E1897 V3
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE INTEGRAL ENVIRONMENTAL (SOCIAL) ASSESSMENT OF THE AREA OF INFLUENCE OF THE URBAN WORKS “GREAT ASUNCIÓN” (ASUNCIÓN AND SOME DISTRICTS OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF ASUNCIÓN)1 Public Disclosure Authorized
A. Introduction
1. The Terms of Reference (TORs) for the Integral Environmental Assessment establish a guide of the main environmental – social requirements to be considered in the assessment to which the subprojects of the Modernization Program of the Water and Sanitation Sector of Paraguay (MPWSS) must be subjected; specifically in its Component 2, Water Supply and Sanitation in Urban Areas, Major Urban Works. The objective is to obtain reliable information for decision-making on technical and management aspects ensuring the solidity and environmental sustainability of the works which would be selected to be financed.
Public Disclosure Authorized 2. The objective of the Environmental Assessment is to ensure that all actions and works proposed to be financed by the MPWSS are evaluated as a whole, so that the scope of the benefits, of the negative impacts and of the potential risks of the Programme and of the subprojects that make it up are evaluated in detail and that the knowledge in relation to the response of the receiving bodies of water to the effects of contamination be strengthened and integrated into said assessments, with a definition of the measures and actions that have been envisaged for each selected alternative, in order to prevent, control, mitigate, compensate or correct the adverse environmental impacts caused during the execution of the works and activities; as well as propose a follow-up and attention paid to the contingencies that may arise during the operation and functioning of the works and facilities of the subprojects.
3. The TORs presented in this document stem from the Environmental and Social Public Disclosure Authorized Management Framework (ESMF) of the MPWSS, therefore the objectives of the TORs are consistent with the predictions of the ESMF, which seek to ensure the socio- environmental sustainability of the subprojects to be financed with the resources of the Programme, to comply with the national environmental legislation and with the Bank’s Environmental Safeguard Policies.
4. The MPWSS for urban areas includes subprojects that involve the construction of infrastructure works for the production of drinking water for supply purposes, on the one hand, and the collection of effluents and their treatment and final disposal, on the other. The quick and general environmental and social assessment and the revision of the Master Urban Water and Sanitation Plan indicate a first level of prioritization of major works and one of the two main areas of influence of the Programme; these works would be those relating to sanitation due to the high degree of environmental contamination (urban streams, underground waters of
Public Disclosure Authorized the Patiño Aquifer, streets and yards, etc.), to the number of population affected of about 892,000 inhabitants (that presents high density and an annual growth rate ranging from 1.0% to 7.2%, specially in the cities of the Great Asunción and riverside areas of the River Paraguay; unlike
1 See Area Map at the end of the document. 1 Asunción which is already densely populated) and due to its vital important for the development of the area.
5. The Master Sanitary Sewer Plan of ESSAP S.A. was prepared in 1985, where the following works were initially defined: i. Immediate improvements and recommendations for the provision of the new relief sewers serving the drainage areas of Villa Victoria, Vista Alegre and L. A. de Herrera; ii. Three separate plan to improve the existing sewer systems in Varadero, Tacumbú and Bella Vista; iii. Five subprojects to provide sewer collection systems in new areas: Itay, Lambaré, Mariano Roque Alonso, San Lorenzo and Luque.
6. This Plan represents an important contribution in the identification of the needs of priority sanitation infrastructure, however, it needs to be updated on the basis of the special studies that will define the types of final solutions of the works to be executed in each subproject. This priority works include, for Asunción, Great Asunción and Caacupé, the construction, expansion, rehabilitation and/or improvement of: i. sewer systems and/or sanitation network; ii. Possible effluent treatment systems; iii. sewer collectors; and iv. the actual discharge of the sewage of Asunción into the River Paraguay through the construction of a subaqueous outfalls at each discharge point for the best dilution of the effluents in the river mass.
7. Due the focus on the approach to the works of the ESMF, these TORs will mainly consider 2 areas of influence of the subprojects in urban areas; i) the area encompassing Asunción and surrounding districts, called the “Great Asunción”; and ii) the area encompassing the city of Caacupé. Nevertheless, brief references will be included for the other MPWSS subprojects that are not included in these areas of greater interest, but which have been envisaged for execution in later stages after the implementation of the works of greater priority.
8. The TORs presented in this document are established on the basis of the general knowledge of the types of works that will make up the subprojects which could be financed by the MPWSS. The information provided here represents an initial basis that requires rigorous information attained by carrying out in-depth studies to assist decision-making on the most viable alternative solutions, the fine-tuning of probable site areas and the potential environmental and social impacts that will be generated in each particular case. The Integral Environmental Assessment will be complemented with the Environmental-Social Management Instruments envisaged in the ESMF of the Project: the Involuntary Resettlement Framework and Acquisition of Property and the Management Framework of Indigenous Peoples, as well as the actions generated upon notification of the Project, these TORs and others suggested by riverside countries of the MPWSS.
9. The preparation of the Integral Environmental Assessment will be ruled by these TORs according to the preselected subprojects, first and foremost based on the updating of the Master Sanitary Sewer Plan of the Area of Influence “Great Asunción”. The information provided in this document includes generic references that need to be confirmed and evaluated for the drinking water and sanitation subprojects.
B. BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
Present Situation of the Provision of Drinking Water and Sanitation 2 10. The coverage of drinking water service presented the following percentages to 2002: Asunción, 96.3%; Lambaré, 90.1%; Fernando de la Mora, 87.1%; Mariano Roque Alonso, 77.6%; San Lorenzo, 76%; Luque, 64.2%; Villa Elisa, 85.1%; Caacupé, 83.4%. In Asunción, 100% of the service is provided by ESSAP S.A., while 28% of the total service in the Central Department is provided by ESSAP S.A., 36% by SENASA and 36% by neighbourhood commissions, private water providers (aguateros) and others. In Caacupé, 83.4% of the coverage is provided by ESSAP S.A.
11. According to information of ESSAP S.A., about 75% of sanitary sewers of the city of Asunción are being collected by collector networks and discharged through 12 outfalls directly and untreated into the River Paraguay, causing contamination, specially of fecal coliforms on the shores of the River Paraguay, which places the inhabitants living on the riverbanks and fishermen who are always in contact with the water at great risk, also in detriment of this region’s touristic activities2.
12. The percentages of coverage of the sanitary sewer network in some of the districts of the Great Asunción up to 20023 are as follows: Lambaré, 16%; Fernando de la Mora, 7%; Mariano Roque Alonso, 0%; San Lorenzo, 9%; Luque, 7%; Villa Elisa, 0%. In these districts there is an extensive use of cesspools as a solution for the disposal of sewage; nonetheless the effluents collected and untreated and a percentage of uncollected effluents are directed to nearby streams, except for San Lorenzo that has a treatment plant prior to the discharge, albeit collapsed at present. Another practice that is still observed is the discharging of sewage into streets and yards.
13. The excessive amount of coliforms has been observed in the beaches of the River Paraguay in this area of Great Asunción due to the lack of treatment, in fact several thousands of coliforms per 100ml; while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends less than 500 UFC/100ml (coliforms/100ml) as the maximum for beaches. In Asunción the sewer service is administrated and provided by ESSAP S.A., not so in the other districts where networks are managed by the neighbourhood commissions and other community associations themselves. In the case of Caacupé, the coverage of the sewer network is 0% and sewage is directed to cesspools or adjacent streams.
14. In this section any unknown relevant information must be revealed, and/or any information already existing in reports of the previously prepared Environmental Impact Assessment, such as the one performed by Halcrow4 in 1995, in relation to the sanitary situation that involves:
i. The deterioration of the quality of life of urban inhabitants in the possible areas of influence of the subproject; ii. The statistics of morbidity and mortality due to diseases caused by the water;
2 Kawai, H. (2007). Complementary paper of the Project of control and improvement of the quality of water of the Lake Ypacarai basin and of the River Paraguay, JICA, SEAM and DIGESA Cooperation. Preliminary Plan for the Disposal of Sanitary Sewers of Asunción into the River Paraguay. 3 Data, ESSAP Statistics. 4 Halcrow: Sir William Halcrow & Partners (1995). 3 iii. The degradation of aquatic and land ecosystems and the loss of biodiversity in the possible areas of influence of the subproject; iv. The devaluation of property; v. Limitation of the recreational opportunities, in particular of the less privileged social classes; vi. The sanitary and social situation of marginal neighbourhoods with unmet basic needs, in particular those living in floodable areas and informal settlements without effluent collection services; vii. Limitations and restrictions to urban and touristic development, resulting from a degraded environmental situation.
Background of the Project
23. In 1985, through an Technical Cooperation Agreement, the Government of Paraguay requested the British Government to provide a Consulting Service for the preparation of a Master Sanitary Sewer Plan, including a feasibility study for Asunción and surrounding areas. The British Government supported Paraguay and in 1985 the Draft of the Master Sanitary Sewer Plan was initiated and completed in 1987. As per the prioritization of the different works of the Plan, the preparation of the Executive Project of the Sanitary Sewer of the Itay Basin was initiated in 1993, which was awarded to the Halcrow firm and finalized in October 1995. That same year, through Loan Agreement Nº 3842-PA signed by IBRD and the Government of the Republic of Paraguay, what was CORPOSANA at that time had initiated the construction of the works of the Sanitary Sewer System of the Itay Basin.
24. The works had been organized into six contracts, of which only one was executed, i.e. the construction of the Tunnel of 3.5 km length directing the volume of effluents collected in the Basin to an outfall that would direct them to the River Paraguay. The remaining works have been pending due to the suspension of IBRD financing. The GoRP decided to complete the Project and for this purpose existing studies need to be undated, including the Master Plan, and new credit needs to be obtained. In relation to the case of Caacupé, an Execute Subproject has been carried out for the city which initially included the construction of sanitation works in two stages. The sewer network has been completed, however it has not been used due to disputes emerging from local populations in relation to the definitive location of the planned treatment system and the selected recipient body of water for the discharge point, which is the Tobatí stream.
Scope and Justification of the Subprojects
25. The objectives of the sanitation subprojects are to increase and/or improve the coverage of the sanitary sewer system in Asunción, its Metropolitan Area and the cities of the interior of the country, and improve the correct disposal of sewage collected by the network. Furthermore, the purpose of the drinking water subprojects is to increase and/or improve the coverage of the drinking water system in the cities of the interior of the country.
26. The works included in the sanitation subprojects of the MPWSS and their scopes are as follows:
4 a. Itay Basin. Works: i) expansion of the sanitary sewer system; ii) construction of outfalls to the treatment system; iii) construction of subaqueous outfall; iv) construction of an effluent treatment system.
27. The subproject would directly benefit about 175,870 persons settled on a surface area of 4,980 has., and would include a treatment and disposal solution not only for the effluents collected by the future sewer system projected for that area, but also for those generated in other basins proposed within the Master Plan, such as San Lorenzo, Luque and Bella Vista, the latter encompassing 270,000 inhabitants and the catchment area of the Mburicao stream, one of the most degraded streams and consequently, the most important contributor of contaminants to the River Paraguay in Asunción5, which would imply benefiting about 391,315 persons more. In this way, important parts of the areas would be cleaned up, the streams crossing the area would be decontaminated, the living conditions of the population would improve and urban development, which is now restricted due to the lack of sewer systems, would be enabled6.
28. Of the initial components of the Itay subproject, a Tunnel with a diameter of 1.6 meters and a length of 3.5 kilometers has already been constructed to conduct sewage to the River Paraguay. Before being discharged into the river, the sewage will be treated. The level of treatment required shall be established by the study and modeling of the River Paraguay.
b. San Lorenzo Basin. Works: i) expansion of the sanitary sewer system; ii) construction of the pump station; iii) construction of impulse pipelines to the main effluent collector of the Itay Basin.
29. With this expansion of the network a surface area of 677 has. will be covered with a population of about 77,835 persons, which would increase coverage in the entire city to 29%. At present, the treatment system of San Lorenzo has optional lagoons for the reconversion of the collected effluents; however, their capacity is insufficient and are at a standstill, and need to be expanded. Furthermore, the effluents of the treatment system are discharged into the San Lorenzo stream, which is highly contaminated, as a result of which effluents would be collected and directed to the main collector of the Itay Basin to be conducted to its treatment system and finally be discharged into the River Paraguay so as to improve the stream’s condition.
c. Luque Basin. Works: i) expansion of the sanitary sewer network; ii) construction of the pump station; iii) construction of impulse pipelines to the main effluent collector of the Itay Basin.
21. With the expansion of the network system, a surface area of 487 has. would be covered with a total population of 43,480 persons, increasing sewer coverage to 17%. Additionally, as the effluents are not treated in the area at present, they would be collected, pumped and directed to the main effluent collector of the Itay Basin, to then be treated with all the other effluents of the basins and finally be discharged into the River Paraguay through the mouth of the Itay Basin.
5 Ditto. 6 Environmental Planning Project in Urban Areas – ORDAZUR. II Argentinean Hydro-geological Congress, Río Cuarto, Córdoba – 2005. Schillinger, Ralf – Oporto, Orlando. Secretariat of the Environment of Paraguay. 5 d. Mariano Roque Alonso. Works: i) construction of the sanitary sewer system; ii) construction of outfalls to the treatment system; iii) construction of the subaqueous outfall; iv) construction of an effluent treatment system.
22. In the town of Mariano Roque Alonso, an entire sewer network needs to be built as there is no sewer drainage and cesspools are the individual solution that is mostly used. The viability of the application of the municipality’s own effluent treatment system and the response of effluents once in the water mass, after their discharge into the River Paraguay, need to be analyzed. An alternative option for Mariano Roque Alonso would be to direct the sewage collected by its sewer system to the treatment system of the Itay Basin. A surface area of 686 has. would be covered with the works of sanitary sewer with an estimated population of 25,000 persons, thus increasing coverage in this municipality to 26%.
e. Lambaré Basin. Works: i) expansion of the sanitary sewer system; ii) construction of outfalls to the treatment system; iii) construction of subaqueous outfall; iv) construction of an effluent treatment system.
23. The subproject intends to cover almost the entirety of the town of Lambaré and the areas of the San Pablo, Terminal and Nazaret neighbourhoods of Asunción, totaling a population of 300,000 persons in an area of 3,861 has. The plan includes addressing the construction of the sewer system of this area since it is experiencing a relatively significant population growth. As well as the network, the plan includes the construction of some kind of solution for the clean-up of the effluents collected through a treatment system and an discharge outfall into the River Paraguay. The effluent treatment system needs to be evaluated in relation to the river’s dilution capacity.
f. Downtown Asunción. Works: rehabilitation of sewer effluent collectors. The sewer system of downtown Asunción is old and undersized due to the small dimension of the diameters of the pipelines and the overload of present volumes of flow. The rehabilitation of the sewer system of Asunción will be carried out by replacing the parts of sewage collectors in order to conduct the currents, as per study of the most critical segments.
g. Discharges into the River Paraguay. Works: improvement of 7 effluent discharge outfalls into the River Paraguay. At present these outfalls discharge the effluents collected in the banks of the River Paraguay, generating high levels of environmental contamination, health ailments in the nearby population, restrictions to recreational activities and complete deterioration of the landscape. Improvements would be carried out through the installation of subaqueous pipelines at each discharge point in order to obtain the best dilution of the sewage.
h. Viñas Cué. Works: i) expansion of the raw water intake on the River Paraguay; ii) expansion of the water treatment plant for supply purposes.
24. The subproject consists of expanding the Viñas Cué Treatment Plan in a Module of 110,000 m3/day in order to cover the demand for drinking water that is envisaged with the expansion of the coverage in the Metropolitan Area of Asunción. The increase envisaged will serve 50,000 new connections in this way covering the supply for about 250,000 inhabitants. 6 i. Caacupé Basin. Works: i) construction of an effluent treatment system; ii) electromechanical equipping for pump stations of the sanitary sewer network in existence, but out of service.
25. The sanitary sewer system is built on a surface area of 283 has., but it is out of service due to the resistance of a social group to the construction of a treatment system of collected effluents, of which the initial solution consists of stabilization lagoons in order to avoid direct discharge into the River Ortega. If sewer network were to be allowed, it would cover a population of about 20,000 persons, which represents 40% of the population of the municipality (urban and rural).
26. The works included in the drinking water projects of ESSAP SA are the following. They are listed and briefly described for if in case they might be analyzed within the MPWSS. If they are to be studied, the necessary information will be added or in the general context of this EIAI or separately in the TORs of the EIA. The scope of the works is as follows:
a. Villarrica and Coronel Oviedo. Works: rehabilitation and expansion of adductors from the water treatment plant of Tebicuary-mi to the towns of Villarrica and Coronel Oviedo. These adductors were set up in 1978 and lately numerous breakages have occurred; consequently it is advisable to replace them. Furthermore, the hydraulic capacity is insufficient to transport a larger volume of sewage, and this would be accomplished with an expansion of the treated water pump station and of the treatment plant. It has been estimated that in this way the subproject will enable an expansion of the areas of coverage benefiting about 70,000 inhabitants.
b. Concepción. Works: i) expansion of raw water intake; ii) expansion of the water treatment plant; iii) construction of raw water adductor. At present there is a treatment plant and deep wells, however, they do not meet the demand, specially in summer time. The subproject will benefit 35,000 users, which would cover 56% of the population of the town of Concepción.
c. Ciudad del Este. Works: i) construction of raw water intake; ii) construction of pump station. This subproject envisages the construction of a new raw water intake on the River Paraná, where a new pump station will also be set up which will direct the raw water to the treatment plant located at the side of the República Lake in Ciudad del Este. These works will solve the cyclic problems of critical lack of water in the area in times of intense heat and will also reduce the present production costs per m3 produced since the quality of the water of the River Paraná is comparatively higher than that of the República Lake. Furthermore, it will be possible to reduce the present high index of loss at the plant. All the above will directly benefit the users of ESSAP S.A. in said town, both in terms of water quality and in available volume throughout the year. The subproject will benefit the present 10,000 users, and might even cover a larger area due to the planned production capacity or sell the envisaged surplus that the plant will have in the short term as bulk water.
7 d. San Estanislao. Works: i) construction of raw water intake; ii) construction of pump station; iii) construction of water treatment plant. These works will solve the available water deficit problem for present ESSAP users in the town of San Estanislao as well as for other inhabitants still waiting for the opportunity to connect and use this system. At present the system is supplied by four deep wells, one of which is out of service and the other three suffer of certain problems associated with the area’s hydrogeology. These works will replace the wells of the present supply system and said wells would be used as reserves for possible problems and/or emergencies. The subproject will benefit the current 6,000 users, but with possibilities of expansion to areas within the area of service, as well as the possibility of providing water to the other private systems of the area which suffer of the similar problems of supply from deep wells.
e. Pilar. Works: i) expansion of raw water intake; ii) expansion of the water treatment plant. The drinking water system of the town of Pilar is experiencing serious operation and maintenance problems. These works will enable the improvement of the quality of the service provided at present, as well as carry out the necessary expansions to cover new areas with the service. The subproject will benefit the present 27,200 users as ESSAP S.A., the sole provider in the entire urban area, covers practically 100% of the urban population.
27. Each subproject will include a description of the timeline of the advances of the works, as well as an identification of associated subprojects. Both for sanitation and drinking water, a description and assessment of other proposals for alternative solutions will be included for water supply, collection and disposal of the effluents of previous studies, subprojects and/or programmes.
28. Regarding sanitation works, a summarized analysis will be included as well of the studies and experiences on the use of subaqueous outfalls with diffusors and effluent treatment systems in other subprojects and countries, with emphasis fluvial means with freshwater and the characteristics of the River Paraguay, as well as streams with characteristics of the Ortega and Tobatí.
29. Other subprojects will be identified that have been planned or are underway that might compete with the works of the subprojects in terms of space and resources, specially the Coastal Strip (Franja Costera) Subproject of Asunción, to be developed in the delimited riverside area, widthwise, along the River Paraguay and 64 meters above sea level, and lengthwise, along Puerto Botánico and Cerro Lambaré, encompassing an area of 1,700 has. of land subject to regular floods.
30. The Subproject plans to develop an inner defense system against floods, and the technical solution adopted is a great sandfill by hydraulicking to take it to 64 meters above sea level. This elevation is defined by the analysis of the recurrence of the rising of the River Paraguay over the last 100 years7. Hence special attention must be paid to the possibility of disputes relating to the overlapping of the areas proposed for the site of one of the possible effluent treatment systems and the site planned for the Coastal Strip Subproject, since both expect to use the riverside area between Puerto Botánico and the banks of the Mburicao stream.
7 Gil Duarte, R. (2002). Asunción, Desarrollo y Protección de la Franja Costera. 8 31. Along these lines, we will also briefly mention the relations between jurisdictions, interests and objectives of the executor and the different State institutions, NGOs and other entities or important civil groups.
C. OBJECTIVES
32. In this section we shall describe the general objective of the Integral Environment Assessment specifying its scope so as to ensure compliance of the general objective of the Programme, which is improvement of the health and quality of life of the population by increasing the coverage of drinking water and sanitation services, consolidating the legal and institutional framework and improving institutional efficiency, by means of solutions implying the least environmental and social damage, selected on the basis of detailed technical assessments in accordance with the possible repercussions of the works of the subprojects. An analysis will be performed of the deadlines to reach this general objective in relation to the different stages of the Programme (preparation, design, execution and functioning of the subprojects of the Programme).
D. REQUIREMENTS OF THE PREPARATION OF THE INTEGRAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
33. The basic rules and guidelines that will rule the assessment will be identified and described. They are: ƒ Law Nº 294/93 on Environmental Impact Assessment, which establishes the generic obligation of performing an environmental impact assessment for all human activities altering or destroying elements of the environment or generating waste, toxic or hazardous materials. Article 7 of the Law establishes the need for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for a series of activities related to investment subprojects, among which the following are mentioned: f) Construction and operation of conduits for water, oil, gas, minerals, sewage and industrial effluents in general; g) Hydraulic works in general; j) Collection, treatment and final disposal of urban and industrial waste. ƒ Law Nº 1.561/00 which creates the National Environment System (SISNAM, acronyms in Spanish), the National Environment Board (CONAM, acronyms in Spanish) and the Secretariat for the Environment (SEAM, acronyms in Spanish). ƒ Law Nº 3.239/07 on Water Resources that regulates the sustainable and comprehensive management of all waters and the territories producing them. ƒ Decree Nº 14.281/96 General Regulations on Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures, which defines the requirements and general procedures according to which the environmental viability (license) for the new activities, works or subprojects will be determined, that by law or regulation, have been determined as possibly altering or destroying elements of the environmental or generating waste, toxic or hazardous materials, as well as the measures of prevention, mitigation and compensation that need to be implemented by the developer, depending on their impact on the environmental. ƒ The guidelines established in the Environmental Management Framework and the World Bank’s Operational Policies and its Directives relating to the types of subprojects and their potential implications. The general requirements will be 9 mentioned for Category A which the subprojects fall into, as established in the World Bank’s OP 4.01, calling for the identification and examination of positive and negative environmental and social impacts and the comparison of feasible alternatives, for the recommendation of necessary measures to prevent, reduce to the minimum, mitigate or compensate adverse conditions and improve the performance of the environmental. Furthermore, we will mention, according to the case of the works, the need for certain elements of the instruments of Environmental Assessment, such as an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), a regional or sectorial Environmental Assessment (EA), an environmental audit, an assessment of hazards or risks, and a environmental management plan, as well as the need to carry out public consultations and foster access to the information.
F. AREA OF STUDY
34. On the above-mentioned bases, in relation to the areas relating to each subproject, now the study will specify in detail the final site areas and the area of influence for each infrastructure works of the subprojects, including the land, aquatic and atmospheric area which they directly or indirectly affect, considering socioeconomic, hydrological, hydro- geological, geomorphic aspects, as well as aspects relating to biological diversity, atmospheric conditions and other relevant ones. These specifications need to consider the areas affected by the construction and/or the location of the works itself; the upstream segments of the river, the mixing area and downstream of the discharge points; the beneficiary area of the service, etc.8.
35. On maps of adequate scale all these areas of direct and indirect influence of the works will be indicated, with the actual and exact location of existing natural resources (temporary and/or permanent water currents, vegetation, habitats of animal species) in them. The distribution of human settlements and economically sensitive areas that could be affected by the subprojects during the stages of construction, operation and maintenance will also be included.
36. Area of Study of the Subprojects:
Itay Basin
37. The Itay Basin is located between the cities of Asunción and Fernando de la Mora and it covers part of them and of San Lorenzo and Luque. In this area of 7,500 has. almost 100% of the population has access to piped drinking water provided by ESSAP S.A.. However, coverage of the sanitary sewer system is only about 12%.
38. The areas within the Basin that are currently covered by the sewer service are the Subbasin of Trinidad (449 has. draining to the Bella Vista system), the la Subbasin of Villa
8 It refers to the area which will probably be affected by the project, and all its subordinated aspects, such as energy transmission corridors, pipelines, channels, tunnels, access roads and relocation, sandfill areas and areas of waste disposal and construction camps, as well as unscheduled activities induced by the project (for example, spontaneous settlements, wood exploitation or migratory agriculture along the accesses). For example, the area of influence could include: a) the basin where the project is located; b) affected coastal area and estuary; c) the areas beyond the site required for resettlement or extensions of compensatory plots of land; d) the aerial basin (for example when pollution is airborne, such as smoke or dust, it can enter or leave the area of influence); e) migratory routes of human beings, fauna or fish, economic activities or conservation of the environment, specially when relating to public health; and f) the areas used for subsistence activities (hunting, fishing, grazing, gathering, agriculture, etc.) or for traditional religious or ceremonial purposes.
10 Victoria (264 has. draining to the headwaters of the tunnel of the Itay system), the Subbasin of Luis Alberto de Herrera (97 has. draining to the headwaters of the tunnel of the Itay system), the Airport Housing Compound in Luque (106 has. draining to the Bogarín stream).
39. The beneficiary area of the works of the Itay Basin will extend over the same sewer coverage area of about 4,980 has. Additionally, another area of influence will be a segment of the River Paraguay in the upstream, mixing and downstream areas of the discharge point, together with its riverbanks where there are informal settlements of human groups, as well as being sites of commercial fishing; the length of this segment will be actually determined by the study and modeling of the quality of the water of the River Paraguay. As well as the River Paraguay itself, the areas of interest that could be included in the area affected along its course, due to the possible location of an effluent treatment system in said areas and due to the effect of the discharges into it, are the Botanical Garden and Zoo, the districts Bañados Norte y Sur, the Laguna Pyta, the Ecological Reserve of Asunción Bay, the area of municipal interest for the Coastal Strip Subproject of Asunción, among others. Additional to these areas, other positively influenced by the subproject would be part of the cities of Asunción (Bella Vista Basin), Luque and San Lorenzo, the sewage of which would be conducted to the Itay system prior to their discharge into the River Paraguay.
40. The potential areas for the site of the eventual effluent treatment system are: i) area of Puerto Botánico, with 2 has. surface area, owned by COPACO, suggested initially by the EIA prepared by Sir William Halcrow & Partners; ii) area of Puerto Botánico, with 8 has. surface area; iii) right bank of the Mburicao stream, limited by the latter, by the street Capitán Lombardo and by the River Paraguay, with 21 has. surface area; iv) left bank of the Mburicao stream, limited by the latter, by a street to be determined and by the River Paraguay, with 25 has. surface area. These three sites are municipal property and have a declaration of interest made for the works by the Municipality of Asunción.
41. Two of these sites were visited by a World Bank Preparation Mission during 2008 and a small number of families has been identified: in Puerto Botánico about 4 houses and 1 house on the right bank of the Mburicaó stream. However, beyond the boundaries of the proposed land, over 500 families were observed in the adjacent areas, among which there are persons who earn their living fishing, transporting on canoes, gathering of merchandise and informal segregation of trash for resale purposes, among others. Furthermore, it was observed that the roads of access to both areas of land are about 2 km long and that they cross completely settled populations.9 And they same would happen in the area of land located on the left bank of the Mburicaó stream, since practically the entirety of that area presents the same environmental and socioeconomic characteristics. However, a reconnaissance visit has yet to be carried out.
San Lorenzo Basin
42. The district of San Lorenzo has a surface area of 5,668 has., it is 10 km away from downtown Asunción and is part of the Central Department. Its total population is about 203,150 inhabitants (DGEEC, 2002). To the north it borders with the town of Luque; to the east with
9 ESSAP. (2008). Modernization Programme of the Water and Sanitation Sector of Paraguay. Preparation Mission. Memory-Aid September – October, 2008. 11 Capiatá; to the south with Ñemby and Capiatá; to the west with Fernando de la Mora and Villa Elisa.
San Lorenzo
43. San Lorenzo is considered the most populated municipality of the Central Department, with 100% urban population. In daytime there are about 750.000 persons who leave at the end of the day, thus it is a dormitory town. Among this town’s most salient problems are the contamination of waterways due to their connection to sewer drainage systems of houses and the dumping of household waste into them, of which the most dramatic case is the San Lorenzo stream.
44. The town is supplied by drinking water networks of ESSAP S.A., covering 40% of the total population of the municipality. Regarding sanitary sewer networks, only 9% of the population is covered in the downtown area. The area of influence to be benefited by the works is the future area of coverage of the service (677 has.) and its population (77,835 persons), as well as the waterways, at present contaminated, and the areas located on their banks (mainly of the San Lorenzo stream). Other areas to be affected would be those neighbouring the sites of the pump stations and of the impulse pipelines to the main effluent collector of the Itay Basin.
Luque Basin
45. The district of Luque has a surface area of 15,284 has., it is 15 km away from downtown Asunción and is part of the Central Department. Its total population is about 185,600 inhabitants (DGEEC, 2002). To the north it borders with the town of Limpio; to the east with Areguá; to the south with San Lorenzo; to the west with Asunción; to the northeast with the Cordillera Department; to the southeast with the district of Capiatá; to the southwest with the districts of San Lorenzo and Fernando de la Mora. The district is irrigated by the River Salado, by a series of streams and by Lake Ypacaraí on one of its borders.
46. Some important streams are: San Ramón, Itapuamí, Itá Angua, Itá Cajón, Itay, Abay, Yukyry, Mboi and the Guaimi (or Pora Ñande Jara). 92.4% of the population of Luque lives in the urban area as the place where most of the district’s commercial and cultural activity takes place. The municipality’s main problems are inadequate division of the land into plots (with reduction of green areas), the existence of garbage dumps, the burning of trash and sewage. The main areas of interest due to its natural, recreational and/or touristic features are the Ñu Guazú Park and the Ypacaraí reserve of managed resources.
47. In the town of Luque, ESSAP S.A. is in charge of the coverage of the drinking water and sewer services. However, only 7% of the municipality is covered by the sanitary sewer network, in the downtown area and in some neighbourhoods where the families were able to pay for the construction of sewer drainage systems, which after their treatment are discharge into the Paso Carreta stream or some other waterway.
48. The area of influence to be benefited by the works is the future area of coverage of the service (487 has.) and its population (43,480 persons), as well as the waterways, at present contaminated, and the areas located on their banks (mainly the Paso Carreta stream). Other areas
12 to be affected would be those neighbouring the sites of the pump stations and the impulse pipelines to the main effluent collector of the Itay Basin.
Mariano Roque Alonso Basin
49. The district of Mariano Roque Alonso has a surface area of 3,729 has., it is 18 km away from downtown Asunción and is part of the Central Department. Its total population is about 64,900 inhabitants (DGEEC, 2002). To the north it borders with Limpio; to the east with Luque and Limpio; to the south with Asunción; to the west with the River Paraguay and Villa Hayes (Chaco).
50. The area benefited by the subproject is the planned area of coverage (686 has.) and its population (25,000 persons). Human groups that would be negatively affected would be those settled on the bank of the River Paraguay where the possible construction of the effluent treatment system has been planned, at the height of the town’s municipal garbage dump. Other human groups which could be positively or negatively affected according to the result of the discharge of effluents into the river would be the groups that use the river’s resources for their livelihood (fishing), as well as those settled on the segment of the river, the quality of will be altered by the implementation of the discharge technology. The river and its aquatic fauna and flora will also be affected.
Other areas that would be affected
51. The areas that could be affected are those through which the diversion outfalls will pass to the effluent treatment plant and to the River Paraguay, where there is a settlement of the Maká ethnic group, beside the possible throughway of an outfall. Areas of main interest in the area of influence of the works are the River Paraguay in the upstream, mixing and downstream areas (with special attention to the water intake of Viñas Cué for supply purposes, 4.1 km downstream of the possible site of the effluent treatment plant); its banks that normally are the natural habitat of species of fauna and flora or are extremely intervened by disorderly human settlements; as well as the municipal garbage dump of the town of Mariano Roque Alonso is a highly degraded area that must be borne in mind (as it is at the same height of the possible site of the effluent treatment plant).
Lambaré Basin
52. The district of Lambaré has a surface area of 2,391 has., it is about 15 km away from downtown Asunción and is part of the Central Department. Its total population is about 119,800 inhabitants (DGEEC, 2002). To the north it borders with Asunción; to the east with Fernando de la Mora and Villa Elisa; to the south with the River Paraguay and the Republic of Argentina; to the west with Asunción, the River Paraguay and Villa Hayes (Chaco). 100% of the population is urban.
53. The most important waterway in this area is the Lambaré stream. The areas of main interest due to its natural, recreational and/or touristic features, as well as due to its situation of environmental degradation or informal occupation are the area of the Cateura Reserve and the municipal garbage dump Cateura. The basin of the Lambaré stream covers almost the entirety of town of Lambaré and parts of the cities of Asunción, Fernando de la Mora and Villa Elisa. Only 13 part of the town of Lambaré has sanitary sewer system, about 16% of the population, while the majority uses individual cesspools. The beneficiary area of influence of the subproject is the area to be covered by the sewer service (3,861 has. and 300,000 persons), the waterways, at present contaminated, and their banks (specially the Lambaré stream).
54. The negatively affected human groups would be those settled on the bank of the River Paraguay, in the area planned as the site of possible effluent treatment system, the location of which is estimated in the nearby area of Cateura. The groups that could be positively or negatively affected, according to the result of the discharge of the effluents into the river, would be those settled on the bank of the segment of the river, the quality of which will be altered by the implementation of the discharge technology, and those who use it for their livelihood (fishing) and as a source of products to sell. Likewise, the river itself and its aquatic fauna and flora will be affected. Other areas to be affected will be those through which the diversion outfalls to the effluent treatment plant and to the River Paraguay.
55. The areas of main interest in the area of influence of the works are the River Paraguay in the upstream, mixing and downstream areas; its banks are normally the natural habitat of species of fauna and flora or are extremely intervened by disorderly human settlements. The municipal garbage dump of Asunción is also a highly degraded area that must be borne in mind at the time of determining the site of the possible effluent treatment plant.
Downtown Asunción
56. The most direct area of influence of these works is the area where the collectors will be rehabilitated, as the service will be improved; however, the pass-through population and workers in the downtown area will be affected during the rehabilitation works, but without major impacts other than the troubles caused by the construction and the possible temporary loss of income caused by the obstruction of the public throughway and access to certain businesses or services.
Discharges into the River Paraguay
57. At present there are 12 effluent discharge outfalls of the Asunción into the River Paraguay, distributed from the area of Puerto Botánico to the area of Cateura. About 5 of these outfalls have been upgraded to subaqueous discharge solutions; while the other 7 that need to be upgraded are located in the areas of the streets Viuda de las Llanas, Grau, Alférez Silva of the neighbourhoods of San Antonio, Sajonia 2, Tacumbú, Santa Ana. In this way, the total area of influence of the discharge effluents is a strip that covers a segment of the River Paraguay about 40 km long10, plus its banks. The segment runs from Puente Remanso in Mariano Roque Alonso to the juncture of the districts of Lambaré and Villa Elisa, taking into account the upstream, mixing and downstream areas of each discharge point.
58. Within this area of influence or related to it, there are areas of special interest due to their natural features (Botanical Garden and Zoo, Bañados Norte y Sur, Laguna Pyta, Ecological Reserve of the Bay of Asunción, Cateura Reserve Area), their state of environmental
10 Extended length of the segment initially considered by the JICA expert, Hideo Kawai (2007), in the Preliminary Plan for the Disposal of Sanitary Sewers of Asunción into the River Paraguay – Complementary Study of the Project of Control and Improvement of the Quality of the Water of the Basin of Lake Ypacarai and the River Paraguay. JICA, SEAM and DIGESA Cooperation. 14 degradation (Cateura municipal garbage dump, Mariano Roque Alonso municipal garbage dump, clandestine garbage dumps of Tablada Nueva), their extent of informal human occupation (Bañados Norte y Sur, Cateura Reserve Area, etc.) or their recreational and/or touristic interest (Club Mbiguá, Asunción Bay, Sajonia Sports Club, etc.).
Viñas Cué
59. The area of direct positive impact of this subproject is the area of Asunción and/or its Metropolitan Area where coverage will be increased by 50,000 connections. The area of influence of the intake works includes the segment of the River Paraguay upstream (due to possible impact on the quality of water for treatment) and downstream (due to the disposal of the effluents of the operation of the plant). Finally, another area of influence is the site of ESSAP itself where the treatment plant will be expanded.
Caacupé Basin
60. The town of Caacupé has a population of about 19,300 inhabitants11 with 83.4% drinking water coverage by ESSAP S.A., by means of raw water intake and 3 deep wells; sanitary sewer coverage is 0%.
61. The beneficiary area of the subproject will be the area of coverage of the sewer network (283 has.) and its population (20,000 inhabitants). The areas to be affected positively or negatively according to the results of the technologies of effluent treatment and discharge will be the waterways, specially the possible receiving body of water in a segment that includes the upstream, mixing and downstream areas of the discharge point; the banks of the waterways and the population settled there and who use the water of the streams (recreation, washing of clothes, etc.); the areas around the site of the pump stations and the possible areas for placement of the effluent treatment system.
62. The other works are listed in the event they might be object of assistance; their general characteristics are as follows:
a. Villarrica and Coronel Oviedo. The beneficiary areas of the subproject will be the Villarrica and Coronel Oviedo urban centers (70,000 inhabitants), as the water supply services will improve there, as well as the possible areas of expansion of the coverage. The areas negatively affected by the subproject will be those surrounding the sites working on infrastructural improvement from the treatment plant in Tebicuary-mi and the two urban centers.
b. Concepción. The subproject’s beneficiary area is the town of Concepción (35,000 inhabitants) which will receive an increase and improvements in the drinking water service, which to date has fallen short. The area to be affected by the expansion of the infrastructure works is the bank of the River Paraguay and its waters due to the cleaning of the plant. Finally, another area affected will be the one near the works of the adductor.
11 DGEEC, 2002 15 c. Ciudad del Este. The subproject’s beneficiary area will be the area that will obtain improvements in the supply, at present insufficient, as well as the possible area of expansion of the coverage. The areas affected by the infrastructure works will be the urban area that needs to be crossed by civil works for the installation of the adductor, and the riverside area of the River Paraná where the raw water intake will be installed.
d. San Estanislao. The subproject’s beneficiary area will be the area that will obtain improvements in the supply, at present insufficient, as well as the possible area of expansion of the coverage. The areas affected by the infrastructure works will be the riverside area of the River Paraguay where the raw water intake and the treatment plant will be installed, as well as the segment of the river where the effluents of the operation and cleaning of the plant will be discharged.
e. Pilar. The subproject’s beneficiary area will be the area that will obtain improvements in the supply, at present falling short, as well as the possible area of expansion of the coverage. The areas affected by the infrastructure works will be the riverside area of the River Paraguay where the raw water intake will be installed and the treatment plant will be expanded, as well as the segment of the river where the effluents of the operation and cleaning of the plant will be discharged.
G. SPHERE OF WORK
63. The existing information deficiencies will be specified as the basis for the Integral Environmental Assessment, therefore the assessor will identify and specify the necessary relevant studies (field work, modeling of water resources, among others) to carry out the task. For priority sanitation works, the diagnosis of the starting status will be described based on the updating of the Master Sanitary Sewer Plan of the City of Asunción that envisages the sanitation subprojects of Asunción and the Great Asunción.
H. TASK 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED SUBPROJECTS
64. This description will include the intentions of the subprojects in relation to the recovery and preservation of the quality of surface bodies of water (River Paraguay, urban streams and other bodies of water) in accordance with the uses and objectives of the quality of waters to be proposed, agreed on and assigned to their different segments and areas in the short, medium and long term. Along these lines, a description will be included on the role of each of the works of the subprojects in terms of compliance with such intentions.
65. The location, components, general outlay, size, capacity and useful life of the works of the subprojects will be specified. The stages (design, construction, operation and maintenance) and the activities to be carried out in each one will be described, as well as their timeline. The compatibility analysis of the subprojects will be presented with nationally and internationally applied environmental and civil standards; the utilization or impact of natural resources and the socioeconomic media, with description of the methodology to carry out the activities relating to information collection, processing and analysis, as well as the limitations relating to existing base information for the determination and assessment of impacts. 16
66. Necessary investments beyond the site areas of the subprojects will also be specified (such as access roads, pipelines, electricity providers, housing, storage facilities of inputs and tools, among others). The need or not for plans stemming from the Social and Environmental Safeguard Policies of the World Bank will be indicated, in the event they are activated.
I. TASK 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
67. The environmental baseline of the area of study will be brought together, assessed and presented, including the changes envisaged prior to the initiation of the Programme. Information from prior studies will be retrieved and their consistency will be checked against the real and present condition of the areas of influence and the data will be recorded. Aspects relating to the following will be incorporated:
ƒ Physical Media. Description of the present characteristics of surface water resources (River Paraguay, River Paraná, River Tebicuary-mi, urban streams) as well as of underground, soil, geological and atmospheric resources (including meteorological conditions) in relation to the seasonal nature of the dry and wet periods.
ƒ Biological Media. Identification and detailed description of the location, distribution, abundance and characteristics of the land, aquatic and aerial ecosystems (river, streams, riverside and floodable areas). An analysis will be included of the fragility (threatened species) and their susceptibility to the different works of the subprojects. The presence of reserve areas or areas of biological interest will be identified, if applicable. This section of study must be emphasized in the case of sanitation works, specifically those which include possible effluent treatment systems and their discharge into bodies of water (River Paraguay, urban streams).
ƒ Socioeconomic Media. Description of the demographic and economic parameters, parameters of quality of life and unmet basic needs of the affected human populations; their size, distribution and projected growth; their symbolic aspects and an analysis of their sensitivity to the works of the subprojects.
ƒ Infrastructure and Services. Description of the present situation of the management (collection, treatment, final disposal) of effluents and waste; of the use and value of the land, of the residential, industrial, commercial growth and the growth of services; of the basic infrastructure of provision of drinking water and energy, among others.
68. The necessary studies and activities for the definition, description and/or updating of the baseline in relation to the above-mentioned aspects will be specified, as follows:
ƒ The modeling of hydraulic behaviour and of the quality of the water of the River Paraguay, in a segment determined by the updated Master Sanitation Plan of Asunción, the identification of priority works and the definition of the areas of influence of the subprojects. This study will include: i) samplings and analysis of the quality of the water in the river for generation of reference data for model calibration; ii) measurement of the volume of flow of the river with use of Laser Doppler Velocimeter 17 equipment (simultaneous measurement of volume of flow and batimetry of the cross- section); y iii) development of the simulation model of the quality of water and its use to establish the level of treatment required. The same is recommended for the receiving waterway to be determined for the subproject of the city of Caacupé. ƒ Detailed calculation of the capacity of the dilution rate of the River Paraguay and, if possible, of the receiving waterway to be determined for the subproject of the city of Caacupé. ƒ The sampling of sediments, monitoring of odours, identification of critical and/or vulnerable areas on the banks of the River Paraguay and of the receiving waterway to be determined for the subproject of the city of Caacupé. ƒ Field visits in the different areas that might be affected, including navigation along the River Paraguay for on-site observation of the conditions of the existing sewer discharges and their impact on the receiving body of water, and for confirmation of the approach to their environmental management. The same is recommended for the receiving waterway to be determined for the subproject of the city of Caacupé. ƒ Topographic surveying of the site areas of the works of the subprojects. ƒ Measurement of the volume of flow of the sanitary effluents. ƒ Detailed surveying of the characteristics and distribution of human populations settled in the areas of influence. ƒ Study of the characterization and distribution of the biological diversity of the areas of influence of the subprojects. ƒ Characterization of the industrial and service sectors and their effluents.
69. Additional to the above-mentioned studies, those responsible for the EA will identify any additional study that it is necessary to perform before, during and after the implementation of the subprojects.
J. TASK 3. LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS
70. The Integral Environmental Assessment of the subprojects must adhere to the following technical and legal bases: ƒ Constitutional norms relating to environmental and social rights. ƒ National legislation and/or regulations on environmental studies and impact assessments and the requirements of environmental license of subprojects (Law Nº 294/93 on Environmental Impact Assessment; Law Nº 1.521/00 on the Creation of SEAM; Decree Nº 14.281/96 regulating the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment). ƒ National legislation and/or regulations relating to sustainable water management; to the defence of the environment; to the protection of ecological diversity, of health and public safety; to the property regime; to the expropriation regime (Law Nº 3.239/07 on Water Resources; Law Nº 836/80 establishing the Sanitary Code; Law Nº 1.135/87 establishing the Civil Code; Law Nº 1.160/97 establishing the Criminal Code; Organic Municipal Law Nº 1.294/87; Law Nº 716/95 punishing Crimes Against the Environment; Resolution Nº 222/02 of the SEAM of the Pattern of Quality of Waters; Resolution Nº 255/06 establishing the Classification of Waters of the Republic of Paraguay; Resolution Nº 553/03 on the Registration of Water Users; Resolution Nº 170/06 of the SEAM on Water Basin Boards). ƒ International agreements and conventions relating to environmental and social issues signed and ratified by law by the Republic of Paraguay (Law Nº 177/69 on the 18 Plata Basin; Law Nº 269/93 on the Paraguay-Paraná Hidrovía and its additional protocols; Law Nº 232/93 of Complementary Adjustment in accordance with technical cooperation relating to measurements of water quality entered into with Brazil; Law Nº 350/94 on Rainforests of international importance; Law Nº 1162/98 on Toxic Waste Disposal; Law Nº 1672/97 on Cooperation Agreement between the Coast Guards of Paraguay and Argentina). ƒ Regulations for urban sanitation and infrastructure subprojects at the regional, departmental and local levels. (Regulatory Framework of the Drinking Water and Sanitary Sewer Sector, included in Law 1614/00 and its Regulations). ƒ Regulations relating to the uses of land at the regional, departmental and local levels. (Regulator Plan of the City of Asunción and related Ordinances, other territorial management plans in the event of the other municipalities having them). ƒ World Bank Operational Directive 4.01, Annex A: “Environmental Assessment”, and other relevant Operational Directives, Operational Manuals, Operational Policy Notes and guidelines. Additional information can be obtained in Volumes I and II of the Environmental Assessment Consultation Report of the World Bank. Special attention must be paid to Directive 4.30 on involuntary resettlement, to Directive 7.5 on subprojects in international waters, to Directive 4.04 on natural habitats, and to Directive 4.10 on indigenous peoples.
K. TASK 4. DETERMINATION OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED SUBPROJECTS
71. All environmental and social impacts that could occur in the possible areas of influence of the subprojects will be identified, described and analyzed with the greatest possible quantitative and qualitative detail. The analysis will include considerations of the impacts in terms of their i) being positive or negative, ii) affecting directly or indirectly; iii) probability of occurring; iv) physical magnitude (size in absolute terms); v) duration (temporary or permanent) and periodicity (cyclical); vi) dynamics (reversibility or irreversibility); vii) compensability.
72. To the extent possible, the impacts will be described quantitatively, in terms of environmental costs and benefits. Furthermore, a summarized description will be included on the identified impacts and their assessments, using instruments of matrices of scores, correlations and interaction with environmental parameters and in the works of the subprojects.
73. Special attention will be paid to the discussion of possible environmental and social impacts in relation to the following aspects, whether of drinking water or sanitation subprojects.
Drinking Water Subprojects ƒ Physical Media: alteration of the soil due to excavations; possibility of affecting the ecological volume of water of the surface bodies of water from where the volumes to be supplied are extracted, specially in the dry season, etc. ƒ Generation of waste and effluents: i) during the construction (volumes of land to be disposed of, debris of pavements, etc.); ii) during the operation (sludge, sewage from the cleaning of the filters of the treatment plants, etc.).
19 ƒ Socioeconomic conditions: i) positive effect on beneficiary human populations in terms of improvement of the living conditions, health (drinking water) and wellbeing (tap water); ii) increase of jobs at the works; iii) deactivation and conflicts with installed systems (private water providers = aguaterías) due to the new water supply; iv) revaluation of the land. ƒ Troubles to the population (for example, odours, noise, dust, deterioration of the landscape, alteration of vehicle transit) and risks of accidents during the construction of the infrastructure works.
Sanitation Subprojects ƒ Surface Water: i) positive impacts on the improvement of sanitary and environmental conditions of the bodies of water of the areas of influence and availability of water for different uses; ii) negative impact on the quality of the water of the River Paraguay and its tributaries, and its implications on the potential uses of the water and on strategic sites, as for example the places of water intake for supply purposes; as well as on the generation of sanitary problems and nuisances (odours, gases, proliferation of algae, vectors, pests, etc.) due to possible conditions of eutrophication and on the aesthetic degradation. ƒ Underground waters: i) positive effect on their quality due to the replacement of infiltration systems (cesspools, discharge on the soil, etc.) by collection systems; ii) negative effect on the quality of underground waters in the potential areas of the site and of influence of the works, due to possible deficiencies of the system depending on water table levels, the hydrology of these areas and the occurrence of infiltrations or leakages. ƒ Biological aquatic, land and aerial diversity (in the River Paraguay, tributary streams, their riverside areas), as applicable: alteration and/or loss of habitats and/or natural reserve areas or areas of biological interest; important reductions of their populations, specially of those threatened and/or of commercial value. ƒ Socioeconomic conditions: i) positive effect on human populations settled in the possible areas of the site and of influence due to the improvement of the quality of life and public health; ii) positive effect on the economy due to the possibility of tourist and commercial development of Asunción and its Metropolitan Area; iii) negative effect in relation to the necessary involuntary deprivation of lands and resettlements; loss of assets or of means of subsistence; iv) valuation (due to sewer coverage) or devaluation (due to vicinity of the effluent treatment system and discharge into bodies of water) of the land, among others. ƒ Troubles to the population: i) during the construction (noise, dust, alteration of vehicle transit, risks of accidents, etc.); ii) during the operation (odours, deterioration of the landscape, etc.). ƒ Generation of waste and effluents: i) during the construction (volumes of land to dispose of, debris of pavements, etc.); ii) during the operation (intercepted materials, sludge, sewage from the cleaning of the filters of the treatment system, etc.). ƒ Areas of community, historical and/or cultural interest: degradation or loss of public recreational areas; deprivation of lands and/or buildings of educational, health, community establishments or institutions, among others, due to the space needed for the works. ƒ Cumulative environmental risks and deterioration: due to the site of the works of the subproject or their impact on highly degraded areas due to the previous placement of other subprojects in the same area (the case of municipal or informal garbage dumps of 20 significance) (such as the Cateura garbage dump, the Mariano Roque Alonso garbage dump, the open garbage dumps in the area of Tablada Nueva, among other possible ones); due to the management of municipal solid waste in the areas of influence; due to industrial discharges that are not connected to the ESSAP system; due to the management of waste and port activities. ƒ Risks stemming from accidents or unforeseen critical situations related to technical failures or natural phenomena, such as contamination of the waterways, of land habitats and of settlement areas of neighbouring populations. ƒ Conflicts in relation to soil use due to the placement of the works in areas considered fragile (swamps, riverside areas); of biological interest, municipal (Botanical Garden and Zoo, Asunción Bay, for example), for tourist development or for the placement of unrelated infrastructure subprojects (Botanical Garden and Zoo, Coastal Strip Subproject of Asunción, to quote a couple).
L. TASK 5. ANALYSIS OF THE ALTERNATIVES OF THE PROPOSED SUBPROJECTS
74. The alternatives to be reviewed during the course of the design of the works and subproject activities will be described, and other options will be identified that might accomplish the same objectives. The potential environmental and social impacts need to be assessed for all the alternatives, as well as their land and energy requirements, their estimated capital and working costs, their usefulness given local conditions, and the institutional training requirements for monitoring purposes.
75. Whether it is a drinking water or sanitation subproject the following must be carried out:
Drinking Water Subprojects ƒ Analysis of alternative technologies for drinking water production and supply. The production alternative through underground water exploitation (for example with deep wells, with extraction from rivers) must be considered, as these are also solutions involving different levels of natural potability vis-à-vis the need for expansion of the treatment plants and/or raw water intakes. ƒ Analysis of the placement and size of the works, as well as of the layout of its units, among other alternatives.
Sanitation Subprojects ƒ Analysis of alternative collection, treatment and disposal of urban effluents with special consideration to: ƒ Management prior to discharge into receiving bodies of water, according to which: i) there are no treatment systems in place and the effluents are discharged straight into the River Paraguay; ii) there is a treatment system and the need and advantages must be evaluated of different levels of purification. Any alternative considered in these categories will include the placement of the works, the place of discharge of collected effluents, the dilution capacity of the receiving body of water, the selection of applied technologies and stages of construction, and the operation and maintenance procedures. ƒ Alternatives will be compared according to their impact in terms of recovery of the bodies of water in the area of study (Asunción and Metropolitan Area) and the 21 foreseen uses of the water; these alternatives will be generated and assessed with the aid of the results of specified environmental technical studies for the description of the base environment (modeling of the hydraulic behaviour and of the quality of water of the River Paraguay and calculation of its rate of dilution). ƒ Analysis of siting alternatives of the possible effluent treatment systems, as well as of the most appropriate receiving bodies of water to be selected. Specifically, the following alternatives will be assessed: ƒ Siting of the effluent treatment system, component of the Itay Basin subproject. 4 siting alternatives are being considered at present in this subproject. ƒ Siting of the effluent treatment system, component of the Mariano Roque Alonso Basin subproject. One siting alternative is being considered, however, it is necessary to check if there are other possible alternatives. ƒ Siting of the effluent treatment system, component of the Lambaré Basin subproject. There are no possible and concrete siting alternatives for the works as yet, since it does not have an Executive Subproject to date. ƒ Siting of the effluent treatment system and its later point of discharge for the subproject of the city of Caacupé. 3 treated sewage discharge alternatives are being considered in this subproject that need to be revised and analyzed, even though they some have been rejected in the past by civil society groups; these alternatives considered the Costa Pucú and Tobati streams as the receiving bodies of water of the discharges and different points where same would take place. Additionally, it is necessary to look into other possible alternatives in this regard.
As well as mentioning and describing the above possible alternatives, it is necessary to include:
ƒ The alternative of not constructing the works of the subprojects, to show the environmental implications and conditions if it the proposal is not implemented. ƒ The selected alternative. The environmental impact assessment of the works must recommend the best alternative from the environmental perspective (physical, biological, socioeconomic media). The selection of another alternative must be duly justified in the report.
M. TASK 6. DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (ESMP) TO MITIGATE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS AND IMPROVE THE POSITIVE ONES
76. The Environmental–Social Management Plan will recommend efficacious and feasible measures and their cost-benefit must comply with the following criteria at least: i) comply with local, national and international rules and regulations, as applicable; ii) prevent, reduce or limit negative environmental and social impacts to acceptable limits and that do not compromise the future development of the area of influence of the subproject, as well as improve the positive impacts.
77. An ESMP will be prepared including the following characteristics: ƒ A detailed description of each proposed recovery and mitigation measure proposed, the impact to which it is related, the conditions under which it will be required
22 (in the design, before or during the construction, permanently, for contingencies, etc.), and its design and equipment requirements and procedures for its execution. ƒ A timeline of activities that needs to be synchronized with the construction activities of the main components of the subproject and with its operation. ƒ An estimated budget of all the investments and recurrent costs, and an analysis on how the ESMP will be financed. ƒ A clear definition of the institutional responsibilities, construction contractors, local entities, NGOs, community associations, etc. for the implementation of each mitigation measure, including: i) operation, ii) maintenance, iii) control and vigilance during the implementation, and iv) environmental monitoring.
78. Special attention will be paid to the following components of the ESMP: ƒ Mitigation programme with actions tending to minimize negative impacts on the environment, during the different stages of the subprojects, such as: ƒ In the construction stage: plan of protection of ecosystems; of maintenance of transit; of assurance of public safety; of protection of property; of responsibility for damages and claims; of safety in the workplace; of assurance of occupational health; of assurance of air quality; of noise and vibration prevention and correction; of removal of loaned material and of construction debris, as well as their utilization and/or final disposal; the reduction or elimination of bed particle abrasion and sedimentation in the waterways; of erosion control; of communication to the affected population on the works being executed and the possible troubles they might cause. ƒ In the operation and maintenance stage: plan of infrastructure and equipment maintenance, management plan of waste resulting from the effluent treatment systems, plan for the visual improvement of the siting area of the works. ƒ Proposal for the establishment of new standards for effluent quality and discharge control for future urban, industrial, service and tourist developments with discharges into the River Paraguay and urban streams, according to their characteristics. ƒ Recovery and preservation plan of the waters of the basins being studied, the River Paraguay and urban streams in their segments of influence, according to the uses and quality objectives proposed and assigned to their different areas and sectors in the short, medium and long term. ƒ Public participation plan in the stage of design of the works, including a timeline of interagency and consultation meetings with the civil population, in order to incorporate the points of view, suggestions and demands of the different affected sectors. It must indicate the consultation mechanisms used to obtain these actors’ opinions. ƒ Environmental education plan and environmental awareness-raising plan, with emphasis on the potential benefits of the subproject in terms of the improvement of basic sanitary conditions of the populations settled in the areas of study of the different subprojects. ƒ Prevention and risk control programmes that include measures in the face of possible risks and/or accidents. ƒ Contingency programme that includes actions to address risks and emergencies. ƒ Plan in accordance with the applicable Safeguard Policies in necessary cases, for example, involuntary resettlement (OP 4.12); of indigenous peoples (OP 4.10) (see the Management Frameworks of these two issues, and use as Framework to present necessary plans), of natural habitats (OP 4.01), of forests (OP4.36), of cultural heritage (OP 4.11). 23
N. TASK 7. IDENTIFICATION OF THE INSTITUTIONAL NEEDS FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE EA RECOMMENDATIONS
79. The role of all the institutions involved in the MPWSS will be described and analyzed, as well as of those that are determined to be actors in the process, as well as the relevant regulations and norms governing the quality of the environmental, health and safety, the protection of fragile areas, the control of land use, community participation, etc., at the national, regional and local levels. See the Environmental and Social Management Framework of the Project as a guiding instrument. The following will be discussed in particular: i) the procedures to obtain environmental licenses in effect (according to Law 294/93, Law Nº 3.239/07, Regulatory Decree Nº 14.281/96); ii) the role of the agencies and authorities responsible enforcement of the process to obtain licenses in relation to the subproject at the national, regional and local levels (Law Nº 1.614/00, Law Nº 1.561/00); iii) the possibilities of cooperation and interagency agreements with the different actors related to the MPWSS.
80. The relevant international conventions that have been signed or ratified by law must be discussed and analyzed in terms of their importance for the later stages of the subproject.
81. The implications of the classification in force for surface waterways and associated environmental quality norms (Resolutions Nº 255/06 and Nº 222/02 of the Secretariat of the Environmental) will be evaluated in relation to the scenarios planned and expected with the implementation of the urban sanitation subprojects, as well as the criteria applied for the classification of waters in terms of foreseen uses, and for the definition of the extension of the areas of influence of the discharges of subaqueous outfalls related to the limits of the parameters of environmental quality.
82. In this revision of the criteria the results of the study and modeling of the River Paraguay will be used. The quality standards to be considered in the subprojects in relation to discharge permits for the subprojects involving discharges of sewage, currently in operation, must be analyzed as well. It is necessary to reconcile the objectives of the sanitation subprojects with the recovery plans for waterways planned by the Secretariat of the Environment and with the actual and present situation of the effluent discharges into them.
83. The implications of Resolution Nº 2.194/07 relating to the registration of water resources and their certification of availability must be analyzed, determining, in accordance with the Enforcement Authority, the relevant strategies in terms of the need for graduality or special concessions in the enforcement of regulated demands, in order to facilitate the execution of the subprojects.
O. TASK 8. DEVELOPMENT OF A MONITORING PLAN
84. Prior to the initiation of the works of the subprojects, follow-up and monitoring plans will be designed for the management of their impacts that will be executed during the construction, operation and maintenance, which will serve for the correct and timely implementation of the proposed environmental management measures and the assessment of the response of the environment in comparison with the baseline.
24 85. The entities responsible for the plans and their periodicity will be indicated, as well as an estimation of the capital and expenditures and the institutional capacities required for their execution.
86. These plans will be part of and complement the instruments of environmental-social management envisaged in the Environmental and Social Management Framework of this Programme, such as the Environmental-Social Assessment Report, the Environmental-Social Follow-up Report and the Final Environmental-Social Report.
P. TASK 9. ASSISTANCE IN THE COORDINATION BETWEEN PUBLIC AGENCIES AND PARTICIPATION OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOs)
87. A plan of coordination activities with other government agencies related to the area of intervention of the works of the subprojects will be described, as well as a consultation plan with local NGOs and affected groups, mainly in the time-span of the design stage of the subprojects. An orderly record of the minutes of the meetings and other activities, of the communications and comments, and of the final stipulations will be presented.
Q. REPORT
88. The Integral Environmental Assessment Report will be presented in a concise way in respect of important environmental issues. The body of the text must focus on the results, conclusions and recommended actions, with the support of the summaries of the data collected and the references used to interpret said data. Detailed and uncertain data will be presented in appendices or in a separate volume. Documents that have not been published and which have been used in the assessment must also be included in an appendix.
89. The following documents and contents will be presented:
(a) Executive Summary. Concise significant conclusions and the recommended actions. (b) Policy, legal and administrative framework. Presents the policy, legal and administrative framework in which the EA is carried out. It explains the environmental requirements of any co-financing agency. It identifies the International Treaties that the country has ratified. (c) Description of the subproject. It describes the proposed subproject concisely and its geographical, ecological context over time, including the additional investments that might be required (for example, rainwater drainage, access roads, provision of electricity, etc.). It indicates the need of any implementation plan of the World Bank’s Safeguard Policies. It includes a map showing where the site of the subproject is located and its area of influence. (d) The baseline. It evaluates the dimensions of the area of study and describes the physical, biological, socioeconomic factors, including the changes envisaged prior to the initiation of the subproject. It also takes into account the present situation and the proposed development activities within the area of the subproject, but not directly related to it. The data must be relevant for decisions on the location of the subproject, the design, operation or mitigation measures. The section indicates the exactness, reliability and sources of the data.
25 (e) Environmental and social impacts. It predicts and assesses the subproject in terms of positive and negative effects, in quantitative terms to the extent possible. It identifies mitigation measures and any negative impact that cannot be mitigated. It explores the opportunities for the improvement of the environment. It identifies and estimates the scope and quality of available data, the main gaps in the data, the uncertainty associated with forecasts, and specifies the issues that do not require further attention. (f) Analysis of alternatives. It systematically compares viable alternatives for the proposed subproject, its site, the technology, design and operation, including the alternative of “no subproject”", the situation in terms of their potential environmental and social impact, the viability of the mitigation of these effects; its capital and recurrent expenditures, according to its suitability for local and institutional conditions, the training and supervision requirements. For each one of the alternatives, it quantifies the environmental and social impacts to the extent possible, and assigns economic value whenever possible. It justifies the selection of the design of the proposed subproject and justifies the levels of recommended emissions and approaches for the prevention and reduction of contamination. (g) Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP). It comprises mitigation measures, timeline of execution, follow-up, institutional strengthening and estimations of expenditures; (h) Appendices; (i) List of individual environmental assessors or of the organization. (ii) The references of printed materials (published and non-published) used in the preparation. (iii) Record of interagency meetings and consultations, including the consultations, to receive the points of view of affected persons and locals, and NGOs. It indicates the mechanisms to be used in the consultations (for example, surveys) that were used to get the opinion of the affected groups and local NGOs. (iv) Tables presenting the relevant data which the body of text refers to or summarizes. (v) List of reports (for example, the resettlement plan, the plan for natural habitats, the development plan, etc.).
R. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSORS AND TEAM OF ASSESSORS
90. The team in charge of the Integral Environmental Assessment must include specialists of the following disciplines: ƒ Environmental (and Social) Impact Assessment and interdisciplinary analysis of the investment subprojects. ƒ Biology or fluvial ecology. ƒ Sociology or anthropology with emphasis on social analysis of subprojects. ƒ Sanitary and/or environmental sciences, with emphasis on the management of water quality, contamination control, construction of sanitation subprojects and assessment of environmental liabilities. ƒ Urban and environmental management.
S. PROGRAMME.
26 91. The timeline to verify the advance of the works of the subproject will be presented and specified, including the frequency of delivery of intermediate and final reports, the number of copies and the periodicity of the follow-up and rendering of accounts of other relevant aspects.
T. OTHER TYPE OF INFORMATION
92. A list will be included detailing the sources of data used to perform the Integral Environmental Assessment, of the reports on the background of the subprojects, papers, publications and other related articles used as a basis for the Integral Environmental Assessment.
27 Annex A: Area of Influence of the Great Asunción
28