UNRWA 3MW SOLAR PV POWER PROJECT Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) 15 November 2020 REV - 1 Final ESIA – UNRWA 3MW Solar PV Power Project Document title ESIA for the UNRWA 3MW Solar PV Power Project Status REV - 1 Date 15 November 2020 Client Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) / United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) REVISION RECORD Rev. Created By Internal Date Submission Reviewed By Date No. Review By Status Rev 0 ECO Consult ECO Consult 30 Sep 2018 Draft KFW 3 Nov 2020 Rev 1 ECO Consult ECO Consult 15 Nov 2020 Final Page | i Final ESIA – UNRWA 3MW Solar PV Power Project CONTACTS ECO Consult Physical Address: ECO Consult Jude Centre, 4th floor, Building #1 Salem Hindawi Street Shmeisani Amman Jordan Mailing Address: ECO Consult PO Box 941400 Amman 11194 Jordan Tel: +962 6 569 9769 Fax: + 962 6 569 7264 Email: [email protected] Contact Persons: Ibrahim Masri Project Manager – ECO Consult E: [email protected] Page | ii Final ESIA – UNRWA 3MW Solar PV Power Project TABLE OF CONTENT Contacts ............................................................................................................................................................ ii Table of Content .............................................................................................................................................. iii List of Figures .................................................................................................................................................... v List of Tables .................................................................................................................................................... vi Abbreviations and Acronyms .......................................................................................................................... vii Executive Summary ..........................................................................................................................................ix 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Project Background ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Environmental and Social (ESIA) Report .................................................................................... 1 1.3 Document Structure .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.4 Project Proponent and Key Contributors .......................................................................................... 2 2 Project Description ................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Project Location ................................................................................................................................ 3 2.2 Project Components .......................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Workforce and Training .................................................................................................................... 8 2.4 Overview of Project Phases ............................................................................................................... 8 2.5 Resource Use Efficiency .................................................................................................................... 9 3 Regulatory and Policy Framework ......................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Jordanian Environmental Clearance Process .................................................................................. 10 3.2 Summary of Jordanian Environmental and Social Regulatory Context .......................................... 11 3.3 International Agreements ............................................................................................................... 12 3.4 Requirements for Project Financing ................................................................................................ 14 3.5 World Bank E&S Requirements ....................................................................................................... 15 4 Analysis of Alternatives .......................................................................................................................... 18 4.1 Site Selection Alternatives .............................................................................................................. 18 4.2 Technological Alternatives .............................................................................................................. 18 4.3 Design Alternatives ......................................................................................................................... 20 4.4 The ‘No Project’ Alternatives .......................................................................................................... 21 5 Stakeholder Consultation and Engagement .......................................................................................... 23 5.1 Objectives ........................................................................................................................................ 23 5.2 Requirements for Stakeholder Engagement ................................................................................... 23 5.3 Identification of Stakeholders ......................................................................................................... 24 5.4 Stakeholder Consultation and Engagement to Date ....................................................................... 26 5.5 Future Stakeholder Engagement Activities ..................................................................................... 30 6 ESIA Approach and Methodology .......................................................................................................... 31 6.1 Delineation of Study Boundaries and Scope of Assessment ........................................................... 31 6.2 Environmental and Social Baseline Conditions ............................................................................... 33 Page | iii Final ESIA – UNRWA 3MW Solar PV Power Project 6.3 Impact Assessment Methodology ................................................................................................... 33 6.4 Assessment of Cumulative Impacts ................................................................................................ 36 6.5 Development of an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) ..................................... 36 6.6 Summary of Anticipated Impact ..................................................................................................... 36 7 Landscape and Visual ................................................................................................................... 40 8 Land Use ...................................................................................................................................... 50 9 Geology, Hydrology and Hydrogeology ......................................................................................... 61 10 Biodiversity .................................................................................................................................. 70 11 Archeology and Cultural Heritage ................................................................................................. 77 12 Air Quality and Noise .................................................................................................................... 80 13 Infrastructure and Utilities ............................................................................................................ 84 14 Socio-Economic Conditions ........................................................................................................... 96 15 Occupational Health and Safety and Worker Accomodation ........................................................ 101 16 Community Health, Safety and Security ...................................................................................... 105 17 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................................... 108 18 Impacts from Associated Facilities .............................................................................................. 110 19 Environmental and Social Management Plan ............................................................................... 116 19.1 Institutional Framework and Procedural Arrangement for ESMP Implementation ..................... 116 19.2 Environmental, Health, Safety and Social Management System (EHSS-MS) ................................ 118 19.3 Compilation of Environmental and Social Management Plan ...................................................... 119 20 References ................................................................................................................................. 126 21 Annexes ..................................................................................................................................... 127 21.1 Annex I – Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and Plan ................................................................. 128 21.2 Annex II –