E1067 v1 Republic of Yemen Public Disclosure Authorized Ministry of Public Works and Highways Rural Access Project Central Management Office (RAP CMO) RURAL ACCESS PROGRAM DRAFT SECTORAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT VOLUME 1 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized TECHNIPLAN in collaboration with SHEBA Engineering Services Public Disclosure Authorized Rome, October 2004 Yemen. Rural Access Program. 2004 SEA. Indexes DRAFT SECTORAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................................. 2 CHAPTER 1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION .............................................................................. 6 1.1 OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................ 6 1.2 COMPONENTS AND PHASING......................................................................................... 6 1.3 PROGRAM SCOPE............................................................................................................... 6 1.4 JUSTIFICATION FOR SECTORAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS................................................................................................................................ 7 1.5 OUTLINE OF SECTORAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ..................................... 8 CHAPTER 2. SECTORAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS .....................10 2.1 DOCUMENTATION REVIEW ...........................................................................................10 2.2 FIELD-BASED REVIEWS, MEETINGS AND CONSULTATIONS.................................10 CHAPTER 3. POLICY, LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ........................13 3.1 GOVERNMENT FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................13 3.1.1 Environmental Policy ....................................................................................................13 3.1.2 Social Development Policy............................................................................................15 3.1.3 Legal Framwork............................................................................................................17 3.1.4 Environmental Institutions ............................................................................................17 3.1.5 International Conventions.............................................................................................22 3.1.6 Environmental Applications to the Road Sector............................................................23 3.2 WORLD BANK FRAMEWORK .........................................................................................23 3.2.1 Safeguards Policy Framework ......................................................................................23 CHAPTER 4. ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE DATA .........................................................26 4.1 OVERVIEW..........................................................................................................................26 4.2 LAND RESOURCES............................................................................................................26 4.2.1 The Resource and its Use ..............................................................................................26 4.2.2 Physical Regions ...........................................................................................................28 4.2.3 Geology and Soils..........................................................................................................33 4.2.4 Land Deterioration........................................................................................................35 4.3 HYDROLOGY, WATER RESOURCES AND CLIMATE .................................................38 4.3.1 General Information......................................................................................................38 4.3.2 Rainfall..........................................................................................................................38 4.3.3 Other Climatic Factors .................................................................................................40 4.3.4 Notes for Project Development .....................................................................................42 4.3.5 Hydrology......................................................................................................................42 4.3.5.1 Absorption and Run Off Zones ......................................................................................42 4.3.5.2 Principal Catchments ....................................................................................................42 4.3.6 Water Resources............................................................................................................47 4.3.7 Water Quality ................................................................................................................51 4.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ..............................................................................................53 4.4.1 Introduction...................................................................................................................53 4.4.2 Terrestrial Biodiversity ........................................................................................................53 4.4.3 Coastal Biodiversity ......................................................................................................66 4.4.4 Protected Areas (Declared and Proposed) ...................................................................69 4.4.5 Agricultural Biodiversity...............................................................................................74 4.5 AIR QUALITY AND NOISE...............................................................................................82 4.6 SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL.............................................................................83 4.6.1 Administrative Structure................................................................................................83 4.6.2 Population .....................................................................................................................84 4.6.3 Education ......................................................................................................................86 Indexes i Techniplan & Sheba Yemen. Rural Access Program. 2004 SEA. Indexes 4.6.4 Health............................................................................................................................89 4.6.5 Labor Force and Employment.......................................................................................90 4.6.6 History and Culture.......................................................................................................92 4.6.7 Cultural Heritage ..........................................................................................................93 CHAPTER 5. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS .......................................................................98 5.1 DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION PHASE...................................................................................98 5.1.1 Land Resources .............................................................................................................98 5.1.2 Hydrology and Water Resources...................................................................................99 5.1.3 Air Quality and Noise..................................................................................................101 5.1.4 Biological Resources...................................................................................................101 5.1.5 Socio-Economic and Cultural Resources ....................................................................102 5.2 OPERATIONS PHASE ......................................................................................................104 5.2.1 Land Resources ...........................................................................................................104 5.2.2 Hydrology and Water Resources.................................................................................105 5.2.3 Air Quality and Noise..................................................................................................105 5.2.4 Biological ....................................................................................................................106 5.2.5 Socio-Economic and Cultural .....................................................................................106 5.3 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS AND SECTOR-WIDE ISSUES.............................................108 CHAPTER 6. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES..................................................................110 6.1 PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES................................110 6.1.1 Village-Level Multipurpose Alternative ......................................................................110 6.1.2 Large-Scale Phase I ....................................................................................................110 6.1.3 Large-Scale Stand Alone Project ................................................................................111 6.1.4 Combined Intermediate & Village Access Alternative ................................................111 6.1.5 “No-Project” Option...................................................................................................111 6.2 CONCLUSION