Ministry of Transportation and Meteorology World Bank Ministry of Public Works E524 Volume 1 Public Disclosure Authorized Rural Transportation Project Environmental and Social Public Disclosure Authorized Impact Assessment Public Disclosure Authorized December 2001 Prepared by Transport Sector Project (TSP) NGO Lalana Basler & Hofmann Based on the preliminary designs of the following consulting firms: Public Disclosure Authorized DINIKA (Tananarive) MICS - ECR - AEC - SECAM (Fianarantsoa) ESPACE - MAHERY (Taomasina) EC PLUS - JR SAINA (Mahajanga) 4 A OSIBP - SOMEAH (Toliary) F CO PY EIIRA - ANDRIAMBOLA - BIC (Antsiranana) Projet de Transport Rural, Madagascar - Evaluation des impacts environnementaux et sociaux Table of Contents 1 Summary of Environmental and Social Assessment .................................................. 1 1.1 Proposed Project ........................................ 1 1.2 Transport Sector Environmental Assessment ...................................... 1 1.3 Environmental Assessment for APL 2 ...................................... 1 1.4 Policy and Legislative Framework ....................................... 1 1.5 Methodology ...................................... 2 1.6 Participatory approach ...................................... 2 1.7 Rural transport rehabilitation component ....................................... 3 1.8 Potential environmental impacts ...................................... 3 1.9 Resettlement and cultural heritage ....................................... 4 1.10 Rail and port infrastructure rehabilitation component ....................................................... 5 1.11 Community Environmental Management ....................................................... 6 1.12 Environmental Management/Monitoring Plan ................. ...................................... 6 1.13 Implementation of EMP ....................................................... 6 2 Environmental impacts .................................................. 7 2.1 General description ........................................................ 7 2.2 Environmental impacts and abatement measures ........................................................ 8 2.2.1 Province of Antananarivo ........................................................ 8 2.2.2 Province of Fianarantsoa ....................................................... 8 2.2.3 Province of Taomasina ....................................................... 9 2.2.4 Province of Mahajanga ....................................................... 10 2.2.5 Province of Toliary ........................................................ 11 2.2.6 Province of Antsiranana ........................................................ 11 3 Social impacts .................................................. 13 3.1 Improved access ....................................................... 13 3.1.1 Summary estimate of project impact ....................................................... 13 3.1.2 Current transportation situation and characteristics of provinces .................................................. 14 3.2 Job creation ........................................................ 15 4 Summary and conclusion ....................................................... 16 4.1 Project financing package and scope ....................................................... 16 4.2 Impacts ....................................................... 16 4.3 Implementation of environmental management plans ....................................................... 17 Annex 1 List of roads studied, by province ........................................................ 18 Section 1.01 Tananarive ....................................................... 18 Section 1.02 Fianarantsoa ....................................................... 22 Section 1.03 Taomasina ........................................................ 25 Section 1.04 Mahajanga ........................................................ 28 Section 1.05 Toliara........................................................ 29 Section 1.06 Antsiranana ........................................................ 31 Annex 2 List of communities selected for socio-economic study ...................................... 33 17.0 1.02 Projet de Transport Rural, Madagascar - Evaluation des impacts environnementaux et sociaux Annex 3 Model Environmental Management Plan (example of Road No. 41201 Befandrino - Ambararata) .................... 36 Note: The graphs used in this rcport werc copicd from UNDP and NEO publications and are intended solely for internal use. 17.01.02 Projet de Transport Rural, Madagascar - Evaluation des impacts environnementaux et sociaux 1 Summary of Environmental and Social Assessment 1.1 Proposed Project The purpose of the transport sector program is to reduce transport costs and to improve accessibility in rural areas. This project is one of the parallel phases of an Adaptable Program Loan (APL) aimed at helping the Government of Madagascar to implement its transport sector policy and strategy. The entire APL program consists of various investment phases/packages, which include support to the various transport sub-sectors, i.e., essential reforms of the transport sector, and of critical and high priority investments, strengthening the civil aviation and railway sub- sectors, and providing major investments in the road sub-sector. Given Madagascar's unique ecological assets, environmental degradation is a major concern in the country. Its devastating effects are far-reaching, ranging from siltation of rice fields to the destruction of transport infrastructures. This project will finance the rehabilitation of existing transport infrastructure: i.e., provincial roads, and railway and port infrastructures in the Fiananrantsoa-Manakara corridor. 1.2 Environmental Assessment of the Transport Sector Prior to program appraisal, an environmental assessment was prepared for the transport sector. The three-volume Transport Sector Environmental Assessment provided an overview of the context in which the sector currently operates. The EA report: a) defined and analyzed the general environmental impacts relevant to each sub-sector; b) identified the potential environmental impacts of activities planned under APLI; and c) recommended an environmental management plan (EMP). The EA report provides project managers in the sector with a permanent working document enabling them to better understand the situation at each project site, taking social, biological, and physical factors into account. The EA was prepared and disclosed in accordance with World Bank guidelines and national environmental policies concerning infrastructure and environmental protection. The sectoral environmental assessment also provides the basis for the separate environmental and social assessments to be undertaken for each APL phase. The preparation of environmental and social assessments is a built-in trigger for each APL phase. 1.3 Environmental Assessment for APL 2 Environmental and social assessments were undertaken for 8,500 km of rural roads in various provinces throughout Madagascar. A general EMP was prepared that included moderate and high impact roads. Provincial workshops were held to select roads to be rehabilitated under this APL phase. It was determined that only those road links with low environmental impact would be selected, and individual EMPs will now be prepared for those selected roads. These EMPs will be prepared, disclosed and approved prior to project effectiveness. However, the environmental and social assessments resulted in a general EMP that describes the likely magnitude and range of negative impacts and their mitigation measures. Following the selection carried out in the provinces, it has been established that no resettlement or compensation would be necessary. The Fiananrantsoa-Manakara corridor relies heavily on the FCE railway and the port of Manakara. The Government has committed itself to placing both the railway and the port under a concession regime. It has been established that the Project will not finance any works under this component until this concessioning agreement has been worked out. It is estimated that it will take about a year for this to be completed. It has been agreed that, in order to comply with national environmental regulations and those of the Bank, an environmental audit and EMP will be prepared for the rail infrastructure rehabilitation and an environmental assessment and EMP will be prepared for the proposed port infrastructure rehabilitation within this timeframe to supplement/complement various existing feasibility studies. This requirement/condition has been articulated in the project's legal agreements in the sector policy letter contained in the DCA package. 1.4 Policy and Legislative Framework The impact assessment is based on the following material: * 'Environmental Charter" (Charte de l'Environnement), 1990 * Decree on incorporation of environmental investments into national accounts (Decret de Mise en Compatibilite des Investissements avec l'Environnement) (MECIE), Nov. 2000 * NEO: Maps of the national parks (Management Plan for National Parks - "Plan de Gestion du Reseau National des Aires Protegees de Madagascar", May 2001); natural reserves and national forests (GEF Design 17.01.02 Projet de Transport Rural, Madagascar - Evaluation des impacts environnementaux et sociaux 2 Assistance to PE2, Dec. 1995); "Priority for preserving Madagascar's Biodiversity" (Prioritede conservation de la biodiversite a Madagascar), 1999 * Transport