FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING REPORT Loan 2245/2246(SF) Jan 2014-Mar2015 UZBEKISTAN: Land Improvement Project Prepared by Rural Restructuring Agency under Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources for the Republic of Uzbekistan for Asian Development Bank This environmental monitoring report 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. In preparing any country program of 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. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................................ II A. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 4 B. PROJECT BASIC DATA ...................................................................................................................... 4 C. PROJECT PURPOSE ........................................................................................................................... 9 1. SCOPE OF PROJECT & IMPLEMENTATION STATUS .................................................................................. 9 D. ENVIRONMENT MONITORING ......................................................................................................... 12 E. LEGISLATION BASE ......................................................................................................................... 12 1. NATIONAL REQUIREMENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY...................................................................... 12 2. INTERNATIONAL REQUIREMENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ............................................................. 13 F. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING ACTIVITIES ............................................................................... 13 1. ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT (GENERAL INFORMATION) ...................................................... 13 2. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS FOR SITE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ....................................... 13 3. POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND NECESSARY MEASURES FOR THEIR MITIGATION AND ELIMINATION ............................................................................................................................................. 15 4. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING DURING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION..................................................... 17 5. ADB TRAINING IN IMPROVEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION IN ADB FUNDED PROJECTS ................................................................................................................................................ 18 G. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................... 18 ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank BISA Basin Irrigation Systems Administration BVO River Basin Water Management Organization CAD Computer Assisted Design CCSE Chief Construction Supervision Engineer EA Executing Agency EE Engineer’s Estimate(s) FAO Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FFS Farmer Field School GEF Global Environmental Facility GoU Government of Uzbekistan Ha Hectare I&D irrigation and drainage HGME Hydro-geological Meliorative Expedition IEE initial environmental assessment IMT Irrigation Management Transfer IWMI International Water Management Institute JSC Joint Stock Company km Kilometer LA Loan Agreement MAWR Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources M&E monitoring and evaluation MFERIT Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investment and Trade ABBREVIATIONS NCSE National Construction Supervision Engineer O&M operation and maintenance PAM Project Administration Memorandum PIU Project Implementation Unit PMO Project Management Office PMS Procurement Monitoring System PPTA Project preparation technical assistance PROJECT Land Improvement Project RRA Rural Restructuring Agency SCNP State Committee for Nature Protection SDR Standard Drawing Rights T Ton TA technical assistance TIIM Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration TOR Terms of Reference USD, US$ United States Dollar UZS Uzbekistan Soum WUA Water Users’ Association A. INTRODUCTION The Annual Environmental Monitoring Report includes information and evaluation of progress with implementation of the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) during rehabilitation of primary and inter- farm collector drains in Bukhara, Navoi and Kashkadarya provinces for period from January 2014 to March 2015. The report in hand has been prepared in compliance with the Loan Agreements covenants. B. PROJECT BASIC DATA The Land Improvement Project in Bukhara, Navoi and Kashkadarya provinces (The Project) is being implemented by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan with assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Project is aimed at improvement of land quality and productivity within Bukhara, Navoi and Kashkadarya provinces. The Project‟s Implementing Agency (IA) is the Rural Restructuring Agency (RRA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The total irrigated land area covered by the Project in three provinces is 161.93 (government feasibility study approved 3 September 2012) thousand ha, including 45.93 thousand ha within Khatyrchi, Navbakhor and Kyzyltepa districts of Navoi province, 42.0 thousand ha within Jandor, Romitan and Bukhara districts of Bukhara province, and 74.0 thousand ha within Guzar, Kamashi and Kasan districts of Kashkadarya province. The main purpose of the Project is land improvement on the total land area of 161.9 thousand ha of irrigated area, prevention of further land degradation, increase in crop yields and improvement of population employment, income, and living standards. INTRODUCTION AND BASIC DATA 1.1 ADB Loan Number : 2245 (OCR)-UZB / 2246(SF)-UZB 1.2 Project Title : Land Improvement Project 1.3 Borrower : Government of Uzbekistan/ Ministry of Finance 1.4 Executing Agency : Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources 1.5 Implementing Agency : Rural Restructuring Agency 2. PROJECT ESTIMATE COST & FINANCE PLAN Amount in USD million 2.1 Total estimated project cost: A. Base Costs Land and Agricultural Improvement 1.18 Capacity Building of Land and Water Management 0.66 Institutions Rehabilitation of Land Management Infrastructure 143.79 Project Management 7.44 Subtotal of A 153.07 B. Contingencies Physical Contingencies 2.16 Price Contingencies 0.00 Egis International/ IKS Page 4 of 20 Subtotal of B 2.16 C. Financial Charges Financial Charges During Construction 3.14 Commitment Charges 1.30 Pay Back Loan Amount 3.73 Subtotal of C 8.17 Total of A+B+C 163.40 2.2 Financing plan: A. Asian Development Bank 1. Ordinary Capital Resources 32.60 2. Asian Development Fund 27.60 Subtotal A 60.20 B. Government of Uzbekistan 1. Exempted domestic tax & duties*) 25.637 2. Other GoU financing **) 47.361 Subtotal B 72.998 C. Beneficiaries 30.204 Total of A+B+C 163.40 3. STATUS OF PROJECT FINANCING (Availability of funds at end period of reporting) Funding Disbursed by Remain by end commitment in As of 22 March of report period cash 2015 (22 March 2015) A. Asian Development Bank 1. Ordinary Capital Resources 32,600,000.00 25,263,002.65 7,336,997.35 2. Asian Development Fund 27,601,000.00 26,222,298.66 1,378,701.34 Subtotal A 60,201,000.00 51,485,301.31 8,715,698.69 B. Government of Uzbekistan 72,998,000.00 3,694,944.27 69,303,055.73 Subtotal B 72,998,000.00 * 3,694,944.27** 69,303,055.73 C. Beneficiaries 30,204,100.00 0.00 30,204,100.00 Total of A+B+C 163,403,100.00 55,180,245.58 108,222,854.42 Note: *) Including exemption of domestic taxes and duties estimated as US$ 25.637 million (non- cash commitment) **) Excluding exemption of domestic taxes and duties 4. LOAN COMMITMENT DATES 4.1 Approval of project preparatory technical assistance 31 May 2004 4.2 Fact-finding 29 June – 15 July 2005 4.3 Management review meeting (MRM) 7 March 2006 4.4 Appraisal mission 18 – 30 March 2006 4.5 Staff review committee (SRC) 25 April 2006 Egis International/ IKS Page 5 of 20 4.6 Loan negotiations 31 May – 5 June 2006 4.7 Board circulation 3 July 2006 4.8 Board consideration and approval (Summary Procedure) 24 July 2006 4.9 Loan agreement signing 27 September 2007 4.10 Loan effectiveness, including conditions 9 November 2007 4.11 Inception Mission 01 – 14 February 2008 4.12 Project Review Mission 16 – 19 December 2008 5 LOAN PERIODS 5.1 Physical completion date 30 September 2014 5.2 Loan closing date 31 March 2015 5.3 Loan period (loan effective date) 09 November 2007 to 31 December 2014 equals 100 percent** 6. ADB REVIEWS 6.1 date of last ADB review mission 1 March – 18 March 2015 **Considering the 2 years extension of the project implementation period. Egis International/ IKS Page 6 of 20 Figure 0-1: Location of Project Area Egis International/ IKS Page 7 of 20 Figure 0-2: Location of Project area within Bukhara, Kashkadarya, and Navoi Provinces Egis International/ IKS Page 8 of 20 C. PROJECT PURPOSE 1. Scope of Project & Implementation Status Project scope, Loan Agreements 2245/2246(SF)-UZB and summarized in four Project components: Component 1: Land and Agricultural Improvement Component 2: Capacity Building of Land and Water Management Institutions