Biodiversity Action Plan Adjaristsqali Hydropower Cascade Project July 2013 Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC Biodiversity290039 EVT ActionEMS 01Plan A http://pims01/pims/llisapi.dll/open/1516754514 1 November 2012 Adjaristsqali Hydropower Cascade Project July 2013 Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC 1. Abashidze Street 6, 6010 Batumi, Georgia Mott MacDonald, Demeter House, Station Road, Cambridge CB1 2RS, United Kingdom t +44 (0)1223 463500 f +44 (0)1223 461007, www.mottmac.com Biodiversity Action Plan Issue and revision record Revision Date Originator Checker Approver Description A 2/11/2012 Celia Figueira Vanessa Hovland Caroline McParland Draft for client review Mihai Coroi Tristan Folland Róisín Ní Mhathúna B 29/11/2012 Mihai Coroi Vanessa Hovland Final Draft Report C 11/12/2012 Mihai Coroi Vanessa Hovland Final Report D 19/07/2013 Mihai Coroi Iain Bray Lucy Morton Revised Report with IFC comments addressed (draft for client review) E 22/07/2013 Mark Barnard Lucy Morton Lucy Morton Revised report with IFC comments addressed (for issue) This document is issued for the party which commissioned it We accept no responsibility for the consequences of this and for specific purposes connected with the above-captioned document being relied upon by any other party, or being used project only. It should not be relied upon by any other party or for any other purpose, or containing any error or omission which used for any other purpose. is due to an error or omission in data supplied to us by other parties. This document contains confidential information and proprietary intellectual property. It should not be shown to other parties without consent from us and from the party which commissioned it. 290039/TRD/EFR/BAP/01/E 22 July 2013 http://pims01/pims/llisapi.dll/open/1516754514 Biodiversity Action Plan Content Chapter Title Page 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Adjaristsqali Hydropower Project _______________________________________________________ 1 1.1.1 Overview __________________________________________________________________________ 1 1.1.2 Project Description __________________________________________________________________ 2 1.2 Why is the Adjaristsqali Hydropower Project BAP Needed? ___________________________________ 5 1.3 Structure of this report _______________________________________________________________ 5 2. Scope of the Adjaristsqali Hydropower BAP 6 2.1 Aims and Objectives of the BAP ________________________________________________________ 6 2.2 Formulation of the Project BAP _________________________________________________________ 7 2.3 Consultation with Stakeholders and Biodiversity Experts _____________________________________ 8 2.3.1 Overview __________________________________________________________________________ 8 2.3.2 Stakeholder Categorisation ____________________________________________________________ 8 2.3.3 Stakeholder Influence/Interest Analysis _________________________________________________ 10 2.4 Study Area _______________________________________________________________________ 11 3. Legal, Regulatory, Planning and Third Party Requirements 13 3.1 Legal and Regulatory Requirements ____________________________________________________ 13 3.1.1 International Legislation and Policy _____________________________________________________ 13 3.1.2 European Union (EU) Legislation and Policy _____________________________________________ 13 3.1.3 National Legislative and Policy Framework_______________________________________________ 14 3.2 Planning and Permitting Requirements __________________________________________________ 17 3.2.1 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ____________________________________________ 17 3.3 AGL’s Environmental and Social Sustainability Policy ______________________________________ 20 3.4 Third Party Requirements ____________________________________________________________ 20 3.4.1 Overview _________________________________________________________________________ 20 3.4.2 International Finance Corporation (IFC) Standards and Guidance _____________________________ 20 3.4.3 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Standards _______________________ 21 3.4.4 Asian Development Bank (ADB) Standards ______________________________________________ 22 4. Biodiversity Baseline 23 4.1 General Approach and Methodology ___________________________________________________ 23 4.1.1 Desktop Study _____________________________________________________________________ 23 4.1.2 Field surveys ______________________________________________________________________ 24 4.1.2.1 Overview _________________________________________________________________________ 24 4.1.2.2 Vegetation and Floristic Surveys _______________________________________________________ 24 4.1.2.3 Bird Surveys ______________________________________________________________________ 25 4.1.2.4 Mammal Surveys __________________________________________________________________ 25 4.1.2.5 Reptile & Amphibian Surveys _________________________________________________________ 25 4.1.2.6 Fish and Zoo-benthos Surveys and Interviews ____________________________________________ 25 4.1.2.7 River Habitat Surveys _______________________________________________________________ 26 4.2 Ecoregions and Biodiversity Hotspots ___________________________________________________ 26 4.3 Protected and Nature Conservation Areas _______________________________________________ 27 4.3.1 Kintrishi Nature Reserve and Important Bird Area _________________________________________ 27 4.3.2 Machakhela National Park ___________________________________________________________ 28 290039/TRD/EFR/BAP/01/E 22 July 2013 http://pims01/pims/llisapi.dll/open/1516754514 Biodiversity Action Plan 4.3.3 Mtirala National Park ________________________________________________________________ 28 4.3.4 Batumi Important Bird Area ___________________________________________________________ 29 4.3.5 Adjara-Imereti Ridge Important Bird Area ________________________________________________ 29 4.3.6 Shavsheti Ridge Important Bird Area ___________________________________________________ 29 4.3.7 Key Biodiversity Areas ______________________________________________________________ 29 4.4 Habitats __________________________________________________________________________ 29 4.4.1 Overview _________________________________________________________________________ 29 4.4.2 Main Habitats _____________________________________________________________________ 31 4.4.2.1 Shuakhevi Scheme _________________________________________________________________ 31 4.4.2.2 Koromkheti Scheme ________________________________________________________________ 32 4.4.2.3 Western Part of Study Area __________________________________________________________ 32 4.5 Flora ____________________________________________________________________________ 33 4.6 Birds ____________________________________________________________________________ 38 4.7 Mammals ________________________________________________________________________ 40 4.8 Reptiles and Amphibians ____________________________________________________________ 43 4.9 Fish _____________________________________________________________________________ 44 4.10 Invertebrates and Algae _____________________________________________________________ 46 5. Critical Habitat Assessment 47 5.1 Background Information _____________________________________________________________ 47 5.2 Determination of Critical Habitat _______________________________________________________ 47 5.2.1 Introduction _______________________________________________________________________ 47 5.2.2 Critically endangered and/or endangered species at global and/or national level _________________ 48 5.2.3 Endemic and/or restricted-range species ________________________________________________ 52 5.2.4 Migratory and/or congregatory species __________________________________________________ 54 5.2.5 Legally protected and internationally recognised areas _____________________________________ 54 5.2.6 Critical habitat trigger features ________________________________________________________ 55 5.3 Critical habitat impacts and project requirements __________________________________________ 56 5.3.1 Overview _________________________________________________________________________ 56 5.3.2 Critically endangered and/or endangered species at global and national level ____________________ 57 5.3.3 Endemic and/or restricted range species ________________________________________________ 58 5.3.4 Migratory and/or congregatory species __________________________________________________ 59 5.3.5 Legally protected and internationally recognised areas _____________________________________ 59 6. Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation 60 6.1 Selection criteria ___________________________________________________________________ 60 6.2 Priorities _________________________________________________________________________ 60 6.2.1 Habitats __________________________________________________________________________ 60 6.2.2 Species __________________________________________________________________________ 61 6.2.2.1 Plant species of conservation importance in Adjara, Georgia and Caucasus _____________________ 61 6.2.2.2 Mammal species of Georgian and/or global conservation importance __________________________ 61 6.2.2.3 Bird species of global and national importance ____________________________________________ 62 6.2.2.4 Globally and nationally threatened species of reptiles and amphibians _________________________ 62 6.2.2.5 Fish