Environmental Impact Assessment (Update) Project No.: 44167-015 May 2021 Bangladesh: Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program – Project 2 Prepared by the Bangladesh Water Development Board for the Asian Development Bank. 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. May 2021 page i Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Bangladesh Asian Water Development Development Bank Board Prepared for Project Loan No TBC and Grant No TBC Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program (FRERMIP) - Project-2 Environmental Impact Assessment (Update) May 2021 Prepared by: Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Financial support: Asian Development Bank (ADB) Technical Support: ISPMC (NHC-EMM JV) May 2021 page i Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program Project-2 Institutional Strengthening and Project Management Consultant (ISPMC) Document Name: Environmental Impact Assessment Document No. FRERMIP-T2-ES-P-EIA-05 Issue and revision record Revi- Approver Date Originator Checker Description sion Name Signature A 26 Jan Md. Amir Faisal Wandert Knut Initial draft 2017 Benthem Oberhagemann B 16 Nov Md. Amir Faisal Wandert Knut Updated in accordance with latest 2017 Benthem Oberhagemann designs and river situation C 13 Dec Md. Amir Faisal Wandert Knut Updated in accordance with latest 2017 Benthem Oberhagemann designs and river situation D 22 Feb Md. Amir Faisal Wandert Knut ADB comments of 8 and 13/2/2018 2018 Benthem Oberhagemann Incorporated and addressed including referencing IUCN status of animals E 20 April Zinat Naznin, Md Amir Faisal Knut Updated as per latest design as of 2020 Wim Giesen Oberhagemann 5th April 2020 including the removal of Harirampur embankment and in accordance with comments from PMO on 05/11/2019 with updates to data series where available F 02 Jun Wim Giesen Hiba Khan Knut Updated on basis of comments 2020 Oberhagemann matrix provided by ADB on 18 May 2020. G 30 June Wim Giesen Hiba Khan Knut Update on basis of comments 2020 Oberhagemann matrix provided by ADB (Sumit Pokhrel) on 26 June 2020. H April/May Jesper Wim Giesen Knut Update to reflect reduction in 2021 Mathiesen Oberhagemann scope of works and ADB’s comments contributing Team Members comprise Md. Amir Faisal National Environmental Specialist Dr Md. Shahjahan Howlader National Fisheries Specialist Wandert Benthem International Environmental Specialist Wim Giesen International Environmental Specialist (replaces Wandert) Zinat Naznin Junior Engineer Knut Oberhagemann Team Leader Jesper Mathiesen River Engineer DISCLAIMER This document issued for the party which We accept no responsibility for the consequence of this commissioned it and for specific purpose connected document being relied upon by any other party, or with the above-captioned project only. It should not being used for any other purpose, or containing any be relied upon by any party or used for any other error or omission which is due to an error or omission in purpose. data supplied to us by other parties. This document contains confidential information and proprietary intellectual property. It should not be shown to other parties without consent from us and from the party which commissioned it. May 2021 page ii Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program Project 2 Institutional Strengthening and Project Management Consultant (ISPMC) Key Data Name of Project: Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program Borrower, Executing Government of Bangladesh (GoB) Agency and Implementing Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Agency: Department of Disaster Management (DDM) Financing (Project 2): Asian Development Bank (US$ 157 million). ADB Loan No. TBC. Government of Bangladesh (US$ 37.91 million) Government of the Netherlands (US$ 17.89 million). GoN Grant No. TBC Consultant: Joint Venture of Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Ltd. (Canada) and Euroconsult Mott MacDonald Ltd. (UK) in association with Deltares (Netherlands), Resource Planning and Management Consultants (Bangladesh) and CEGIS (Bangladesh). Contracting Authority: PD, FREMIP, BWDB, Dhaka Start/ End Dates: ADB Loan Agreement: 27 June 2014 (approved), 14 August 2014 (signed), 17 September 2014 (effective) Multi-tranche financing facility (10 years): August 2014 to August 2024 Dates for FRERMIP: ˗ Tranche 1 project: August 2014 to June 2021 ˗ Tranche 2 Project: July 2021 to June 2024 Beneficiaries: Local stakeholders directly and indirectly benefitting from river flood protection works and land reclamation and development Subproject Sites/ Location/ Focus of works are along the Jamuna-Padma river corridor, from Bangabandhu Areas (Jamuna) bridge to confluence with Meghna River at Chandpur; i.e. Reaches 3, 4 and 5. FRERMIP Project 2 comprises the three priority subprojects, JRB-1, JLB-2 and PLB- 1 which extend over (parts of) the districts: Sirajganj, Tangail, Pabna and Manikganj. km2 ha Total Area of all Sub Projects 9,292.3 929,230 FRERMIP SPs (JRB1, JLB2): Total Area 1,794.1 179,409 FRERMIP SPs: Agricultural Benefit Area 317.8 31,779 FRERMIP SPs: Population 2.6 million FRERMIP SPs: Population Density 690/ km2 FRERMIP SPs: No. of Households 2.03 million FRERMIP SPs: Average HH Size 5.2 Master Plan Total Area 15,950.0 1,595,000 Master Plan Agricultural Benefit Area (flood risk 5,000.0 500,000 mitigated) Land Reclamation Area in River Corridor, Total 1,500.0 150,000 Land Reclamation Area in River Corridor, FRERMIP 660.0 66,000 May 2021 page iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction This report presents the findings of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study that was carried out as part of the ongoing ADB-financed Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program (FRERMIP). FRERMIP is a multitranche financing facility (MFF)1 with the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) as the Executing Agency and the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) as Implementing Agency for community-based flood risk management measures. The program is implemented in two tranches: Tranche 1 (2014-2021), Tranche 2 (2021-2024). For the Tranche 1 works an EIA study was conducted in 2013-2014. in connection with the feasibility study for the FRERMIP MFF. This EIA report has been updated to include interventions proposed under its Tranche 2 project (Project 2). Project 2 has the same impact, outcome and outputs as Project 1, and is aligned with the following impact: livelihood in the project area improved. Project 2 will have the following outcome: flood and riverbank erosion risks in the subproject areas reduced. The MFF provided a loan amount of $58 million for a total Project 1 cost of $108 million; further financing of the program is provided by the Government of Bangladesh and the Government of the Netherlands ($15.3 million). For Project 2, the loan amount is $157 million for a total project cost of $212.8 million; further financing includes a grant by the Government of the Netherlands ($17.89 million) and the Government of Bangladesh ($37.91 million) CONTEXT The Investment Program aims to sustain incomes and livelihoods of people living along selected reaches of Jamuna, Ganges and Padma Rivers by enhancing resilience to flooding and to riverbank erosion through a mix of structural and non- structural measures. After initially protecting critically eroding riverbanks at priority sites, the program moves to more systematic riverbank stabilization in Project 2, which will potentially be contributing towards river-reach stabilization to be completed in following projects with a time horizon of 2040. The stabilization approach is making use of the currently ongoing consolidation of the river morphology developing towards a more accentuated channel pattern like observed in the 1970s, before the dramatic widening (from the 1970s to 2000s) took place, likely caused by the large earthquake in Assam. India in 1950 In parallel, existing, degraded or eroded embankment lines will be restored and extended to arrive at reliable flood protection for the large population living on the floodplain along the main rivers. The community-based flood risk management component aims to increase resilience and preparedness of the population for the residual risk, for example if existing embankments unexpectedly breach. The Investment Program aims to reduce the flood risk at three priority subprojects by providing new and rehabilitated embankments, leaving distributaries open, along selected reaches of the Jamuna and Padma Rivers. To protect these embankments, riverbanks will be progressively stabilized, starting at critically eroding reaches. Over time, and in conjunction with other government programs, this approach may lead to a general holistic river stabilization with less channels potentially having some similarity to the river system before the passing of the 1 The MFF FRERMIP antiapted three individual loans for three individual projects, planned to be implemented with overlapping project periods, building on each other. The overall