E801 V. 1(0 August 2003 THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Draft ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR VIET NAM WATER RESOURCES ASSISTANCE PROJECT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PREPARED BY CENTRAL PROJECT OFFICE August 2003 VWRAP Subproject Proiect Locations China___N ". -J ~~~~Cau Son Scherrie K..-. ( ,'.~~~~ Hanoi - - Yen Ha~i-Lap Scherre Hoa Binh Laos C- _ Ke Go Scherre Thailand \ - \>_ _Ss ~~~Quang Hue River A~~~~~ Cambodia 1 - :eX - \ --j t--X Da Ban Scherre K ) 7 DauTiengSchene X < >S-;~~HCMC /, EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I. Introduction This report (Volume 1) is the draft final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Viet Nam Water Resources Assistance Project (VWRAP). It summarizes the key findings from the seven EIA for the individual subprojects which were prepared based on the project descriptions as provided to the EIA consultants in the draft Feasibility Study. Consultations with the concerned agencies and key stakeholders were also carried out during the studies and a consultation report was prepared separately. This report is supplemented by the individual EIA of the seven subprojects (Volume 2) and the public consultation report (Volume 3). OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF VWRAP Main objectives of VWRAP are to: * Support the modernization of Vietnamese agriculture and enhance water resources management by improving irrigation services through the introduction of modern hydraulic infrastructure and management; * Reduce flood and disaster risk by improving dam safety and management; and * Promote the environmentally sustainable development of Thu Bon Basin through integrated development and management of water resources. VWRAP is comprised of four separate but integrated elements: Component 1: Irrigation Modernization in six irrigation schemes: - Dau Tienq (Tay Ninh Province and Ho Chi Minh City) - Da Ban (Khanh Hoa Province) - Phu Ninh (Quang Nam Province) - Ke Go (Ha Tinh Province) - Yen Lap (Quang Ninh Province) - Cam Son - Cau Son (Bac Giana Province): Component 2: Dam Safety Management: - MARD Dam Repair Fund - EVN Hoa Binh Dam Safety - National Dam Safety Unit Component 3: Thu Bon River Basin Development (Quang Nam Province): - Quan.q Hue River Flow Stabilization - Thu Bon Investment Preparation Component 4: Project Management and Capacity Building: - Technical Assistance for VWARP - Provincial and MARD Incremental Costs - Training and Capacity Building IMPLEMENTATION OF VWRAP ACTIVITIES VWRAP will be implemented in phases so that the options (and combination of options) in terms of investments in physical infrastructure and management improvements that work best can be developed over time. This approach will help reduce the risk associated with new infrastructure and water management techniques while still providing adequate budget to modernize the whole scheme. For the six irrigation subprojects, the first phase activities would include rehabilitation and/or upgrading of the head works, main canals, and about 20% of command area. The remaining 80% of the command areas would be rehabilitated and/or upgraded during the follow-on phases. The first phase is approximately sixty percent of the entire budget For MARD Dam Safety Fund component, the first phase activities will focus on building capacity of the agency on dam safety and the review of priority dams outside the scope of Component 1. Priority investment will be identified and prepared during the first few years of the project and activities will be carried out in phases. The EVN activities will be carried out in two phases. The first phase will focus on installation of dam safety equipment, upgrading existing hydro-met monitoring stations in the Da River catchment, and capacity building for improved dam safety, flood forecasting, and reservoir operations The second phase will expand and optimize the hdyro-met monitoring network in the Da and Red River catchments. EIA STUDIES AND REPORTS Individual EIA was prepared for each of the irrigation scheme (referred to as irrigation subproject) under Component 1 and for Quang Hue River Flow Stabilization under Component 3. The studies were conducted based on the project descriptions as provided to the EIA consultants during March 2003 and the secondary data and information collected by the EIA Consultants through review of documents, maps, field visits, interviews with local officials, and other similar sources. The current status of the physical, biological, and socioeconomic resources of the subproject areas was reviewed and presented in the report. The assessment was made using the best available information of what engineering works are to be constructed; quantities of materials to be required; and potential changes in water uses, land uses, and chemical uses in the command areas. The EIA methodology as well as the professional judgment of the EIA consultants were applied as needed. An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) comprising the required mitigation measures and monitoring program (including the implementation arrangement and cost estimate) has been developed. Recommendations were made to ensure effective execution of the final EMP. Key findings of the EIA studies for the seven subprojects are summarized in Sections II through IX below. The EIA report was prepared in line with the national legal, policy, and regulatory requirements for environmental management and protection in Viet Nam i.e. the National Law on Environmental Protection (29L/CTN, 1994); Decree 175/CP/1994 on Implementation of the NLEP; Circular 490/1998/TT-BKHCNMT on Setting Up and Appraising Environmental Impact Assessment Reports; and Vietnamese Environmental Standards (TCVN- 1995, 2001). Due consideration was also given to comply with the directives and guidelines for environmental impact assessment and natural resource management, including all relevant IDA operational safeguard policies (OP 4.01, OP 4.36, OP 4.03, OP 4.37, OP 4.12, OP 11.03, OP4.04). 11. Overview of the Subproaects IRRIGATION SUBPROJECTS (Dau Tieng, Da Ban, Phu Ninh, Ke Go, Yen Lap, Cam Son- Cau Son): Main objectives of the six irrigation subprojects are to improve reliability, flexibility, and effectiveness of the existing irrigation systems through the modernization of the technical infrastructure from the head works to the farm fields and the improved efficiency of the irrigation management system. Safety of the dams involved in the subprojects will also be part of the subprojects. The subproject areas will cover both command areas and reservoirs (all are large earth dams). Most of the existing canals, head works, and other infrastructure are old and in poor conditions. Of the six subproject, one (Cam Son-Cau Son) is located in the north near Hanoi. Four subprojects (Yen Lap, Ke Go, Phu Ninh, and Da Ban) are located along the central coast and one subproject (Dau Tieng) is located in the south near Ho Chi Minh City. These subprojects lie in the tropical monsoon climate with two distinct seasons (rainy and dry). The duration varies with specific locations of the subprojects. There are a number of national forest reserves located in the catchment areas of the subprojects, but not in the command areas. A number of cultural heritage sites also exist nearby the downstream areas. Most of the forest areas cover with secondary or regeneration forest and limited natural cover in the hill areas. Most of the land use in the command areas is for agriculture (rice, bean, vegetable), however, there are also other industries, communities, and aquaculture development. Almost 3.8 million people reside in the subproject's catchment and command areas. Nearly 99% of the residents in the command areas are Kinh, whereas 35% of the population in the catchment area are members of a recognized ethnic minority group, most of whom reside in the higher areas surrounding the command area. Population density in the catchment area will be 100 persons/km2 while that of the command area will be 562 persons/km2. The total command areas of the subprojects within the project will be about 130,000 ha. Water quality in most reservoirs generally good, however have a tendency towards eutrophication. Phu Ninh subproject has a serious problem with aquatic weeds both in the reservoir and irrigation canals. Water quality in most command areas is generally acceptable. In the area with high residential population (Cam Son-Cao Son and Ke Go), the irrigation canals also receive untreated wastewater and other wastes from industry and communities. For Yen Lap and Dau Tieng, industries discharge large amount of wastewater either into the command areas or downstream of the command areas. Many of these industries are old with no capacity for wastewater treatment. Pesticide levels in surface waters of the command areas are unknown. Groundwater quantity, particularly the shallow aquifers, has improved after the operation of the scheme. Pesticide level is unknown, there are salinity intrusion problems at a lower end of the schemes which are located near or in the coastal areas. Some specific details of the subprojects are briefly described below. Cam Son - Cau Son scheme is situated at the edge of the Red River Delta in Bac Giang Province. The Cam Son Reservoir (30 years, 227 million m3, 41 m high) receives water from a catchment area of about 378 km2. The scheme was designed to supply water to 24,100 ha of irrigation area. During 1999 to 2000, irrigation water was delivered to about 10,300 ha. The area is fully agriculture and the population density is 590 person/km2. There are 10 km of main canal, 75 km of primary canal, and 258 km of secondary canal. About 0.6 million people reside in the command areas and 0.3 million in the catchment area. There are also a large industry (Bac Giang Fertilizer which discharge about 65 million m3/yr of effluent) at the end of command area. Bac Giang Town and a number of breweries are located down stream of the area. Due to limited availability of water available for irrigation in the lower end of the scheme, about 42% of untreated wastewater from the fertilizer plan (about 27.3 million m3/yr) is used for irrigation. This results in poor water quality in the irrigation canal. Wastes from residential and industrial sources are discharged untreated to the irrigation canals. Cam Son reservoir and weir is assigned as a Cam Son Historical and Cultural Site. Yen LaP scheme is situated in Quang Ninh Province in the northeast coast about 170 km north-east of Hanoi. It is part of the coastal fringe of the Red River Delta, which is a strong tidal influenced delta environment. The Yen Lap reservoir (20 years, 118 million m3, 37 m high) receives water from a catchment areas of about 183 km2. The system was originally designed to gravity irrigate an area of 10,067 ha and supply water at a rate of 9.5 million m3/year for domestic and industrial purposes (in Yen Hung district and Cat Hai Island). Present water supply for industrial and domestic use is about 22% of the design target and provision of bulk water supply to Cat Hai Island has not yet been achieved, but will be provided under the project. The irrigation system covers an area of 8,320 ha and covers 3 districts in which about 0.2 million people reside. Majority of the residents are Kinh with a small number of ethnic minority group. There are 29 km of main canal, 68 km of primary canal, and 119 km of secondary canal. Historically, the coastal wetland was more than 35,000 ha. At present, however, there is only 10,000 ha left in the Yen Hung District. The losses due to conversion to aquaculture, fire wood exploitation, agriculture, alteration of tidal regime caused by dike construction. Data indicate that biodiversity value is significant. A number of protected areas are located in the catchment and downstream of the subproject (Bai Chai Cultural and Historic Site, Ky Thoung Nature Reserve, Cat Bai National Park, Halong Bay, Yen Lap Protection Areas) Ke Go scheme is located in Ha Tinh Province in north central Viet Nam about 300 km south of Hanoi. The Ke Go Reservoir (20 yr, 320 million m3, 37m) is located about 20 km south of Ha Tinh Town. Ke Go Nature Reserve is located in the catchment. The scheme was designed to supply water to an irrigated area of 21,140 ha. Currently the irrigated area is only 17,000 ha (about 80% of the design area). The irrigation system covers and area of 21,136 ha. There are about 17 km of main canal, 96 km of primary canal, and 77 km of secondary canal. Over 0.35 million people reside in the subproject area (population density is 1,080 people/km2). All residents are of the Kinh. The Phu Ninh is located in Quang Nam Province and is a large irrigation scheme in the Thu Bon-Vu Gia River Basin. The Phu Ninh Watershed Protection is located in the catchment. The Reservoir was designed to irrigate 23,000 ha, provide 1.6 m3/s of domestic and industrial water supply, and to generate an electricity of about 1890 KW. There are 55 km of main canal (some part are concreted-lined), 135 km of primary canal, and 227 of secondary canal. Currently irrigated areas cover about 14,500 ha and the scheme provides 3,000 m3/day of water supply to Tam Ky Town (population density is 600 persons/km2). About 0.4 million people reside in the subproject area. The scheme will be upgraded to increase irrigation water to the original designed area and to provide water to aquaculture and industrial development in Quang Nam Province as needed. The Reservoir also play a key role in flood mitigation. At present, there are about 100 ha of mangrove is intact in the area -- used to be 1,000 ha. The Da Ban scheme is located in Khanh Hoa Province on the south central coast of Vietnam (about 500 km north of Ho Chi Minh City). This is a water scared area and very little development was present before the operation of the scheme. The Da Ban Reservoir (22 yr, 42 m high, 70 million m3) is located about 35 km north of Nha Trang, the provincial capital. The catchment (358 km2) is located in the Vong Phu Mountain Range. Physical condition of the dam is very poor (crack/seepage) and need remedial works soonest. The scheme was designed to irrigate an area of 7,800 ha and to supply water for industrial and domestic uses. At present, the scheme supply water to 4,327 ha (55%) ha of rice cultivation land, domestic use for 60,000 people, some industries, and about 350 ha of aquaculture area. There are 1 km meter of main canal, 20 km of primary, and 62 km of secondary canal. About 0.2 million people reside in the area (density 332 perons/km2). The residents are almost exclusively of the Kinh. Over 80% of the labor force works in agriculture and aquaculture production. There are a number of major industrial facilities in these districts (sugar factory, ship-repair company). Dau Tienq scheme is the largest irrigation scheme in the country. The scheme is located in Tay Ninh province and Dau Tieng district (Binh Duong province). The Reservoir (18 yr, 28 m high, and 1,110 million m3) is sited on the Sai Gon River, 20 km kilometers east of Tay Ninh town and 120 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. The Dau Tieng Reservoir was designed to supply water to 65,000 ha gravity-irrigated and 105,000 ha pump-irrigated, for Tay Ninh province urban and industrial users (100 million m3/year); and salinity protection for the Sai Gon River. The scheme may ultimately supply water to 78,830 ha of irrigation area in in Tay Ninh Province, 14,500 ha in Cu Chi District, 21,500 ha in Long An province, and 2,000 ha in Binh Duong Province. The Dau Tieng Reservoir and associated irrigation scheme was the first water resources project in Viet Nam financed by the IDA. Unfortunately the history of scheme implementation has been problematic and the system currently functions inefficiently due to design and operating practices. Major criticisms of the Dau Tieng irrigation area relate to the lack of detailed and reliable survey information used in the design of the canal network and regulating structures. The area is situated in the moist forest ecological region and relative rich in biological value. Lo Go-Sa Mat National Park is located in the upper catchment while Duong Minh Chau Cultural and Historic Site; Nui Ba Den Cultural and Historic Site; Boi Loi Cultural and Historic Site; and Can Gio Biospere Reserve are located nearby the subproject. QUANG HUE RIVER FLOW STABILIZATION SUBPROJECT The subproject is located on the central west coast of Vietnam at the connection between the Quang Hue River and Vu Gia River. The Quang Hue-Vu Gia River Basins cover practically all the area of Quang Nam Province. A total drainage are is 11,510 km2 of which nearly half drain from the Vu Gia River. The area is highly complex and subject to major storms. The high flood in 1999, 2000, and 2001 hit the subproject site and formed natural "short-cut channel" between the two rivers. This new channel has severely reduced the dry season flow of the Vu Gai River which is an important source of freshwater for irrigation downstream and for Da Nang City. Low water flow has also increased the sedimentation in the river and increased salinity intrusion. The subproject will restore the water flow in Vu Gia river by constructing river revetment and spillway and reclaim land at the new channel. Main activities would include construction of (a) a permanent spillway across the "short-cut channel" and filling it with material to be dredged from the left bank of the Vu Gia River, (b) a control gate to control flow from the Vu Gia River, and (c) Dai An Revetment to stabilized the river banks. Ill. Summary of Impact Assessment of the Suboroiects OVERALL CONCLUSIONS Implementation of the subprojects is environmentally feasible and will have a number of significant positive benefits: * Increase in beneficiary income and reduction of poverty throughout the command area through improved and reliable water supply for agricultural production; Increases in employment and labor in a region with very high levels of unemployment and underemployment; and With respect to the Quang Hue-Vu Gia River Control Works, restoration of hydrological conditions to pre-2000 conditions enabling a restoration of water supply to Da Nang City and to Hoi An District for agriculture and aquaculture uses. All of the potentially significant environmental impacts identified for the seven subprojects can be mitigated through effective execution of the proposed EMP. Based on the current information regarding the proposed activities of the six irrigation subprojects, no adverse negative impacts are anticipated and therefore additional environmental assessment of the follow-on investments of these subprojects would not be necessary. However, given that VWRAP will also provide financing to other subcomponents in which the nature and extent of the activities and locations will not be known until after the first year of VWRAP implementation, IDA requested that a screening process be prepared and applied to all the activities to be identified and executed during the follow-on phases, especially the MARD Dam Repair Fund subcomponent and the ENV dam safety subcomponent. This is to ensure that implementation of VWRAP will not cause any adverse impacts on the local environment and local communities. A policy framework and guidelines for the environmental assessment and impacts mitigation plan for the follow-on investment (80% of the commnd areas) of the six irrigation subprojects has been provided in this EIA report. It is anticipated that specific requirements of the EMP for each subproject and the action plans and the safeguard screening process and policy framework, namely the Environmental and Social Safeguard Framework (ESSF), will be prepared separately and they will be submitted to IDA as an addendum to this EIA report. SUMMARY OF IMPACTS AND PROPOSED MITIGATIONS The sections below summarizes the main findings of the impacts assessment, basic elements of the EMP, organizational arrangement, indicative requirements for bidding documents, capacity building and training needs, policy framework, and summary of the application of IDA safeguard policy focusing on the seven subprojects. These information will be reviewed and discussed by concerned entities and if necessary, they will be modified in line with the final agreements. Pre-Construction Phase Impacts of the Legacy of Conflict --There is a risk that unexploded ordnance will be uncovered during excavation, but this risk is assessed as Mitigable. As a precautionary measure, it will be necessary to detect and clear unexploded ordnance in the Project Area for those construction activities that will occur at depths greater than 2 m. Requirement for Resettlement and Land Acquisition --These impacts are assessed as Mitigable. Ten (10) households will require resettlement, 1,235 ha of land will be permanently acquired, and 670 ha of land will be temporarily acquired. A detailed resettlement and compensation scheme has been prepared according to both IDA and Vietnamese legal requirements. Construction Phase The major engineering civil works of the Project will create the need for temporary construction worker camps. These construction camps will have negative impacts on the environment through land disturbance, generation of waste (solid and liquid), use of heavy vehicles and other machinery (increased noised levels localized air pollution, particularly in areas of human habitation), and requirements for domestic and drinking water supply. Despite the fact that the size and proposed location of the construction camps is unknown at this time, all these impacts are mitigable through good construction camp practices. In addition, there will considerable disturbance of soils in all aspects of head works and canal system upgrading. There will need to be effective handling of soils so that they cause minimal disturbance to the environment, particularly with respect to sedimentation of water courses, and degradation of water quality. These impacts are assessed as Mitigable. Surface Water Quality -- Although water quality data for the Sub-Project Area suggests the larger-scale effects of disturbing acid sulfate soils is very moderate, there may be localized increased generation of acidity as a result of construction activities, and mitigation measures are recommended to deal with these possible increases in acidity. Large quantities of soil, rock, and other material with be excavated (total of 9.5 million m3) and provided as fill (total of 7.5 million m3) for the head works and canal upgrading. Soils to be excavated and/or used as fill are unlikely to be contaminated as the entire Sub- Project Area has had little, if any, economic activities that would generate such contaminants. However, the large quantities of soil likely to be disturbed during construction are such that proper disposal, storage, and management of these soils are recommended as mitigation measures. Part of the mitigation measures will need to be ensuring that contaminated soil does not make it onto the Sub-Project site as earth-fill. Surface Water Hydrology -- Improper timing of the construction activities associated with main canal reinforcement and lining may negatively affect water supply to farmers downstream. On the one hand, construction of canal reinforcements in the dry season can proceed very quickly, but water supply needs to be turned off during the construction periods; the dry season is the season when water supply via the irrigation scheme is most critical. On the other hand, water supply to the farmers via the irrigation scheme is not as critical in the rainy season and yet construction is much more problematic and expensive given the larger amounts of water in the system at that time. It will be necessary to develop rigid construction timetables for canal lining to minimize disruption to the beneficiaries and at the same time have efficient implementation of this part of the Project. In addition, consultation with all affected parties will be required in order to reach agreement how much impact will be accepted by the affected groups. Sedimentation and Erosion -- The disturbance to Sub-Project soils as a result of expanding existing spillways in the Ke Go and Dau Tieng subprojects, as well as construction of the new emergency spillway in the Yen Lap subprojects will increase sedimentation into the respective reservoirs and possibly the main canal of these schemes as a result of construction activities, including site preparation and pumping. These effects can be mitigated with properly constructed and maintained sedimentation basins that would be used during the construction phase. There will be considerable moving and handling of soils involved with dredging in the main canals as well as raising the canals and strengthening them at locations that have eroded over time. The quantities of soil likely to be involved are such that proper disposal and management of these soils is recommended in order to minimize incremental sedimentation into the canals and other water bodies of the project. Most of the construction activities associated with upgrading the entire canal distribution systems - completion of the canal distribution systems at the lower levels, canal reinforcement, canal lining, and management road construction and upgrading - could cause local disturbance to soils and thereby increase sediment content of the main canals. Minimization of soil disturbance during the construction activities through the application of standard good practice techniques during construction is recommended in order to minimize additional sedimentation into the canals of the subproject. Surface Water Quality -- There is a risk that upgrading of existing canals and construction of new canals in the Dau Tieng subproject in areas of acid sulfate soils will increase the acidity of surface waters and of runoff from any spoils. The following mitigations are recommended in areas containing acid sulfate soils: * For spoil that is excavated using a grab dredger, it would be the neighboring farmers' responsibility to dig a small ditch between the spoil and their fields to direct sewage and runoff back into the canal; * For spoil that is excavated using a cutter dredger, containment with surrounding embankments would be built to control the spread of the spoil and to direct runoff back into the canal; * Where feasible and advantageous, contractors would be required to dredge one side of an existing canal to minimize exposure of and leaching from acid soils; * The contractors would be responsible for mitigation and compensation for any damage to farmers' land or other assets due to excavation, based on conditions that would be specified in the contractual agreements; and compliance with contract specifications would be monitored during Project implementation. While there is some risk that surface water quality in the command areas may change significantly as a result of the Project, it is unlikely that this will be the case with water quality downstream of the command areas. Sediment, nutrient, and pesticide concentrations will almost certainly change in the surface waters within the Sub-Project, particularly in the dry season. This, however, is unlikely to significantly affect water quality downstream of the command areas because of the dilution of pollutants that would occur. However, the absence of any surface water quality monitoring information means that these predictions are uncertain. It would be prudent, therefore, to conduct surface water quality monitoring downstream of the command areas to confirm the assessments of cumulative impact made above. Groundwater Resources -- Effects resulting from increasing application of Fertilizers and Pesticides, herbicides is Unknown because of absence of good groundwater quality baseline information makes assessment of Project impacts on groundwater resources very difficult. Groundwater quality monitoring is recommended within the Project to confirm this assessment. Terrestrial Biological Resources -- Terrestrial Ecosystems and Terrestrial biodiversity, Permanent Loss of Terrestrial Ecosystems because the upgrading of the management roads along the canals will permanently alienate a small area relative to the total catchment area plus the full command area; these effects are assessed as Insignificant. Alteration of Landscapes During Extraction of Construction Materials - Mitigable Earth-fill, sand and other materials to be excavated will cause disturbance to landscapes. For example, 50% of the earth-fill and sand to be used in the Yen Lap Sub-Project is to be extracted from the Song Khoai Hill area (about 280,000 m3). This will disturb approximately 10 ha of land. Mitigation will be required to restore vegetation at these sites after construction is completed and to return the landscapes to their original condition. Disturbance of Terrestrial Ecosystems During Construction - Mitigable Construction activities will temporarily disturb terrestrial ecosystems within the Project Area at and downstream of the dams and into the command areas. Also, areas used for earth storage will also disturb landscapes within the Project Area; it is estimated that about 670 ha of land will be temporarily required for construction activities. Even though compensation will be paid for the temporary use of this land, mitigation will be required to restore these sites after construction is completed and to return the landscapes to their original condition. Aquatic Biological Resources -- There will be considerable moving and handling of soils involved with dredging in the canals as well as raising the canals and strengthening them at locations that have eroded over time (total of 8.6 million m3 of earth to be excavated and almost 7.0 million m3 of earthfill to be provided). The quantities of soil involved are such that proper disposal and management of these soils is recommended in order to minimize additional sedimentation into the main canals of the Sub-Project and minimize consequent negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity. Effects on aquatic ecosystems downstream of the command areas would be indirect and meditated through changes in surface water quality. As the effects of the Project on surface water quality outside of the Project are assessed to be likely insignificant, it is also likely that the impacts of the Project on aquatic ecosystems downstream of the command areas will also be significant. The recommended surface water quality monitoring downstream of the command areas will enable these assessments of insignificant cumulative impact to be confirmed. Infrastructure Facilities -- There may be damage caused to existing infrastructure, particularly roads, road signage, and bridges, caused by construction activities associated with implementation of the Project. These impacts are assessed as Mitigable Historical and Cultural Resources -- While the exact location of the each of the cultural and historic sites in the Project Area is known and the locations are maintained in the DoCI offices of each province the location of many of the Project activities is not yet known in detail. Despite this, it will be possible to mitigate against any possible loss of or damage to the cultural and historical sites by adjusting the siting of Project civil works as necessary. It is recommended that this be incorporated into the detailed design of the physical works, in accordance with IDA Operational Policy OP 11.03 - Cultural Property. In addition, it is recommended that terms and conditions be included in the construction contracts to ensure the integrity of these historical and cultural resources. In Quang Hue- Vu Gia River Control Works, no designated historic and cultural resources in the River Control Works area. However, there is a new temple that local residents erected at the beginning of the New Quang Hue River after the events of 2000. This temple is some distance away from the area to be backfilled and so it will not need to be moved. The obvious importance of the temple to the residents of Village No. 9 requires that great care be taken during construction so as to not disturb or damage the temple site. Operation Phase Surface Water Quality - Although future cropping patterns are difficult to forecast, under a high cultivation scenario with significant rice production, it is estimated that both fertilizer and pesticide use may increase significantly. These impacts are assessed as Unknown but potentially Significant without mitigation or monitoring. Both mitigation and monitoring are recommended for incremental fertilizer and pesticide inputs. With respect to mitigation, IPM extension services should continue to be provided to project beneficiaries. While there is some risk that surface water quality in the command area may change significantly as a result of the operation of the upgraded irrigation schemes, this may not be the case with water quality downstream of the command areas. Nutrient and pesticide concentrations will almost certainly change in the surface waters within the project, particularly in the dry season. This, however, may not significantly affect water quality downstream of the command areas, because of the dilution of pollutants that would occur. However, the absence of any surface water quality monitoring information means that these predictions are uncertain. It would be prudent to conduct surface water quality monitoring downstream of the command area to confirm the assessments of cumulative impact made above. Groundwater Resources -- Effects of increasing application of fertilizers and pesticides is Unknown because of absence of good groundwater quality baseline information makes assessment of project impacts on groundwater resources very difficult. Groundwater quality monitoring is recommended within the project to confirm this assessment. Biological Resources -- The application of fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides with Project as result of changes in land use and commodity production may negatively affect the integrity of the aquatic ecosystems of the project. Mitigation and monitoring recommendations made above pertaining to provision of extension services for pesticide use and IPM apply here as well and would likely mitigate any negative effects on aquatic ecosystems. Socioeconomic Resources -- Degradation of groundwater resources that may occur as a result of increased application of fertilizer and pesticides may negatively affect domestic and drinking water quality. Successful application of IPM extension services will ameliorate any negative effects of increased application of chemical inputs to domestic and drinking water quality. The effects monitoring recommended for groundwater resources will enable confirmation of these assessments and of the success of the IPM extension services. Secondary Impacts - Water supply for non-agricultural uses, primarily municipal domestic and drinking water supply and industrial activities, could increase significantly. The environmental issue concerning incremental environmental impacts of municipal and industrial water use is largely with the industrial sector. Increasing the supply of water for domestic use will have substantial human health and other benefits. An expanding industrial sector will also provide many incremental socioeconomic benefits but will create incremental environmental impacts that may be difficult to control and manage. While it is completely impractical for VWRAP to finance the construction and operation of industrial pollution control facilities, because such a high proportion of the subproject benefits accrue from municipal and industrial water supply, it is reasonable to expect VWRAP to provide support to provincial departments (DoSTEs, Dols, etc.) for strengthening their monitoring and enforcement capacity, raising awareness of industrial users, and strengthening the overall environmental governance of the industrial sector. The first priority provinces would be those that are currently relatively unpolluted from industrial activity (i.e., Quang Nam, Tay Ninh, and Ha Tinh), followed by Bac Giang and finally by Quang Ninh Province and Ho Chi Minh City. Increasing water supply to brackish water aquaculture both within and downstream of the command areas of the four subprojects (Da Ban, Phu Ninh, Ke Go, Yen Lap) will support expansion of this economic activity in the coastal zone of the provinces (Quang Ninh, Ha Tinh, Quang Nam, and Khanh Hoa) in which these subprojects are located. Aquaculture is an important economic activity in Viet Nam in general and is extremely important for economic development in these four provinces. It is one of the largest sources of foreign exchange for Viet Nam. However, there are costs of aquaculture expansion, including loss of coastal wetlands and water pollution. It would be prudent as part of the VWRAP EMP to: * conduct an environmental review of those parts of the respective Provincial Aquaculture Programs that will benefit from improved water supply from the VWRAP to ensure proper pond arrangements, wastewater management, and pond sediment management are put into place and to determine the additional amount of coastal wetlands that will be lost as a result of the expansion of coastal aquaculture; and • monitor the increases in aquaculture area and the water quality of waters downstream of the aquaculture areas during VWRAP. IV. The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) The EMP for the seven subprojects consists of an environmental mitigation program and an environmental monitoring program. The environmental mitigation program consists of: (a) Implementation of a comprehensive resettlement and compensation action plan; (b) Proper environmental management of construction worker camps, including minimization of disruption to local residents from construction activities to limit localized environmental degradations and disturbance to local communities; (c) Maximization of employment opportunities for local residents to take full benefit of the employment opportunities created by the project; (d) Survey for and treatment of unexploded ordnance; (e) Prevention of disruption to designated cultural and historical sites; (f) Proper management and disposal of dredged and excavated soils to minimize degradation of water quality; (g) Compensation for lost forest resources due to VWRAP construction activities through re-forestation of similar areas (Yen Lap, Dau Tieng); (h) Implementation of a Emergency Preparedness Plan for managing dam flood safety risk; (i) Extension of the local provincial program for IPM to command area beneficiaries to prevent possible degradation of aquatic resources from increased use of fertilizer and pesticides; (j) Environmental review of provincial aquaculture programs to assess effects of incremental coastal aquaculture that arises as a result of VWRAP implementation (Yen Lap, Ke Go, Phu Ninh, Da Ban); (k) Implementation of program for strengthening environmental governance of industrial pollution control in selected priority provinces to help mitigate negative environmental effects of incremental industrialization as a result of increased water supply to the industrial sector under VWRAP (the first priority provinces are those that are currently relatively unpolluted from industrial activity - Quang Nam, Tay Ninh, and Ha Tinh - followed by Bac Giang and finally by Quang Ninh Province and Ho Chi Minh City); and (I) Design and implementation of a control program for nuisance aquatic plants and the upper portions of the canal system (Phu Ninh, Dau Tieng, and Yen Lap). Another important mitigation measure for the irrigation subprojects will be the minimization of disruption to water users during canal lining. Improper timing of the construction activities associated with canal reinforcement will negatively affect water supply to farmers downstream. On the one hand, construction of canal reinforcements in the dry season can proceed very quickly, but water supply needs to be turned off during the construction periods; the dry season is the season when water supply via the irrigation scheme is most critical. On the other hand, water supply to the farmers via the irrigation scheme is not as critical in the rainy season and yet construction is much more problematic and expensive given the larger amounts of water in the system at that time. It will be necessary to develop rigid construction timetables for main and primary canal reinforcement to minimize disruption to the beneficiaries and at the same time have efficient implementation of this part of the Sub-Project. In addition, consultation with all affected parties will be required in order to reach agreement on exactly how canal lining will proceed. The recommended environmental monitoring activities are: (a) Compliance monitoring of the environmental mitigation program; (b) Surface and groundwater quality monitoring program to assess incremental effects of sedimentation, erosion, and fertilizer and pesticide use; (c) Monitoring of reforestation success (Yen Lap, Dau Tieng); (d) Effects monitoring for effectiveness of the control program for aquatic weeds (Phu Ninh); and (e) Effects monitoring for effectiveness of coastal aquaculture mitigation program (Yen Lap, Ke Go, Phu Ninh, Da Ban). The total cost of VWRAP EMP would be about US $1,427,096, consisting of: A total US $999,034 for environmental mitigation and monitoring, which includes: - US$221,322 for the environmental mitigation program; - US$628,022 for the environmental mitigation compliance monitoring and environmental effects monitoring programs; and - US$150,000 to implement the program for Strengthening Environmental Governance of Industrial Pollution Control in priority VWRAP provinces; and A total of US $427,752 for training and technical assistance, which includes: - US$90,000 to implement community-based environmental management in key areas of VWRAP implementation; and - US$337,752 from the Design and Supervision Technical Assistance budget under VWRAP for the Consultant Environmental Specialist inputs. V. Institutions Responsible for Implementing the EMP Effective implementation of the EMP of these subprojects will involve several ministries, departments, institutes, and local governments. However, The overall responsibility rest with the project proponent who are responsible for implementation of VWRAP activities. For the purpose of the EIA report, it is anticipated that MARD will create one project management unit in Ha Noi (PMU) and Subproject Implementation Units (SIUs) in each province, and there will be linkages between these units and other existing institutions at the national, provincial, district, and commune levels. The following institutions will be responsible for the successful implementation of the WVRAP EMP: VWRAP PMU - responsible for overall VWRAP implementation management and will contain environmental safeguard staff. VWRAP PMU will be responsible for overall quality assurance of EMP implementation. SlUs - staffed by personnel from provincial DARD offices and the particular IMCs (or existing MARD SlOs for more complicated construction works), and will be responsible for daily implementation activities of VWRAP. As a consequence, it will supervise and control the quality of construction and physical implementation of the individual Sub-Project EMPs. Vietnamese Environmental Regulators - MoNRE and provincial/city DoSTEs will be responsible for all regulatory reviews and approvals of VWRAP in accordance with the national legal framework for environmental protection and management. Provincial and City Organizations - Other provincial/city departments will have important responsibilities such as implementing specific components of the mitigation program (such as the Integrated Pest Management or IPM), ensuring their particular safeguards are being properly implemented (i.e. DoCls) and providing supplementary and secondary data to assist in the implementation of the Subproject EMPs (e.g., land use and commodity production data). IDA - IDA will review the implementation of the overall VWRAP EMP. Problems and issues that are identified will be raised to MARD as part of the regular VWRAP review process. Environmental Safeguard Contractors - At least one Environmental Safeguard Contractor will be selected from the qualified national organizations in Viet Nam. The Environmental Safeguard Contractor will act as general contractor for primary data collection surveys and for preparation and submission of various compliance and effects monitoring assessment reports. They will also be responsible for undertaking some of the specific mitigation measures for VWRAP. Consultant Environmental Specialists - Two environmental specialist who will take on substantial implementation tasks for the EMP: (i) the Consultant's international environment specialist; and (ii) the Consultant's national environmental specialist seconded from a nationally-recognized environmental management institution. The secondment could be in the form of a fixed-term, renewable contract during pre- construction, construction, and operation phases. It is expected that the services of the Consultant's international environment specialist will be required for VWRAP implementation until the completion of the final design of the VWRAP EMP for the follow- on investments, at which time sufficient training and capacity building will have been given that remaining institutions and personnel will be able to implement the remainder of VWRAP EMP. VI. Indicative Requirements for Bidding Documents The construction bidding documents will require terms and conditions for the following environmental mitigation measures: * To detect and clear unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the sub-project Areas; * To implement mitigation measurements at sites of temporary construction worker camps to minimize the negative impacts on the environment through land disturbance, generation of waste (soil and liquid), use of heavy vehicles and other machinery, and requirements for domestic and drinking water supply; * To implement the resettlement and compensation for land acquisition in compliance with VWRAP resettlement requirements; * Soil, rock, and other material with be excavated, dredged and provided as fill for the head works and canal upgrading in compliance with mitigation measures of the proposal disposal and management of these soils; * Rehabilitate all agricultural and other land affected by construction activities associated with engineering civil works to pre-construction conditions; * To develop rigid construction time for canal lining to minimize disruption to the beneficiaries and consultation with all affected parties will be required in order to reach agreement on the duration of water disruption between construction contractors and affected households; * The contractors would be responsible for mitigation and compensation for any damage to farmers' land or other assets due to excavation, based on conditions that would be specified in the contractual agreements; * To restore the temporarily sites used for construction activities after construction is completed and to return the landscapes to their original condition; and * Terms and conditions for historical and cultural sites in accordance with IDA Operation Policy OP 11.03 - Cultural Property to ensure the integrity of these historical and cultural resources. These terms and conditions will be prepared during the design of the final EMPs for these subprojects. VIl. Recommended Training and Capacity Building It is expected that the budget for the recommended training and capacity building, below, will be provided by the VWRAP Training and Capacity Building Fund. SlUs -- SlUs will receive training and capacity building in the following areas: (a) preparing and working with terms and conditions to be included in construction contracts. These terms and conditions will include as required responsibility for mitigation and compensation for non-compliance; (b) for technical supervision staff training on how to conduct civil works monitoring and supervision to ensure environmental mitigation measures are being properly implemented (frequency of monitoring, type of works to be supervised, assessment and reporting); and (c) preparation of compliance monitoring reports in accordance with VWRAP reporting requirements. Also, construction contractors may require training on the proper implementation of the environmental mitigation measures in order to meet the terms and conditions included in their contracts and on the preparation of Site Environmental Management Plans. This training will need to be conducted at field locations with demonstrations of mitigation measures as required. The training will be designed so that technical supervision staff from the construction supervision entities will be able to deliver such training to additional contractors as they are engaged for construction works. Environmental Safeguard Contractors. Training and capacity building will be provided in environmental monitoring. This training will focus on detailed design of the environmental monitoring system, including: (a) specification of environmental impacts; (b) clear set of indicators or criteria, such as water quality standards, or species richness indices, for example, which are used to evaluate changes in environmental conditions; (c) preparation of environmental baselines for environmental conditions in VWRAP against which changes in environmental conditions may be assessed; (d) spatial and temporal controls for environmental monitoring to make it possible to ascribe changes in environmental conditions to Project effects rather than changes in factors unrelated to the Sub-Project; (e) design for the data gathering or data analysis; (f) QA/QC; (g) analysis and presentation of data and results; (h) development of database information systems; and (i) reporting structures and formats in accordance with VWRAP reporting requirements. VWRAP PMU. Technical assistance will be provided to environment (and other) staff in VWRAP PMU in incorporating the results of environmental management programs (such as VWRAP EMP) into water resources project management decision making. Considerable on the job training will be provided through implementation of the environmental components of the Design and Supervision Technical Assistance. VilI. Policy Framework and Guidelines It is anticipated that preparation of subsequent phases of VWRAP investments will be the responsibility of the VWRAP PMU. All the new investment package for the remaining 80% of the command area (excluding main canals) will be screened against the IDS safeguard policies (environment, forestry, natural habitats, cultural property, and pesticide management) and an EMP will be prepared for the package if the existing EMP is not sufficient. The details of the EMP will be designed in concomitant with the detailed technical and engineering design for the investments. During the screening and preparation of the EMP, the following principles should be applied: Screening --While additional environmental assessment is not anticipated for the follow- on investments of the remaining 80% of command areas, VWRAP PMU will formally confirm this conclusion prior to the detailed design of the engineering works by performing a screening checklist on the IDA safeguards (see below). If the nature and extent of the impacts are similar to those identified during the EIA study of the subproject, the VWRAP EMP will be applied as appropriate. VWRAP PMU will prepare and submit a report on the screening and proposed EMP (if necessary) for the new investment to IDA for no objection. If the quality of the review is satisfactory, prior approval from IDA for the follow- on investment of similar nature of activities may not be required. However, a report will have to be prepared and properly kept for post review by IDA. The initial criteria, special study or IEEs, and consultation will be carried out during the preparation of the Screening Report and/or EMP. Information disclosure and IDA clearance may be required. Implementation and monitoring will be carried out. IX. Application of IDA Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies to VWRAP Application of IDA Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies to VWRAP is summarized below. Bank Operational Summary of Assessment and Rationale Recommendations Policy lWhile VWRAP is classified as Category A, requiring a full-scale environmental assessment, the results of this EIA indicate that the scale and magnitude of the OP 4.01 - expected environmental impacts of VWRAP are more Environmental like that of a Category B project. Environmental Implement VWRAP Environmental Management Assessment - impacts of VWRAP are site-specific, none are Plan Triggesment - irreversible; very few direct impacts are on | Triggered environmentally important areas such as wetlands, forests, or other natural habitats, all are preventable, and mitigation measures have been designed for all possible environmental impacts OP 4.36 - . 10 ha of degraded Yen Lap Watershed Protection * reforestation of 20 ha within Yen Lap Watershed Forestry Forest will be lost as a result of construction of the Protection Forest as compensation Not Triggered new emergency.spillway - Reforestation of any other forested areas to compensate for losses of natural habitats l no impacts predicted for catchments of Irrigation . Mitigation required to rehabilitate and restore all Scheme reservoirs, where all of the intact natural areas of excavation to conditions prior to terrestrial habitats of the Project Area occur (except construction for Yen Lap catchment, see below) . reforestation of 20 ha within Yen Lap Watershed l There may be loss of natural habitats from excavation Protection Forest as compensation of soil to be used as earth-fill. . Environmental review of Quang Ninh, Ha Tinh, OP 4.04- Natural . There will be loss of natural habitats in the Yen Lap Quan Nam, Khanh Hoa provincial aquaculture Habitats - Watershed Protection Forest from the construction of programs to prepare guidelines for ensuring Triggered the emergency spillway coastal aquaculture is environmentally sustainable l Yen Lap, Ke Go, Phu Ninh, and Da Ban Sub-Projects and to restore degraded wetlands as compensation will provide increased water supply to expanding . Monitoring of water quality in estuarine areas of provincial coastal aquaculture programs which were Yen Hung (Quang Ninh), Thach Ha (Ha Tinh), Nui not assessed for possible environmental impacts. Thanh (Quang Nam) and Ninh Hoa (Khanh Hoa) There may be a risk of losing coastal wetland Districts is recommended as part of environmental resources. effects monitoring program Iimpacts are assessed as Unknown because,while Mitigation recommended against any possible loss I .~~~~~ impacts are assessed as Unknown because, while o rdmg ontoal rlclydsgae the exact location of the each of the cultural and v OPN 11.03 - historic sites in the Project is known, the specific cultural and historical sites by adjusting the siting of Cultural Property location of the Project activities is not yet known in Project civil works if necessary; - Triggered detail, particularly for the second phase of i incorporated into detailed design of physical works investments. a terms and conditions be included in construction contracts to ensure integrity of these resources Application of IDA Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies to VWRAP, continued Bank Operational Summary of Assessment and Rationale Recommendations Policy _____________________________________________ OP 4.12 - . while there is no requirement for resettlement there Involuntary is n requirement forpesettlement, termen Resettlement and Compensation Action Plan Resettlement i and temporary land acquisition prepared as part of VWRAP Feasibility Study Triggered adtmoayln custo of Dams - * Upgrading Dam safety a major component of first investment phase. Specific engineerng works are provided triggered for increasing dam safety. Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans will also prepared during implementation. OP 4.20 - . . I Indigenous . There are some members of recognized ethnic e Ethnic Minority Development Plans prepared as Peoples - of the Irrigation Schelmeiv nthecojmcmand areas of most part of VWRAP Feasibility Study TriggeredofteIrgtoSceeSbPjcs . Under a high case scenarion pesticide and fertilizer use are expected to increase substantially throughout . Both mitigation and monitoring are recommended. the VWRAP Area. This impact is assessed as With respect to mitigation, IPM extension services OP 4.03 - Unknown but potentially Significant without mitigation should continue to be provided to Project Pesticide or monitoring. Existing baseline information on bene ie.Extensi ervices should include Management - pesticide concentrations in the Project environment is topics of appropiate selection and application of Triggered non-existent and so current conditions can not be biocides of well as basic techniques of and a estimated, but the expected increase is substantial, approaches to IPMw particularly as 59% of VWRAP beneficiaries have not .PM yet received training in IPM methods. OP 7.60 - Projects in . Not triggered as none of the Project Area or the area of influence of the Project is part of a territory whose Disputed Areas - jurisdiction is disputed by another country Not Triggered . Not triggered as: - None of the water bodies associated with any of the VWRAP components assessed in this EIA form a boundary between, or flow through the territory of another country; the one exception is the Da River which OP 7.50 - begins in China and flows through Vietnam; the project will only deal with hydro-met stations in Vietnamese International territory unless permission can be obtained from China during Phase 2 of the EVN component. Waterways - Not - None of the water bodies associated with any of the VWRAP components assessed in this EIA are a any Triggered tributary or component of any waterway described above; and - None of the water bodies associated with any of the VWRAP components assessed in this EIA are recognized as a necessary channel of communication between the open sea and other states countries or of any river flowing into such waters.