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Alborz Integrated Land and Water Management Project (AILWMP)
Supplementary Environmental and Social Assessment
Executive Summary September 2004
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
Annex A: Annex B:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION REGULATORY AND ADMINISTRATWE FRAMEWORK PROJECT DESCRIPTION ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BASELINE CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS ON THE A I L W P ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ~ " A G E M E N T PLAN (ESMP)
Envi ronmenta l and Social Management Plan (ESMP) fox AILWMP Resettlement Plan and Frameworks
III
1 3 7
12 2 4 32 34
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LIST OFACROYNMS
A I L W M P ANOVA a.s.1. ASC BOD B P BWC BWF BWMF CAS C D D CEP CHO CLO COD CWRAS DDT DO DOE EA E A W E C EFS EIA E M P EPP ESA ESMP FFS FRWO GIS GO1 GPS GSRC GW ha IAS I&D I M S I P M IPPPM I.R. IUCN
IWMV IWRM INMU TUCN
Alborz Integrated Land and Water Management Project Analysis o f Variance above sea level Agricultural Service Centers Biological Oxygen Demand Bank Procedure (World Bank) Basin-Wide Committee Basin Water Fund Basin Water Management Fund Country Assistance Strategy Community Driven Development Caspian Environmental Program Cultural Heritage Office Central Liaison Office Chemical Oxygen Demand Country Water Resources Assistance Strategy dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane Dissolved Oxygen Department of Environment Environmental Assessment Eastern Anatolia Watershed Rehabilitation Project (World Bank) Electric Conductivity Extension and Farming Systems Environmental Impact Assessment Environmental Management Plan Emergency Preparedness Plan Environmental and Social Assessment Environmental and Social Management Plan Farmer Field School Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Organisation (of MOJA) Geographic Information System Government o f the Islamic Republic o f I ran Global Positioning System Government Stakeholder Representation Committee Groundwater Hectares Interim Assistance Strategy (of Wor ld Bank) Irrigation and Drainage Information Management System Integrated Pest Management Integrated Pest and Plant Protection Management Islamic Republic International Un ion for Conservation o f Nature & Natural Resources Integrated Water Resources Management Integrated Water Resources Management Integrated Water Management Unit International Un ion for Conservation o f Nature and Natural
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km LO LUP M&E m c m MCC MEF MDOE MDOFA MGCE meq MGCE M G R W C MGW M I S MJAD mm MNA MOE MOH MOEF M O H MOJA M P O O & M MPPO OMC MR MRWA N C A P NDB NGO O&M OP O M C PCB PDRI
PIPP PIC P I U P M F POE PPD PPDR POP PPO PSI RP RPF
P H
Resources Kilometer Liaison Office Land U s e Planning Monitoring and Evaluation M i l l i on cubic meters Main Conveyance Canal Ministry o f Economy and Finance Mazandaran Provincial Department o f Environment Mazandaran Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Mahab Ghodss Consulting Engineers Micro-equivalent Mahab Ghodss Consulting Engineers Mazandaran and Golestan Regional Water Company Mega Watts Management Information Systems Unit Mazandaran Jihad and Agriculture Department Mil l imeter Middle EasVNorth Afr ica Ministry o f Energy and Water Ministry o f Health Ministry o f Economics and Finance Ministry o f Health Ministry o f Jihad Agriculture Management & Planning Organization (Govt. o f I.R. Iran) Operation and Maintenance Mazandaran Plant Protection Office Mazandaran Operation and Maintenance Company (irrigation) M i l l i on Ria l Mazandaran Regional Water Authority National Caspian Action Plan National Development Budget Non-governmental Organization Operation and Management Operational Policy (o f the Wor ld Bank) Operation and Maintenance Company Polychlorinated Biphenyls Plantpest and Disease Research Institute Chemistry potential o f Hydrogen Priority Investment Project Portfolio Prior Informed Consent Project Implementation Unit Probable Max imum Flood Panel o f Experts Plant Protection Directorate Pest and Disease Research Inst i tute Persistent Organic Pollutants Plant Protection Organization (of MOJA) Pollution Standard Index Resettlement Plan Resettlement Pol icy Framework
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SAP SPSS STD TDA TDS TSS U N D P UNEP US$ WB W H O WQ WUA WUG
Strategic Action Program Standard Procedure o f Scientific Studies Socio-institutional Development Teams Transboundary Diagnostic Oxygen Total Dissolved Solids Total Suspended Solids Untied Nations Development Program United Nations Environment Program United States Dollars Wor ld Bank Wor ld Health Organization Water Quality Water User Association Water User Group
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0 EXECUTIVE SffMMXRY
0.1 INTRODUCTION
This Executive Summary presents the ma in findings of the Supplementary Environmental and SociaZ Assessment (€SA) of the Alborz Integrated Land and Water Managemen t Project (AILWMP).
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Alborz Dam, including the irr igation and drainage network, was prepared in 1997 by Mahab Ghodss Consulting Engineers of I ran and, after several revisions, approved by t h e Department of Environment (DOE) in 2003. An English translation of t h e EIA was prepared in 2002. As part of the preparation of the AILWMP, the Government of I ran (GOI) has decided to conduct further studies and complement the original E IA with a Supplementary €SA, 31 March 2004; the two reports together constituting afulZ environmentd and sociaZ assessment. An electronic version of the original EIA (on CD-ROM) i s available together with t h i s Supplementary ESA.
This Executive Summary is intended to be a self-contained, stand-alone document that can be relied upon to provide major information necessary to understand the environmental and social sensitivities, potentially significant impacts, and mit igation measures to be undertaken under t h e proposed project. The reader i s referred to the main body of the ESA and/or original EIA for specific information or further details no t presented in depth in this summary, in particular for a description of the existing social and ecological environment as we l l as relevant baseline data.
The Project is proposed for part ial financing by the Wor ld Bank and as such will have to comply with Wor ld Bank guidelines relative to environmental and social safeguard policies as we l l as applicable laws and regulations of t h e GOI.
The ESA was prepared o n behalf of the GO1 by Mahab Ghodss Consulting Engineers, with the assistance of several consultants listed in the ESA.
0.1.1 Background
The Alborz D a m is being constructed o n the Babol River and is located j u s t downstream of the confluence of the tributaries Azar, Karsang and Eskelim. The main purpose of the Alborz D a m i s to provide a reliable supply of water for irr igation of the agricultural plains between the Alborz Mountains and t h e Caspian Sea in Mazandaran Province. The construction of the d a m commenced in 1999 with funding f rom the GO1 and it is expected to b e completed in 2006.
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0.1.2
While t h e Alborz D a m is exclusively funded and constructed by t h e GOI, the GO1 has requested a loan f rom the World Bank to support the construction of an irr igation and drainage network to be irrigated by the dam in Mazandaran. The GO1 agreed to integrate t h i s irrigation and drainage network into a comprehensive project introducing integrated watershed planning and management in Iran. This integrated project i s referred to as t h e A I L W P .
Supplementary Environmental and Social Assessment
As described above, as part of the preparation of the AILWMP, the GO1 has decided to conduct further studies and complement the original EIA with a supplementary ESA. The Supplementary ESA covers t h e entire area of the AILWMP (including the upper catchments, middle section and lower lands) and addresses issues that were not fully covered in the original EIA.
The Supplementary ESA i s also consistent with t h e recommendations of the Country Water Resources Management Strategy (CWRAS) recently prepared by the Wor ld Bank, which indicated that many dam projects have n o t produced positive impacts o n the ground due to uncoordinated downstream irr igation and on-farm management practices, and poor upper watershed management leading to the rap id siltation of dam reservoirs.
Although the Alborz D a m is not financed by the AILWMP, it falls within the project area and therefore the aforementioned EIA was reviewed for compliance with the Bank environmental and social safeguard policies. The Supplementary ESA covers a larger project area than t h e original EIA, it considers a l l aspects of an integrated water basin approach (rather than a stand-alone d a m water storage project), and it provides supplemental social and environmental mitigation, monitoring and capacity building measures, as will be fully described below.
With regards to the Wor ld Bank safeguard policies, several major issues have been addressed within the Supplementary ESA. For example, the GO1 recently established t h e D a m Safety Panel of Experts (POE) in order to examine the soundness of the design, construction plan, and operation and maintenance aspects, as outlined in Operational Policy (OP) 4.37 Safety of Darns. T h e D a m Safety POE provided i ts findings and recommendations in order to secure the safety of the dam as well as optimized operation and sustainable reservoir management.
The GO1 also prepared three resett lement instruments in accordance with the Bank's OP 4.12 Involuntary Resettlement, which included mechanisms for those who have already been relocated with compensation according to Iranian law, and for retrospective compensation. These are examples where Wor ld Bank support has proved beneficial for a l l stakeholders, particularly the poor living in the upper watershed w h o are frequently left wi thout adequate compensation.
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In addit ion to the aforementioned dam safety and resettlement aspects, the E IA review also concluded that a number of the expected joint environmental and social impacts of the Alborz D a m Project and the AILWMP were no t covered in sufficient detail. The Supplementary ESA addressed the potential impacts of the AILWMP as i s fully described below.
0.2 REGULATORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK
0.2.2 National Legal Framework
I r a n has a comprehensive legal framework guiding water resources management .and environmental management and protection. Arficle 50 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic ofIran declares the protection of the environment a public obligation and therefore “economic and any other activity, which results in pollution or irremediable destruction of the environment, i s prohibited”.
Important laws relevant to the AILWMP include: 0
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The Plant Protection Act (1967) and the Plant Protection Implementation Regulation L a w o n the Protection of Forest and Rangelands (1967)l Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (1974) L a w for Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1974) L a w for Protection of the Natural Parks, Protected Areas and Sensitive Areas (1975) Land Acquisition Law (1980) Law for Proper Use of Water Resources (1982) L a w for Environmental Protection Against Water Pol lut ion (1984) L a w o n Economical, Cultural, Societal Development (1989) L a w for Protection Against Natural Environmental Damages (1991) L a w for Environmental Protection and Development (1991)
Furthermore, regulations under the current 3rd Five-Year Development Plan (2000- 2005) address relevant water and environmental aspects. The Executive Bylaw for Paragraph (c) of Articles 104 and 134 include (i) the categorization of water bodies based o n the i r environmental sensitivity; (ii) the establishment of national discharge standards; and (iii) the set-up of a n enforcement mechanism for discharge standards compliance based o n fines.
I ran has taken several measures to enhance international cooperation with relation to environmental affairs and has accepted international legal responsibilities by adhering to a substantial number of international conventions. These include the Convention on Biodiversity, the Convention on Wetlands (“Ramsar”
1 The Law is presently under review to make room for more community involvement and participation
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Convention), the World Heritage Convention, CITES, the Rotterdam Convention on the prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the Kyoto Convention on Climate Change (since 1997).
0.2.2 National Policy Framework
T h e AILWMP will be implemented under the overal l policies and provisions o f Iran's Five Year Development Plans, of w h i c h the four th i s currently under preparation, and in accordance with the GOI's environmental strategies. In 1993, the National Sfrategy for Environmental Sustainable Development was adopted. I ts f ramework inc luded a n environmentally-oriented set of policies in the 2nd Five- Year Development Plan (2994-2999) and fostered increasing publ ic awareness o n issues related to sustainable development in the country a n d their relationship to international environmental concerns.
In the forestry sector, the GO1 i s pursuing a strategy o f multiple-use forest u t i l i za t ion and i s launching a vigorous national p rog ram to rec la im destore forests a n d rangelands, protect watersheds and manage na tura l and man-made forests on a sustained-yield basis. The government i s p romot ing the creation of forest cooperatives that are organized at the leve l o f individual watersheds a n d forested sub-catchments. The cooperatives are envisaged to enter into a contractual relationship with the GO1 and obtain long-term concessions to carry o u t various forest management and rehabil i tat ion activities a t the watershed level. The GO1 i s also encouraging the pr ivate sector t o get i nvo l ved in long-term concession management o f large forest areas with the objective o f sustainable commercial forestry.
In terms of resettlement, the Min is t ry of Jihad and Reconstruction (MOJA) is responsible for resettlement. Order No.l948/SlO/V (1996) and the subsequent amendments of 2001 and 2003 guide the resettlement process of forest dwellers, inc lud ing the relocation o f l ivestock herders f r o m degraded rangeland and forests. The Order i s applicable to a l l settlements a n d animal husbandry un i ts located within designated forests as approved by the Forest, Range a n d Watershed Organization (FRWO) under MOJA. Compensation and other benefits prescribed under the Order will be available to those w h o (i) participate in the resettlement program; (ii) remove a l l l ivestock from the forest; (iii) surrender all exemptions they enjoyed within the forest area; and (iv) fo rmal ly give up a l l claims a n d rights they h a d inside these areas. Under t h i s national program, a l l single forest dwellers a n d vil lages fewer than 20 households need t o participate in the plan.
0.2.3 National and Regional Institutional Framework
Regional development programs are prepared by the prov inc ia l m in is t ry offices a n d submitted to the central government and respective ministr ies for approval.
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After review and modifications, the regional development programs are consolidated into the National Development Program, which is t h e n submitted for approval. The indiv idual programs and associated budgets are then passed to each ministry for implementation.
Di f ferent ministries and organizations are responsible for different aspects related to the project: The MOE is responsible for water supply and water resources management issues through the Mazandaran and Golestun Regional Water Company (MGXWC) and, in the f ield of irrigation, through the Operation and Maintenance Company (OMC).
MOJA i s responsible for (i) forest and watershed management through t h e FRWO; (ii) Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and biological pest control through the Plant Protection Office (PPO) in Mazandaran Province; and (iii) t h e provision of extension services to farmers through the regional extension service organizations. Currently, there are n o plant protection officers at the rura l service center level, which poses a major constraint for promot ing and strengthening IPM.
The Department of Environment @OE) has overall responsibility to 'guarantee zoise and permanent use of the environment in compliance with sustainable development' as we l l as 'preventing the destruction and pollution of the environment, and taking decisive action to control critical environmental situations including extreme pollution I. The DOE has an important environmental monitoring role as we l l as the responsibility to enforce relevant laws under its jurisdiction.
0.2.4 World Bank Safeguard Policies
The AILWMP is classified as a Category A project under OP 4.01. An Environmental Assessment (EA) and the development of a n Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) that describes measures to mitigate negative project impacts and environmental monitoring arrangements are therefore required. The ESMP constitutes one of the five components of the AILWMP and includes detailed l ist of mit igation activities as well as a budget plan and schedule for the implementation of the ESMP.
In addit ion to OP 4.01, the AILWMP triggers six World Bank environmental and social safeguard policies. The policies are described below (Table 1.1).
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Table 0.1 World Bank Safeguard Policies and AILWMP Actions
Safeguard Policy A I L W M P Act ion Environmental Assessment (OP 4.01) An Environmental and Social Assessment has been
Pest Management (OP 4.09)
Cul tura l Property (OPN 11.03, being revised as OP4.11)
Involuntary Resettlement (4.12)
Forests (OP 4.36)
Safety of Dams (OP 4.37)
Project o n International Waterways (OP 7.50)
prepared that includes an Environmental and Social Management Plan as we l l as an environmental monitoring program (A ILWMP Component 4). A comprehensive Pest Management Report and Plan has been prepared by MOJA. As pa r t o f the ESMP, the p lan includes proposals for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and biological pest control activities. The Cultural Heritage Office in Sari, Mazandaran confirmed that there are n o valuable cultural and religious properties in the areas of the Alborz D a m project and the AILWMP. Chance find procedures are in place during construction in compliance with GO1 and W o r l d Bank safeguard policies. A Resettlement P lan (RP) for the Alborz D a m site has been prepared. A Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) for the upper watershed and one for the lower watershed area have been prepared. A participatory community-based forest management program will be designed under the A I L W M P Upper Watershed and Forest Management Component. This component includes participatory master planning o f forestry and water resource protection activities during the inception phase o f the component as we l l as community- based implementation and management arrangements. A D a m Safety Plan i s currently under preparation by MGRWC. A Dam Safety Panel o f Independent Experts was established and held i t s f irst r o u n d of meetings and a site visi t (February 2004). A f irst set of d a m safety recommendations to the MGRWC has been prepared. Recommendations and guidance will be provided in t h e f o r m of regular d a m safety reports o n construction supervision, operation and maintenance (O&M), instrumentation and emergency preparedness. Rivers originating in the project area enter the Caspian Sea, thus, the AILWMP triggers OP 7.50. The impact of the rivers of the project area o n the Caspian Sea has been assessed and found insigruficant bo th in terms o f water quanti ty and quality. In order to comply with the policy, project notif ication letters will be issued soon and sent to the r iparian countries o f t h e Caspian Sea, i.e. Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
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0.3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
0.3.2 Project Area
The project area, shown in Figure 0.1, includes the: (i) upper watershed, covering temperate forests and alpine rangelands; (ii) middle lands, wh ich are comprised of irrigated valley bottoms and mostly degraded forests o n hill sides; and (iii) lower lands, which are composed of irrigated plains close to the Caspian Sea. In all, t h e AILWMP covers a total area of 1,347 km2, of which the upper watershed covers 346 km2, the m idd le lands 110 k m 2 , and the lower lands 891 km2.
The upper watershed ranges f rom mountain tops at 3,300 meters a d . d o w n to the Alborz D a m site at 190 meters a.s.1. The middle section is defined as the area between the Alborz Dam and the beginning of the main irr igation canal, at an elevation of 150 meters a.s.1. The lower lands are located between 150 to -25 meters a.s.1 (Caspian Sea coast). They are densely populated and predominantly used for irrigation agriculture. The s ix main cities of the project area (Babol, Babolsar, Amirkola, Azizak, Joybar and Behnamir) are also located in the lower lands, where the vast majority of the 1 mi l l ion populat ion in t h e project area l ives (I).
It should be noted that the Alborz D a m falls within the project area; however, it is n o t a component of the AILWMP itself. The AILWMP was developed to mitigate potential negative impacts and enhance positive impacts of the d a m o n the surrounding environment. However, since the dam falls within the project area of t h e AILWMP, due diligence was conducted o n the dam by t h e Wor ld Bank prior to init iat ion of project preparation.
0.3.2 Extended Project Area
In addit ion to the above, there is also an extended project area which encompasses the entire catchment of the Talar and Siah Rivers in addit ion to the upper catchment of the Babol River, as illustrated in Figure 1.2.
Due to the hydrological connection that exists between the extended project area and the lower lands in the ma in project area, activities in the former will influence conditions in t h e latter, but no t vice versa. For th i s reason, project activities include a limited hydrological data collection program in t h e extended project area in order to provide inputs to water balance modeling and forecasting analyses for the project area.
(1) Of this population, approximately 214,000 (the rural population) will be beneficiaries of the ILWMP, in addition to approximately 3400 inhabitants in t h e upper watershed.
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0.3.3 Project Development Objective
The AILWMP will introduce an integrated river basin approach to land and water resources management, which will be the first of i t s kind in Iran.
The development objective of the project is to enhance current GO1 efforts to achieve sustainable integrated land and water management at basin level through:
0 Sustainably increasing agricultural productivity through the improved irrigation and drainage system and participatory management mechanism; Reducing soil erosion and sediment yields into the Alborz Dam, which is currently under construction using t h e GO1 funds, through improved upper watershed management; and Protecting the water environment downstream of the Babol River and other water bodies through improved hydrological / water quality monitoring, reservoir operation, and pest management.
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The project will ensure the sustainable management of water resources throughout the Alborz River Basin in Mazandaran Province. Improv ing the management of forests and rangeland in the upper watershed of the Alborz D a m will reduce watershed degradation, soil erosion and siltation, thereby benefiting al l stakeholders in the rural and urban areas downstream. By including water users in farm-level Water Users Associations (’WUA), the development of forest cooperatives at the micro-catchment level, and a Basin Water Committee (BWC), the project adopts the subsidiarity principle and supports decision making o n water resources management and implementation at the lowest appropriate administrative and institutional levels. A comprehensive river basin development approach will facilitate solutions to basin-level water allocation and water quality problems, which will eventually lead to better natural resource management and conservation.
The design of the project represents an attempt to solve inter-sectoral water conflicts over ground and surface water allocation and usage in an efficient, economic and equitable manner for long-term implementation. This will provide valuable lessons for potential replication in other r iver basins of the country in t h e forthcoming 4” Five-Year Development Plan of the GOI.
0.3.4 Project Components
The Project will comprise the fol lowing five components:
Component 1. Upper Watershed, Forestrv and Rangeland Management (Base Cost (US$13 million): This will include: (i) technical assistance for preparing an upper watershed master p lan and capacity building for community management organizations; (ii) forest and rangeland rehabilitation and management including nursery construction and natural / artificial stands regeneration (51,500 ha); and
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(iii) soil and water protection measures, such as gabion check structures and other vegetative measures, over the upper watershed area. This component aims at establishing effective soil and water protection measures by improving sustainable and participatory community-based forest and rangeland management including the establishment of cooperatives in t h e upper watershed;
The Upper Watershed and Forestry Management Component will have an inception phase of 1-11/2 years with the preparation of a comprehensive master p lan being the key activity. The inception phase will be fol lowed by an implementation phase focusing o n forest replanting, rangeland rehabilitation, and construction of watershed protection structures.
Component 2. Irrigation and Drainage Management (Base cost US$130 million): This will include: (i) rehabilitation and construction of irr igation and drainage systems covering a total area of about 52,000 ha, comprising 33,000 ha of traditional irrigation areas, and 19,000 h a of new irr igation areas which are currently being rainfed with supplementary irr igation by groundwater; (ii) capacity building and technical assistance for establishment of WUAs to manage secondary networks and cost recovery of O&M expenditures, and (iii) agricultural extension and research activities to support farmers for improved water management, crop diversification and increased income. This component aims at supporting the enhancement of irrigation water use efficiency and agriculture production/income by rehabilitation and modernization of the irrigation/ drainage systems, together with improved O&M, diffusion of participatory water management, and training and support for agriculture extension/research.
The Irrigation and Drainage Component i s divided into a construction and an operations phase. There will also be a mobilization and a consolidation phase concerning t h e formation and establishment of WUA. The execution of t h e irr igation and drainage network construction will start one year af ter t h e completion of dam construction, but should be completed with dam priming. The execution of some parts of the network will start in 2006, f ive years after dam completion.
Component 3. Integrated Water Resources Management (Base cost USS7 million): This component will finance: (i) technical assistance to establish a Basin Water Committee (BWC); (ii) a Basin Water Fund (BWF) prov id ing assistance for c o m u n i t y based activities for water and natural resource conservation, and (iii) the establishment of a support system that enables the BWC to discharge i t s mandate of involv ing stakeholders by sharing information o n environmental impacts, benefits of the project, and promoting water conservation in the basin.
Inter-sectoral consultation and information dissemination activities will include the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) and local workshops. The preparation and management of an integrated water distr ibution system for
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0.4
0.4.1
optimized water delivery covering the dam reservoir and farm areas will include: (i) improvements to hydrometric data collection and processing; (ii) an integrated water management unit; and (iii) system development for optimized water release and distribution for irrigation areas, including ab-bandans. The implementing agencies will be MOJA and MGRWC.
Component 4. Environmental Management (Base cost US$8.5 million): This will include the fol lowing subjects as ident i f ied in the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP): (i) water quality monitoring in rivers, aquifers and abbandans, (ii) river ecology monitoring and mitigation; (iii) forest monitoring and management; (iv) an integrated pest management plan; (v) resettlement instruments; (vi) a dam safety plan; (vii) physical cultural property; and (viii) publ ic participation and awareness raising. These will b e provided in the form of technical assistance for special studies, monitoring equipment provision and capacity building trainings for governmental staff and users as w e l l as prioritized mitigatory measures.
Component 5. Project Implementation and Coordination Support (Base cost US$4 million): This component will provide support for project implementation and coordination at the national and basin level. The component will also provide institutional support for MOJA and MGRWC including strategic sectoral and feasibility studies for future projects.
The GO1 and the Wor ld Bank agreed that the project implementation period will be seven years.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND s 0 CIA L BASELINE CONDITIONS
Hydrologica 1 Characteristics
Average r iver flows in the two ma in rivers in the project area are shown in Table 1.2. River f lows reach their peak levels during the winter f r o m November to April (highest level in March), while the lowest f l ow levels are recorded during the period f rom June- Augus t.
Table 0.2 The Average Flows of the Two Main Rivers, Talar and Babol
River River Station Annual Flow Statistics
Babol Guran Talar (upper) 8.2 258 Babol Babol 15.7 492 Babol Miandasht (lower) [*I 13.4 420 Talar Shirgah (upper) 7.5 236 Talar Kiakola (lower) 9.9 310
Average (m3/s) Volume (MCM)
PI AveragefZows at Miandasht are lower than at Babol due to irrigation abstraction between stations
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Groundwater in the project area i s characterized by one single aquifer. The groundwater table i s relatively deep in the upper watershed and shallow in the middle and lower lands, in some cases as high 1 meter below the surface. The direction of the groundwater f low i s f rom south to north. The water table depth in Babol City and further downstream i s only 2 to 3.5 meters. Due to groundwater extraction, mainly for agriculture, the water table falls during the dry season, but i s recharged during winter and returns to the original l e v e l after the rainy season.
The total water consumption (ground and surface water) in t h e project area amounts to approximately 526 MCM/year, of which 97 percent is consumed in the densely populated lower and middle lands. Of this more than 90 percent i s consumed by the agricultural sector. Groundwater provides over 60% of the water consumed in the middle and lower lands, and is also the ma in source of agricultural supply (approximately 60 %) and virtually the sole source of drinking water (over 97%).
The fol lowing sections summarize some of t h e other physical characteristics of the project area.
Upper Watershed
T h e upper zoatershed in the Alborz Mountains consists mostly of Miocene limestone. The annual precipitation in the upper parts is 600 to 700 nun. Infi l trat ion i s rapid, precipitation water quickly penetrates the soils to the bedrock before it is slowly discharged to t h e river streams. Thus, there i s continuous water discharge throughout the year and stable r iver f lows during the dry season.
The upper watershed is part of the Caspian Fault that stretches along the northern slopes of the Alborz mountain range. The area i s extremely prone to earthquakes. The fault l ine i s very active with an earthquake potential of 7.2 o n the Richter scale. The highest recorded earthquake in the upper watershed was 6.2 o n the Richter scale. The seismic activity leve l in the upper watershed renders a seismic r isk assessment and analysis of the Alborz D a m and other infrastructure highly important.
Most of the upper watershed i s s t i l l forested. Because of the generally good vegetation cover, landslides and soi l erosion are l imited. However, severe erosion occurs o n t h e degraded alpine grasslands at higher altitudes. The ma in causes of erosion are livestock grazing and movement o n steep, unstable slopes.
The Babol River originates in the upper watershed. The ma in tributaries, Azar, Eskelim and Karsang Rivers, jo in the Babol River 1-3 km above t h e dam site. Babolak River joins the r iver system immediately below t h e dam site. Sajad and Kharon rivers jo in Babol River between the Ganj-Afrooz diversion weir and the
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ci ty of Babol. The total annual water discharge of Babol River at the dam site i s 215 MCM.
Middle Land
The middle land is a transition zone between t h e upper watershed and t h e lower lands, with cultivated, flat valleys surrounded by hi l ls up to 500 meters a d . Limestone underlies the h i l l s and the valleys are alluvial. Soil types are mostly comprised of s i l t y clay and the sandy fractions increase towards the north. Inf i l t rat ion rates are l o w because of texture and the underlying bedrock. Soils are w e l l su i ted for paddy rice cultivation. Precipitation is highest in the middle section with up to 1000-1100 "/year in Quran-talar. Precipitation i s highest during October and November and lowest during the summer (June).
Lower lands
The lower lands between t h e middle lands and the Caspian Sea consist of cultivated plains with a maximum elevation of 150 m a d . Soils are derived f rom al luvial deposits o n Miocene rocks during the quaternary era. Soil types are silty clay soils with high organic content in the areas between Ghaemshahr and Babol to Amirkola. Light sand soils can be found near the shore of the Caspian Sea. The average annual rainfall in the lower lands ranges f r o m 800 to 900 mm. Seismic activity is less intense than in upper and middle lands.
In the northeast of the project area, including sections of the Talar, Babol, and Haraz plains, saline seawater is intruding into the coastal fresh water aquifers due to minor elevation differences between the sea and the ground surface and the unsustainable extraction of groundwater, This intrusion is occurring in most parts of the eastern coastal areas of the plain, starting f r o m Babolsar all t he way to the outlet of the Siah River. In some of these areas, t h e intrusion of seawater has advanced to inland areas as far as 6 to 8 km. To prevent the further intrusion of seawater, it will be necessary, through ensuring adequate groundwater recharge, to establish a ground water leve l that is permanently above the sea surface. The reservoir of t h e Alborz D a m will contribute to raising current groundwater levels.
0.4.2 Water Qual i ty
As described above, surface waters in the project area are mostly used for agriculture and are rarely used for drinking, except in some parts of the upper watershed. The most important water body in the area is the Babol River. Other important surface water bodies are the Talar and Siah rivers and the ab-bandans (ponds) that are used for irr igation supply and (in some cases) aquaculture in the lower lands.
Irrigation water will be diverted at two diversions weirs, Ganj-Afrooz and Reiskola, located o n the Babol River within the project area. At these t w o
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diversion weirs there is good water quality, and the diverted water i s considered suitable for irrigation use. However in the lower parts of the Babol River the water quality becomes degraded due to contamination by general agricultural run-off and due to many point sources of industrial and commercial outfalls near the urban areas. The water quality in the lower reaches of the Babol River i s sometimes no t suitable for irrigation uses.
W h i l e the data available o n the physical environment are reasonably good, the available data o n the chemical environment, especially water chemical properties and pol lut ion levels, are insufficient to establish a clear and detailed picture of the current situation of water resources. There i s a particular shortage of data o n water quality both for surface water and groundwater resources, and the reliability of the available data are questionable in some cases.
The below assessment of the baseline conditions i s therefore incomplete and inadequate for the establishment of a monitoring baseline against which project impacts can be evaluated. The establishment of a reliable set of baseline data o n water quality and pol lut ion levels will therefore be a pr ior i ty activity under the AILWMP. Comprehensive support to strengthening water quality and pollut ion monitoring is included in the ESMP.
Surface Water Quality in the Upper Watershed
In the upper watershed, the Azar, Eskelim and Karsang rivers represent t h e ma in tributaries of the Babol River above the Alborz D a m site. Since these rivers are located in high mountainous areas with little human activity, chemical and biological pol lut ion levels are not expected to b e high.
The quality of these rivers is no t recorded regularly, but samples were taken in 1997 for the E IA of the Alborz Dam. These indicated that overall quality appears to b e fairly good in all three tributaries, with reasonably high dissolved oxygen levels (in excess of 10 mg/1) and relatively l o w conductivity, nutr ient and BOD levels. In all, t h e water quality appears to be reasonably good for both ecosystem and water supply purposes.
Surface Water Quality in the Middle Land
In the middle land, the t w o ma in rivers are t h e Babol and Babolak. The latter joins the Babol j us t downstream of t h e Alborz D a m site. Whilst the level of industrial and, in particular, agricultural activity i s increased f r o m that in the upper watershed, the quality in these rivers s t i l l appears to be fairly good, and suitable for both water supply purposes and ecological habitats.
Water quality monitoring data collected between 1999 and 2003 at Tamar station o n the Babolak River, and Pashakola and Guran Talar stations o n the Babol River indicate relatively l o w levels of total dissolved solids and major ions in these
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rivers - al l indicators that pol lut ion levels are relatively low. These data were supported by a one-off sampling exercise during the EIA o f the in 1997, which showed reasonably high dissolved oxygen levels and relatively l o w nutr ient and BOD levels. However, while s t i l l within reasonable limits, conductivity and acidity levels are slightly raised above upper watershed conditions indicating the presence of pol lut ion in t h i s part of the project area. I t w o u l d therefore be appropriate to collect water quality data more systematically in this area in order to more precisely define the impacts of existing agricultural and industrial activities, and importantly to include an analysis of both nutrients and heavy metals in this analysis. T h i s is also advisable due to the apparent discrepancies in data collected in the lower lands over t h i s period - as discussed in the next section.
Surface Water Qual i ty in the Lower lands
In addit ion to the Babol, there are three other major rivers within t h e lowland section of the project area: the Talar, Siah and Sadjad rivers. The latter is a western tributary of the Babol that joins just downstream of the middle lands. The lower lands are also characterized by a series of ab-bandans (82 in all), or surface water storage ponds, that are use for irrigation supply and in some cases for f ish cultivation. Many of these ponds n o w have sigruficant ecological value.
Agricultural activity in the lower lands is intense, in addit ion to which there are several major cities and about 300 recorded industrial and workshop units, of which Babolsar Fibre Factory i s the largest, discharging wastewater directly into the Babol River. Surface water quality w o u l d therefore be expected to be poor. However, there are some deficiencies in the water quality data that have been collected in the area to support this analysis. Official data collected between 1999 and 2003 remain inconclusive as regards to demonstrating whether quality i s poor, with relatively l o w levels of total dissolved solids and major ions in these r ivers (with the exception of chlorine levels, which are several times higher than WHO guidelines for drinking water supply), However, several parameters related to agricultural and industrial pol lut ion were n o t measured. Conductivity readings are higher than the upper catchment, which together with t h e higher levels of total dissolved solids and major ions is an indicator of increased pol lut ion in the lower lands. Saline intrusion in the lower reaches of the r ivers will also play a part in this.
While the official data collected between 1999 and 2003 were inconclusive in demonstrating pol lut ion levels in the l ow land surface waters, a more extensive range of data were collected in 1997 for the Alborz D a m EIA. These data demonstrated sigruficant levels of both heavy metal contamination and coliforms in al l of the major rivers, suggesting that the water bodies suffer extensive pol lut ion f r o m a range of municipal, industr ial and agricultural sources. The monitoring results (shown in t h e ma in ESA report) indicated extensive contamination f r o m three heavy metals in particular - mercury, lead and zinc -
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with pollut ion leve ls in several cases far exceeding WHO guidel ines for drinking water supply, particularly those of zinc and mercury. Moreover, the data were taken at various points in each river, and in each case showed an overall decline in quality f rom upstream to downstream.
In addit ion to river water quality, some sporadic water quality sampling in four of the main ab-bandans took place in 1996. As wou ld b e expected, the water quality characteristics were similar to those of the rivers, including with respect to heavy metal (mercury and zinc) contamination in some cases. T h i s is a particular concern where ab-bandans are being used for aquaculture. Eutrophication was also evident in some cases, with plant species such as Sparganium neglecturn present in large quantities - an indicator of high nutrient levels in t h e water f rom agricultural runoff. In addition, while most data were collected during the winter months only, in the one ab-bandan (Ramnat) where data were collected during summer as well, the water quality appeared to drop significantly as a result of the reduced volume and depth of water.
Al though the l im i ted data collected wou ld appear to support the conclusion that surface water quality is poor in the lower lands, more extensive and systematic data collection needs to be carried out in the major ab-bandans in order to assess the t rue extent of the problem, particularly in those ab-bandans that are being used for f ish cultivation and/or those with high ecological value. This data collection w o u l d need to be carried out o n a regular basis, and in different seasons.
Groundwater Quality
The availability of groundwater quality data in the project area i s fair ly limited. Sporadic data collected by the MGRWC f r o m a series of springs and wells in 2002 appear to indicate that groundwater quality in the upper watershed and middle land i s reasonably good. Total dissolved solids and major i o n content are al l within defined thresholds for both agricultural and drinking water supply. The quality of groundwater in the lower lands i s poorer, with higher levels of a l l contaminants measured. Most of the wells in t h i s area are shallow, and are used for both agricultural and drinking purposes. As a result, they suffer f r o m polIut ion due to a range of factors, including: (i) leaching of pesticides and fertilizers; (ii) leaching f rom solid waste dumps; and (iii) waste water discharge into absorption wells, which is the most common method of discharging industrial wastewater.
A major l imitat ion of the available data is the general lack of information about microbiological contamination. Occasional samples collected f r o m wells in the Babol area indicate high col i form levels, which are l ikely to be prevalent across the area. Moreover, since drinking water which is d r a w n f r o m groundwater in the area i s frequently disinfected with chlorine, more data are requ i red
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concern ing res idual chlor ine levels in order to c o m p l y with the recommended leve ls in the WHO guidelines for drinking water.
0.4.3 Biological Environment
Upper Watershed
A l t h o u g h forests have been seriously degraded a r o u n d the d a m site and near m a j o r roads, the u p p e r watershed s t i l l contains a re la t ive ly wel l -preserved a n d cont inuous forest cover. In several places, forests are d is tu rbed a n d degraded by grazing livestock, where herders o f ten c u t trees a n d o p e n the canopy to a l l o w light to reach the forest floor a n d promote t h e growth of grass. Ln some places, especially, on steeper slopes overgraz ing a n d l ivestock movements foster erosion. L a r g e tracts of land have been fenced to keep l ivestock out of the forests.
M o s t o f the remain ing forest in the u p p e r watershed consists o f n a t u r a l m i x e d dec iduous a n d coniferous stands. D e p e n d i n g on altitude, s lope degree a n d so i l type, forest types consisting of beech, maple, alder, a n d h o r n b e a m dominate. The f l o r a in the area i s fa i r l y diverse. Several species tha t occur in the forest area are considered vulnerable, such as Boxwood [Buxus hyrcuna), Y e w (Taxus baccafu) and two species of Junipers (Juniperus spec). O n e of the m o r e c o m m o n species is Cyclamen caucasicum , a favour i te f o o d of wild boars.
Larger m a m m a l s occurr ing in the u p p e r watershed inc lude: brown bear (Ursus auctos), l eopard (Pantlzera pardus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), deer (Cervus elaphus, Capreolus capreolus), wolf (Canis lupus), jackal (Canis auveus), and lynx (Lynx lynx), w h i c h i s v e r y rare. B i rd l i fe includes the ra re Lesser Spot ted Eagle [Aquila poniaria) a n d the endangered white-tai led sea eagle. In the forests, pheasants [Phasianus colchicus) are s t i l l common, w h i c h d u e to hunting i s considered u n u s u a l in Iran. This pheasant species i s ind igenous a n d has not been m i x e d with in t roduced Chinese species.
Around the Dam, there i s Lafur Protected Hunting Area w h e r e hunting of cer ta in species i s prohib i ted. In addition, to the w e s t a n d the east of Lafir Protected Area, some add i t iona l forests areas of high b iod ivers i ty occur t h a t have b e e n proposed by the DOE to b e inc luded into the Lafur Pvotected Area. Also, a smal l part of the Abshar-e-Shirgah Protected Area l ies within the pro ject area. However , n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g the i r impor tance in a reg iona l context, there are not considered t o b e a n y cr i t ica l na tura l habi tats of in ternat ional sigruficance affected by the project, or sigruficant convers ion of n a t u r a l habitats, such t h a t World B a n k OP 4.04 i s not triggered. The cleared reservoir area f o r t h e d a m comprises agr icu l tura l land and degraded forest. Moreover , conservat ion of the u p p e r forests and habitats i s addressed through the conservat ion a n d sustainable forest management activit ies of the u p p e r watershed and forest ry management component.
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Middle Land
T h e t rans i t ion zone between the u p p e r watershed a n d the l o w e r lands i s characterized by extensive agr icul ture in the r i ver valleys. In m a n y places, secondary p lan ted coniferous forests can b e found on the hil lsides. In some inaccessible steep locations, remnants of pr is t ine forests c a n s t i l l b e found. Agr icu l tu re concentrates on p a d d y r ice cu l t ivat ion but grazing l ivestock i s also common.
With regards fauna in the middlelands, jackals (Canis aureus) are common, as are porcupines a n d wild boars (Sus scrofa). In addition, b i r d l i f e i s r ich.
Lozuer lands
T h e l o w e r lands consist of m a i n l y i r r iga ted agr icu l tura l p la ins a n d settlements. Trad i t iona l ab-bandans are u s e d as water reservoirs for irrigation purposes as w e l l as f i sh farming, Orchards, mainly c i t rus species, are i n t e r m i x e d with the extensive p a d d y fields. The n a t u r a l vegetat ion in th i s area has b e e n largely removed. Only a long roadsides and u n d e r the orchard trees some n a t u r a l weeds c a n b e found. In a f e w places, na t ive bushes and smal l trees occur. There are m o r e t h a n 600 ab-bandans of w h i c h n i n e larger ab-bandans are v e r y i m p o r t a n t as bird rest ing sites a n d for p l a n t preservation. These are: Larim, Zarin- kola, Anarmarz, Roshundan, Esmaeel-kola, Azizak, Langoor, Aghoozben, a n d Eastern Ramnut. Especially during the winter, these ab-bandans at t ract immense numbers o f birds, i n c l u d i n g several species w h i c h are endangered in I ran: b lack t e r n (Chlidonias leucopterus), whi te -w inged b lack t e r n (Chlidonias hybria) and m a r s h harr ier (Circus auruguginosus).
Among the endangered species are four ind iv idua ls of the ext remely rare Siber ian cranes w h i c h l i v e in western Siberia. The four b i r d s u s u a l l y w i n t e r near Feridonkaner j us t wes t of the project area. Other w i n t e r i n g b i r d s i n c l u d e a large n u m b e r of ducks and shore b i r d s i n c l u d i n g m u t e swans (Cygnus olor).
W i l d l i f e inc ludes porcup ine (Hystrix indica) and jackal. Wolves are regu la r ly encountered, whereas leopards a n d bears are rare v is i tors from the u p p e r lands.
F ive species of s turgeon species are na t ive a n d occur in the l o w e r reaches of t h e Babo l River. These f i sh are considered k e y ind icators of ecological quality. T h e f i v e species are: Russian Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstuedtii), Fr ingebarbel Sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris), Persian Sturgeon (Acipenser persicus), Starry Sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus), and Beluga (Huso Huso). T h e y are considered vulnerable to cr i t ical ly endangered species.
The f i ve Sturgeon were once re la t ive ly c o m o n in the l o w e r reaches of the r i vers in the project area, but are now extremely ra re and found only sporadica l ly in the Babol River . The species are of immense economic impor tance as t h e y are t h e
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source of the highly valued true caviar. The decline of the populations i s attributed to: (i) declining water quality; (ii) l o w river flows during the March- April migration and spawning season which happens to coincide with a season of high water demand for agriculture; and (iii) various m a n made structures (e.g., weirs and cascades) which block passage.
As part of a government fisheries program, several hundred thousand sturgeon fingerlings are released each year at the mouth of Babol River. However, i t is on ly with t h e restoration of the ecological integrity of the Babol and adjacent rivers (e.g., stabilization of the river f low and maintenance of a minimum ecological f l ow during the dry season; modification or removal of barriers; and improvement in water quality) that the sturgeon populat ion will recover to i t s former numbers.
A number of other native f ish species of economic importance ware also likely to benefit f r o m the restoration of the river. These include the Roach (Rutilus mt i lus and Autilus fuzsil), Caspian Barbe (Barbus brackycepkalus and Barbus capito), European Chub (Leuciscus leuciscus), Caspian Vimba (Vimba vimba), and the Common Carp (Cyprinus cavpio).
Social, Economic and Cultural Conditions (1)
The description of the social, economic and cultural baseline conditions i s based o n a social assessment carried out during preparation of the ESA. Relevant data are annexed to the main ESA report.
Upper Watershed
The Pasha Kola Watershed (upper watershed) located o n the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountain Range includes five sub-catchments covering a total area of about 350 km2. It i s estimated that about 933 herdsmen families reside in the upper watershed. These herdsmen are trans-humant pastoral communities, moving between winter encampments inside the forest areas and high altitude summer pastures. Each family owns several heads of bovine cattle as well as sheep and depends o n livestock production for their livelihoods. They may have two or more encampments - Talar or Kumeh - within the forest areas at lower elevations and additional camps at high altitude grasslands.
In addit ion to these herdsmen families, there are some 267 families currently living in scattered settlements inside the forest. They cultivate small patches of forestland, graze their domestic cattle in the forest and also engage in activities such as apiculture, silk cocoon production and collection of minor non-timber forest products. Overall, the total populat ion in the upper watershed is about
(1) The divisions between upper, m idd le and lower lands for the social and economic analysis, although similar, are not identical to the div is ion of these areas for the physical a n d chemical analyses.
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3,400 people, which corresponds to a population density of about 15 persons/ km2.
Houses of the forest dwellers are generally built with timber while only few houses are brick constructed. The majority of the households do not have access to electricity and other basic facilities such as running water, waste collection system, telephone etc. Household incomes in the upper watershed are l o w and economic transactions are mainly based o n exchange of goods and products.
The upper watershed i s accessible mainly through forest roads built to manage the forests. Education is generally limited to primary school education. The average age of the population is increasing as younger generations prefer to migrate out of the forest areas to seek better education and employment opportunities in nearby urban centers. There are n o tr ibal or minor i ty groups in t h i s area.
Middle Lands
This section covers the communities situated around the construction site of the Alborz D a m as well as the middle section between the upper and the lower watersheds.
In total, t he area covers 18 rura l settlements and 15 administrative villages of which Naftchal, Bourkhani, Pashakola, Dehkalan, Deotak, Gashnian, Esboukola, Lafourak and Ghasthoran, Kafak, Hajikola, Amirkola, Rodbarsara and Largechal are being resettled under the resettlement program of the GO1 as they are located in the dam and reservoir area. The total number of households in the villages in the vicinity of the Alborz D a m i s 401. These households will also be resettled. There are a number of villages, such as the 120 households in Dehkalan, that will remain in t h e area. Before the resettlement, the total number of households in t h e middle lands were 870. The total population was 3,283, of which 1,402 are remaining.
People in the middle section of the watershed mainly depend o n agriculture. The most important agricultural crop i s rice. To a smaller extent, people also depend o n forest products. There is a more developed money (cash) economy as people can sell the i r products in the markets of nearby towns.
About 60 percent of the people of the middle section are farmers and 34 percent are livestock breeders. In addition, bee keeping and silk w o r m production is practiced by 4 percent of the populat ion as one of the m a i n economic activities in t h i s area. About 13 percent of the populat ion are wage earners. The average land holding is be tween 1 to 4 Khaviz (1 Khaviz = 1,000 m 2 ) and only 7 percent of the households have land holdings of 1 to 1.5 ha. The average size of land holdings in Mazandaran i s 2.7 ha, and o n average t h e land hold ing in the lower lands i s about 0.7 ha.
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People living in t h i s area are poorer than the average rural populat ion in Mazandaran, including those living in the lower watershed. According to the national statistics, the absolute poverty l i n e for rural Mazandaran was between 397,000 and 507,000 Rials (between 47-59 US$) in 2001. Using this baseline, according to the data collected for the social assessment in 2003, about 10 percent o f the population in this area (including the dam site) l ive below this absolute poverty l ine and 16.5 percent around this poverty l ine. In the lower watershed, the percentage f igures are 6.3 percent and 3 percent, respectively.
Slightly more than half (50.5 percent) of those living in this area are 59 years or more, indicating the aging population, where most young people are migrating out to near by towns, even Tehran, for work or education.
Access roads to the villages are good and often paved. Education facilities include a high school. There is n o university but the distance to higher education in Babol City i s only around 30 km. In the upper watershed and the m i d d l e section, about 39 percent of the population is without any education while 62 percent have primary or secondary education.
Almost 50 percent of villagers have access to piped water, power, and telephone. However, there are n o waste collection mechanisms and sewage systems. There i s also a health clinic and about 62 percent of the populat ion has easy access to health centers. If the 933 herdsmen families of the upper watershed are added to th i s group, t h e percentage of those with difficult access to health care centers increases. There are n o tribal or religious minorities in the region.
Lower lands
The lower watershed is both rura l and urban. It is densely populated and includes a number of cities such as Babol, Babolsar, wh ich are also univers i ty centers. Major towns and villages include Amirkola, Azizak, Joybar and Behnamir. The majority of people are Shiite Moslems, but there are also many Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians.
T h i s section provides information for bo th urban and rura l areas in the lower watershed and also includes area outside the boundaries of the AILWMP. Whenever data is available, they are disaggregated for urban and ru ra l areas within the AILWMP. In the project area, which is l imi ted to ru ra l areas between Babol, Talar and Siah rivers, there are 344 villages with a total number of 46,520 households with the estimated populat ion of 213,990 people (average household size 4.5 people). The wider populat ion in this area is closer to 1 million, and includes inhabitants of the six major cities located in t h e lower lands, many of w h o m will benefit indirectly f rom t h e project in terms of measures such as improved water quality and pest management.
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The most important employment type and source of income in the lower watershed i s agriculture, although a variety of different jobs typical for urban areas exist. Besides agriculture, the services and unsk i l led labor sectors are important sources of employment. Although living standards in the lower lands are comparatively high by Iranian standards, there are also very poor areas in this section such as Babolkenar village at Babol, or the villages around Joybar.
In the rura l areas, the majority of the agricultural income comes f r o m rice cultivation which constitutes 94.3 percent of t h e crops grown. Wheat, Konola o i l seeds, citrus orchards, hotels and tourism are secondary sources of income. Overall, unemployment in the lower lands is at 11 percent of the total work force (39 percent of the total population). In the rura l parts of the lower watershed, which is also the project area, about 57 percent are engaged in farming, 1.5 percent in livestock breeding, 6 percent are c iv i l servants and about 13 percent are wage earners. About 49 percent of the rura l residents supplement their income by either full time or part t ime work, including wage labor, driving cabs, etc. indicating the insufficiency of the agriculture as the only source of income for these people.
In the rura l areas, the average land holding is about 0.7 h a - about 35 percent of the populat ion have between 0.5 to 1 ha, and 24 percent between 1 to 1.5 ha. Among the rura l population, 9.3 percent l i ve in absolute poverty according to the absolute poverty l ine of 2001 for Mazandaran mentioned earlier. However, the majority of the population (57.5 percent) belongs to the middle-income group with monthly earnings ranging f rom US$120 to US$290.
In the project area, almost 57 percent have some kind of pr imary or secondary education, 4 percent have college degrees whereas 36 percent have n o education at all. Contrastingly, in the urban areas of the lower watershed t h e literacy rate is over 70 percent. The age profi le in rural areas in lower land is closer to the national average, with almost. 30 percent being under 36 years of age and 30 percent between between 37 to 47. This indicates a stronger tendency for young people to remain in their villages, which can probably attributed to the proximity of the towns as w e l l as better socio-economic situation of t h e villages as compared to the upper watershed and middle land.
Road infrastructure i s we l l developed in the lower watershed and includes the Haraz, Firozkoh and Caspian seashore highways. The Trans-Iranian Railway passes through Ghaemshahr, in the eastern section of t h e lower project area. Houses are constructed f rom bricks and concrete. As the houses are somewhat scattered, only 70 percent have piped water, but a l l have electricity and most houses have telephone. Recently, sewage treatment operations commenced in Babol and another similar system in Babolsar i s under construction. Domestic garbage is regularly collected and land f i l l s are operated properly in the lower lands. However, there are some difficulties to find proper locations because of the high water levels.
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0.5 ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS
The AILWMP has a strong environmental and social focus. Al l project components a im at achieving positive environmental impacts in the project area. Measures to mitigate the potentially negative impacts of the Alborz D a m and the construction of the irrigation and drainage network have been designed and are presented in the ESMP. The AILWMP also focuses o n institutional capacity strengthening, inter-agency co-ordination, and public participation. The overall design of the AILWMP will ensure the sustainability of positive environmental impacts of the project and that negative environmental impacts will be minimal.
The most important environmental and social impacts are as follows:
1. Reliable irrigation water supply for increased agricultural production; 2. Impacts o n the f low reg ime of the Babol River; 3. Impacts o n soil, groundwater and surface water quality f rom intensified
irrigated agricultural production and agro-chemical use; 4. Forest management and improvements in forest cover and quality in the
upper watershed; and 5. Socio-economic impacts, including resettlement and land acquisition.
Each of these issues i s discussed in the fo l lowing sections, along with an assessment of the potential cumulative impacts of the project, and an outline assessment of project alternatives.
0.5.1 Reliable Irrigation Water Supply for Agriculture
The project will optimize utilization of surface water resources and benefit f r om the Alborz D a m in that water supply for irr igation purposes will be more reliable for farmers in the future. With the dam, water will be available for irr igation at critical times of the year, whereas water shortages have occurred in the past. A reservoir simulation for a period of 38 years revealed that there will be adequate water for irr igation most of the t ime (see Table 1.4).1
Table 0.4 Simulation of Water Supply Quantities from the Alborz Dam
Description Quantity and Units Comment In f l ow to Alborz Reservoir 215 MCM Reservoir gross capacity 150 MCM Reservoir dead storage 28 MCM Live storage capacity 122 MCM I i d o w s f rom midd le basin 48 MCM Agricultural demand 195 MCM Highest requirement (rice), will depend on
Mean, including Babolak diversion wei r
i.e. i n f l ow downstream o f d a m
cropping patterns
1 Based on Mott MacDonald 2004: Alborz integrated Land and Water Management Project, Water Resources Background Report
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Descript ion Quantity and Units Comment Water required for environment 32 MCM Equivalent to lm3/s compensation f low for
spawning
Imp ly ing a deficit in 17 of 38 years and a deficit of more than 10 percent of demand in over 20 percent of the years
Spi I l 46 MCM Average annual deficiency of water -5.8 percent
Average annual surplus o f water wi thout compensation f low for f ish migration
+ lo%
0.5.2 Environmental Flow Regime of Babol River
The operation of t h e Alborz D a m and the supply of water for irr igation will significantly alter the f low regime of the Babol River in terms of (i) water quantity, i.e. reduction of overall water quantity in the river, (ii) water f low levels and (iii) seasonal variations in t he water f low. These alterations of the environmental f low regime will most l ikely trigger changes in the overall river environment and ecology, including habitat conditions of r iver flora and fauna.
In response, the MGRWC and DOE propose to maintain an environmental minimum base f low of lm3/s immediately downstream of the Ganj -Afrooz diversion weir throughout the year in order to conserve the ecological integrity of the river. However, at th i s point in time, it remains unclear i f this base f l ow (even supplemented by the inf lows f rom tributaries downstream of the weir) wou ld b e adequate to maintain or improve the environmental f l ow regime and secure the ecological jntegrity of the river. It is also to be determined whether t h e Sturgeon serves as an appropriate indicator species for the overall river environment and whether the proposed base f l ow w o u l d accommodate the habitat requirements of the sturgeon (requiring at least 1 m water depth and high turbidity).
The ESA/ESMP therefore calls for careful monitoring and a flexible approach to evaluating and thereafter regulating the minimum environmental base f low in the Babol River. In addition, there are a number of impassable physical barriers in the river such as o ld weirs and other structures. Consideration should b e given to removing or modifying them to allow for f ish passages and migrat ion upstream, taking into account the potential costs and benefits of such measures. Finally, t he issues of encroachment and unsustainable mining of sediments adjacent to the river bed areas need to be carefully evaluated and addressed during t h e implementation of the ESMP.
If the project succeeds in managing the development of n e w irr igation areas as well as regulating overall water allocations for the different users o n a sustainable basis, the project will have significant positive environmental and economic impacts on the whole watershed area. However, if the planned irr igation program i s implemented o n the basis of unreasonably optimistic water quantity assumptions and hence, unsustainable water extractions occur f r o m the Babol River, major negative impacts have to b e anticipated. These impacts might
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include the destruction of freshwater ecosystems, shortages in irr igation water supply, reduced potential for fish farming, and reduced habitats and resting sites for migrating birds.
International Waterways
In the context of the Wor ld Bank Safeguard Policy Projects in International Waferzoays (OP 7.50) and the above Convention, potential impacts of the AILWMP o n the Caspian Sea, will b e negligible. The current average discharge rate of Babol River into the Caspian Sea i s 15.7 m3/second, while the average discharge rate of the Volga River, the biggest river draining i n to t h e Caspian Sea, is 8076 m3/second. The contribution of the Babol River amounts to only 0.04 percent of the total discharge of the Volga River. Iranian rivers draining into the Caspian Sea only contribute a total of 6 percent of the annual water discharge into the Caspian Sea. The Wor ld Bank, consistent with the provisions of OP 7.50, has sent project notification letters to other riparian countries o n t h e Caspian Sea at the request of t h e GOI.
0.5.3 Intensified Agriculture and Water Quality Impacts
Water Quality in Rivers
The baseline studies of current water quality in the project area revealed that the water quality in the lower areas of the Alborz River Basin is poor, with pol lut ion originating f rom the agricultural sector as well as industries and untreated sewage. Appropriate mit igation measures are needed to address the increasing role of agricultural activities, especially as intensified agriculture in the newly developed irrigation areas in the lower lands (19,000 ha) are l ikely to result in increased non-point pol lut ion f rom agro-chemicals. As a direct impact of the project, higher levels of nutrients and pesticide residuals are highly l ikely in the river systems. In addition, t h e reduced river f low will lead to higher relative concentrations of pollutants.
In the upper watershed, water quality can be expected to improve due to forest rehabilitation and implementation of watershed protection measures.
Water Quality i n Ab-bandans
More than 300 ab-bandans will be an integral part of the overall water budget to be managed under the AILWMP. Ab-bandans are main ly supplied by upstream water resources diverted f o r m the various rivers in the project area. Overall, pressures to expand ab-bandan based cultivation will continue to increase in t h e future and water demand i s likely to sharply increase.
For example, several communicates and cooperatives practice intensive fish farming activities in ab-bandans within the project area, wh ich already show high nutr ient pol lut ion levels and eutrophication. Al though the AILWMP itself does
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n o t include t h e support of f ish farming, impacts o n water quality need to be closely monitored under the project, should the trend towards increasing the numbers of ab-bandans for f ish farming continues.
In addition, among the approximate 300 ab-bandans, n i n e ab-bandans have been identi f ied as ecologically sensitive and important as bird nesting sites and for plant preservation. The names for these ab-bandans are Ramnat, Aghooz-ben, Langur, Azizak, Rooshandan, Esmaeeil-Kola, Anarmarz, Zarin and Larim-Kola. Especially during the winter, these ab-bandans attract immense numbers of birds, including several species, which are endangered in Iran: black te rn (Chlidonias leucopterus), white-winged black tern (Chlidonias Izybria) and marsh harrier (Circus auruguginosus). It will be particularly important that f ish farming be restricted at these sites and that water quality be maintained and closely monitored.
Groundwater Extraction and Quality
In t h e lower lands, groundwater extraction i s the m a i n method of securing water supply for irrigation, often at unsustainable levels. Even after the completion and full operation of the Alborz D a m and the irr igation and drainage network, the extraction of groundwater for irrigation i s l ikely to continue into the future as water demand for intensified agriculture increases and negatively affect the groundwater table. However, as the Alborz D a m will continuously supply water to the aquifer in the lower lands, i t is anticipated that the water supply through the reservoir will help to stabilize the groundwater.
In this context, t h e issue of saltwater intrusion into the groundwater aquifer, which is reported for the northern part of the project area, needs further analysis. So far, i t remains unclear to what extent seawater intrusion f r o m the Caspian Sea has contaminated the groundwater. Careful monitoring will also be required to measure the effects of continuous irr igation water supply through the Alborz D a m and Reservoir on the seawater intrusion in t h e lower lands.
In t e r m of groundwater quality, intensified agricultural production in the irr igation areas is l ikely to lead to higher pol lut ion levels through agro-chemicals (nutrients and heavy metal pollutants such as Zn, Hg and Pb). Considering the comparatively shallow groundwater level in t h e lower lands, careful water quality and abstraction volume monitor ing i s required in order to ensure the integrity of agricultural supplies.
Increased Pesticide Use
The project envisages the development of new irr igation areas of about 19,000 ha. Reportedly, pol lut ion levels o f rivers and streams in Mazandaran Province and the southern coastal part of the Caspian Sea are already very high. In recent years, agricultural activities have l e d to increased pol lut ion levels due to the heavy use of agro-chemicals, in particular pesticides. At the same time, there are
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no a targeted efforts to reduce the reliance on chemical pest con t ro l a n d promote In tegrated Pest Management (IPM).
W i t h o u t the in t roduc t ion a n d use o f b io log ica l pest con t ro l techniques, p o l l u t i o n from uncontro l led pesticide use is l i k e l y to increase. Although there i s an on- going p r o g r a m in Mazandaran Province, IPM i s only i m p l e m e n t e d in f e w areas in t h e province. So far, IPM i s on ly app l ied over a n area of about 10,000 h a within t h e project area.
In the past, the GO1 has encouraged the use o f agro-chemicals through i ts po l i cy of subsid iz ing agr icu l tura l chemicals and ferti l izers. The GO1 i s now rev is ing th is p o l i c y t o w a r d suppor t ing env i ronmenta l ly sustainable types of agriculture, w h i c h has lead to some reduc t ion in subsidies for pesticides. The AILWMP will suppor t the imp lementa t ion of IPM in the project area. IPM i s an i m p o r t a n t sub- component of the ESMP.
0.5.4 Forest Management Related Impacts
The overa l l i m p a c t of the project on the bio-ecological env i ronment p a r t l y depends on the qua l i t y and sustainabi l i ty of the ant ic ipated forest management a n d protect ion activit ies designed u n d e r the project.
The Upper Watershed and Forest Management Component of the AILWMP i s expected to have a sigruficant pos i t ive i m p a c t on the env i ronment in the u p p e r watershed as i t will h a l t a n d reverse forest dest ruct ion though inves t ing in rep lan t ing and better protect ion o f fauna and flora. Th is in turn will strengthen the env i ronmenta l funct ions of the forest a n d range land ecosystems a n d l e a d to a reduc t ion in soi l a n d water erosion.
Reforestation activit ies will b e i m p l e m e n t e d u s i n g n a t i v e species tha t are adapted to the cl imat ic and ecological condi t ions preva i l ing in the Alborz Mounta ins . The master p l a n n i n g exercise will propose and deta i l species compos i t ion of forest rehabi l i ta t ion measures. It will also address issues of b iod ivers i ty p ro tec t ion a n d establishment and real ignment of protected areas. Proposals for protected areas will inc lude concepts f o r c o m m u n i t y co-management a n d sustainable f inancing.
The const ruct ion of forest roads, some of w h i c h are p l a n n e d in connect ion with the project for the management o f forests, are l i k e l y to h a v e some negat ive impacts in the form of smal l scale eros ion and, m o r e importantly, through open ing up access to prev ious ly inaccessible forest areas. The master planning exercise in the u p p e r watershed will h e l p to pr io r i t i ze (and min imize) r o a d const ruct ion proposals and focus r o a d const ruct ion exclusively on r e m o v i n g bottlenecks to sustainable forest management.
Fencing has been carr ied out extensively in the u p p e r watershed p r i m a r i l y in a n at tempt to exclude l ivestock f r o m the forest areas a n d a l l o w for n a t u r a l forest
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regeneration. Reportedly, some recovery of the vegetation is taking place inside fenced areas. However, fencing of large forest areas only is a costly measure to forest regeneration; and it i s difficult to ensure the effectiveness of fences i f local communities are no t in full support of such measures or compensated for the economic losses o n their livestock. Fences also pose sigruficant barriers for larger wild mammals and restrict their natural seasonal movements.
The options for fencing will be evaluated during preparation of the upper watershed management p lan (component 1). The project will promote participatory management and seek acceptance for forest rehabilitation measures and discuss the appropriate measures among the local populat ion (including the need to reduce livestock grazing in the forests) by including local villagers in all planning and implementation measures to the largest extent possible.
0.5.5 Socio-Economic Impacts
Key positive socio-economic impacts are the (i) expected increase in incomes for people in the lower watershed due to reliable and sufficient water supply for irr igation and increased agricultural production and (ii) improved livelihoods for people in the upper watershed due to participatory forest planning and management, promotion of sustainable forest management, and additional community development interventions.
Negative social and economic impacts are expected in connection with the resettlement interventions under the Alborz D a m project. Within the range of the dam project, s i x villages out of 15 will be inundated and inhabitants of n i n e additional villages will have to be resettled f rom the area. The total population that will be moved as a result of the construction of the dam will b e 4,000.
The resettlement of households f r o m the Alborz D a m area has been carried out in accordance with the legal and policy provisions that are applicable to such projects in Iran. However, based o n a recent assessment of t h e resettlement strategy, the plan has been modif ied to al ign it with the W o r l d Bank's safeguard policies. As a result, a supplementary Resettlement Plan (RP) for the Alborz Dam area has been developed. In addition, two Resettlement Policy Frameworks (RPF) for the upper watershed and the lower lands have been prepared, using data obtained f r o m the social assessment carried out as part of the current ESA.
Details of t h e RP and two RPFs are provided in t h e m a i n ESA report, and are summarized in Section 1.7 below.
0.5.6 Assessment of Cumulative Project Impacts
Cumulative impacts are defined as impacts that are caused by more than one project activity, or related project activities. Further, they m a y resu l t f r o m one or
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more project sub-components or f rom t h e combination of project activities and induced developments.
Since the AILWMP project components are largely aimed at achieving positive environmental impacts in the project area, and are in themselves designed to mitigate the potentially negative impacts of the Alborz Dam, there is n o significant potential for cumulative negative impacts to occur as a result of the project. However, the potential secondary and cumulative impacts that may occur due to increased agricultural activity and intensification in the lower lands as a result of the scheme need to be considered by the ESMP. These were discussed in Section 1.5.3.
0.5.7 Analysis of Alternatives
Alternative 1: Without Project Alternative
The Alborz Dam, one diversion weir and major conveyance and distribution canals are already under construction by the GOI. Even without the AILWMP, these construction projects will be completed and put into operation by t h e GOI. The AILWMP i s hence designed to complement the ongoing construction projects of the GOI, contribute to a more integrated and sustainable management of water and other natural resources in the entire watershed, and minimize the potential negative environmental impacts of the ongoing construction projects.
Were the project no t to go ahead, the fo l lowing outcomes are envisaged:
0 Without the Irrigation and Drainage Network Component, t he infrastructure for the irr igation and drainage network w o u l d st i l l be implemented through the GOI, but the formation of WUA w o u l d be slower, less sigruficant and with much less institutional support and capacity building. Hence, t h e capacity o f WUA for managing water resources sustainably w o u l d be considerably lower. Grassroots activities for improved water use and control w o u l d n o t be supported leading to less optimal water use. Also, wi thout t h e AILWMP, capacity building in agricultural extension services w o u l d be considerably less.
0 Without the Integrated Water Re.source Management Component, there w o u l d be n o basin-wide coordination of water resources management in the project area. The lack of coordination could potentially have serious consequences for the environment in general and for the efficient allocation of water resources among farmers and other users in particular. Without the institutional support to the operation of t h e Alborz D a m and Reservoir through the establishment of a hydrometric network and hydrometric modeling and to the BWC, the GO1 investment in the Alborz D a m w o u l d result in lower economic and environmental returns. In addition, wi thout establishment of the BWMF, there w o u l d be fewer opportunities for
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establishing community-based income generating activities for stakeholders in t h e project area.
0 Without the Environmental Management Component, data for water quality monitoring (rivers, ab-bandans, groundwater), and water quantity wou ld not necessarily b e available to stakeholders and used by al l institutions involved in water resources management. Duplication of data collection efforts and overlapping activities wou ld continue while data sharing w o u l d st i l l be insufficient. The implementation of the currently existing I P M program in Mazandaran Province wou ld only cover the rehabilitated irr igation areas. The outreach of the program wou ld expand at a slow pace and n o t b e expanded to adequately encompass the newly developed irr igation areas.
Alternative 2: With Partial Project Alternative
Were the AILWMP to only include activities in the middle and lower areas, i.e. were it to go ahead without the Upper Watershed and Forest Management Component, forest and rangeland rehabilitation w o u l d n o t keep up with uncontrolled ongoing deforestation and take place at a considerably slower pace as under the AILWMP. In addition, the overall degradation of the upper watershed wou ld further increase due to continued populat ion pressure and uncontrolled encroachment o n the forests, especially in areas which currently are s t i l l intact. Forest and watershed degradation w o u l d foster erosion, loss of topsoil and accelerated siltation of water protection structures and the Alborz D a m itself. Further forest and rangeland degradation wou ld eventually also result in loss of biodiversity. Finally, wi thout the AILWMP, the participation of forest dwellers in planning of natural resource management in the upper watershed w o u l d remain at insufficient levels as n o new approaches to community forest management and institutional arrangements wou ld be introduced.
Alternative 3: Wi th Project Altemative
In many ways, the difficulties experienced with past investments in Iran have arisen because the institutional and financial designs of projects did no t adequately fo l low the three principles of integrated water resources management, namely:
0 The ecological principle, which argues that land and water in a r iver basin needs to be managed holistically to protect the environment. The institutional principle, which argues that WRM is best carried out when managed at the lowest appropriate leve l with t h e participation of a l l stakeholders; and The instrument principle, which argues that water i s a scarce resource, and needs to be managed as a n economic good through the design of appropriate incentives that improve allocation and enhance quality.
0
0
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0.6
For instance, pricing of irrigation water does not generate incentives for resource conservation. Water allocations between the Operation and Maintenance Companies (OMCs) and urban water utilities do no t meet any ‘market’ test, enforcement of pol lut ion standards has been virtually n o n existent, and the governmental capacity to protect upper watersheds f r o m unsustainable exploitation by herders and loggers have been weak.
In addition to the positive benefits arising f rom the various project components described above, implementation of the full AILWMP as currently designed will a l low a holistic watershed management approach to be introduced to Iran that i s fully consistent with al l of the above principles, incorporating a basin-wide perspective to watershed planning and management and the institutionalization of the multi-stakeholder BWC. Iranian water concerns suggests that there i s tremendous scope for improving productivity of water use in agriculture by pr ic ing and institutional reforms. Unless these measures are taken immediately, unsustainable water use could seriously constrain Iran’s competitiveness in the global economy, thereby constraining fu ture economic growth.
PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS ON THEAILWMP
A series of public consultation activities were carried out during the preparation of the ESA , including an in i t ia l questionnaire-based survey covering 83 interviewees, a social assessment covering 1,091 households, and two stakeholder workshops: one in Karaj with 87 participants, and one in Sari, t he provincial capital of Mazandaran, with 250 participants (among them about 100 farmers, a number of foresters, some local NGOs and key local and governmental authorities). Some of the key findings f r o m these consultation activities are summarized in Box 1.1.
Box 0.1 Key Consultation Findings
~
Issue Key Consultat ion Findings General project A round half of the survey respondents considered that they were . . awareness/support reasonably we l l informed about the project, the remainder indicating that
they only had very l i t t le information. Only around 6% considered themselves we l l informed. Of those that were aware of the AILWMP a n d i ts activities, w o r d of m o u t h was the most common channel of awareness (40%), with local news and media the next most common channels. The majority of survey respondents (81%) supported the objectives of the project. Support varied between areas: a l l interviewees in the lower watershed expressed support, whereas only 57% of those in the upper watershed expressed their support, probably resulting f r o m the envisaged resettlement interventions in the dam/ reservoir area NGOs are especially concerned with environmental issues, such as water quality, f ish breeding, ab-bandans etc. Farmers, on the other hand, were mainly concerned with understanding h o w the project wil l help them to increase crop production.
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Issue Key Consultat ion Findings Resettlement activities
A round 55% of survey respondents agreed with the GOI’s proposals for resettlement, with agreement much higher among interviewees in the upper watershed (67%) as compared to interviewees in the m idd le area (56%) and lower lands (45%). Mos t farmers surveyed were either partially satisfied or dissatisfied with their current irrigation methods, and as a result, increasing water supply t l vough the new irr igation methods is motivating to them. About 60% are willing to pay up to 10% or more for water fees in the event water quantities did increase, and the majori ty supported the scheme. The impact of a n e w irr igation system o n the economic we l l being of the community i s seen as either very positive o r partially positive (98.0%). Residents are positive o n a l l related aspects of the n e w irr igation methods. However, within the irr igation area itself, the majority o f farmers surveyed (55%) were unaware of the n e w irr igation systems/patterns that will emerge after the project. The implications are that many residents don’t understand the proposed WUA’s, and/ or don’t understand, appreciate or even trust the participatory process, wh ich is embedded in the WUAs concept The end beneficiaries at the workshops raised a number of questions and concerns about the project, including the impact o n their land; h o w the project w o u l d ensure that the d e s i g n of the secondary and tertiary canals are done with the participation of the farmers; and a need for more explanation and information about the WUAs; Regarding forest management and protection, the vast majority of survey respondents (82%) were unaware o f current relevant laws and regulations However, about 83% of respondents stated that they were willing and ready to cooperate under the A I L W M P and carry out forest and rangeland management and protection activities as we l l as better livestock management. Moreover, ha l f of the respondents supported the removal of livestock f rom the forest area (the remainder were against this measure). In the upper watershed in the forest area, the v iew of the villagers is positive towards the existing forest cooperatives and willing to participate in the future forest cooperatives. The forest cooperative is the pr imary o r secondary source of income for some o f the villages in the middle area which are n o t going to be affected by the dam.
I r r igat ion management
Upper watershed management
The above findings have been used to further refine project design, particularly of those components relating to participatory forestry management and resettlement. Moreover, in response to t h e evident lack of project awareness amongst many beneficiaries, it i s planned that further workshops and awareness campaigns will be conducted throughout the l i fe of the project to raise awareness of NGOs, farmers and local communities. Consultations with t h e public in the project area and timely disclosure of information to stakeholders will remain a priori ty for the implementation phase of t h e AILWMP.
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0.7 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (ESMP)
0.7.1 Overview
A s previously stated, the AILWMP Project triggers seven safeguard policies. For clarity and to assure that the issues under each safeguard policy are being addressed and mitigated, the structure of the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) has been organized by safeguard policy, as illustrated in the table below.
Table 0.5 AILWMP w i t h Associated World Bank Safeguards
Notes: Compliance with OP 7.50 (International Waterways) requires notif ication of neighboring states; n o action plan or budget i s required, hence there is n o specific ESMP component for th is safeguard policy.
The A ILWMP will promote targeted monitoring of project impacts, including monitoring of impacts of the Alborz Dam. It will include comprehensive capacity building activities for government staff, such as training, seminars, study tours and workshops, and procurement of equipment for upgrading of laboratories and environmental monitoring facilities. Enhanced capacities of provincial government agencies and natural resources users will enable stakeholders to take joint and coordinated responsibilities for monitoring and subsequent mit igation measures.
Public participation and disclosure of information will be an important aspect of each component to ensure timely and adequate dissemination of results and initiatives and public awareness and consultation in important environmental matters.
0.7.2 Summary of ESMP and Proposed Budget
Appendix 1 presents a tabular summary of the ESMP for the AILWMP. Details of al l of the mit igation and monitoring measures described in t h e table, including monitoring locations and parameters etc., and associated costs, are presented in the ma in ESA report. The Resettlement Act ion Plan for the reservoir area and Resettlement Policy Frameworks for the upper watershed and downstream
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i rr igation and drainage area are presented as separate documents, with a summary presented in Appendix 2 to this document.
The ESMP will constitute the fourth component of the AILWMP. For t h e implementation of the above described six sub-components of the ESMP, a total budget of US$7,725,900 i s allocated. A breakdown of t h i s budget is presented in Table 1.6, and further details of the various budget lines are provide in the main ESA report.
Table 1.6 ESMP Budget Estimate
Digitalization of forest maps FRWO 50,000 Equipment MDOE/FRWO 11,800 Vehicles MDOE 20,000 Institutional co-ordination MDOE/ FRWO 16,800 Training, study tours, workshops, and seminars MDOE/FRWO 157,000 Subtotal 373,200
Computer hardware and accessories to interface with current MGRWC/MDOE 38,250 unit Laboratory equipment MGRWC/MDOE 1,089,200 Training MGRWC/MDOE 267,500 Technical assistance MGRWC/MDOE 340,000 Technical asslstance for Ab-bandan management MDOE 50,000 Sijhtntnl 2.608.200
, , J Y V L V C L I
Basin Water Fund The Basin ll'ater Fund i s an ESL4S, detailed in the LUNA CDD 250,000 Framework. Mitigation, monitoring and capacity building i s
Rehabilitation of Babolrood for f i sh species (including MGRWC/MDOE 150,000 surgeon) Studies o n river modification options MDOE/MGRWC 300,000 Baseline monitoring and reporting on river ecology status MDOE 150,000
Training and capacity building MGRWC/MDOE 100,000 $11 h t n t a l 950,000
Technical assistance for design of monitoring program MDOE 100,000
~ - - -- _-- Pest Management Plan Strengthei-ing of IPM staff at rural service centre LIPPO 178,000 Monitor specific pollutant parameters MPPO 24,000 Technical assistance (national/ international) MPPO 40,000 Implementation of pilot studies MPPO 50,000 Institutional capacity building at al l levels of MPPO MPPO 310,000 Set up of monitoring network and database MPPO 40,000 Competitive grants for innovative concepts in P M MPPO 165,000 Laboratory equipment and supplies MPPO 250,000 Contingencies and misc. MPPO 64,500 Subtotal 1,121,500
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Component Responsible Agency Cost (US$)
Panel of Experts (fees, per diem, travel) MGRWC 75,000 4 0 0,O 0 0 100,000
Periodic safety inspections M G R W C 208,000 Tra in ing o f Foremen and Supervisors in health and safety 40,000 issues Nat ional workshops and seminars o n Dam Safety issues M G R W C 80,000 Sub total 903,000
Preparation of dam safety plans M G R W C M G R W C Re-analysis of seismic risks and seismic risk surveys (national
TA)
MGRWC
Resettlement Instruments Management and Monitoring cost estimate
F ie ld surveys 50,000
500,000
Component Management and Coordinahon Support t o meetings, NGOs, seminars, public hearings, etc. M G R W C 1,360,000 (provisional sum)
0.7.3 Institutional Arrangements
The institutional responsibilities for implementation of the sub-components of the ESMP are outlined in the schedules of the plan. The PIU and the BWC will have overall responsibility for the effective institutional co-ordination be tween al l agencies involved in t h e project and the implementation of the ESMP, in co- ordination with t h e Central Liaison Office.
Implementation of activities under the ESMP are delegated to those institutions which are most suitable. MOJA, through the Mazandaran Plant Protection Office will implement the pest management and biological pest control program. In addition, MOJA and MGRWC will be responsible for procurement for ESMP activities that will be implemented by DOE solely or by DOE in collaboration with other agencies such as FRWO and MGRWC.
In some cases t h e mandates of several institutions overlap, for example in the f ield of water quality monitoring, which will be implemented by t h e MGRWC and DOE, and similarly in the case of monitoring of forest rehabilitation and biodiversity conservation in the upper watershed, which will be joint ly monitored by the FRWO and the DOE. In these cases, the ESMP proposes to clearly define the responsibilities of each institution to avoid duplication of activities and waste of resources, or to improve co-ordination between agencies where monitoring activities are complementary as, €or example, in the case of safeguard compliance monitoring in t h e upper watershed.
MOJA and MGRWC, which have overall responsibility €or the implementation of the AILWMP, will be responsible for t h e procurement of equipment and other financial arrangements required for the implementation of the ESMP in
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coordination with CLO. The functions of the CLO will include: (i) liaising with the Bank on behalf of the GOI; (ii) serving as the secretariat of the SC; (iii) carrying o u t project management and coordination among the concerned agencies; (iv) carrying out and coordinating procurement actions; (v) performing financial management and reporting functions; (vi) carrying out technical studies and training programs; and (vii) preparing annual progress reports and w o r k plans.
A national Steering Committee (SC) has been established to oversee project implementation and coordination between various institutions. The SC i s chaired by the Vice Minister of MOEF and includes the Vice Ministers of MOJA and MOE, the General Director for Water Resources f rom the Management and Planning Organization (MPO), and General Director of the Central Bank of Iran.
0.7.4 Implementation Schedule
The project will be implemented over a period of seven years. Project implementation consists of three phases: Phase 1 - planning, training and start-up activities; Phase 2 - full implementation of activities; and Phase 3 - emphasis o n operational capacity building. Some construction works will be started during Phase I in order to continue the work that the GO1 has embarked on.
The f i rs t steps in implementation of the ESMP will be the preparation of a terms of reference for a single technical assistance consultant service contract that supports a l l the various project agencies under the supervision of CLO and MGRWC. The firm selected for th i s mandate will be responsible to coordinate training for mit igation measures and monitoring, and to assist in regular reporting on implementation of the ESMP, as we l l as to assure a full integrated public awareness program.
The institutions responsible for implementation under each component and sub- component and the implementation schedule of sub-components i s shown in the ma in ESA report, along with a detailed schedule. Activities of the ESA will b e carefully reviewed by the relevant stakeholders in the project area and revised as needed prior to project implementation.
Most of the training and capacity building activities will b e implemented during the f i r s t phase of the project. Provisions have been made for additional training courses to upgrade staff skills during the implementation period as w e l l as t ra in incoming new project staff. The design of information systems and t h e installation of computer ha rd and software will also be implemented during the in the first project phase. There is a need for more detailed information o n the river ecology in t h e project area o n t h e protection of ab-bandans. These activities will also be carried out in the first phase.
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0.7.5 Reporting Program
Monitoring a n d evaluat ion will b e essential t o ensure successful imp lementa t ion of the AILWMP. The comple t ion of m o s t of the activit ies u n d e r the ESMP of t h e AILWMP will not b e measured by phys ica l benchmarks, but rather b e based on deta i led repor t ing as fo l lows:
1. Clear f ind ings and recommendat ions that are easy to unders tand and based on relevant data;
2. Transparency in repor t ing through pub l ic disclosure procedures; 3. T i m e l y a n d accurate disseminat ion of f ind ings a n d recommendat ions to
author i t ies (e.g. Basin Water Commit tee) for i m p r o v e d a n d i n f o r m e d decision-making. This will also inc lude in t ra-depar tmenta l reporting, inter-departmental repor t ing and shar ing of results.
T h e m o n i t o r i n g p r o g r a m for the ESMP will b e managed in a f lexible way, and monitoring parameters will b e adapted accord ing to chang ing pro ject requi rements during implementa t ion a n d based on lessons learned.
Furthermore, it i s recommended tha t the ESMP monitoring repor ts only i n c l u d e d summar ies of data collected w h i c h are suf f ic ient to draw conclusions and develop recommendat ions. Full data shou ld b e i n c l u d e d as appendices to the m a i n reports. Reports on water qua l i t y a n d quantity, i n c l u d i n g t h e s t u d y resul ts on the preservat ion of ab-bandans and the status of fish species, will f i rs t b e disseminated to the BWC via M O J A and DOE, This will allow the BWC to better manage water extract ion permissions for i r r iga t ion a n d cont ro l the minimum r i v e r flow. Reports on forest cover a n d qua l i t y as w e l l as the status of w i l d l i f e will b e m a d e avai lable in form of an o p e n access database on internet. Editing r igh ts will b e with the DOE a n d the FRWO. All monitoring repor ts and databases will b e disclosed to the p u b l i c through the internet.
0.7.6 Transparency and Public Participation
The success of the AILWMP will depend on the l e v e l of stakeholder part ic ipat ion. The p u b l i c consultations h e l d during the prepara t ion of th i s r e p o r t revealed tha t there i s scope for improving the leve l of awareness among t h e p u b l i c w h i c h has s h o w n a high interest in b e i n g invo lved. Therefore, i t will b e important to ensure a n d fully benef i t from the par t ic ipat ion of a w i d e range of stakeholders and the pub l ic by consider ing the following:
i.
ii.
iii. iv.
Complementar i t y of stakeholder values, needs and requi rements a n d pro ject objectives; Increasing awareness a m o n g stakeholders and deve lop a s p i r i t of cooperat ion be tween stakeholders; Prov is ion of adequate h u m a n resources for pro ject implementat ion; Fac i l i ta t ion of t i m e l y and adequate project implementat ion;
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v. vi. vii. viii.
ix .
Ensuring replication of project outcomes after successful implementation; Cooperation of stakeholder in maintenance operations. Clarification and quantification of project outcomes and impacts; Thorough consideration of the needs and demands of the society at the point of project inception and in the future; Promoting acceptance of the project among different stakeholders and ownership. Providing a maximum of information to al l stakeholders and c iv i l society in a timely manner.
x.
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Appendix B - Resettlement Plan and Frameworks1
1. Overview and Categorization
L a n d acquisit ion a n d resettlement issues under the AILWMP are d iv ided in to three categories of safeguards compliance implementation.
(i) (ii) (iii)
Supplementary Resettlement Ac t ion Plan fo r the A lborz Reservoir Resettlement Pol icy Framework for the Upper Watershed Resettlement Pol icy Framework for the Lower Watershed
During project preparation, agreements were reached with the concerned agencies, namely with MGRWC for the Resettlement Plan (RP) for the A lborz D a m a n d Reservoir area, with the FRWO for the Resettlement Pol icy Framework (RPF) fo r the Upper Watershed, a n d with MGRWC a n d MOJA for the RPF for the lower watershed. An overv iew o f these frameworks and p l a n i s presented below in tab. 3.
Resettlement Interventions and World Bank Safeguard Requirements (tab. 3)
1 A complete set of these documents were disclosed separately of the ESMP
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Reservoir area
Upper Watershed r Middle and lower watersheds
GO1 Intervention
The GO1 i s in the process of resettling 3283 people f rom the Alborz Reservoir Area.
Six villages wil l be coinpIetely inundated by t h e reservoir, but in total there are 15 administrative villages that are affected by the dam.
GO1 has an on-going national programme o n gradual resettlement of forest dwellers f rom fragile mountain areas to lower areas.
Land clearing includes 400 h a of forestry lands in the middle area and 1000 h a of agricultural land in the lower watershed for the construction of irr igation and drainage canals and access roads.
AILWMP Project In tervent ion
A supplementary Resettlemeitt Plan (RP) has been prepared y the GOI. The RP provides guidance o n resettlement policies o f the GO1 and the Wor ld Bank.
Resettlement is exclusively implemented by the GO1 according to plans for the Alborz D a m project. The AILWP does n o t entail any resettlement of people f r o m the d a m and reservoir area.
A Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) has been prepared, p rov id ing guidance o n resettlement policies o f the GO1 and the Wor ld Bank.
The A I L W M P does n o t include any resettlement of people f rom t h e upper watershed. Instead, sustainable natural resource management and protection of existing forests i s proposed in the Upper Watershed and Forestry Management Component. Invo luntary resettlement may take place under the current GO1 national programme of Resettlement o f the Livestock fo rm t h e forest.
~ ~
A Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) has been prepared. Resettlement will only be required in relation t o the construction of conveyor and major canals. In most cases, only land acquisition o f parts of people's l and i s required, and a p l a n for compensation i s prepared.
2. Supplanentary Resettlement Action Plan for the Alborz Reservoir
The construction of the Alborz Dam and Storage Reservoir involves the acquisition of about 802 h a of land of 15 administrative villages. Acquisition includes: (a) 545.09 h a of paddy land; (b) 93 h a of orchards; (c) 84.79 ha of homesteads, including areas under structures and yards/gardens; (d) 14.7 ha of pastures and forests; and (e) 67.51 h a of miscellaneous kinds of land including unuti l ized land, land used for public buildings, shops and businesses. The affected land and properties belong to 870 households with total populat ion of 3,283 landowners. An estimated 25 percent of the affected are absentee landowners currently residing outside the project-affected area.
About 50 percent of the total affected population has already been compensated (reaming include 355 households and 1,401 people and 464.5 ha of agricultural land). Resettlement was carried out in accordance with the applicable legal and policy provisions in Iran. To comply with the requirements of the Wor ld Bank Policy o n Involuntary Resettlement (OP 4.12), the GO1 decided to take extra measures in order to streamline t h e acquisition process, strengthen the resettlement institutions and improve c o m u n i t y participation.
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3 . Additional Resettlement Provisions
The GO1 decided to make the fol lowing additional provisions through appropriate administrative measures:
ll) Addit ional provision for people who have already been compensated
Options for allotiizent of replacement agricultural lands:
(i) Allotment of replacement agricultural land of the government at specified locations equivalent to the area of their affected land holdings in the project area. Concessional loans would be offered to the affected people to help purchase these lands.
(ii) Purchase of privately owned ag r i cuh ra l land in Dahestans (location) identified by the project authorities, with productivity potential equivalent to the land given up under the resettlement process.
Criteria for eligibizity:
Since people w h o have already been resettled and received compensation compensated according to the relevant laws, a number of eligibility criteria m e t b e met to qualify for t h e land allotment option and other assistance measures. These criteria have been developed as previous compensation payments were very generous.
To be eligible for retroactive land allotment option the fo l lowing criteria apply:
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii)
The person has to be the original recipient of the compensation; The person should no t ho ld a permanent job; The person should no t have a viable business enterprise; The person should no t receive income f r o m real estate; The person should no t have any agricultural l and f r o m which he/she receives profit; The person will b e working o n the replacement land; and At the t ime of compensation, the person was n o t an absentee land owner.
Options foi- vulnerable houselzolds:
For those people who did n o t lose land due to the Alborz Dam, but classlfy as "economically vulnerable", t h e fol lowing additional measures may be offered:
(i) The Alborz D a m Project will provide financial and credit assistance through charitable institutions to promote self-employment opportunities. The financial assistance will consist of a one-time cash grant of 5 mi l l i on Rial (about USD 600) and an additional concessional loan of up to 20 m i l l i on Rial (about USD 2400) at a concessional rate of interest.
(ii) For vulnerable people who are unable to access any of the above options due to physical, age and labour constraints, a one t ime cash payment up to an amount of
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USD 1000 will be made to local charitable institutions, with a request to provide regular monthly assistance in the fo rm of food grains and other essential items.
/2) Provisions to people vet to be assisted and covered bv the RP
People w h o lose more than 25 percent of their land holdings wou ld have the fol lowing options, namely to:
(i) Receive cash compensation at the replacement cost of the affected land.
(ii) Receive government land in the “new irrigation development area’’ equivalent to the l and forgone. Irrigation infrastructure will be provided at n o additional cost. I f a delay in provision of irrigation facilities occurs, the Alborz D a m project w o u l d provide additional compensation equivalent to the difference in production o n rainfed and irrigated land.
(iii) Receive agricultural land of equivalent productive potential in designated Dahestans (Lafour, Chahar dangeh, Babolkenar and Joybar, the latter in the development area) to be purchased by the Alborz D a m project. These lands wou ld be identified by the people themselves. The project authorities will calculate the productive potential of different types of land in the reservoir area and in the Dahestans (Lafour, Chahar dangeh, Babolkenar and Joybar, the latter in the development area) designated for potential purchase of private land for resettlement.
Other categories of impact regarding:
Sharecroppers: These will b e compensated at t h e rate of three times their assessed, annual income f rom sharecropping.
People zvhose secanda y sources of income are affected o n account of acquisition/displacement will be given additional compensation, up to 11 years of income f rom the forgone activity.
Unviable, redundant parcels of land and structures that are l e f t behind after acquisition of the main property will b e acquired by the Alborz D a m Project and compensated if the owner so desires.
Displaced landless wage earners will receive special financial assistance. The project will also consider special assistance to other vulnerable groups.
A resettlement unit zuill be created within the MGRWC to oversee a l l aspects of land acquisition and resettlement. The unit will include representatives f r o m the affected communities as well as a trained community worker to improve the communication between t h e project agency and the affected communities.
An independent grievance unit with adequate representation of affected people will be established to handle complaints and grievances associated with land acquisition and resettlement.
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4. Resettlement Policy Framework - Upper Watershed
This section summar izes the provis ions of the RPF for resettlement of a n i m a l husbandry breeders a n d forest dwellers.
The Range, Forest a n d Watershed Organizat ion (FRWO), as p a r t of a na t iona l program, aims a t conserving, rehabi l i ta t ing a n d sustaining the use a n d development of n a t u r a l forest and rangeland resources. I ts objectives are to:
(i) Balance the l ivestock popu la t ion with the car ry ing capacity of the rangelands.
(ii) Remove scattered single fami l ies a n d domestic l ivestock located within the forest area.
This na t iona l p r o g r a m is a phased p r o g r a m w h i c h started in 1996 and in Mazandaran a n d was imp lemented in Nour, Sari, Nakah, a n d Behshar. The p r o g r a m also inc ludes the forests located in the u p p e r watershed of A l b o r z Mounta ins covered by the AILWMP. However , the FRWO decided to stop a n y relocat ion in the AILWMP area until a Master Plan (MP), w h i c h will b e carr ied out in the f i rs t one a n d a h a l f years of the AILWMP in the u p p e r watershed, i s completed. Therefore, any relocat ion in the u p p e r watershed in the AILWMP area will b e subject to the resu l t of the MP. The FRWO has decided to use th is area as a pilot a n d use the recommendat ions of the MP regard ing the resettlement of the people living in this area. In case, after the comple t ion of the master plan, w h i c h i ts recommendat ions will b e r e v i e w e d by the Bank, there will b e some resettlement in the AILWMP the following would b e relevant.
Af fected Popu la t ion a n d Type of Adverse Impacts
The possible affected p o p u l a t i o n includes 933 t rad i t ional cattle breeders/herders, 267 single fami l ies living within forest areas and, to a lesser extent, communi t ies living in vi l lages adjacent to the project area.
U n d e r the na t iona l p r o g r a m current ly u n d e r imp lementa t ion by the FRWO, a l l scattered forest dwel lers a n d single f a m i l y living within the forest shou ld part ic ipate in the re locat ion p r o g r a m of l ivestock from the forest as expla ined be low.
Pr inciples a n d Objectives of Resettlement
(i) Traditional cattle breeders with grazing licenses and legal exemptions in the rangelands and pastures: The GO1 will buy l a n d and building structures a t m a r k e t rates a n d encourage the t rans i t ion to in tens ive cattle b reed ing or fa rming . It will also encourage the trade- in of g raz ing licences (equal to 14,400 toam p e r l ivestock unit) in exchange for land outside the forest to b e granted lega l p r i v a t e ownersh ip status. I f cattle breeders opt for replacement land, the FRWO would ensure t h a t every affected f a m i l y receive a basic minimum area of land1 adequate to sustain l ive l ihoods a t least a t current levels and prevent impover ishment i r respect ive of the compensat ion a m o u n t cattle breeders are ent i t led to receive accord ing to the l a w .
1 The replacement l and will be p rov ided a t the l ower watershed areas. This l a n d belong to FRWO a n d no fresh acquis i t ion will be necessary
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(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Forest dzuellers zuith legally valid exemptions for living inside the forest (communit ies with less t h a n 20 households) will compensated as u n d e r i t e m (i).
Sedentanj village communities living at periphery of forests consist ing of less t h a n 20 households are to b e treated as explained u n d e r i t e m (i). However , re locat ion of these a l l the above categories o f people in the AILWMP area will b e carr ied out based on the resul t a n d f ind ings of the MP, w h i c h will b e r e v i e w e d by the Bank before imp lementa t ion
Communities over 20 households: The FRWO will of fer incent ives such as veter inary services, w in te r forage etc. to swi tch to m o d e r n cattle breeding. E v e n t h o u g h these vi l lages are not inc luded in the na t iona l p r o g r a m of forest l ivestock resettlement, the access of vil lages in the per iphery of the forest c o u l d b e restr icted in the future. The GO1 would in i t ia te a number of economic development activit ies in these areas to reduce the current dependence on forest resources. U n d e r the U p p e r Watershed a n d Forest Management Component of the AILWMP, a Master P l a n will b e developed during the f i rs t 1-1 */z of the project to i d e n t i f y the details of these activities, i n c l u d i n g the establishment of forest cooperatives, in a par t ic ipatory manner .
The FRWO agreed to i m p l e m e n t the following measures in the area of the AILWMP in a d d i t i o n t o the statutory prov is ions described above:
If affected people opt for replacement agr icu l tura l l a n d and form farmer cooperatives, the project will facil i tate access to c red i t on concessional terms for p r o c u r i n g agr icu l tura l inpu ts such as fertilizers, seeds a n d agr icu l tura l implements. Th is would b e carr ied out under the prov is ions of the ongoing smal l farmer assistance programs of MOJA.
I f secondary sources of income such as smal l business, s i l k cocoon p r o d u c t i o n etc. are affected on account of relocation, households would receive add i t iona l cash compensat ion equivalent to a n a m o u n t of 11 years income from such business. The business income will b e assessed by a legal exper t assessor.
Resident ia l structures will b e compensated a t full replacement va lue without t a k i n g into account a n y depreciat ion losses d u e to the age of structures. Fur thermore, as a special concession, owners of structures will b e will b e a l l o w e d to carry salvageable mater ia ls from the structures without any charge.
An independent grievance unit with adequate representat ion of affected people will b e established to deal with complaints/ grievances associated with land acquis i t ion a n d resettlement.
In order to strengthen the par t ic ipatory structures a n d communica t ion process be tween project agency and the par t ic ipant households, the FRWO author i t ies will invo lve loca l NGOs. These NGOs will establish close contact with the par t ic ipat ing households and ensure tha t compensat ion p a y m e n t a n d resett lement process i s completed without hurd les a n d hardsh ip to the part ic ipants.
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The planning and implementation of the entire resettlement program will be guided by the fo l lowing principles:
(i) Transparency and information disclosure: Inventory of immovable property and livestock, its evaluation and compensation and allotment of alternative land and other entitlements will be done in a transparent manner. To this end, the FRWO will carry out an information campaign in areas affected by the project, distribute information booklets/ handbills explaining t h e policy/legal provisions and will appoint community workers to interact and assist t h e affected communities.
(ii) Commurzity Participation: The ent i re program will be carried out in a participatory manner with active, informed involvement of the affected communities and households.
(iii) Overal l economic improvement through expansion of existing forest cooperatives to create jobs and develop the economy; and improved agricultural training and extension services.
5. Resettlement Policy Framework - Lower Watershed
Affected Population and Types of Adverse Impacts
The construction of new irrigation and drainage networks and improvement of the existing networks will involve acquisition of land for the right of way along t h e structures. Current estimates indicate that a total of 905 ha of land i s required for canal construction and another 526 ha for the construction of drainage infrastructures.
Affected people include
(i) Landowners loosing a l l or almost a l l of their land;
(ii) Landowners loosing part of t h e land, but will s t i l l have an economically viable property;
(iii) Agricultural laborers, sharecroppers, lessees etc.
Principles & Objectives of Resettlement
The land requirement for the Irr igation and Drainage Component under the AILWMP is l imi ted to the "right of way" of the canal and drainage networks and associated engineering structures and buildings. Compensation of affected persons will be governed by the fol lowing general principles:
(i) The project will take al l possible steps to minimize the acquisition of productive, privately owned land and avoid acquisition of residential areas.
(ii) The GO1 will endeavor to ensure that project affected persons d o no t suffer impoverishment o n account of land acquisition.
(iii) Compensation equivalent to the replacement value of land will be pa id to t h e property/rights owners based o n this RPF.
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(iv) Landowners losing more than 25 percent of their holding will have the option of receiving replacement land in l i e u of cash compensation.
The annual land acquisitions and compensation p lan will prepared and implemented in a transparent manner with the participation of affected people and village institutions.
The project will replace infrastructure facilities such as roads, irrigation, and communication networks disrupted by the construction of canal and drainage network.
(v)
(vi)
Legal and Policy Framework
Under t h i s policy, acquisition and compensation of land required for (a) ma in canals and drainage and (b) secondary and tertiary and distributaries are governed by different sets of regulations and policies. These are discussed below:
(a) Primary and main canals and drains:
People losing agricultural land will be provided cash compensation at the full replacement value of the affected land.
People losing more than 25 percent of their land holding will also have the option to be allotted a n equivalent amount of government land in the "new irr igation development" area.
Any uneconomic or "odd shaped" land holdings will b e acquired by the project at the option of the affected land holder.
Any crop or other damage incurred during construction will be fully compensated for by the project.
Any village common property that is affected by the project will be compensated at i t s replacement cost, based o n negotiations with the affected administrative units.
The project will cover the in i t ia l costs associated with developing and connecting replacement lands to the irr igation system.
If secondary sources of income such as small business, si lk cocoon production etc. are affected o n account of land acquisition, such households will be given additiona1 cash compensation equivalent to 11 years income f rom such business (the calculation of one year income is done by a legal expert assessor).
In the unlikely event of displacement, the project will take a l l necessary measures to relocate families by offering suitable replacement house plots and additional grants equivalent to 15 percent of compensation to cover the cost of relocation and transitional phase expenses.
Residential structures will be compensated at full replacement value wi thout taking into account any depreciation due to the age of the structures.
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(b) Secondary, tertiary and o n farm canals and drains and distributaries
With respect to construction of secondary as well as tertiary canals, land for the construction of canals in a given village can be donated by affected people under the fol lowing conditions:
A WUA is formed in the relevant village.
The WUA agrees to the land consolidation proposal presented by the project authorities.
Under the proposed land consolidation scheme, none of t h e owners of agricultural land stands to lose more than 10 percent of their original land holding.
The contribution of land i s counted towards the mandatory contribution required for financing of tertiary canals and on-farm works.
The irr igation connection fee (about USD 1200 per ha) will be waived for WUAs that agree to donate land for construction.
I f any of the above conditions are no t fulfilled, l \and for construction of secondary and tertiary should b e acquired using the normal land acquisition procedures.
Implementation:
(i) A resettlement unit will be created within the MGRWC to oversee al l aspects of land acquisition and resettlement. The unit will include representative f rom the affected communities as well as a trained community worker to improve the communication between the project agency and the affected communities.
(ii) An independent grievance unit with adequate representation of affected people will be established to deal with complaints and grievances associated with land acquisition and resettlement.
The implementation o f a l l three resettlement programs, the RP and the RPFs, will be monitored both through intemal, official institutional arrangements, as we l l as by independent, external agencies to be appointed by the respective organization.
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