Environmental Assessment Report Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 30232 July 2008 NEP: Decentralized Rural Infrastructure and Livelihoods Project Prepared by [Author(s)] [Firm] [City, Country] Prepared by District Development Committee, Jajarkot for the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Prepared for [Executing Agency] [Implementing Agency] The views expressed herein are those of the consultant and do not necessarily represent those of ADB’s The initial environmental examination is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not members, Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. necessarily represent those of ADB’s Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (NEPALI) iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY vi 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Relevancy of the proposal 1 1.3 Name and address of the proponent 2 1.4 Description of the proposal 2 1.5 Salient features of the proposal 5 1.6 Construction approach 6 1.7 Purpose and objectives of IEE 6 1.8 Methodology adopted 7 2.0 REVIEW OF RELEVANT ACTS, REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES 11 3.0 EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION 15 3.1 Physical environment 15 3.2 Biological environment 22 3.3 Socio-economic and cultural environment 26 4.0 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES 31 4.1 No project alternative 31 4.2 Project alternatives 31 4.3 Alternative Route 32 4.4 Alternative design and construction approach 32 4.5 Alternative Construction schedule 33 4.6 Alternative resources 33 5.0 IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS 34 5.1 Physical 34 5.2 Biological 36 5.3 Socio-economic and cultural 40 5.4 Matrix for Environmental Impacts 44 6.0 MITIGATION MEASURES 47 6.1 Mitigation Measures during pre-construction phase 47 6.2 Benefit Augmentation Measures 47 6.3 Adverse Impacts Mitigation Measures 49 7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 57 7.1 Institution and their roles 57 7.2 Reporting and Documentation 58 7.3 Environment Management Plan 59 7.4 Mitigation Cost 62 7.5 Implementation of Mitigation Measures 63 7.6 Environmental Monitoring 64 7.6.1 Monitoring responsibility 64 7.6.2 Types of Monitoring and Monitoring Parameters 65 8.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 69 9.0 MISCELLANEOUS 71 FIGURES FIGURE 1.1 MAP OF NEPAL SHOWING ROAD LOCATION 4 FIGURE 1.2 MAP OF JAJARKOT DISTRICT SHOWING KHALANGA-RIMNA ROAD SUB-PROJECT 4 FIGURE 1.3 MAP SHOWING ALIGNMENT OF KHALANGA-RIMNA ROAD SUB-PROJECT 5 FIGURE 7.1 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE 59 TABLES TABLE 1.1 SALIENT FEATURES OF THE PROPOSAL 5 TABLE 3.1 TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND SOIL TYPE ALONG THE ROAD 16 TABLE 3.2 DESCRIPTION OF CRITICAL SECTIONS 19 TABLE 3.3 LAND USE PATTERN OF THE KHALANGA-RIMNA ROAD 20 TABLE 3.4 SUMMARY OF LAND USE PATTERN ALONG THE KHALANGA- RIMNA ROAD 21 TABLE 3.5 DETAILS OF WATER BODIES ALONG THE ROAD ALIGNMENT 21 TABLE 3.6 SUMMARY OF EXISTING BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT 23 TABLE 3.7 PLANT SPECIES WITH ETHNO-BOTANICAL USE IN PROJECT AREA 24 TABLE 3.8 MAJOR PROTECTED MAMMALS/PLANTS FOUND IN THE STUDY AREA 26 TABLE 3.9 DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION WITH HOUSEHOLD WITHIN ZoI IN THE 26 TABLE 3.10 DISTRIBUTION OF MAJOR SETTLEMENTS, CASTE/ETHNICITY AND OCCUPATION WITHIN ZoI 27 TABLE 3.11 DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD CONSUMPTION WITHIN ZoI IN THE PROJECT AREA 27 TABLE 3.12 NUMBER OF SCHOOLS AND ITS LEVELS IN THE PROJECT AREA 28 TABLE 5.1 LOSS OF FOREST IN COMMUNITY FOREST IN ZOI OF PROJECT AREA 37 TABLE 5.2 LOSS OF TREE SPECIES ALONG THE ROAD ALIGNMENT 37 TABLE 5.3 LOSS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND 42 TABLE 5.4 DETAILS OF AFFECTED COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURES 43 TABLE 5.5 LIKELY BENEFICIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS 44 TABLE 5.6 LIKELY ADVERSE IMPACTS 45 TABLE 6.1 GEOLOGICAL PROBLEMS AND MITIGATION MEASURES OF THE ROAD ALIGNMENT 50 TABLE 6.2 MITIGATION MEASURES FOR AFFECTED COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURES 54 TABLE 7.1 FRAMEWORK OF IMPLEMENTATION ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 59 TABLE 7.2 COST ESTIMATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT AND MITIGATION MEASURES 63 TABLE 7.3 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING COST 65 TABLE 7.4 FRAMEWORK FOR MONITORING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 66 ANNEXES Annex I Terms of Reference for IEE study Annex II Abstract of cost Annex III Public notice Annex IV Deed of enquiry (muchulka) obtained Annex V Recommendation letters from VDCs and Community forest user’s group Annex VI Questionnaire Survey and Checklist Annex VII List of persons contacted Annex VIII Photographs ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank AP Affected Persons Amsl Above mean sea level Asl Above sea level BG Building Group Ch Chainage CBO Community Based Organization CEA Country Environmental Analysis CF Community Forest CFUG Community Forest Users Group CISC Central Implementation Support Consultants CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna DADO District Agriculture Development Office DDC District Development Committee DFO District Forest Office/Officer DG Director General DISC District Implementation Support Consultants DIT District Implementation Team DoLIDAR Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads DPO District Project Office DRCC District Road Coordination Committee D/S Disposal Site DTO District Technical Office DRILP Decentralized Rural Infrastructure and Livelihood Project DTMP District Transport Master Plan EA Environmental Assessment EAS Environmental Assessment Specialist EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan EMS Environmental Management Section EPA Environment Protection Act EPR Environment Protection Rules ES Environmental Specialist ESD Environment Screening Document FGD Focus Group Discussion GoN Government of Nepal GIS Geographical Information System Ha Hectare HF Highly Fractured Hh Household HW Highly Weathered IEE Initial Environmental Examination Km Kilometer LDO Local Development Officer Khalanga – Rimna Road, Jajarkot i Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) LEP Labour based, environment friendly and participatory LRMP Land Resource Management Project M meter MAP Medicinal and Aromatic Plants MoPE Ministry of Population and Environment MoEST Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology Ml Milliliter MLD Ministry of Local Development MW Medium Weathered NE-SE-NW-NE North East-South East-North West-North East NGO Non-Governmental Organization NRs Nepali Rupees NTFPs Non timber forest products OP Operational Plan PAM Project Administrative Memorandum PCU Project Coordination Unit RES Rapid Environmental Screening RIDP Rural Infrastructure Development Project RS Resettlement Survey SA Social Appraisal SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SM Social Mobilizer SMC Social Mobilization Coordinator TA Technical Assistance ToR Terms of Reference TWS 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