Draft Initial Environmental Examination September 2020 TAJ: Road Network Sustainability Project (Hulbuk-Temurmalik-Kangurt Section) Prepared by the KOCKS Consult GmbH for Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan and Ministry of Transport. The IEE is a document of the Borrower. ABBREVIATIONS AADT - Annual Average Daily Traffic ADB - Asian Development Bank Aids - Acquired immune deficiency syndrome AP - Affected People CAREC - Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation CS - Construction Supervision CEP - Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan EA - Executive Agency EMP - Environmental Management Plan FS - Feasibility Study GoT - Government of Tajikistan HIV - Human Immune Deficiency Virus IEE - Initial Environmental Examination IBA - Important Bird Area IBAT - Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool KM - Kilometre LAR - Land Acquisition and Resettlement LARP - Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plan MoT - Ministry of Transport PAP - Project-Affected Person PIURR - Project Implementation Unit for Road Rehabilitation (of MoT) PRC - Peoples Republic of China RAP - Resettlement Action Plan RoW - Right-of-Way SC - Supervision Consultant SSEMP - Site Specific Environmental Management Plan TOR - Terms of Reference USD - United States Dollar This initial environmental examination report 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. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................... 5 I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 11 A. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE REPORT ........................... 11 B. PURPOSE OF THE INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION ......................... 13 2. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 16 II. Legal, Policy and Administrative Framework ................................................... 17 A. ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS ........................................... 17 B. ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS ......................................................................... 24 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ...................................................................... 36 A. OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................... 36 B. TYPE AND CATEGORY OF PROJECT ................................................................ 38 C. NEED FOR PROJECT .......................................................................................... 40 D. LOCATION ........................................................................................................... 40 E. SIZE OR MAGNITUDE OF OPERATION ............................................................. 41 F. TRAFFIC VOLUME .............................................................................................. 41 G. PROPOSED SCHEDULE FOR IMPLEMENTATION ............................................ 42 H. BRIDGES AND CULVERTS ................................................................................. 43 I. QUANTITIES ......................................................................................................... 43 J. BORROW AREAS ............................................................................................... 44 IV. ALTERNATIVES ................................................................................................... 46 V. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT............................................................. 46 A. PHYSICAL RESOURCES IN PROJECT AREA .................................................... 47 B. ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES IN THE PROJECT AREA ....................................... 58 C. SOCIOECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT .................................................................... 69 VI. ALIGNMENT SHEETS .......................................................................................... 74 VII. BASELINE MEASUREMENTS ............................................................................. 74 VIII. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES . 76 A. PRE-CONSTRUCTION (DESIGN PHASE) ........................................................... 78 B. CONSTRUCTION PHASE .................................................................................... 82 C. OPERATIONAL PHASE ........................................................................................ 92 IX. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN AND MONITORING PROGRAM ..... 95 A. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................... 95 B. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ........................................................... 97 C. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN ........................................................... 121 X. CAPACITY BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT ................................................... 133 XI. MONITORING AND REPORTING ...................................................................... 134 XII. EMP IMPLEMENTATION COST ......................................................................... 135 XIII. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION, AND PARTICIPATION ...... 136 A. GENERAL APPROACHES ................................................................................. 137 B. IDENTIFICATION OF MAIN STAKEHOLDERS .................................................. 137 C. MEANINGFUL CONSULTATIONS ...................................................................... 137 D. MINIMUM TOPICS REQUIRED DURING CONSULTATION MEETINGS ........... 138 E. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE ........................................................................... 140 F. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM .............................................................. 141 XIV. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................... 144 ii ANNEXES ANNEX 1 - RAPID ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (REA) CHECKLIST ................. 147 ANNEX 2 - REPORT ON WATER QUALITY ................................................................. 151 ANNEX 3 - REPORT ON AIR QUALITY AND NOISE .................................................... 163 ANNEX 4 - ALIGNMENT SHEETS................................................................................. 179 ANNEX 5 - BIODIVERSITY SURVEY ............................................................................ 183 ANNEX 6 - MOM OF PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS ......................................................... 204 ANNEX 7 - IDENTIFIED AREAS FOR SURPLUS MATERIAL DISPOSAL .................... 206 TABLES Table 1 - Environmental, Labour and Health & Safety Laws of the Republic of Tajikistan ............ 18 Table 2 - Indicative List of Permits and Licenses Applicable to the Project ................................... 22 Table 3 - National standards and regulations applicable to the Project ........................................ 25 Table 4 - Environmental Standards for Emissions to the Atmosphere .......................................... 27 Table 5 - Environmental Standards for Ambient Air ...................................................................... 28 Table 6 - Environmental Standards for Water Quality & Discharges to Water .............................. 30 Table 7 - Drinking Water Standards ............................................................................................. 31 Table 8 - Environmental Standards for Waste .............................................................................. 33 Table 9 - Environmental Standards for Noise Emissions .............................................................. 34 Table 10 - Design Speeds by Terrain and Road CategoryDesign Speeds by Terrain and Road Category ............................................................................................................................... 38 Table 11 - Future Traffic Development ......................................................................................... 42 Table 12 - Bridges of the Project Road......................................................................................... 43 Table 13 - Abbreviations .............................................................................................................. 49 Table 14 - Climatic characteristics of the Project area .................................................................. 54 Table 15 - Characteristics of the rivers in the project area of influence ......................................... 56 Table 16 - Main Components of Biodiversity in Tajikistan ............................................................. 59 Table 17 - Area of saline lands in the basin of the Kyzilsu and Yahsu rivers ................................. 67 Table 18 - Comparison of population growth and irrigated lands of the Kyzylsu river basin in 1985- 2015 ...................................................................................................................................... 68 Table 19 - Jamoats of Temurmalik District and number of permanent residents .......................... 71 Table 20 - Jamoats