Initial Environmental Examination February 2016 Project Number: 47181-002 Tajikistan: Water Resources Management in Pyanj River Basin Prepared by the Agency on Reclamation and Irrigation, Republic of Tajikistan for the Asian Development Bank. This initial environmental examination 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 of this 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. Republic of Tajikistan Agency of Land Reclamation and Irrigation Document Stage: Draft Project Number: 47181-002 February 2016 Republic of Tajikistan: Water Resources Management in Pyanj River Basin Initial Environmental Examination January 2016 Prepared by Agency on Land Reclamation and Irrigation for the Asian Development Bank. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 23 January, 2015) Currency unit – somoni (TJS) TJS 1.0 = $0.19 $1.00 = TJS 5.37 ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank ALRI Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation AP Affected Person CEP Committee for Environmental Protection CIS Chubek Irrigation System CL Cultivated Land DDEP District Department of Environmental Protection EA Executing Agency EHS Environment, Health and Safety Guidelines Guidelines АШrlН BКЧk GrШup’s EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMoP Environment Monitoring Plan EM P Environment Management Plan EU European Union FA Farmers Association FY Fiscal Year GAP Gender Action Plan GBAP Gorno-Badakhshan GIP Good International Practice GoT Government of Tajikistan GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism I&D Irrigation and Drainage IA Implementing Agency IEE Initial Environmental Examination IWRM Integrated Water Resources Management JFPR Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency LARAP Land Acquisition and Resettlement Action Plan LIC Loan Implementation Consultant MEWR Ministry of Energy and Water Resources MLRWR Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources MoH Ministry of Health NGO Nongovernment organization O&M Operation and Maintenance OSH Occupational Safety and Health PCR Physical Cultural Resource PEE Public Ecological Expertise PMO Project Management Office PPCU Project Public Complaints Unit PPE Personal Protective Equipment PPTA Project Preparatory Technical Assistance PRB Pyanj River Basin PRBC Pyanj River Basin Council i PRBMP Pyanj River Basin Management Plan PRBO Pyanj River Basin Organization REA Rapid Environmental Assessment RURA Region Under Republic Administration SEE State Ecological Expertise SPS Safeguard Policy Statement TJS Tajikistan Somoni WRM Water Resources Management WUAs АКtОr UsОrs’ AssШМТКtТШЧs WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Ha hectare Km kilometer km² square kilometer m3 cubic meter m3 cubic meter m3/s cubic meter per second mg/l milligrams per liter Ppm parts per million NOTES (i) The fiscal year (FY) of the Government of Tajikistan and its agencies ends on 31 December. (ii) In this report, "$" refers to US dollars. This initial environmental examination 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 “tОrms ШП usО” sОМtТШЧ ШП the ADB 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. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ A A. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ A B. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK ....................................................... A C. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................... B D. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS .............................................................................. B E. BUDGET AND TIME SCHEDULE ..................................................................................... B F. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................ C G. ANTICIPATED IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ...................................................... D H. ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS .............................................................................................. E I. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE AND PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS ............................................. E J. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM .............................................................................. E K. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN .......................................................................... E L. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. F II. NTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 1 A. THE PROJECT ............................................................................................................. 1 B. REPORT PURPOSE ...................................................................................................... 1 C. APPROACH TO EIA PREPARATION ................................................................................ 1 D. REPORT STRUCTURE .................................................................................................. 1 III. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK ............................................................................ 3 A. TAJIKISTAN ENVIRONMENTAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................ 3 B. TAJIKISTAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS ..................................................................... 6 C. TAJIKISTAN ENVIRONMENTAL AND WRM INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ............................ 7 D. TAJIKISTAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND LICENSING FRAMEWORK .......... 7 E. RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS ................................................................... 10 F. OTHER RELEVANT GUIDELINES .................................................................................. 11 G. APPLICABLE ADB POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS ........................................................ 11 IV. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................................ 13 A. THE PROJECT ........................................................................................................... 13 B. EXISTING CIS STATUS ............................................................................................... 13 C. PROJECT RATIONAL .................................................................................................. 25 D. PROJECT IMPACT AND OUTCOMES ............................................................................. 26 E. PROJECT SCOPE ....................................................................................................... 26 A. CRITERIA FOR DECIDING PRIORITY ORDER FOR MODERNIZATION ................................. 33 B. PRIORITY ORDER FOR THE GROUPS OF PUMPING STATIONS (CASCADE) ...................... 34 C. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR MODERNIZATION OF PUMPS ................................................ 34 F. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS ............................................................................ 36 G. BUDGET AND TIME SCHEDULE ................................................................................... 37 iii V. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................. 38 A. PHYSICAL RESOURCES .............................................................................................. 38 B. ECOLOGICAL AND SENSITIVE RESOURCES .................................................................. 48 C. SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES .......................................................... 54 VI. ANTICIPATED IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ......................................................................... 59 A. COMPONENT SCREENING .......................................................................................... 59 B. ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS ......................................................................................... 59 C. ANTICIPATED PRE-CONSTRUCTION PHASE IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ......... 59 D. ANTICIPATED CONSTRUCTION PHASE IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ................ 60 E. ANTICIPATED OPERATION PHASE IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ....................... 71 F. ANTICIPATED POSITIVE OPERATION PHASE IMPACTS ................................................... 73 G. SUMMARY OF ANTICIPATED IMPACTS OF PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS ........................... 74 H. POTENTIAL ACCUMULATIVE IMPACT ............................................................................ 74 VII. ALTERNATIVE