Environmental Impact Assessment September 2019 PAK: Balakot Hydropower Development Project Volume C – Supporting Studies Prepared by Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), with support from Hagler Bailly Pakistan for the Asian Development Bank. This is an updated version of the draft originally posted in December 2018 available on https://www.adb.org/projects/documents/pak-49055-003- eia. This environmental impact assessment 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. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section on ADB’s website. 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. Balakot Hydropower Development Project Environmental Impact Assessment Volume VI – Supporting Studies Final August 1, 2019 EFlow Assessment Report Balakot Hydropower Development Project Environmental Flow Assessment Final Report HBP Ref.: R9EF6BPK July 31, 2019 Balakot Hydropower Development Project Biodiversity Action Plan Final HBP Ref.: R9BA6BPK July 31, 2019 Biodiversity Action Plan for Balakot Hydropower Development Project Contents 1. Introduction ...................................................................................... 1-8 1.1 Background and Rationale for Developing BAP ..................................... 1-8 1.2 Regional Overview ................................................................................... 1-11 1.3 Project Description .................................................................................. 1-12 1.3.1 Power Generation Capacity ............................................................. 1-12 1.3.2 Land Requirement ........................................................................... 1-12 1.3.3 Main Components of the Project ..................................................... 1-12 1.4 Geographic Scope of the Biodiversity Action Plan .............................. 1-15 1.5 Objectives and Scope of the BAP .......................................................... 1-17 1.5.1 Actions to Mitigate the Impact of Changes in Flow Regime and Barrier Created by the Dam ...................................................... 1-17 1.5.2 Actions Arising out of Cumulative Impact Assessment .................... 1-17 1.6 Outline of BAP .......................................................................................... 1-19 2. Regulatory and Institutional Framework ....................................... 2-1 2.1 National Regulatory Framework ............................................................... 2-1 2.2 Provincial Regulations and Requirements .............................................. 2-2 2.3 Federal and Provincial Conservation Strategies .................................... 2-4 2.4 Obligations under International Treaties ................................................. 2-5 2.5 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) ................................................... 2-7 2.6 ADB's Safeguard Policy Statement 2009 ................................................. 2-7 2.7 IFC’s Requirements ................................................................................... 2-9 2.8 Requirements under the EIA ................................................................... 2-11 2.9 Institutional Framework and Responsibilities ...................................... 2-11 2.9.1 Wildlife Department, KP ................................................................... 2-11 2.9.2 Fisheries Department, KP ................................................................ 2-12 2.9.3 Forest Department ........................................................................... 2-12 3. Summary of Stakeholder Consultations ....................................... 3-1 3.1 Objective of Consultations ....................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Summary of Consultations ....................................................................... 3-2 3.2.1 Government Institutions ..................................................................... 3-2 3.2.2 Non-Government Organizations ........................................................ 3-5 3.2.3 Private Sector .................................................................................... 3-6 3.3 Addressing Stakeholder Concerns .......................................................... 3-6 Hagler Bailly Pakistan Contents R9BA6BPK: 07/31/19 ii Biodiversity Action Plan for Balakot Hydropower Development Project 4. Biodiversity Values ......................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Aquatic Biodiversity .................................................................................. 4-1 4.1.1 Overview of Fish Fauna in Kunhar River ........................................... 4-1 4.1.2 Fish Diversity in Area of Management ............................................... 4-2 4.1.3 Fish Migration and Movement Patterns in Kunhar River ................... 4-4 4.1.4 Fish Species Recommended for Consideration in the BAP .............. 4-5 4.1.5 Threats to Fish Fauna ...................................................................... 4-12 4.1.6 Habitat Assessment ......................................................................... 4-20 4.1.7 Macro-invertebrates ......................................................................... 4-24 4.1.8 Riparian Vegetation ......................................................................... 4-24 4.2 Terrestrial Biodiversity ............................................................................ 4-25 4.2.1 Terrestrial Flora ............................................................................... 4-25 4.2.2 Mammals ......................................................................................... 4-27 4.2.3 Birds ................................................................................................ 4-29 4.2.4 Herpetofauna ................................................................................... 4-29 4.2.5 Threats to Terrestrial Biodiversity .................................................... 4-30 4.3 Protected Areas or Areas of Special Importance for Biodiversity ...... 4-31 5. Overview of Impacts on Aquatic Biodiversity .............................. 5-1 5.1 Overview of Impacts of Hydropower Development in Kunhar River .... 5-1 5.2 Construction and Selection of Scenarios for Environmental Flow Assessment ............................................................. 5-3 5.2.1 Conclusions of Environmental Flow Assessment .............................. 5-5 6. Proposed Conservation Measures ................................................ 6-1 6.1 Protection of Biodiversity ......................................................................... 6-1 6.1.1 Measures for Control and Management of Fishing ............................ 6-2 6.1.2 Measures for Regulation of Sediment Mining .................................... 6-3 6.1.3 Awareness and Education ................................................................. 6-4 6.1.4 Requirements for Protection .............................................................. 6-6 6.2 Structures to Assist Fish Passage across the Dam ............................. 6-10 6.3 Other Actions and Measures to Protect and Enhance the Biodiversity in the Kunhar Basin ........................................................... 6-12 6.4 Contributions to Institute for Research on River Ecology ................... 6-13 6.4.1 Management Approach ................................................................... 6-14 6.4.2 Design and Requirements ............................................................... 6-15 6.5 Watershed Management Program .......................................................... 6-16 6.5.1 Management Approach ................................................................... 6-17 6.5.2 Design and Requirements ............................................................... 6-18 Hagler Bailly Pakistan Contents R9BA6BPK: 07/31/19 iii Biodiversity Action Plan for Balakot Hydropower Development Project 7. Institutional Arrangements for Implementation of BAP .............. 7-1 7.1 Institutional Arrangement for Management of Protection ..................... 7-1 7.1.1 Implementation Arrangement ............................................................ 7-2 7.1.2 Management Committee ................................................................... 7-2 7.1.3 KP Wildlife Department / KP Fisheries Department .......................... 7-3 7.1.4 Implementation Organization ............................................................. 7-4 7.1.5 M&E Consultant ................................................................................. 7-4 7.1.6 The KP Biodiversity and Wildlife Board ............................................. 7-5 7.2 Institutional Arrangements for Institute for Research on River Ecology ............................................................................................. 7-5 7.3 Institutional Arrangements for Watershed Management ....................... 7-6 7.4 Review of BAP Implementation ................................................................ 7-8 7.5 Capacity Building of the KP Wildlife Department and KP Fisheries Department