Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 48102 June 2016 People’s Republic of China: Qinghai Haidong Urban Rural Eco Development Project Prepared by the Government of Haidong Municipality of Qinghai Province for the Asian Development Bank CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (As of 20 May 2016) Currency Unit – Yuan (CNY) CNY 1.00 = $ 0.15 $ 1.00 = CNY 6.54 ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank BOD – Biological Oxygen Demand CNY – Chinese Yuan CSC – Construction Supervision Company COD – Chemical Oxygen Demand dB(A) – A-Weighted Decibel DI – Design Institute DPA – Direct Project Area EA – Executing Agency EEM – External Environmental Monitor EIA – Environmental Impact Assessment EIS – Environmental Impact Statement EMC – Environmental Monitoring Center EMDP – Ethnic Minority Development Plan EMP – Environmental Management Plan EMS – Environmental Monitoring Station EPB – Environmental Protection Bureau EPD – Environmental Protection Department FSR – Feasibility Study Report FYP – Five-Year Plan GAP – Gender Action Plan GDP – Gross Domestic Product GHG – Greenhouse Gas GRM – Grievance Redress Mechanism HMG – Haidong Municipal Government HPLG – Haidong Project Leading Group IA – Implementing Agency IEE – Initial Environmental Evaluation LIC – Loan Implementation Consultancy LIEC – Loan Implementation Environment Consultant MEP – Ministry of Environmental Protection MRM – Management Review Meeting NO2 – Nitrogen Dioxide O&M – Operation & Maintenance PLG – Project Leading Group PM10 – Particular Matter smaller than 10 micrometers PMO – Project Management Office PPTA – Project Preparatory Technical Assistance PRC – People’s Republic of China RP – Resettlement Plan SAP – Social Action Plan iii SEPA – State Environmental Protection Administration SEPP – Soil Erosion Prevention Plan SO2 – Sulphur Dioxide SPS – Safeguard Policy Statement SS – Suspended Solids TN – Total Nitrogen TP – Total Phosphorus TSP – Total Suspended Particulates WWTP – Wastewater Treatment Plant iv WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ‰ – per mill (per thousand) ha – hectare kg/d – kilogram per day km – Kilometer km2 – square kilometer m – meter m2 – square meter m3 – cubic meter m3/d – cubic meters per day m3/s – cubic meters per second m3/yr cubic meters per year mg/m3 – milligrams per cubic meter mm – millimetre mu – unit of land area equal to 1/15 ha or 667 m2 NOTE In this report, "$" refers to US dollars. 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. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section of this website. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 A. Introduction 1 B. The Project 1 C. Environmental Assessment 3 D. Baseline Environment 4 E. Environment, Health and Safety benefits 5 F. Impacts and Mitigation Measures 6 G. Climate Change 7 H. Public Consultation 8 I. Grievance Redress Mechanism 9 J. Environmental Management Plan 10 K. Risks and Assurances 10 L. Conclusion 10 II. POLICY AND REGULARY FRAMEWORK 12 A. Legislative Framework for Environment Impact Assessment in the PRC 12 B. International Agreements 13 C. Policy and Planning Context 14 D. Applicable PRC and ADB Safeguards Policies and Assessment Categories 17 E. Assessment Standards 17 F. Area of Influence 22 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 24 A. Project Rationale 24 B. Project Impact, Outcome, Outputs 25 C. Output 1: Integrated Flood Management Infrastructure for Huangshui River 29 D. Output 2: Haidong Urban Catchment Soil Erosion Control Measure Implemented 37 E. Output 3: Rural WaterSupply and Urban Solid Waste Infrastructure Constructed 42 F. Output 4: Capacity Building 50 G. Associated and/or Linked Facilities 51 H. Project Implementation Schedule 51 IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 54 A. Sub-regional Environmental Setting 54 B. Physical Environment at the Project sites 61 C. Ecological Resources 67 D. Socio-economic Conditions 81 E. Physical Cultural Resources 84 F. Downstream Areas 84 V. ANTICIPATED ENVRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 86 A. Project Beneficiaries 86 B. Project Benefits 86 C. Impacts Associated with Project Location, Planning, and Design 87 D. Detailed Design and Pre-Construction Phase: Measures to be Undertaken 89 E. Impacts and Mitigation Measures in the Construction Phase 90 F. Impacts and Mitigation Measures in the Operational Phase 102 G. Greenhouse Gas Emissions 115 H. Adaptation to Climate Change 119 vii I. Associated Facilities 123 J. Induced and cumulative impacts and benefits 125 VI. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES 127 A. No Project Alternative 127 B. Alternatives Considered 127 VII. PUBLIC CONSULTATION, PARTICIPATION AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE 139 A. Legislative Framework for Public Consultation and Information Disclosure 139 B. Information Disclosure 139 C. Socio-economic survey 140 D. EIA Questionnaire Surveys 142 E. EIA Discussion Forum 143 F. Future Information Disclosure and Public Consultation Program 144 VIII. CONCLUSION 146 ATTACHMENT 1: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ATTACHMENT 2: EMP RELATED CONTRACT CLAUSES FOR CIVIL WORKS ATTACHMENT 3: SUMMARY OF CLIMATE RISK AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT viii I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. Introduction 1. The Haidong City Government (HCG) of Qinghai Province, People’s Republic of China (PRC) has requested the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to provide investment and technical assistance support for the Qinghai Haidong Urban-Rural Eco Development Project. The project will help the HCG to support improvements to the functions and values of Huangshui River and its watershed, including managing flood risks, improving water quality and availability, and increasing climate change resilience. The project will involve river embankment improvements along the Huangshui River, wetland and forest area restoration and rehabilitation, expansion of a landfill facility, reuse of wastewater to irrigate forested areas, and construction of water treatment plants and supply infrastructure to support the planned urbanization in Ping’an and Ledu Districts of Haidong City. 2. Haidong City is a city of 1.72 million residents. Urban development is concentrated in two districts – Ping’an and Ledu. Both districts are located along the Huangshui River, a nationally important tributary of the Yellow River. Urban development in Ping’an and Ledu is concentrated within the narrow valley of the Huanghsui River, and confined between steep mountainous areas. Buildable land is limited and the fertile valley has been experiencing a high rate of conversion from farmland to urban development. According to the Master Planning of Haidong Urban Area (2013-2030), the two districts are expected to add more than half million residents by 2030. Ledu District is projected to increase from 109,800 residents to 502,000 between 2012 and 2030, while Ping’an is expected to see its population grow from 68,100 to 190,000 during the same period. This will put pressure on an already fragile landscape that is prone to flooding and considerable amount of soil erosion, as well as on existing municipal services including water supply and solid waste disposal. B. The Project 3. The proposed project will include four main components: (i) integrated flood protection infrastructure; (ii) urban catchment soil erosion control; (iii) rural water supply and urban solid waste infrastructure; (iv) project management capacity strengthening. The components are summarized in Table I.1. 4. Flood protection will be enhanced by a program of embankments along the Huangshui River and its tributaries to improve water flow and increase flood protection capacity. The river sections will also have rehabilitated riverbanks. Riverbank improvements will be through the development of embankments as landscaped habitats and recreational areas, and wetland construction. Urban catchment soil erosion control will be achieved by irrigated shelterbelt plantations, partly using recycled treated wastewater from the Ping’an WWTP to reduce pressure on limited freshwater resources. The rural water supply infrastructure focuses on the water supply from two existing reservoirs (Fatai and Wenzukou) to be piped to small local WTPs to service the local villages in the upper Qijiachuan valley and then routed through a larger WTP to provide treated water downstream. The solid waste infrastructure is centered on the existing Ledu landfill, which will be rehabilitated and extended. The location of the main project components are shown on Figure I.1. 1 Figure I.1: Overview of project components 2 Table I.1: Summary of Project Outputs and Construction Components Name Description Output 1: Integrated flood management infrastructure for Huangshui River provided 1.1 Huangshui River Channel Ping’an River section rehabilitation and flood protection works along the Segment Huangshui River Channel Ping’an Segment, including 14.68 km of embankments along the main channel, 6 km of embankments along tributary mouths and 100,000 m3 of riverbed blockage removal. 1.2 Huangshui River Channel Ledu River section rehabilitation and flood protection works along the Urban Area Segment Huangshui River Channel Ledu Urban Area Segment, including 15 km of embankments along the main channel,