Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: TA 8887-KGZ July 2016 KGZ: CAREC Corridors 1 and 3 Connector Road Project Prepared by Kocks Consult GmbH / Finnish Overseas Consultants Ltd. / CAC Consulting for the Ministry of Transport and Roads of Kyrgyz Republic 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. 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. Table of Contents A. Initial Environmental Examination 1. Section 1, Epkin–Bashkugandy (Km 89–Km 159) 2. Section 2, Bashkugandy–Kizil Djizil (Km 159–Km 183) 3. Section 3, Aral–Too-Ashuu (Km 195–Km 286) Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: TA 8887-KGZ July 2016 KGZ: CAREC Corridors 1 and 3 Connector Road Project (Section “Epkin [Km 89] to Bashkugandy [formerly Dyikan] [Km 159]”) Prepared by Kocks Consult GmbH / Finnish Overseas Consultants Ltd. / CAC Consulting for the Ministry of Transport and Roads of Kyrgyz Republic 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. 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. .ABBREVIATIONS ADB - Asian Development Bank ADT - Average Daily Traffic AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AP - Affected People BoQ - Bill of Quantities CAREC - Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation CEWP Construction Environmental Work Plan CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CO - Carbon Monoxide CSC - Construction Supervision Consultant CW - Civil Works dBA - A-weighted decibels DO - Dissolved oxygen EA - Executing Agency EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EIP - Environmental Impact Permit EMoP - Environmental Monitoring Plan EMP - Environmental Management Plan FCM - Family Medicine Centres GRM - Grievance Redress Mechanism h, hr - Hour Ha - Hectare HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus IA - Implementing Agency IEE - Initial Environmental Examination IES - International Environmental Specialist IPIG - Investment Projects Implementation Group KDTP - Kyrgyzdortransproekt Kg - Kilogram Km - Kilometer Kpa - Kilopascal LAR - Land Acquisition and Resettlement LARP - Land Acquisition Resettlement Plan LHS - Left Hand Side Ls - Lump Sum M2 - Square Meter M3 - Cubic Meter Max. - Maximum MESD - Ministry of Economic and Sustainable Department Min. - Minimum MOF - Ministry of Finance MOTR - Ministry of Transport and Road of the Kyrgyz Republic MoCIT Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic MPC - Maximum Permissible Concentrations NES - National Environmental Specialist NGO - Non-Governmental Organization No. - Number NO2 - Nitrogen Dioxide PAM - Project Administration Manual PAP - Project-Affected Person PBM - Performance-based maintenance PER - Public Environmental Review PPMS - Project Performance Management System PPTA - Project Preparatory Technical Assistance RAP - Resettlement Action Plan RHS - Right Hand Side ROW - Right-of-Way RP - Resettlement Plan SA - Social Assessment SAEPF - State Agency on Environment Protection and Forestry SER - State Environmental Review SO2 - Sulfur Dioxide SPS - Safeguard Policy Statement SSEMP - Site Specific Environmental Management Plan TA - Technical Assistance TMP - Traffic Management Plan TOR - Terms of Reference TPH - Petroleum Hydrocarbon TSP - Total Suspended Particulates UNFCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change WHSP - Worker’s Health and Safety Plan Contents A. Executive Summary.............................................................................................................. 1 B. Policy, Legal, and Administrative Framework ....................................................................... 6 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 6 2. Extent of IEE Study.............................................................................................................. 7 3. Environmental protection legislation of Kyrgyz Republic ...................................................... 7 4. Permitting Processes in the Kyrgyz Republic ..................................................................... 10 5. Environmental Standards .................................................................................................. 11 6. Required ADB Environmental Approval ............................................................................. 12 C. Description of the Project ................................................................................................... 13 1. Need for the Project ........................................................................................................... 13 2. General information on project facility ................................................................................ 13 3. Type and Technical Road Category of the Project ............................................................. 15 4. Details of the Project .......................................................................................................... 15 4.1. Road Cross section ......................................................................................................... 15 4.2. Bridges and Culverts ....................................................................................................... 17 5. Temporary Ancillary Facilities ............................................................................................ 17 5.1. Material Sources and Cut & Fill ....................................................................................... 17 5.2. Construction materials .................................................................................................... 18 5.3. Asphalt and Cement Batching Plants .............................................................................. 18 5.4. Construction Camp ......................................................................................................... 19 6. Alternatives ........................................................................................................................ 19 7. Traffic Volume ................................................................................................................... 19 8. Proposed Schedule for Implementation ............................................................................. 20 D. Description of the Environment ........................................................................................... 21 1. Topography, Geology and Soils ......................................................................................... 21 2. Climate .............................................................................................................................. 21 3. Hydrology, Water Resources and Water Quality ................................................................ 21 4. Ecological Resources in Project Area ................................................................................ 22 4.1. Flora................................................................................................................................ 22 4.2. Fauna .............................................................................................................................. 22 5. Endogenous and Exogenous Processes ........................................................................... 23 6. Socioe-conomic Information .............................................................................................. 23 7. Cultural and Archaeological Resources ............................................................................. 24 8. Sensitive Receptors ........................................................................................................... 26 9. Baseline Measurements .................................................................................................... 26 9.1. Water Quality Measurements .......................................................................................... 27 9.2. Air Quality Measurements ............................................................................................... 27 9.3. Noise and Vibration Measurements ................................................................................ 28 E. Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures ................................................................ 29 1. Impacts in the Project Phases ........................................................................................... 29 2. Mitigation measures .............................................................................................................. 34 2.1 Pre-Construction & Design Phase ..................................................................................