SECTION 1: PROJECT DESIGN AND SPECIFICATIONS Institutional and Administrative Data 1 Project name Irrigation System Enhancement Project (ISEP) Construction of Tertiary Network within Bagramyan-Norakert 2 Sub-project title Gravity Irrigation Scheme 3 Sub-Project location Armavir marz, Republic of Armenia 4 Watershed (river basin) Hrazdan river Public Disclosure Authorized Institutional Arrangements 5 Institutional Arrangements Task Team Leader Safeguards Supervision (World Bank) Wilfried Hundertmark Darejan Kapanadze, Environment Sophia Georgieva, Social 6 Institutional Arrangements Project Implementing Works Supervisor Contractor (Borrower) Entity (env. and soc. (institution) Water Sector PIU of the monitoring is part State Committee for of supervisor’s “Hayk-Shin” Water Economy of the assignment) LLC RA Ministry of Energy Public Disclosure Authorized Infrastructure and “Modul 2015” LLC Natural Resources Samvel Karapetyan, the person in charge of design coordination Site Description 7 Geographic name of the site - Bagramyan and Norakert communities, Armavir Marz (region), Republic of Armenia 8 Short description of the sub-project activities (type of planned works) The design envisages implementation of the following main works: Public Disclosure Authorized - Excavation of soft and rocky soil to open trenches and pits - Sandy blinding layer in trenches, b=10cm - Backfilling trenches with sand (a protective sand layer, d+20cm - Gravel blinding layer at the bottom of pits, b=10cm - Backfill with local soft soil, - Removing excess soils and rocks to a distance with 3km of radius - Underground alignment of pipes – metallic (St), polyethylene (Pe) and GRP - Internal and external treatment of metallic pipes surfaces with D≥300mm and 400mm with anticorrosion, hydro-isolative substances - Rockfill, b=30cm - Pits welded with B15, F150, W4 concrete Public Disclosure Authorized - Pits assembled with reinforced round elements - Control loops in metallic boxes (3 types) - 4 filtration stations with concrete bases - Construction of a management center building, a toilet in the yard - Energy supply through 10kV high voltage cable network, transformation substations of 10/0.23kV, low voltage 0.23kV cable network - Automated control system - Water supply at management center building and drainage system installation for the toilet in the yard 1 - Area restoration works around the management center building and the filtration substations, closing the area with metallic fences. 9 Short narrative description of site (physical and natural environment): The areas of the envisaged activity are located on the north-eastern part of the RA Armavir Marz (Region) and cover some community lands of Baghramyan and Norakert villages. In general, the terrain is flat and not vey broken. It is possible to observe small wavy hillocks, isolated low hills and weakly expressed temporary streams or mud channels, where water flows may occur depending upon the intensity of precipitations or geological and lithological conditions. From geomorphological point of view, the area lies on the southern diluvial slopes of Aragats Mountain, which stretches up to the north-western peripheries of Ararat valley. The absolute elevation of the relief varies within the range of 950-1,045m, the gradients within 2-50. There are no steep slopes in the irrigation areas. There is no river in the area, however, there are separate not deep ravine-like mudflow channels (1-2m deep). According to the RA Climate Zones Map, the study area lies in the hot zone. It is characterized by dry continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The average temperature in July is +21C, in summer the relative humidity is low about 35%. Favorable mountain and valley winds with average speed of 2.0-3.0 m/sec prevail in summer. Winters are cold and windless, average temperature in January is 0-50C, relative humidity is 60- 70% and average wind speed is 3.0-5.0 m/sec. The maximum quantity of atmospheric precipitations is 306mm. The soil freezing maximum depth reaches 70cm. Geological structure: From the geological point of view there are Quaternary age volcanic flows and volcano-sedimentary formations of Aragats Mountain covered with recent eluvial-diluvial- colluvial formations. Among the main rocks there are basalts, andesite-basalts, tuffs, tuff-basalts which are exposed in some places. Hydro-geological conditions: The ground water horizon is situated at the depth of 10m and even deeper according to the observations and at the depth of more than 100m as per archive materials. The ground waters don’t make a common horizon and don’t have natural exits (in the form of springs). There can be temporary surface flows in ravine-like concavities of the area (not clearly outlined). The ground waters originate from surface flows of pre-mountainous regions, atmospheric precipitations and waters of the river debris cones. According to the RA seismic zones map, the area is situated within the 3rd zone with acceleration of 0.4g and 9-point seismicity. Flora: From floristic-geographical point of view, the study area belongs to Yerevan floristic district, where semi-desert and desert vegetative cover mainly occupied by agricultural crops is typical. The area is presented mainly by xerophyte species. However, in the common ground of the observed areas there are wetland and wild tree-bush elements in the surroundings of the canals and water conduits during the whole vegetation period. Despite of its xerophyte characteristics, the vegetative cover of wormwood semi-deserts outstands for its various species. As a rule, these species are common in non-salty, surface stony gray soils and are presented with wormwood-ephermal-semi-desert and halophile- desert types. The main component of wormwood semi-desert is wormwood odorus (Artemisia fragrans), the height of which is up to 50cm; it is a semi-bush with stiffened axis. In spring and in summer it preserves its grey color, in autumn it is covered with tiny yellow flowers. In spring the space between bushes is covered with ephemers: Ceratocephalus falcatus, Ziziphora tenufor, Zizifhora persica, Alyssium desertorium, Poa bulbosa, Bromus tectorium, Lepidium vesicarium 2 species. In the Mid-June, as the precipitation decreases and air temperature increases, all these species wither. However, in autumn, parallel to the increase of the precipitation, wormwood deserts revive and wormwood, Kochia prostata, Noaea mucronata and other species bloom. In late autumn and in winter the ground is covered with green carpet of growing ephemers. The integral components of the landscape are Populus nigra var.italica, P.gracilis and Eleagnus anguistifolia. In separate places the following species are common: Tamarix (taramisk), Halocnemum strobilaceum (sarzasan), Salsola ericoides (Salsola caesia), Alhagi pseudalhagi (camelthorn-bush), Camphorosma. Among wild useful species Peganum harmala (wild rue) is common. The following species registered in the Red book may be observed in the region: Acorus calamus L. (Sweet flag), Lepidium lyratum L., Salsola tamamschjanae Iljin (Chenopodiaceae), Astragalus paradoxus Bunge (Astragulus), Glycyrrhiza echinata L. (Russian liquorice), Rhizocephalus orientalis Boiss. (Poaceae). The mentioned species are common in the floristic region of Yerevan, however there are no spreading natural habitats in the project area. Based on the field investigations and literary data, no plants registered in the Red Book were found in the Project implementation area. The areas of the designed systems mainly belong to semi-desert and desert soil zone, where xerophyte species may randomly be observed. All the possible impacts on the flora species during the construction works will be temporary and may be mitigated due to the environmental measures provided under the ESMP. Fauna. Animal species typical to this landscape zone are also common in mountain-steppe zone. Among mammal species common in the desert and semi-desert zones there are Mucrotus arvalis Pall, (field mouse), Crocidura (white-toothed shrews), Vulpes vulpes L. (fox), Canis lupus (wolf), Erinaceus auritus (long-eared Hedgehog). Among mammals there are also some species of bats Nyctalus noctula (common noctule), Vespertilio ognevi (Ognev’s bat), insectivores (Hemiechinus auritus, Mustela nivalis) and among rodents there is brown or European hare (Lepus europaeus), etc. Among invertebrates common in the area, there are Phytodrymadusa armeniaca (cicadas), Nocarodes armenus (grass-hoppers), Dictyla subdola, Geotomus punctulatus (big bedbugs), Amphicoma eichleri, Cantharis araxicola (beetles), Zodarion petrobium (spiders). Among scorpions, only Buttus caucasicus (yellow scorpion) is common. In rivers and canals of Ararat valley Cyrpinus carpio (common carp), Barbus capito (barbel), Barbus lacerta cyri (Barbel beghlu), etc. are common. In this district bird habitation is relative, as there are transiting, settling and migrating species, for example, Perdix L. (partridge), Grus grus L. (common crane), etc. The following species are common among the mammals registered in Red book: Rhinolophus Mehelyi (Mehely’s Horseshoe bat), Asian barbastelle (Barbastella leucomelas), Common bent- wing bat (Miniopterus schreibersi). Among birds short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus galicus galicus), Persian olive bee-eater (Merops superciliosus persicus), (Sylvia nisoria nisoria) Barred warbler, bluethroat (Luscinia svecica occidentalis), (Remiz pendulinus menzbieri) European Penduline-Tit, etc. are common. Among reptiles registered in Red