Environmental Impact Assessment Project: ADB TA-9530 TAJ July 2020 Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridors 2, 3, and 5 (Obigarm-Nurobod) Road Project Volume 1 – Environmental Impact Assessment (Volume 2 comprises Annexes to the EIA document) FINAL Prepared by the Ministry of Transport. The Environmental Assessments contained in this document have been prepared based on the policy requirements of several International financial institutions who will fund the Project. However the reporting in this document follows the requirements of the ADB Safeguards Policy Statement (2009). 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 or any territory or area. i TAJ - Obigam Nurobod EIA Volume 1 text FINAL.docx REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT Looking towards Bridge #8 at Km36 (looking from Tunnel 2 north portal) (August 2018) Snowfall, Kandak, Obigarm looking north. Alignment mid picture (November 2018) Environmental Impact Assessment OBIGARM-NUROBOD ROAD Dushanbe, July 2020 Date Notes Created Checked Approved Document code 1 Jul 2020 Final issue document AJT FINAL Funding Agency Implementing Agency: Project Implementation Unit for Roads Rehabilitation Executing Agency: Asian Development Bank Ministry of Transport ii TAJ - Obigam Nurobod EIA Volume 1 text FINAL.docx Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Location and Setting ..................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background and Rationale for Project ...................................................................... 5 1.3 Project Proponent and Main Institutional Responsibilities ....................................... 8 1.4 EIA Objectives, Methodology and Structure ............................................................. 8 1.5 Supporting Documents .............................................................................................. 9 2 Legal, Administrative and Policy Frameworks ................................................................. 11 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 11 2.2 Asian Development Bank Safeguards Policy Statement (2009) .............................. 11 2.3 EBRD ESP and Performance Requirements ............................................................. 11 2.4 European Union Regulations ................................................................................... 12 2.5 Tajikistan Country Policies and Institutional Framework for Environment, Labour and Health & Safety ............................................................................................................. 13 2.5.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 13 2.6 Tajikistan Law / Regulation on Environment ........................................................... 14 2.6.1 Fundamental Law on the Environment ........................................................... 14 2.6.2 Environmental Expertise Act ........................................................................... 15 2.6.3 Environmental Impact Assessment Act ........................................................... 15 2.6.4 Water Code ...................................................................................................... 15 2.6.5 Land Code ........................................................................................................ 15 2.6.6 Land Management Act (2001) ......................................................................... 15 2.6.7 Law on the Licensing of Certain Types of Activities (2004, amend 2015) ....... 16 2.6.8 Legal Framework for Environmental Penalties ............................................... 16 2.7 Legal Framework for EIA, Environmental Licences and Permits ............................. 16 2.7.1 Overview .......................................................................................................... 16 2.7.2 Environmental Impact Assessment ................................................................. 17 2.7.3 Consideration of Categories ............................................................................ 17 2.7.4 Administrative Basis for EA ............................................................................. 17 2.7.5 Public Participation .......................................................................................... 18 2.7.6 Environmental Permits and Licences .............................................................. 18 2.8 Environmental Standards ........................................................................................ 19 2.8.1 Comparison of Tajik and International Standards ........................................... 21 2.8.2 Standards for Vibration ................................................................................... 30 2.8.3 Compliance with established rules and regulations ........................................ 30 2.9 National Environmental Programs .......................................................................... 30 2.9.1 State Environmental Program (2009 to 2019) ................................................ 30 2.9.2 Concept of Environmental Protection in Tajikistan ......................................... 30 2.10 Regulatory Framework for Land Acquisition and Resettlement ............................. 30 2.10.1 Overview .......................................................................................................... 30 2.10.2 Types of Land Ownership and Land Use Rights Allocation ............................. 31 I TAJ - Obigam Nurobod EIA Volume 1 text FINAL.docx 2.10.3 Tajikistan Constitution, Law / Regulation on Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Compensation .......................................................................................................... 32 2.11 Tajikistan Law / Regulation on Labour, Health and Safety ...................................... 35 2.11.1 Law on Industrial Safety of Hazardous Production Facilities (2004) ............... 35 2.11.2 Labour Code (2016) ......................................................................................... 35 3 Description of the Project ............................................................................................... 36 3.1 Project Components ................................................................................................ 36 3.2 Packaging of the Project .......................................................................................... 40 3.3 Construction Camps and Operational Maintenance Depots .................................. 40 3.4 Permanent Long Bridge ........................................................................................... 44 3.5 Access Roads ........................................................................................................... 44 3.6 Basic Road Construction .......................................................................................... 51 3.7 Project Resource Usage ........................................................................................... 52 3.8 Proposed Project Delivery Mechanism ................................................................... 52 3.9 Schedule and Timeframe ......................................................................................... 54 3.10 Project Costs ............................................................................................................ 55 3.11 Project Categorisation by ADB ................................................................................ 56 3.12 Project Categorisation by the EBRD ........................................................................ 57 4 Analysis of Alternatives ................................................................................................... 58 4.1 Definitions and overview ......................................................................................... 58 4.2 No Project Scenario ................................................................................................. 58 4.3 Alternative Alignments ............................................................................................ 58 4.4 Modifications to the Alignment .............................................................................. 59 4.5 Alternative Road Surfacing ...................................................................................... 60 4.6 Alternative Tunnelling Techniques .......................................................................... 60 4.7 Road Safety Improvements ..................................................................................... 60 4.8 Other Amendments ................................................................................................. 60 4.9 Cumulative Impact Assessment .............................................................................