Initial Environmental Examination December 2020 Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Greater Mekong Subregion East-West Economic Corridor Agriculture Infrastructure Sector Project Prepared by the Department of Irrigation, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Asian Development Bank. This initial environmental examination is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area ANNEX 6 Initial Environmental Examination Na-Tur Subproject Agriculture Infrastructure Sector Project Post Detailed Engineering Design Feasibility Study Na-Tur Subproject Initial Environmental Examination ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND GLOSSARY AISP - Agriculture Infrastructure Sector Project AP - Affected People ASEAN - Association of South East Asian Nations CEMP - Contractor’s Environmental Management Plan m3/sec - cubic meters per second DAFO - District Agriculture and Forestry Office DCO - District Coordination Office DMA - Department of Meteorology and Hydrology DOI - Department of Irrigation DOWR - Department of Water Resources DPRA’s - Development Project responsible Agency E&M - Electrical and Mechanical EA - Executing Agency EDL - Electricité du Laos EMP - Environmental Management Plan EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EMMP - Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan EMMU - Environmental Management and Monitoring Unit EPL - Environmental Protection Law ESIA - Environment and Social Impact Assessment GHG - Greenhouse Gases GMS-EWEC-AISP - Greater Mekong Sub-region East West Economic Corridor Agricultural Infrastructure Sector Project GWP - Global Warming Potential IA - Implementing Agency IEE - Initial Environmental Examination IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development GoL - Government of Lao PDR GRC - Grievance Redress Committee IMT - Irrigation Management and Transfer IWRM - Integrated Water Resources Management JICA - Japanese International Cooperation Agency LAC - Land Acquisition and Compensation MAF - Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry MASL - meters above mean sea level MEM - Ministry of Energy and Mines MoNRE - Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment NBCA - National Biodiversity Conservation Areas NGO - Non-Government Organization NPA - National Protected Areas NPMO - National Project Management Office NSEDP - National Social and Economic Development Plan NTFPs - Non-Timber Forest Products O&M - Operation and Maintenance PAFO - Provincial Department of Agriculture and Forestry PMO - Prime Minister’s Office PoNRE - Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment PPMO - Provincial National Project Management Office PPTA - Project Preparation Technical Assistance PRI - Productive Rural Infrastructure RC - reinforced concrete SEDP - Socio-economic Development Plan 2010-2015 SMMP - Social Management and Monitoring Plan i Agriculture Infrastructure Sector Project Post Detailed Engineering Design Feasibility Study Na-Tur Subproject Initial Environmental Examination SNRMPEP - Sustainable Natural Resources and Productivity Enhancement Project SPGC - Project Grievance Committee STEA - Science Technology and Environment Agency USD - United States Dollars UXO - Unexploded Ordnance VMCs - Village Mediation Committees WREA - Water Resources and Environment Administration WUG - Water User Group ii Agriculture Infrastructure Sector Project Post Detailed Engineering Design Feasibility Study Na-Tur Subproject Initial Environmental Examination EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. This document is an updated Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) based on the completed detailed engineering design (DED) forNa-Tursubproject. It updates the IEE submitted as Annex 6 to the Feasibility Study for the subproject, which was based on the concept engineering design (CED). References in this document to other Annexes refer to the original Feasibility Study Annexes, for ease of reference. 2. The engineering design consultants (EDC) submitted the DED IEE update report on 22 June 2020. The report is attached as Annex 6.9 to this IEE, and includes: a. Comparison of data between CED and DED. b. Water balance to show sufficient water was available to irrigate the increased area. c. Mapping of the changes in the distribution system layout and increased irrigation. d. Summary of Affected land area inNa-Tursub project. e. Summary of Affected Farmers and paddy field areas. 3. The DED has been prepared in close consultation with the local authorities and beneficiaries. In this regard, the changes to the CED have been thoroughly discussed and the implications accepted and endorsed by the local stakeholders. Summary of key changes in DED relevant to the IEE Design change The irrigated command area in the DED remains unchanged (300ha: 200 rice and 100 other crops) from the area proposed at the CED stage. The primary change, however, is that the headworks and main canal design have been changed to eliminate impacts in the Xenoy-Xebai National Protection and the Nakathing-Nongkapard Production Forests and Touristic site of two provinces Khammouane and Savannakhet area, through which the main canal flows (see below). With this change, the earlier concerns about the impact on the forests has been removed and the earlier conclusions of the IEE remain valid. There are 2 access roads with total length of 14,075 m, wide 4 m, gravel shoulder 50cm. From all 2 access roads would be upgraded from initial laterite road into Double Bituminous Surface Treatment (DBST). Therefore, they’re no impact for surrounding households which is detailing as fallow: • Access road No.1 from provincial Road No.10 through Ban Noy, Ban Na-Ae, Ban Na-Gnom, Ban Na-tur, Ban Thad to headwork with 13,775 m long. This road will cover some part of reservation forest from station km12+900 -km13+775. But it’s no impact due to upgrading of existing access road. • Access road No.2 from Road No.1 to ThadNanglao, 300m long. The IEE has been revised to bring the policy and laws section up-to-date and add a section on COVID-19. Diversion The CED had proposed a new headworks and main canal alignment structure and which would have resulted in the felling of trees in a forested areas. To avoid this the DED IEE Update reports that: Agriculture Infrastructure Sector Project Post Detailed Engineering Design Feasibility Study Na-Tur Subproject Initial Environmental Examination Main canal Referred to Headwork on Detail Engineering Design, there are no changes direct impacts to 91 species of production forest which was mentioned on previous IEE report because they were decided to improve in the existing Headwork and old canals system instead of new proposed one with construction method in this area will be mainly relied on labour-base in order to mitigate impact as least as possible. (see details in Annex 6 Details of community consultation of the changes Na-Tur). And in the minutes of community consultations: I. Headwork system 1. In order to prevent impact on the National Protection and the Production Forests and Touristic site of two provinces Khammouane and Savannakhet due to construction of new Headwork and new main canal with the total length of 700 m long. Therefore, the meeting was agreed to rehabilitate the existing Headwork for capable to provide water according to Detail Engineering Design plan. In this regard, NPMO is recruiting an international fish passage expert to visit Na-Tur and several other subprojects with weirs on natural waterways to assess whether a fish passage would be beneficial in mitigating possible adverse environmental impacts from the weirs and, if so, prepare a design to be incorporated into the weir construction as an addendum to the civil works contract. II. Canals system · Main Canals 1. In order to prevent environment impact at km0+000 – 0+700 must use of old canals, add Gabion rock at side of spillway and One Check structure. 4. The IEE is updated as new information that could affect the IEE conclusions becomes available. Much of the information reported in the IEE is coming from secondary sources, like information of social economic data. At the start of the feasibility stage a social economic survey has been conducted and it was included as Feasibility Study Appendix 8. That survey necessarily covers a broad area identifying villages that are potential direct or indirect beneficiaries of the subproject’s rural infrastructure (which includes both irrigation rehabilitation and rural access road rehabilitation). As the potential designs for the schemes advances, the list of direct beneficiaries is refined as the boundaries of the scheme are refined. Not surprisingly, the list of beneficiary and affected households changes accordingly. The DED is intended to provide a definitive final list, which is nevertheless then confirmed during the LACP process 5. The Greater Mekong Sub-region East West Economic Corridor Agricultural Infrastructure Sector Project (GMS-EWEC-AISP, or AISP in this document) will comprise improvements to productive rural infrastructure (PRI) and provide technical and advisory support to beneficiary communities in formation and strengthening of water user groups, technical support and capacity building for extension services and support in post-harvest