Draft Initial Environmental Examination September 2020 TAJ: Road Network Sustainability Project (Dangara–Okmazor Section) Prepared by the KOCKS Consult GmbH for the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan and Ministry of Transport. The IEE is a document of the Borrower. ABBREVIATIONS AADT - Annual Average Daily Traffic ADB - Asian Development Bank Aids - Acquired immune deficiency syndrome AP - Affected People CAC - Center for Analytical Control CAREC - Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation CS - Construction Supervision CEP - Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan EA - Executive Agency EMP - Environmental Management Plan EN - endangered (species) FS - Feasibility Study GoT - Government of Tajikistan GRM - Grievance Redressal Mechanism HIV - Human Immune Deficiency Virus IBAT - Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool IEE - Initial Environmental Examination IBA - Important Bird Area IBAT - Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool IUCN - International Union for Conservation KM - Kilometre LAR - Land Acquisition and Resettlement LARP - Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plan LC - least concern (species) MAC - Maximum Allowable Concentrations MoT - Ministry of Transport PAP - Project-Affected Person PIURR - Project Implementation Unit for Road Rehabilitation (of MoT) PRC - Peoples Republic of China RAP - Resettlement Action Plan RoW - Right-of-Way SC - Supervision Consultant SEE - State Ecological Expertise SSEMP - Site Specific Environmental Management Plan TOR - Terms of Reference USD - United States Dollar This initial environmental examination 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 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. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................... 6 I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 12 A. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE REPORT ........................... 12 1. STUDY AREA AND PROJECT AREA OF INFLUENCE ........................................ 13 2. STUDY AREA AND PROJECT CATEGORIZATION ............................................. 14 B. PURPOSE OF THE INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION ......................... 15 1. PROJECT PROPONENT AND MAIN INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES ....... 17 2. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 17 II. LEGAL, POLICY AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK .................................. 19 A. ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS ........................................... 19 1. GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES 19 1.1 LEGISLATION ....................................................................................................... 19 1.2 INTERNATIONAL LEGAL INSTRUMENTS ........................................................... 21 1.3 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ...................................................................... 22 1.4 ADMINISTRATIVE BASIS ..................................................................................... 23 1.5 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ..................................................................................... 23 1.6 ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS AND LICENSES .................................................... 24 1.7 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY LEGISLATION .................................... 25 1.8 STATE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM 2009-2019 .............................................. 26 2. ADB SAFEGUARDS ............................................................................................. 26 B. ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS ......................................................................... 27 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ...................................................................... 40 A. OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................... 40 B. TYPE AND CATEGORY OF PROJECT ................................................................ 42 C. NEED FOR PROJECT .......................................................................................... 43 E. SIZE OR MAGNITUDE OF OPERATION ............................................................. 44 F. TRAFFIC VOLUME .............................................................................................. 45 G. PROPOSED SCHEDULE FOR IMPLEMENTATION ............................................ 46 H. BRIDGES AND CULVERTS ................................................................................. 46 I. QUANTITIES ......................................................................................................... 47 J. BORROW AREAS ................................................................................................ 47 IV. ALTERNATIVES ................................................................................................... 49 V. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT............................................................. 51 A. PHYSICAL RESOURCES IN PROJECT AREA .................................................... 51 1. GEOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 51 2. SEISMICITY .......................................................................................................... 53 3. GEOMORPHOLOGY AND NATURAL HAZARDS................................................. 54 4. SOILS ................................................................................................................... 55 5. CLIMATE .............................................................................................................. 60 6. CLIMATE CHANGE .............................................................................................. 61 7. SURFACE WATER RESOURCES ........................................................................ 61 8. GROUND WATER ................................................................................................ 62 B. ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES IN THE PROJECT AREA ....................................... 63 1. FLORA AND VEGETATION .................................................................................. 64 2. FAUNA .................................................................................................................. 66 2.1 PROTECTED AREAS AND BIODIVERSITY ......................................................... 68 2.2 LAND USE ............................................................................................................ 70 C. SOCIOECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT .................................................................... 72 1. PROFILE OF THE PROJECT AREA ..................................................................... 72 ii 2. RESULTS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT .............................................. 73 3. CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL SITES ................................................................. 74 VI. ALIGNMENT SHEETS .......................................................................................... 78 VII. BASELINE MEASUREMENTS ............................................................................. 78 1. AIR QUALITY ........................................................................................................ 78 2. WATER QUALITY MEASUREMENTS .................................................................. 79 3. NOISE MEASUREMENTS .................................................................................... 80 VIII. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES . 83 A. PRE-CONSTRUCTION (DESIGN PHASE) ........................................................... 84 1. ROAD ALIGNMENT WITHIN ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREAS .................... 84 RISK ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................... 86 2. ROAD ALIGNMENT TRAVERSING CATTLE CROSSINGS ................................. 87 3. PROJECT ROAD TRAVERSING TOWNS AND VILLAGES .................................. 87 RISK ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................... 87 4. BRIDGE/CULVERT REHABILITATION ................................................................. 87 RISK ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................... 88 B. CONSTRUCTION PHASE .................................................................................... 88 1. IMPACTS DUE TO SITE CLEARANCE ACTIVITIES ............................................ 88 RISK ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................... 89 2. BREAK UP OF OLD PAVEMENT LAYERS AND ASPHALT ................................. 89 RISK ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................... 90 3. IMPACTS DUE TO EARTHWORKS ..................................................................... 90 RISK ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................................................