Initial Environmental Examination January 2013 ARM: Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project — Additional Financing This Initial Environmental Examination is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB’s Board of Directors, Management, or Staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. W A T E R S U P P L Y A N D S A N I T A T I O N S E C T O R – A D D I T I O N A L F I N A N S I N G F U N D E D B Y T H E A S I A D E V E L O P M E N T B A N K IMPROVEMENT OF ARMENIA SETTLMENTS WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SYSTEMS Date of preparation 31.01.13 INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION SUBPROJECT I Town of Echmiadzin and communities of Lernamerdz, Amberd, Aygeshat, Dasht, Dwghs, Shahumyan, Shahumyan PF, Mousaler, Norakert, Houshakert, Voskevaz, Voskehat, Oshakan, Aghavnatun, Ptghunk of Armavir Marz 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT .................................................................................................. 5 2. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARD DOCUMENTS ................................................ 5 3. SCOPE OF WORKS ............................................................................................................................. 5 4. DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SYSTEMS. ............. 6 5. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION AND CLIMATE OF THE SETTLEMENTS ................................. 7 3.1 Echmiadzin town and Lernamerdz, Amberd, Aygeshat, Dasht, Doghs, Musaler, Shahumyan, Shahumyan Poultry Farm, Norakert, Houshakert, Aghavnatun, Ptghunk rural communities of Armavir marz 7 3.2 Voskevaz, Voskehat and Oshakan rural communitis of Aragatsotn marz ................................... 8 6. BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL SPECIAL PROTECTED AREAS .............................................. 8 6.1 Lernamerdz, Amberd, Aygeshat, Dasht, Doghs, Musaler, Shahumyan, Shahumyan poulty farm, Norakert, Hushakert, Aghavnatun, Ptghunk rural communities and Eshmiadzin town of Armavir marz. 8 6.2 Voskevaz, Voskehat and Oshakan rural communities of Aragatsotn marz .................................. 9 7. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT .......................................................................................................... 10 7.1 Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) Checklist ................................................................... 11 Attachment: Environmental Management Plan for Subproject 1- Packages I, II and III 3 4 1. BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT WSSP Project will improve public health and environment for about 400,000 people (households and other consumers) living in 18 towns and up to 92 villages1 through safe, reliable and sustainable water supply. The outcome of the Project is improved access to safe, reliable, and sustainable WSS services managed on commercial principles and environmentally sound practices. The Project will also support poverty reduction by (i) reducing the incidence of waterborne diseases and costs of medical care; (ii) improving the time poverty of women due to labor intensive housework such as water collection, which may allow them to participate more in social and economic activities; (iii) providing safer and more reliable water supply; and (iv) improving the quality of life of households in all the project towns and villages by improving their access to safe and sustainable drinking water. Similar to the original WSSP, the Additional Financing Project will fund two project components which include: (i) municipal infrastructure rehabilitation and improvement; and (ii) management improvement and development which include gender features. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARD DOCUMENTS In accordance with the ADB Environmental policy (November , 2002) the Subproject is ranked to B category which does not need extended EIA, excluding aslo Environmental expertise, according to the RA law on “Environmental Impact Assessment ” (issued on November 20, 1995.) and the RA Government decree “Threshold of envrironmantal impact activities subject to expertiz ” (N-193, 30 March 1999). As a B Category Project ADB Policy requered developement of Initial Environmantal Examination/ IEE reports for each Subproject (1 report) and site specific Environmantal Management Plan/EMP (separetly report for each lote of the subproject). 3. SCOPE OF WORKS This subcomponent of the subproject aims at improvement of water supply systems of the following communities: town of Echmiadzin and Lernamerdz, Amberd, Aygeshat, Dasht, Doghs, Musaler, Shahumyan, Shahumyan Poultry Farm, Norakert, Houshakert, Aghavnatun, Ptghunk villages of Armavir marz and Voskevaz, Voskehat, Oshakan villages of Aragathotn Marz. Priority has been given to improvement of water supply systems: Scope of works for improvement water supply systems of Lernamerdz, Amberd, Aygeshat, Dasht, Doghs, Musaler, Shahumyan, Shahumyan Poultry Farm, Norakert, Houshakert, Aghavnatun, Ptghunk, Voskevaz, Voskehat and Oshakan villages is as follows: Construction of polyethylene pipelines d50-d200 - 127.0 km 1 The number of towns and villages may change subject to further detailed assessments. 5 Installation of valve assemblies - 74 pcs Construction of buried valve chambers - 170 pcs Individual house entry pipes - 59.5 km Individual house water metering blocks - 5950 pcs Scope of works for improvement of sewage system of Echmiadzin town includes: Construction of polyethylen sewage pipes d160-d200 - 0.7 km Construction of inspection chambers - 30 pcs Population of Echmiadzin town and Lernamerdz, Amberd, Aygeshat, Dasht, Doghs, Musaler, Shahumyan, Shahumyan Poultry Farm, Norakert, Houshakert, Aghavnatun, Ptghunk, Voskevaz, Voskehat and Oshakan villages at the date of 01.01.2012 comprises 83825 people, out of which 56400 reside in the town. Total number of customers is equal to 6190. Population growth index according to the data published in the “Demographic Handbook of Armenia 2007” is 0.43%. As a result of the Project implementation the communities residents will get access to the drinkin quality water and sustainable water supply. 4. DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION SYSTEMS. Water supply of Echmiadzin town and Lernamerdz, Amberd, Aygeshat, Dasht, Doghs, Musaler, Shahumyan, Shahumyan poultry, Norakert, Hushakert, Aghavnatun, Ptghunk, Voskevaz, Voskehat, and Oshakan rural communities is implemented from the Bazmaghbyur and Ghazaravan undergroung sources through three main systems: . Bazmaghbyur-Echmidzin gravity system . Ghazaravan-Echmiadzin gravity system . Ghazaravan-Echmiadzin gravity system (“Chaleri Djur”) Currently there are 10 catchements and 2 chlorination stations in operation. Existing 14 deep wells are not operated and used for supply of water to Echmiadzin town and villages. Water from headworks is being transported by three main pipelines with diameters varying from 300 through 600mm with total length 136km. In 2007-2011 water supply network of Echmiadzin town has been rehabilitated under the World Bank funding. 6 In 2008-2012 rehabilitation of external feeding water supply systems of Echmiadzin town and rural communities has been implemented in frame of Water Supply and Sanitation Project funded by the ADB. Among the communities under consideration only Echmiadzin town has sewerage system, but the waste water treatment plant is not functioning. There are broken sections within main collectors and inter-district sewerage networks, some of the inspection chambers need repair. Lernamerdz, Amberd, Aygeshat, Dasht, Doghs, Musaler, Shahumyan, Shahumyan Poultry Farm, Norakert, Houshakert, Aghavnatun, Ptghunk, Voskevaz, Voskehat and Oshakan villages have no sewerage system, people make use of eather outhouse toilets or indoor toilets connected to outdoor sewage collecting chambers. In some of the villages individual buildings such as schools, kindergartens and others, have sewage systems. 5. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION AND CLIMATE OF THE SETTLEMENTS From the communities covered by the subproject town of Echmiadzin and Lernamerdz, Amberd, Aygeshat, Dasht, Doghs, Musaler, Shahumyan, Shahumyan Poultry Farm, Norakert, Houshakert, Aghavnatun, Ptghunk villages administratively belong to Armavir marz, while Voskevaz, Voskehat and Oshakan villages belong to Aragathotn marz. They comprise part of south-south west area of the country, where terrain has slight inclination and envolves not high hill ranges. Altitudes vary between 950 and 1100m asl. 3.1 Echmiadzin town and Lernamerdz, Amberd, Aygeshat, Dasht, Doghs, Musaler, Shahumyan, Shahumyan Poultry Farm, Norakert, Houshakert, Aghavnatun, Ptghunk rural communities of Armavir marz The area of Armavir marz under consideration located in the west of Ararat valley, on the left bank of Araks river. The area of Armavir marz is the smallest and occupies 1200sq km. The marz capital town is Armavir. Town of Echmiadzin located 25 km far from the marz capital, and 20 km far from Yerevan city. The area is characterized by warm, hot summers and cold non-storm winters. Monthly average temperature in July is 21,5oC and in January 3.8oC. Air absolute maximum temperature is 41oC, absolute minimum is -31oC. Average annual precipitations vary between 280 -340mm. Snow cover reaches 42cm. Soil freezing depth vary between 0.5-0.7m, depending on altitude.