8 million m3 of reservoir dead volume and 684.1 million m3 for power production). According to recorded runoff monitoring data, the average flow volume of River Gam runoff at Na Hang town hydrometric station could be estimated as 2.590,642 million m3 27. The water retained in the reservoir is only about 48% of the natural average flow before dam construction. The reservoir will be used for 3 purposes – flood regulation, electricity generation and water supply:

Flood regulation The principal objective of the Tuyen Quang Dam is flood regulation in the downstream River Gam for part of Tuyen Quang province , and for Hanoi and the Red River Delta. The Lo - Gam contributes about 25% - 30% of flood flow of the Red River in Hanoi. In the beginning of flood season, in June – July, the 1,000 million m3 flood retention part of the Tuyen Quang reservoir should be emptied to be ready to retain flood flow from Gam River watershed. The designed spill way and 8 deep flush ways could enable a flow of 12,484 m3/sec., which equals to designed flood with 0.1% probability. At the end of flood season, in October, the reservoir has to retain water to normal water level of 120 m asl for electricity production and provision of water for agriculture in the downstream area. The use of the flood retention volume of 1 billion m3 in Tuyen Quang reservoir will contribute to the decrease of flood level at Tuyen Quang town from 2.53m to 2.72m (operating together with Hoa Binh reservoir on Da river) Flood occurence probability, 1 in 1000 1 in 500 1 in 200 Decrease of flood water level 2.72 2.64 2.53 in Tuyen Quang town, m

26 At the final meeting with EVN, the team was informed that a design for the road had been developed, but not yet approved. 27 / Feasibility Study report. Book 1. Meteorological and hydrological conditions, VN version, page 40. - 67 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

According to the feasibility study report, to meet the immediate flood control objective flood prevention capacity of Tuyen Quang reservoir should be arranged as in following description. In early June water level of Tuyen Quang reservoir should be maintained at 105.22 m asl (pre-flood level). When flood occurs and affects Tuyen Quang town, Tuyen Quang reservoir will be used to lower flood level, but not exceed 113.23 m asl (corresponding to retaining 5 million m3 of flood water). The remaining flood retention capacity of 500 million m3 of the reservoir will be used to regulate flood of downstream areas28. In case of especially high flood (probability less than 0.5%), it is possible to use all the efficient reservoir capacity of 1.6 billion m3 for flood retention. So from June to the end of September a drawdown layer of about 14.78 m will appear at Tuyen Quang reservoir bank.

Electricity supply 0,648 million m3 of the reservoir capacity will be reserved for power generation. Before the high flood occurs during the rainy season (June - October) it is necessary to clear all of the water stored during the last flood. This high flow creates condition for making full use of the installed electricity generator capacity of 342 MW. The guaranted power generation capacity is 81 MW. Average annual power generation is 1,295 billion MWh.

Irrigation and water supply The regulated flow from power plant in the dry season (December - April) is always higher than 105 m3/sec. According to existing flow record from 1956 to 1999, the minimal monthly average natural flow before the creation of water reservoir is about 96 m3/sec. So the flow from hydropower plant is higher than that of the natural dry season flow and could be used for supply water for autumn and winter agricultural crops by pumping stations installed along the river downstream of Tuyen Quang dam. During the 6 months of dry season (from beginning of December to end of May) Tuyen Quang hydropower plant increases the Gam River runoff at Na Hang downstream of the dam by at least 51.46 m3/sec. Water supply of Gam River, downstream of Na Hang town is thus improved29.

28 / PECC!. Feasibility Study Report Summary, page 8. 29 / Feasibility Study report, EIA part, Vietnamese version, page 7-9. - 68 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

5. Resettlement plan

5.1. Approach and development of plan30 There have been many studies on the Tuyen Quang hydropower project in Tuyen Quang province. Results of studies show that this project will bring great efforts on economic and other aspects such as regulated water for the basin area, increase of water volume in dry season, control flood. However, construction of this project will have impacts on 15 communes and 3 district of Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang and Bac Can provinces. These communes and districts will be totally or partly flooded. As a result, 3,194 households with 17,384 people will be displaced. This is an important negative impact to be managed during project implementation. Whether the project is feasible or not, is mostly dependent on the implementation of resettlement for these affected people. Most of them are ethnic minorities living on farming. However, the area of land suitable for agricultural cultivation in this area is small, thus upland cropping accounts for most of their agricultural activities. The living standard of local inhabitants is low, and, as a general principle, implementation of resettlement for these people must not only compensate them but also help in the overall development of their living standards in both spiritual and material terms. Host communities would also benefit through the development of infrastructure – roads, irrigation, schools, clinics etc. Thus, organizing resettlement for these affected people has been paid much concern by the Government and the authorities of Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang and Bac Can provinces and EVN, the Tuyen Quang project proposer. The resettlement study process is divided as follows: • The resettlement pre-feasibility study for Tuyen Quang hydropower project was prepared by the Power Engineering Consulting Company No 1 (PECC1) in 2001. • The feasibility study of resettlement was prepared by the National Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection. This study was divided into 3 Phases: Phase 1: Based on the result of pre-feasibility study, the National Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection conducted sites investigation (from 12th December to 30th December 2000) to formulate soil maps and resettlement plans for 24 communes affected by reservoir inundation. (Of which, Na Hang district: 7 communes; Chiem Hoa district: 15 communes; Ham Yen district: 2 communes). The result showed that: 24 investigated communes had not enough available land to receive all people to be resettled. Phase 2: In order to set the basis for the Government to approve the feasibility study of Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project, the Power Engineering and Consulting Company No 1 and Tuyen Quang People’s Committee had assigned the National Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection to formulate supplementary resettlement plan with the purpose of identifying resettlement sites for all displaced people within the province's territory. The National Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection had mobilized their staffs and coordinated with concerning agencies of Tuyen Quang province to carry out supplementary sites survey at 72 communes, some companies and forestry-farms of 6 districts (of which, Tuyen Quang province: 5 districts; Ha Giang province: 1 district) from 25th March 2001 to 30th April 2001. Phase 3: Implementing instruction of the National Appraisal Council and Vietnam Electricity Corporation, the National Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection carried out sites

30 More complete details of the resettlement polices and plans for the Na Hang Hydropower project are provided in Appendix 8. - 69 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report survey for losses and resettlement ability evaluation in Bac Me district - Ha Giang province (Minh Ngoc and Thuong Tan communes) and Ba Be district - Bac Can province (Nam Mau and Cong Bang communes). In addition one resettlement trial has been undertaken at Doi Binh commune, where 33 households from Xuan Tien commune have recently been resettled, together with infrastructure including an irrigation reservoir for 65 ha of paddy land, 3 km of inter-village road, 3 km of 35 kV power line, public wells and school classrooms and clinic. A second model is under construction at Phu Lam commune. These models are used both for developing the methods of resettlement, and as demonstrations for the people being resettled. Details of the compensation packages are provided in Appendix 5. It has been calculated that the average cost of resettlement for the Tuyen Quang Hydropower project will be 349 million VND per household, giving a total cost of 1,183,208 million VND. Thus, to formulate resettlement plan serving the feasibility study of Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project, the National Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection has conducted sites investigation at 98 communes of Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Bac Can province, and 7 companies, forestry-farms of Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang provinces. As a result, resettlement sites for all people to be moved from Tuyen Quang hydropower project have been identified. However, it is not yet defined which communities will move to where, and how and when the movement of people will be organized. These issues will be clarified in the master resettlement plan, which is now in preparation, but which will not be completed before July 2002. The detailed master plan could not therefore be used in the assessment of impacts upon biodiversity in the Na Hang Nature Reserve, although the general principles and broad movements of people are defined.

5.2. Number of people to be resettled

According to the surveyed data 2001 of the Power Engineering Consulting Company, it can be seen that under the design alternative of 120m elevation, inundated area of the 3 districts contains 3,194 households with 17,384 persons. Details are as follows:

• Tuyen Quang province: 01 district, 12 communes, 68 villages, 2934 households, and 15,793 people.

• Ha Giang province: 01 district, 02 communes, 08 villages, 211 households, and 1,300 people.

• Bac Can province: 01 district, 01 commune, 01 village, 49 households and 291 people.

Increases in this figure due to population growth depend on time and location of the resettlement following the progress of the main work’s construction. Up to 2005, number of resettlement households will reach 3390, increased by 196 households. The above- mentioned number is calculated based on general population plan of all districts and province. (See Appendix 5 (annex 1) for details). People living in the areas to be flooded consist of the Tay, Dao, Cao Lan and Kinh and Hmong. Among ethnic groups, the Tay account for 49%, the Dao account for 27% and the Kinh account for 16%, the rest including the Cao Lan and the Hmong make up a small percentage (8%). The ethnic minority people live in villages where everyone is closely related, and earn their living by cultivation on wet paddy or upland crop. In some areas, different people live together, but each of them has their own tradition and habit. This is extremely important feature, which need to be paid much attention during the process of resettlement.

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Table 8.1: Estimated people to be resettled by Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project

No Province, district Year 2001 Year 2005 communes Households Persons Households Persons Total 3194 17384 3390 18448 A Tuyen Quang 2934 15793 3110 16726 I Na Hang district 2934 15793 3110 16726 1 Na Hang town 112 490 116 506 2 Vinh Yen com 265 1252 276 1303 3 Son Phu com 175 842 189 911 4 Da Vi com 361 1942 379 2042 5 Yen Hoa com 159 882 169 935 6 Khau Tinh com 52 245 54 255 7 Trung Khanh com 473 2262 502 2400 8 Phuc Yen com 113 609 122 659 9 Khuon Ha com 44 280 46 291 10 Xuan Tien com 369 2008 390 2124 11 Xuan Tan com 395 2312 421 2460 12 Thuy Loa com 416 2669 445 2840 B Ha Giang pro 211 1300 226 1407 I Bac Me district 211 1300 226 1407 1 Thuong Tan com 90 568 95 615 2 Minh Ngoc com 121 732 131 792 C Bac Kac pro 49 291 53 315 I Ba Be district 49 291 53 315 1 Nam Mau com 49 291 53 315

5.3. Host communities The resettlement design process has come up with two alternatives (described in Appendix 5) for the host communities where the people are to be resettled. Comparison has taken into account issues such as the numbers of people that can be accommodated in each host commune – trying to move resettled villages together as far as possible, trying to reduce the numbers of people being moved to remote and isolated communes which would not ensure a better standard of living for the settlers, and infrastructure investment required. The resettlement criteria excludes those communes that have less than 450 m2/capita of agricultural land, less than 225 m2/capita of paddy, less than 226 kg food per capita/year, less than 15 households/commune. It is understood that Alternative 2 is preferred. The host communities cover 6 districts in the three affected provinces, as shown in Table 8.2. below

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Table 8.2: Ability of resettlement by alternatives

No Province, district commune Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Total 3386 3386 I Tuyen Quang province 3110 3110 1 Na Hang district 408 390 2 Chiem Hoa district 375 360 3 Ham Yen district 90 90 4 Son Duong district 360 350 5 Yen Son district 357 190 6 Forest enterprises 1520 1730 II Ha Giang province 222 222 1 Bac Me district 222 222 III Bac Can province 54 54 1 Ba Be district 54 54

(Source: Resettlement plan for Tuyen Quang hydropower project/ feasibility study) Details of the infrastructure investments required in each of the Districts are given in Appendix 5. These include upgrading of inter-commune and inter-village roads, irrigation works for both hosts and resettlers, electricity connectsions, public works constructions.

5.4. Compensation package

The eligible Project Affected Persons (PAPs) schemes in all different areas of the project including the Project Area, Downstream and Upstream Areas will be compensated for:31 • Houses or other fixed structures • Permanently or temporarily affected land (agricultural, garden, and residential) • Crops, trees or other assets. • Land compensation - based on land category and unit price on the basis of “land for land”. To ensure living standard of people, each resettled household at the resettlement sites will be compensated from 200 m2 to 400 m2 for housing, and 0.25 – 0.3 ha for land for cultivation (upland or wet land, dependent on land condition and oriented production of each locality). On average each person will be allocated 400-500 m2 of two-crop land. • Compensation for houses and architectural works - each resettled household will be given a new house with 35 – 90 m2 wide (depend on size of household) at the resettlement site – brick-built or on-silt house.

Beside compensation, the resettlers and the host people will be provided assistance for moving, stabilizing production, restoring living, moving their ancestor graves, their children’s education, healthcare, electricity use and occupational training…etc. • Assistance for moving: Household to be resettled within the province will receive 3 millions dong/each household. • Assistance for living - each resettled person will be subsidized in term of money equivalent to 30 kg rice/capita/month for a 36 month period. • Assistance for production: all resettled households will be assisted for production.

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• Assistance for special households: each household receiving funds under Government subsidized policy will be assisted 1 million dong. • Award: each household moving to the resettlement in time will be awarded 5 million dong. • Assistance for people not to be resettled: people affected by the project but not to be resettled will be assisted with an average amount of 30 million dong/household. • Assistance for the host: the host people in the resettlement site affected by land acquisition for resettlement will be assisted for production. Estimated cost is 10 million dong/household. • Other assistance: children’s education, healthcare, electricity use and occupational training. Estimation cost is 2 million/household.

The total estimate of the compensation package is 412,006 million VND, of which 278,287 million VND is for compensation and 133,719 million VND is for assistance. However, the above-mentioned compensation and assistance provisions are still being considered by EVN, Tuyen Quang Resettlement Management Board and other competence authorities in order to ensure the equality among project affected people.

5.5. Na Hang Nature Reserve and Ba Be related resettlement.

Regardless of two proposed alternatives of resettlement, there are 286 households resettled within the protected areas and buffer zones of Na Hang Nature Reserve. Of these it is proposed that:

• 54 households will be resettled in the core zone of Tat Ke (Khau Tinh commune) coming from within the commune of Khau Tinh,

• 232 households will be resettled in the area of the buffer zones (Con Lon, Nang Kha communes, and Na Hang Township).

• In Ba Be District of Bac Can Province, 49 households with a population of 291, from Ta Ken village in Nam Mau commune will be resettled in Cong Bang commune in the same Ba Be district.

The current situation of these resettlement sites within the protected areas and buffer zones is as follows:

Na Hang township: In Na Hang township no cultivated land will be flooded in term but 112 non-farm households of group 1 and group 18 will be resettled because of the construction activities. Those people are mostly cadres, workers or traders. Na Hang Township has capacity to accommodate 150 households within the area. Investment cost is estimated at 52,300 millions dong.

Khau Tinh commune: has capacity to accommodate 54 households from two flooded villages of Ban Lam 1 and Ban Lam 2 in Lung Luong and Lung Vai areas (of Con Lon commune) where there are 25 ha favorable for agricultural production. This now is an unused area, of which 20 ha can be exploited for wet rice cultivation if one irrigation dam with a capacity of 200,000 m3 is built. Under proposed resettlement plan, the following infrastructure works would be built:

• Construct 1 irrigation dam of a capacity of 200,00 m3 with an investment cost of 2,200 millions dong.

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• Upgrade 13 km of inter-communes road from Yen Hoa commune to Khau Tinh commune and 13 km of internal road from Khau Tinh Luong village to Tat Ke village with a total investment cost of 4,862 millions dong.

• Construct electricity supply networks including 13 km of 35 kv power line, 1 transformer station of 30 KVA, 1 km of 0.4 KV power line and household’s electric equipment with a total cost of 1868 millions dong

• Public building works built consist of 1 village’ office, 4 classrooms, 1 clinic with a total cost of 192 millions dong.

• 54 dug-wells for domestic use water supply with a cost of 432 millions dong. Total investment cost for resettlement is 9,554 billions dong. One issue raised on Khau Tinh resettlement site is that, the proposed area for resettlement of 54 households from Ban Lam 1 and Ban Lam 2 villages is also the site, which the district authority and Na Hang Nature Reserve Management Board proposed to resettle 44 households from Doi Mot/Tat Ke and Na Tap - two villages located in the Strictly Protected Area of Na Hang NR. However, the local authority would like to accept the resettlement of 54 households from Ban Lam 1 and Ban Lam 2 in order to take advantage of infrastructure improvements. This is an extremely important issue that should be addressed in the detailed EIA and resettlement plan.

Con Lon commune: there remain 36 ha of unused land in Lung Vai area that can be exploited for agricultural production. Water resources are abundant for agricultural production and living. Thus a proposal has been made to resettle 20 households from the reservoir area. Under proposed resettlement plan, the following infrastructure works will be built:

• Upgrade 4 km of internal road with a total investment cost of 920 millions dong.

• Construct electricity supply networks including 4 km of 35 KV power line, 1 transformer station of 30 KVA, 0.5 km of 0.4 KV power line and household’s electric equipment with a total cost of 680 millions dong

• Public building works built consist of 1 village’ office, 4 classrooms, 1 clinic station with a total cost of 90 millions dong.

• 20 dug-wells for daily use water supply with a cost of 160 millions dong. Total investment cost for resettlement is 1856 billions dong. Nang Kha commune: has ability to receive 100 households distributed in Nhung - Na Chao area (60 households) and Na Kha - Na Vai area (40 households. This is unused and fallow land which can be exploited 108 ha for agriculture, of which 25 ha for wet rice (two crop), 48.30 ha for single crop wet rice and 20 ha for upland crop and 20.70 ha for other annual crops. Water resources are abundant for production and daily use. Under the resettlement plan, it is needed to construct: • Expand and upgrade 1 km of inter village transportation path with a cost of 114 millions dong. • Construct 1 irrigation dam with a capacity of 300,000 m3 to supply water for 30 ha of wet rice (5 ha of the host). Total investment cost is of 3,300 millions dong. • Construct electricity supply networks including 1 transformer station of 30 KVA, 1 km of 0.4 KV power line and household’s electric equipment with a total cost of 400 millions dong. - 74 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

• Public architectural works built consist of 2 village offices, 4 classrooms, 2 clinics with a total cost of 256 millions dong. • 100 dug-wells for daily use water supply with a cost of 800 millions dong. Total investment cost for resettlement is 4,900 billions dong.

5.6. Overall Population Changes as a result of Resettlement After the resettlement process has been completed, the pattern of population distribution in Na Hang District will have changed significantly. There will be three processes affecting this: • The move of people from the rural areas into Na Hang town to take advantage of the employment opportunities offered by the dam and by the shops, workshops, restaurants, tourism services etc. that will be set up as a result of the dam. • Resettlement of people affected by the flooding of the area. Some communes will lose more than half of their population, others will have increased numbers as a result of people being resettled. • Natural population growth. The table below provides an estimate of the population in the different assessment zones (i.e. not necessarily communes). Table 8.3. Population changes as a result of dam construction, resettlement and natural growth Assessment Present Population Population after % of % change zone population during resettlement/ present construction completion of population dam 1. Na Hang 4762 10,762 – 10,000 211.0 +111 15,000 2. Khau Tinh 1798 1798 1908 106.1 +6.1 3. Thanh Tuong 1878 1878 1993 106.1 +6.1 (E) / Ban Bung 4. Thanh Tuong 1215 1215 1289 106.1 +6.1 (West) 5. Vinh Yen / Son 4367 4367 2273 52.05 -48.0 Phu 6. Xuan Lac 1732 1732 1955 112.9 +12.9 7. Da Vi 4855 4855 3091 63.7 -36.3 8. Ba Be 1733 1733 1592 91.9 -8.1 9. Con Lon 1878 1878 2110 112.4 +12.4 10. Duc Xuan / 3211 3211 1323 41.2 -58.8 Sinh Long 11. Thuong Lam 7475 7475 4874 65.2 -34.8 12. Nang Kha 4525 4525 5386 119.0 +19.0 Total 39,428 Up to 46,666 35,294 89.5 - 10.5 Note: Population change includes resettlement plus annual population growth rates to 2005. In addition to these population changes, the ethnic make up of the population will have changed to some extent as shown below.

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Table 8.4. The ethnic composition of the people left behind in each of the assessment zones after resettlement Unit: persons Ethnic 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total groups Na Khau Thanh Thanh Vinh Xuan Da Vi Ba Be Con DucXua Thuon Nang Yen nSinhLo g Hang Tinh Tuong Tuong Lac Lon Kha ng (E) (W) SonPh Lam u

Total 5053 1908 1993 1289 2273 1838 3091 1593 2110 1323 4874 5386 32730 Kinh 2009 140 510 78 185 45 200 15 0 0 0 751 3933 Tay 1595 850 1246 773 536 718 1723 690 1967 0 4606 4135 18839 Dao 94 415 220 433 1472 115 456 16 143 980 268 480 5092 Mong 19 503 0 0 0 865 507 860 0 343 0 0 3097 Cao 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 Lan Hoa 155 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 155 Others 1166 0 16 5 80 95 205 12 0 0 0 20 1599 (Sources: 1. The population and family planning board of Na Hang district 2. Operational plan for Ba Be National Park 3. The investment project to construct the extended Ba Be National Park)

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6. Induced activities

The completion of the dam and flooding of the reservoir will change the patterns of land and water use in Na Hang district significantly over the following few years. It is understood that the dam will fill up within one year’s rainfall. Thereafter the reservoir will stabilise over the next few years as conditions change and as the submerged vegetation degrades. Within five to ten years, it may be expected that conditions will be suitable for the development of both water-related tourism activities and fisheries. No plans have been produced so far for these developments, so we have not been able to base our preliminary environmental assessments on any facts. Nevertheless we provide below a general outline of typical developments.

6.1. Tourism Development Dams and reservoirs are impressive forms of infrastructure development that attract visitors in their own right. The Hoa Binh dam site organises tours of the generating hall and the dam and boat trips on the reservoir. It is currently being visited by about 40,000 people a year, about 10% of whom are international visitors. Local visitors may come for a day trip from Hanoi, which is only 70 km away. The dam and reservoir at Na Hang will become an important tourist attraction, even though it is more distant from Hanoi. Already the National Park at Ba Be attracts local and international visitors, who stay from one to several nights in the area. The principal attraction of Ba Be is the impressive natural lake system served by the classic “Ba Be Boat trip”, the bat colonies at Phuong Cave and the waterfall at Dau Dang. Local ethnic minority culture is an attraction and homestays are becoming more established. Table 9.1 shows the growth in visitor numbers at Ba Be. Table 9.1: Visitors to Ba Be National Park Visitors to 1998 % 1999 % 2000 % 2001 % Ba Be Domestic 10,200 85 12,600 87 c.80 c.80 International 1,800 15 1,952 13 c.20 c.20 Total 12,000 14,552 21,000 26,000 Growth % 0 121 175 217 since 1998 Annual % 0 21.3 44.3 23.8 growth rate Source: PARC project Ecotourism Development 2nd mission report and Nong The Dien (pers.com) Another factor encouraging development of tourism at Na Hang will be the presence of a significant number of people who will have moved to Na Hang town to provide services for the dam site and its workers. When the dam project is completed, many of these people will choose to stay on in the town and develop tourism services instead, including hotels, restaurants, boat trips, taxi services etc. Many of the facilities necessary for a successful tourism sector will already be in place for development. However, Na Hang will have lost its present main tourist attraction due to flooding by the dam. About 40% of the Thac Mo waterfall will be inundated – its most attractive lower part of the waterfall will be under water, together with the small restaurant and hotel facilities. About 4000 – 5000 visitors a year are reported to come here, mostly from within the province. The Eco-tourism specialist for the PARC project also identified a number of other potential visitor attractions in Na Hang, such as adventure trekking, village stay in minority villages, and specialised river-running on the Nang River gorge from Da Vi to Tat Ke. The latter would be another feature lost by the flooding of the river. - 77 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Na Hang will be able to combine many of the features of Hoa Binh and Ba Be, and because of the presence of the Nature Reserve is able to provide both magnificent scenery and high biodiversity. Boat trips up the lake in both directions could lead to increased access to some of the core areas, unless adequately protected. Trekking through the forest will be attractive to some sectors of the tourist population especially the international visitors and younger Vietnamese. The usual other tourist facilities such as picnic and camping sites, concrete walkways to viewing areas, and perhaps more exclusive hotels and resorts on the lakeshore are expected to develop. Many Vietnamese visitors to such areas have an expectation that they will be able to eat wild meat from the surrounding countryside in the restaurants. All of these may add additional pressure to the Na Hang Nature Reserve unless properly managed. There will also be a demand for linking the Ba Be National Park and Na Hang area as a tourist circuit. This will increase the need for a road between Da Vi and Na Hang town (with its associated environmental impacts), as well as providing the basis for a boat route from the base of the Dau Dang waterfall to Na Hang through the Nang river gorge, which is currently dangerous if not impassable, at certain seasons. It is difficult to estimate numbers of visitors that may come in the future, but based upon the figures for Hoa Binh and Ba Be and the rapid growth rates experienced in both local and international visitors to Vietnam, which is often in excess of 10% per annum, it would not be unreasonable to expect at least 50,000 visitors per year coming within 5 years of dam completion.

6.2. Fishery Development No work has yet been carried out for the development of the fishery in the reservoir created by the dam. However, the report on the ecological section of the environmental impact assessment of the feasibility study highlights some of the changes that will take place in the reservoir following impoundment. It identifies four phases: • Disturbed Phase – immediately after impoundment for about 10 years, divided into a high nutrition accumulation and nutrition reduction sub-phases • Stable Phase – the phase during the main operational life of the reservoir. • Eutrophication Phase – an over-nutritive period. • “Bogginess” Phase – the last period of reservoir life when the accumulated mud and sediments reach the dead water level. During the initial disturbed phase the fish compostion will be greatly changed. There will be a sharp reduction of flowing water fish species, and the number of fish eating phyto- and zooplankton will increase due to the increase in the nutritional status of the lake with the breakdown of terrestrial vegetation. The report states that during the first few years the natural fish species will dominate but that this will change if intensive fish farming activities are developed. In this case farmed fish such as carps, tench, Cirrhina molitorella will replace the natural species. The report calculates that with this reservoir, about 230.5 tonnes of fish can be expected per year giving a productivity of 39.8 kg/ha/year. This is high in comparison with other reservoirs in North Vietnam – Thac Ba 24 kg/ha/year, and Can Son 25 kg/ha/year. Basically fishery development on the lake can be expected to be either a capture fishery or cage fish farming, or both. Some cages have been established on the river at Na Hang. In the absence of any plans for the development of the fishery it is assumed that during the disturbed phase, caged fish culture will not be encouraged, because of the risks of unstable water conditions. There will be opportunities to take advantage of rapidly growing fish populations during the disturbed phase through a capture fishery. However, when the reservoir has stabilised, cage fish culture may be established.

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7. Development of impact scenarios

Because so few of the potential impacts are quantifiable, it is necessary to develop scenarios, which describe how the impacts may arise from certain activities and where possible to assess the risks associated with them. This section puts forward these scenarios against which the severity of the impacts in the different zones may assessed. The principal impacts upon biodiversity are grouped by type as identified in the initial scoping report.

7.1. Disturbance Disturbance of wildlife communities from the increased activity resulting from the dam construction, whether it comes in the form of noise or increased access by people can be a significant form of stress upon the populations particularly if they are sensitive species. The following changes in behaviour may result: • Avoidance of the most disturbed area – this has the effect of reducing the area of the habitat available to the species for both feeding and breeding. It is therefore important to consider the areas of influence of noise from blasting and construction and the corridors of influence on each side of roads, paths and areas of activity, e.g. the vegetation clearance; • Changes in feeding patterns – perhaps resulting in additional time and energy spent in foraging for food with subsequent loss of condition; • Increased susceptibility to predation as a result of stress and loss of condition • Changes in breeding patterns – delays, prevention or failure of breeding activity, reduction in the availability of food for juveniles. These stress-induced changes in behaviour may result in population changes – usually reductions and, at the extreme, complete loss of populations of particularly sensitive species. If the species lost are “keystone” species, i.e. important for key ecosystem functions such as pollination, then there will be a magnifying effect upon other plant and animal species in the area. The local fauna may become skewed, with some species disappearing with disturbance, and others becoming more abundant. Disturbance, usually accompanying expansion of agricultural activities in an area, reduces the biodiversity of an area considerably. As an example, a survey in Ba Be National Park revealed that a transect through primary forest yielded no less than 231 species of butterflies, those through mature secondary forest yielded 116 – 146 species, whereas transects through an area of active disturbance yielded only 65 species. (Vermeulen and Whitten 1999)

10.1.1 Noise – Blasting Blasting in the quarry and construction areas will consist of impulsive noise and vibration events, which will spread out from the point source of the quarry and/or construction site. Three quarry sites and one site for earth-fill are envisaged: • Quarry site 1 – from a limestone hill about 300 – 450 m high on the west bank of the river north of Na Hang, opposite Pac Ta mountain. • Quarry site 2 – presently operated quarry about 2km south of Na Hang town on the east side of the road to Chiem Hoa. This will provide the materials for road upgrading. At present blasting takes place two times per day with no more than 10 kg of explosive used at a time (information provided by quarry operators).

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• Quarry site 3 – from a range of limestone hills about 5 km from the present suspension bridge in Nang Kha commune The earth-fill for the dam is expected to come from a deposit of alluvial clay just north of the dam site on the west bank of the river. These sites are located on the map of the area (Figure 4.2) and on the site plan provided by EVN (Figure 4.3. The first two quarry sites will provide the bulk of the rock material for the dam and it is expected that significantly more explosive will be used than the present road quarry site. An estimated total of 8,300 tons of explosive will be used over the five-year construction period with 3,900 tons and 3,100 tons being used in the first two years, i.e. between 9 and 10 tons of explosive per day. There will be a special store for 130 tons of explosive located near the site office. The present noise conditions in the area can be described as normal for an isolated, mountainous rural area. No background noise measurements have been made, but it is unlikely to be above 55 dB32. Blasting creates an impulsive sound when the noise level may go from the background of say 50 dB to over 100 dB in less than a second – equivalent to a crack of thunder immediately overhead (as sometimes occurs in this region in the rainy season. The noise level from the blast will also depend upon the size of the charge, the depth into the rock in which it is placed and other blasting management measures taken. In general the spread of such noise is determined by topography, vegetation and climatic conditions, but as a rule of thumb the magnitude of the noise from blasting reduces by 6dB with a doubling in distance. Noise will tend to be channelled up the river valleys, and will be reduced by extensive forested areas. Assuming a level of 100 dB measured at 100 m from the blast site, the noise might be expected to have reduced to about 80 dB within 1 km, and to about 70 dB by about 3 km. Below this level the noise of blasting is unlikely to cause more than temporary alarm. Noise by itself does not really matter, but requires a “receptor” – human or animal to be disturbed. The degree of stress caused by the noise will differ with animal species and age of the individual as well as the time of day. Discussions with the staff of the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre, indicated that the primates in captivity there can be disturbed by traffic noise (especially air horns) and by blasting near the village some 3 kms away (Nadler, pers com). We propose to assess the impacts based upon the proximity of the source of noise to sensitive areas using 3 kms as the maximum distance of disturbance, the magnitude of the noise, and the frequency with which blasting will be carried out – during the first two years of the project, this may be as high as two blasting events per hour. Another aspect of blasting activity is vibration. In karst limestone areas there are many caves, which may contain unique forms of life, some as yet unknown – bats, fish, molluscs. Blasting causes vibrations and shock waves that can cause stalagmites and stalactites to break off and cave roofs to collapse. Such cracks may alter the environmental conditions in the cave so that cave communities are displaced or killed. Light may enter the cave, streams or pools may be drained. Vermeulen and Whitten (1999) suggest that vibrations can affect cave communities, especially roosting bats, up to 1,500 m away from the quarry sites. 33 It is not known what caves and cave communities exist within a 1,500 m radius of the three dam sites.

32 dB = Decibel, the measure of noise 33 There is also a precedent in dam construction; blasting for the rehabilitation of the Shongweni dam in South Africa was delayed to avoid the risk of activity-related starvation during the breeding season of an important colony of Temminck’s Hairy Bat breeding in the by-wash tunnel of the dam (WCD, 2000) - 80 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

10.1.2 Noise – Construction and Traffic During the construction period, the general level of noise in the area of Na Hang will increase considerably. The noise will be derived from the following sources: • Earth moving equipment at the dam site itself, and earth-fill sites and quarries • Construction traffic along both the east and west banks of the river • Movement of heavy trucks bringing sand and other materials from Chiem Hoa along the newly upgraded road. It is anticipated that there will be about 190 such truck movements along this road (both directions) each day during the peak construction period. • General increase in traffic in the urban area. At the dam site and quarry sites it is expected that the general sound levels may rise as high as 80 – 90 dB (excluding blasting). What is important from a worker’s hearing is the average sound levels experienced by the hour or over the working day – as measured for example by the LAeq and the daily personal noise exposure. Similar high levels may be experienced, though less frequently in the urban area and along the roads from the south and from the west (i.e. from the quarry no. 2 in Nang Kha) However, what is important from a biodiversity point of view is the width of the noise corridor that will disturb wildlife. The noise levels from a non-point source, such as traffic moving along a road will reduce at a rate of 3dB for every doubling of distance. Thus if the noise of road traffic movements is 90 dB at 30 m, this will have reduced to about 75 dB within 1 km. This noise will be attenuated by dense vegetation, but will be less attenuated on the slopes above the roads in comparison to the slopes down to the river below. Whilst animals undoubtedly do get used to such noise levels, they will tend to avoid areas adjacent to roads, and we would propose to use a disturbance corridor of at least 1 km on each side of the road. The backside of the slopes away from the road (if within 1 km) would not be affected.

10.1.3 Changed Accessibility There are several aspects to be considered under the disturbance caused by people entering and moving around in areas occupied by wildlife. These may be identified as: • Sensitivity of the wildlife in the zone to disturbance by people – the present core zones of the Nature Reserve or National Park will be the most sensitive, the lower lying areas exposed to people more, will be less sensitive. • Changes in the numbers and type of people accessing the area and their purpose. • Distance from centres of habitation, and difficulty of movement through forest or up slopes • Increased accessibility as roads are built through an area, or after the creation of the reservoir. During the different phases of the project, there will be different people accessing the area. • During the construction phase, there will an additional 6,000 workers (and some figures quote 8,500 including technical and support staff) based at Na Hang plus some families and people moving into the area opportunistically to take advantage of the economic “boom” in Na Hang. It is possible that the population of Na Hang town (at the last census, 4,762 persons) may reach as many as 15,000 people at the height of the boom. Many of these will venture into the forested areas at some stage, either for leisure or for increasing their income through hunting and collection of NTFP etc.

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• During the clearance of vegetation in the areas below 120 m to be flooded, there will be a temporary influx of forest contractors moving throughout the area, which will increase disturbance and access above this level. • After resettlement of the people in the villages to be flooded, there will be an overall reduction in the numbers of people in the Nature Reserve and the surrounding areas. At present the total population of the zones being considered by this study is 39,428. After resettlement, and allowing for natural population growth, the total population is expected to be 32,847. The extent of this change will vary according to the zone as shown in Table 10.1. These local people will wish to go about their business in the usual way, following paths into the forested areas for collection of firewood and NTFP and for access to agricultural land and villages. Table 10.1. Population changes as a result of dam construction, resettlement and natural growth Note: Population change includes resettlement plus annual population growth rates to 2005. Assessment Present Population Population after % of % zone population during resettlement/ present change construction completion of population dam 1. Na Hang 4762 10,762 – c. 10,000 211.0 +110 15,000 2. Khau Tinh 1798 1798 1908 106.1 +6.1 3. Thanh 1878 1878 1993 106.1 +6.1 Tuong (E) / Ban Bung 4. Thanh 1215 1215 1289 106.1 +6.1 Tuong (West) 5. Vinh Yen / 4367 4367 2273 52.05 -48.0 Son Phu 6. Xuan Lac 1732 1732 1955 112.9 +12.9 7. Da Vi 4855 4855 3091 63.7 -36.3 8. Ba Be 1733 1733 1592 91.9 -8.1 9. Con Lon 1878 1878 2110 112.4 +12.4 10. Duc Xuan 3211 3211 1323 41.2 -58.8 / Sinh Long 11. Thuong 7475 7475 4874 65.2 -34.8 Lam 12. Nang Kha 4525 4525 5386 119.0 +19.0 Total 39,428 Up to 46,666 35,294 89.5 - 10.5

• After the dam is built and the reservoir created, it is anticipated that a significant proportion of the workers and their families will stay on in Na Hang and find other employment e.g. in the tourism business. Assuming that one third of these people stay on, the likely population of Na Hang will be at least 7,000. • With the creation of the reservoir, there will be increased numbers of visitors, either bona fide tourists (both national and international) and visitors from urban areas wishing to take advantage of the increased access for hunting and illegal collection of NTFP. We have assumed that within five years of completion of the dam visitor numbers (i.e. 2012) will have risen to about 50,000, with a similar percentage of international visitors as Ba Be. (see section 7.1.)

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These visitors will be wishing to experience the dam itself, the reservoir and the resources of the Nature Reserve. At least some of them will be wishing to access the forested areas in the buffer zones and possibly the core zones. The illegal hunters and collectors will be wishing to access those areas that are richest in wildlife and forest resources. After the dam is built, there will be another significant disturbance caused by the construction of the connecting road between Na Hang and Da Vi, because the lower lying sections of the existing road through Vinh Yen and Son Phu will be flooded. The exact route for this has not yet been planned, but inevitably it will follow contours around the new reservoir and may run through forested areas adjacent to the Ban Bung core zone of the nature reserve. It is expected to cross the remaining section of the Nang River just below the waterfall at Dau Dan, on the edge of the Ba Be National Park. New road construction and upgrading of the remaining portions of the old road will allow increased access and disturbance by activities such as illegal logging and hunting. In assessing the disturbance caused by access of people into wildlife sensitive zones, we have assumed that a corridor of 500 m on either side of a footpath through the forest would be more or less disturbed depending upon the frequency of persons moving up or down the path. With the reservoir water level at 120 m access into the core areas of the Nature Reserve will be made easier. Not only will people be able to take an easy boat ride to almost any location around the Khau Tinh “peninsular”, but their climb up the cliffs will be reduced, by about 60 m. In any case it is to be expected that the cliffs all the way round the peninsular will be more or less disturbed. Table 10.2 summarises these aspects of access:

Table 10.2. Disturbance caused by different types of people Phase of Type of person Purpose for increased Zones affected Area project access Dam Construction Leisure, and boosting Area around Na Throughout construction workers, increase food sources and income Hang town, Nang population of Na through hunting and Kha, off road to Hang town, 3 - 4 x NTFP collection Chiem Hoa, Tat Ke present population Vegetation Forest contractors Temporary access for All flooded areas 500 m above the clearance and workforce clearance and possible 120 m asl cleared illegal logging above 120 area m After Local people, Access to villages and All areas 500 m on each Resettlemen reduced numbers agricultural land, side of path t overall, (39,428 to collection of NTFP 32,847) Reservoir Urban visitors Illegal hunting and Areas rich in wildlife Throughout creation (unknown numbers) collection of forest and forest products products Tourism Domestic and Sightseeing, camping, Reservoir, Nature Reservoir shores, development international visitors forest walks, boating, Reserve and buffer plus 500 m increase rapidly – eco-tourism zones above. 500 m on 50,000 in five years each side of trekking paths New road Road workers, Road construction after Vinh Yen, Son Phu 1 km on either between Na flooding possibly affecting side of new road Villagers. Hang and access to Ban Bung Da Vi / Ba and Ba Be Be

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7.2. Habitat Loss, Change and Fragmentation Habitat loss and fragmentation is one of the most direct effects of the dam and the reservoir that is created. However, habitats may also be lost as a result of the induced activities, both legal and illegal. This section describes some of these impacts and the implications for biodiversity. If habitats are lost or changed, some of the following impacts upon biodiversity may result: • Loss of area available for species for feeding and breeding, with similar implications as for disturbance • Direct loss of some species that are only found in the habitats lost. Certain plant and animal species are restricted to areas with specific ecological conditions, which can not be recreated. • Flooding will change the aquatic habitat conditions from river to a lake with loss of those fish and invertebrate fauna dependent upon flowing water conditions • Habitat change as a result of increased humidity in the area of the dam Habitat fragmentation may occur as a result of: • A stream or river being widened into the reservoir which then becomes impassable to many species; • A road or path cutting through an area of habitat increasing disturbance and breaking it into smaller areas. The implications of habitat fragmentation are that the area available for species is smaller, and that they may be cut off from key resources for both feeding and breeding. It has been considered for example, that for a viable population to survive, the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey requires a minimum unfragmented area of close canopy forest of 10.0 sq. km. and in order to ensure this and to prevent the process of habitat fragmentation a total exclusion zone of 10,000 ha (100 sq km) is required (PARC project, Preliminary Biodiversity Conservation Report - Tonkin snub-nosed monkey Conservation Parameter Needs). The present populations of Tonkin monkey have been surviving in these isolated pockets of Khau Tinh and Ban Bung, where they may still have this area of continguous forest. Habitat fragmentation is important because of impacts upon social behaviour and genetic isolation. If a small population of any species remains isolated for too long, inbreeding can cause genetic defects that put the viability and survival of the species in that locality at risk. If the population becomes too small then regular patterns of behaviour break down and the social structure of the population collapses, also leading to risk of extirpation in the area. The activities described below will cause habitat loss, change and fragmentation.

10.2.1. Extent of direct terrestrial habitat loss The overall losses of terrestrial habitat as a result of the dam are shown in Table 10.3 for each of the assessment zones. The habitats of most concern to biodiversity conservation are: • Mature Evergreen forest • Mature Bamboo forest • Mature mixed deciduous forest of different degrees of canopy cover The areas where these are most pristine tend to be where the forest is least accessible, in particular the straight sides of the narrow river valleys of the Gam and Nang Rivers and the small stream which joins the Gam River at Bac Vang. The calculation of horizontal land area lost, as measured from the contours on the map is misleading from a biodiversity point of view. In fact, much of the land is steeply sloped, so - 84 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report that the surface area of sloping land inundated may be between 1.5 to more than 2 times the horizontal land area depending upon the angle of the slope. The biodiversity richness and possibly the biomass of the sloping land will be higher than the equivalent flat land, although the productivity of the flat land tends to be higher because of the better soils. Biodiversity of the slopes is particularly rich in limestone areas, because of the opportunity for many different niches and microhabitats with height up the slope. We will assess the loss of terrestrial habitats both on the flat and sloping areas in each of the assessment zones. As an example, at the top of the Nang River gorge (where the present water height is 100 m asl) the slope is very steep (>60o), for every 100 m of gorge inundated or about 1,400 sq m, there would be 2,400 sq m of sloping land lost, or an additional 70%. Over the 7 kms of gorge with the bottom end at 80 m asl, this would mean the loss on the map of about 14 ha of land on one side, compared with a real surface area loss of 25 ha. It should also be pointed out that such calculations do not apply to the agricultural land flooded since this is flat, but only to the forested land. In addition to the flooded zones there will be losses of terrestrial habitat due to the quarry sites. The smaller site on the road to Chiem Hoa is already in existence, so there will be little additional damage at this site, but the two new quarries will be in secondary forest areas on the west bank of the River Gam and in Nang Kha commune. The area shown on site plans for Quarry site 1 is about 250 x 600 m of the top of a hill 350 – 450 m asl, i.e. about 15 ha. The second site may be of similar size in part of a range of hills with secondary forest in Nang Kha. As recommended by Vermeulen and Whitten (2000) neither of these sites are isolated tower karst hills and, as such, there is a lower risk to biodiversity, although the immediate area around the quarry site will be destroyed, and caves within 1500 m may be affected.

10.2.2. Land Clearance and illegal logging Prior to flooding, it is proposed to clear much of the vegetation from the existing riverbanks up to 120 m. It is expected that the Forest Protection Department will supervise this activity, which will be undertaken by forest contractors. A survey of the economic and other tree species is being undertaken, but the results are not yet available. The principle objectives of this exercise are to: • Recover any economic trees • Remove vegetation in order to reduce the organic load of degradable material, so that water quality deterioration immediately after flooding is reduced. • Reducing the risks of floating debris blocking the outlets and power generation equipment • Improving access for boat transport and fishing, and reducing the risks of snagging fish nets on submerged vegetation. The methods and extent of carrying out vegetation clearance have not yet been detailed, but the following contract guidance should be observed: • Strict packaging of the land areas/plots to be cleared, with rules and regulations about what tasks are to be undertaken • Clear demarcation of the 120 m line. Severe penalties for illegal logging above the 120 m line should be set out and enforced. • Timing and phasing of clearance, one plot must be completed before moving on to the next plot • Identification of the sizes and types of vegetation to be removed, • Rules on methods for burning the cut vegetation • Roles and responsibilities of the supervising forest department staff.

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Table 10.3. Areas of landuse / vegetation cover compared with land uses lost because of inundation

Total Land cover area compared with Land cover area lost because of inundation (from GIS data) Land cover area (ha) within separated assessment zones 1. Na 3. Thanh 4. Thanh 5. Vinh 10. Duc 11. No Land cover type 2. Khau 6. Xuan 9. Con 12. Nang Grand Hang Tuong Tuong Yen - Son 7. Da Vi 8. Ba Be Xuan - Thuong Tinh Lac Lon Kha Total town east/ Ban (west) Phu Sinh Long Lam - (1a) Mature Evergreen Forest - Rõng giµ th−êng 1 xanh 755.83 225.26 282.62 512.17 1775.88 Lost due to dam 15.67 15.67 % Loss due to dam 0 6.96 0.00 0.00 0.88 (2a) Mature Bamboo Forest 2 - Rõng tre nøa giµ 335.95 2225.47 466.62 268.85 143.36 3440.25 Lost due to dam 124.5 7.25 131.75 % Loss due to dam 37.06 0.00 0.00 2.70 0.00 3.83 (3a) Mature Mixed Forest, Closed Canopy - Rõng giµ 3 hçn t¹p, t¸n dµy 334.97 157.52 679.67 748.21 1984.95 1561.43 1.6 31.74 1403.91 5199.87 4946.18 1.61 17051.66 Lost due to dam 22.83 40.28 0.68 6.43 131.04 201.26 % Loss due to dam 0.0014.490.000.002.030.000.002.140.000.122.650.001.18 (3b) Mixed Forest, Medium Canopy - Rõng 4 giµ hçn t¹p, t¸n trung b×nh 1.57 2812.2 2494.38 2275.76 2985.46 139.64 535.63 28.19 206.85 4205.39 1464.98 2880.85 20030.9 Lost due to dam 84.17 68.07 6.34 1.26 65.1 117.13 342.07 % Loss due to dam 0.00 2.99 0.00 0.00 2.28 0.00 1.18 0.00 0.61 1.55 8.00 0.00 1.71 (3c) Mixed Forest, Open Canopy - Rõng giµ hçn t¹p, 5 t¸n th−a 2.52 1295.4 459.26 1155.01 815.32 18.06 47.31 57.88 621.43 649.8 5121.99 Lost due to dam 53.08 0.3 21.63 6.54 81.55 % Loss due to dam 0.00 4.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.63 37.37 1.05 0.00 1.59 (4a) Bamboo Tree 6 Plantations - Rõng thuÇn 53.63 53.63 (4b) Other tree Plantations - 7 C©y trång kh¸c 322.72 0 2.55 1790.1 29.8 377.46 3.25 2525.88 Lost due to dam 1.64 0 427.01 1.72 18.08 448.45 % Loss due to dam 0.51 0.00 23.85 5.77 4.79 0.00 17.75 (5a) Shrub or Regeneration Forest - C©y bôi hoÆc rõng 8 t¸i sinh 1230.93 2510.59 1449.86 563.26 3679.21 1611.95 4607.95 477.88 1610.61 4301.71 6581.02 3061.3 31686.27 Lost due to dam 108.28 164.29 182.77 167.06 3.92 434.34 1091.55 2152.21 % Loss due to dam 8.80 6.54 0.00 0.00 4.97 0.00 3.63 0.82 0.00 10.10 16.59 0.00 6.79 (5b) Mosaic Shrub, Cultivation and Grass Land 9 - C©y bôi lÉn víi ®Êt canh 74.18 37.46 10.44 211.34 3631.43 545.74 112.36 2.04 722.01 297.25 58.25 5702.5 Lost due to dam 5.98 4.06 9.11 98.33 52.78 170.26 % Loss due to dam 8.06 0.00 0.00 1.92 0.00 1.67 0.00 0.00 13.62 17.76 0.00 2.99 (6a) Lowland Crops - §Êt 10 trång ë vïng thÊp 173.45 280.79 460.39 26.48 398.7 249.7 497.55 50.57 246.37 150.98 1446.74 830.49 4812.21 Lost due to dam 1.49 59.61 175.17 163.7 5.47 130.42 534.79 1070.65 % Loss due to dam 0.86 21.23 0.00 0.00 43.94 0.00 32.90 10.82 0.00 86.38 36.97 0.00 22.25 (6b) Upland Crops - §Êt 11 trång ë vïng cao 42.23 9.15 114.55 101.4 186.91 685.92 104.33 96.43 269.14 9.9 10.05 1630.01 Lost due to dam 0.24 0.31 6.94 0.15 1.39 9.03 % Loss due to dam 0.57 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 6.65 0.00 0.06 14.04 0.00 0.55 (8a) Bare Soil or Rock - 12 §Êt trèng hoÆc ®¸ 12.58 1.11 13.69 Lost due to dam % Loss due to dam 0.00 0.00 0.00

The risks associated with this activity are principally those of illegal logging above the 120m line and the risks of forest fire. The examples of habitat destruction due to logging, removal of economically valuable tree species, are evident throughout the area, and considerable areas of secondary forest are recovering from the commercial forest activities up until the late 1980s. If illegal logging occurs in these recovery zones and in the core zones of the Nature Reserve, there could be considerable loss or degradation of habitat. In assessing this risk, we will consider the existing forest resources in the different zones and the extent to which vegetation clearance will be required. Once the reservoir is filled access to these forests will be easier, and there may still be some illegal logging pressure, but because there will be no legitimate reason for tree cutting activities (in comparison to the vegetation clearance phase when the contractors will be working on the lower slopes), such activities should be easier to spot and control. - 86 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Burning of the cut vegetation also presents a clear risk. Limestone areas tend to retain little groundwater and the vegetation tends to dry out seasonally. Fires started by the clearance contractors on the lower slopes could sweep up the cliff faces and consume vegetation at the top of the hill. If large areas of limestone hills are burnt, the organic soil layer may be burnt and since it is no longer held in place by roots etc. will be washed away in subsequent rains. All the above ground animal communities will suffer and it may leave large areas permanently barren. Vermeulen and Whitten (2000) state that in some places such as northern Vietnam, the original forest is often replaced by grasses. Without the protection of a tree canopy, the damp, dark conditions at the base of the hills will be lost, together with most of the endemic species of animals and plants. Higher up the hill, most soil occurs in rock crevices and may escape being burnt, but subsequent exposure to the sun, will render these pockets inhospitable to much of the original fauna. The risk of bush fires during the vegetation clearance must be considered to be high, and we will base our assessment on the extent of the clearance and sensitivity of the zone in question.

10.2.3. Flooding – changes in aquatic habitats In the aquatic habitats the changes are extreme. The following changes are expected: • Previously low-lying land will be inundated. The present water height at Na Hang is about 57 m above sea level. The total area of inundation up to the 120 m asl line is expected to be 6,147.07 ha. 1,435 ha will be within the Nature Reserve ( Khau Tinh and Vinh Yen/Son Phu assessment zones, of which 416 ha consist of the different categories of forest identified from satellite imagery. • The aquatic habitat for about 50 km up the Gam river and for about 30 km up the Nang River will be converted from fast-moving mountain riverine habitat with relatively high loads of sediment, to a virtually stationary lake environment, from which much of the sediment will settle to the bottom of the reservoir. • The lake will be very long and narrow and up to 60 m deep, except in certain areas where it may widen to over 1 km, and this configuration has implications for the type of lacustrine habitat that will be created. • In order to maintain electricity generation, the level of the water in the reservoir should not fall below 90 m asl, and will normally not be allowed below 100 m asl. There will thus be a 20 m draw down, leaving a barren mark at low water levels in which virtually no higher aquatic plants will survive. • During the construction phase of the dam, the river water quality downstream will be impaired by the release of sediments from the dam and road building sites, and possibly by occasional release of pollutants such as fresh concrete, oils and chemicals from machinery maintenance. This will lead to a reduction in water quality in the downstream sections. We are informed that wastewaters from the residential areas of the construction workers will be disposed of through septic tanks and so should not cause significant water pollution. (Vu Duc Thin, pers.com) • Downstream of the dam, the river will be more regulated. Dry season flows will tend to be slightly higher than average flows at present, and the peaks of the wet season flows will be removed. The river will also have a lower sediment load, which may mean that it will tend to erode the banks downstream. The higher flow regimes in the dry season imply that opportunistic recession cultivation in the flood plain will be slightly reduced. The implications of these changes for the fish populations may be very significant. Upstream the changes will be most apparent. The reduced flow patterns will mean that less food for the fish is washed past them, and they will have to rely upon food in the benthos at the bottom of the reservoir. The light penetration to the bottom rocks will be reduced because the reservoir is much deeper than the present river. Thus there will be less epiphytic algae and vegetation available for grazing fish.

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At the beginning of the inundation there will be large quantities of decaying vegetation that will release nutrients into the reservoir water. During the first few years after inundation there will be phytoplankton and zooplankton blooms, which will provide large quantities of food for fish that can use this. The decay of vegetation at the bottom of the reservoir will also increase food availability for the food chain for bottom-feeding fish. However, the World Commission on Dams has noted that decaying vegetation can give rise to release of methyl mercury from the soils, which can then find its way into fish flesh, and hence into the human food chain. It is not known what the mercury content of the soils in the Na Hang area is, but the presence of small quantities of gold may indicate that there is also mercury bound up in the soils. This should be investigated. (WCD, 2000) In terms of breeding sites for fish, the inundation will mean that the present rapids, rock pools and riffles, where fish often like to breed because of the high oxygen content of the water in such places, will be lost and no longer be available for fish breeding. This not only affects the riverine species, but also the fish that move into such areas specifically to breed. Simlarly there will be a loss of breeding sites in the small streams, which feed into the Gam and Nang Rivers and caves. It is likely therefore that the upstream fish population composition will change so that populations of bottom feeders, plankton feeders and carnivores will increase, often dramatically at first with the abundance of food. However, the populations of insectivores and molluscivores, and the grazers of algae on the rocks will decrease. Warren (1999) in a study of the post-impoundment changes in the fish populations of the Nam Theun – Hinboun Hydro-scheme in Lao PDR. notes that riverine species of fish appeared noticeably out of condition several months after impoundment, and this eventually led to the loss of these species from the reservoir. He identified the impacts upon the fish populations from: • The blocking of upstream wet-season migration • The submerging of rapids and the alteration in aquatic environmental conditions in the head pond area • The temporary reduction in water quality in the head pond • The quantity of dry-season minimum by-pass flows released past the dam • The nutrient trap effect of the head pond • The increased dry-season flows in the Hinboun and its associated increased sediment load • Migratory disorientation in the Nam Hai River. Other potential impacts were identified as the introduction of exotic species, overfishing by conventional and destructive fishing methods (e.g. fish bombing) and damage to the downstream riverine ecosystem by sediment flushing. In terms of the changes in fish biodiversity, it is expected that the fish population in the reservoir will stabilise and, without exotic introductions (which should be banned), the population will assume the character of the fish species composition in Ba Be lake. Thus it may be expected that there will be reduction in the total number of species from 110 species to about 76 species, of which 11 will be new species to this stretch of the river/lake. However, there may be partial loss of the populations of 48 riverine species found at Bac Me and Na Hang. The species most at risk of extirpation from this area are those that have been found exclusively at Na Hang. There are 37 species of those found exclusively at Na Hang. Whilst it is possible that some of these species will move upstream, when they find their habitat changing, others that do not find their habitat requirements met by upstream conditions will certainly die out. In any case the overall fish biomass of these species will decrease because of the reduction in habitat available to them.

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Of these fish species that are most threatened from the dam, because they are not suited to lacustine conditions and have not been found farther upstream, four are on the Vietnamese Red List of Vulnerable species. They include C¸ anh vò, Semilabeo notabilis (but not the closely related S. obscurus, whch is also found at Bac Me), C¸ Chµy ®Êt, Spinibarbus caldwelli, C¸ Ngh¹nh, Cranogranis sinensis, and C¸ l¨ng, Hemibagrus elongatus. It is highly likely that these fish would be extirpated from the Gam River upstream of the dam. They may also be lost downstream if migration to rapids and streams for breeding is blocked. Those fish living downstream of the dam will also suffer during the construction period from increased sediment and pollution in the water from construction activities. After the dam has been built, upstream movement will be prevented and they will be impacted upon by sediment flushes from the reservoir.

10.2.4. Roads & Power Lines Associated infrastructure required for construction of the dam includes: • Upgrading of the 35 kV power line to Na Hang to 110 kV. This will follow the existing route of the power line and so should not involve significant additional damage to the environment34 • Widening of the road from Chiem Hoa to Na Hang – a total of 42 km. The present asphalt road is 4.5 m wide and will be widened to 7 m in order to take the construction traffic carrying sand from the Gam-Lo river near Chiem Hoa. It is anticipated that some rationalisation of the road by straightening of corners will be undertaken. This will involve a minimum land take of 15 ha, and will require some significant areas of cut into the hillside, and fill on the down side of the road. The road will run for about 10 km through the Thanh Tuong commune section of the Nature Reserve. • Widening and paving of the laterite road between the Na Hang suspension bridge and the Nang Kha quarry to take heavy trucks carrying rocks from the quarry to the dam site. This road is about 5 km long and would involve a new section of about 1 km of road construction from the existing road to the quarry site. • Replacement of the flooded sections of the road from Na Hang to Da Vi. No route is yet designed for this road but is assumed that it would follow the shoreline of the reservoir to Son Phu and then connect with the existing road across the hills towards Da Vi through the villages of Ban Da, Ban Lan, Ban Luc and Ban Piay. It would then follow the shoreline of the reservoir eastwards to a new bridge crossing just below the Dau Dang waterfall. This will be a significant infrastructure project, even if it is only a laterite road and the choice of route will be critical for minimising habitat loss and habitat fragmentation as well as the impacts of disturbance during construction.35 • New 220 kva power line from the Tuyen Quang dam site to the south west towards Chiem Hoa. No decision has yet been taken on the route for this power line, but it has the potential for significant habitat loss and fragmentation. Such power lines typically require a cutline of about 30 – 50 m along the route. The length of the direct route, following the alignment of the existing road along the river, may be 30 km. and would involve a loss of at least 90 ha. of more or less forested land. About 10 km of this would run through Thanh Tuong commune section of the Nature Reserve. Careful routing will

34 This information was provided by Mr. Pham Huy Hoach in discussions with the team on 18 May 2002. The FS Report, Book 5 on Construction Organisation, mentions that the new power line from Chiem Hoa to Na Hang providing electricity for the construction camp is 35 kV, taking electricity from the 110/35/6 kV station at Chiem Hoa. 35 During the final meeting with EVN, it was disclosed that there are initial plans for this replacement road. No decisions should be taken on this route without consultation with Forestry Protection Department and Na Hang Nature Reserve and Ba Be National Park. - 89 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

be needed to minimise the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation in this section, as well as the visual impact. Avoidance of skylines is important in reducing visual impacts.

10.2.5. Tourism development and trekking paths The development of tourism in the area after the construction is finished may require the construction of concrete access paths to particular viewing points and campsites etc. and the identification of trekking paths. Again no routes have been planned, so it is impossible to give more than general guidance about tourism site selection and access routes and trekking paths. The latter are perhaps more disturbing to the sensitive fauna, because they will increase the access into previously undisturbed areas. Existing paths linking the villages (e.g. Tat Ke, Doi Moi, Na Trang etc. in Khau Tinh) may be considered for development as trekking routes, and we will assess the potential impacts upon biodiversity of these paths, based upon the criterion of disturbance of 500 m on each side of the path. Trekking at present is an activity preferred by the international visitors, though this activity may come to be enjoyed amongst the Vietnamese visitors in the future. However, based upon a figure of say 5,000 international visitors per year, mostly arriving during the dry season, of which 50% may wish to take a one or two day trek into the forest. It is possible that there will be a demand for 100 visitors trekking per week during the dry season.

7.3. Direct Mortality A number of the induced impacts of the dam will have a more direct influence upon the populations of flora and fauna than habitat loss and disturbance. Direct mortality of individuals may not be important at a population or overall biodiversity level, providing that the populations are able to withstand the continual offtake. However, if they cannot sustain these losses over a longer period, then the overall population is at risk and in the case of particular endemic species this may mean total loss. Thus certain activities induced by the dam project may give rise to local extinctions and a reduction the overall biodiversity of the area. In all cases exploitation of the natural products will give rise to disturbance, so even if the animal is not killed, it will still be disturbed and be increasingly wary of any humans.

10.2.6. Hunting and the demand for bushmeat The demand for bushmeat is high in Vietnam, and hunting in the forest with home-made guns, traps and dogs is the principal source of supply. According to a study carried out in Na Hang and Ba Be in 1997 (Pham Binh Quyen & Truong Quang Hoc), wildlife hunting has been practiced for a long time especially by the people in the area, especially the H’mong ethnic group, who are skilled hunters. The target animals for food, traditional medicine and sale are usually pig, tiger, leopard, bear, deer, monkey, varran, freshwater turtles and tortoises. For a long time the numbers of these animals have been reducing dramatically. Records of infringements of the regulations from Ba Be National Park show that incidences of hunting persist. The table below shows some facts, which must be considered as only a small proportion of undetected hunting, although the efforts to control hunting by Park and Nature reserve authorities have been effective as shown by the increase in numbers of incidents. We will consider the impacts of the dam upon hunting in and around the Nature Reserve by a qualitative assessment of the changes to supply and demand. The table below highlights some of the pressures upon supply and demand for bushmeat.

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Table 10.4. Forest regulation infringements in Ba Be National Park

Details 1997 1998 1999 2000 200 1 Violation of cultivation 67 48 40 17 42 Extraction of forest products 17 41 13 34 89 Transportation of forest products 32 68 68 110 121 Wildlife hunting 3 2 5 12 Encroachment for cultivation and inhabitation 15 3 1 of which: 35 Self made hunting weapons, number Kg of wildlife 115 61 57 55 90 Volume of wood cu.m. 5.4 4.11 6.12 3.97 3.6 Forest products kg 115 797 201 1225 726 (Source: Ba Be National Park records)

Table 10.5. Supply and demand factors for bushmeat

Demand for bush meat Supply of bushmeat Constraining factors Influx of construction workers Villagers are asked to Gun confiscation programme and others increases the provide bushmeat to meet has removed 400 guns in Ba population of Na Hang town the demand Be and 600 in Na Hang area up to 15,000 people, i.e. in recent months potential demand increased by 3 times Construction workers will Increased opportunities for Awareness programme with have buying power to afford additional income from bush leaflets has raised the increased black market meat may tempt some awareness amongst local prices villagers to meet the demand people and restaurants that hunting and bushmeat sale in the Nature reserve is illegal Restaurants in town provide Some workers may go out to Awareness programme also bushmeat for customers hunt for own consumption or planned amongst workers sale Visitors to Na Hang may Increased ease of access Fines and threat of dismissal expect bushmeat in into the area will encourage amongst workers found with restaurants hunters from outside the area bushmeat planned Demand from urban areas Forest rangers and patrollers and China after the dam has active in the Nature Reserve been constructed

Whilst guns have been confiscated in both the Ba Be and Na Hang areas, usually with some sort of monetary compensation, if voluntary, some guns will have remained hidden in the area, and replacements may be made or purchased. It is instructive to note that within a matter of weeks of the confiscation programme, gun shots were heard again by the Bac Vang Rangers (Bettina Martin, pers.com.), and the Forest Rangers at Ban Bung recently - 91 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report caught a man returning home with a gun that he had just purchased in Chiem Hoa for 500,000 VND. Gun confiscation is thus only a temporary solution and does not address the additional pressures from trapping etc. which may be used for the smaller animals and deer. After the dam has been constructed and the bulk of the workers have left, it is unlikely that the demand for bushmeat will go away. There will be two continuing demands – the demand from visitors – national tourists - to the area who may expect and demand wild meat to be available in restaurants. With 50,000 visitors per year by 2012, this demand, even if only a fraction of the visitors expect wildmeat, will be significant. The other demand will come from further away, both from within the urban areas of Vietnam and from China. Since access into the forests will be easier by boat, hunters from outside the area may be tempted to gain access to the much richer wildlife resources of the protected areas.

10.2.7. NTFP collection Similar arguments apply to the supply and demand for Non-Timber Forest Products. Local use and consumption of products such as Palm leaves. Dong leaves, Fresh bamboo shoots, Sa Nhan, bark of the gio trees and Ear fungus is permitted in the Nature Reserve but varies depending upon availability. The tables below shows the forest product collection per head by 3 communes in Na Hang in 1996.

Table 10.6 NTFP usage in certain communities in the Na Hang area

Commune Palm Dong Fresh Sa nhan Bark of Ear leaves Leaves bamboo (kg) gio tree fungus (unit) (unit) shoot (kg) (kg) (kg) Nang Kha 57.6 24.6 4.5 0.25 0.29 0.03 Thuong 15.9 10.9 3.3 0.01 3.16 0.004 Lam Da Vi 23.1 Average 24.5 19.5 2.6 .09 1.15 0.01 Source: Pham Binh Quyen & Truong Quang Hoc, 1997, Study on Socio-economic root causes of Biodiversity loss in two distinct eco-regions in Vietnam.

Table 10.7. Usage of firewood and bamboo in different communities in Na Hang area

Commune Wood (cu.m) Firewood Bamboo tree Small Bamboo (kg) (tree) Nang Kha 0.11 1,474 4 10.3 Thuong Lam 0.18 1,382 2.8 3.98 Da Vi 1,727 1.73 3.7 Average 0.15 1,529 2.8 6 Source: Pham Binh Quyen & Truong Quang Hoc, 1997, Study on Socio-economic root causes of Biodiversity loss in two distinct eco-regions in Vietnam. Other products harvested from the forest in different communes in Na Hang are also described in Dinh et al 1998 and Nguyen et al 1998. There are a number of factors affecting supply and demand for forest products here, and these are outlined below:

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Table 10.8. Supply and demand factors for firewood and NTFP

Demand for firewood & Supply of NTFP Constraining factors NTFP Population of Na Hang town Villagers may be asked to Forest rangers and patrollers will increase to 15,000 during provide NTFP, especially active in the Nature Reserve construction boom bamboo shoots, for restaurants Increased energy Firewood requirement in Na Energy needs for cooking for requirements for cooking for Hang town may double workers canteens provided both workers and other by coal briquettes by incoming households and company restaurants Demand for bamboo shoots etc in restaurants for visitors will remain after dam constructed Residual rural populations Fewer people left within the after resettlement may be the Nature Reserve after ones most dependent upon resettlement NTFP a) because they are living at a higher altitude and b) because there will be less agricultural land

Based upon the above average figures for Bamboo shoots and firewood, we can estimate the increased demand at different stages of the project:

Table 10.9. Changing demand for firewood and bamboo shoots in Na Hang town

Stage Change in numbers Demand for Increased demand of people firewood for bamboo shoots Present urban area 4,762 7,143 tons per 12.4 tons per annum annum Construction boom 4,000 (firewood) 6,000 tons per 26 tons per annum annum 10,000 (bamboo shoots) increase = 8,000 cu.m increase Rural areas after Less 7,372 11,058 tons per 19.17 tons per resettlement annum decrease annum decrease Residual population 6,000 people 9,000 tons per 15.6 tons per annum of Na Hang after increase over annum increase completion present Visitors after dam 50,000 per year, 412.5 tons per year 715 kg per annum completion assuming a 2 day increase increase stay is equivalent to additional 275 persons

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10.2.8. Timber logging It is difficult to get a measure of the extent of timber logging since the data on forest exploitation in Tuyen Quang and Na Hang in particular are sparsely kept. Wood exploitation in Tuyen Quang was very high during the period 1960 – 1967 with over 100,000 m3 being removed annually. After this time official production reduced possibly as a result of over- exploitation and, later, protection of the forests. By 1990 only 3,430 m3 was removed as round wood, with 30,370 m3 for paper. However illegal logging is considered to be serious, with 3681 cases of violation of forestry regulations in Na Hang District between 1972 and 1993 and a total volume of 1,855 m3 being identified by the District Forest Protection Department. Since then it is considered that illegal logging has become less serious than before partly because of an increase in protection activity and partly because of improvements in food production. In 1995 in the Nature reserve, there were 64 cases of forest law violations damaging about 8 ha of forest with loss of 55.3 m3 of logs. (Pham Binh Quyen & Truong Quang Hoc, 1997) There will be increased opportunities for illegal logging as a result of the hydropower project. Two particular phases have been identified when this will occur: • During the vegetation clearance activities, when forest contractors will be legitimately entering the areas to extract economic trees and clear vegetation up to the 120 m asl. line. There will be a great temptation for the contractors to remove additional economically valuable trees above the 120 m asl line in order to add value to their contract price. It will be difficult to identify logs extracted from above the line, unless there is almost constant supervision of the contractors. The areas most at risk will be those where the forest is richest, i.e. those in the nature reserve which have been most protected. • Once the reservoir is created after completion of the dam. The raised water level and still water conditions will ease access by boat to areas that have previously been difficult to reach, and hence still have rich forest resources. Areas that may be targeted include the steep slopes of Khau Tinh and the Nang river gorge below Ban Lam.

10.2.9. Fish bombing The present status of the fishery in Nang and Gam rivers is reported to be quite low due to overfishing. There are some small fish cages in Na Hang town. A few years ago the issues fish bombing, using explosives to catch fish, in Ba Be was recognised as one of the principal factors limiting fish populations in the Lake. This has now been controlled by the efforts of the National Park Management Board. However, it is possible that with the increased use of explosives for quarrying rock for the dam, there will be leakage and illegal use of this explosive for fish bombing, particularly when the fish populations in the new reservoir expand due to food availability. Leakage is considered inevitable to some extent. As an example, when the Park authorities were building a new road in Ba Be, they used a total of 2 tons of explosive. In one incident some local people were caught with 3 kg of explosive, which had leaked, i.e. 3 kg of explosive out of 2 tons. The dam construction will use significantly more - 8,300 tons of explosive over 5 years. Clearly there will be a much greater opportunity for leakage in this situation and it will require considerable vigilance and strong control. Fish bombing in Ba Be lake has reduced considerably since efforts taken to control, but with increased availability of explosive it could start up again.

10.2.10. Rare plant and Orchid collection Increased ease of access after the dam construction and filling of reservoir, could lead to activities such as collection of rare plant species, especially orchids from the Nature Reserve. There are 18 species of orchid recorded in Na Hang.

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7.4. Competition for natural resources

10.2.11. The resettlement dynamic Resettlement of the people from the inundation zone, will cause significant changes in the population as has been shown in Table 8.3. Some areas will have an increased population, in others, the population will decrease. Generally the populations of people inside the Nature Reserve will decrease, specifically in Vinh Yen / Son Phu and in some of the key buffer zones, such as Thuong Lam, Xuan Tien, Da Vi. However, in two key areas in the Nature Reserve, the population will be increased or at least concentrated locally, so that the pressure upon natural resources and disturbance of the core zones of the nature reserve will be affected. In the instance of Khau Tinh, the actual numbers of people in the commune will not change, however, there will be an increased number of people within easy access of key habitat for the Tonkin Snub-nosed monkey. The following implications follow from the changes in population in different parts of the Na Hang Nature reserve: • Increase in the numbers of people in an area adjacent to a core zone or buffer zone will bring with it increase in pressure upon the natural resources in the area – firewood, NTFP and hunting • Increase in the numbers of people in rural areas will usually bring with them increases in livestock numbers, especially buffalo and cattle, which graze in the grasslands and scrub and areas adjacent to the forest and may cause damage to the habitat. • Decrease in the area of agricultural land without a similar decrease in population numbers will tend to increase dependence upon forest resources • The reservoir will tend to force people who are not resettled, or who return because of difficulties in the host communities, to move higher up the slopes, and hence be more dependent upon poorer quality land and forest resources • Reduced numbers of people in the area around the core zones will tend to reduce pressure upon the natural resources and make the task of controlling these activities slightly easier • The balance of ethnic minorities remaining in the area will change as shown in Table 8.4. The success of resettlement programmes can be measured by the degree of satisfaction of the people settled and their host communties. However, if it does not work out well for those settled, some may be tempted to return to their original areas and set up household near the new reservoir shore, where their communities used to be. These people will be immediately at a disadvantage because they will not have the agricultural land and they will be even more dependent upon the natural resources of the forest than they were before. This could become a conservation disaster if large numbers of dissatisfied people moved back. It is difficult to say whether this resettlement programme will be better than its predecessors, although the initial trials appear to be positive in Doi Binh commune. Another aspect of the resettlement dynamic relates to the people left behind, whose lands are not flooded. In some areas where access, infrastructure and administration facilities are not affected, this will not matter a great deal. However, in other areas, the viability of the community remaining may be in question, e.g. the 3 villages above the 120 m asl line on the north side of the Gam River in Xuan Tien commune.36 Serious consideration should be given to remaining communities to assess their viability economically, administratively and for ease

36 It is understood that these villages will be moved out as part of the resettlement programme, leaving the whole of that part of the valley with minimal population. - 95 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report of communication. If they remain and are not adequately supported in these aspects, then the villagers may increase their dependence upon the natural resources.

10.4.1. Agricultural land The dam project and the associated resettlement programme bring with it changes in agricultural land and its development. There are three types of change that can be identified: • Intensified agricultural production to provide local sources of food for the rapidly increasing workforce • Loss of agricultural land due to inundation • The bringing in to production of previously fallow land, through irrigation schemes in the host communities The Tuyen Quang Province Agriculture Department have produced plans for increased agricultural production in and around Na Hang. It proposes to intensify agricultural production in 31 hectares for vegetable production in Thanh Tuong, Nang Kha, Vinh Yen communes and Na Hang township. The loss of agricultural land due to inundation is shown in Table 10.3. This shows that in the 12 assessment zones a total of 1,070 ha of lowland crop land (paddy fields) and 9.03 ha of upland crop land will be lost. Some areas lose more than others, the communes of Xuan Tien, Tuong Lam and Vinh Yen and Son Phu are particularly affected. In the host communities, the availability of land is the key factor determining whether the community has the capacity to accommodate the resettled people. In some cases fallow land will be brought under paddy fields by the building of an irrigation dam and water distribution system. A total area in the host villages of 1459 ha will be brought under irrigated cultivation. An example of this can be seen in Doi Binh trial resettlement area where 65 ha have been irrigated with a “small” dam. Although these irrigation dams are classified as small, they are significant items of infrastructure in their own right. In the case of Doi Binh commune, the dam is 60 m wide by about 20 m high, flooding an area of some 10 ha. These are not without impact. In Khau Tinh it is proposed to construct a dam to irrigate an area of 20 ha of fallow land, to the south of the commune centre. It is proposed that this be used for the resettlement of the people of Ban Lam within the same commune. Whilst the principal of resettling people within their own commune is to be recommended, in this particular case the area of fallow land lies within 1 km of the core zone of the Tonkin monkey’s habitat. In Con Lon, where 20 households are to be resettled, no additional irrigated land will be created for the resettlers.

10.4.2. Livestock Livestock, particularly buffalo and cows, have an impact upon the forest resources in the areas around the villages, sometimes for several kilometres. Livestock eat the vegetation, make trails and paths through the forest, and their handlers cause disturbance to wildlife. The population changes bring with them changes in livestock numbers. Again there are three types of change associated with the dam: • More intensive livestock farming to provide food for workers – it is proposed to intensify livestock production of pigs and poultry – presumably in the communes of Thanh Tuong, Vinh Yen, Nang Kha and Na Hang township. This is a very important initiative since it will go some way towards providing meat for the workforce, rather than using bushmeat as a supplement. • Reduction in the numbers of livestock as a result of population reductions • Increase in numbers of as a result of resettlement into an area. - 96 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

The figures for animal husbandry in various communes in the Na Hang Nature Reserve in 1992 are shown below: Table 10.10: Animal husbandry in Na Hang Nature reserve in 1992. Commune Househol Buffalo Cow Pigs Poultry ds No. No/hh No. No/hh No. No/hh No. No/hh

Con Lon 260 443 1.70 86 0.33 702 2.70 5200 20.00 Khau Tinh 229 190 0.82 58 0.31 431 1.88 3617 15.79 Son Phu 363 574 1.58 60 0.17 869 2.39 4459 12.28 Vinh Yen 256 395 1.54 20 0.08 300 1.17 5698 22.25 Thanh 559 673 1.20 36 0.06 815 1.46 2310 4.13 Tuong Average 1.37 0.19 9.6 14.89

Source: Pham Binh Quyen & Truong Quang Hoc, 1997, Study on Socio-economic root causes of Biodiversity loss in two distinct eco-regions in Vietnam.

Accepting that these figures are somewhat out of date, and taking an average for the different assessment zones, it is possible to estimate what the domestic livestock population will be after the resettlement process.

7.5. Landscape change The PARC project has introduced the concept of landscape ecology as a planning tool for land and resource use management. Basically it tries to consider the entire physical, biogical, social and economic landscape in identifying the changing land and resource uses, with conservation of biodiversity as the prime objective. This is a very wide concept, both technically and geographically. It has been used by the PARC Project to identify landscape ecological units or zones within the protected areas, the buffer zones around them and the linkage corridors between them. In these zones, land and resource uses have been defined. Within this concept, it is accepted that over time, there are going to emerge land use conflicts that may jeopardise the overall conservation objective. The task of the project has therefore been to work with these conflicts and try to incorporate them into the overall planning. The construction of the dam is a major land use conflict with significant negative impacts, and the task is to try to develop effective, and implementable, mitigating management measures. The dam, reservoir and other associated infrastructure have significant impacts upon visual appearance of the physical landscape. Appreciation of landscape is highly subjective, both personally and culturally; changes in the landscape, both positive and negative are seen differently by different people and cultures. Nevertheless the following discussion considers the changes that will be occurring in the landscape and assesses their significance.

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Table 10.11. Domestic livestock populations in the assessment zones after resettlement process

Assessment Remaining Buffalo Cattle Pig Poultry zone households numbers numbers numbers numbers Pressure on (approx) natural resources 1. Na Hang Significant increase with intensive livestock production 2. Khau Tinh 360 493 68 3,456 5,360 Significant increase 3. Thanh Tuong 376 515 71 3,610 5,599 Slight increase, but (E) / Ban Bung significant with intensive livestock production 4. Thanh Tuong 243 333 46 2,333 3,618 Slight increase (West) 5. Vinh Yen / 873 1196 166 8,381 12,999 Slight increase, but Son Phu significant with intensive livestock production 6. Xuan Lac 346 474 66 3,322 5,152 Slight increase 7. Da Vi 971 1330 184 9,322 14,458 Significant decrease 8. Ba Be 347 475 66 3,331 5,167 Slight decrease 9. Con Lon 376 515 71 2,333 5,599 Slight increase 10. Duc Xuan / 642 880 122 6,163 9,559 Significant decrease Sinh Long 11. Thuong 1495 2048 284 14,352 22,260 Significant decrease Lam 12. Nang Kha 905 1240 172 8,688 13,475 Significant increase with intensive livestock production Total 9,499 1,316 65,291 103,246

10.2.12. Dam and Na Hang town as features of the landscape Building a dam some 1100 m long and 70 metres high will involve a major change to the natural landscape. This natural landscape is already a very dramatic one, with the karst limestone formations and peaks of Pac Ta and Tat Ke immediately behind the dam. Large dams are undoubtedly impressive structures and this one will be no exception. It is probable that after completion, the Tuyen Quang dam in this setting will be a major positive feature in the wider landscape. This in itself will be one of the main tourism attractions to the area. (compare Fig 10.1 and 10.2.) During construction phase, the area will be a mess. There will be scars on the landscape from the earthmoving and quarrying, roadworks, traffic, machinery, excess sediment in the river, pollution, and so on. In the town, the pressures of rapid development will cause similar degradation of the urban environment. Urban sprawl on the outer edges of the town will also be negative on both sides of the river.

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After completion the town of Na Hang will be a different place with more than twice as many people as at present and a business community of hotels, restaurants, workshops etc. geared to serving the dam project. This will have to change to serve the development of the tourism industry, which will have different landscape values. Thus the urban landscape will have to change to match the expectations of the visitors. (see Fig 10.3. photo of Hoa Binh town)

10.5.2 Change from river to reservoir Upstream the landscape will change dramatically as well. During the construction phase, the removal of the vegetation will create a temporary negative landscape impact, but this will be largely covered once inundation is completed. Fig 10.4. shows a comparison of a 3D image of the area with and without the reservoir. The reservoir itself will be impressive, despite the drawdown of up to 20 m (i.e. between 100 – 120 m). The landscape in which the reservoir is situated remains outstanding, and in this situation the reservoir will be seen as contributing positively to the landscape. Different from what it was like before - definitely, but not negative. This too will be a major visitor attraction.

10.5.3 Loss of important landscape features However, there will be some losses of important landscape features. These include: • Thac Mo waterfall and some of the mature forest in the area, as well as the visitor facilities there (see Fig. 10.5. existing view of Thac Mo waterfall with approximate water level of reservoir) • Nang Gorge, 7 kms of the only primary (unspoiled by forestry activities) landscape feature in this part of Na Hang Nature reserve. The diagram in Fig 11.2 shows the forest cover at the upstream end to the gorge. Current water level at this point is about 100 m asl, so the lower 20 m of this part of the gorge will be lost. At the bottom end, the water level is about 70 m asl, so the lower 50 m of this section will be lost. This may not be significant in terms of the overall height, but it is significant in terms of the primary forest vegetation, which is thickest towards the bottom of the gorge. (see Fig 10.6) • Bac Vang stream and gorge. Similar considerations apply as for Nang River gorge • Beautiful valleys such as at Yinh Yen, Ban Lam, Xuan Tien, Da Vi typical of mountain valley agriculture with layered paddy fields, villages and fruit trees etc. (see Figs. 10.7 and 10.8) • Lower level caves, though the extent of these is unknown at present Various waterfalls from Tat Ke and Sinh Long are unlikely to be inundated and will remain as landscape features, viewable from the reservoir. (see Figs. 10.9 and 10.10) It is probable that the road between Na hang and Da Vi will involve a bridge over the Nang river near to the Dau Dang waterfall, with corresponding impacts on the landscape of this waterfall.

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Fig.10.1. View from the South of Na Hang, looking towards Pac Ta

Fig.10.2. View from south of Na Hang showing potential visual impct of dam and quarry scars

Quarry Na Hang No.1 Dam

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Fig.10.3 Potential for urban growth at Na Hang – urban development at Hoa Binh

Fig.10.5 View of Thac Mo waterfall showing approximate water level of reservoir

Potential water line of reservoir

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Fig. 10.4 and 10.5 3D images of area illustrating extent of flooded area

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Fig.10.6. View of top of Nang River Gorge from Ban Lam, showing forested profile of gorge

Fig.10.7. View of Nang River valley from Ranger post (to be inundated) at Vinh Yen/Son Phu

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Fig. 10.8. View of Gam River valley at Xuan Tien (inundated)

Fig. 10.9. View of waterfall on north Fig. 10.10. View of Waterfall across bank of River Gam at Xuan Tien (not Nang River at Tat Ke (not inundated) inundated)

Potential water line of reservoir

Poten tial water line of reser voir

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10.5.4 Quarry scars The quarries will produce major negative visual impacts on the landscape. None more so than the proposed quarry no. 1, which lies adjacent to the dam site and immediately opposite Pac Ta peak. Limestone quarries are very obvious, producing clear white stone faces, which take many years to weather. Quarry no. 1 will be seen immediately above the dam and may be seen on the approach road from Chiem Hoa to Na Hang, from a distance of about 10 kms. The appearance of the dam and the quarry site may be appreciated from the picture (see Fig. 10.1) It is internationally recognised good practice to plan measures for rehabilitation and landscaping of quarries before the operations are completed. This may include consideration of alternative uses for the quarry site. This will be especially important for quarry no. 1 which will be immediately obvious to visitors approaching the town.

10.5.5 Roads and power line routes New roads and power lines cut swathes through the forest and across the landscape and create a negative visual impact, because of their artificiality. Power lines for example should be routed underneath the skyline, and should follow existing cut lines and roads wherever possible.

10.5.6 Tourism developments Tourism developments can also create a negative visual impact in landscape such as this and should be planned with care, and landscaped appropriately.

7.6. Loss of cultural resources Cultural resources are directly related to people. Tuyen Quang reservoir will inundate the native land of 18,428 people living in 14 communes belonging to 3 districts of 3 provinces on Gam River watershed (table 10.12). Table 10.12. Distribution of people to be moved for resettlement in reservoir area Province District Nr.of Nr. of Nr. of Nr of commu. villages househ.. people Tuyen Quang Na Hang 12 68 3,110 16,726 Ha Giang Bac Me 2 8 226 1,407 Bac Can Ba Be 1 1 54 315 Total 3 14 77 3,386 18,428 Source: FS Report. Resettlement Master Planning, page 6. Number of people estimated for 2005

Among the population of Na Hang district, of Tuyen Quang province, there are 17 ethnic groups, including: Tay, Dao, Kinh, H'Mong, Hoa, Nung, Cao Lan, Thai, Muong, La Chi, San Diu, Khme, Ngai, Mo Nong, Pu Peo, Ede. The most populous groups are Tay group (58% of district total population), and Dao group (24% of district total population). Thai, Muong, La Chi ... and other smaller groups have less than 10 households in each group. Bac Me district of Ha Giang province has 13 ethnic groups. Dao ethnic group (37% of total population) and Tay ethnic group (36.9% of total population) are the most populous groups of Bac Me. Nam Mau commune of Ba Be district, Bac Can province, has 10 villages, among these 5 are of H'Mong ethnic group. Remaining groups are of Tay, Kinh and Hoa ethnic. In the reservoir area people live in villages. Each village could have from 10 to 70 households depending upon the available agricultural land and family relationship among the

- 105 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report people. In all ethnic groups the extended family, linking people from 3 or 4 generations together, plays an important role in the economic, political and cultural life of the people. Each ethnic group has its cultural particularities, especially in house architecture, folklore, songs, dances, music, and traditions and customs related to marriage, funerals, ancestor cults, religion, festivals, garments, jewelery37. By these particularities local cultural resources are very rich and diversified. Ethnic groups have also very rich indigenous knowledge, especially on use of local biodiversity resources. With the inundation of villages and adjacent agricultural land, forests and resettlement of communities linked to them, an important part of cultural resources and indigenous knowledge would be lost. There is also an emotional attachment to the home locality which people who move out of an area feel. This should be recognised and an opportunity for remembering the area, as it was before the dam was built, should be provided. In inundated communes there are revolution and independence wars memorial monuments. These memorial monuments should be moved to non-inundated places. According to Na Hang District People Committee Chairman, there is an historic cave in Xuan Tien commune used as weapons’ store by the peoples’ army during the struggle against the French army in the 1950s.

37 / Feasibility Study Report. Book 3.Water Resources & Energy Economics Calculation, pages 1-8, 9 - 106 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

8. Application of impact scenarios to assessment zones

This assessment uses the method of assessment described in section 2.4. to describe the likely scale of impacts in each assessment zone. The Assessment Matrices are presented in Annex 1. The method assumes limited mitigation measures so that the principal impacts in each zone can be highlighted. Mitigation measures may thus be detailed later – see section 14.

8.1. Na Hang Town and Dam site

Present Resource Status The present status of biodiversity resources in the area of Na Hang town and the dam site is low as a result of continued human activity. In the river, the aquatic biodiversity resources are considered to be at a medium level, although there is some pressure from fishing activities. The landscape resources are dependent upon the surrounding hills, and the urban landscape is that of a small rural town.

Present pressure on resources The present pressure upon the biodiversity resources is considered to be relatively low, mainly because biodiversity resources are low – hunters and collectors would have to search hard to find wildlife and plant products and so would tend to look farther afield.

Risk of future increased pressure Pressures upon the biodiversity resources as a result of the dam will be high because of the presence of construction workers and staff, and the overall increase of population in the area. Construction activities including blasting in Quarry no 1 and the increase in traffic will cause disturbance and congestion in the town. The quarries and construction traffic will also create significant dust problems in the urban area. If there are any caves in the area near the blasting site, these may come under pressure from vibration. The construction activities will release high sediment loads and water pollutants into the river, putting pressure upon the aquatic resources downstream. After the dam has been built, the aquatic habitat and resources will be changed completely, both above and below the dam. There will also be significant pressure upon the social resources in the urban area as a result of the large influx of workers. This will put pressure upon the social services, health and agricultural production. There will also be associated risks of prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases After the dam is constructed, social pressures will change as the incoming visitors to the town change to tourism. Pressures upon biodiversity will continue, although most of the biodiversity in the area will remain low. The landscape will be changed completely. The dam will overshadow the town; Quarry no 1 will be clearly visible from the town. The urban landscape resources will be improved once the construction activities have been completed.

Probable Change in Resource Status The principal significant negative impacts are upon aquatic biodiversity resources, both during the construction activities and upon completion

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The pressures upon the social resources of the town will also cause significant negative change unless measures are put in place to address these. There will also be some loss of tombs and cultural resources in the area flooded. There will be significant positive change to the landscape as a result of dam completion and creation of the reservoir. There will be significant negative change to the landscape as a result of the quarries and roads and power lines.

8.2. Khau Tinh

Present Resource Status The present status of biodiversity resources in Khau Tinh is considered to be high. In fact Khau Tinh and the Tat Ke core zone contains amongst the highest biodiversity in the Na Hang district. Cultural resources are considered to be low, because of the relatively low human population. The landscape is natural and relatively undisturbed apart from some deforestation - landscape resources are considered to be high.

Present Pressure on Resources The present pressure upon the biodiversity resources from disturbance, access and hunting is largely contained by the FPD rangers and is therefore considered to be low to medium. Pressures upon social and landscape resources are low to none.

Risk of Future Increased Pressure Pressures from the dam construction process on biodiversity are likely to increase significantly. There will be some disturbance from blasting in quarry no 1 upon the southern and western slopes of Pac Ta mountain. Wildlife on these slopes will probably move away from this area, thus reducing the area of available habitat to them. In particular the reported presence of Francois’ monkeys on these slopes is a cause for concern. The pressures upon the Khau Tinh area are illustrated in Fig. 11.1. The demand for bushmeat from the influx of construction staff and urban growth will encourage local hunters to supply it. There will be increased access and disturbance, and direct mortality, both of wildlife and NTFP. During the vegetation clearance process there will be increased risk of illegal logging above the 120 m asl level. Particular areas at risk include the Nang River gorge and Bac Vang stream. After the dam is built, disturbance pressures are likely to continue, as access to the area from both locals and visitors becomes easier, e.g. for both hunting and tourism trekking. There will be habitat loss and isolation of the whole Khau Tinh “peninsular” by the reservoir, restricting virtually all terrestrial wildlife movement. The aquatic habitat will change from the mountain rivers on both sides of Khau Tinh to still lacustrine conditions in the reservoir. Pressures of direct mortality will continue to be high, and the improved access for hunters, NTFP collectors and illegal loggers by boat will make the risks greater. Orchid collection may become a problem. With the increased availability of explosives and fish population increases upon inundation, there may be an increase in fish bombing activity. There is a proposal to move people form Ban Lam up to Khau Tinh. Although this does not increase the overall population in the Khau Tinh commune, it does concentrate the 54 households who will be moved in an area immediately adjacent to the Nature Reserve Core Zone. They will also construct an irrigation dam in the area. The move of these people will also compete for land resources that had been earmarked by the Forest Protection Department for the move of people from Doi Mot and Na Trang out of the core zone. Fisheries biodiversity will change, probably with a reduction in biodiversity, although fish biomass and fish production are likely to increase in the new reservoir.

- 108 - Landscape resources will be changed; the dam will be very impressive as will the reservoir. The waterfalls at Tat Ke and other points around Khau Tinh will not be flooded, but there will be significant losses of landscape – profile of trees - at the lower end of the Nang Gorge.

Probable Change in Resource Status Unless steps are taken to protect the biodiversity resources, it is likely that there will be significant negative changes in the Khau Tinh area, as a result of disturbance, increased access, hunting pressure, habitat change from illegal logging and isolation. These pressures will continue after completion of the dam, when tourism and fisheries develop. Direct mortality and encroachment of the prime monkey habitats by local people will probably lead to the loss of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys and the Francois’ langurs within 10 years. There will be significant losses of landscape features such as the lower slopes of the Nang gorge and Bac Vang stream. Fig. 11.1 summarises the principal impacts upon the most critical zone in the Na Hang Nature Reserve. Fig. 11.1. Detailed landcover map of the Khau Tinh zone showing the principal issues.

Bac Vang stream flooded – will increase isolation of Khau Tinh 20 ha of irrigated land proposed for resettlement of 54 hhs within 1 km of mature evergreen f Mature Evergreen forest – Habitat for Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey

Nang River Gorge - Undisturbed forest

Pac Ta Easier access mountain – to Core area from reservoir

Quarry 1 – Dam site 1.5 km from Pac Ta Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

8.3. Thanh Tuong (East) and Ban Bung

Present Resource Status As with Khau Tinh, this assessment zone contains the other core zone of the Na Hang Nature Reserve – Ban Bung, which contains the highest biodiversity of the area including a smaller population of Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkeys. Unlike Khau Tinh, however, it is linked through reasonable forested areas in Xuan Lac with the Ba Be National Park; in due course these may be consolidated as a protected corridor of land between the two. Access to these resources is mainly through the forest paths leading from Thanh Tuong commune up to the village of Ban Bung and another village of Co Ieng, which lie within the higher forested areas. The overall status of biodiversity of the area is considered high, although the area to the west down to the river and around the lower lying commune will have lower biodiversity. It retains a high landscape value of forested limestone karst rising up from the river Gam. The existing road between Chiem Hoa and Na Hang, which is currently being widened, follows the route of the river.

Present Pressure on Resources As with Khau Tinh, the present pressures upon the biodiversity resources are considered to be relatively low to medium, being controlled by the FPD rangers. Disturbance from local people for everyday activities is high in the immediate vicinities of the two villages. The present quarry No 2 adjacent to the road 2 km from Na Hang town borders this assessment zone, but disturbance from blasting noise does not affect the core zone. The PARC project and FPD have recommended that two villages in the area (Ban Bung and Co Ieng) be resettled in order to reduce pressure upon wildlife resources. So far, however, there have been insufficient funds to implement this.

Risk of Future Increased Pressure The principal risks to the biodiversity in the area come from the demand for bushmeat and NTFP. This demand will encourage local people to supply it and hunters will become active in the area, which contains amongst the highest hunting resources . This will increase disturbance and direct mortality of wildlife. There is also considerable disturbance occurring even now as a result of the road widening activities, although this disturbance from traffic noise will only extend up the slopes to the east, and is unlikely to affect those areas farther to the east. Nevertheless the improved road conditions will tend to increase accessibility into Thanh Tuong, and disturbance from causal visitors and hunters from outside when the road and dam are completed. The other major area of concern for this area is the habitat loss and fragmentation associated with the power line route from the dam to Chiem Hoa, and from the replacement road from Na Hang to Da Vi. The latter could potentially run through some areas of good forest habitat if a more direct route is chosen, and this would have a very high negative impact upon the integrity of the area and its biodiversity. The aquatic habitats in the river downstream of the dam will have a high sediment load during construction and, after the dam is built, they will be subjected to different flow regimes, with the maximum changes occurring during the reservoir-filling period.

Probable Change in Resource Status The increases in pressure from hunting and NTFP collection will tend to reduce the biodiversity, unless they are controlled adequately. The routing of roads and power lines

- 110 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report through the area would be disastrous for biodiversity resources, and so careful selection of routes taking conservation issues into account is essential. There will be changes in the aquatic habitat, although not so marked as upstream of the dam. There may be a loss or a reduction in fish populations, especially those that used to move upstream to breed. The landscape from the road looking north will also be changed once the dam is completed. The dam will dominate the landscape, and the scar of the quarry no 1, will be clearly visible from the approach road to Na Hang.

8.4. Thanh Tuong (West)

Present Resource Status Thanh Tuong west is that section of the Na Hang Nature Reserve that lies across the Gam river from the Ban Bung sector. Biodiversity surveys have not been carried out there, but observation of the state of the forests indicates that it has been much disturbed in the past, and consists mainly in secondary forests and bamboo. The implication of this is that the status of biodiversity is not as high as in Ban Bung. It has thus been considered as having medium status.

Present Pressure on Resources As part of the Nature Reserve, but rather isolated from the main parts by the river Gam, and with most of the FPD ranger activities focused on the Ban Bung core zone, it is likely that protection measures will not be strong in this area. As a result with medium biodiversity and forest resources to draw upon , hunters and NTFP collectors may be drawn to use this area. Nevertheless the pressure on this area is considered to be medium to low.

Risk of Future Increased Pressure These pressures will continue and may be increased as demand grows from the dam staff for bush meat and natural products. There will therefore be increased access and disturbance from local people into the forests on the west of the river Gam. It is likely that this will continue to have a negative impact upon the biodiversity in the area. The other major risk for the habitat and disturbance is the possible routing of power lines through the area. The routes are not known, but routing designs should be subjected to environmental assessment to minimise fragmentation and loss of habitat.

Probable Change in Resource Status Starting from a lower biodiversity resource base, the impact of these pressures is likely to cause a less dramatic change in the status of the resource. Nevertheless, in due course, the biodiversity of the area should be investigated, in order to integrate this area into the protection and management regimes.

8.5. Vinh Yen/Son Phu

Present Resource Status This assessment zone runs along the south bank of the river Nang, and is bounded to the south by the Ban Bung core zone. It holds two existing communes with a relatively high rural population. Because of the presence of people and the longstanding pressures upon the forests and natural resources, the biodiversity in the area is considered to be medium status. Nevertheless it does contain some spots with relatively undisturbed forest and high biodiversity. In particular the Pac Ban forested area around the Thac Mo waterfall lie in the - 111 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Vinh Yen commune area, and the south bank of the Nang Gorge lies in the Son Phu area. At one point, the PARC project was considering the Pac Ban area as the centre for eco-tourism in the area, to demonstrate the biodiversity resources of Na Hang. In terms of landscape resources, this area contains some spectacular landscapes, both from the road along the river Nang, in the Pac Ban area and the lower section of the Nang Gorge.

Present Pressure on Resources The present pressures upon the biodiversity resources are expected to be low to medium, either because the natural resources themselves are low and therefore do not support high pressure, or where they are higher, access to the land makes disturbance and hunting more difficult.

Risk of Future Increased Pressure The main pressures during the construction period on the biodiversity resources in the area will come from the demand for forest products and the increase in hunting and collecting in the area. There will be some pressure from illegal logging, especially during the resettlement programme and during the vegetation clearance activities. Resettlement is a major issue in this area, with the final population being less than half what it was originally and the ethnic make-up being substantially changed, with greater proportions of Dao and H'Mong peoples remaining. Cultural losses will be significant. Upon completion, flooding will cover much of the agricultural land. It is likely that pressure from hunting, logging and NTFP collection will increase because of increased access, and disturbance from visitors. There will considerable changes in the aquatic resources, as the habitat changes from riverine to reservoir. Since this is a relatively wide-open valley, which will be flooded, it is possible that this area will become the focus for fishery activity, and this is one of the places that may be subject to fish bombing attempts when the reservoir is flooded. There will be loss of landscape features such as the waterfall at Thac Mo and the Nang Gorge. The waterfall at Thac Mo also represents an economic loss since this was the main visitor attraction in the area. The flooding of the Nang River Gorge is illustrated (Figs 10.6 and 11.2), using the profile of trees at the top end of the gorge near Ban Lam. At the top end, the water will rise from a current level of 100 ma asl by about 20 m. At the lower end the current water level is about 70 m, so there will be a 50 m rise in level. The issue of the replacement road route from Na Hang to Da Vi may put pressure upon resources, particularly if a route through the hills is chosen. A lower route following the shoreline of the reservoir would be preferred from the viewpoint of the biodiversity in the Ban Bung core zone.

Probable Change in Resource Status The pressures on biodiversity resources are likely to have significant changes, particularly in the hotspots of biodiversity in the area. The Nang River Gorge is one of these and the increased access for vegetation clearance, and later by boat, is likely to result in loss of biodiversity in this relatively undisturbed area. In terms of infrastructure the new forest ranger post on the river bank in Son Phu commune will be submerged, making protection more difficult. There will be significant landscape changes and losses, although the reservoir itself will become a significant positive landscape feature.

- 112 - Fig 11.2. Vegetation profile of top of Nang River gorge and illustration of projected water levels at top and bottom of the gorge

Flood level at bottom of gorge

Flood level at top of gorge

8.6. Xuan Lac

Present Resource Status Xuan Lac lies between the Ba Be National Park and the Ban Bung sector of the Na Hang Nature Reserve. It contains a mixture of settlements and forest. It is considered an important corridor between the two protected areas. Biodiversity surveys in the area carried out in 2001, indicate that the resources are high and worthy of additional protection.

Present Pressure on Resources There is currently some pressure on resources from villagers for hunting and NTFP collection.

Risk of Future Increased Pressure This area is well away from the dam site and reservoir and so will be unaffected physically by the construction work or associated infrastructure, such as roads and power line routes. Since the area contains significant forest resources, the local people may feel some pressure to supply the demand for bush meat and NTFP for the influx of population into Na Hang, unless adequate protection of forest resources is provided.

Probable Change in Resource Status The pressure will cause steady reduction in biodiversity resources. Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

8.7. Da Vi

Present Resource Status Da Vi is quite heavily populated, with mainly agricultural land. The biodiversity resources are medium.

Present Pressure on Resources There is some pressure upon the biodiversity resources from hunting and collection, but this is not a major activity in this area.

Risk of Future Increased Pressure Vegetation clearance will put stress upon the area from disturbance and illegal logging farther up the slopes, and such wildlife as there is will come under pressure from the demand for bushmeat etc. The main pressures will come principally during the flooding stage and use of the reservoir. Increased access will add to the pressures of disturbance and direct mortality. However, about 40% of the population will be moved out of this area for resettlement and this will reduce the pressure upon biodiversity resources. The aquatic resources in the reservoir will probably become an important feature of the local economy. The issue of the replacement road route from Na Hang to Da Vi will also put pressure upon habitats and tend to increase habitat fragmentation. There will also be a loss of cultural resources.

Probable Change in Resource Status It is likely that there will be a continued reduction in biodiversity resources in the Da Vi area as a result of the reservoir activities. However, the reduction in population in the area will make protection from local pressures easier. The landscape will be changed significantly so that the area from the head of the Nang Gorge to the Dau Dang waterfall will be come open water.

8.8. Ba Be

Present Resource Status The area to be affected by the flooding within the Ba Be National Park is a small mainly agricultural area in Nam Mau commune. This area to be flooded lies at the head of the reservoir and mainly consists of riverine vegetation and agriculture. The biodiversity in the area to be flooded is considered to be medium, although in the surrounding area within the National Park it is high.

Present Pressure on Resources The present pressures upon biodiversity in the area are considered to be medium, being protected by National Park staff and forest rangers. They mainly come from local hunting and NTFP collection, and from some tourism activity.

Risk of Future Increased Pressure The flooding will affect directly less than 1 ha of forest land. However, the increased demand for bushmeat etc in Na Hang may encourage local people to hunt wildlife and collect forest resources to meet this demand. Some families will be moved out of the area, but not in such significant numbers as to reduce the pressure upon biodiversity.

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Once flooding has been completed, it is to be expected that there will be increased tourists visiting the area, especially as a tourist circuit can be envisaged between Ba Be and Na Hang. This may lead to increased disturbance of wildlife. The road from Na Hang to Da Vi will probably entail the construction of a new bridge at the head of the reservoir, or at the nearest bridgeable site. This may be within 1 km of the Dau Dang waterfall, creating adverse landscape impacts. However, the reservoir created will not affect the water levels of Ba Be Lake in any way. There will not be any induced seismic activity in the National Park, nor any landslides that may affect the water surface of the lake.

Probable Change in Resource Status The overall biodiversity resources in the area will probably be reduced to some extent as a result of this reservoir creation. Greater impact is likely to come from road construction, and the proposed small dam at the Dau Dang waterfall (see section 12.3).

8.9. Con Lon

Present Resource Status Con Lon commune lies in the northernmost part of the Na Hang Nature Reserve, and contains about 7,000 ha of the strictly protected core zone, similar to Khau Tinh. Biodiversity resources are considered to be extremely high. Con Lon is also important in that it provides a wildlife corridor between the Khau Tinh area and the limestone forests to the north and west, including up to Bac Me nature reserve.

Present Pressure on Resources There is considered to be medium pressure upon the biodiversity resources at present, mainly from local access for firewood, hunting and NTFP collection. There is also pressure from agricultural land development and livestock.

Risk of Future Increased Pressure In Con Lon, there is a very small amount of forest land flooded, up the Bac Vang stream. However, pressures resulting from the dam will be mainly from increased demand for forest products, increasing hunting and collection pressure. This pressure will be increased by the proposal to resettle about 20 households within Con Lon commune. Resettlement will tend to block any chance of movement of animals out of the Khau Tinh peninsular into Sinh Long area to the north and west. Habitat isolation will therefore tend to increase.

Probable Change in Resource Status The changes in biodiversity resources are considered to be slightly negative as a result of these pressures. The main causes for concern are the households being moved into the area, which will add to competition from agriculture and livestock and tend to increase the isolation of the habitat.

8.10. Duc Xuan/Sinh Long

Present Resource Status The present status of biodiversity in the Duc Xuan (Xuan Tien) and Sinh Long areas is considered to be high in the limestone ridge on the north bank of the river Gam. Biodiversity surveys in the area, show that this is an area worthy of protection and could be an extension

- 115 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report of the Nature Reserve area and corridor to Bac Me Nature Reserve. This has already been considered, but was shelved because of the relatively high human population in the area.38

Present Pressure on Resources The present pressure on resources comes mainly from local access for firewood, hunting and NTFP collection.

Risk of Future Increased Pressure There are several areas of risk arising from the vegetation and resettlement activities in the area. Illegal logging and hunting pressure are likely to increase during the construction phase, particularly as this is an area with lower ranger protection than the core zones to the east and south. There will be a loss of cultural resources during the resettlement process. Virtually all the people in the Xuan Tien commune will be moved out of the area, so that all those remaining will be in Sinh Long commune. Once the reservoir is created, there will be increased access from both local people and visitors. This will include the north and south banks of the reservoir. Tourism development will increase and will require planning and management. Increased access is likely to increase pressure from hunting, NTFP collection and perhaps orchids. The reservoir will flood the beautiful valley of Xuan Tien and create islands out of some tower karst formations. The landscape will change, and it is likely that the reservoir be a positive additional feature. Tourism resorts and infrastructure will also have a landscape impact.

Probable Change in Resource Status About 90 ha of secondary forest will be lost due to flooding of the area, with some illegal logging to be expected farther up the slopes. Direct loss of biodiversity is expected to be medium, although the biodiversity of the tower karsts in the area may be adversely affected by isolation. Disturbance and hunting pressure will continue to adversely affect the wildlife. Tourism and trekking in the limestone hills will increase disturbance, but should be manageable. The resettlement of most of the people from Xuan Tien represents an important opportunity for biodiversity protection in this area, and the concept of extending the Nature Reserve to include the Xuan Tien / Sinh Long area should be reconsidered. Tourism developments should be carefully planned, with the focus for infrastructure developments being on the south side of the reservoir, and limited access for trekking etc being confined to the north side.

8.11. Thuong Lam

Present Resource Status The present status of biodiversity resources are considered medium in the Thuong Lam area. Although quite well populated, there are also some significant areas of mature and secondary forests, particularly along the sides of the hills sloping down to the Gam River.

Present Pressure on Resources The present pressure on resources comes mainly from local access for firewood, hunting and NTFP collection.

38 Minutes of Consultative meeting on extension of Na Hang Nature Reserve, Sept 2000. PARC project files. - 116 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Risk of Future Increased Pressure Flooding will inundate about 250 ha of secondary forest land along the western bank of the Gam River. There will be pressures from illegal logging during the vegetation clearance process and afterwards when access by boat is made easier. There will also be increased hunting and NTFP collection in these areas of forest. The creation of the reservoir will improve access for visitors and tourism trekking routes may be developed, thus increasing disturbance. There will be a significant resettlement of people living in the area adjacent to the river, and up the small streams that flow into it. There will be about 35% reduction in the people living in the commune, which will reduce pressure upon resources.

Probable Change in Resource Status There will be some losses of biodiversity, and landscape change as a result of the creation of the dam.

8.12. Nang Kha

Present Resource Status Nang Kha is the area scheduled for the development zone, and because of the relatively high population and agricultural land in the area, the biodiversity is considered to be low. However, there are some limestone hills in the area, which may retain some areas of reasonable secondary forest.

Present Pressure on Resources The main pressure upon resources comes from the people living in the area using agricultural land and a limited amount of local hunting and NTFP collection.

Risk of Future Increased Pressure During the dam project the Nang Kha area will be used for a) increased agricultural production to feed the workers on the dam project, b) quarrying at quarry no 3 and possibly other quarries and c) resettlement of about 100 households. These activities will tend to increase disturbance and access into remaining areas of forest. Blasting may cause damage to caves in the limestone hills nearby and disturbance of the people resettled in the area.

Probable Change in Resource Status The existing low status of biodiversity in the area will be reduced further. The agriculture development and resettlement of people will intensify the use of this zone, to the exclusion of wildlife resources. The quarries will have both noise impacts upon the population living there and visual impacts upon the landscape. One of the proposed resettlement areas at Na Vai lies within 1 km of the quarry no 3, and this would disturb both existing residents and those moved into the area from the inundation zone.

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9. Particular aspects assessed

9.1. Comparison of dam sites Three dam sites have been compared. These are: • Dam site no. 1. Pac Ta site, which would flood up the Gam river only • Dam site no. 2. just below the confluence of the Gam and Nang Rivers, but above the small stream coming from Pac Ban and Thac Mo waterfall. • Dam site no. 3. The preferred dam site about 1 km below dam site no. 2 but which would include the small stream coming from Pac Ban and the Thac Mo waterfall. The sites for these are shown in Fig. 7.2. The principal differences are summarised in the table below: Dam Site No. 1 Dam Site No. 2 Dam Site No.3 Height of water level 120 m asl 120 m asl 120 m asl Flooding 45 km up Gam River 45 km up Gam River 45 km up Gam River and 30 Km up Nang and 30 Km up Nang River River Total area flooded (sq 57 77.23 79.78 km) Total area flooded in 2859.69 4368.4 4622.9 assessment zones (ha) • Mature Forest (ha) 447.69 746.07 772.30 • Lowland crops (ha) 708.15 969.11 1070.65 Total area of Nature 144.17 1230.08 1452.86 Reserve flooded (ha)39 • Mature Forest (ha) 99.82 391.86 417.40 • Lowland crops (ha) 42.94 140.20 240.25 Difference in land lost 222.78 ha of which 25 ha is forest, and 100 between 2 and 3 ha is lowland crop People to be resettled 11,440 about 17,184 17,384 Loss of landscape No loss of Thac Mo No loss of Thac Mo Inundation of at least feature/ economic or of the Nang River waterfall, but loss of 40% of Thac Mo resource Gorge Nang River gorge waterfall, and the tourism resource Construction site Closest to Pac Ta Close to Pac Ta and Farthest from the mountain, with the Nature reserve. Nature Reserve maximum boundary, with least disturbance from direct impact from construction activities construction activities

39 It should be pointed out that FPD staff are under the impression that only 200 ha of nature reserve will be lost by the flooding. This is clearly an underestimate probably arising from the original calculations carried out for the Pac Ta site. The total area lost is 1453 ha of which 417 ha are mature secondary forest. - 118 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

It is apparent that the preferred dam site no 3, will have the greatest environmental impact in terms of area flooded, loss of mature forests, loss of landscape features, and lowland crop agricultural land. In terms of biodiversity impact Dam 3 is likely to have the largest impact because of the additional area being flooded. However, the direct impact of the construction activities upon the Nature Reserve is slightly lower because it is sited farther away and nearer the town. This is a marginal benefit, since the overall impact of construction activities throughout the area will be large.

9.2. Comparison of quarry sites A comparison is made between the three quarry sites. The one of greatest concern to the Nature Reserve and the overall landscape is Quarry No 1 opposite Pac Ta mountain. It is only 1.5 km to the prime sites in the Nature reserve, which it will disturb by blasting (see Fig. 11.1). It is probable that the populations of wildlife living on the south and west sides of Pac Ta mountain will move away from the direct line of blasting, and so will effectively lose this habitat for the duration of basting activity. This area is known to contain some groups of Francois monkeys. Visually, the scar of the quarry will be seen clearly associated with the dam from all around especially from the road into Na Hang from the south. (see Fig 10.1 and 10.2). 40 Quarry No 3 in Nang Kha is further away and will be less damaging to the biodiversity. It is understood that this quarry, and possibly a fourth one will be used for the bulk of the production of the rock for the dam. Whilst it is farther away from the Nature Reserve, and thus with lower biodiversity resources, caves and other focuses of biodiversity interest may be affected. These are currently unknown. Quarry No 3 (and 4) will create an extra disturbance for people being resettled into the commune. The proposal is to move 100 households into the Nang Kha area of which 40 would be moved to Na Vai, which appears to be within 1 km of the quarry site. Quarry No 2. is the existing quarry on the road side and being used for the road widening activities at the present time. Its capacity is limited and it is unlikely to have significant impacts upon the biodiversity. It does have a visual impact at the entrance to Na Hang and should be rehabilitated after the dam construction process is complete. Once each quarry site is finally agreed, it should be subjected to an environmental assessment for the purposes of drawing up an environmental management plan for operation and final rehabilitation. This plan will attempt to minimise the impacts of blasting, dust, traffic flows and should consider reuse and rehabilitation after quarry activities are completed.

9.3. Comparison of particular resettlement measures

12.3.1. Khau Tinh The resettlement measures of greatest concern are those in Khau Tinh, where it is proposed that 54 households would be moved from Ban Lam up to an area close to the Khau Tinh commune. It is proposed to construct an irrigation dam and to bring 25 ha of land under irrigated cultivation. Although the overall population in Khau Tinh would not increase, there would be a larger number of people moved into much closer access to the core area of the Tat Ke core zone of the Nature Reserve. Indeed as shown earlier, the new agricultural land

40 It is understood from the meeting between the team and EVN (5 August) that there are serious concerns about this quarry site, and it has been decided to use this as a back up quarry.

- 119 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report is within 1 km of the mature forested land in which the Tonkin Snub-nosed monkeys are living. Discussions with some of the inhabitants of Ban Lam have shown a reluctance to move to a higher level. The building of the dam and irrigation scheme there will also have a significant local impact. This resettlement of people from the Ban Lam area also conflicts with the longstanding proposal to resettle the people from Doi Mot and An Trang villages that currently lie within the core zone. It may mean that these resettlements, which are urgently needed from the point of view of Nature Reserve management and protection, are not possible. These issues need to be resolved in the context of the whole resettlement programme.

12.3.2. Con Lon The increase of population in Con Lon by the resettlement of 20 households from an, as yet unidentified village, will also increase the overall population living within the nature reserve. Whilst this may not have a less direct impact upon the core zone compared to Khau Tinh resettlement, Con Lon lies within the regeneration zone of the nature reserve and resettlement is likely to ensure that the biodiversity corridor from the core zone to the north is cut off.

12.3.3. Nang Kha The resettlement issue at Nang Kha concerns the proximity of one of the proposed resettlement villages, Na Vai to Quarry No. 3. About 40 households are proposed for Na Vai. Quarry No. 3 lies within about 1 km of the village and it is proposed that the people should either not be moved to that village, or that they should move after quarrying activities have ceased.

9.4. Dau Dang dam41 On request of the People Committee of Bac Can Province, in December 2001, the Power Engineering Consultant Company 1 (PECC1) completed an investment report on Dau Dang Fall Hydropower project. Dau Dang falls is a famous waterfall on Nang River. Nang River is a tributary of Gam River, connecting with Ba Be lake, located in the Ba Be National Park. Ba Be lake is the largest natural lake in Vietnam, and the 20th largest natural lake in the world, ranked by area. Dau Dang Falls upstream normal water level altitude is about 148m asl, downstream water level about 118 m asl, creating a water height of 30m. The aim of the project is the building of a dam at Dau Dang Falls on Nang River to increase the normal altitude of upstream water level from 148m asl to150m asl. The downstream water level at the falls, after the creation of Tuyen Quang reservoir, will be fluctuating from 118m to 124 m asl, according to season and flood regulation operation. So the building of the dam will keep the water height between upstream and downstream part of the Dau Dang Fall between 30m to 32 m, even with the case of existence of Tuyen Quang reservoir. Together with the dam there will be various constructions: • The power plant, 15m large, 25m long, • The dam with a spill way, • Canal flowing water from reservoir to turbines, on the right side of the reservoir, enabling a runoff of 27 m3/sec, • Power distribution station with a voltage of 35 KV,

41 This section has been prepared to give an indication of other projects being proposed in the Ba Be/ Na Hang area. It is not intended to pre-empt or take the place of any EIA or assessment of this separate proposal. - 120 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

• Road linking project site to Na Hang town on the right bank of Nang River. The report describes the main features of the project as: • Installed electricity power: 6 MW (1.75% of that of Tuyen Quang project), • Average annual power production: 42.849 million kWh (3% of that of Tuyen Quang project), • Investment cost: 99.75 billion VND (1.45% of Tuyen Quang project, not including access road and power transmission lines cost) Concerning potential environmental impacts the report mentions that: • The dam will increase Ba Be reservoir normal level from 148m to 150m asl, only low-lying wetlands, but no forest in the national park will be inundated, microclimate in the park will be improved, • 67 persons in 12 households will be moved. This issue will be study in the phase of feasibility study. In July 2002, the project's invester, the Company for Industrial Development of Bac Can Province, has asked the Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technical Associations (VUSTA) for advice concerning project elaboration. The reply from VUSTA was that, according to current regulations, small hydropower plant project of only 6 MW capacity do not need detailed EIA report. However, as the project is located in the Ba Be National Park, it is necessary for the project to carry out detailed EIA, especially of potential impacts to the biodiversity conservation work of Ba Be National Park. Detailed economic and financial studies concerning the project's efficiency should be also carried out with attention to impacts on uniqueness of the natural Ba Be lake and its touristic values. The additional threat of the proposed dam at Dau Dang to the Ba Be National Park is considered in brief. All of the risks to biodiversity described for the Tuyen Quang Dam will apply and the benefits from the dam would appear to be small in comparison to the potential for damage to a national treasure. A full EIA will be required before the final decision is taken to go ahead. It should also be noted that since the reservoir caused by the Tuyen Quang Dam will only reach the bottom of the Dau Dang waterfall, it will not have any effect upon the the levels of the Ba Be Lake, nor be the cause of any seismic activity or landslides within the National Park. By contrast, the potential for these impacts should be investigated in any EIA carried out on the proposed Dau Dang dam.

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10. Using international biodiversity standards to assess Tuyen Quang Dam

The World Commission on Dams was established in 1998 by collaboration between the World Bank and IUCN. It attempted to provide a comprehensive assessment of the successes, benefits and disadvantages of large dams throughout the world. It developed a number of far reaching recommendations from the experience of over 120 different dams and 15 case studies, and an extensive consultative process. It was supported and assisted in its work by both protagonists and constructors of large dams, economists, sociologists and ecologists. Part of the thematic review undertaken by the WCD, involved a comprehensive assessment of environmental impacts including the impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity. In the sections on impacts on biodiversity a checklist was provided of the characters of environmentally friendly dams and environmentally threatening dams. This checklist has been used to develop a five-point scale between the two extremes and the Supplementary EIA Team assessed the Tuyen Quang proposal to discover where it lay on this scale. The assessment was made assuming that no additional mitigating measures were put in place. The following general conclusions were used to guide our assessments: • Dam will cause considerable changes to the landscape ecology of the area • New pressures and demands upon the natural resources – especially hunting, logging and NTFP collection • Area to be flooded will not include significant areas of prime forest, apart from one or two isolated areas e.g. Nang river gorge, Thac Mo waterfall area • Far from creating protected areas, the dam will flood some areas of existing protected areas • Resettlement will cause a net reduction in people in the NR, but their return needs to be prevented and there may be additional pressure from resettled people on some areas, e.g. Khau Tinh. • Na Hang Town will develop after the dam is built as a tourism centre • Tourism is both a threat and an opportunity for biodiversity conservation and needs careful management • Unless adequate measures in place to control demands of incoming people, it is unlikely that the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey will survive in Khau Tinh core zone in 10 years time. • Riverine fish species in Gam and Nang will disappear and be replaced by species similar to those from Ba Be – no alien species to be introduced into reservoir • Uncertainty about other unknown species of karst limestone system – e.g. cave species The findings of the assessment are shown in table 14.1. The results show that the balance lies towards the dam being environmentally threatening. Out of 18 criteria, 2 were considered to have a score of 5 (most environmentally threatening) and six had a score of 4 (slightly less threatening). On 5 criteria, the Tuyen Quang dam was considered to be environmentally neutral with a score of 3, and on 1 criterion it was the most environmentally friendly with a score of 1, and 4 criteria had a score of 2 (slightly less friendly). Another comparison provided by the World Commission on Dams is shown in Table 14.2. This suggests 8 international standards for assessing dams for their impacts on biodiversity. Comment is made on how the Tuyen Quang dam matches these standards and suggestions are made for improving the performance of the Tuyen Quang dam. - 122 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Table 14.1. World Commission on Dams checklist for impacts upon biodiversity

Grade Environmentally Friendly Dams 12345Environmentally Threatening Dams No genetically distinct stocks or species extirpated or Several genetically distinct stocks or species extirpated or driven to driven to extinction extinction Only small areas of ecosystems or habitats lost or Large areas of ecosystems or habitats lost or converted converted Footprint of dam avoids areas rich in species, endemic Footprint of dam overlaps areas rich in species, endemic species, species, species at risk, or diverse habitats species at risk, or diverse habitats Highly productive inland rivers, lakes and estuaries are The ecological integrity of such areas is disturbed, hampering their retained in their natural state biological productivity Overall footprint of the dam is small in area Overall footprint of the dam is large in area No exotic species or ecosystems introduced Several exotic species or ecosystems introduced Dam does not block routes of migratory freshwater Dam blocks routes of migratory freshwater species species Seasonal flow patterns of discharge maintained Seasonal flow patterns of discharge disrupted Discharge volume is little diminished. Water never Discharge volume is greatly reduced. Zero discharges frequent or ceases flowing prolonged Water quality natural. No methyl mercury generated Temperature, oxygen, turbidity, sediment and acidity levels. Methyl

mercury is generated Unique habitats conserved Unique habitats lost Excellent EIA conducted and impacts avoided or No EIA carried out or a poor one hastily conducted with serious impacts mitigated neither avoided nor mitigated Environmental staff are an important part of the dam Environmental staff called in late in the project after key decisions planning and construction from the project start irrevocably made, and their input is given low priority

Landscape and airscape planning and management are Landscape and airscape planning and management are not included in included in the process to enhance dam performance - 123 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report and lower water demand the process Water volume stored is relatively small but efficiency is Water volume stored is high and wastefully used high Protected land and freshwater areas created to enhance No protected areas established dam performance and conserve biodiversity Dam and irrigation canals leak-proof and evaporation Dam and irrigation canals leak and evaporation rates high minimised Dam reservoir sedimentation rate low Dam reservoir sedimentation rate high Pumped storage units, hydrogen conversion or other No such power storage devices used techniques used to store power, instead of storing high Not water volumes, fostering more normal seasonal water applicable flow patterns NUMBER OF TIMES PER GRADE 14562

Table 14.2. World Commission on Dams Assessment of Tuyen Quang Dam against International Standards for ecological impacts

Standard Assessment of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Ideas for improving the performance of the Tuyen project Quang hydropower project

Minimise species extinction Dam project is located partly inside a Nature Focus attention of mitigation measures on: Reserve and National Park. 1453 ha of Nature a) strengthening Forest guards and patrollers to Reserve will be flooded with 417.4 ha primary and minimise hunting pressure etc. secondary forest, containing some threatened species. Secondary impacts from hunting, logging b) develop extensions to protected areas and habitat isolation may cause localised loss of c) move people in core zones out as part of dam species. resettlement process Some riverine fish species will be lost or will move Study which species are at risk and try to provide upstream habitat upstream Give high priority to recovery Low-lying ecosystems to be flooded have been Identify areas within the watershed for natural forest of degraded ecosystems largely degraded by agriculture and logging rehabilitation (rather than plantation forest) to help activities (historical and illegal). However, remaining secondary forest to recover its ecosystem

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Standard Assessment of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Ideas for improving the performance of the Tuyen project Quang hydropower project

increased access from the reservoir will increase value and watershed protection functions risk of further illegal logging in areas that have

previously been inaccessible

Conserve essential Potential for erosion both upstream and Replanting and rehabilitation of exposed, sloping earth ecological processes downstream and along new roads. surfaces Seasonal patterns of flow in river downstream Maintain patterns of river flow as far as possible. appear to be similar, and minimum flows will be Create “sanctuaries” for fish species in new reservoir slightly higher. and in-flowing streams. Breeding grounds for some fish species will be Identify and develop corridors for animal movement lost. between forested areas, especially where cut off by the reservoir. Use natural resources Potential for resettled people to return to area if Make sure resettled people do not come back and sustainably living standard expectations not met. remaining people are also satisfied. Try to alleviate pressure on the natural resources remaining in the Remaining villages may not be viable by area. Development objectives for both resettled people themselves, may move uphill and put extra and those remaining communities to be addressed pressure on natural resources in nature reserve.

Arrest continued loss of Dam and reservoir by itself is unlikely to cause Additional forest guards during key activities, to prevent biodiversity major loss of biodiversity, apart from unknown logging and hunting etc. cave, and mollusc species. Pressures induced by Extension of the protected area in Sinh Long/Xuan Tien the dam on hunting and NTFP collection and orchids etc, will threaten biodiversity in area. Loss of habitat and fragmentation of habitat also threatens biodiversity

Resolve information Lack of information about: Carry out specific studies

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Standard Assessment of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Ideas for improving the performance of the Tuyen project Quang hydropower project inadequacies a) cave systems and biodiversity b) biodiversity around quarry sites c) molluscs d) native fish species for fisheries development in reservoir e) cumulative downstream impacts of both large and small dams upon ecosystems in delta etc not clear Apply the precautionary Decision to go ahead with the dam apparently Detailed EIA and mitigation measures suggested must principle taken before all the facts about environmental be addressed even more carefully aspects have been adequately considered and

short-circuiting the environmental approval process. Plan the tourism development opportunities carefully and in conjunction with biodiversity conservation objectives of the nature reserve Carry out high standard EIAs EIA carried out does not seem to address either Supplementary EIA recommendations should be the biodiversity issues adequately or the impacts incorporated into the detailed EIA, and EIAs should be

of subsidiary activities such as roads and carried out separately on the proposals for additional / powerlines. Detail is to be provided after the subsidiary activities decision has been taken, rather than before

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11. Mitigation and monitoring measures

11.1. Mitigation measures already Proposed The threats from the dam construction to the biodiversity in Ba Be / Na Hang have been recognised by the authorities. The Forest Protection Department and the Management Board of the Nature Reserve have begun to take the following measures: • Confiscation of guns in both Ba Be and Na Hang • Awareness programme amongst local people about the importance of protecting the forest and wildlife; • Proposal to print 16,000 leaflets for distribution amongst the workforce pointing out the importance of protecting the forests and wildlife, and the laws relating to hunting and eating of bushmeat and logging etc. Once the workforce have been informed about this they can not claim ignorance if caught. • Proposals to strengthen the forest rangers - an additional 10 – 12 rangers have been requested by FPD in Na Hang It is considered that these steps will go some way towards the protection of the forests and wildlife in the protected areas and the buffer zones around them. However, it must be recognised that the social and market forces - the demand for bushmeat, the opportunity for increasing incomes through NTFP collection, hunting and logging, the every-day needs for firewood, etc. - which are released by an infrastructure project like this, are much greater than can be envisaged. Rapid population influx is a great driver of economic opportunity and hence pressure on natural resources, for which the present natural resource managers may not have fully anticipated or be ready for. In fact these pressures are starting already, with the workforce of about 3 – 400 people preparing the site and the access roads.

11.2. Additional measures to be adopted

14.2.1. Detailed EIA and Surveys 1. Detailed EIA and other research needed. The detailed EIA is urgently required to cover a wide range of issues that have not been covered by this report, which has focused upon conservation needs. One of the issues that has been raised by the EIA Task Force has been increased erosion of the banks both upstream and downstream. One of the justifications for additional conservation and reforestation activities up-stream is the ecological role of forests in protecting the water shed from excessive soil erosion and siltation of the reservoir. Thus watershed protection and forest habitat conservation have similar objectives. However, the detailed EIA should consider this in greater detail. 2. Other aspects that must be considered by the detailed EIA, or in separate stand-alone EIAs, are the following subsidiary activities: • Road widening and rehabilitation between Chiem Hoa and Na Hang and to the Nang Kha quarry • 220 kv power line route between the Na Hang dam and Yen Bai • Replacement road between Na Hang - Son Phu – Da Vi – Ba Be, including the likely bridge across the Nang River just below the Dau Dang waterfall. • Tourism resort or hotel development All of these require EIAs because they will have serious impacts upon the Nature Reserve. Routes should be chosen that avoid mature forest areas and core zones of

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the Nature Reserve. In designing the routes, consultation with the Nature Reserve and National Park Management Boards is essential. 3. Detailed surveys are required as part of the detailed EIA on the following aspects: • Limestone cave systems both below and above the 120m asl line to establish their location, extent and biodiversity, which may include some unique species. Impacts on the caves should include both flooding and vibration from blasting. Caves within a 5 km radius of the quarry sites should be included. Especial attention should be paid to the populations of bats, birds and fish using the caves. • Special study on mollusc fauna. It appears that there is a gap in knowledge here and the diversity of mollusc fauna, both terrestrial and aquatic, in limestone areas is usually high. Dams have been known to cause significant loss of mollusc diversity. • Biodiversity surveys of the Nang Gorge and Bac Vang stream since these are prime habitats which are difficult of access, but which will suffer the most in terms of prime habitat loss due to flooding. Any vertical zonation of species should be noticed, in order to identify particular species losses due to flooding. • Biodiversity baselines of tower karst formations that are likely to remain as islands in the reservoir. Tower karst formations often have particularly high biodiversity and endemism, because they are often already “islands” amongst the paddy fields.

14.2.2. Measures to be taken during Site Preparation and Construction The following measures are recommended: 4. Strengthen Forest Protection Forces: The present number of FPD staff in Na Hang is 25 (details of the present situation are provided in Appendix 8.). The national recommended coverage of rangers is 1: 1,000 ha. whilst the protected area covers 40,000 ha. Thus the present coverage is too low. It is recognised that the FPD are supported by patrollers locally recruited by the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey Conservation Project and that this brings up the numbers of people on the ground, but these patrollers do not have the required authority to charge those breaking the forest reglations. 5. It is recommended that for the duration of the dam construction project including the present preparation phase that additional forest rangers be recruited to bring the levels on the ground to nationally recommended coverage. It is suggested that 15 more staff be recruited. These staff will require training on the implementation of forest regulations in this situation; existing staff will require refresher courses. 6. During the resettlement implementation, additional rangers will be needed to ensure that villagers do not take illegally logged trees with them when they move. It is understood that this is already being done, but the existing rangers should not be diverted from their tasks of ensuring that hunting does not take place. 7. During the vegetation clearance activities, supervision of the contractors will be necessary to ensure that they do not cut economically valuable trees from above the designated 120 m asl line. • Additional FPD staff will need to be brought in from other areas of the province (or other provinces if necessary) to strengthen the Na Hang staff – otherwise their other protection duties will suffer. • The contracted packages for clearance will need to be clearly marked and contractors should not move on to the next package until the current one is complete. Rules about what vegetation should cleared (size, type etc.) and control

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of burning need to be stipulated in the contract, with provisions for fines if contravened, or fires get out of control. • The Nang River Gorge and the Bac Vang stream should be excluded from clearance activities. This is to provide added protection of these areas of primary forest and to minimise disturbance of the wildlife. These areas are difficult to access in any case, so would not be easy for contractors. The uncut vegetation will provide a refuge for fish populations later. Once the water level rises and the trees die back, some can be removed for ease of navigation. 8. We recommend that the PARC project reconsiders it’s equipment needs in the light of the new consevation needs at Na Hang because of the dam and reservoir. They should include the following: • Additional equipment needs to be provided for the FPD section in Na Hang. This should include: o A communication system for the ranger posts and checkpoints – radios and walkie-talkies o Observation equipment – binoculars o Motorbikes – at least one per ranger post and checkpoint After the reservoir has filled, it is recommended that two more floating ranger posts should be installed, one at the Vinh Yen/Son Phu section, located near the entrance to the Nang gorge and the other at the toop end of the gorge near Ban Lam. The funds for these two should come from compensation money paid for the new ranger post recently constructed at Vinh Yen/Son Phu. Four boats with engines should be provided to facilitate guard duties – • one to be based at the dam site, • one at Bac Vang to patrol up the Bac Vang gorge and Xuan Tien valley, • one at Vinh Yen / Son Phu and • one at Da Vi/ Ban Lam. 9. Continue the awareness programme – probably this programme is being covered adequately, but a single effort at the start of the contruction process should not be considered as good enough. Regular updates and presentations need to be made to the workforce, restaurants etc. to inform any new arrivals as well as making sure that those who have heard it before, still remember the message.

10. Enforcement of forest regulations – The construction company should have strict rules covering the possession of guns, hunting, eating of bushmeat, possession of explosives and fish-bombing, collecting and transporting wild products. It should be made clear to workers on arrival that these activities are not permitted and infringement will lead to fines and dismissal. Existing and new Forest rangers need trasining and refresher courses on the forest regulations. 11. Forest checkposts should be strengthened, e.g. at Phong Ma. Collaboration with the police force for spot checks of vehicles moving out of the area to check for forest products moving out of the area. At present FPD staff are only allowed to search vehicles on suspicion that they contain forest products. Regular spot checks with the police force would send out the appropriate message that removal of forest products will not be allowed. 12. Quarries and management of blasting - Various issues arise from the quarries. The blasting activities need careful management. Minimisation of the impact upon the environment around the quarry and rehabilitation afterwards is essential.

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• For Quarry 1 which may impact the wildlife on Pac Ta mountain, o the quarrying activity should start on the southern slope of the hill away from Pac Ta, so that the full impact of the noise from the blasts is not felt. o The noise and vibration of blasts should be minimised by attention to appropriate charge size and depth of explosive and the use of sequential blasting to reduce the shock waves o If there are any caves with significant biodiversity – bats and swiftlets - within 2 km of the quarry, blasting should be timed to avoid the times when these animals fly out to feed or return to roost. Blocking of cave entrances to protect the cave environment should only be temporary. o The visual impacts of the quarry will be very evident from the south, especially from the approach road from Chiem Hoa to Na Hang. Rehabilitation of the quarry after completion of the dam should be planned, e.g through appropriate landscaping and planting. • For Quarry 3, which may impact the people living in Nang Kha, similar attention to noise levels will be important. The people to be resettled in Nang Kha should not be moved to within an area of 2 km of the quarry, or should only move after blasting activities have been completed. • Guidelines for Impact mitigation of quarrying in limestone areas are reproduced from Vermeulen and Whitten, 1999 in Appendix 9. These measures cover the following areas: o Removal of wreckage, buildings, engines etc. o Remodelling perpendicular slopes o Loosening the quarry floor o Ensuring sufficient drainage of the quarry floor o Filling in crevices and holes of reconstructed gentle slopes with sterilised soil o Replanting the area o Checking results and monitoring regeneration o Reclamation of the quarry area for alternative use, if appropriate.

14.2.3. Measures to be taken during resettlement planning and implementation 13. As a principle, people should not be resettled into the area within the Nature Reserve boundary. • In Khau Tinh the current proposal is for the people of Ban Lam (54 households) to move up to Khau Tinh commune where a small dam will be built to irrigate a 20 ha plot of land. Thus the overall population will not change. However, these people will be brought to within 2 km of the core zone where the Snub-nosed monkeys live, and local pressure will be intensified. This must be avoided at all costs and so alternative arrangements should be made for the people of Ban Lam (who anyway are not keen to move to upland areas) • The resettlement of 20 households in Con Lon should be avoided. • Although it is understood that people are to be moved to the Cham Chu area, it is not clear exactly where. Movement of people to within 10 kms of the proposed nature reserve are at Cham Chu should be avoided 14. The movement of people out of the core zones of the Na Hang Nature reserve, which have been proposed for several years now should be carried out as part of the overall

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resettlement programme, even if the villages concerned are not included in the flooded zone. These include the villages: • Doi Moi and Na Trang in Khau Tinh • Ban Bung and Co Ieng in Thanh Tuong The justification for this, in the case of Khau Tinh, is that these villages will become more isolated as a result of the reservoir. For both, this can be seen as part compensation for loss of forest resources. 15. In Nang Kha it is proposed to move 40 households to Na Kha – Na Vai area. Before finalising these arrangements, the location and operations of the quarry in Nang Kha should be confirmed, because it will be unacceptable to move people into an area where there are intensive quarrying operations. A minimum distance of 2 km from the quarry should be allowed for any resettlement, or resettlement should only take place after the quarrying activity has been completed. 16. Monitoring of resettlement programme after the move of people. The resettlement programme does not stop with the move of the people. For the success of the programme post-resettlement monitoring and support will be needed to ensure that the people moved are satisfied. Most resettlers are farmers who need a full year to ensure adequacy of agricultural activities. The Resettlement Board should monitor the resettlement process for at least a year after the move of each community and make it clear to all those who have been resettled that they will continue to assist them during the first year. It is suggested that they establish a “help-line” phone and local contact point within every host community to deal with issues that arise. 17. Cultural resources: The safeguard of these values is an important task in the process of project implementation. Following are some measures proposed for the realization of this task: • Moving of revolution and war memorials to non-inundated places, • Establishment of a systematic study programme on cultural resources and indigenous knowledge of all villages, which will be inundated, and people living in these villages; publication of study results, • Record on photographs and other audio-visual means the landscapes, houses, infrastructures, people and their cultural resources of the villages, which will be inundated; writing and publication of the history of establishment of these villages and communities living there. • Establishment in Na Hang town a special museum of artefacts and publications related to people, history, landscape and culture of the reservoir area. These activities should be carried out by Tuyen Quang province and Na Hang district authorities responsible for cultural affairs in cooperation with a research institution specialized in cultural studies. The fund necessary for the study should be provided by Tuyen Quang project owner agency.

14.2.4. Planning for the post-construction and Operational phase 18. Extension of the protected areas - The dam construction project should be seen as an opportunity for extension of the protected areas around Na Hang, and for the creation of special use corridors. Many of these have already been identified by the PARC project. In particular the poissibility of extending the Na Hang Nature reserve to the north west through Xuan Tien (Duc Xuan)/Sinh Long, and possibly linking with the proposed Bac Me Nature Reserve should be put forward again. Before this proposal was rejected because of population density. However, with the resettlement of the virtually all the people in the Xuan Tien commune, the numbers of people in - 131 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

this area will be reduced to 41% of the present. A biodiversity survey of Duc Xuan/Sinh Long has shown the potential of the forests in this area. The north side of the reservoir should thus be included in the Nature Reserve, possibly with some limited eco-tourism (see below) 19. To complement this extension, the creation of artificial corridors should be considered to facilitate the movement of climbing animals, especially the primates, out of the Khau Tinh core area. The suggestion has been made previously for a simple “bridge” of cables and creepers to be erected across the Bac Vang and Nang gorges in an attempt to overcome genetic isolation of these populations.42 Since the reservoir will emphasise the isolation of this area, it is recommended that a feasibility study be carried out to assess designs, practicality and costs of such connections across these two gorges. The distances between the 200 m asl contours in some places may be as little as 200 – 300 m. 20. Rehabilitation of the dam and quarry sites according to the plans developed 21. Tourism development - it should be recognised that tourism will develop in the area of the dam and reservoir. Planning for tourism development should start now, rather than waiting for the reservoir to be filled. The FPD and PARC project should work with the Tuyen Quang Tourism Department to begin the planning process. Definite zones for different tourism and conservation activities should be identified clearly with permitted activities. It is suggested that various tourism facilities should be established, serving different clientele needs, to attract visitors and to draw them away from the core conservation zones (Pac Ta, Bac Vang, Nang Gorge) which should be declared as “no go” zones. Other areas may have limited development and trekking routes. The Xuan Tien (Duc Xuan) valley could become an ideal tourism site with hotel and lake based activities on the southern bank and more limed eco-tourism on the northern bank and forests. 22. Fisheries development - studies should be started for planning fisheries activities on the reservoir. However, it is recommended that the lake fish fauna should be encouraged to develop along lines characteristic of the Ba Be fish species. No alien species should be introduced, since this is a Nature Reserve. Certain parts of the lake should be reserved as fish sanctuaries for a) fish breeding and b) for protecting the inflows from streams and caves where some of the fish may move to breed. The Nang gorge and Bac Vang stream areas may be such designated fish sanctuaries. 23. Particular fishery research should be allocated to the conservation requirements of Anhvu fish, Semilabeo notablis.

14.2.5 Long-term protected area financing Consideration should be given towards the setting up of a Na Hang / Ba Be Protected Area Fund derived from a very small percentage of the electricity revenues on an ongoing basis. This fund would be managed by a board consisting of EVN, Provincial Forest Protection Departments, the Na Hang District PC and the National Park/Nature Reserve Management Boards. The funds would be allocated to capital and other projects within the protected areas affected by the dam. In partricular the funds could be used for reforestation activities to both protect the water shed and to conserve the biodiversity. It is recommended that a feasibility study be carried out to determine the size of such a fund and how it would be managed.

42 There are precedents for this in other parts of the world, e.g. in Panama where cable bridges have been erected for the movement of spider monkeys between islands. (Grieser-Johns, pers.com) - 132 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

11.3. Monitoring and Reporting Requirements Environmental Monitoring is an essential requirement for any infrastructure project, especially one of this size. The detailed EIA should specify the environmental monitoring to be carried out, how, by whom, and how often. These requirements consider the monitoring for impacts upon biodiversity. Monitoring should be seen as a management tool to inform those responsible for certain activities about their effectiveness and to inform decisions about future implementation.

14.3.1 Monitoring sensitive species This Supplementary EIA has identified a number of species or groups of flora and fauna that are particularly sensitive to disturbance, habitat change and hunting pressure. In particular the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey is seen as the flagship species for the whole area. There is already a system for recording sightings of this endangered monkey (along with other monkey species) in both Khau Tinh and Ban Bung. The entry of these records urgently needs to be completed, and analysed. It is appreciated that these records are too few to be statistically accurate, but the system needs to be geared towards monitoring of impacts of the dam process upon the monkeys. It should be possible, for example to determine the observation per unit effort (time spent looking for them by the patrollers), and most favoured areas. It is recommended that these valuable records are used for this purpose and a simple but useful system developed. Other species to be monitored include cave species, if the baseline survey reveals significant caves found within the area of 3 km from the quarry sites. The populations of fish species in the Gam and Nang Rivers should also be monitored in order to provide a base-line and changes occurring after inundation. The key species to monitor here maybe Semilabeo obscuros.

14.3.2 Monitoring important habitats Reducing the degradation and fragmentation of habitats is key to the survival of all of the biodiversity in the area. Regular observation is important here, and the records of the rangers and patrollers should be systematised to show evidence of illegal logging, cutting of firewood, burning etc. These records should be made, even if no person is caught or fined. They should be reported and analysed every three months to identify trends such as increased frequency of observation, areas etc. Particular attention should be paid to the following areas: o All slopes of Khau Tinh above the 120 m asl line o Nang River Gorge on both sides of the river o Bac Vang gorge on both sides o Slopes along the northern shoreline of Xuan Tien o Tower karsts in the inudation zone

14.3.3 Monitoring illegal activities Preventing illegal activities such as hunting, logging, bushmeat transport and sale, plant collection etc. is the principal task of the rangers and therefore should be recorded on a regular basis. What is needed here though is regular analysis of the figures to see whether there are any trends, such as increasing frequency, particular favoured locations. It is suggested that a system be established for bringing together the records for both Ba Be and Na Hang. It is also important to collect the information for the buffer zones outside the protected areas, because these are the areas that are going to be “hit” hardest at first. It is suggested that the staff members with responsibility for the analysis and preparation of a three monthly report be clearly identified. - 133 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

14.3.4 Monitoring awareness campaign effectiveness The success of the awareness-raising programme should be monitored. At different stages of the project a survey of awareness about conservation issues and the law should be carried out amongst construction workers (managers, technical staff and labourers), restaurants and local people to test the effectiveness of the campaign. If the survey indicates a lack of awareness or changing attitudes towards conservation the campaign should be altered appropriately. Such a survey should be carried out for the FPD by a team of sociologists or agricultural extensionists, on a yearly basis.

14.3.5 Auditing environmental performance Environmental management plans are often just produced on paper and never adhered to. In this case it is important that the potential environmental and biodiversity impacts are addressed, and are seen to be addressed effectively. The environmental management records of the different implementing agencies will be provide information about the effectiveness to facilitate management decisions. These agencies include: o the Song Da 9 Company implementing the construction of the Dam o the Provincial Resettlement Board o the Forest Protection Department and Nature Reserve Management Board o the Na Hang District authorities, including those with responsibility for Agriculture, Fisheries and Health. However, it is important that an annual environmental audit of the project activities undertaken by the different agencies be carried out by an independent organisation. The baseline surveys and recommendations provided in this report, and in the detailed EIA and Environmental Management Plan should serve as a baseline for the audit. The sensitive nature of this project in terms of biodiversity and its global importance means that this environmental audit should be independent, and reported initially to the EIA Task Force, and later publically. The EIA Task Force with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment should have the authority to enforce remedial actions that need to be taken by the appropriate implementing agency.

14.3.6 Reporting of monitored information It is equally important that the environmental information that is collected on a regular basis by the different agencies is brought together in a six-monthly report that is presented to the EIA Task Force, which should continue to meet throughout the construction and immediate post construction phases. The annual environmental audit of the whole project should be made available to interested organisations, including donors and NGOs. It could be posted on a Web site, set up to cover the progress of the dam project.

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12. Action programme

12.1. Agency responsibilities

5.1.10 EVN / PECC1 EVN and PECC1 clearly have the major responsibility for this action programme. Their tasks principally concern the completion of the necessary detailed EIAs for the Hydropower Project and the associated construction works such as the road widening of the Chiem Hoa to Na Hang road and the road to the quarries. The detailed EIA should be undertaken as soon as possible, so that the necessary mitigation measures can be put in place. Comments on the TOR for the detailed EIA were made during the initial phases of the Supplementary EIA team’s work, and can be found in the Scoping report. Discussions about alternative routes for the power line between Na Hang and Yen Bai, and for the replacement road between Na Hang – Son Phu – Da Vi – Ba Be, need to be held between EVN/PECC1 and FPD and the Na Hang and Ba Be protected area agencies. From these discussions the most acceptable alternatives for routes should be subjected to full EIAs in order to facilitate the decisions based upon the least environmentally damaging alternative. These EIAs should be carried out during the early part of 2003. These EIAs should be approved in the normal way by MOSTE43/Tuyen Quang DOSTE. EVN also has responsibilities for funding a number of the different activities to be undertaken by other agencies. These are indicated in the Table 15.2.

5.1.11 Song Da 9 Construction Company Song Da 9 Construction Company is the principal contractor constructing the dam and other infrastructure works. It has responsibilities under its contract to undertake these works in accordance with the environmental protection provisions agreed with EVN/PECC1 as a result of the detailed EIA. However, in the context of the scope of this Supplementary EIA, it has important responsibilities to ensure that its workforce understands and complies with the forest protection regulations, the ban on hunting and the purchase and consumption of bushmeat. It should work closely with the FPD and the protected area authorities on the awareness campaign and enforcement. It should clearly set out and implement its own internal regulations for any infringements – e.g. warning for first-time offenders, followed by dismissal. Once the work plan for the development and extraction of materials from the different quarry sites has been prepared, Song Da 9 Company should prepare an environmental management and rehabilitation plan for each of the quarry sites, taking into account blasting, dust release, movement of vehicles, progressive rehabilitation as various parts of the quarry are exhausted, and final rehabilitation. They should have discussions at some stage with the Na Hang District authorities about the possible post construction use of the quarry sites, so that rehabilitation can be geared to these requirements. Once the dam is built and the quarries are no longer required, the detailed rehabilitation and landscaping plan should be prepared and implemented.

43 MOSTE has now been changed to Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE). - 135 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

5.1.12 Tuyen Quang Resettlement Board The Tuyen Quang Resettlement Board has the major responsibility for the whole resettlement process and for ensuring that it is a success. Various aspects have been identified during this supplementary EIA that should be considered during the planning stages. These include: • The people of Ban Lam should not be resettled in the Khau Tinh commune, but elsewhere. • The site identified for resettlement should be reserved for the resettlement of the people already within the upland areas of Khau Tinh, e.g. the villagers from Doi Moi and Na Trang, who are in the process of being moved under the Na Hang NR provisions • The opportunity for moving people out of the core zones of the Na Hang NR (e.g. Doi Moi and Na Trang and Ban Bung and Co Ieng) should be taken to coincide with the movements of people from the inundation zone. If possible funds for moving these people should be allocated to the overall resettlement plan, so that there is equity of compensation. • The proposed movement of people to Nang Kha commune should take into account the presence of quarry sites proposed for the dam within the commune. Where possible people should not be moved to within 2 km of a quarry until the man quarrying activity is over. • The viability of remaining villages after the resettlement of the majority of people in a commune needs careful consideration. Where a community is considered to be no longer viable, the whole population should be moved. The success of the resettlement programme is essential for the effectiveness of the whole dam project and for the conservation of biodiversity in particular. If people are unhappy with the move, they may try to return and take up residence near their old homes. If this happens addition pressure will be put upon natural resources in the area, since they will not have the agricultural lands to sustain them as before.

5.1.13 Tuyen Quang Forest Protection Department Tuyen Quang Forest Protection Department has critical responsibilities for ensuring the success of measures to conserve the forests of Tuyen Quang and the biodiversity that they contain. In order to ensure compliance with forest regulations, hunting and bushmeat bans etc. they should appoint and train up at least 15 additional forest rangers on a permanent basis. Continued training programmes for all staff are necessary to maintain the levels of knowledge about these regulations and ways of dealing with situations that they encounter in the field. In addition the FPD should make provision for additional forest rangers to be assigned to duties in the Na Hang area at critical stages of the dam building process. The two critical periods are: • during the resettlement process, to ensure that villagers do not cut down trees for which they have been compensated, before they leave • during the clearance of vegetation below the 120 m asl level, to ensure that contractors do not remove illegally any economic trees from above the 120 m asl level. It is suggested that 6 additional rangers be taken for each of these critical periods, which will take place between the middle of 2003 to the end of 2005. Additional rangers are required so that the permanent rangers are not diverted from their duties.

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FPD should also enforce forest regulations in Na Hang town and on the road to Chiem Hoa. The Forest checkpoints should be upgraded to prevent the movement of timber and bushmeat out of the area, and guns coming into the area. It is suggested that greater collaboration with the police be sought to arrange regular spot checks along the road and in restaurants etc. This will have some degree of deterrence. FPD have an important role in the monitoring of infringements of the forest regulations. A system should be set up for the collection of statistics and their incorporation into the overall monitoring scheme of the dam project. They should also commission, with the assistance of PARC project, a regular survey of the effectiveness of the awareness programme amongst the workers of the dam project, the townspeople of Na Hang and the villagers in key areas. This survey should be carried out once per year several months after the renewed awareness programme. Failings in the programme effectiveness should be remedied where possible. At some stage during the time period, consideration should be given to the potential for extension of the protected areas in the light of changed land use and tourism development potential arising from the dam and reservoir. FPD clearly plays a role in this and with the Protected area authorities and the PARC project an active process of discussions, consultations and proposals should be carried out, leading to a decision on the areas in which to extend the regeneration and buffer zones. It is suggested that this process be started before the end of the PARC project. In this respect, the FPD, PARC and the Na Hang NR should commission a feasibility study to consider ways of addressing the issue of habitat fragmentation and isolation of the Khau Tinh area. One suggestion has been made for animal “bridges” across the narrowest gorges, but there may be other options that can be considered.

5.1.14 Na Hang People’s Committee The Na Hang People’s Committee has the direct responsibility for ensuring that the dam project benefits the people of the district and the local economy. A great deal of coordination between the People’s Committee, EVN, Song Da 9 and the Resettlement Board will be required to make sure that the process runs smoothly. One aspect identified during the Supplementary EIA is the conservation of cultural resources, which should be coordinated by the People’s Committee. It is suggested that the Committee and the PARC project collaborate to develop a photographic record of the villages and cultural aspects that will be inundated, and that consideration be given to the setting up of a cultural museum to provide a permanent record of the area before the dam was built.

5.1.15 Na Hang Nature Reserve, Ba Be National Park, Tonkin Snub nosed Monkey Project, PARC project The Protected area authorities – Na Hang Nature Reserve and Ba Be National Park – have the prime responsibility for the protection and conservation of the biodiversity in the area. In this they are supported by the PARC project and the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey Project. It is suggested that the PARC project ensure that the additional equipment, necessary for comprehensive ranger activity, monitoring and surveillance of the protected areas, is ordered and acquired. Training in its use may be necessary. PARC should also ensure that the floating ranger posts are built to replace the ranger posts that will be inundated, e.g. at Vinh Yen/Son Phu. The four organisations should also develop the baseline surveys and biodiversity monitoring surveys. Baseline surveys on the cave and tower karst systems, on the mollusc fauna, and on the biodiversity of the Nang and Bac Vang gorges should be commissioned. The results of these surveys, especially those of the cave and tower karsts should be fed back to EVN and PECC1, so that they may take note of vulnerable cave systems near the dam and quarry

- 137 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report sites. They should also ensure that the vegetation along the gorges is not cleared until after the waters start to rise in order to minimise disturbance. An additional baseline survey, which should be co-ordinated by PARC, should be on the fish populations in the Gam and Nang Rivers. This should focus on the threatened and unique species found in these rivers, and lead to practical measures for their conservation in the light of the changing conditions as the reservoir forms and as a lake fishery develops. It is suggested that this be done in conjunction with the Fisheries Institute. Further studies may be required as the reservoir becomes established and stabilises. The monitoring system should be adapted from the existing monitoring carried out by the rangers and patrollers (funded by the TSMP). It is suggested that efforts be focussed on ensuring that the information that is gathered is collected systematically and analysed regularly, rather than trying to collect additional information. The system should be improved and the staff trained, with feedback given on the results and trends noticed.

5.1.16 Tuyen Quang Tourism Department At some stage before the dam is completed, the Tuyen Quang Tourism Department, the FPD, PARC and the Na Hang NR and Ba Be NP should collaborate to discuss the development of tourism on the reservoir. These discussions should consider the zoning of the area for tourism development, eco-tourism walks, and no-go areas. Where resorts are considered these should be subjected to the full EIA process to ensure that environmental impacts are minimised and that the development fits with the conservation needs of the area.

5.1.17 Fisheries Institute The Fisheries Institute will be required to carry out baseline population surveys of the fish in the Gam and Nang Rivers to identify those fish species that will be at risk from the inundation and changing conditions. They should recommend conservation measures where possible. They should also develop plans for the development of the lake fishery in line with the conservation requirements of the Nature Reserve and the National Park, ensuring that the fishery regulations should include the prohibition of introducing exotic species.

5.1.18 IUCN Although there is no statutory role for IUCN in this process, the organisation may be considered to have a direct interest through its role in the PARC project and the co-ordination of this Supplementary EIA. As a follow-up to the EIA, a proposal should be put forward to EVN/PECC1and FPD for IUCN to involve in the environmental auditing of the overall dam project – construction and operation, resettlement, biodiversity conservation measures etc. IUCN can carry out the role of an independent monitor of the process, pulling together the monitoring results and carrying out a regular annual environmental audit. It would report to the EIA Task Force, and be responsible for publishing the results on an annual basis.

12.2. Time frame The timing of the different elements of the action programme is indicated in the bar chart – Fig. 15.1. As can be seen some of these elements are ongoing throughout the construction operational period, others have an annual regularity, whilst some require immediate action to be completed before the construction activities are too far advanced. This programme should be discussed and adjusted appropriately by the EIA Task Force.

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Fig.15.1. Bar chart showing the timing of elements of the Action Programme

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Action Item Agencies responsible Oct - Jan - Apr - Jul - Oct - Jan - Apr - Jul - Oct - Jan - Apr - Jul - Oct - Jan - Apr - Jul - Oct - Jan - Apr - Jul - Oct - for implementation Dec Mar Jun Sep Dec Mar Jun Sep Dec Mar Jun Sep Dec Mar Jun Sep Dec Mar Jun Sep Dec Detailed EIA and other research needed. EVN/ PECC1 Road widening - Chiem Hoa - Na Hang and to Nang Kha quarry EVN/ PECC1 220 kv power line route between the Na Hang dam and Yen Bai EVN/ PECC1 Replacement road between Na Hang - Son Phu – Da Vi – Ba Be, EVN/ PECC1 Tourism resort or hotel development TQTD with FPD Detailed surveys Bidoversity of limestone cave systems and tower karst PARC Special study on mollusc fauna.. PARC Biodiversity surveys of the Nang Gorge and Bac Vang stream PARC Measures to be taken during Site Preparation / Construction Strengthen Forest Protection Forces: 15 additional Forest rangers FPD 6 Additional Rangers for supervision of resettlement FPD 6 Additional rangers for supervision of clearance contractors FPD Clearance of Nang River Gorge and the Bac Vang stream FPD Additional equipment for the FPD section in Na Hang. Communication system PARC/FPD Observation equipment PARC/FPD Motorbikes x 6 PARC/FPD 2 floating ranger posts PARC/FPD 4 boats with engines PARC/FPD Awareness and Enforcement Continue the awareness programme –Regular updates FPD, Song Da 9 Enforcement of forest regulations FPD, Song Da 9 Forest checkposts strengthened, e.g. at Phong Ma. FPD, Police Quarries Quarries rehabilitation and management of blasting Song Da 9 Resettlement In Khau Tinh resettle people of Ban Lam outside the commune. Resettlement Board Doi Moi and Na Trang in Khau Tinh Resettlement Board Ban Bung and Co Ieng in Thanh Tuong Resettlement Board Check location of Nang Kha quarry before resettlement Resettlement Board, Monitoring of resettlement programme Resettlement Board Cultural resources conservation Moving of revolution and war memorials Na Hang PC Study on cultural resources and indigenous knowledgePARC Phtographic/audiovisual record of area to be flooded Na Hang PC/ PARC Na Hang museum plus artefacts before the flood Na Hang PC Post-construction and Operational phase Extension of the protected areas - FPD, Tuyen Quang PC Feasibility study of connections across gorges PARC, FPD Rehabilitation of the dam and quarry sites Song Da 9 Planning for tourism development PARC, FPD, TQTD Fisheries development studies FI, NHNR, BBNP Research on conservation requirements of Anhvu fish FI, NHNR, BBNP Protected Area Management Fund FPD, NHNR, BBNP Monitoring and Reporting Requirements Monitoring sensitive species FPD, NHNR, BBNP Monitoring important habitats FPD, NHNR, BBNP Monitoring illegal activities FPD, Police, Song Da 9 Monitoring awareness campaign effectiveness PARC/ FPD Auditing environmental performance IUCN? Reporting of monitored information EVN, FPD, IUCN X X X X X

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12.3. Costs & Sources of Funds The costs of the different action items have been estimated in Table 15.2 below. These costs are approximate, based upon best information to date. They will need to be adjusted as further detail is developed for each item by the agencies involved. In addition the agencies that may potentially take the responsibility for providing the funds for each item has been indicated. Many of the items are shown as being funded by EVN because it is considered that this is a justifiable cost of developing the Na Hang Dam, of protecting the environment and conserving the biodiversity resources from the direct and indirect impacts of the dam. Where other agencies are involved in sourcing the funds, e.g. PARC and Tourism Department, this is because they have specialised resources available for biodiversity conservation or the development of tourism resources respectively. Table 15.2. Estimated costs and sources of funds for the different action items.

Action Item Agencies responsible Agencies responsible for Cost per year Total cost VND Estimated cost for implementation funding VND Million million US $

Detailed EIA and other research needed. EVN/ PECC1 EVN/ PECC1 < 1 million

Road widening and rehabilitation between Chiem Hoa and Na Hang EVN/ PECC1 EVN/ PECC1 500 33,500 and to the Nang Kha quarry 220 kv power line route between the Na Hang dam and Yen Bai EVN/ PECC1 EVN/ PECC1 500 33,500

Replacement road between Na Hang - Son Phu – Da Vi – Ba Be, EVN/ PECC1 EVN/ PECC1 400 26,700

Tourism resort or hotel development Tuyen Quang Tourism Tuyen Quang Tourism 300 20000 Dept. with FPD Dept. Detailed surveys Bidoversity of limestone cave systems and tower karst PARC PARC 450 30,000 Special study on mollusc fauna.. PARC PARC 75 5000 Biodiversity surveys of the Nang Gorge and Bac Vang stream PARC PARC 225 15000

Measures to be taken during Site Preparation and Construction

Strengthen Forest Protection Forces: 15 additional Forest rangers FPD FPD 230 1,150 76,700 6 Additional Rangers for supervision of resettlement FPD FPD 120 8000 6 Additional rangers for supervision of clearance contractors FPD FPD 120 8000

The Nang River Gorge and the Bac Vang stream should be excluded FPD FPD 20 1350 from clearance activities, until reservoir starts to fill. Additional equipment for the FPD section in Na Hang. Communication system PARC/FPD EVN 75,000 Observation equipment PARC/FPD EVN 1,000 Motorbikes x 6 PARC/FPD EVN 5,000 2 floating ranger posts PARC/FPD EVN 15,000 4 boats with engines PARC/FPD EVN 150 10000 Awareness and Enforcement Continue the awareness programme –Regular updates FPD, Song Da 9 FPD 30 150 10000 Enforcement of forest regulations FPD, Song Da 9 0 Forest checkposts strengthened, e.g. at Phong Ma. Collaboration FPD, Police FPD 100 6700 with the police force Quarries Quarries rehabilitation and management of blasting Song Da 9 Song Da 9, EVN EVN to supply

Resettlement In Khau Tinh resettle people of Ban Lam outside the commune. Resettlement Board EVN 2000 133,500

Doi Moi and Na Trang in Khau Tinh Resettlement Board EVN 28,000 1,866,700 Ban Bung and Co Ieng in Thanh Tuong Resettlement Board EVN 28,000 1,866,700 Check location of Nang Kha quarry before moving 40 households Resettlement Board, 0 Song Da 9 Monitoring of resettlement programme Resettlement Board EVN 2500 12,500 866,700

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Action Item Agencies responsible Agencies responsible for Cost per year Estimated cost Estimated cost for implementation funding VND Million VND million US $

Cultural resources conservation Moving of revolution and war memorials to non-inundated places Na Hang PC EVN

Study on cultural resources and indigenous knowledge PARC donor Phtographic/audiovisual record of area to be flooded Na Hang PC/ PARC donor 1500 100,000 Na Hang museum plus artefacts before the flood Na Hang PC donor Post-construction and Operational phase Extension of the protected areas - FPD, Tuyen Quang PC FPD, Tuyen Quang PC 300 20,000 Feasibility study of connections across gorges PARC, FPD PARC 300 20,000

Rehabilitation of the dam and quarry sites Song Da 9 EVN EVN to supply Planning for tourism development PARC, FPD, Tuyen PARC, FPD, Tuyen 100 7000 Quang Tourism Quang Tourism Fisheries development studies Fisheries Institute, Na ? Hang NR, Ba Be NP 250 17,000 Research on conservation requirements of Anhvu fish Fisheries Institute, Na ? Hang NR, Ba Be NP Long-term protected area financing - Protected Area Management FPD, Na Hang NR, Ba EVN 5000 fund continues 333,500 pa Fund Be NP indefinitely

Monitoring and Reporting Requirements Monitoring sensitive species FPD, Na Hang NR, Ba FPD, Na Hang NR, Ba Be NP, PARC,TSMP Be NP, PARC, TSMP Monitoring important habitats FPD, Na Hang NR, Ba FPD, Na Hang NR, Ba 300 15000 10,000 Be NP, PARC, TSMP Be NP, PARC, TSMP Monitoring illegal activities FPD, Police, Song Da 9 FPD, Na Hang PC, EVN

Monitoring awareness campaign effectiveness PARC/ FPD PARC /FPD 150 450 30,000 Auditing environmental performance IUCN? EVN 375 1875 125,000

Reporting of monitored information EVN, FPD, IUCN EVN 10 50 3000

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13. Conclusions

This Supplementary EIA on the impacts upon biodiversity and conservation of the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Project has been carried out largely because of international and national concern about its possible impacts on the rich biodiversity of Ba Be and Na Hang protected areas including the highly endangered species, Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey. It is clear that the dam itself will inundate a realatively small part of the protected areas, and an even smaller area of unspoiled forest habitat, because much of the area flooded is either agricultural land or degraded shrubs. The EIAs that have been carried out as part of the feasibility study have focussed upon the aquatic environment and the changes that will occur upstream and downstream as a result of the dam. Little attention, or even no mention has been made of the presence of the Na Hang Nature Reserve and the globally important biodiversity that it contains. It was anticipated that such direct impacts as were considered by the proponents of the dam did not really concern the wider terrestrial habitat. Indirect impacts were not really considered. However, as so many large infrastructure projects have shown throughout the world, the direct impacts are often the least significant, or the easiest to address. It is the indirect or collateral impacts that can have the most long-lasting impact and which are least easy to address, because they may be less well defined. This Supplementary EIA has tried to define those indirect (and direct) impacts upon biodiversity more clearly, to describe them qualitatively, if not to quantify them. These have included the following types of biodiversity impact from the preparatory, construction and operational phases and the associated and induced developments of the dam. • Disturbance • Habitat loss, change and fragmentation • Direct mortality • Changes in landuse • Landscape changes It has been clear to the team that the pressures on the environment, on the semi-pristine forest habitats and the natural resources that they contain, will increase during the course of the dam project. These pressures have already started to increase. These are pressures of disturbance, of habitat change and fragmentation, of direct mortality by hunting, unsustainable collection of forest products, illegal logging, fish bombing, and of competition between the wildlife and their human neighbours. Above all it is pressure brought about because of increased numbers of people coming into an area for work, and the legitimate and illegal activities that they become involved in. Control of such activities is often very difficult and the experience to date in most parts of the world, including Vietnam, do not leave much grounds for optimism. The team have considered that, without appropriate measures to manage the project and its associated resettlement programme, in a sound environmental manner, and to control the subsidiary human activities, that it is probable that within ten years, the population of Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkeys in the Khau Tinh core zone, and probably in the Ban Bung core zone, of the Nature Reserve, will no longer exist. These are the largest concentrations of Snub- nosed Monkeys in Vietnam and hence the World. It is true that the Electricity Company of Vietnam and its design associates PECC1, and the construction company, Song Da 9, have expressed concern and willingness to address these issues and to control the workforce in whatever ways they can. It is also true that the Tuyen Quang Provincial Forest Protection Department, and the Na Hang Nature Reserve Management Board have begun to put into place measures to minimise hunting pressure - 142 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

(through the confiscation of guns) and to raise awareness of that is against the law to hunt wildlife and to eat bushmeat from this area. They have been strongly supported by the PARC project and the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey Conservation Project in these activities. The expressed concern about the dam project is also due to the fact that significant international funds and effort have been put in from a variety of different sources to conserving the biodiversity of Vietnam and of this particular Na Hang/Ba Be area. The decision to go ahead with the dam gives a very mixed message to the international community, it does not give the impression of very great commitment to conserving biodiversity when other development projects are decided, which will have significant negative impact upon that biodiversity. Discussions the team have had with several multi-lateral, bi-lateral and non-governmental donors reveal that they are waiting upon the satisfactory implementation of this dam project with minimal damage to the environment and minimal loss of biodiversity before committing future additional funds to support conservation of biodiversity in Vietnam. Over the past decade, UNDP figures show that a total of US $ 62 million have been committed from a variety of different sources for the conservation of biodiversity in Vietnam. So far a total of US $ 15 million has been disbursed. 44 The future of such funding could be in jeopardy if projects like this dam are not implemented well and if environmental concerns are not addressed in an open and adequate manner. However, despite this rather severe warning, the dam project also represents a great opportunity for the consolidation of biodiversity conservation activities in the area. Significant land use change like this forces the landscape ecologists - the holistic planners – to redesign and implement conservation activities more effectively. There is an opportunity to plan for appropriate numbers of rangers, trained in the appropriate skills and equipped with good transport and communications systems. There is an opportunity for additional surveys of the biodiversity to push back the boundaries of knowledge about the area. There is an opportunity to extend the protected areas, to establish the missing corridors between key landscape units, to reforest areas that are now no longer needed for upland agriculture because conservation of the watershed is needed to prolong the life of the dam. There is an opportunity to plan tourism developments that will reinforce the conservation zoning and draw people away from the core areas, which should remain undisturbed for the wildlife. Funds to carry out these activities may not have been available in the past, but with the coming of the dam project, it would take but a very small element of the US $ 501 million, to fund all of them and to set up a protected area financing scheme that would continue them. If these opportunities are not taken, and thus the rich biodiversity of gobal significance of these areas is rapidly diminished in coming years, then all the efforts and investements that have been put in so far would be rendered ineffective and wasted.

44 Development Co-operation Vietnam, 2002 Report. UNDP, Hanoi April 2002.

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14. References

Anonymous, 1993: Dự án xây dựng khu bảo tồn thiên nhiên tát kẻ - bản Bung, huyện Na Hang, tỉnh tuyên Quang. UBND Tuyên Quang. Anonymous, 1997: Báo cáo tình hình thực hiện dự án khu bảo tồn thiên nhiên Na Hang. Asian development bank, Involuntary resettlement, August 1995. Boonratana & Le Xuan Canh, 1994. A report on the ecology, status and conservation of the Tonkin Snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus) in northern Vietnam. Hanoi, 38pp. Boonratana R. Na Hang rainforest conservation project. FFI, Hanoi, 1998. 80pp. Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Study, Vietnam National University, Study into impact of Yaly falls dam on resettled and downstream communities, Ha Noi, February 2001. Cox et al 1994: A management feasibility study of the proposed Na Hang (Tonkin snub- nosed monkey) nature reserve, Tuyen Quang province, Vietnam. IUCN, 58pp. Craig, J.F. 1999. Large Dams and Freshwater Fish biodiversity. Contributing Paper to World Commission on Dams. Forest Inventory and Planning Institute, The investment project to construct the extended Ba Be National Park. FRONTIER: Biological survey of Na Hang nature reserve, Tuyen Quang province, Vietnam. Part I: Ban Bung sector. Hanoi, 1996 FRONTIER: Biological survey of Na Hang nature reserve, Tuyen Quang province, Vietnam. Part II: Tat Ke sector. Hanoi, 1996 Institute of Material Sciences (IMS), 2001: report on EIA Dai Thi Hydropower Station in Gam River, Tuyen Quang province (Feasibility study report). Hanoi. 128pp. IUCN, Report on Evaluation of the proposal document, Ha Noi, October 2001. Le Trong Trai, Jonathan C. Eames, Kuznetsov A.N., Nguyen Van Sang, Bui Xuan Phuong, Monastyrskii A.L., A biodiversity survey and assessment of the Dong Phuc, ban Thi-Xuan Lac and sinh Long areas, Tuyen Quang and Bac Can provinces, Vietnam. Hanoi 2001. MacKinnon, J. (1997) Protected areas systems review of the Indo-Malayan Realm. Canterbury, UK: The Asian Bureau for Conservation and the Wolrd Conservation Monitoring Centre. Management Board of Ba Be National Park, Operational plan for Ba Be National Park – Bac Can province, Bac Can, September 2001. McCartney, M.P., Sullivan, C. , Acreman, M. 1999. Ecosystem Impacts of Large Dams. Contributing paper to World Commission on Dams. Ministry of Planning and Investment, Guidelines for preparation of resettlement and rehabilitation plan, Ha Noi, March 1998. Na Hang land administrative unit, Data on land use situation in 2000, Na Hang December 2000. Na Hang population and family planning board, Report on population in the year 2002, Na Hang 2002. Na Hang special use forest protection section, Operational plan for Na Hang Nature Reserve, Na Hang September 2001.

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National Institute of Agricultural planning and Projection, Integrated report on Resettlement planning for Tuyen Quang hydropower project/Feasibility Study, Ha Noi, 2001. National Institute of Agricultural planning and Projection, Integrated report on result of investigation and preparation of resettlement & rehabilatation plan of Son La hydropower project, Ha Noi, 1998. National Institute of Agricultural planning and Projection, Report on Soico-economic investigation in Gam River Basin, Ha Noi, 2000. National Centre for Natural Sciences and Technology – Institute for Material Sciences. 2001. Report on the Ecological Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed Dai Thi Hydropower Station on the Gam River, Tuyen Quang Province. Feasibility Study. Hanoi. Nguyen, Duc Tu, Kuznetsov, A., Monastyrskii, A., Nguyen Truong Son, Eames, J. 2002. A rapid biodiversity assessment of the Ban Lam and Khau Tinh areas, Tuyen Quang Province, Vietnam. Report for the PARC project. Olson, D. & Dinerstein, E. (1998) The global 2000: a representative approach to conserving the Earth’s most biologically valuabe ecoregions. Conservation Biology 12(3): 502-515. Parc Ba Be/Na Hang, Brief report on Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) in Na La, Na Pai, Don Tau, Phia Chang and Pa Lang villages, Na Hang, March 2000. Parc Ba Be/Na Hang, Report on result of social – economic investigation in villages of Ta Ken, Ban Cam, Pac Ngoi, Na King and Na Mam, Na Hang 2001. People’s committee of Na Hang district, Report on socio-economic situation of Na Hang district, Na Hang, March 2002. People’s committee of Na Hang district, The proposal of advanced technology application on vegetable production, Na Hang Township, May 2002. People’s committee of Tuyen Quang province, Socio-economic master plan of Tuyen Quang province to the year 2010, Tuyen Quang 1996. Pham Binh Quyen & Truong Quang Hoc , 1997. Study on Socio-econmc causes of Biodiversity loss in two distinct eco-regions of Vietnam – Ba Be National Park and Na Hang Nature reserve. For Danida/WWF. Hanoi. Schmid, M. (1989) Vietnam, Kampuchea and laos. Pp 83 –90 in D.G. Campbell & H.D. Hammond eds. Floristic inventory of tropical countries. New York: New York Botanical Garden. Tran Thi Thanh Phuong & Le Thi Ngoc. Summary of Environmental Laws and Administration in Vetnam Vermeulen, J & Whitten, T. 1999. Biodiversity and cultural property in the management of limestone resources – lessons from East Asia. The World Bank. Washington, USA. Viet Nam Canada environmental projrect (VCEP), Vietnam hydropowers project EIA guidelines. Warren, T.J. (1999) A monitoring study to assess the localised impacts created by the Nam Theun-Hinboun Hydro-Scheme on fisheries and fish populations. Final report to Theun- Hinboun Power Company, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Wikramanayake, E.D., Dinerstein, E., Hedao, P. and Olson, D. (1997) A conservation assessment of terrestrial ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific Region. Washington DC. WWF-US Conservation Science Program.

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Annex 1: Impact Matrices for Assessment Zones

For each of the 12 assessment zones, the team discussed the impacts upon biodiversity and other resources in each zone according to: a) phase of the project – construction or operation b) type of impact as described in the Impact Scenarios Then the columns for the present status of biodiversity in the zone, the existing pressure on the biodiversity in the zone, and the future risks increased pressure upon biodiversity and the likely change as a result of this pressure was ascribed a colour as shown below.

Status of biodiversity/resource in zone High Mediu Low Non m e Existing Pressure on biodiversity or resource High Mediu Low Non in zone m e Risk of increased pressure induced by dam High Mediu Low Non activities m e Likely change to biodiversity as a result of ++ + 0 - -- increased pressure induced by dam activities

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1. Na Hang Town and dam site

Activity / Impact Type Present Future Comment / Resources Resources Significance of Impact Biodiversity Biodiversity CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting Low Low High - Noise of construction/traffic Low Medium High - Changed Access – Local Low Medium High - Changed Access – Workers Low Low High - Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss Low Medium High - Land / Vegetation Clearance Low Medium High - Upstream aquatic habitats Mediu Low High -- m Downstream aquatic changes – Mediu Low High -- pollution m Roads and Power Lines Low Low High - Direct Mortality Hunting Low Low Low - NTFP collection Low Low Low - Logging Low Low Low - Fishing Low Low Low - Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Low Low High -- workers on social sit. Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban devel. Mediu Low High -- m Vegetation clearance Mediu Low High -- m

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local Low Medium High - Changed Access – Visitors Low Low High - Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Isolation because of reservoir None None None None Reservoir – after stabilisation Mediu Low High -- - 147 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Activity / Impact Type Present Future Comment / Resources Resources Significance of Impact Biodiversity Biodiversity CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change m Downstream aquatic changes Mediu Low High -- m Tourism Development & trekking Low Low Mediu - m Roads and Power Lines Low Low High - Direct Mortality Hunting Low Low Low - NTFP collection Low Low Low - Logging Low Low Low - Fishing Low Low Low - Plant collection - Orchids None None None None Changes in land use Agricultural Land Low Low Mediu + m Livestock Low Low Mediu + m Loss of cultural resources Low Low High -- Tombs memorials etc Fisheries Low Low High ++ Landscape change Infrastructure – dam None None High ++ Reservoir creation None None High ++ Loss of landscape features Low None High - Quarries Low Low High -- Roads and power lines Low Low High -- Tourism developments Low Low High ++

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2. Khau Tinh

Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting High None Mediu - Pac Ta m Noise of construction/traffic High None Low None Changed Access – Local High Medium High -- Changed Access – Workers High None Mediu - m Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss High Low Low - Land / Vegetation Clearance High None High -- Upstream aquatic habitats High None High -- Downstream aquatic changes – High None None None pollution Roads and Power Lines High None Low - Resettlement package Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium High -- NTFP collection High Medium High -- Logging High Low High -- Fishing High Low Low - Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Low Low None None Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban None None None None devel. Vegetation clearance High Low High -

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local High Medium High -- Changed Access – Visitors High None High -- Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Isolation because of reservoir High None High -- Reservoir – after stabilisation High None High -- Change river to reservoir

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Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Downstream aquatic changes High None None None Tourism Development & trekking High Low High -- Roads and Power Lines High Low Low - Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium High -- NTFP collection High Medium High -- Logging High Low Mediu -- m Fishing High Low High -- Plant collection - Orchids High Low High -- Changes in land use Agricultural Land High Medium High -- PAHs moved in Livestock High Medium High -- Resettled Loss of cultural resources Low Low Low - Fisheries Low Low High ++ Landscape change Infrastructure – dam High None High ++ Reservoir creation High None High ++ Loss of landscape features High None High -- Quarries High None None None Roads and power lines High None Low - Tourism developments High None Low -

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3. Thanh Tuong East & Ban Bung

Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting High Low Low 0 Noise of construction/traffic High Low Mediu - m Changed Access – Local High Medium High -- Changed Access – Workers High None Mediu - m Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss High Low Low - Land / Vegetation Clearance High None None 0 Upstream aquatic habitats High None None 0 Downstream aquatic changes – High None Low - pollution Roads and Power Lines High None High -- Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium High -- NTFP collection High Medium High -- Logging High Low Low - Fishing High Low None 0 Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Low Low None None Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban devel. High None Low - Vegetation clearance High None None None

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local High Medium Mediu - m Changed Access – Visitors High None Low - Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Isolation because of reservoir High None None 0 Reservoir – after stabilisation High None None 0

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Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Downstream aquatic changes High None Mediu - m Tourism Development & trekking High Low Low - Roads and Power Lines High Low High -- Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium Mediu - m NTFP collection High Medium Mediu - m Logging High Low Low - Fishing High Low Low - Plant collection - Orchids High Low Low - Changes in land use Agricultural Land High Medium None 0 Livestock High Medium None 0 Loss of cultural resources Low Low None 0 Fisheries Low Low None 0 Landscape change Infrastructure – dam High None High ++ Reservoir creation High None None 0 Loss of landscape features High None None 0 Quarries High None None 0 Roads and power lines High None High -- Tourism developments High None None 0

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4. Thanh Tuong west

Activity / Impact Type Present Resources Future Resources / Comment / / Biodiversity Significance of Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting Medium None None 0 Noise of construction/traffic Medium None None 0 Changed Access – Local Medium Medium Low - Changed Access – Workers Medium None Low - Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss Medium Low None 0 Land / Vegetation Clearance Medium None None 0 Upstream aquatic habitats Medium None None 0 Downstream aquatic changes – Medium None Low - pollution Roads and Power Lines Medium None High -- Direct Mortality Hunting Medium Medium High -- NTFP collection Medium Medium High -- Logging Medium Low Low - Fishing Medium Low None 0 Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Low Low None None Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban Medium None Low - devel. Vegetation clearance Medium None None None

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local Medium Medium High - Changed Access – Visitors Medium None Low - Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Isolation because of reservoir Medium None None 0 Reservoir – after stabilisation Medium None None 0 Downstream aquatic changes Medium None Mediu - m

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Activity / Impact Type Present Resources Future Resources / Comment / / Biodiversity Significance of Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Tourism Development & trekking Medium Low Mediu - m Roads and Power Lines Medium Low High -- Direct Mortality Hunting Medium Medium Mediu - m NTFP collection Medium Medium Mediu - m Logging Medium Low Low - Fishing Medium Low Low - Plant collection - Orchids Medium Low Low - Changes in land use Agricultural Land Medium Medium None 0 Livestock Medium Medium None 0 Loss of cultural resources Low Low None 0 Fisheries Low Low None 0 Landscape change Infrastructure – dam Medium None High ++ Reservoir creation Medium None None 0 Loss of landscape features Medium None None 0 Quarries Medium None None 0 Roads and power lines Medium None High -- Tourism developments Medium None None 0

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5. Vinh Yen/ Son Phu

Activity / Impact Type Present Resources Future Resources Comment / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting Medium None None None Noise of construction/traffic Medium None Low None Changed Access – Local Medium Medium High -- Changed Access – Workers Medium None Mediu - m Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss Medium Low Low - Land / Vegetation Clearance Medium None High -- Upstream aquatic habitats Medium None High -- Downstream aquatic changes – Medium None None None pollution Roads and Power Lines Medium None High -- Direct Mortality Hunting Medium Medium High -- NTFP collection Medium Medium High -- Logging Medium Low High -- Fishing Medium Low Low - Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Medium Low Mediu - m Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban devel. Medium None None None Vegetation clearance Medium Low High --

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local Medium Medium High -- Changed Access – Visitors Medium None High -- Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Isolation because of reservoir Medium None Low - Reservoir – after stabilisation Medium None High -- river to reservoir Downstream aquatic changes Medium None None None

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Activity / Impact Type Present Resources Future Resources Comment / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Tourism Development & trekking Medium Low High - Roads and Power Lines Medium Low High - Direct Mortality Hunting Medium Medium High -- NTFP collection Medium Medium High -- Logging Medium Low High -- Fishing Medium Low High -- Plant collection - Orchids Medium Low High -- Changes in land use Agricultural Land Medium Medium High + PAHs moved out Livestock Medium Medium High + Loss of cultural resources Low Low High -- Loss of graves, memorial Fisheries Low Low High ++ Landscape change Infrastructure – dam High None High ++ Reservoir creation High None High ++ Loss of landscape features High None High -- Thac Mo, Tat Ke, Quarries High None None None Roads and power lines High None High -- Tourism developments High None Low -

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6. Xuan Lac

Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting High None None 0 Noise of construction/traffic High None None 0 Changed Access – Local High Medium Low - Changed Access – Workers High None None 0 Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss High Low None 0 Land / Vegetation Clearance High None None 0 Upstream aquatic habitats High None None 0 Downstream aquatic changes – High None None 0 pollution Roads and Power Lines High None Low - Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium Mediu - m NTFP collection High Medium Mediu - m Logging High Low None 0 Fishing High Low None 0 Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Low Low None 0 Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban High None None 0 devel. Vegetation clearance High None None 0

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local High Medium Low - Changed Access – Visitors High None Low - Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Isolation because of reservoir High None None 0 Reservoir – after stabilisation High None None 0

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Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Downstream aquatic changes High None None 0 Tourism Development & trekking High Low Low - Roads and Power Lines High Low Mediu - m Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium Mediu - m NTFP collection High Medium Mediu - m Logging High Low Low - Fishing Low None None 0 Plant collection - Orchids High Low Low - Changes in land use Agricultural Land High Medium None 0 Livestock High Medium None 0 Loss of cultural resources Low Low None 0 Fisheries Low Low None 0 Landscape change Infrastructure – dam High None None 0 Reservoir creation High None None 0 Loss of landscape features High None None 0 Quarries High None None 0 Roads and power lines High None Mediu - m Tourism developments High None None 0

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7. Da Vi

Activity / Impact Type Present Resources Future Resources Comment / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting Medium None None None Noise of construction/traffic Medium None None None Changed Access – Local Medium Medium Mediu - m Changed Access – Workers Medium None None 0 Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss Medium Low Low -- Land / Vegetation Clearance Medium None High -- Upstream aquatic habitats Medium None High -- Downstream aquatic changes Medium None None None – pollution Roads and Power Lines Medium None High -- Direct Mortality Hunting Medium Medium High -- NTFP collection Medium Medium High -- Logging Medium Low High -- Fishing Medium Low Low - Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Low Low Mediu - m Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban Medium None None None devel. Vegetation clearance Medium Low High --

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local Medium Medium High -- Changed Access – Visitors Medium None High -- Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Isolation because of reservoir Medium None Low - Reservoir – after stabilisation Medium None High -- Change river to

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Activity / Impact Type Present Resources Future Resources Comment / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change reservoir Downstream aquatic changes Medium None None None Tourism Development & Medium Low High -- trekking Roads and Power Lines Medium Low High -- Direct Mortality Hunting Medium Medium Mediu - m NTFP collection Medium Medium Mediu - m Logging Medium Low Mediu - m Fishing Medium Low Mediu - m Plant collection - Orchids Medium Low Mediu - m Changes in land use Agricultural Land Medium Medium High + PAHs moved out Livestock Medium Medium High + Loss of cultural resources Low Low High -- Loss graves, memorial Fisheries Low Low High + Landscape change Infrastructure – dam High None None 0 Reservoir creation High None High ++ Loss of landscape features High None High -- Nang gorge Quarries High None None None Roads and power lines High None High -- Tourism developments High None Low -

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8. Ba Be / Nam Mau

Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting High None None 0 Noise of construction/traffic High None None 0 Changed Access – Local High Medium Mediu - m Changed Access – Workers High None None 0 Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss High Low Low - Land / Vegetation Clearance High None Mediu - m Upstream aquatic habitats High None Mediu - m Downstream aquatic changes – High None None 0 pollution Roads and Power Lines High None High -- Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium High -- NTFP collection High Medium High -- Logging High Low Low - Fishing High Low Mediu - m Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Low Low Low - Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban devel. High None None 0 Vegetation clearance High None Mediu - m

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local High Medium Mediu - m Changed Access – Visitors High None High -- Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Isolation because of reservoir High None None 0

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Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Reservoir – after stabilisation High None Mediu - m Downstream aquatic changes High None None 0 Tourism Development & trekking High Low High -- Roads and Power Lines High Low High -- Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium Mediu - m NTFP collection High Medium Mediu - m Logging High Low Low - Fishing High Low Low - Plant collection - Orchids High Low Mediu - m Changes in land use Agricultural Land High Medium Low + PAHs moved out Livestock High Medium Low + Loss of cultural resources Low Low None 0 Fisheries Low Low Low + Landscape change Infrastructure – dam High None None 0 Reservoir creation High None Mediu - Flooding to Dau m Dang Loss of landscape features High None Low - Quarries High None None 0 Roads and power lines High None High -- Tourism developments High None None 0

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9. Con Lon

Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting High None None 0 Assumed biodiv to be Noise of construction/traffic High None None 0 High because in NR Changed Access – Local High Medium Low - But could be medium Changed Access – Workers High None None 0 Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss High Low None 0 Land / Vegetation Clearance High None None 0 Upstream aquatic habitats High None None 0 Downstream aquatic changes – High None None 0 pollution Roads and Power Lines High None Low - Resettlement package Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium Mediu - m NTFP collection High Medium Mediu - m Logging High Low None 0 Fishing High Low None 0 Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Low None None 0 Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban High None None 0 devel. Vegetation clearance High None None 0

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local High Medium Mediu - Resettlement m increase Changed Access – Visitors High None None 0 Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Isolation because of reservoir High None None 0

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Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Reservoir – after stabilisation High None None 0 Downstream aquatic changes High None None 0 Tourism Development & trekking High None None 0 Roads and Power Lines High Low Low - Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium Mediu - m NTFP collection High Medium Mediu - m Logging High Low None 0 Fishing Low None None 0 Plant collection - Orchids High Low Low - Changes in land use Agricultural Land High Medium High -- Increase due to 20 + PAH Livestock High Medium High -- Loss of cultural resources Low Low None 0 Fisheries Low Low None 0 Landscape change Infrastructure – dam High None None 0 Reservoir creation High None None 0 Loss of landscape features High None None 0 Quarries High None None 0 Roads and power lines High None Mediu - m Tourism developments High None None 0

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10. Duc Xuan/ Sinh Long

Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting High None None 0 Noise of construction/traffic High None None None Changed Access – Local High Medium High -- Changed Access – Workers High None Low - Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss High Low High -- Land / Vegetation Clearance High None High -- Upstream aquatic habitats High None High -- Downstream aquatic changes – High None None None pollution Roads and Power Lines High None None 0 Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium High -- NTFP collection High Medium High -- Logging High Low High -- Fishing High Low Low - Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Low Low High -- Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban devel. None None None None Vegetation clearance High Low High --

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local High Medium High -- Changed Access – Visitors High None High -- Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Isolation because of reservoir High None Low - Reservoir – after stabilisation High None High -- Change river to reservoir Downstream aquatic changes High None None None

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Activity / Impact Type Present Future Resources / Comment / Resources / Significance of Biodiversity Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Tourism Development & trekking High Low High -- Roads and Power Lines High Low None 0 Direct Mortality Hunting High Medium High -- NTFP collection High Medium High -- Logging High Low High -- Fishing High Low High -- Plant collection - Orchids High Low High -- Changes in land use Agricultural Land High Medium Low + But also +ve for biodiv Livestock High Medium Low + Because people moved out Loss of cultural resources Low Low Low -- Fisheries Low Low High + Landscape change Infrastructure – dam High None None 0 Reservoir creation High None High ++ Loss of landscape features High None High -- Flooding of valley Quarries High None None None Roads and power lines High None None 0 Tourism developments High None High --

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11. Thuong Lam

Activity / Impact Type Present Resources Future Resources / Comment / / Biodiversity Significance of Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting Medium None None 0 Noise of construction/traffic Medium None None None Changed Access – Local Medium Medium High -- Changed Access – Workers Medium None Low - Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss Medium Low Mediu - m Land / Vegetation Clearance Medium None Mediu - m Upstream aquatic habitats Medium None Mediu - m Downstream aquatic changes Medium None None None – pollution Roads and Power Lines Medium None None 0 Direct Mortality Hunting Medium Medium High -- NTFP collection Medium Medium High -- Logging Medium Low Mediu - m Fishing Medium Low Low - Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Low Low Low - Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban Medium None None None devel. Vegetation clearance Medium Low Mediu - m

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local Medium Medium High -- Changed Access – Visitors Medium None High -- Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation

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Activity / Impact Type Present Resources Future Resources / Comment / / Biodiversity Significance of Biodiversity Impact CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Isolation because of reservoir Medium None None 0 Reservoir – after stabilisation Medium None Mediu - Change river to m reservoir Downstream aquatic changes Medium None None None Tourism Development & Medium Low High -- trekking Roads and Power Lines Medium Low None 0 Direct Mortality Hunting Medium Medium High -- NTFP collection Medium Medium High -- Logging Medium Low High -- Fishing Medium Low High -- Plant collection - Orchids Medium Low High -- Changes in land use Agricultural Land Medium Medium Low + +ve for biodiv Livestock Medium Medium Low + PAHs moved out Loss of cultural resources Low Low Low -- Fisheries Low Low High + Landscape change Infrastructure – dam Medium None None 0 Reservoir creation Medium None High ++ Loss of landscape features Medium None High -- Flooding of valley Quarries Medium None None None Roads and power lines Medium None None 0 Tourism developments Medium None High --

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12 Nang Kha

Activity / Impact Type Present Resources Future Comment / Resources Significance of Biodiversity Impact Biodiversity CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change Disturbance Noise of blasting Low None High - Noise of construction/traffic Low None High - Changed Access – Local Low Medium High - Changed Access – Workers Low Low High - Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Direct terrestrial habitat loss Low Low Low - Land / Vegetation Clearance Low None None 0 Upstream aquatic habitats Medium None None 0 Downstream aquatic changes – Medium Low Low - pollution Roads and Power Lines Low Low High - Road to quarry Direct Mortality Hunting Low Low Low - NTFP collection Low Low Low - Logging Low Low Low - Fishing Low Low Low - Changes in land use Loss of cultural resources Low Low Low - workers on social sit. Landscape change Infrastructure – dam, urban devel. Low Low High -- Visual impact Vegetation clearance Low Low None 0

OPERATION Disturbance Changed Access – Local Low Medium Mediu - m Changed Access – Visitors Low Low Low - Habitat Loss, Change & Fragmentation Isolation because of reservoir None None None None Reservoir – after stabilisation None None None 0 Downstream aquatic changes Medium Low Mediu - - 169 - Supplementary EIA of the Tuyen Quang Dam: Final Report

Activity / Impact Type Present Resources Future Comment / Resources Significance of Biodiversity Impact Biodiversity CONSTRUCTION Status Pressure Risk Change m Tourism Development & trekking Low Low Low - Roads and Power Lines Low Low Mediu - m Direct Mortality Hunting Low Low Low - NTFP collection Low Low Low - Logging Low Low Low - Fishing Low Low Low - Plant collection - Orchids None None None None Changes in land use Agricultural Land Low Low High - 100 PAHs move in Livestock Low Low High - Loss of cultural resources Low Low None 0 Fisheries Low Low None 0 Landscape change Infrastructure – dam None None High ++ Reservoir creation None None None 0 Loss of landscape features Low None Low - Quarries Low Low High -- Roads and power lines Low Low Mediu - m Tourism developments Low Low None 0

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