ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK (EMF) FOR REGIONAL DISASTER VULNERABILITY REDUCTION PROJECT (RDVRP) St. Vincent and the Grenadines Component January, 2014; revised February 2014 Prepared by: Reynold Murray; revised by Central Planning Division Prepared for: Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines ACRONYMS AF Additional Financing APV Adaptable Program Lending BMP Best Management Practice CWSA Central Water and Sewerage Authority DVRP Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project EA Environmental Assessment EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EIS Environmental Impact Statement EMF Environmental Management Framework EMP Environmental Management Plan ENSO El Niño Southern Oscillation ILO International Labor Organization LBS Land Based Sources (of marine pollution) MEAs Multilateral Environmental Agreements OECS Organization of East Caribbean States OP Operational Policy PPU Physical Planning Unit PPDB Physical Planning and Development Board PSIPMU Public Sector Investment Project Management Unit RDVRP Regional Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project SGD St. Georges Declaration (of Principles for sustainable development in the OECS) SVG St. Vincent and the Grenadines SWMA Solid Waste Management Authority UNCBD United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change VINLEC Vincentian Electricity Services WB World Bank Page 2 of 108 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (GoSVG) is collaborating with the World Bank (WB) to develop a Regional Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (RDVRP) which aims to measurably reduce vulnerability to natural hazards and the adverse impacts of climate change in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Additional Financing (AF) is being sought for the RDVRP program. This Environmental Management Framework (EMF) is being undertaken in order to update the project portfolio for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This EMF updates and expands the previously prepared Environmental Assessment (EA) by providing screening methods and procedures for the application of Bank safeguards, including guidance on the scope of studies necessary to complete for each subproject, criteria for triggering additional studies in the case of complex or significant activities, and a generic Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for use in simple situations where activities need no additional assessment. It is likely that the majority of works will be relatively minor in nature and involve simple civil works where the environmental impacts are limited to the construction phase, requiring only the application of a standardized generic EMP. However, any exceptions will be identified during screening in the EMF, and subject to additional assessment work. Project works may be undertaken on mainland St. Vincent or in the Grenadines - Bequia, Canouan or Union Island. Works contemplated relate to the repair and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure, retrofitting of key government buildings and new facility construction (particularly satellite warehouses), geotechnical studies and engineering supervision for slope stabilization along critical road segments, as well as river defense works and coastal erosion protection studies. The possible project locations have been field-checked by World Bank staff have been inventoried and assessed in preliminary form through this EMF safeguards instrument which also includes a top-level Environmental Assessment (EA) to describe the environmental impacts of the project on a program-wide level. In addition this EMF includes an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) with environmental safeguards to guide the implementation of relatively simple civil works for which no additional assessment would be required. This EMF describes the environmental impacts of the project on a program wide level. The EMF is the appropriate environmental management tool to be used for future subprojects as detailed information on particular specific sub-projects under the RDVRP have yet to be fully defined. General guidelines have been provided to assist in identifying potential impacts, mitigate potential negative impacts, statutory administration, and responsibilities as best as possible. An EMP with standard mitigation management measures has also been prepared and should be incorporated into the civil works contract as clauses to guide the contractor and to also form a basis for monitoring during implementation. Any additional detailed mitigation measures developed by specific studies (EIAs) for complex or sensitive subproject activities, or any additional environmental requirements imposed by St. Vincentian law and regulations, would also be translated into performance requirements for the contractors through civil works contracting clauses and verified by monitoring during implementation. Page 3 of 108 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... 3 ………………………………………………………………………………... INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 1.1 Project Description………………………………………………………………………8 1.2 Background……………………………………………………………………………………..9 1.3 List and description of sub-projects…………………………………………………………….9 2.0 …………………………………………...LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK 2.1 Regulatory Framework ......................................................................................... ……..15 2.2 World Bank Safeguard Policies ..................................................................................... 17 2.3 National Regulatory Framework ........................................................................................ 20 2.4 Environmental Management Capacities......................................................................... 21 3.0 ..................................................................... DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT 3.1 St. Vincent and the Grenadines general context ............................................................ 22 3.2 Geology .......................................................................................................................... 23 3.3 Topography and Drinage ................................................................................................ 24 3.4 Current Climate ............................................................................................................... 25 3.5 Socio-Economic and Human Settlement .......................................................................... 27 3.6 Biological Resources...………………………………………………………………...31 3.7 Geohazards ..................................................................................................................... 33 3.8 Physical Cultural Resources………………………………...…………………………36 4.0 ................................................................................................................... PROJECTED IMPACTS ....................................................................................................................................................... 38 4.1 Analysis of Projected Impacts ........................................................................................ 38 4.1.1 Positive Impacts ...................................................................................................... 45 4.1.2 Negative Impacts .................................................................................................... 46 5.0 ............................................................................................................. MITIGATIVE MEASURES ....................................................................................................................................................... 50 5.1 Mitigative Measures ....................................................................................................... 50 6.0 .......................................................................................................... SCREENING PROCEDURES ....................................................................................................................................................... 55 6.1 Screening Processes ....................................................................................................... 55 6.2 Local Permitting ............................................................................................................. 56 6.3 Screening Criteria and Checklists .................................................................................. 57 6.3.1 Relatively Complex Sub-projects .................................................................................. 57 6.3.2 Relatively Simple Sub-projects ..................................................................................... 59 Page 4 of 108 6.4 Emergency Procedures ................................................................................................... 59 7.0 ............................................................................. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ....................................................................................................................................................... 60 7.1 Mitigative Measures ....................................................................................................... 60 7.2 Environmental Performance Clauses .......................…................................. ................64 7.3 Supervision, Monitoring, and Reporting .......................................................................