E2713 V1 rev China/GEF Project Project No.: P110661 Public Disclosure Authorized China: Sustainable Management and Biodiversity Conservation in the Lake Aibi Basin Public Disclosure Authorized Environmental Impact Assessment Report Public Disclosure Authorized China·Xinjiang Bortala Lake Aibi Basin Sustainable Management and Biodiversity Conservation PMO Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Public Disclosure Authorized Sciences February, 2011 1 2 Contents 1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND................................................................................................................................1 1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REPORT PREPARATION ...........................................................11 1.3 ASSESSMENT APPROACH............................................................................................................15 1.4 ASSESSMENT SCOPE, TIME AND CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES...................................................16 1.5 ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING AND SCREENING .............................................................................22 2. Policies Regulations and Administrative Management Framework.......................................................................................... 29 2.1 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND REGULATIONS DOCUMENT .....................................................29 2.2 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES ................................49 3. Project Description........................................................................ 56 3.1 NAME AND COMPOSITION OF THE PROJECT................................................................................56 3.2 SUBPROJECT OWNERS ................................................................................................................59 3.3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION...............................................................................................................59 3.4 PROJECT LAND OCCUPATION AND COUNTERMEASURES.............................................................80 3.5 LAYOUT OF EACH SUBPROJECT CONSTRUCTION ROAD...............................................................81 3.6 LAYOUT OF DUMPING AREAS AND QUARRIES FOR EACH SUBPROJECT.....................................81 3.7 CONSTRUCTION METHODS..........................................................................................................82 3.8 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE AND INVESTMENT........................................................84 4. Project Area Environmental Conditions..................................... 86 4.1 BORTALA MONGOLIAN AUTONOMOUS PREFECTURE ENVIRONMENTAL OVERVIEW .................86 4.2 REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ...................................................................................102 4.3 ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................................106 5. Alternatives Analysis .................................................................. 112 5.1 WITHOUT PROJECT SCENARIO .................................................................................................112 5.2 WATER SAVING IRRIGATION ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS ...........................................................114 5.3 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS........................................119 5.5 COMPLIANCE ANALYSIS WITH THE RELEVANT PLANNING.......................................................124 6 Environmental Impact Assessment and Mitigation Measures ............................................................................................................ 126 3 6.1 OVERVIEW OF PREDICTED IMPACTS AND BENEFITS..................................................................126 6.2 ASSESSMENT ON WATER RESOURCE ALLOCATION OPTIMIZATION .........................................126 6.3 ASSESSMENT ON SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ..........................................128 6.4 IMPACT ASSESSMENT ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AT NATURE RESERVES...................129 6.5 ASSESSMENT ON CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES..........................................................................131 6.6 ASSESSMENT ON ETHNIC MINORITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL ASPECTS ..........................139 6.7 SUMMARY...................................................................................................................................141 7 Public Participation and Information Disclosure..................... 151 7.1 THE RELATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND LEGAL BASIS ..........................................................151 7.2 PROCEDURE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION....................................................................................151 7.3 SURVEY RESULT ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................167 8. Environmental Management Plan (EMP).................................. 170 8.1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................170 8.2 ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PLAN ................................................................................................171 8.3 INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING ..........................................................................................173 8.4 ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING.......................................................................................................174 8.5 ENVIRONMENT MONITORING PLAN ............................................................................................175 9. Summary and Conclusion.......................................................... 177 9.1 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................177 9.2 SUGGESTIONS............................................................................................................................178 ANNEX INVENTORY OF FLORA AND FUNA IN LAKE AIBI RESERVE.....................................................187 A. INVENTORY OF FLORA IN LAKE AIBI NATURAL WETLAND RESERVE .........................................188 B. INVENTORY OF FAUNA IN LAKE AIBI NATURAL WETLAND RESERVE.........................................216 4 1 Introduction 1.1 Background 1.1.1 Geographic Position The project region Lake Aibi Basin is located in the northwest Bortala Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in China, as is shown in Figure 1.1-1. Fig.1.1-1 Project Region - Lake Aibi Basin 1.1.2 Contents of Project The project will support Water resource assessment and optimized allocation, sustainable land management, biodiversity conservation and local livelihood enhancement and technical support and project management. The contents of each component included in Table 1.1-1. The project will mainly support technical assistance on studies and planning, and some limited engineering construction. The engineering construction activities are associated with water saving for agricultural irrigation and the biodiversity conservation. The basic construction situations of this project that concerns construction can be seen in table 1.1-2. 1 Table 1.1-1 Overal Project Description Component Objective Details Water Resource To understand water resource supply z Water consumption balance for the entire Lake Aibi Assessment and Optimized and demand in Bortala Prefecture and Basin Allocation use this to optimize water allocation. z Analysis of real water savings in Bortala Prefecture z Implementation of pilot programs z Development of Dynamic Monitoring system supported by RS-based ET measuring technology and carrying out monitoring activities z Training and Capacity Building Sustainable Land To increase the area of sustainable z Forest Resources Management Management land management practices z Sustainable Grassland Management implemented in Bortala Prefecture z Training and capacity building 2 Biodiversity Conservation z protect habitat and species of Lake z Habitat Protection and Local Livelihoods Aibi NWR; z Key Species Monitoring and Research Enhancement z monitor and research key species z Nature Reserve Management Support and Awareness to allow for adaptive and well Raising informed management; z Livelihood Enhancement z support nature reserve management, through staff capacity building and participative development of a management plan, and build a local and regional constituency of support for the reserve. Project Management and Capacity building z Technical Support Support Services z Monitoring and Evaluation; and z Project Management, would finance consultant services, training, office equipment and incremental operating costs to provide effective technical support and efficient project management. 3 Table 1.1-2 Construction/Pilot Activities Component Type Location Scale Water Resource Water-saving Jinghe County z 830mu cotton or corn land through drip irrigation (pressured Assessment and irrigation groundwater) Optimized Allocation Bole City z 3000mu cotton or corn land through drip irrigation(pressured surface water) z 2000mu water consumption monitoring Wenquan z 200mu: returning farmland to grassland County Sustainable Land Forest restoration Santai Forest z 12738mu Managemetn pilots at forest farms Far, Bole City River valley, z 16361mu Wenquan County Bole City z 11024mu Huashan z 12600mu Desert, Jinghe County Biodiversity Birds monitoring