E2566 V2 rev Public Disclosure Authorized Ningxia Water Conservation Project II Environmental Impact Assessment Report Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences September 30th, 2010 Public Disclosure Authorized TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 GENERALS ........................................................................................................................................1 1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................1 1.1.1 Project background.................................................................................................................1 1.1.2 Compliance with Relevant Master Plans................................................................................2 1.2 APPLICABLE EA REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS...........................................................................2 1.2.1 Compilation accordance.........................................................................................................2 1.2.2 Assessment standard...............................................................................................................3 1.2.3 The World Bank Safeguard Policies .......................................................................................3 1.3 ASSESSMENT COMPONENT, ASSESSMENT FOCAL POINT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION GOAL ..3 1.3.1 Assessment component............................................................................................................3 1.3.2 Assessment scope and period..................................................................................................3 1.3.3 Assessment focal point............................................................................................................3 1.3.4 Objectives of environmental protection ..................................................................................4 1.4 ASSESSMENT LEVEL........................................................................................................................4 1.5 ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLES................................................................................................................4 1.6 ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES AND PLANING.......................................................................................4 2 PROJECT SITUATIONS AND PROJECT ANALYSIS .................................................................6 2.1 PROJECT SITUATIONS ......................................................................................................................6 2.1.1 Project name, character and components ..............................................................................6 2.1.2 Project scale and investment ..................................................................................................6 2.1.4 Project area distribution.........................................................................................................8 2.2 PROJECT COMPONENTS ...................................................................................................................9 2.2.1 Irrigation component..............................................................................................................9 2.2.2 Agriculture Intensification & Support ..................................................................................10 2.2.3 Wind Barriers .......................................................................................................................13 2.2.4 Management water saving measures....................................................................................13 2.3 PROJECT ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................................14 2.3.1 Analysis on the impact of irrigation component on environment .........................................14 2.3.2 Analysis on the impact of agricultural component on environment......................................15 2.3.3 Environmental impact of construction process.....................................................................16 2.3.4 Project impacts on water resources utilization, social and economic development .............16 2.4 IDENTIFICATION AND PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FACTORS ..................................16 3 ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF PROJECT AREA ........................................................18 3.1 GEOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................................18 3.1.1 Topography...........................................................................................................................18 3.1.2 Climate .................................................................................................................................18 3.1.3 Soil and plants ......................................................................................................................18 3.1.4 River system..........................................................................................................................18 3.1.5 Hodrogeography...................................................................................................................18 ii 3.2 SOCIO-ECONOMY..........................................................................................................................19 3.2.1 Populations...........................................................................................................................19 3.2.2 National economy.................................................................................................................19 3.2.3 Agricultural production ........................................................................................................19 3.3 GENERALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATER CONSERVANCY WORKS ........................................20 3.3.1 Generals of constructed water conservancy works ..............................................................20 3.3.2 Role of irrigation in agricultural production........................................................................20 3.3.2 Main existing problems during the construction of water conservancy works.....................20 4 PRESENT STATUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY............................................................21 4.1 POLLUTION SOURCES....................................................................................................................21 4.2 SOIL QUALITY...............................................................................................................................21 4.2.1 Soil fertility ...........................................................................................................................21 4.2.2 Soil heavy metal....................................................................................................................22 4.2.3 Soil salinization ....................................................................................................................22 4.3 PRESENT SITUATION OF SURFACE WATER ENVIRONMENT QUALITY................................................22 4.3.1 Water quality of irrigation water sources .............................................................................22 4.3.2 quality of return water of farmland irrigation......................................................................23 4.4 PRESENT SITUATION OF GROUNDWATER QUALITY .......................................................................24 4.5 PRESENT SITUATION OF GROUNDWATER QUALITY .......................................................................24 4.6 PRESENT SITUATION OF SOUND ENVIRONMENT QUALITY .............................................................24 5 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT.............................................................................24 5.1 PROJECT POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT........................................................................24 5.2 IMPACT OF WATER SOURCES OF THE PROJECT ..........................................................................25 5.3 IMPACT OF WATER SAVING IRRIGATION ON WATER UTILIZATION AND GROUNDWATER LEVEL .........26 5.3.1 impact of water saving irrigation on water resource utilization...........................................26 5.3.2 Impact of water saving irrigation on groundwater level ......................................................27 5.4 IMPACT OF FERTILIZER APPLICATION ON SOIL AND WATER ENVIRONMENT.....................................28 5.4.1 Fertilizer application situations ...........................................................................................28 5.4.2 Impact of nitrogenous fertilizer on groundwater pollution under water saving irrigation....29 5.5 IMPACTS OF PESTICIDE ON SOIL AND GROUNDWATER ....................................................................34 5.5.1 Application of pesticides in project areas.............................................................................34 5.5.2 Behavior of pesticide in soil and groundwater .....................................................................35 5.5.3 Impacts of pesticide on groundwater and its control after project .......................................36 5.6. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT DURING CONSTRUCTION......................................................................37 5.7 SOCIAL IMPACT