E1997 v1 MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT EGYPTIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS Public Disclosure Authorized EGYPTIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AASSESSMENT Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Environmental Quality International Public Disclosure Authorized 18 El Mansour Mohamed St., Zamalek, Cairo 11211, Egypt April 2008 EGYPTIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS EGYPTIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS RESTRUCTURING PROJECT Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report Environmental Quality International 18 El Mansour Mohamed St., Zamalek, Cairo 11211, Egypt May 2008 Environmental Quality International 1 Environmental Impact Assessment of ENRRP ESIA Report TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Executive Summary...................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Project Objectives and Description....................................................................... 6 1.2 Legal and Institutional Aspects ............................................................................. 7 1.2.1 Relevant Egyptian Legislations ......................................................................... 7 1.2.2 Relevant World Bank Policies......................................................................... 10 1.3 Analysis of Alternatives........................................................................................ 10 1.4 Significant Impacts ............................................................................................... 13 1.4.1 Socio-economic impact.................................................................................... 13 1.4.2 Noise, Air Quality and Water Quality ............................................................. 16 1.4.3 Surface Water................................................................................................... 17 1.4.4 Biodiversity...................................................................................................... 17 1.6 Public Consultation............................................................................................... 17 1.5 Environmental Management Plan....................................................................... 19 2.0 Policy, Legal and Administrative Framework............................................................ 32 2.1 Relevant Egyptian Laws and Regulations .......................................................... 32 2.2 Relevant World Bank Policies ............................................................................. 38 2.3 Administrative framework................................................................................... 38 3.0 Project Objectives and Description............................................................................. 40 3.1 Background ........................................................................................................... 40 3.2 Project component 1 ............................................................................................. 41 3.3 Project component 2 ............................................................................................. 49 3.4 Additional required services, land and developments....................................... 53 4.0 Baseline Data .............................................................................................................. 54 4.1 Geographical scope ............................................................................................... 54 4.1.1 Project component 1 ........................................................................................ 54 4.1.2 Project component 2 ........................................................................................ 54 4.2 The Physical and Biological Setting .................................................................... 57 4.2.1 Geomorphology ............................................................................................... 57 4.2.2 Climate............................................................................................................. 57 4.2.3 Noise ................................................................................................................ 58 4.2.4 Air Quality ....................................................................................................... 59 4.2.5 Soil and Ground Water pollution..................................................................... 61 4.2.6 Biodiversity...................................................................................................... 61 4.3 The Socio-economic setting .................................................................................. 61 4.3.1 Background...................................................................................................... 61 4.3.2 Socioeconomic profile of the project area ....................................................... 62 5.0 Environmental and Social Impacts ......................................................................... 67 5.1 Data Collection...................................................................................................... 67 5.2 Impact Prediction.................................................................................................. 68 5.2.1 Identification of key impact areas.................................................................... 69 5.2.2 Identification of key project activities ............................................................. 72 6.0 Public Consultation and Disclosure Activities ........................................................... 76 Environmental Quality International 2 Environmental Impact Assessment of ENRRP ESIA Report 6.1 Public consultation meetings................................................................................ 76 7.0 Key Impacts ................................................................................................................ 79 7.1 Noise, Air Quality and Water Quality ................................................................ 79 7.2 Surface Water........................................................................................................ 80 7.3 Biodiversity............................................................................................................ 80 7.4 Secondary impacts on the physical environment............................................... 80 7.5 Socio-economic impact ......................................................................................... 83 8.0 Analysis of Alternatives.............................................................................................. 87 8.1 Alternative 1: No action........................................................................................ 87 8.2 Alternative 2: Implementation of the proposed project (Components 1 and 2). ....................................................................................................................................... 87 9.0 Environmental Management Plan........................................................................... 91 9.1 Institutional Aspects ............................................................................................. 91 9.1.1 Guiding principles for the establishment of the Environmental Affairs Directorate................................................................................................................. 91 9.2 Environmental and Social Aspects...................................................................... 95 9.2.1 Construction phase impacts ............................................................................. 95 9.2.2 Operation and maintenance phase impacts...................................................... 98 9.3 Monitoring Plan .................................................................................................. 106 ANNEX 1. Newspaper advertisement of public consultation meetings (Al Ahram, 23 March 2008). ANNEX 2. Preliminary signaling layout plan ANNEX 3. Level crossings of the Arab El Raml – Alexandria sector of the Cairo – Alexandria Railway line. ANNEX 4. A list of terrestrial fauna of the Nile Valley and Delta. ANNEX 5. A list of common vascular plants of the Nile Valley and Delta ANNEX 6. Socioeconomic Profile of Selected Governorates ANNEX 7. Interview data collection forms ANNEX 8. ENR Organizational Structure ANNEX 9. A sample declaration and procedure for the establishment of EAD Environmental Quality International 3 Environmental Impact Assessment of ENRRP ESIA Report TABLE OF TABLES Table 1. Institutional strengthening and training for implementation requirements ........ 19 Table 2. Potential environmental and social impacts of the project activities during the construction and operation phases and their proposed mitigation measures. ................... 20 Table 3. Monitoring plan. ................................................................................................. 26 Table 4. Summary of concerns and issues raised during the consultation meetings. ....... 30 Table 5. Maximum allowable noise intensity in different areas....................................... 34 Table 6. Permissible exposure times to different sound intensities.................................. 35 Table 7. Number of permissible intermittent impacts during the daily working hours.... 35 Table 8. Permissible outdoor air pollutants limits in microgram per cubic meter unless otherwise specified...........................................................................................................