E2986 v3 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Final March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) i Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.......................................................................................................... V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... I 1. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................1 1.1. Project Background............................................................................................................1 1.2. Objectives and Scope of the Consultancy Services and the ESIA Study ..........................1 1.2.1. Objectives of the Consultancy Services ...............................................................1 1.2.2. Objectives of the ESIA Study ..............................................................................2 1.3. Approach and Methodology of the ESIA Study ................................................................2 1.3.1. General .................................................................................................................2 1.3.2. Review of Relevant Policies and Legislations .....................................................2 1.3.3. Review of Previous Studies and Literature ..........................................................2 1.3.4. Field Surveys and Data Collection .......................................................................3 1.3.5. Public and Stakeholders Consultations ................................................................3 1.3.6. Impact Analysis ....................................................................................................4 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE ROAD PROJECT..........................................................................5 2.1. Project Location .................................................................................................................5 2.2. History and Existing Condition of the Project Road .........................................................5 2.3. The Design Standard of the Proposed Upgrading..............................................................6 3. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES, LEGISLATIONS AND GUIDLINES ............................9 3.1. The Constitution of FDRE .................................................................................................9 3.2. Relevant National Policies and Strategies .........................................................................9 3.2.1. Environmental Policy of Ethiopia ........................................................................9 3.2.2. Conservation Strategy of Ethiopia......................................................................10 3.2.3. Policies on Land Tenure, Expropriation and Compensation ..............................11 3.2.4. Sectoral policies .................................................................................................11 3.2.5. ERA’s Resettlement/Rehabilitation Policy Framework .....................................14 3.3. Environmental Framework Legislations ..........................................................................16 3.3.1. Proclamation on Establishment of Environmental Protection Organs ...............16 3.3.2. Proclamation on Environmental Impact Assessment .........................................17 3.3.3. Proclamation on Environmental Pollution Control ............................................17 3.3.4. Proclamation on Development, Conservation and Utilization of Wildlife.........17 3.3.5. Proclamation on Forest Development, Conservation and Utilization ................18 3.3.6. Proclamation on Expropriation of Land Holdings and Payment of Compensation .....................................................................................................18 3.3.7. Proclamation on Rural Land Administration and Land Use ..............................19 3.3.8. Proclamation on Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage ....................19 3.3.9. Proclamation on Ethiopian Water Resources Management ...............................19 3.3.10. Proclamation on Public Health ...........................................................................20 3.3.11. Proclamation for Establishment of Amhara EPLAUA.......................................20 3.3.12. Proclamation on Rural Land Administration and Use of Amhara NRS .............20 3.3.13. Regulations on Payment of Compensation for Property Situated on Landholdings Expropriated for Public Purposes ................................................20 Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) ii Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 3.4. International Conventions and Protocols .........................................................................21 3.4.1. Convention on Biological Diversity ...................................................................21 3.4.2. Framework Convention on Climate Change ......................................................21 3.4.3. Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change ............21 3.4.4. The Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer .........................21 3.4.5. The United Nations Conventions to Combat Desertification .............................22 3.4.6. The Basel convention .........................................................................................22 3.4.7. The Stockholm Convention ................................................................................22 3.4.8. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora 22 3.5. Environmental Assessment Guidelines............................................................................22 3.5.1. EPA’s EIA Guidelines........................................................................................22 3.5.2. ERA's Environmental Procedure Manual...........................................................23 3.5.3. ERA’s Standard Technical Specifications..........................................................24 3.5.4. African Development Bank's Environmental Policy and ESA Procedures Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.6. Institutional and Administrative Framework ...................................................................24 3.6.1. Federal and Regional Administration.................................................................24 3.6.2. Environmental Protection Authority ..................................................................25 3.6.3. Sectoral Environmental Unit ..............................................................................25 3.6.4. Regional Environmental Agencies .....................................................................25 3.6.5. Ethiopian Roads Authority .................................................................................26 4. DESCRIPTION OF BASELINE CONDITION ....................................................................28 4.1. Physical Environment ......................................................................................................28 4.1.1. Topography ........................................................................................................28 4.1.2. Geology and Soils ..............................................................................................29 4.1.3. Climate ...............................................................................................................30 4.1.4. Drainage and Water Resources ..........................................................................31 4.1.5. Air Quality..........................................................................................................35 4.1.6. Land Use and Land Cover ..................................................................................36 4.2. Biological Environment ...................................................................................................40 4.2.1. Vegetation and Flora ..........................................................................................40 4.2.2. Fauna ..................................................................................................................42 4.3. Socio-economic Environment..........................................................................................47 4.3.1. Administrative Division .....................................................................................47 4.3.2. Demography .......................................................................................................48 4.3.3. Ethnic Groups, Religion and Culture .................................................................48 4.3.4. Settlement Pattern...............................................................................................49 4.3.5. Urban Settlements ..............................................................................................49 4.3.6. Economy.............................................................................................................50 4.3.7. Infrastructure and Social Services ......................................................................50 4.3.8. Health Services ...................................................................................................51 4.3.9. Educational Services ..........................................................................................52 4.3.10. Gender Issues .....................................................................................................53 5. PUBLIC AND STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATIONS .....................................................56 5.1. General .............................................................................................................................56 5.2 Findings of the Consultations ..........................................................................................58 5.1.1. History of the Project Road, Its Existing Condition and Associated Problems..58 5.1.2. Experiences of Previous Road Projects ..............................................................59 5.1.3. Potential Issues Related to the Proposed Road Upgrading Project ....................60 5.1.4. Attitudes towards the Proposed Road Upgrading Project ..................................60 5.1.5. Request from Kombolcha City Administration ..................................................61 Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) iii Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 6. POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ........62 6.1. General .............................................................................................................................62 6.2. Positive Environmental and Social Impacts ....................................................................62 6.2.1. Positive Environmental Impacts .........................................................................62 6.2.2. Positive Socio-economic Impacts.......................................................................62 6.3 Negative Impacts on Physical Environment ....................................................................65 6.2.3. Disfiguring of landscape and visual pollution ....................................................65 6.2.4. Slope Destabilization, Rock Falls and Risks of Blasting ...................................66 6.2.5. Impacts on Soils .................................................................................................66 6.2.6. Impacts on Water Resources ..............................................................................68 6.2.7. Catchment Erosion and Siltation Problem in Drainage Structures.....................69 6.2.8. Impacts on Water Supply Systems and Competition for Water .........................70 6.2.9. Air and Noise Pollution ......................................................................................71 6.4 Negative Impacts on Biological Environment .................................................................72 6.2.10. Impacts on Flora .................................................................................................72 6.2.11. Impacts on Fauna................................................................................................73 6.5 Other Environmental Issues .............................................................................................74 6.2.12. Impacts on Land Use and Land Cover ...............................................................74 6.2.13. Traffic Congestion and Accident Risks..............................................................75 6.6 Negative Impacts on Human Environment ......................................................................76 6.2.14. Impacts due to Land Acquisition........................................................................77 6.2.15. Impact on Houses and Structures .......................................................................77 6.2.16. Impact on Businesses .........................................................................................78 6.2.17. Impact on Farm land...........................................................................................78 6.2.18. Impact on Public Utilities ...................................................................................79 6.2.19. Exposure to HIV/AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).......79 6.2.20. Spread of Malaria Infection ................................................................................80 7 CONSIDERATION OF ALTENATIVES .............................................................................81 7.1 Description of the Proposed Improvements .....................................................................81 7.2 Description of Proposed Alternatives ..............................................................................81 7.3 Environmental Appraisal of Proposed Alternatives.........................................................82 8 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PLANS ..84 8.1 Environmental and Social Management Plan ......................................................................84 6.2.21. Detailed Designing Phase ...................................................................................84 6.2.22. Pre-Construction Phase ......................................................................................84 6.2.23. Construction Phase .............................................................................................84 6.2.24. Commissioning Phase ........................................................................................85 6.2.25. Post-Construction/Operation Phase ....................................................................85 8.2 Environmental and Social Monitoring Plan ...................................................................101 8.3 Capacity Building ..........................................................................................................106 8.4 Environmental Mitigation, Management and Monitoring Cost Estimate ......................107 9 ENVIONMENTAL CLAUSES TO BE INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT DOCUMENT 109 9.1 Preparation of Socio-Environmental Management Plan................................................109 9.2 Potential Impacts from Preparation and Location of Campsites....................................109 9.3 Air Pollution ..................................................................................................................109 9.4 Noise Pollution ..............................................................................................................110 9.5 Impacts from Quarry Sites, Borrow Areas, Detour Roads and Workshops...................111 9.6 Slope Instability, Rock Falls and Soil Erosion ..............................................................112 Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) iv Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 9.7 Impacts on Soils and Water Resources ..........................................................................112 9.8 Impacts on Flora ............................................................................................................113 9.9 Impacts on Fauna ...........................................................................................................114 9.10 Traffic Management Plan (TMP)...................................................................................115 9.11 Impact on Farmland .......................................................................................................115 9.12 Impacts of Construction Camps, Workshops and Storage Sites ....................................115 9.13 Impacts on Public Health ...............................................................................................116 9.14 Impacts related to Occupational Safety .........................................................................117 9.15 Impacts on Archaeological Sites....................................................................................118 9.16 Disruption of Crossing Structures, Access Roads and other Services ...........................118 9.17 Grassing of Cut Slops and Bare grounds .......................................................................118 9.18 Before Commissioning ..................................................................................................119 9.19 Other issues ....................................................................................................................119 10 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................................................120 10.1 Conclusions .....................................................................................................................120 10.2 Recommendations ...........................................................................................................120 Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) v Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AEC Associated Engineering Consultants AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ARDO Agriculture and Rural Development Office asl above sea level CSC Construction Supervision Consultant 0 C Degree Celsius DBST Double Bituminous Surface Treatment EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EI Environmental Inspector/Supervisor ESA Environmental and Social Assessment ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan EMSB Environmental Monitoring and Safety Branch of ERA ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan EPA Environmental Protection Authority EPE Environmental Policy of Ethiopia ERA Ethiopian Roads Authority EPLAUA Environmental Protection, Land Administration and Use Authority FDRE Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ha hectare HIV Human Immune Virus IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources km kilometre EPLAO Environmental Protection and Land Administration Office NRDCO Natural Resources Development and Conservation Office LHS Left Hand Side MAR Mean Annual Rainfall m metre mm millimetre NRS National Regional State PAP Project affected people PCR Physical Cultural Resources RAP Resettlement Action Plan RE Resident Engineer RHS Right Hand Side ROW Right of Way UN United Nations WHO Woreda Health Office Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) i Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Introduction The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) has allocated sufficient budget to finance payments for the consultancy services for the Review of Feasibility and ESIA Studies, Detailed Engineering Design, and Preparation of RAP and Tender Documents for the Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project. Hence, ERA has entered into contract agreement with Associated Engineering Consultants to perform the aforementioned consultancy services. This ESIA study is part of the services and its main objective is to ensure that the envisaged road upgrading project is environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable. The ESIA study is based on review of Ethiopia’s environmental policies, legislations and guidelines, and the World Bank Safeguard Policies, review of relevant previous studies, collection of secondary data from relevant government offices, detailed field investigations along the project alignment and collection of primary baseline data, and conducting consultations with key stakeholders including the PAP. 2. Description of the Road Project The project road is geographically located in the North-eastern part of Ethiopia. It starts at Kombolcha town and runs in eastward direction passing through the towns of Bati and Elwiha and terminates at about 10km before the town of Mille. The project road directly connects the Amhara and Afar National Regional States, and is useful for importing and exporting goods to and from Ethiopia since it constitutes an integral part of the Addis–Kombolcha–Mille–Djibouti road. The ERA DS4 standard is adopted for the upgrading of the Kombolcha–Bati–Millie road. The road upgrading project will follow the existing alignment in general and will involve significant horizontal curve improvement. In addition, the project would involve widening the road width and replacement of 20 bridges and 287 culverts by new bridges and culverts mostly due to structural failures, rehabilitation of 32 bridges and extension of 260 culverts, and construction of additional 15 new bridges and 35 new culverts. Moreover, it would involve changing of 15 existing bridges to major culverts and 6 culverts to bridges. Of these structures, 5 bridges have spans ranging from 30m to 60m. 3. Environmental Policies, Legislations and Guidelines 3.1 National Polices and Legal Framework The Constitution of the FDRE is a prime legal document that has provisions, which have direct policy, legal and institutional relevance for the appropriate implementation of environmental protection and rehabilitation action plans to avoid, mitigate or compensate the adverse effects of development actions. The concepts of sustainable development and environment rights are entrenched in the rights of the people of Ethiopia through Articles 43 and 44, which state among others the right to development and the right to live in a clean and healthy environment. The Environmental Policy of Ethiopia (EPE) is a major policy document concerning environmental protection and it supports Constitutional Rights through its guiding principles. The EPE has an overall policy goal to improve and enhance the health and quality of life of all Ethiopians, to promote sustainable social and economic development through sound management and use of natural, human-made and cultural resources and their environment as a whole. The EIA policies are included in the cross-sectoral environmental policies and they emphasis the early recognition of environmental issues in project planning, public participation, mitigation and environmental management, and capacity building at all levels of administration. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) ii Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation The FDRE has issued a number of legislations and regulations that are aimed to foster environmental protection and sustainable social and economic development. Among these, the most relevant ones include the Proclamation on Establishment of Environmental Protection Organs, Proclamation on EIA, Proclamation on Environmental Pollution Control, Proclamation on Expropriation of Land Holdings and Payment of Compensation, and Regulations on Payment of Compensation for Property Situated on Landholdings Expropriated for Public Purposes. The former Proclamation assigns responsibilities to organizations for environmental development, management, regulations and monitoring activities at both federal and regional levels. It also re- establishes the federal EPA as an autonomous public institution of the FDRE. It also empowers every Sector Ministry or Agency to establish or designate an Environmental Unit and each regional state to establish an independent regional environmental agency or designates an existing agency. The EIA Proclamation makes an EIA mandatory for specified categories of development activities and is the legal tool for environmental planning, management and monitoring. The proposed road project has been assigned under the category of projects likely to have significant negative impacts and thus requires EIA. Therefore, in accordance to this legislation, EIA has been conducted to determine the project’s potential impacts and to develop appropriate mitigation measures and environmental management plan (EMP) to prevent, reduce or offset the significant negative impacts to acceptable levels. In addition, other pertinent legislations, the EPA’s EIA Guidelines, ERA’s Environmental Procedures Manual, and Environmental Institutions have been reviewed and incorporated into the ESIA Report. 3.2 World Bank Operational Policy on Environmental Assessment According to the World Bank Operational Policies (OP 4.01), the Bank requires environmental assessment (EA) of projects proposed for Bank financing to help ensure that they are environmentally sound and sustainable, and thus to improve decision making through appropriate analysis of actions and of their likely environmental impacts. The borrower is responsible for carrying out the EA. For Category A projects, the borrower retains independent EA experts not affiliated with the project to carry out the EA. The Bank advises the borrower on the Bank’s EA requirements. The Bank reviews the findings and recommendations of the EA to determine whether they provide an adequate basis for processing the project for Bank financing. When the borrower has completed or partially completed EA work prior to the Bank’s involvement in a project, the Bank reviews the EA to ensure its consistency with this policy. The Bank classifies the proposed project into one of four categories, depending on the type, location, sensitivity, and scale of the project and the nature and magnitude of its potential environmental impacts. The four categories are briefly described below. Category A: If a proposed project is likely to have significant adverse environmental impacts that are sensitive, diverse, or unprecedented. These impacts may affect an area broader than the sites or facilities subject to physical works. EA for a Category A project examines the project’s potential negative and positive environmental impacts, compares them with those of feasible alternatives (including the “without project� situation), and recommends any measures needed to prevent, minimize, mitigate, or compensate for adverse impacts and improve environmental performance. Category B: A proposed project is classified as Category B if its potential adverse environmental impacts on human populations or environmentally important areas - including wetlands, forests, grasslands, and other natural habitats - are less adverse than those of Category A projects. These Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) iii Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation impacts are site-specific; few if any of them are irreversible; and in most cases mitigatory measures can be designed more readily than for Category A projects. The scope of EA for a Category B project is narrower than that of Category A EA. Like Category A EA, it examines the project’s potential negative and positive environmental impacts and recommends any measures needed to prevent, minimize, mitigate, or compensate for adverse impacts and improve environmental performance. The Kombolcha-Bati-Mille road project was considered as Category B Project because it is expected to cause several significant adverse environmental and social impacts, but they are less sensitive and manageable. Therefore, ESIA, which is compatible for a Category B Project, was carried out to assess the project’s potential environmental and social impacts and to recommend mitigation measures that would reduce the impacts to acceptable levels. Therefore, the mitigation measures recommended in this ESIA document should be implemented properly in order to prevent or minimize adverse impacts to acceptable levels. Category C: A proposed project is classified as Category C if it is likely to have minimal or no adverse environmental impacts. Beyond screening, no further EA action is required for a Category C project. Category FI: A proposed project is classified as Category FI if it involves investment of Bank funds through a financial intermediary, in subprojects that may result in adverse environmental impacts. 3.3 African Development Bank's Environmental Policy and ESA Procedures The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group’s Policy on the Environment defines the Bank’s Policy on environmentally sustainable development in Africa. The overall goals of the Policy are to achieve the improvement of the overall quality of life of the people of Africa by supporting an environmentally sustainable development path, and the preservation and enhancement of the ecological capital and life-support systems across the continent of Africa. According to the AfDB’s ESA Procedures, development projects are assigned to one of four categories. Category 1 projects are those which will require a full ESIA, including the preparation of an ESMP. These projects are likely to induce important adverse environmental and/or social impacts that are irreversible, or to significantly affect environmental or social components considered sensitive by the Bank or the borrowing country. Category 2 projects are those which are likely to have detrimental and site-specific environmental and/or social impacts that are less adverse than those of Category 1 projects and that can be minimized by the application of mitigation measures and they require the development of ESMP. Category 3 projects are the schemes that involve no adverse physical intervention in the environment and induce no adverse environmental or social impacts, and they require no impact assessment. Category 4 projects involve investment of Bank’s funds through Financial Intermediaries (FIs) in sub-projects that may result in adverse environmental and/or social impacts. According to the AfDB Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Checklist, the proposed road upgrading project would fall into Category I type projects; thus, it would require a full ESIA. Hence, a full scale ESIA has been carried out for the road project and ESMP prepared in order to manage potential impacts to acceptable levels. 4. Description of the Baseline Environment 4.1 Physical Environment Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) iv Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation The topography of the corridor from Kombolcha to about km 60 is mainly from hilly to mountainous whereas the section from km 60 to Elwiha (km 91) is from hilly to rolling, and from Elwiha to end of the project is a plain area. The dominant soils along the first 76km section are sandy soils in the low-lying areas and basaltic solid and decomposed rocks on hills while the major soil types along the rest part of the route are sandy to gravelly gray silty soil and black cotton soil. There are two rainy seasons in the project area, the small rainy season from March to May and the big rainy season from June to September. The mean annual rainfall recorded at Kombolcha, Bati and Mille Stations is 1020mm, 872mm and 308mm respectively. The project road crosses about 12 major rivers and streams and numerous minor drainage channels. Most of the rivers and streams are main sources of water for human and livestock consumption. Ambient air quality in the environs of the project alignment is generally good although high dust levels raised by vehicles from the gravel-surfaced section of the road cause significant air pollution problem along the road. In terms of land use and land cover, the corridor of the Kombolcha – Bati section is mostly densely populated and intensively farmed. In contrast, the Bati – Mille section is sparsely populated and predominantly used for livestock grazing and browsing. 4.3 Biological Environment The natural vegetation in the corridor of the first 54km section has been highly modified by human activities with only some remnant bushes and shrubs on the steep mountain slopes and escarpments. The vegetation is dominated by bushy and shrubbery plant species, most of which are evergreen ones. The vegetation in the corridor of the remaining section is dominantly open or scattered Acacia bushes and scrubs, where the majority of the species are deciduous and drought tolerant ones. Because of intense human activities and arid environmental conditions, the project area has limited habitats and thus, lower diversity and lower population of wildlife. The mammals reported to be found in the project corridor include antelopes such as Bush duiker, Bushbuck, Dik-dik, Soemmerring's Gazelle and Dorcas Gazelle, and African Wild ass, Abyssinian hare, Hyena, Crested porcupine, Common fox, Anubis and Hamadryas baboons, and Grivet monkey. 4.4 Socio-economic Environment Administratively the project road is located in two regional states namely, Amhara and Afar and connects five woredas and 25 kebeles. According to the 2007 Population and Housing Census Results, the total population of the woredas traversed by the project road in 2007 was 472,108, of which about 80% lived in the Amhara NRS and only 20% in the Afar NRS. The project corridor is dominantly inhabited by three ethnic groups namely, Afar, Amhara and Oromo. The economy in the project road corridor is mainly small holder farming and livestock keeping. The population in the first about 60km section makes its living from crop farming supplemented by livestock husbandry while the population along the remaining section is basically dependent on livestock husbandry. Farming activities are practiced by using traditional hand tools and oxen ploughing. 5. Public and Stakeholders Consultations Consultations with key stakeholders were conducted during the environmental and social field surveys in the project area, and public consultations were carried out at seven key locations along Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) v Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation the project alignment. During both the stakeholders and public consultations, relevant baseline environmental and socio-economic data, information pertaining to the existing condition of the project road and associated problems, and potential benefits and adverse impacts of the proposed road upgrading project were obtained and utilized in this environmental and social impact analysis. As revealed during both the stakeholders and public consultations, all the stakeholders were positive about the upgrading of the Kombolcha - Bati - Mille road and highly accepted the road upgrading project as they clearly expressed their willingness to provide necessary support and to cooperate whenever there is a need. 6. Potential Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures 6.1 Positive Environmental and Social Impacts Positive environmental impacts: The main positive environmental impacts of the reconstruction and upgrading of the Kombolcha - Bati - Mille road together with integration of environmental mitigation measures include alleviation of the existing serious siltation problem, avoidance of dust pollution, and improvement of sight distance/visibility for drivers and pedestrians which will reduce accident risks for both motorized and non-motorized traffic and improve traffic safety. Positive socio-economic impacts: The basic positive socio-economic impact of the proposed project will be creating efficient and effective road transport access for the people living in the project influence area. The other advantages of the proposed project will directly or indirectly emanate from this basic benefit of the project. The main expected socio-economic benefits of the envisaged road upgrading project include improved access for transport facilities, contribution to poverty alleviation efforts, creation of job opportunities for the unemployed people, promotion of economic development endeavors, and enhancement of tourism development. 6.2 Negative Impacts The main identified potential negative environmental and social impacts and their key mitigation measures include the following: (i) Disfiguring of landscape and visual pollution: Implementation of the road project would affect the natural beauty of the landscape and cause visual pollution mainly due to deep cutting in slopes for alignment improvements and widening the road width in mountainous and escarpment areas, disposal of spoil or excess materials on adjacent slopes, exploitation of construction material sources and establishment of contractors’ site facilities. These impacts can be reduced or mitigated by grassing of embankment/fill slopes and cut slopes, avoiding indiscriminate disposal or side tipping of surplus excavated materials on adjacent slopes by depositing it only at approved disposal sites and by landscaping and establishing vegetation on those sites, use of existing quarries and borrow pits and natural clearings/open lands for contractor’s site facilities, and restoration of borrow sites through back-filling, landscaping and re-establishing vegetation cover. (ii) Slope destabilization, rock falls and risks of blasting: Deep cutting in mountainous and escarpment areas may induce land-sliding or rock-fall problems at some spots. Extraction of rock materials for aggregate production or masonry works may involve blasting activities, which may produce fly rocks that may endanger the people or animals, or affect properties found in the vicinity of the sites. Potential impacts can be minimized by constructing appropriate slope stabilizing structures, removing all dangerous and loose boulders and rocks from cut faces, avoiding side-casting of excavation materials on down-slope, carrying out all Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) vi Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation blasting following the relevant safety regulations, and announcing the schedule of blasting activities to the vulnerable people in advance. (iii) Impacts on soils: Soils in the impact zone will be impacted mainly due to increased soil erosion, soil compaction and soil pollution by hazardous substances. Potential impacts can be minimized by executing the road works during the dry season, applying half-way construction method, construction of effective drainage structures (paved side-drains, diversion drains, check dams, sufficient turnouts), reducing the time surface remains bare following completion of works, planting of appropriate plant species on erosion-prone slopes, and preventing soil pollution by hazardous substances such as fuel and oils through careful handling and appropriate disposal of used oils through approved wastes agency. (iv) Impacts on water resources: The road upgrading activities are likely to result in increased sedimentation and water pollution risks of rivers and streams crossed by the project road or in its vicinity. In addition, water quality can be impacted due to contamination through spillage of fuel and oil into watercourses, or due to improper disposal of used oil. Possible impacts on water resources can be minimized through execution of the potentially impacting road construction and drainage works during the dry season when river flows are minimal or non- existent, avoiding disposal of surplus excavated materials on river banks or in river courses, proper handling of hazardous substances to avoid water pollution by spillages, avoidance of leakages from vehicles and construction equipment by regular and effective maintenance, and provision of satisfactory solid and liquid wastes disposal facilities at construction camps. (v) Impacts on water supply systems and competition for water: The road project is likely to affect an irrigation canal at km 37.27 – 37.80 running on the right side edge of the road, and flumes conveying irrigation water at km 20.20, km 37.28 and at km 37.74. In addition, use of water from existing sources for the road works and campsite requirements may cause significant competition with existing users. The impacts on irrigation structures would be mitigated by providing replacement structures in order to let an uninterrupted flow of the irrigation water, and the water for the road works or campsite requirements shall not be withdrawn from the streams or other sources being used by the local population unless its sufficiency is approved by the local authorities. (vi) Catchment erosion and siltation problem: Due to the dominantly hilly and mountainous terrain and intensive agricultural activities in the catchments of the first about 54km section of the road, there is serious siltation problem in the cross- and longitudinal- drainage structures of the project road. To mitigate the impact, it is recommended that the road project would allocate some budget in order to strengthen and intensify the soil and water conservation measures being implemented by local offices and the local communities in the catchments that have significant impacts on the project road. (vii) Air and noise pollution: During construction phase, air and noise pollution are likely to be significant resulting from increased traffic flows, diversion of traffic to gravel surfaced detour roads, operation of heavy duty machinery, and operation of quarries, borrow sites and materials processing plants. The recommended mitigation measures include restriction of traffic speeds and spraying of water regularly on dusty roads, use of modern and well- maintained equipment, regular maintenance of machinery, plants and vehicles, siting of aggregate production plants and bitumen mixing plants at a minimum distance of 3km from sensitive receptors, application of a well-designed traffic management plan, carrying out Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) vii Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation noisy construction activities during normal working hours, and informing local people in advance when there will be blasting or unusual noise. (viii) Impacts on flora: There will be damages of some natural vegetation mainly bushes, shrubs and scattered trees in relation to increasing of the road width, and construction of alignment improvements, diversion roads and access routes to material sources, as well as exploitation of borrow and quarry sites. Potential impacts can be reduced by limiting land taking and earthworks to the area absolutely necessary for the road works, considering the location of important trees during the engineering design as well as construction, applying half-way construction method for sections passing through protected areas and sections having important solitary trees or dense vegetation, avoiding side-tipping of spoil/excess excavation materials on down-slope where it can affect vegetation/trees, and implementing replanting program to compensate for trees removed. (ix) Impacts on fauna: The noise resulting from operation of heavy duty machinery and construction traffic will disturb wild animals and birds adapted to use the habitats in the road environment. In addition, some fatalities of wild animals could occasionally result due to collisions with vehicles. Potential impacts can be reduced through avoidance of excessive destruction of wildlife habitats and illegal hunting, applying speed limits for sections passing through important wildlife areas, and strict prohibition of illegal hunting and killing of wild animals by the workforce. (x) Traffic congestion and accident risks: During the construction phase, traffic congestion and accident risks are likely to be issues of major concern. There will be increased accident risks to the roadside communities, road users, project workers and domestic animals due to increased traffic volume on the project road and partial or complete closure of lanes to vehicular traffic. In addition, the road works and traffic movements along the escarpment and mountainous sections are likely to be highly risky unless special construction methods and traffic management measures are taken. During operation, an increasing number of accidents can be expected due to a too high driving speed related to the smoothened alignment and a smooth road. The potential problems can be minimized through provision of necessary information such as speed limits, direction, hazard locations, sensitive sites by putting appropriate signals, assigning traffic regulators to control traffic flows at critical sections or periods where/when traffic safety is a serious issue, awareness training of operators of equipment and construction vehicles in traffic safety measures, and establishment of speed limits and controls for construction vehicles and discipline for the drivers. (xi) Impacts due to land acquisition: The land requirement for the road project may entail acquisition of land under various uses including farmlands, grazing areas and lands occupied by residential and business houses. These impacts should be mitigated by arranging appropriate compensation and rehabilitation measures for lost assets, lost income basis and others based on relevant Ethiopian laws such as the Proclamation No. 455/2005 and Regulations No. 135/2007 that deal with Expropriation of Land Holdings for Public Purposes and Payment of Compensation. (xii) Impacts on housing units and public utilities: Implementation of the planned road upgrading project is expected to affect many housing units located along the road mainly in Kombolcha, Degan, Geba and Bati towns. In addition, many public utilities including electric poles, lines and transformers, telephone poles and lines, and water pipelines would be Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) viii Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation affected, mostly in the aforementioned towns. Therefore, appropriate compensation and rehabilitation measures should be implemented according to the above indicated laws. (xiii) Impacts on HIV/AIDS and other STDs: Project workers and truck drivers are considered to have high potential for the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STDs. Since the project road is export-import corridor it is used by a large number of heavy trucks, and hence, many truck drivers and their assistants opt to stay overnight in the towns located along the project road. This situation attracts commercial sex workers to the area and this makes the project area highly vulnerable to the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STDs. Recommended preventive measures include provision of awareness raising and education campaigns about HIV/AIDS and other STDs among the construction workers and local population, and provision of condoms. (xiv) Impacts on malaria transmission: Since the project area is endemic for malaria, formation of stagnant water points in quarries, borrow sites and drainage ditches may create conducive environment for the breeding of vector mosquitoes and this situation may intensify malaria transmission amongst the local population and the project workers as well. Proposed mitigation measures include preventing formation of stagnant water points or removal of vector breeding sites, provision of impregnated mosquito nets for the project workers, use of insect repellents, and medical treatment of infected cases. 7. Consideration of Alternatives Two engineering alternatives have been considered for the road upgrading project. Alternative 1 is upgrading the existing road without improving the existing geometry and without increasing the road width. Under this option, the road would be upgraded without improving the substandard horizontal curves, which are below the minimum horizontal curve radius. In addition, the road would be maintained with the existing width, which is narrow and below the standard considering the traffic volume and composition. Adoption of this option will minimize additional land requirement and reduce a number of environmental and social impacts like loss of agricultural lands, intrusion in landscape/impacts on landscape quality, potential slope stability problem, soil erosion and sedimentation related to earthwork activities, and loss of roadside trees and other vegetation. On the other hand, maintaining the substandard radii will have some significant adverse impacts; the most important one is safety hazards for both vehicular traffic and pedestrians. Alternative 2 is upgrading the existing road with improving the existing geometry. Under this alternative, the road would be upgraded by improving most of the substandard radii to the minimum requirement and the remaining to some extent. Adoption of this option will involve acquisition of additional land and may result in some environmental and social impacts including loss of lands under agricultural activities, negative impacts on landscape quality/visual pollution, slope destabilization, increased sedimentation in water courses, loss of roadside trees, and damages to irrigation canals and other water conveyance structures. Conversely, it has a number of major benefits including improved traffic safety and better speed for traffic. Therefore, upgrading of the road with improving its geometry to the extent feasible and widening its width to the selected design standard is expected to significantly improve traffic safety and the effectiveness of the road transport to enhance economic and social developments. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) ix Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 8. Environmental and Social Management and Monitoring Plans 8.1 Environmental and Social Management Plan Socio-environmental management plan (SEMP) is concerned with implementation of the measures necessary to minimize or offset adverse socio-environmental impacts and to enhance beneficial impacts. In order to maintain the environment effectively and efficiently, socio-environmental management must be fully integrated with the overall project management efforts at all levels, which itself should be aimed at providing a high level of quality control, leading to a project which is properly designed, constructed and functions efficiently throughout its life. Both project management and socio-environmental management responsibilities are normally shared among several government and non-government organizations, each with specific executive responsibilities for particular aspects, which are exercised during the various stages of project preparation, implementation and subsequent operation and maintenance. Details of t he actions to be taken during each phase and the responsibilities for their implementation are presented in Table 8.1 under Chapter 8. 8.2 Environmental and Social Monitoring Plan Environmental and social monitoring will be required both during the implementation and operation phases of the project to ensure the proper implementation of the ESIA recommendations. Environmental monitoring helps to detect the scale and extent of impacts caused by the project over time and to assess whether mitigation actions have been properly and timely implemented and are working as expected. Monitoring of environmental parameters will identify potential problems from the road development activities and will allow for prompt implementation of effective corrective measures. The proposed environmental and social monitoring plan (ESMP) is provided in Table 8.2 under Chapter 8. During the construction phase, the results of monitoring should be reported, clearly addressing any specific concerns/issues quarterly to the ERA’s EMSB/representative. The Environmental Inspector (EI) shall work closely with the Resident Engineer (RE) in order ensure that the construction works are according the contract obligations including environmental protection measures. The RE oversees that the technical specifications are met during construction while the EI monitors internally that the implementation of the ESMP on site. It is recommended that the EI shall compile the monitoring results concerning environmental mitigation and management activities. 8.3 Environmental Mitigation Management and Monitoring Costs Excluding the costs of the items referred to be included in engineering cost estimates, the costs related to compensation of affected private and public properties that are considered to be part of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), and the costs of the mitigation measures that are considered as part of the routine jobs of the local government organizations, the environmental and social mitigation, management and monitoring costs of the planned road project is estimated to be about 6.6 Million Ethiopian Birr. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) x Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 9. Conclusions and Recommendations 9.1 Conclusions On the basis of the findings of this ESIA study, the construction and operation of the Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road will bring about a number of significant positive socio-economic and environmental impacts that justify the implementation of the project. The potential benefits are mainly related to improved geometry of the road alignment, wider carriageway, smoothened surfaces, wider and smoothened shoulders, sufficient and effective cross and longitudinal drainage facilities, and provision of bus bays and parking bays and safety measures. These situations will improve drainage, reduce erosion and siltation, improve sight distance and facilitate traffic flows at the design speed and enhance traffic safety and reduce the danger to pedestrians, and reduce vehicle-operating costs. In particular the improvement of the road will have a significant role in the export-import activities between Ethiopia and Djibouti port and in promotion of trade activities. Hence, it will greatly contribute to the improvement of social services, and the development of the local as well as the national economy, and improvement of the living standards of the local communities. Further, the improvement of the road is expected to have immense role in promoting the economic and socio-cultural interactions among the pastoral, agro-pastoral and agricultural communities of the Afar, Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups inhabiting different geographical settings, that is low land, middle land and highland areas respectively. In contrast, construction of the road will cause a number of negative environmental and social impacts particularly during the construction phase. The key environmental and social issues/ impacts are related to the proposed road widening and alignment improvement requirement. Other issues are related to activities involved in normal road upgrading/ rehabilitation works, extraction, haulage and processing of construction materials, construction camps, and implementation of the road works during the road in operation. Thus, those impacts are not unexpected ones, but they need due attention and mitigation measures. The potential impacts that will require particular attention and mitigation include road and traffic safety issues, dust and noise pollution, siltation problems, impacts on adjacent farmlands and irrigation structures, impacts on roadside properties (housing units, public utilities etc.) and impacts on community water supply sources. Nonetheless, most of potential impacts are short-term mainly occurring during the construction phase and can be managed/mitigated to acceptable levels with good engineering measures and other appropriate environmental and social mitigation measures. It can therefore be concluded that there are no severe environmental or social impacts that will prevent the proposed Kombolcha - Bati - Mille road upgrading project from proceeding to the implementation stage provided the mitigation measures recommended in this ESIA study are properly considered. 9.2 Recommendations Appropriate mitigation measures for all significant impacts are recommended in Chapter 6 and presented in Chapter 8 in the form of ESMP. To ensure implementation, the recommended mitigation measures shall be included in the detailed engineering design or in the tender documentation, either as contract and/or special technical specification clauses. In addition, adequate budget shall be allocated for the mitigation and management actions not included in the obligations of the Contractor and the Construction Supervision Consultant, and necessary institutional/specialist arrangement is made for their implementation before the commencement of the construction works. Further, a well-planned monitoring programme should be instituted in order to follow up the proper implementation of the ESIA recommendations and their effectiveness, as well as incidence of any unforeseen issues. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 1 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Project Background In accordance with the road sector strategy, the FDRE, represented by Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) has allocated sufficient budget to finance payments for the consultancy services for the Review of Feasibility and EIA Studies, Detailed Engineering Design, and Preparation of RAP and Tender Documents for the Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project. Hence, ERA requires the services of a consultant with relevant experience. Therefore, ERA has entered into contract agreement with Associated Engineering Consultants to perform the aforementioned consultancy services. The agreement was signed on May 27, 2009 while the date of notification to commence the services was given on June 08, 2009. This ESIA study was carried out in conformity with the Ethiopia’s Environmental Assessment (EA) procedures and the World Bank Safeguard Policies. This Report presents the findings of the ESIA study essentially following the requirements stated in the TOR of the consultancy assignment as well as the requirements of the Federal EPA EIA Guideline Document. 1.2. Objectives and Scope of the Consultancy Services and the ESIA Study 6.3.1 Objectives of the Consultancy Services The main objectives of the consultancy services for the Review of Feasibility and Environmental Impact and Social Assessment (ESIA) Studies, and Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation of Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project are: Phase 1: Design Documentation Review and Make Recommendations regarding any re- design required i. To carry out a detailed review of all available existing design data and documentation, ii. To prepare a report containing an assessment of the existing design data and recommendations on any updates/ amendments to the design, and iii. To undertake Environmental and Social Impact Assessment study and prepare an ESIA Report. Phase 2: Detailed Engineering Re-Design, Preparation of Resettlement Action Plan and Tender Document Preparation i. To update the Feasibility Study and carry out detailed ESIA, ii. To carry out detailed Engineering re-design where required, iii. To carry out any resurvey that may be necessary, iv. To carry out any further geotechnical and materials investigations that may be necessary, v. To prepare Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) and vi. To prepare final and complete sets of tender document Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 2 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 6.3.2 Objectives of the ESIA Study The main objective of the ESIA study is to ensure that the envisaged upgrading of the Kombolcha – Bati – Mille road is environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable. It is intended to ensure that the potential environmental and social impacts of the road upgrading project are adequately identified and appropriately considered during the design, implementation and operation phases so that it does not cause serious adverse effects. 1.3. Approach and Methodology of the ESIA Study 6.3.3 General The approach and methodology followed for acquisition of relevant data and information, prediction and evaluation of potential environmental and social impacts, and development of mitigation and management plan include the following:  Review of national environmental policies, strategies, legislations and guidelines as well as the World Bank Safeguard Policies,  Review of relevant previous studies in the region and relevant literature;  Review of ESIA studies of road projects in the region or similar environment;  Secondary data collection from woreda government offices;  Detailed field investigations along the entire section of project alignment and collection of site specific baseline data and identification of potential issues;  Conducting consultations with key stakeholders in the project area including the project affected people;  Conducting impact analysis (identification, prediction and evaluation) using methods used in good EIA practices;  Developing feasible and cost-effective mitigation plan as well environmental management and monitoring plan. 6.3.4 Review of Relevant Policies and Legislations In conducting ESIA study of any development proposal, it is essential to understand the national environmental policies, strategies and legislations as well as the environmental policies and procedures of the project financing agency. Accordingly, Ethiopia’s environmental policies, procedures/ guidelines and pertinent legislations as well as the WB’s Safeguard Policies were reviewed. This helped the Consultant to screen the envisaged road upgrading project and determine appropriate level of environmental assessment for the planned investments. It also assisted in recommending appropriate mitigation measures in compliance with the pertinent national and regional statutory requirements as well as the WB’s Safeguard Policies. Finally, a brief description of the relevant environmental policies and legislative framework within which the environmental assessment was undertaken is provided in Chapter 2 and their list is given in the list of references. 6.3.5 Review of Previous Studies and Literature Relevant previous studies in the region and pertinent literature were obtained and reviewed. All relevant data and information presented in the documentation was extracted and combined with the data collected from field surveys, relevant Government offices and consultations made with different stakeholders, used to describe the project features and the baseline environmental Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 3 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation condition, as well as to identify the potential impacts of the project. The full list of the documents consulted is given in the list of references. 6.3.6 Field Surveys and Data Collection Subsequent to assessment and review of previous documentations and refinement of additional data requirements, the ESIA team conducted a field visit to the project area with the main objective to undertake three major tasks, including: - secondary data collection from local offices, - field investigations, primary data collection and identification of potential impacts, and - Conducting consultations with the project affected community and other key stakeholders. Relevant secondary data were collected from the various government offices of all the woredas connected by the project road. These offices include Woreda Administration Offices, (Pastoral) Agriculture and Rural Development Offices, Water and Mines Resources Development Offices, Land Administration and Environmental Protection Offices, Finance and Economic Development Office, Health Offices and Education Offices. In parallel with the secondary data collection from local offices, the ESIA team conducted intensive field surveys along the entire length of the project alignment and in other direct impact areas like the potential quarry and borrow sites, sand and water sources. This task, besides the acquisition of baseline data on environmental and social characteristics of the project area, enabled the Team to identify and register potentially affected resources located within the direct impact zones, and to have a clear understanding of the potential environmental impacts of the proposed road upgrading activities. During the surveys, special attention was paid to environmentally or socially sensitive areas or issues so that due emphasis would be given during the significance analysis of the identified impacts and development of corresponding mitigation measures. 6.3.7 Public and Stakeholders Consultations Consultations with key stakeholders including the project-affected people (PAP) located along the project alignment were made in order to inform them about the proposed road upgrading program, consult them and obtain relevant information on existing conditions or constraints of the study area. In addition, their opinions, information and concerns about potential environmental and social issues and their mitigation measures were gathered through informal discussions and interviews. The information and ideas obtained during the consultations are considered in the impact analysis and the key issues are summarized in Chapter 5, and the list of consulted persons and organizations are given in Appendix 1. In addition, Public Consultations were conducted at seven key locations along the project road. These include woreda centers and main villages found along the project road. The key stakeholders participated in the meetings include woreda and kebele administrators, heads or representatives of sector offices, representatives of the local community including elders, religious leaders, farmers, traders, women, youth and others. Information related to existing environmental and socioeconomic features of the project influence area, as well as the attitudes of the consulted parties towards the envisaged project were obtained during the meetings. These information and opinions have been considered in the impact analysis Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 4 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation and development of mitigation, management and monitoring plans. The details of the public consultation process and the key findings are described in Chapter 5, and the minutes of the meetings are presented in Appendix 2. 6.3.8 Impact Analysis Subsequent to the evaluation of the baseline conditions and analysis of stakeholders opinions, positive as well as negative environmental and social impacts likely to result from construction and operation of the proposed road project have been identified, predicted and analyzed for significance. The possible impacts have been assessed being classified as impacts on physical, biological, and socio-economic environments. The identified potential environmental and social impacts have also been analyzed for their status (beneficial/adverse), magnitude, geographical extent, duration in time, likelihood of occurrence, and potential for effective mitigation. The combination of these parameters have been summarized in an all-encompassing measure of “significance�, which is the basis for impact assessment and prioritization of mitigation. Corresponding to the significance of impacts, appropriate mitigation measures have been recommended to prevent or minimize the adverse impacts. The details of the impact analysis are presented in Chapter 6. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 5 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE ROAD PROJECT 2.1. Project Location The Kombolcha– Bati– Mile road is geographically located in the Northeastern part of Ethiopia. Administrative wise, it is situated in the South Wello and Oromia Zones of the Amhara NRS and Zone 1 of the Afar NRS. The project alignment starts at Kombolcha town, at the roundabout on the former section of the Addis – Desse –Mekele trunk road, and runs in eastward direction passing through the towns of Bati (km 42) and Elwiha (km 90) and terminates at Mille junction, about 10km before the town of Mille. Kombolcha is found at 370km from Addis Ababa along the Addis Ababa –Mekele asphalt road. The termination point is 505km from Addis Ababa along the Addis – Nazareth – Awash – Mille trunk road. The project road directly connects the Amhara and Afar National Regional States, and is useful for importing and exporting goods to and from Ethiopia since it constitutes an integral part of the Addis – Kombolcha – Mille - Djibouti road. 2.2. History and Existing Condition of the Project Road The existing Kombolcha– Bati– Mile road is 130km long. The road was designed by Carl Bro International in association with DANA Consult PLC in 2003, and the designed length of the road is 128km. The 2km reduction from the existing road length is related to realignments and alignment improvements. ERA launched the current project to get the previous design reviewed to conform to its current standards. The road was constructed during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia as part of the Addis Ababa – Kombolcha – Mille – Assab Road. The Road was constructed to connect the Assab Port to the other parts of Ethiopia and it was the major Trunk Road for the import and export of goods to and from the Country till the year 1994. The Addis Ababa – Kombolcha – Mille – Assab Road has become an alternate road for the transportation of some of the import and export goods to and from Ethiopia after the Addis Ababa – Nazareth – Awash – Mille trunk road was constructed and since Ethiopia has been using the port of Djibouti. The whole length of the road was constructed first by telford base (hand laid stone) constructed directly on sub-grade and blinded with crushed aggregate on top of it. The existing road has an average width of 6.5m. Currently, the first 42km (km 0 to km 42) section is surfaced by cold mix overlay on top of DBST and the last 10km (km 120.6 to km 130) of the project road is surfaced with DBST. The remaining portion of the project road (km 42 to km 120.6) is gravel surfaced. The section of the road fromkm0 to km42 was overlaid with cold mix by the Kombolcha District of ERA in 1996. The gravel surfaced part from km 80 to km 122 was resurfaced in the year 1995 and 1996 by the District. There is an existing tunnel at km12.4, which is 40m long, that was drilled from solid rock and the inside is paved at full width with asphalt road. The existing tunnel has a half circle plain concrete arch (50cm thick, 9m diameter and 4m long) placed on rectangular section of stone masonry wall (2m height, 9m width and 4m long) both at the inlet and outlet of the tunnel. The interior part of the tunnel (32m long) is drilled and left chiselled rough surfaced rock. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 6 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation The road has many bridges and about 570 other cross drainage structures in the form of box culverts and pipes. More additional cross drainage structures are needed in order to safely drain surface runoff across the road. The control points of the road are Kombolcha (start of the project), Bati (km 42) and Mille towns (end of the project). In addition, there are several small towns and villages along the project route, the major ones being Degan (km 23), Gerba (28.50) and Elwiha (km 90). 2.3. The Design Standard of the Proposed Upgrading Based on annual average daily traffic (AADT) and functional classification of the road, the ERA DS4 standard is adopted for the upgrading of the Kombolcha – Bati – Millie road. According the ERA Geometric Design Manual, the features of DS4 standard are given in the following Table. Design Element Unit Flat Rolling Mount Escarp Urban Design speed km/h 85 70 60 50 50 Carriageway width M 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 14.0 Shoulder width M 1.5 1.5 0.5 0.5 - Min. horizontal M 270 175 125 85 85 curve radius Max. gradient % 6 7 9 9 9 (absolute) The upgrading project will follow the existing alignment in general. Realignment has been introduced at km 9.5 for traffic safety reason and also to shorten the alignment by 550m; the location of this realignment section is shown in Figure 3.1. Significant horizontal curve improvement is made, though some departures to horizontal curves are necessitated due to prevailing terrain conditions. Road width has been is widened to meet the design standard. The investigations on the availability of construction materials have shown that there are well distributed ample sources of construction materials in the project route corridor. The materials investigation study has identified and proposed 18 locations for natural gravel for sub-base construction, 5 locations for stone quarry for aggregate production for concrete and pavement works, 4 locations for sand quarry for concrete works, and 4 water sources, which are perennial rivers. Based on the detailed condition survey of the existing drainage structures and the prevailing hydrologic/hydraulics condition, it is recommended that 20 bridges and 287 culverts are required to be replaced by new structures mostly due to structural failure. The recommendation also includes rehabilitation of 32 bridges and extension of 260 culverts. In addition, 15 new bridges and 35 new culverts need to be constructed. Furthermore, 15 bridges would be changed to major culverts and 6 culverts to bridges. Thus, the road upgrading project would involve a total of 73 bridges and a total of 597 culverts. Of these structures, 5 bridges have spans ranging from 30m to 60m. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 7 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation In terms of labour force requirement, each contract is expected to involve 200 to 250 skilled and unskilled labourers. Regarding camp facilities, each contract will have one main campsite and may have 2 to 3 sub-campsites as necessary. The project is likely to involve blasting at a number of sections in order to excavate in hard rock formation for widening the road width and improving horizontal curves. The stretches that are expected to involve excavation in rock possibly requiring blasting are shown in the Table below. Start Station End Station Excavation Material type 10+700 11+400 Rock 12+100 12+140 Rock 13+440 20+540 Rock 43+640 45+300 Rock 45+600 52+800 Rock 53+100 54+000 Rock 59+400 64+800 Rock 65+100 69+650 Rock 71+700 71+810 Rock 72+200 75+600 Rock 78+100 79+100 Rock 81+700 82+100 Rock 82+700 83+700 Rock Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 8 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Figure 3.1 Location Map of the Realignment Section at Km 9.5 Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 9 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 3. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES, LEGISLATIONS AND GUIDLINES The policies, legislations and guidelines which govern the way in which environmental and social assessments are conducted in Ethiopia, and the framework in which the environmental and social management of the proposed road works would be undertaken have been identified and reviewed during the EIA process. These are briefly described in the following sections. 3.1. The Constitution of FDRE The Constitution of Ethiopia (Procl. No. 1/1995), adopted in August 1995, contains a number of articles, which are relevant to environmental matters in connection with development projects, as well as to the environment in general, and forms the fundamental basis for the development of specific environmental legislative instruments. In the section, which deals with democratic rights, Article 43 gives the right to people to improved living standards and to sustainable development. Article 92 of Chapter 10 (which sets out national policy principles and objectives), includes the following significant environmental objectives: • Government shall endeavor to ensure that all Ethiopians live in a clean and healthy environment (Article 44 states that all persons have the right to a clean and healthy environment) • Development projects shall not damage or destroy the environment • People have the right to full consultation and the expression of views in the planning and implementation of environmental policies and projects that affect them directly • Government and citizens shall have the duty to protect the environment Article 40 states that ownership of both urban and rural land is vested in the State and the people, and is common property, which is not subject to sale or other means of exchange. Peasants have the right to obtain land without payment, and are protected against eviction from land in their possession. Full right to immovable property and permanent improvements to land is vested in individuals who have built the property or made the improvements, but government may expropriate such property for public purposes, subject to the payment in advance of compensation commensurate to the value of the property or alternative means of compensation, including relocation with adequate State assistance. 3.2. Relevant Policies and Strategies 6.3.9 Environmental Policy of Ethiopia The Environmental Policy of Ethiopia (EPE) of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) was approved by the Council of Ministers in April 1997 (EPA/MEDAC 1997). It is based on the Conservation Strategy of Ethiopia (CSE), which was developed through a consultative process over the period 1989-1995. The policy has the broad aim of rectifying previous policy failures and deficiencies, which in the past, have led to serious environmental degradation. It is fully integrated and compatible with the overall long-term economic development strategy of the country, known as Agricultural Development-Led Industrialization (ADLI), and other key national policies. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 10 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation The EPE’s overall policy goal may be summarized in terms of the improvement and enhancement of the health and quality of life of all Ethiopians, and the promotion of sustainable social and economic development through the adoption of sound environmental management principles. Specific policy objectives and key guiding principles are set out clearly in the EPE, and expand on various aspects of the overall goal. The policy contains sectoral and cross-sectoral policies and also has provisions required for the appropriate implementation of the policy itself. The section of the EPE concerning EIA sets out a number of policies, key elements of which may be summarized as follows:  Recognition of the need for EIA to address social, socio-economic, political and cultural impacts, in addition to physical and biological impacts, and for public consultation to be integrated within EIA procedures  Incorporation of impact containment measures within the design process for both public and private sector development projects, and for mitigation measures and accident contingency plans to be incorporated within Environmental Impact Statements (EISs)  Creation of a legal framework for the EIA process, together with a suitable and coordinated institutional framework for the execution and approval of EIAs and environmental audits  Development of detailed technical sectoral guidelines for EIA and environmental auditing  Development of EIA and environmental auditing capacity and capabilities within the Environmental Protection Authority, sectoral ministries and agencies, as well as in the regions The thorough and holistic approach taken to development of the policy and, in particular, recognition of the importance of addressing cross-sectoral environmental issues, has led to a national approach to environmental management, which is not only comprehensive, but also provides a sound and rational basis for addressing the environmental problems faced by the country now and those which are anticipated over the next decade. 6.3.10 Conservation Strategy of Ethiopia Since the early 1990s, the Federal Government of Ethiopia has undertaken a number of initiatives to develop regional, national and sectoral strategies for environmental conservation and protection. Paramount amongst these was Conservation Strategy of Ethiopia (CSE), approved by the Council of Ministers, which provided a strategic framework for integrating environmental planning into new and existing policies, programs and projects. The CSE is approved by the Federal Government, and it is an important policy document. The CSE itself provides a comprehensive and rational approach to environmental management in a very broad sense, covering national and regional strategies, sectoral and cross-sectoral policies, action plans and programmes, as well as providing the basis for development of appropriate institutional and legal frameworks for implementation. The plan comprehensively presented the exiting situation within the country and gave priority actions plan on the short and medium term. In particular, it recognizes the importance of Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 11 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation incorporating environmental factors into development activities from the outset, so that planners may take into account environmental protection as an essential component of economic, social and cultural development. Regional States were given the responsibility to prepare regional conservation strategies, detailing with the specific conditions and environmental issues prevalent in their territory, and outlining the ways in which problems were to be addressed. Following CSE, the Regional States have prepared Conservation Strategy document for their respective Regions. 6.3.11 Policies on Land Tenure, Expropriation and Compensation The constitution of the FDRE spells out the situation regarding the ownership of rural and urban land, as well as all natural resources, and states that land is the property of the state/ public and does not require compensation. The Constitution gives every person the ownership right for the property he has invested on the land, and in this regard Article 40 (7) states that every Ethiopian shall have the full right of ownership of the immovable property he builds and to the permanent improvements he brings about on the land by his labour or capital investment. If the land that is legally occupied by an individual is expropriated by the government for public use, that person is entitled to compensation. In this regard, Article 44 (2) of the Constitution states that all persons who have been displaced or whose livelihoods have been adversely affected as a result of state programs have the right to commensurate monetary or alternative means of compensation, including relocation with adequate state assistance. Moreover, the government shall pay fair compensation for property found on the land, but the amount of compensation shall not take into account the value of the land. Proclamation No. 55/1993, Article 5. 2(k), states that ERA shall use, free of charge, land and such other resources and quarry substances for the purpose of construction of highways, camps, storage of equipment and other required services, provided, however, that it shall pay compensation in accordance with the law for properties on the land it uses. The Right-of-Way (RoW) is the land allocated and preserved by the law for the public use in road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance work. Thus, property within those limits could be removed/ demolished by the Road Authority. 6.3.12 Sectoral policies The Government of Ethiopia has issued several sectoral and cross sectoral policies that considers environmental issues for sustainable development. Among these, the ones which are most relevant are described below. i) Water Resource Policy The Ministry of Water Resources formulated the Federal Water Resource Policy in 1998 for comprehensive and integrated water resource management. The overall goal of the water resources policy is to enhance and promote all national efforts towards the efficient and optimum utilisation of the available water resources for socio-economic development on sustainable bases. The document includes policies to establish and institutionalise environment conservation and protection requirements as integral parts of water resources planning and project development. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 12 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation ii) Wildlife Policy The Wildlife Policy was developed in 2006 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The prime objective of the policy is to create conducive environment for the preservation, development and sustainable utilisation of Ethiopia’s wildlife resources for social and economic development and for the integrity of the biosphere/ biodiversity. It covers a wide range of policies and strategies relating, amongst others, to wildlife conservation and protected areas with four categories from the highest protection ranking ‘National Park’, followed by ‘Game Reserve’ and ‘Sanctuary’ to ‘Controlled Hunting Area’. iii) National Policy on Biodiversity Conservation, Research and Development The policy contains policy directives with regard to the need to explore, collect, characterize, evaluate, conserve and utilize biodiversity. The need to regulate access to genetic resources through various measures, including legislation and building appropriate institutional structures and mechanisms is also mentioned. Strengthening capacity for information collection and documentation, encouraging networking and generally integration of biodiversity conservation, research and development elements in education and general awareness programmes are considered important. The policy directives emphasize the importance of community participation in the conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity resources together with the need to provide for access and benefit sharing for communities to and from biodiversity resources. iv) National Population Policy This Policy was issued in April 1993 and aims at closing the gap between high population growth and low economic productivity through a planned reduction in population growth combined with an increase in economic returns. With specific reference to natural resources, the main objectives of National Population Policy are:  making population and economic growth compatible and the over-exploitation of natural resources unnecessary;  ensuring spatially balanced population distribution patterns, with a view to maintaining environmental security and extending the scope of development activities;  improving productivity of agriculture and introducing off-farm/ non-agricultural activities for the purpose of employment diversification; and  Maintaining and improving the accommodating capacity of the environment by taking appropriate environmental protection and conservation measures. v) Ethiopia’s Health Policy Ethiopia’s health policy was issued in 1993, with the aim of giving special attention to women and children, to neglected regions and segments of the population, and to victims of man-made disasters. The priority areas of the policy are in the fields of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) of health to create awareness and behavioural change of the society towards health issues. Emphasis is placed on  the control of communicable diseases, epidemics, and of diseases that are related to malnutrition and poor living conditions,  promotion of occupational health and safety, Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 13 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation  the development of environmental health,  rehabilitation of health infrastructures,  appropriate health service management systems,  attention to traditional medicines,  carrying out applied health research,  provision of essential medicines, and  Expansion of frontline and middle level health professionals. vi) National HIV/AIDS Policy and ERA’s HIV/AIDS Policy at Work Places Ethiopia is one of the countries in the world that is facing HIV/AIDS pandemics. Having understood the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its paramount impacts on the socio- economic development of the country, the FDRE issued a Policy on HIV/AIDS in 1998, which calls for an integrated effort of multi-sectoral response to control the epidemic. The National HIV/AIDS Policy urges communities at large, including government ministries, local governments and the civil society to assume responsibility for carrying out HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaigns. The general objective of the policy is to provide an enabling environment for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in the country. In order to address the problem and coordinate the prevention and control activities at national level, in 2000 National AIDS Council was established under the Chairmanship of the country’s President, and in 2002 HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office was established. The transport sector, to which ERA belongs, is among the most susceptible sectors for the spread of HIV/AIDS. It was in recognisance of this that ERA has issued Sectoral Policy for HIV/AIDS in the Work places of ERA in June 2004. The policy acknowledges that HIV/AIDS is a reality in the work places, which may have detrimental effects on its work force. The policy is prepared with the objectives of developing and implementing an effective workplace programme. Some of the policy objectives of ERA´s HIV/AIDS policy are to create awareness among its employees and promote effective ways to managing HIV/AIDS and to create supportive environment for those affected. The principles of the policy are to ensure that employees living with HIV/AIDS have the same right and obligations; to avoid discriminations and stigmatization of employees with HIV/AIDS to receive equal treatment; seek to minimize the social and development consequences, provide support counselling and educational services to infected and affected employees; to establish and maintain an employee assistance programme and ensure sustainable resource for the prevention and control. vii) National Policy on Women This Policy was issued in March 1993 emphasizing that all economic and social programs and activities should ensure equal access of men and women to the country’s resources and in the decision making process, so that they can benefit equally from all activities carried out by the Federal and Regional Institutions. Among the main policy objectives is that laws, regulations, systems, policies and development plans that are issued by the government should ensure the equality of men and women, and that special emphasis should be given to the participation of rural women. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 14 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 6.3.13 ERA’s Resettlement/Rehabilitation Policy Framework ERA’s resettlement/rehabilitation policy framework (RPF), issued in February 2002 and revised in December 2006, contains various elements that ERA should follow regarding compensation procedures. The RPF also clarifies the principles of reinforcement measures for the positive social impacts and mitigation measures for addressing negative social impacts induced by road projects. The policy framework stresses the need to consult and compensate project-affected persons (PAPs) in relation to resettlement/relocation and for loss of assets and properties that are affected due to construction of road projects. Regarding compensation procedures and establishing compensation rates, ERA establishes compensation committees at project area level by enlisting representatives from government offices and representatives of PAPs. The compensation committees have the function of conducting the registration of affected properties and the number of PAPs and determining the compensation rates. If a dispute arises regarding the amount of compensation to be paid to the project affected persons, recourse is available to the courts. However, aggrieved PAPs will also have a chance to make their complaints to the Right of Way (ROW) agent, the consultant and finally to the compensation committee. 6.3.14 The World Bank Safeguard Policies The main objectives of the World Bank Safeguard Policies are to ensure that environmental and social issues are evaluated in decision making, reduce and manage risk of project/program, and provide a mechanism for consultation and disclosure of information. The Bank Policies triggered by the project are briefly discussed below. (i) OP/BP 4.01 Environmental Assessment (EA) According to the World Bank Operational Policies (OP 4.01), the Bank requires environmental assessment (EA) of projects proposed for Bank financing to help ensure that they are environmentally sound and sustainable, and thus to improve decision making through appropriate analysis of actions and of their likely environmental impacts. The borrower is responsible for carrying out the EA. For Category A projects, the borrower retains independent EA experts not affiliated with the project to carry out the EA. The Bank advises the borrower on the Bank’s EA requirements. The Bank reviews the findings and recommendations of the EA to determine whether they provide an adequate basis for processing the project for Bank financing. When the borrower has completed or partially completed EA work prior to the Bank’s involvement in a project, the Bank reviews the EA to ensure its consistency with this policy. The Bank classifies the proposed project into one of four categories, depending on the type, location, sensitivity, and scale of the project and the nature and magnitude of its potential environmental impacts. The four categories are briefly described below. Category A: If a proposed project is likely to have significant adverse environmental impacts that are sensitive, diverse, or unprecedented. These impacts may affect an area broader than the sites or facilities subject to physical works. EA for a Category A project examines the project’s potential negative and positive environmental impacts, compares them with those of feasible alternatives (including the “without project� situation), and recommends any measures needed to prevent, minimize, mitigate, or compensate for adverse impacts and improve environmental performance. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 15 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Category B: A proposed project is classified as Category B if its potential adverse environmental impacts on human populations or environmentally important areas - including wetlands, forests, grasslands, and other natural habitats - are less adverse than those of Category A projects. These impacts are site-specific; few if any of them are irreversible; and in most cases mitigatory measures can be designed more readily than for Category A projects. The scope of EA for a Category B project is narrower than that of Category A EA. Like Category A EA, it examines the project’s potential negative and positive environmental impacts and recommends any measures needed to prevent, minimize, mitigate, or compensate for adverse impacts and improve environmental performance. The Kombolcha-Bati-Mille road project was considered as Category B Project because it is expected to cause several significant adverse environmental and social impacts, but they are less sensitive and manageable. Therefore, ESIA, which is compatible for a Category B Project, was carried out to assess the project’s potential environmental and social impacts and to recommend mitigation measures that would reduce the impacts to acceptable levels. Therefore, the mitigation measures recommended in this ESIA document should be implemented properly in order to prevent or minimize adverse impacts to acceptable levels. Category C: A proposed project is classified as Category C if it is likely to have minimal or no adverse environmental impacts. Beyond screening, no further EA action is required for a Category C project. Category FI: A proposed project is classified as Category FI if it involves investment of Bank funds through a financial intermediary, in subprojects that may result in adverse environmental impacts. (ii) OP/BP 4.04 Natural habitats This policy recognizes that the conservation of natural habitats is essential to safeguard their unique biodiversity and to maintain environmental services and products for human society and for long- term sustainable development. The Bank therefore supports the protection, management, and restoration of natural habitats in its project financing, as well as policy dialogue and economic and sector work. The Bank supports, and expects borrowers to apply, a precautionary approach to natural resource management to ensure opportunities for environmentally sustainable development. Natural habitats are land and water areas where most of the original native plant and animal species are still present. Natural habitats comprise many types of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems. They include areas lightly modified by human activities, but retaining their ecological functions and most native species. This policy may be triggered by the road project because the last about 23km section of the road alignment passes through a Wildlife Reserve, namely Mille-Sardo WR. As the project follows the alignment of the existing road, it is not expected to cause any significant damages on natural habitats. Nevertheless, as the Wildlife Reserve contains some threatened fauna that may move across the road, due attention need to be paid during the road works as well as its subsequent operation. (iii) Operational Policy/Bank Procedure 4.36 (forests policy) The Bank's current forests policy aims to reduce deforestation, enhance the environmental contribution of forested areas, promote forestation, reduce poverty, and encourage economic development. Combating deforestation and promoting sustainable forest conservation and Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 16 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation management have been high on the international agenda for two decades. As forests are home to at least half of all life forms on earth, and as two-thirds of the planet's original forest cover has gone, the biodiversity of the planet has been seriously affected. There is, however, growing recognition that wise forest management is critical to sustainable development, particularly where the local or national economy is based directly on the use of forest resources. In addition, forest ecosystems have major impacts on soil, water, and coastal marine productivity over very large areas. They also have a significant influence on the global carbon cycle, which plays a crucial role in local and global climate regulation. i. The Bank has finalized its revised approach to forestry issues, in recognition of the fact that forests play an increasingly important role in poverty alleviation, economic development and for providing local as well as global environmental services. ii. Success in establishing sustainable forest conservation and management practices depends not only on changing the behavior of all critical stakeholders, but also on a wide range of partnerships to accomplish what no country, government agency, donor, or interest group can do alone. The new Forest Strategy suggests three equally important and interdependent pillars to guide future Bank involvement with forests:  Harnessing the potential of forests to reduce poverty,  Integrating forests in sustainable economic development, and  Protecting vital local and global environmental services and forest values. The forestry policy should be read in conjunction with the Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04. (iv) OP/BP 4.11 Physical Cultural Resources The objective of OP/BP 4.11 on Physical Cultural Resources is to avoid, or mitigate, adverse impacts on cultural resources from development projects that the World Bank finances. Cultural resources are important as sources of valuable historical and scientific information, as assets for economic and social development, and as integral parts of a people's cultural identity and practices. The loss of such resources is irreversible, but fortunately, it is often avoidable. (v) OP/BP 4.12 Involuntary Resettlement The objective of this policy is to either avoid or minimize involuntary resettlement where feasible, exploring all viable alternative project designs; assist displaced persons in improving their former living standards, income earning capacity, and production levels, or at least in restoring them; encourage community participation in planning and implementing resettlement; and provide assistance to affected people regardless of the legality of land tenure. This policy is triggered by the road project since its implementation is expected to displace several families residing along the project road and cause loss of livelihood sources for many families as well. To address this issue, ERA through its Right-of-Way Branch in cooperation with concerned local offices will implement compensation and rehabilitation measures to relocate the affected families and to restore their means of living too. 3.3. Environmental Framework Legislations This section describes briefly the legislations that are aimed at advancing environmental protection and sustainable use of natural as well as man-made resources. 6.3.15 Proclamation on Establishment of Environmental Protection Organs This Proclamation (No. 295/2002) came into effect in 20002 and its objective was to assign responsibilities to separate organizations for environmental development and management activities on one hand, and environmental protection, regulations and monitoring on the other, in Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 17 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation order to ensure sustainable use of environmental resources, thereby avoiding possible conflicts of interest and duplication of effort. It is also intended to establish a system that fosters coordinated but differentiated responsibilities among environmental protection agencies at federal and regional levels. The Proclamation re-established the EPA as an autonomous public institution of the FDRE. It also empowers every Sector Ministry or Agency to establish or designate an Environmental Unit (Sectoral Environmental Unit) that shall be responsible for coordination and follow-up so that the activities of the ministry or competent agency are in harmony with this Proclamation and with other environmental protection requirements. Furthermore, the Proclamation stated that each regional state should establish an independent regional environmental agency or designates an existing agency that shall be responsible for environmental monitoring, protection and regulation in their respective regional states. 6.3.16 Proclamation on Environmental Impact Assessment This Proclamation (Proc. No. 299/2002) was issued in December 2002 with the aim to make an EIA mandatory for specified categories of activities undertaken either by the public or private sectors and to ensure EIA as a legal tool for environmental planning, management and monitoring. The Proclamation elaborates on considerations with respect to the assessment of positive and negative impacts and states that the impact of a project shall be assessed on the basis of the size, location, nature, cumulative effect with other concurrent impacts or phenomena, trans-regional context, duration, reversibility or irreversibility or other related effects of a project. Categories of projects that will require full EIA, not full EIA or no EIA are provided. To effect the requirements of this Proclamation, the EPA has issued a Procedural and Technical EIA Guidelines, which provide details of the EIA process and its requirements. 6.3.17 Proclamation on Environmental Pollution Control This Proclamation, Proc. No. 300/2002, is mainly based on the right of each citizen to have a healthy environment, as well as on the obligation to protect the environment of the Country and its primary objective is to provide the basis from which the relevant ambient environmental standards applicable to Ethiopia can be developed, and to make the violation of these standards a punishable act. The Proclamation states that the “polluter pays� principle will be applied to all persons. Under this proclamation, the EPA is given the mandate for the creation of the function of Environmental Inspectors. These inspectors (to be assigned by EPA or regional environmental agencies) are given the authority to ensure implementation and enforcement of environmental standards and related requirements. 6.3.18 Proclamation on Development, Conservation and Utilization of Wildlife This Proclamation (No. 541/2007) came into effect in August 2007 and its major objectives are to conserve, manage, develop and properly utilize the wildlife resources of Ethiopia; to create conditions necessary for discharging government obligations assumed under treaties regarding the conservation, development and utilization of wildlife; and to promote wildlife-based tourism and to encourage private investment. Under its Part two, the Proclamation provides the categories of Wildlife Conservation Areas to be designated and administered by the Federal Government, Regional States, Private Investors, and Local Communities. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 18 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Part three of the Proclamation contains provisions related to economic activities that may be undertaken within a wildlife conservation area, wildlife resource based tourism, and trading in wildlife and their products. Finally, Part four of the Proclamation comprises Miscellaneous Provisions that include Powers and Duties of the MoARD, Regional States and Wildlife Anti- Poaching Officers, Penalty, Repeal and Savings, and Inapplicable Laws. 6.3.19 Proclamation on Forest Development, Conservation and Utilization Proclamation No. 542/2007, issued in September 2007, provides for the development, conservation and sustainable utilization of forests in satisfying the needs of the society for forest products and in the enhancement of national economy in general. It provides the basis for sustainable utilization of the country’s forest resources. The Proclamation categories types of forest ownership as private forest and state forest. The Proclamation then goes on to give some specific direction for the development and utilization of private and state forests. Part two of the Proclamation contains provisions for the Promotion of the Utilization of Private Forest, while Part three gives provisions for Conservation, Development and Administration of State Forest. Lastly, Part four comprises Miscellaneous Provisions that, among others, include prevention of forest fire, production and movement of forest products, prohibitions, forest guards and inspectors of forest products movement, and powers and duties of the MoARD and Regional States. 6.3.20 Proclamation on Expropriation of Land Holdings and Payment of Compensation This Proclamation, Proc. No. 455/2005, issued in July 2005, deals with appropriation of land for development works carried out by the government and determination of compensation for a person whose landholding has been expropriated. It includes provisions on power to expropriate landholdings, notification of expropriation order, responsibility for the implementing agency, and procedures for removal of utility lines. According to the Proclamation, the power to expropriate landholdings mainly rests on Woreda or urban administration authorities. Article 3 (1) of the Proclamation states that a Woreda or an urban administration shall, upon payment in advance of compensation in accordance with this Proclamation, have the power to expropriate rural or urban landholdings for public purpose where it believes that it should be used for a better development project to be carried out by public entities, private investors, cooperative societies or other organs, or where such expropriation has been decided by the appropriate higher regional or federal government organ for the same purpose. In addition, the Proclamation deals with determination of compensation having articles on the basis and amount of compensation, displacement compensation, valuation of property, property valuation committees, complaints and appeals in relation to compensation. As per this Proclamation, a land holder whose holding has been expropriated shall be entitled to payment for compensation for his property situated on the land for permanent improvements he made to such land, and the amount compensation for property situated on the expropriated land shall be determined on the basis of replacement cost of the property. For houses in urban areas, the amount of compensation should not be less than the current market value of construction. In addition to the amount of compensation for the property expropriated, the Proclamation also gives a provision for cost of removal, transportation and erection. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 19 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 6.3.21 Proclamation on Rural Land Administration and Land Use This Proclamation, Proc. No. 456/2005, came into effect in July 2005, and its objective was to conserve and develop natural resources in rural areas by promoting sustainable land use practices. In order to encourage farmers and pastoralists to implement measures to guard against soil erosion, the Proclamation introduces a Rural Land Holding Certificate, which provides a level of security of tenure. The MoARD is charged with executing the Proclamation by providing support and coordinating the activities of the regional authorities. Regional governments have an obligation to establish a competent organization to implement the rural land administration and land use law. According the Proclamation where land, which has already been registered, is to be acquired for public works, compensation commensurate with the improvements made to the land shall be paid to the land use holder or substitute land shall be offered. The Proclamation imposes restrictions on the use of various categories of land, for example wetland areas, steep slopes, land dissected by gullies, etc. 6.3.22 Proclamation on Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage Proclamation No. 209/2000 provides legal framework for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage. The Proclamation establishes the Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ARCCH) as a government institution with a juridical personality. In addition, it has provisions for management, exploration, discovery and study of Cultural Heritage and miscellaneous provisions. As defined in the Proclamation, the objectives of the Authority (ARCCH) are to carry out a scientific registration and supervision of Cultural Heritage; protect Cultural Heritage against man- made and natural disasters; enable the benefits of Cultural Heritage assist in the economic and social development of the country; and discover and study Cultural Heritage. Article 41 of the Proclamation is on Fortuitous Discovery of Cultural Heritage and Sub-Article (1) states that, any person who discovers any Cultural Heritage in the course of an excavation connected to mining explorations, building works, road construction or other similar activities or in the course of any other fortuitous event, shall forthwith report same to the Authority, and shall protect and keep same intact, until the Authority (ARCCH) takes delivery thereof. Connected to this, Sub-Article (2) states that, the Authority shall, upon receipt of a report submitted pursuant to Sub-Article (1) hereof, take all appropriate measures to examine, take delivery of, and register the Cultural Heritage so discovered. 6.3.23 Proclamation on Ethiopian Water Resources Management Proclamation No. 197/2000, issued in March 2000, provides legal requirements for Ethiopian water resources management, protection and utilization. The aim of the Proclamation was to ensure that water resources of the country are protected and utilized for the highest social and economic benefits, to follow up and supervise that they are duly conserved, ensure that harmful effects of water use prevented, and that the management of water resources is carried out properly. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 20 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 6.3.24 Proclamation on Public Health The Public Health Proclamation (No. 200/2000) entered into force as of March 9, 2000. Objectives of the Proclamation include enhancing popular participation in implementing the country’s health sector policy, promoting attitudinal changes through primary health care approach and promoting healthy environment for the future generation. The Proclamation has five parts. Part one is called ‘General’, and focuses on titles and definitions. Part two and three deal with establishment, powers and duties of an Advisory Board and Appointment of Inspectors respectively. Part four is very comprehensive with 11 articles and other numerous sub-articles on public health. The major articles under part four of this Proclamation include: food quality control, food standard requirements, water quality control, occupational health control and use of machinery, waste handling and disposal, availability of toilet facilities, control of bathing places and pools, disposal of dead bodies, control at entrance and exit ports, communicable diseases and the requirement of health permit and registration before resumption and after completion of construction. Part five is on Miscellaneous Provisions – including obligation to cooperate, penalty, repealed and applicable laws, power to issue regulations, power to issue directives and effective date. 6.3.25 Proclamation for Establishment of Amhara EPLAUA Proclamation No. 47/2000 of the Council of the Amhara NRS establishes the Environmental Protection, Land Administration and Utilization Authority (EPLAUA) as an autonomous body that is accountable to the executive committee and the president of the NRS. According to the Proclamation, the main objective of the EPLAUA is ensure that the region’s social and economic development activities are carried out in a manner that will protect the welfare of human beings as well as sustainable protection, development and utilization of the resources. In addition, it has the objective to create conducive atmosphere by which the management, administration and use of rural land of the region could be appropriately decided pursuant to federal and regional constitutions. 6.3.26 Proclamation on Rural Land Administration and Use of Amhara NRS The Amhara Regional Council, in accordance with the powers vested on it under Sub-article 3(1) of Article 49 of the Regional Constitution and Sub-article 1 of Article 17 of the federal Proclamation No. 456/2005, issued a Proclamation (Procl. No. 133/2006) to provide for the Revised Rural Land Administration and Use of the Amhara NRS. According to Article 5(1) of this Proclamation the right to ownership of land is vested in the state and the public, and it is impossible to transfer the land holding to other in sale or in exchange by another property. Article 11(1) proclaims that the holdings of any person are respected by law, and no person shall be expropriated from his holdings without his consent, unless it is done by re-distribution according to decision of people or for the purpose of public interest. 6.3.27 Regulations on Payment of Compensation for Property Situated on Landholdings Expropriated for Public Purposes Regulations No. 135/2007, came into force in July 2007, deal with payment of compensation for property situated on landholdings expropriated for public purposes. These Regulations were issued by the Council of Ministers pursuant to Article 5 of the Definition of Powers and Duties of the Executive Organs of the FDRE Proclamation No. 471/2005 and Article 14(1) of the Proclamation Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 21 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation No. 455/2005 (discussed under 2.2.7) with an objective of not only paying compensation but also to assist displaced persons to restore their livelihood. The Regulations contain provisions on assessment of compensation for various property types (including buildings, fences, crops, trees and protected grass), permanent improvement of rural land, relocation of property, mining license, burial ground, and formula for calculating the amount of compensation. In addition, it has provisions for replacement of urban land and rural land, displacement compensation for land used for crops, protected grass or grazing, and provisional expropriation of rural land. Further, the Regulations contain provisions that specify properties for which compensation is not payable and regarding furnishing of data to compensation committee, records of property, evidence of possession and ownership, and valuation costs. 3.4. International Conventions and Protocols In addition to national environmental legislations, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is also a party to a number of Regional and International Conventions and Protocols on Environment. The Government has established an Environmental Protection Authority, and this Authority is designated as focal point for the implementation of these conventions and protocols. These Conventions and Protocols are as follow: 6.3.28 Convention on Biological Diversity The general objectives of the biological diversity convention are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. The convention encourages countries to establish a system of protected areas where special measures need to be taken to conserve biological diversity. Ethiopia signed this convention on 10 June, 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, and ratified it through proclamation 98/94 on May 31, 1994. 6.3.29 Framework Convention on Climate Change The ultimate objective of this convention is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interferences to the climate system. This convention takes into account the fact that climate change has trans-boundary impacts. The convention commits countries to adopt national policies and take corresponding measures on the mitigation of climate change by limiting its anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases and protecting and enhancing its greenhouse sinks and reservoirs. Ethiopia has ratified the convention by Proclamation No. 97/1994on May 2/1994. 6.3.30 Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change To further strengthen the commitments of countries to implement the Convention on Climate Change there was a need for a refined protocol that helps in implementing and elaborating polices and measures in accordance with national circumstances. The Kyoto protocol promotes sustainable development through protection and enhancement of sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases. 6.3.31 The Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer The basic objective of the Convention is to combat the negative impact on the environment and human beings resulting from ozone depleting substances by reducing the amounts released and Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 22 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation eventually banning their commercial use through internationally agreed measures. The Montreal Protocol entered into force in 1989 to facilitate the implementation of the convention. Ethiopia ratified and become party to the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol in January 1996. The National Meteorological Services Agency has been mandated for the coordination and supervision of implementation of this convention. 6.3.32 The United Nations Conventions to Combat Desertification The objective of the convention is to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of droughts in countries experiencing serious drought and /or desertification, particularly in Africa. Ethiopia has ratified the convention through its proclamation no. 80/1997. 6.3.33 The Basel convention The objective of the Basel Convention is to control and regulate the trans- boundary movement of hazardous wastes. The Bamako Convention of 1991 plays a similar role at the level of the African continent. Ethiopia ratified the Basel Convention through its Proclamation No. 357/2002. Its amendment was ratified through Proclamation No. 356/2002. The country has also ratified the Bamako Convention through Proclamation No. 355/2002. 6.3.34 The Stockholm Convention In the year 2002, Ethiopia fully accepted and ratified the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants by Proclamation No. 279/2002 designed to ban the use of persistent organic pollutants. The Environmental Protection Authority has the full mandate to implement the convention at the national level. 6.3.35 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora The objectives of the convention are to control international trade in endangered species and to ensure that international trade in non-endangered species is carried out in a manner which ensures stable markets and economic benefits for the exporting countries as well as to control and regulate illegal trade in such non endangered species, fossils and/ or their derivatives. Ethiopia ratified the convention through Proclamation 14/1970. The mandate to implement the convention at federal level is the responsibility of the Ethiopian Wildlife Protection and Development Organization. 3.5. Environmental Assessment Guidelines 6.3.36 EPA’s EIA Guidelines With a view to implement the environmental laws, environmental guidelines have been issued by the EPA. Among these are the technical and procedural EIA guidelines, which were issued in 2000 and 2003 respectively. They are intended to guide developers, competent agencies and other stakeholders in carrying out EIAs. The procedural guideline details the required procedures for conducting an EIA, the permit requirements, the stages and procedures involved in EIA process, and the roles and responsibilities of parties involved in the EIA process. It also includes the categories of projects (schedule of activities) concerning the requirement of EIA, and list of project types under each category. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 23 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation The technical guideline (Guideline Document, 200) provides a background to environmental impact assessment and environmental management in Ethiopia. The document aims at being a reference source to ensure effective environmental assessment and management practice in Ethiopia for all parties who engage in the process. The long-term objectives of the EIA system as set out by the EPA are:  Conservation and sustainable use of natural resources  Integration of environmental considerations in development planning processes Protection and enhancement of the quality of all life forms  Attainment of environmentally and socially sound and sustainable development. The document details the required procedures for conducting an EIA in Ethiopia, and the requirements for environmental management. These requirements are presented on a step by-step basis. In addition, the document specifies tools that may be considered when engaging in the EIA process. Reference is made to the legislation and policies that potential investors and developers must comply with in Ethiopia, and key issues for environmental assessment in specific development sectors are detailed for consideration. In addition, the EIA Guideline provides the categories of projects concerning the requirement of EIA, and lists project types under each category. In this Guideline projects are categorized under three schedules: Schedule 1: Projects which may have adverse and significant environmental impacts and therefore require a full Environmental Impact Assessment. Schedule 2: Projects whose type, scale or other relevant characteristics have potential to cause some significant environmental impacts but are not likely to warrant a full EIA study. Schedule 3: Projects which would have no impact and do not require an EIA. However, projects located in environmentally sensitive areas such as land prone to erosion, land prone to desertification, areas of historic or archaeological interest, scenic landscape, religiously important areas etc. should be treated as equivalent to schedule 1 activities irrespective of the nature of the project. An initial screening of the project road has been undertaken using the EPA EIA guidelines. According to the guidelines the Kombolcha-Bati-Mille road project falls under schedule 1, requiring a full EIA. The main reason being that the project is traverses through some areas categorized in the guidelines as ‘environmentally sensitive areas’. These include areas with erosion-prone soils and areas prone to desertification. Also the size and scale of the project requires full scale EIA. 6.3.37 ERA's Environmental Procedure Manual In order to standardize environmental procedures for design of new roads and rehabilitation of existing roads, the ERA, in consultation with the EPA, has prepared an Environmental Procedures Manual for the use and technical guidance of design personnel of the ERA and consultants preparing projects for the Authority. In the Manual two project categories are described as follows: Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 24 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Category I Projects: Projects requiring a full EIA study These are projects that are likely to have significant impacts on the environment. Therefore, a self- standing EIA is required that in turn requires specific Terms of Reference for its fulfillment. Projects of such nature may include new/upgrading of major roads, new/upgrading of regional roads, and other works of similar extent. Category II Projects: Projects requiring an initial EIA These are road projects that have the potential to cause some significant environmental impacts but not likely to warrant a detailed EIA study. These are projects like rehabilitation of roads, and other works of similar extent. According to this manual, the Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project should be subjected to a full scale environmental and social assessment study, i.e. Category I Project. The Manual outlines standard methods and procedures for a step-by-step approach to environmental management activities to be conducted during each phase of the road project cycle, including the preparation and supervision of works contracts as well as the execution of road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance works. 6.3.38 ERA’s Standard Technical Specifications ERA prepared the Standard Technical Specifications (2002) which specifies among others acceptable environmental standards for the preparation of the road project design and contract document. The standard under division 1600 deals with environmental protection and mitigation measures. It mainly covers landscape preservation, temporary soil erosion control, preservation of trees and shrubbery, preservation of water pollution, abatement of air, dust, noise and lighting pollution, preservation of historical, archaeological and cultural remains and clean up and disposal of waste materials. Moreover, under division 1400 it deals with accommodation, sanitary arrangements, water and other social services. These standards specified regarding the social and environmental protection have been used appropriately in the preparation of this ESIA study. 3.6. Institutional and Administrative Framework 6.3.39 Federal and Regional Administration The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) was formally established on August 21, 1995. The FDRE comprises of the Federal States with nine Regional State members. The new government structure takes power from the center to regions and localities. The relative roles of government at the different levels (Federal, Regional and Local) in terms of power and duties, including on fiscal matters, have been defined by the Constitution, Proclamations Nos. 33 of 1992, 41 of 1993, and 4 of 1995. Under these proclamations, duties and responsibilities of Regional States include planning, directing and developing social and economic programs, as well as the administration, development and protection of natural resources of their respective regions. The duties and responsibilities of the Regional States include planning, directing and developing social and economic programs as well as the administration, development and protection of natural resources of their respective regions. The basic administrative units in each Regional Government are the Woredas, which sub-units are the Kebeles. Further, based on their authority and Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 25 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation responsibilities the regional governments have established Sectoral Bureaus, Commissions and Authorities. 6.3.40 Environmental Protection Authority The National Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) was re-established under Proclamation No. 295/2002 as an autonomous public institution of the Federal Government of Ethiopia entrusted with the protection and conservation of natural resources in Ethiopia. The general role of the EPA is to provide for the protection and conservation of the broad environment, through formulation of policies, strategies, laws and standards, which foster social and economic development in a manner that enhance the welfare of humans and the safety of the environment sustainable. One of the environmental policies of the EPA is to protect and rehabilitate the fundamental causes that lead to degradation, adverse effects and determine mitigation measures. The policy is usually integrated and compatible to fit to a long term economic development strategy known as agricultural development-led industrialization (ADLI) and other key policies. As per sub-article 2 of article 6 of Proclamation No.9 of 1995, environmental development and management as well as protection in Ethiopia are designated. In this case the socio-environmental assessment needs to be reviewed and incorporated into different road project phases: at designing & planning, construction, monitoring, post-project evaluation and maintenance phases. The EPA is the Competent Agency at the Federal level in Ethiopia. It is, therefore, the responsibility of this authority in the EIA process to: • ensure that the proponent complies with requirements of the EIA process; • maintain co-operation and consultation between the different sectoral agencies throughout the EIA process; • maintain a close relationship with the proponent and to provide guidance on the process; and • Evaluate and take decisions on the documents that arise from the EIA process. 6.3.41 Sectoral Environmental Unit The Proclamation No. 295/2002, which is briefly described in section 2.2.2, requires at the Federal level each sectoral ministry to establish in-house Environmental Protection Unit to ensure harmony with respect to implementation of the environmental proclamations and other environmental protection requirements. This Unit forms a lower level inter-sectoral co-ordination structure. 6.3.42 Regional Environmental Agencies In accordance with the principles of government decentralization and the Proclamation no. 295/2002, each national regional state shall establish an independent Regional Environmental Agency or designate an existing agency that shall, based on the Ethiopian Environmental Policy and Conservation Strategy and ensuring public participation in the decision making process, be responsible for:  coordinating the formulation, implementation, review and revision of regional conservation strategies; and  Environmental monitoring, protection and regulation. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 26 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation The Proclamation also states that regional environmental agencies shall ensure the implementation of federal environmental standards or, as may be appropriate, issue and implement their own no less stringent standards. Finally, the Proclamation states that regional environmental agencies shall prepare reports on the respective state of the environment and sustainable development of their respective states and submit them to the EPA. The Amhara Environmental Protection, Land Administration and Use Authority is responsible for environmental protection matters in the Region. The Authority is responsible for the review and approval of EIA of development proposals under the mandate of the Regional Government and follow-up of the implementation of EIA recommendations of such proposals. Therefore, project proponents in the Region should operate in close cooperation with the Authority to ensure that the adverse environment effects of development proposals are properly identified and their mitigation or management actions incorporated in the project design or planning and implemented at the right time. Similar to the federal level, an Environmental Impact Study Report should be prepared by the project proponents and examined, commented and approved by the Authority. 6.3.43 Ethiopian Roads Authority The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) was established in 1951 through Proclamation No.63/1963 with responsibilities for the construction, improvement and maintenance of the Country’s road network. ERA is a legally autonomous agency and is in charge of the planning, construction and maintenance of trunk and major link roads, while responsibility of rural roads has been decentralized to regional Rural Road Authorities (RRAs). The highest body in the management hierarchy of ERA is the board. ERA was re-established by Proclamation No. 80/1997 and its objectives are to develop and administer highways and to ensure the standard of road construction and to create a proper condition on which the road network is co-ordinately promoted. Article 6 of the Proclamation provides the powers and duties of the Authority. Sub-article 18 guarantees the ERA to use, free of charge, land, quarry materials and such other resources required for the construction and maintenance of highways, camps, storage of equipment and other required services. This is, however, provided that ERA shall pay compensation in accordance with the law for properties on the land it uses. ERA’s environmental monitoring and safety branch (EMSB) ERA’s Environmental Monitoring and Safety Branch (EMSB) was established in January 1998 as Environmental Management Branch (EMB) under the Planning and Programme Division of the Engineering and Regulatory Department. EMSB’s major responsibilities are setting and implementing ERA’s environmental guidelines in support of the national level requirements. The EMSB holds the capacity of advisory, co-ordination and supervision aspects that are pertinent to the road environmental impacts and implication assessment as well as co-ordination with the respective ERA district offices. Right-of-Way (ROW) Branch The Right-of-Way Branch, which is under the Construction Contract Administration Division, is responsible for making available the required land for road/highway construction and maintenance, the establishment of materials sources (borrow pits and quarries) and camp sites and for implementation of Resettlement Action Plans (RAP). Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 27 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Right-of-Way Branch in liaison with the respective regional/local authorities, Woreda councils, Kebele administrations and community representatives establishes the required compensation for structures, crop, vegetation and others, and effects payments to the project affected people. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 28 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 4. DESCRIPTION OF BASELINE CONDITION 4.1. Physical Environment 6.3.44 Topography The altitude of the project route corridor ranges from about 1900m to 500m asl. The highest elevation, i.e. 1900m asl is at the start of the project in Kombolcha town, and the road descends to 1500m asl around Bati town and further to 1080m asl around Derse Gita (Kassa Gita) village at km69.8. It further descends to 600m asl around km 90, and to 500m asl around end of the project at km130 (Mille junction). From Kombolcha to Bati at km 42 the terrain is from mountainous to hilly and mostly in cuts with high steep side slopes and many sharp and hairpin curves and one small tunnel at km 12.3. The steep side slopes are composed of rock in different state from hard weathered to soft highly decomposed conditions, but generally the slopes are stable. From Bati to Elwiha at km 91 the terrain on the first 18 km is similar to Kombolcha-Bati section. The road is mostly in cuts with high steep side slopes and sharp curves. The materials encountered along road corridor in cut section are mostly weathered rock and slopes are stable. On the remaining 31km the terrain is from hilly to rolling and the road is in cuts and fills. From Elwiha the road traverses a plain area with short sections of hilly grounds. The road is mostly on fills and the alignment traverses this landscape with very few curves. In the majority of the project road section, i.e. from km 49 to km 130, the horizontal alignment of the road can be characterized as a straight alignment connected by occasional smooth curves on flat terrain. Whereas, sharp horizontal curves (hairpin curves) with insufficient passing/stopping sight distances and insufficient tangent distances on reverse horizontal curves were observed on the rolling, mountainous and escarpment sections of the road from km 0 to km 49. There are some steep grades running for short distances in the mountainous and escarpment section of the project. According to the data collected using vehicle odometer during the site reconnaissance, the visual terrain classification of the project route is given in Table 4.1 below. Based on this data, the terrain along the project alignment can be classified as 49.77% flat, 25.52% rolling terrain, 22.17% mountainous and 2.54% escarpment. Table 4.1: Terrain Classification of the Project Route Chainage Chainage Terrain type Terrain type From To From To 000+000 001+500 Mountainous 041+600 049+970 Mountainous 001+500 002+700 Rolling 049+970 054+600 Rolling 002+700 003+200 Mountainous 054+600 055+700 Flat 003+200 003+600 Escarpment 055+700 056+800 Rolling 003+600 005+700 Rolling 056+800 059+400 Flat 005+700 006+300 Mountainous 059+400 061+400 Rolling 006+300 010+400 Rolling 061+400 063+400 Flat 010+400 011+500 Mountainous 063+400 064+100 Rolling 011+500 013+000 Escarpment 064+100 068+500 Flat Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 29 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Chainage Chainage Terrain type Terrain type From To From To 013+000 013+900 Mountainous 068+500 069+500 Rolling 013+900 015+000 Escarpment 069+500 071+000 Flat 015+000 019+700 Mountainous 071+000 074+500 Rolling 019+700 022+000 Rolling 074+500 076+000 Mountainous 022+000 025+700 Flat 076+000 076+700 Rolling 025+700 027+800 Rolling 076+700 077+200 Mountainous 027+800 028+300 Mountainous 077+200 077+500 Escarpment 028+300 029+400 Flat 077+500 079+800 Mountainous 029+400 035+750 Mountainous 079+800 081+700 Rolling 035+750 041+600 Rolling 081+700 130+000 Flat 6.3.45 Geology and Soils The road passes through two geological formations. From Kombolcha up to west of Elwiha at km 90, the basic foundation is the Eocene Ashangi group. This volcanic group consists predominately of alkali olivine basalt, but rhyolitic tuff and rhyolite can also be found. In the eastern part of this section, some quaternary faulting activity is seen. The rest of the road from west of Elwiha up to Mille junction at km 130 passes through plain of Pleistocene quaternary to alluvial sediments deposit composed of clay, silt and gravel. Rhyolite volcanic centers and Miocene-Pilocene alkaline basalts surround this area. Soils along the project alignment are variable from section to section. The dominant soils along the first 76km section are sandy soils in the low-lying areas or flat terrain and basaltic solid and decomposed rocks on hills. The major soil types along the rest part of the route are sandy to gravelly gray silty soil and black cotton soil. Water erosion is a prominent problem along the section between km 0.00 and about km 50.00. Gully erosion is evident at several places, particularly along unprotected roadside drains, footpaths and natural waterways. It appears that terrain, i.e. steep sloping landscape, and intensive land use practices are the main causes of erosion in this part of the project area. Along the rest part of the project, by virtue of mostly flat terrain and less intensity of rainfall, water erosion is not a significant problem in most places. Nevertheless, wind erosion appears to be a significant issue along the latter section, i.e. from km 50 to km 130, due to the prevalence of strong wind in the area. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 30 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Photos Illustrating Topographic Features and Land Cover of the Project Area Photo 1: Km 12.50 One of the difficult escarpment Photo 2: Km 13.90 Road running along counter areas traversed by the project road. line through difficult mountain-chain on LHS of Gelana R. 6.3.46 Climate The Ethiopian climate is mainly controlled by seasonal migration of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which is conditioned by the convergence of trade winds of the northern and southern hemisphere and the associated atmospheric circulation. It is also highly influenced, regionally and locally, by the complex topography of the country. The annual rainfall varies considerably with location but is generally a function of altitude. The rainfall is concentrated in two rainy seasons, the small rainy season from March to May and the big rainy season from June to September. The other six months have low monthly rainfall with small showers. The mean annual rainfall recorded at Kombolcha, Bati and Mille Stations is 1020mm, 872mm and 308mm respectively. This indicates a strong correlation between the amounts of rainfall and altitude. The maximum daily rainfall for different recurrence intervals is given in Table 4.2below. Table 4.2: Maximum Daily Rainfall Recorded at Kombolcha, Bati & Mille Stations Station Lat. Long. Alt. MAR Maximum Daily Rainfall N E (m) (mm) 5 yr 10 yr 25 yr 50 yr 100 yr Kombolcha 11°05’ 39°45’ 1903 1020 64 72 83 91 98 Bati 11°13’ 40°03’ 1660 872 96 119 147 168 189 Mille 11°42’ 40°76’ 550 308 72 86 103 116 128 Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 31 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 6.3.47 Drainage and Water Resources The Kombolcha – Bati – Mille road crosses many rivers and streams as well as numerous minor drainage channels. The major rivers and streams crossed by the project road are listed in Table 4.3 below. Brief descriptions on their flow condition, span of the river-courses, occurrence of erosion, scour or siltation problems, and presence of irrigation structures are also indicated in the Table. Most of the rivers and streams are main sources of water for human as well as livestock consumption. In addition, some of the rivers are utilized for irrigation development. The rivers most used for irrigation are Cheleka, Derekoli and Kersa rivers, which are diverted around km 19.70, 29.40 and km 38.60 respectively. The rivers, streams and minor waterways crossed by the project road are provided with bridges, box culverts or pipes. These major and minor drainage structures have been used for many years for crossing the waterways by vehicular traffic, pedestrians and animals as well as for passage of surface water flows across the road in a safe condition. Nevertheless, many of the minor drainage structures have partly or completely silted up resulting in overflow of runoff water/ floodwater and accumulation of heavy silt on the carriageway. Photos 7 & 8 depict examples of locations with such phenomenon. Table 4.3: Major Rivers and Streams crossed by the Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Location Name of Type of Notes (km) River Bridge 5.70 & Hita Seasonal stream crossed by the road twice. It has small 5.90 River catchment area. No scour or siltation problem. 9.10 Gelana Plain Seasonal river, it is the above stream (Hita) but getting River Concrete different name at downstream, & runs on LHS until it Arch joins Cheleka river dissecting a landscape of escarpment terrain. It has a scoured channel at the bottom of the bridge. 13.90 Cheleka As above Perennial river, which has deep & narrow course at the River bridge. After the bridge, the river runs on RHS of the road particularly approaching the road at km 16-19.80 (see Photos 5 & 6). Several stretches of this section of the road are affected by erosion when the river is in peak or high water levels. Around km 19.70, the river water is diverted on left bank to irrigate the land area between the river & the road. 18.50 Itacha As above Seasonal river, which joins Cheleka river just below River the bridge. 29.40 Derekoli As above Perennial stream, diverted at the bridge & used for River irrigation in downstream; a flume is used to convey water from right bank to left bank. 38.60 Kersa As above Perennial river, just below the bridge it is diverted to River right bank & used for Kersa Irrigation Project. A lined canal runs on RHS edge of the road (see Photo 12); the Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 32 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Location Name of Type of Notes (km) River Bridge canal is potentially affected. 51.20 Chachatu As above Ephemeral stream that joins Kodal stream just below River the bridge and forms Burka river, which runs below the road up to around km 59. Kodal river goes below the road from about km 44 to km 51.20. 75.70 Fursa As above Seasonal river; the valley along the river has relatively River dense and large trees, mainly Acacia spp., Desert-date and Christ-thorn. 90.30 Elwiha As above Seasonal river, which has a wide course provided with River three span bridge. 106.00 Idrisa Concrete Seasonal river, which has a very wide course (63m) River Deck Girder provided with five spans bridge (see Photo 9). Bridge 108.50 Weranso As above Seasonal river, with a wide course provided with four River spans bridge. Superstructure over one of the spans was failed; thus, temporary steel truss was constructed on the existing abutments. Highly scoured abutments and pier footings. After joining with Idrisa river, the river runs parallel to the road on RHS up to around km 122. 124.00 Bedena Plain Con- Seasonal river, with a wide river-course (45m) River crete Arch provided with four spans bridge. Highly scoured abutments and pier footings. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 33 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Photos Illustrating Hydrology and Drainage Structures Photo 3: Km 13.90 An arch bridge over deep cutting Photo 4: Km 19.50 Very wide course of Cheleka Cheleka River & degraded bush land over River, upstream view. mountainous terrain. Photos Illustrating Topography, Hydrology and Erosion/Scour Protection Photo 5: Km 16.20 Section of the road running Photo 6: Km 17.00 Section of the road protected adjacent to Cheleka river & vulnerable to erosion. from erosion by Cheleka River with retaining wall. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 34 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Photos Depicting Drainage and SiltationIssues Photo 7: Km 17.30 Heavy siltation on the road due Photo 8: Km 32.90 Heavy silt deposition on the to complete clogging of culverts & overflowing of road resulting from lack of appropriate culvert flood water; ERA’s District Crew clearing the silt. for passing flood water across the road. Photo 9: Examples of heavy silt accumulation in a culvert and a bridge reducing their openings, thus increasing the risk overflowing of flood water. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 35 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Photos Depicting Irrigation Structures within the Project Impact Zone Photo 10: Km 29.4Derekoli R.irrigation water Photo 11: Km 20.20 A flume conveying irrigation diverted at u/s and conveyed to d/s running at the water over a natural watercourse. foot of a bridge at just after Gerba. Photo 12: Around km 37.80 – 38.30 lined irrigation canals running just on RHS edge of the road; it is used by the Kersa Irrigation Development Project. 6.3.48 Air Quality Ambient air quality in the environs of the project alignment is generally good. Nevertheless, high dust levels raised by vehicles especially the heavy trucks using the gravel-surfaced section of the road, i.e. between Bati &Mille, cause significant air pollution problem along the road. This situation poses nuisance to residential and business areas along the road. In addition, it generates accident risks to vehicular traffic as well as pedestrians and animals as a result of visibility problem. In particular, the safety risk to overtaking vehicles is critical. Photo 13depicts the dust levels raised by heavy trucks on the highway and the air pollution and traffic safety hazards posed Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 36 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation by this situation. Furthermore, occasional increase in particulate matters generated from dust storms is an important issue. Dust storms occasionally occur in the area between Bati and Mille and these may cause significant air pollution during the events. Similarly, ambient noise along the road is usually at relatively high levels. Significant noise disturbances are caused at nearby the project road by the heavy trucks movements. A wide variety of bird noises can be noticed along the road, but these noises are not at nuisance levels. Photos Illustrating Existing Condition: Air Pollution Problem Photo 13: The issue of dust pollution along the road, an example of dust raised by heavy trucks and blown by wind. 6.3.49 Land Use and Land Cover Based on land use and land cover patterns, the project road can be divided into two main sections – Kombolcha - Bati and Bati - Mille. There is a very significant difference in land use and land cover between the two segments of the project alignment. The corridor of the Kombolcha - Bati section is densely populated and intensively farmed with the exception of the steep sloping mountainous and escarpment areas. Most of the steeply sloping areas that are considered as marginal lands for cultivation or human settlements are intensively used for livestock grazing except the areas designated as ‘area closure’ or ‘protected areas’ for the purpose of environmental rehabilitation. In contrast, the Bati – Mille section is sparsely populated and little used for crop cultivation. The predominant land use in this part of the project area is livestock grazing and browsing, which is totally dependent on the natural rangelands. It is intensively used as rangelands for livestock grazing and browsing wherever there are palatable grasses and other plant communities. In addition, there are a number of villages along this section of the project, but the area covered by the villages is minimal compared to the total surface area of the region. Low rainfall compared to the very high evapo-transpiration rate resulting in severe moisture stress in soils and scarcity of water Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 37 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation for human as well as animals is the most limiting factor for agricultural activities and human habitation in the area. The land use and land cover patterns along the project road based on the observations made during the field survey is presented in Table 4.4 below. Table 4.4: Land Use and Land Cover Patterns along the Project Road Station (Km) Land use and land cover type Notes From To Dominant Others 0.00 0.80 Town Section Part of Kombolcha Town – buildings/ houses and planted & naturally growing trees on roadsides. 0.80 1.30 Bush land Some bushes & small trees covering steep sloping mountainous terrain; main trees include Acacia, Kulkual, Kurkura, etc. 1.30 2.80 Town Section Part of Mitikolo Village - houses and planted/ naturally growing trees on roadsides. Fuel depot at km 2.20 – 2.70 on RHS. 2.80 3.80 Eucalyptus Sparse bush Dense eucalyptus plantation (EP) plantation (EP) & land along the road on RHS & existing quarry site quarry site on LHS. 3.80 6.00 Moderately Rural village The stone crushing plant is used for Cultivated land (Awra aggregate production for road (C2) & Eucalyptus Godana), stone construction or maintenance. Plantation (EP) crushing plant (RHS) 6.00 7.00 Bush land* Grazing land *It is degraded bush land covered by some Acacia &Kurkura trees, and bushy plants such as Dedeho, Agam, Gumero etc. 7.00 10.80 Intensively/moderat Village ely cultivated land (Worse) at km 10.60, Bush land 10.80 19.50 Open to moderately Cheleka The vegetation is dominated by dense bush land & River & Dedeho, Kitkita or Acacia bushes & shrub land streams shrubs; Cheleka river runs adjacent to the road at km 16-20 on RHS; See Photos 4, 5 & 7. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 38 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Station (Km) Land use and land cover type Notes From To Dominant Others 19.50 22.00 Intensively Degraded Irrigation scheme between the road & cultivated land bush land Cheleka R. utilizing water diverted (C1), irrigation from the river at km 19.70 – 21 (see scheme Photo 13). 22.00 24.80 Town (Degan) Densely built houses on both sides of the road at km 23 – 24, many business & residential houses are potentially affected. 24.80 28.00 Cultivated land Degraded bush The predominant crop is Sorghum. (C1) land 28.00 29.50 Town (Gerba) Densely built houses along km 28.70 – 29.20 on both sides similar to Degan town. 29.50 38.60 Cultivated land Degraded Kersa Irrigation Project on RHS at km (C1), irrigation bush land, 37.20 – 38.60. Fruits (orange & scheme based on hotel & some mango), groundnut, sweet potatoes Kersa river houses etc. were observed in the field. 38.60 40.00 Sparely cultivated Buildings in This is basically the expansion zone land, grazing land expansion for Bati Town. & EP area for Bati Town 40.00 41.70 Town (Bati) Dense buildings mainly business houses (hotels, restaurants, shops etc.) along km 40.50 – 41.40. The town is usually congested with transient heavy trucks, ‘Bajajs’, and animal driven carts (see Photo 15) 41.70 46.70 Degraded/sparse Ephemeral Hilly & mountainous terrain mostly bush land &rocky streams/ with exposed rocks and covered with landscape waterways sparse bushes & shrubs. 46.70 51.10 Open/ scattered Ephemeral Scattered bushes mainly Acacia & Acacia bush land stream Kurkura and succulents (Euphorbia, Aloe & Sansievera spp.) covering hilly & rolling landscape. 51.10 58.70 Open/ scattered Village Scattered/open short Acacia bushes Acacia bush land (Burqa) & similar as above; Burqa village & Military Military Camp at km 57. Camp at km 57 Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 39 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Station (Km) Land use and land cover type Notes From To Dominant Others 58.70 70.00 Open bush land Villages Open Acacia bush land with scattered with scattered trees (Mudena & trees of Acacia, Balanites & Dobera of Acacia & other Derse Gita/ spp. over flat terrain; Mudena & Derse few species Kassa Gita) Gita villages are crossed around km 62.80 & km 69.80 respectively. 70.00 79.70 Open to dense bush Seasonal Open to dense Acacia bush land with land river relatively dense & large trees along a valley following a seasonal river crossed at km 75.70. Main trees are Acacia, Balanites & Dobera spp. This section goes over rolling and hilly terrain. Making of charcoal for commercial purposes is common. 79.70 84.20 Relatively dense It is a flat terrain covered with main Acacia bush land trees including Acacia spp., Desert date (Balanites aegyptiaca) & Dobera glabra. 84.20 89.70 Open Acacia bush It is a flat terrain with stony or very shallow soils. Acacia bushes and shrubs are dominant with scattered Acacia, Desert date & Dobera trees. 89.70 90.30 Town (Elwiha) Seasonal Elwiha is temporary capital of the river at km newly established Ada’ar Woreda; 90.30 there are steel electric poles on both sides of the road. 90.30 130.00 Scanty bush land & Seasonal This section is dominantly covered by (end of bare-land streams & sparse or scattered Acacia & Cadaba project) woodlands/ bushes & shrubs, or bare-lands/open trees along lands with little vegetation cover over the flat terrain. Nevertheless, the banks of watercourses seasonal or ephemeral streams are often covered with trees or bushes of Acacia spp., Salt cedar, Christ-thorn, Desert-date, Tooth-rush tree and Giant milkweed. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 40 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Photos Illustrating Existing Conditions: Land Use & Land Cover Photo 14: Part of the dense eucalyptus plantation Photo 15 Irrigation farmland at km 20 (RHS) on RHS of the road at km 2.70 - 3.30: East-west between the road and Cheleka R; using water from view at km 2.80. the river. Photo 16: Irrigation canal and irrigated farmland at km 38 (RHS) using water from Keras/Bone R, it is part of the Kersa Irrigation Project. 4.2. Biological Environment 6.3.50 Vegetation and Flora The vegetation types and their species composition were studied based on the surveys conducted along the project alignment, interviews of local experts and local people, and review of previous studies and relevant literature. The vegetation in the project area is largely associated with altitude, topography and soils, climate and degree of human influences. Based on vegetation types, the project road is divided into two main sections as briefly described below. Km 0.00 – Km 54.00 The natural vegetation along this section has been highly modified by human activities. The vegetation is highly degraded due to clearance for expansion of cultivation and settlement areas, and over exploitation for construction materials and fuel. Nevertheless, significant remnant bushes Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 41 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation and shrubs are found in some parts of the area particularly on the steep mountain slopes and escarpments, which are considered as marginal lands for agriculture and settlements. The natural vegetation is relatively dense in the areas that have been designated as ‘protected areas’ to allow for environmental rehabilitation; Photos 17 and 18 depict examples of such areas. The vegetation is dominated by bushy and shrubbery plant species, most of which are evergreen ones. The most degraded areas are covered by scrubs. The characteristic species include Euclea schimperi (Dedeho), Dodonaea angustifolia (Kitkita), Acacia spp., etc. This vegetation group also contains some emergent trees mainly Acacia spp. including A. abyssinica, A. seyal & A. nilotica, and Olea europea (Weira). In addition, there are several remnant trees that have been preserved within farmlands, grazing areas, along streams and rivers, and around homesteads. The prominent species include Acacia spp. (A. seyal, A. nilotica, A. abyssinica & A. albida), Ziziphus spina-christi (Kurkura), Croton macrostachyus (Bisana), Cordia africana (Wanza), Euphorbia abyssinica (Kulkual) and Balanites aegyptiaca (Desert Date). Furthermore, there are many planted trees found along the project road and the majority of them are exotic species. The predominant species is Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Key Bahir Zaf). Other common species include Yeferenj Tid, Gravillea, Shewshwe, Jacaranda, etc. (the names are in Amharic). Euphorbia tirucallii (Kinchib) and Jatropha sp. arecommonly planted as live fencing mainly along farmlands and around homesteads. Detail list of the flora identified from the corridor of km 0.00 – km 54.00 section of Kombolcha-Bati-Mille road is given in Table 4.5A. Km 54 – End of Project After km 54, the project road descends to lowland area, which is characterized by arid and semi- arid environment. It is dry usually with very shallow soils or rocky outcrops. Thus, the vegetation found in this part of the project area contains the species that are adapted to arid climate and poor soils. The vegetation along this section is dominantly Acacia bushes and scrubs, which are usually open or scattered/scanty in density and shorter in size. The majority of the species are deciduous and drought tolerant. The major Acacia spp. found in the area include A. tortilis, A. nilotica, A. nubica, A. senegalA. mellifera, A. ethbaica and A. seyal, and these are deciduous and drought tolerant. In addition, there are several species of other plant communities, the commonly seen trees and shrubs including Dobera glabra, Balanites aegyptiaca, Ziziphus spina-christi, Cadaba sp., and Grewia spp. The majority of these species are evergreen and drought tolerant as similar to Acacia spp. Furthermore, there are some species of climbers, which are associated with trees and shrubs. The ground layer is usually very poor, but several grass species and succulent plants such as Aloe sp. and Sansievera sp. cover the ground layer in some parts. The vegetation along the banks of the seasonal or ephemeral streams and other drainage channels is often relatively thick in density and larger in size. This is mainly associated with availability of relatively deep and fertile soils and better moisture. The main trees and shrubs associated with watercourses include some Acacia species, Tamarix aphylla (Salt cedar), Ziziphus spina-christi (Christ-thorn), Balanites aegyptiaca (Desert-date), Salvadora persica (Tooth-rush tree) and Calotropis procera (Giant milkweed); the names in brackets are common English name for the plants. Most of the trees and shrubs are evergreen and highly browsed by livestock particularly by camels and shots (sheep and goats). Detail list of the flora identified from the corridor of km 54.00 – Mille section of Kombolcha-Bati-Mille road is given in Table 4.5B. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 42 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 6.3.51 Fauna Because of intense human activities and arid environmental conditions, the project area has limited habitats that could support wildlife. Most section of the project road is located in a region covered with bushy thickets and even with desert scrubs and barren lands in the driest areas. Thus, the project corridor contains only some types and population of wildlife mainly those species adapted to degraded or arid environments. Habitat degradation and disturbances resulting from intensive human activities including cultivation, livestock grazing and settlements are the main limiting factors in the region between Kombolcha and Bati. While between Bati and Mille, the key limiting factors are human pressure mainly livestock grazing and browsing, and arid environmental conditions resulting in scarcity of water and food resources, and low diversity of habitats. Furthermore, human pressure through hunting appears to be an important detrimental factor. Mammals In particular, several species of mammals inhabit the areas along km 11 – 19.50 and km 47 – 130. According to the information obtained from the Ethiopian Wildlife Development and Conservation Authority (EWCA), local government offices and local people, the mammals found in the project corridor include several species of antelopes such as Bush duiker, Bushbuck, Dik-dik, Soemmerring's Gazelle and Dorcas Gazelle, and African Wild ass, Abyssinian hare, Hyena, Crested porcupine, Common fox, Anubis and Hamadryas baboons, Grivet monkey and Slender mongoose. As indicated by the EWDCA, Soemmerring's Gazelle, Dorcas Gazelle and African Wild ass, which are in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, are found in the corridor between Elwiha and Mille, and the section of the road between Welanso River (km 108) and Mille is located in the Mille-Sardo Wildlife Reserve. The list of mammals and other fauna found in the project area is given in Table 4.6 below. Birdlife The birdlife of the project area is not yet well studied. Nevertheless, according to the information obtained from local informants and observations made during the environmental field survey, the area harbors a variety of bird species. The species commonly observed in the area along the project route include Guinea-fowl, Pigeons, Francolin, Doves, Gooses, Bustards, Vultures, Woodpeckers, Swallows, Weavers, and a variety of unidentified species. Ostrich is also present in the lowland areas. Reptiles and Amphibians Existing information on these faunal groups is very limited owning to absence of previous surveys. However, according to the information gathered from local experts and local people, there are several species of reptiles and amphibians. These include Giant Tortoise, African python, lizards, and a variety of snakes. Aquatic Fauna Aquatic fauna of the project area are least studied so far. Apparently, thewater bodies of the project area has very poor potential for aquatic fauna owing to very low flows in the perennial rivers and heavy silt load during rainy seasons in both the perennial rivers and intermittent streams. Endemic and Threatened Species None of the wild animals identified from the project area is endemic to Ethiopia. However, according to the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, one species (i.e. African Wild Ass), is Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 43 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation critically endangered species, two species (Soemmerring's Gazelle and Dorcas Gazelle) are vulnerable, and one species (Hamadryas baboon) is near threatened; the rest are least threatened. With adoption of appropriate mitigation measures, implementation of the planned road project is not expected to further threaten these wildlife species. Photos Illustrating Existing Conditions: Drainage and Siltation Issues Photo 17: Km 17 A view of relatively dense Photo 18: Km 32.90 A view dense natural vegetation bush land vegetation on hilly terrain, which is on hilly terrain (LHS) – it is part of a protected area. part of a protected area. Table 4.5A: Major flora found along km 0.00–km 51.00 of Kombolcha-Bati-Mille Road Local Name Scientific Name Notes Amharic Oromifa I Trees & Shrubs Acacia abyssinica Grar Lafto Tree, some in farm- & grazing- lands Acacia albida Grar Gerbi Tree, some in farm- & grazing- lands Acacia asak Sebansa Tree Acacia brevispica Mezazign Shrub, common Acacia mellifera Shrub, common Acacia seyal Wachu Wachu Tree, preserved in farm lands & grazing areas Acacia ethbaica Kesele Tree, some Acacia species Shrub, common Acacia tortilis Tedecha Tree, dominant Agave sisalana Kacha Kacha Aloe species Ret Succulent, dominant ground layer Balanites aegyptiaca Jemo Baddano Tree Berchemia discolor Jejeba Tree Calotropis procera Tobiaw Shrub, along river courses & road Calpurna species Kechema Shrub Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 44 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Local Name Scientific Name Notes Amharic Oromifa Capparis tomentosa Gumero Gumero Shrub Carissa edulis Agam Agamsa Shrub, common on hills Casuarina equistifolia Shewshwe Cissus quadrangularis Succulent climber Combretum collinum Woyba Tree, some Cordia africana Wanza Wodessa Tree, preserved around homesteads Croton macrostachyus Bisana Bakanissa Tree Cuppressus lusitanica Yeferenj – Tid Tree, exotic planted tree Dichrostachys cinerea Ader Hatte Shrub, thorny plant Dodonaea angustifolia Kitkita Etacha Shrub Dodonaea angustifolia Kitkita Etacha Shrub, common Ehretia cymosa Game Ulaga Tree, preserved around homesteads Eucalyptus Bahir Zaf Bahir Zafi Dominants Exotic Tree camaldulensis Euclea schimperi Dedeho Shrub, dominant Euphorbia abyssinica Kulkual Adami Tree Euphorbia tirucalli Kinchib Shrub usually planted as live fencing Ficus carica Beles Succulent shrub Ficus sycomorus Shola Harbuu Tree (some), along rivers & streams Gravillea robusta Gravillea Tree, usually planted around homesteads & along roads Grewia bicolor Somaya Haroressa Shrub Grewia vilosa Agobdi Olea africana Weira Ejersa Tree, some Shrub/s. tree up to 4.5m high planted as Jatropha curcas Ayderke Jatropha live fencing along farmlands, roads etc. Justicia schimperiana Sensel Tumuga Shrub, planted as live fencing Lanthana camera Shrub Maytenus sp. Kombolcha Shrub Jacaranda mimosifolia Yetebmenja Tree, planted around homesteads, Zaf along roads Pterolobium stellatum Kentaffa Shrub Rhus sp. Embus Tatessa Shrub Rumex nervosus Imbwacho Herbaceous plant Schinus molle Qundo Tree, exotic planted around Berbere homesteads, along roads Ziziphus spina-christi Kurkura Qurqura Small tree Grasses and Sedges Cynodon dactylon Chekorsa Bermuda Grass Digitaria abyssinica Wariyat Hyperhenia sp. Grass Cyperus rotandus Gicha Sedge Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 45 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Table 4.5B: Major flora found along Km 51 - Mille Section of Kombolcha-Bati-Mille Road Scientific Name Local Name Notes (Afar) 1 Acacia asak Eibeto Tree 2 Acacia etbaica Sekakito Tree 3 Acacia mellifera Markatto Shrub 4 Acacia nilotica Kesalto Tree 6 Acacia nubica Garunto Shrub 7 Acacia senegal Haddado Shrub/s. tree 8 Acacia seyal Mekani-amita Tree 9 Acacia tortilis Dehbey/Aepto Tree, common esp. along watercourses Acacia sp. Tikilbeyta Shrub/small tree 10 Aloe sp. Iure Succulent plant in ground layer 11 Balanites aegyptiaca Hudaito Tree 12 Berchemia disclor Yayapto 13 Cadaba rotundifolia Adengalita Bushy plant 14 Calotropis procera Gelayto Shrub, along watercourses 15 Capparis tomentosa Shrub 16 Cissus quadrangularis Halbe 17 Delonix elata Hamaitu Tree 18 Dichrostachys cinerea Galamouda Shrub 19 Dobera glabra Garasa Small tree 20 Grewia bicolor Dewaito Shrub 21 Grewia erythraea Hedaitto Shrub 22 Grewia villosa Hibelita Shrub 23 Indigofera schimperi Toulobe- Hinbna 24 Prosopis juliflora Aepto Shrub, rampant/highly invasive plant Woyane 25 Salvadora persica Adaito Shrub, along river courses. 26 Sansievera guineensis Succulent plant in ground layer 28 Tamarix aphylla Segentu Tree, along river courses 30 Ziziphus spina-christi Kusraito Small tree Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 46 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Table 4.6: Main Wild Animals present in the Project Area Ser. English Common Local Name IUCN Red No. Scientific Name Name Amharic Afarigna List 1 I Mammals 1 Tragelaphus scriptus Bushbuck Dikula Asa’elli LR/cd Soemmerring's Baro Vu 2 Gazella soemmerringi Yemeda Fyel Gazelle Woder 3 Gazella dorcas Dorcas Gazelle Vu Dale LR/cd 4 Tragelaphus imberbis Lesser Kudu Amberayle Sarah 5 Sylvicapra grimmia Bush Duiker Midako LR/lc 6 Equus africanus African Wild ass Yemeda Aheya CR 7 Phacochoerus aethiopicus Warthog Kerkero Hareya LR/Ic 8 Papio anubis Anubis baboon Zinjero LR/lc 9 Papio hamadryas Hamadryas baboon Nech Zinjero Damaae LR/nt 10 Madoqua Saltiana Salt's Dikdik Enshu Segeri LR/lc 11 Panthera paradus* Leopard Nebir Kebe’e LC 12 Felis silvestris Wildcat Yedur Dimet LC 13 Procavia capensis Rock Hyrax Shikoko 14 Cercopithecus aethiops Grivet Monkey Totta Waga’a LR/lc 15 Felis serval* Serval Cat Anner 16 Hystrix Cristata Crested Porcupine Jart LC 17 Genetta abyssinica Abyssinian Genet Shelemetmat DD 18 Galerella sanguinea Slender Mongoose Faro Dimet LR/lc 19 Canis aureus Common Jackal Tera Kebero Wokiri LC 20 Oreotragus oreotragus Klipspringer Sessa LR/cd 21 Crocuta crocuta Spotted Hyena Tekateko jib Yangula LR/cd 22 Orycteropus afer Aradvark Awaldigessa LC 23 Lepus habessinicus Abyssinian Hare Tinchel Bikela LR/lc II Reptiles and Amphibians 24 Giant Tortoise Elie 25 African python Zendo 26 Lizards Enshilalit 27 Snakes Ebaboch III Birds 28 Struthio camelus Ostrich Segon 1 The Category of the Red List is based on 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 47 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Ser. English Common Local Name IUCN Red No. Scientific Name Name Amharic Afarigna List 1 Helmeted Guinea- 29 Numida meleagris Jigira fowl 30 Francolinus sp. Francolin Qoq 31 Quelea quelea Red-billed Quelea Grissa 32 Speckled Pigeon Ergib Ruppells Griffon 33 Vulture 34 Eagle Chilfit Goblale 35 Gooses 36 Hammer-kop 37 Sacred Ibis 38 Doves 39 Bustards 40 Starlings 41 Pied Crow Kura 42 Parrot Gugut * Rare in the area Legend for IUCN Red List LR/cd = Lower risk/conservation dependent Vu = (Vulnerable) LR/lc = Lower risk/least concern EN = Endangered LC = Least concern CR = Critically endangered LR/nt = (Lower risk/near threatened) DD = Data deficient 4.3. Socio-economic Environment 6.3.52 Administrative Division Administratively the project road is located in two regional states namely, Amhara and Afar and most sections located within the Afar Regional State. It traverses by connecting two Administrative zones in Amhara and one in Afar; and also connecting five woredas and 25 kebeles located in the two regional states. The project road is one of the oldest roads (import- export corridor) in the country that connects with the ports of Assab & Djibouti. Prior to the 1998 Ethio-Eriteria conflict, it used to connect the country with the ports of Assab and Djibouti. Presently, it connects with the port of Djibouti only and mostly serving as the export-import corridor for Northern parts of the country. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 48 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Table 4.7: Woredas and Kebeles crossed by the Project Road Regional Woreda Number of Kebeles No. Zone Woreda State Capital Crossed by the road 1 Mille Mille 3 Afar Zone 1 2 Ada'ar Ada'ar 7 3 Kombolcha Kombolcha 5 South Wollo 4 Amhara Kalu Kombolcha 6 5 Oromia Bati Bati 4 Total 25 Source: Woreda’s Socio economic profile 6.3.53 Demography According to the 2007 Population and Housing Census Results, the total population of the woredas traversed by the project road in 2007 was 472,108. Among the woredas traversed by the project road, Kombolcha, Kalu and Bati Woredas of Amhara regional state have a population of 379,330 (or 80%) of the total estimated population crossed by the project road and Mille Woreda in the Afar regional state has a population of 92,778 (or 20%). The following table summarizes the population distribution of the woredas traversed by the project road in both urban and rural sections that are located along the project road. Table 4.8 Population distribution by place of residence and sex Regio Zone Woreda Urban Rural Total nal Male Female Total Male Female Total Population State (Urban +Rural) Afar Zone Mille 7326 6880 14,206 43,670 34,902 78,572 92,778 1 Ada’ar N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Amhara South Kombolcha 28,387 30,255 58,642 13,560 13,135 26,695 85,337 Wollo Kalu 10,105 10,217 20,322 84,327 82,001 166,328 186,650 Oromia Bati 7737 8964 16,701 45,968 44,674 90,642 107,343 Total 53,555 56,316 109,871 187,525 174,712 362,237 472,108 Source: CSA, 2007 Population & Housing Census Results, January 2008 6.3.54 Ethnic Groups, Religion and Culture In the project area there are three dominant ethnic groups namely, Amhara, Oromo and Afar each of which have distinct language and culture. The Amhara and the Oromo are the dominant and the majority having high population density per km in the project road corridor. The Afar society is composed of mainly one ethnic group and which is sub divided into several clans and sub clans. Like in many other pastoral societies, clan differentiation plays an important role among the Afar also. The clan chief is the most highest and respected authority. In terms of religion, there are two dominant religions, namely Christianity and Islam in the project road corridor and in the surrounding areas. Among the Afar Islam is the dominant religion and it reported that among the Afar community there is no other religion except Islam. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 49 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation More than 75% of the population residing in the woredas crossed by the project road is reported to practice Islam as their religion. Due to the low level of socio economic development, lack of resources, limited communication and exposure to the outside world, there has not been much cultural interaction and diffusion in the project area. Hence, in general, the community in the project area could be considered as a society which is dependent mainly on traditional cultural practices and beliefs. 6.3.55 Settlement Pattern The major part of the Project area is rural and undeveloped. The livelihood of the population in the project area can be divided into two broad major livelihood systems. The livelihood of the population in Afar regional is pastoral nomadism where people are forced to move from place to place in search of grazing land and water for their livestock. Because of the continuous movement of the population, there are not many villages or settlements that last for longer periods except for the urban settlement s and which in most cases are occupied by non-Afar population. In the case of the areas (or woredas) traversed by the project road in Amhara region most parts is rural and the main stay of the population is dependent on mixed agriculture system, practicing crop farming and livestock keeping at the same time. Photo 19: Afar pastoralist settlement (temporary) in Ada’ar Woreda 6.3.56 Urban Settlements The level of urbanization in the project road corridor is at its rudimentary level. The population residing in the urban sections of the project road corridor is estimated to be about 109,871 (or 23%) and the rural population is about 362,237 (or 77%). In the project road corridor, there are six urban and peri urban centers located along the project road. It includes, Kombolcha, Degan, Gerba, Bati, Eliwuha and Mille. Among the urban centers, Kombolcha, Bati and Mille have a population more than 10,000. The remaining two towns, Degan and Gerba have a population of 4,600 and 6,500 respectively. The town Kombolcha which is located 376 km north–east of Addis Abba is one of the major industrial and urban centers in Ethiopia. It is a junction for three major road networks, namely; Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 50 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Addis Ababa – Dessie - Mekele; Kobmolcha – Bati – Mille - Djibouti and Kombolcha – Gundo Weyne roads. It is also a major industrial center in the Northern part of Ethiopia having a number of industries, such as Textile, Brewery, Tannery, Flour, Metal sheet factory and others. 6.3.57 Economy The economy in the project road corridor is dependent on small holder farming and livestock keeping. The population in the first about 60km makes it living from crop farming supplemented by livestock husbandry while the population along the remaining sections is basically dependent on livestock keeping and moves from place to place in search of grazing land and water. Since farming land is scarce and the holding size for the farming households is very small and fragmented, and is found to be not sufficient to support households. The average land holding size in the project area varies farm 0.5ha/household in Bati to 0.75/ha/household in Kalu Woreda. Livestock keeping also has very limited contribution to the economy. Farming activities are practiced by using traditional hand tools and oxen plow. The project area suffers from repeated drought, population pressure, shortage of rain fall and arable land, soil degradation, and other factors, crop production in the area is have been repeatedly affected by drought and famine in the past. In general, the project road corridor is known for its low level agricultural production and productivity as a result of which, more than 50% of the population was reported to be dependent on food aid for a period between 3-6 months in the past. Industrial and trade development is also at its infant stage. The only place where there is industrial development and growth potential is the town of Kombolcha. Table 4.9: Number of livestock by type in the Four Woredas crossed by the Road Woreda Cattle Horse, Mules Camels Sheep and and Donkey Goats Ada'ar 166,964 12,478 35,890 494,571 Kalu 116,283 10530 2,769 85,139 Bati 81,510 4,747 3,164 54,565 Source: Respective Woreda Agriculture and Rural Development Offices, 2010 6.3.58 Infrastructure and Social Services In economic terms, road Investment facilitates transportation system; It reduces freight and passenger charges, increases vehicle using the road, decreases vehicles operation cost and permits integration of areas. Furthermore, it is also crucial and very important in promoting the development of other infrastructures such as health, education and other social service developments. Road influences the activity of the society traversing the area in terms of their settlement pattern, agricultural production, marketing system, movement, cultural practices, etc. In view of these, the consultant has attempted to assess the level of basic social services in the woredas crossed by the road project as follows: Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 51 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 6.3.59 Health Services The health system in the project influence area particularly in that of Afar region is of very poor quality and limited access. Morbidity and mortality is high among children below the age of 5. The immunization coverage for children is also said to be low. Preventable diseases, such as malaria and diarrhea are very common in the region, and because of which people die of them frequently. The health facilities are mainly concentrated in the urban centers and have very poor quality of service. Residents of remote and rural areas do not have access to health services and facilities. In the four Woredas (excluding Mille Woreda) that are traversed by the project road, the health facilities include;42 health posts, 13 health centers, 27 clinics and 14 drug shops. The ratio between a Health center and people served shows 29,179 people to a Health center. The following table shows the number of health facilities in each woredas by type and number. Table 4.10: Number of Health Facilities by woreda Woreda Health post Health Clinic Rural Drug Total center shop Mille 3 1 1 2 7 Ada'ar 7 1 0 0 8 Kombolcha 5 4 15 6 30 Kalu 25 6 8 3 42 Bati 5 2 4 5 16 Total 45 14 28 16 103 Source: Respective Woreda’s Health Office, 2010 The number of health professionals working in the above health facilities is below what is required for the population. The total number of health professionals working in the woredas crossed by the project road, including health extension workers are 295, of which, 37% are health extension workers. The percentage of qualified health professionals are about 67%, the majority being nurses followed by Laboratory Technicians. Table 4.11: Distribution of health professionals by woreda Health professionals by Woreda qualification Mille Ada'ar Kombolcha Kalu Bati Total Nurse (all type) 2 7 35 38 14 96 Health Officer 1 7 7 2 17 Sanitarian NA 1 4 3 3 11 Laboratory Technician NA 2 7 37 4 50 Health Assistant 3 3 8 3 17 Health Extension worker 6 25 17 57 11 116 Total 15 35 73 150 37 307 Source: Woreda health offices, 2008 Top ten leading diseases: Malaria, Pneumonia and Respiratory diseases are among the top ten killer diseases in the project woredas. The following table shows the top ten diseases in four of the woredas traversed by the project road. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 52 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Table 4.12: Top ten diseases in the Woredas No. Kombolcha Kalu Bati Ada'ar Prexia of unknown organic fever Malaria Diarrheal (non- Malaria 1 bloody) Gastritis and Doeudenistis Fever unknown Malaria Gardia 2 origin All other diseases of genito- Intestinal parasites upper respiratory Amoeba 3 urinary system infection Muscular rheumatism Acute upper Urinary tract Typhoid 4 Unspecified respiratory infection infection 5 Maternal problems Gastritis Gastritis AWD Other Helementhsis All other respiratory TB 6 diseases Amoebas excluding carrier Eye diseases Except Trauma other than 7 system trachoma traffic injury 8 Accidental Causes Bacillary Dysentery Pneumonia Acute Upper Respiratory Unspecified Typhoid 9 Infection pneumonia Bacillary Dysentery Bronchia& Road Traffic Injury 10 Pneumonia Source: Woreda health offices, 2008 HIV/AIDS: As per the Ethiopian Demographic and Household Survey (EDHS 2005), the distribution of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia is reported to be about 3.5% of the population. The rural and urban distribution shows 10.5% in urban areas and 1.9% in rural areas. In total, 1,320,000 people (590,000 Male and 730,000 Female) in Ethiopia live with HIV/AIDS. Among the adolescent age group (15-49) which is highly exposed to HIV/Aids, the prevalence rate is reported to be 1.4% of which 1.9% for women and 0.9 for men. The Afar (2.9%) and Amhara (1.7%) regions are among the 7 regions in the country having HIV prevalence rate that exceeds the national average. Although there is no officially reported data on HIV situation in the woredas located along the road project, the information form respective HIVAIDS Prevention and Control Offices (HAPCO) in Kalu woreda show that out of a total of 46,555 persons who took HIV test during 1996-2001 E.C, 1345(2.9%) were reported to be HIV positive. 6.3.60 Educational Services Education facilities and services in the project area are concentrated in the woredas located in Amhara region between +00 to 60 km. The woredas located in the Afar region are scarcely supplied with educational services and facilities as the region is predominantly occupied by pastoralists and agro pastoralists. Although there is official study that shows gender disaggregated data, the information from the woreda Educational office presents that the number of Girl child students is lower (38%) than that of Boys(62%). In the project area and in particular in Afar community, girl children are not encouraged to attend school. Instead, they are forced to assist their families on the routines of domestic activities as fetching water and searching for grazing land for their livestock as the area is exposed to drought, shortage of animal food and absence of water points. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 53 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation In the four woredas traversed by the project road, there are 171 schools, of which 24 are kindergartens concentrated in urban areas of Kombolcha, Kalu and Bati woredas, 140 are primary schools (1-8) and 6 are secondary schools (9-12). The total number of students in the Primary school is 86,412 out of which the number of female students is 42, 343(49%) while the share of Ada’ar woreda is 38%. One of the reasons for low level of school attendance in the Afar is related to the high mobility of the pastoral communities. To improve the access to education for children in such community, establishing mobile education system can be considered as a better option. Table4.13: Number of schools by grade and woreda Woreda Kinderg Primary( Primary( Primary( Secondary Preparat Total No. of Students arten 1-4) 5-8) 1-8) (9-10) ory(11- enrolled 12) (1-8) Kombolcha 14 9 17 2 1 43 17,494 Kalu 7 21 37 2 - 67 36,094 Bati 3 8 41 1 1 54 31,939 Ada'ar 4 2 1 - - 7 885 Total 24 42 2 96 6 171 86,412 Source: Education Offices of respective Woredas, 2010 6.3.61 Gender Issues Examining of gender differences and issues is essential factor for effective planning and implementation of any development projects. This requires Gender Analysis which involves in a close look and understanding of the target population. Gender analysis enables the collection and interpretation of information on gender matters. So that, those matters can be addressed in the project objectives, the choice of intervention strategy, and the methods of program implementation. To make the intended road project gender responsive and to provide some baseline information based on which the forthcoming phases of the project can be measured, the consultant has attempted to understand gender issues in the project influenced areas. Women in the project area are facing multi-dimensional social, economic and political constraints as most of the project area is predominantly occupied by Muslim societies. Most of the problems seem to emanate from the social, cultural and religious setting of the area. However, the poor economic development of the area, repeated drought and water scarcity in the areas also play a major role in worsening the situation of women directly or indirectly. Women in project area, particularly of the Afar and the rural parts of Amhara region are suffering from the following major problems:  Discriminatory culture, norms and value systems of the society.  Harmful traditional practices which includes: Female Genital Mutilation, polygamy and early marriage.  Women excessive workload  Low social status of women and poor access to and benefit from basic social services.  Male dominated resource right and decision making power Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 54 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation The magnitude of women’s poverty situation in the project area is reported to be high, and it is manifested through a number of socio economic situations including lack of transport services and facilities. The problem is worse among the Afar Women. With the construction of the project road, it is expected that the poverty situation of women will show improvement and progress. Division of Labor: As in most parts of the country; women in the project corridor, particularly in Afar region carry disproportionate workload as compared with men. A gender analysis study mad in Abecho kebele of Kalu woreda, April 2007 in terms of roles and responsibilities showed that women have a significant share in both reproductive and productive activities. The analysis made on 27 activities of domestic worke , the result showed that among the total activates listed only 32% are shared by men. Regarding the reproductive roles (feeding, caring and nurturing children as well looking after the family well-being), as is the case for most other parts of the country, is mainly the responsibility of women. Besides their role in reproduction, women’s share of productive activities and burdens of household chores are bulky as is the case in most societies. Agriculture (crop production and Livestock rearing) is the major productive activity across the entire project area. Men’s work is supposed to be agricultural activities, house construction, protecting community against attacks by wild animals, shepherding, and trading. However this is true for only the Amhara Region. Coming to the Afar region, all these activities are the responsibilities of Female. A female discussant in Ada’ar Woreda has confirmed the same. It reveals that in the absence of well-developed social services and infrastructures women workload is much worse. Women should travel long distances to fetch water for household consumption. They use traditional grinding mills which are highly tiring and time consuming. Poor road and transport network cause women to travel long distance to market places carrying commodities weighing 50-60 Kg. In general, the gender division of labor in the project corridor is traditionally defined in favor of men and has subjected women to bear too much responsibility in the society without being recognized. Control and access to resources: Women have limited access and control over resources. It is said that women have less stake in pastoral economy. Men in Afar society control and mange economic activities, women do not have the power to control. It is reported that even if a woman works hard and gets something the man will be the owner. Women are not by any means entitled for land ownership. Women also have restrictions on livestock ownership. Livestock ownership is left under the domain of men. In the same study made in Kalu woreda, among 21 types of services such as loan, school, health, water, mill, Bank, and telephone, etc, the share of female was only 33%. Surprisingly enough, the overall analysis revealed that women take 67.7% of labor division, while they share 25.23% of control over resources, and 22.27% access on major services. As this can be taken as example for the woredas traversed in Amhara Region, the situation of women in the woredas of Afar can be estimated to be much worse. Women make significant contributions in the areas of economic and social development of a country. On the other hand, the contribution of women to the regions’ economy and social development is not recognized as such, mainly because the economy and political power is controlled and dominated by men. Women do not receive equal opportunity in education, employment and in other social development activities. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 55 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Gender Roles and Relations: Men and women have different roles and responsibilities in the project road corridor and its influence zone. In the project area and particularly in Afar community, men traditionally have more socially recognized power and authority in decision-making and on the control and access over resources. Women have no access and control over resources and in decision making either at household or community level. Gender Division of Labour: Among the Afar Pastoral groups, women play significant role both in productive and reproductive roles. They have more responsibility and workload when compared to men. The men only look after the Camel when lost and milking camels while the rest of household and social activities are mainly the responsibility of women. The different roles and responsibilities assumed by women and men in the project road corridor imply that they have differing transport needs and requirements. Women play very important role in travel and transport. The demand for travel and transport by women either for household or community activities is very high. Women are also responsible to carry out significant transport activities that are related to reproductive and productive activities. In Ethiopia, women work from 13-17 hours a day. Women’s daily activities related to transport include, fetching water, collecting fire wood, taking care of small ruminants, travel to markets, travel to social service giving institutions, and etc. In the project road corridor, women's transport needs are mainly related to:  Travel for domestic activities (to collect fire wood, travel to water points, travel to grinding mills, etc.)  Travel for economic activities (it includes, travel to markets, travel in search of work in remote small urban centers, travel to farm fields, etc.)  Travel to social service facilities(it includes, travel to school, health facilities and traditional healers, women associations meetings, etc.)  Travel for social and communal activities (this is travel to places of worship, to funerals, visiting the sick, visiting of families and friends, etc.) The construction of the project road is expected to provide socio economic support to women in both the productive and reproductive activities by improving their situation.  Productive activities: The construction of the project road is expected to provide and introduce women with labour and time saving tools and equipment, and at the same time improve their productive capacity. This could be realized with availability of improved road and communication services.  Reproductive activities: It would also provide women to have enough time to look and take care for their children and other household members. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 56 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 5. PUBLIC AND STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATIONS 5.1. General Stakeholder consultations were made both during the reconnaissance (Phase I) and detailed (Phase II) environmental field surveys in the project area, while public consultations were conducted during the Phase II. The main objectives of the consultations were to:  inform key stakeholders about the proposed road upgrading project so that they would be able to provide necessary information and actively involve starting from the planning phase,  obtain basic information on existing condition of the road and related problems,  gather information on key environmental and social issues in the project area, focusing on issues related to the project road,  gauge the views and concerns of the stakeholders about the road project so that these can be sufficiently considered during the study, design and implementation stages of the project,  gain ideas on key potential environmental and social issues, and their possible mitigation measures, and  lay the ground for the futures activities like the preparation and implementation of resettlement action plan and relocation of the affected public utilities, and for harmonious relationships with the stakeholders and the local community. Accordingly, officials and professionals of the six affected woredas (districts) were contacted and consulted. The offices visited and consulted include the following:  Administration Office of Kalu (rural Woreda), Kombolcha Town (urban woreda), Bati (rural Woreda), Bati Town (urban Woreda), Ada’ar and Mille Woredas,  Agriculture and Rural Development Office of the Kalu and Bati Woredas,  Pastoral Agriculture and Rural Development Office of the Ada’ar and Mille Woredas,  Water and Mines Resources Development Office of Kalu, Bati, and Mille Woredas,  Water and Sewerage Services Office of Bati Woreda,  Environmental Protection, Land Administration and Use Office of Kalu and Bati Woredas,  Health Office of Kalu, Bati and Mille Woredas, and  Education Office of Kalu, Bati and Mille Woredas, Public consultations were conducted at seven key locations – Kombolcha (two places), Degan, Gerba, Bati, Ada’ar and Mille Towns and villages where woreda chief administrators and head or representative of sector offices, kebele administrators or members of the executive committee, and representatives of the local community (including elders, women, youth, traders, farmers) were participated. At the consultation meetings, the Consultant informed the participants about the planned road upgrading project and requested them to provide necessary information and their opinions on the proposed road project. The main topics or issues discussed during the consultations included the following:  The existing condition of the project road and related environmental and social problems, Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 57 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation  Expected environmental, social and economic benefits of the construction and operation of the road,  Possible adverse environmental and social impacts during the construction and operation phases of the project, and their mitigation measures,  Lessons learnt from previous road projects in the region, including environmental and social issues observed and what mitigation measures have been taken or could have been taken,  Issues that require particular attention during the design, construction or operation phases, and  Attitude towards the proposed road upgrading project, i.e. its acceptability by the public. The list of persons and organisations consulted during the assessment is presented in Appendix 1, while the minutes of the public consultations are enclosed in Appendix 2. Photos depicting the Public Consultations conducted at different locations along the project road Photo 20: Consultation at Kombolcha City Photo 21: Consultation with officials of Mille Mayor’s Office Woreda Administration and Sector Offices Photo 22: Consultation with chief administrators, heads and experts of Bati Rural and Town Woredas Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 58 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Photo 23: Consultation with Town dwellers at Photo 24: Consultation with Town dwellers at Degan Kebele administration Gerba Kebele administration Office Photo 25: : Consultation with Aad’ar Woreda Photo 26: :Consultation with members of local Administrators and Officials of Sector Offices community at Worse Village in Bosena Kebele, Kalu Woreda 5.2 Findings of the Consultations The information and opinions provided during the public and stakeholders consultations are summarized in the following sub-sections. 6.3.62 History of the Project Road, Its Existing Condition and Associated Problems The Kombolcha – Bati – Mille road was constructed during the Italian occupation of Ethiopia in order to connect Ethiopia to the Assab Port. It was a major route for the import and export of goods to and from the Country till it has become an alternative road after the construction of the Addis Ababa – Nazareth – Awash – Mille trunk road. The road is used by high traffic volume mainly heavy trucks but also mini-buses and medium buses especially on the Komolcha – Bati section. However, it has not received adequate maintenance and upgrading/rehabilitation compatible to the traffic volume and composition, which is operating on the road. Therefore, the road has deteriorated surfaces characterized by potholes and rutting, very narrow carriage width and sharp curves, many of them with sight distance problems, along the Komolcha – Bati section. As a result a number of critical problems are prevailing on the existing Kombolcha – Bati - Mille road and Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 59 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation these include the following:  High traffic accident rates mainly due to deteriorated road condition and existence of sharp curves causing visibility problems for drivers,  High accident risks in towns and villages esp. in Degan, Gerban and Bati towns due to very narrow carriageway, lack of pedestrian walkways and parking spaces, and presence of high volume of non-motorized traffic such as animal driven carts.  Severe dust pollution on the gravel road between Bati & Mille resulting in accident risks as well as health and hygienic problems to the road side communities.  In the section between Kombolcha and Bati, the existing road is being affected by overflowing of runoff or floodwater as a result of clogging of culverts and side drains by heavy silt deposition or lack of cross drainage structures at many places.  The Bati – Mille section of the project road is badly deteriorated affecting transportation and other socio-economic activities along the road 6.3.63 Experiences of Previous Road Projects To be considered as a lesson for the subject road project, main environmental and social problems observed during the implementation of the Kombolcha-Woldiya Road Project were pointed out by the officials and experts of the Kalu and Kombolcha Woredas. These included the following: - As perceived from the situation on the ground, the actual drainage condition of the Kombolcha area like flood events had not been properly considered in the engineering design and the quality of works was not to the expected standard. - Additional land was taken for the project and properties were damaged without paying necessary compensation for the owners since these were not shown in the original project plan (engineering design), which had been used for inventorying affected properties and estimation of compensation. - Detour roads were not reinstated after completion of the road works, i.e. pavement materials were not removed and replaced by topsoil albeit the implementer had promised during the land taking to reinstate the affected areas. - Dust and noise pollution esp. along village and town sections was a serious problem since it was not mitigated properly. - Huge quantities of spoil materials were disposed on the banks and in the course of Borkena river. - Irrigation structures/canals crossing the road under culverts or running along the road were damaged and no replacement or other mitigation measures were made. - Due to extraction of quarry materials, the natural beauty of the landscape was seriously affected, and no restoration measures were taken. The officials and experts highly recommended that such bad practices made by the Kombolcha - Woldiya Road Project should not repeated by the Kombolcha – Bati – Mille Road Project. In contrast, they appreciated the Debre Sina – Kemisse – Kombolcha Road Project, which properly considered environmental and social issues and implemented necessary mitigation measures. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 60 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 6.3.64 Potential Issues Related to the Proposed Road Upgrading Project Potential issues and impacts related to the envisaged road upgrading activities include the following: - Dust and noise pollution resulting from construction works and vehicular movements. - Traffic congestion and accident risks originating from partial or complete closure of the road during construction works as well as increased traffic volume due to the construction vehicles. - Impacts on natural vegetation particularly the trees and shrubs found along river courses; these plant communities are essential to the pastoral community since they are highly used a source of livestock feed. - Irrigation canals and flumes (transferring water over natural drainage channels) located very close to or on the edge of the road are potentially affected; irrigation canal is located at 37+266 to 37+800 (RHS) whereas flumes are situated at 20+200 (RHS), 37+280 (RHS) and 37+745 (RHS). - Relocation of public utilities such as drinking water supply lines, and electric and telephone poles and lines. - Loss of water points like ponds found in the bed of seasonal rivers like Bedena, Welanso etc. located under or at nearby the bridges on the rivers. These are important sources of water supply for the local community and their livestock. - Demolishing of housing units and buildings that are being used either for residential or business purposes. The number of potentially affected houses is particularly high in the villages and towns of Degan, Gerban and Bati. It was recommended that widening of the road should be made on the LHS since there are a number of big buildings on the RHS. 6.3.65 Attitudes towards the Proposed Road Upgrading Project All the consulted stakeholders and participants of the public consultations were positive about the upgrading of the Kombolcha - Bati - Mille road and highly accepted it as they clearly expressed their willingness to provide necessary support and to cooperate whenever there is a need. This was largely based on the expectations that upgrading of the road would alleviate many of the problems that are associated with the existing condition of the road and enhance economic and social development activities in the influence region. The Woreda officials also have agreed to provide necessary support to project affected persons, establish compensation committee, and provide the land required for establishment of construction camps as well as for quarry and borrow sites. The summary of the consensus reached during the consultation meetings include the following:  All the woredas traversed by the project road have agreed to provide support and assistance for those persons who will lose their land (farmland or residential land) for the road construction works (right of way, detour and other construction works). Although aware of some inconveniences, the communities have welcomed the construction of the project road adding that they have been waiting for it to happen very eagerly.  Woreda administration offices shall provide special support for those vulnerable groups and for those households who may be affected by the construction of the project road. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 61 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation  Woreda administration offices and sector offices have agreed to facilitate the smooth implementation of the construction works and provide other routine administrative supports if need be. For instance in maintain peace and security, and in showing areas of public properties for proper safety and supporting in cost estimate works (as emphasized by Kombolcha city administrators)  Woreda administration offices shall facilitate the employment of labour force from the locality.  The respective Woreda health offices and HIV/AIDS Secretariat offices have also promised to work together in awareness raising and distribution of Malaria and HIV prevention and control mechanisms In general, in all the locations where public consultations were held, the public are highly supportive and positive about the upgrading of the project road and are much enthusiastic about the plan; and are looking forewords to the commencement of the construction works. 6.3.66 Request from Kombolcha City Administration Kombolcha City administration officials during the meeting held with the Consultant requested the road project to start from the outskirt of the town at Keble 01 and to be connected with Addis- Kombolcha-Woldia road at the square in front of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia located at Kebele 03. The above requested road section used to be part of the old Addis–Kombolcha-Woldia road. The justifications given by the city officials for the construction of this section of the road were as follows:  If the project road Kombolcha - Bati – Mille starts from Kebele 01 it would serve 3 more kebeles within the city as well as serving as an alternative route for the Addis-Kombolcha- Woldia road.  The requested road section, in the past, as it used to be part of the main road administered and maintained by ERA makes it appropriate to be managed by ERA.  Since the km distance of the requested road is more than 3 Km, it would be difficult for the city and is beyond the capacity of the city administration to construct it.  If the project road starts from the outskirt of the city it would highly beneficial to the local population and will have significant contribution to the growth, development and expansion of the city.  It would contribute in reducing the traffic jam, congestion and potential accidents in the city; and will facilitate for the smooth flow of the traffic movement. The formal request of the city administration is attached in the Appendix 5. This request has been accepted by ERA and ERA has decided the Kombolcha – Bati – Mille road project to connect to the recently upgraded Kombolcha – Dessie – Woldia Road at two junctions. This has increased the project length by 3km and ERA has instructed the Design Consultant, i.e. AEC, to these sections of the road in Komblocha town to be included in the Kombolcha – Bati – Mille road project design. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 62 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 6. POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 6.1. General This environmental and social impacts identification and prediction was primarily based on the data and information collected during the field investigations made along the project road and consultations with key stakeholders. In addition, it was based on baseline data collected from the relevant offices of the woredas traversed by the project road, review of previous studies in the region, and relevant data generated by the other disciplines involved in the project study and design. Further, existing maps such as the 1:50,000 topographic maps prepared by the Ethiopian Mapping Agency were utilized. The identified environmental and social impacts are described qualitatively and where possible quantitatively in the following sections. 6.2. Positive Environmental and Social Impacts 6.3.67 Positive Environmental Impacts Reconstruction and upgrading of the Kombolcha - Bati - Mille road with alignment improvements, new drainage structures and replacement of substandard structures, and new pavements, together with integration of environmental mitigation measures will bring a number of positive environmental impacts, including the following: - Alleviation of the existing serious siltation problem on the road, along roadside drains and at the culverts, plus erosion and scour problems, - Construction of the road with asphalt pavement will avoid the existing high level of dust pollution on the road and erosion from the road surfaces and minimize the impacts on water quality resulting from erosion of particles from the gravel-surfaced road, - Improvement of sight distance/visibility for drivers and pedestrians; this will reduce accident risks for both motorized and non-motorized traffic, - The upgraded road with better geometry and wider carriageway will facilitate traffic flows and improve traffic safety, - The upgraded road will have smooth surfaces, which will reduce vehicle-operating costs, saving the need for imports of spare parts, and savings in travel time; and - With provision of paved shoulders, at least in town and village section, and better sight distance, there will be better safety for pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles. 6.3.68 Positive Socio-economic Impacts The basic positive socio-economic impact of the proposed project will be creating efficient and effective road transport access for the people living in the project influence area. The other advantages of the proposed project will directly or indirectly emanate from this basic benefit of the project. The main expected socio-economic benefits of the envisaged road upgrading project include the following: i. Improved Access for Transport Facilities The road project connects two regions and it serves as the major import- export corridor. Despite this fact, the condition of the existing road is very much deteriorated and narrow as it is among the oldest roads in the country. As the discussants at different parts of the road tried to express, Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 63 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation vehicles will not prefer to use it and as a result of this the communities in the area are facing difficulties to transport important food items from the highlands. It has also been a challenge for development of the urban centers in fear of relocation as it has been under study for several years. It was also mentioned by Kombolcha town administrators that due to the poor condition of the road, vehicle drivers that have been using it previously to transport imported items from Djibouti to many Northern parts of the country are now forced to use the longest routes like mille-Chifra- Woldiya. If upgraded, it is also assumed to be used as alternate route for Djibouti- Addis. In addition, there is no public transport service in the rural areas of the proposed road project at present as a result of which people are forced to use loaded trucks with all the inconveniences. Thus, the upgrading of the envisaged project will minimize the transport problems that the communities have been suffering for the past years. Upgrading the road and introduction of vehicular transport facility into those previously unsupplied Woredas would minimizes both the cost and time required to travel to the social, administrative and economic centers of their interest. The availability of transportation can result in, improved social services; access to administrative centers, to marketplaces and to family and extended family affairs. Transportation shall be facilitated, as more vehicles would be available following the road construction. ii. Poverty Alleviation As has been thoroughly mentioned in previous section of this report, the people living in the specified five Woredas (Project Area) have been suffering from repeated drought and shortage of food and water supply. Their livelihood system is based on subsistence agriculture leading traditional life style. Though detailed economic data is not available, poverty is indicated as manifested through high morbidity and mortality rate, low life expectancy, limited access to health facilities, high illiteracy rate, chronic food deficiency and malnutrition. Therefore, the construction of the road directly or indirectly will have significant contribution in averting the specified problems of the two regions in general and the project area in particular. iii. Creation of Job Opportunity As the off-farm and market based economic opportunities are very limited in all Woredas except for urban areas where the people practice some activities. Most income generation schemes that communities are currently engaged in are traditional, uniform, and meant mostly to meet daily needs. Some of the activities widely undertaken include sell of small animals like goats and sheep, fuel wood and charcoal, and sell of Chat in Kalu Woreda. These limited activities are not capable to absorb the growing unemployment. As the women in Kalu Woreda mentioned many youth (mostly female) are moving far from their area into boarder areas in search of job. Moreover, lack of job opportunity mentioned as the major social problem of youth living in five Woredas crossed by the proposed road. This implies that, considerable working force is not properly utilized due to lack of alternative activity and therefore, the existing unutilized working force or ideal labour will be deployed. In addition, during construction phase, the project requires considerable working force from the nearby area and it is expected that the prevailing unemployment will be reduced to a significant level. Thus, generation of employment through physical works expected as direct positive effects of the road construction. At local level, the population can benefit from job opportunities created following the development activities in the area. Because as experience from previous road construction works shows that large size of employment opportunities would be created for semi- Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 64 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation skilled and unskilled labor from the local communities. Hence, to ensure the participation of the local community in the construction of the road employment for semiskilled and unskilled labor force should be encouraged from the local communities and more opportunity and priority in employment should also be given for women and in particular to female headed households. If such employments are adopted, the project would contribute to the creation of jobs, income and improvements of the local economy increase the revenue capacity of the project area and will also bring knowledge to the locality. iv. Promotion of Economic Development Endeavors It is inconceivable to realize market-based agricultural development in the absence of efficient road and transport services. The supply of various development services to rural areas is possible only when there is an efficient road and transport system. Hence, the expansion of road and transport services is one of the key development measures that must be taken to promote accelerated and sustainable agricultural development. In view of this, associated with the upgrading of the road, it is expected that food production and productivity will show increment with the development of agricultural technologies appropriate for areas in short of rainfall and land holding. Household income also improves due to lowering of transport costs and improved and extended market access and opportunities to agricultural products. In sum associated with the upgrading of the road, it is anticipated that exportable products of industries in Kombolcha town and other northern parts of the country can be made with efficient and speedy means of transport and this could help the factories to produce at their highest potential. Besides, the existing urban centers will grow in the future in size and improve the quality of their services. v. Tourism Development The project area possesses several natural and manmade tourist attraction sites such as Bati Market, Chachatu Hot Spring located at 10km from Bati, all in Amhara region and the known Archeological and Anthropological research site known as Ada’ar (Hadar) Woreda in the Afar regional state is also located at about 40 km from the project road. This site is known for its historical event where early human fossils (Australopithecines, the earliest humanlike primates) dated from about 7 million to 2.5 million years ago existed and remains of the oldest most complete hominid skeleton ever recovered. To put it in the words of the anthropologist, Jonald C. Johansso: “Hadar is a truly beautiful and magical place with deep erosion exposing multicolored layers of sedimentary rock which had accumulated in and around ancient lakes. Today Hadar is desert, but the fossil animal remains, as well as studies of fossilized pollen grains, suggest that in the distant past the area was well-watered and supported a very diverse collection of animals which thrived in environments ranging from closed forest to open woodlands and bush… the remains of the oldest most complete hominid skeleton ever recovered. Celebrating the discovery of the diminutive skeleton, presumably a female, I nicknamed her Lucy after the Beatles's song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds� that was playing in our camp that night, November 30, 1974. Now dated to 3.2 million years, Lucy has the distinction of being the best-known fossil hominid ancestor.� Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 65 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Therefore, it is expected that the upgrading of the road will lures tourists and researchers to the area for visiting the attractions and facilitate the development of such sites and the cultural resources and the benefits driven out of this for the respective regions in particular and for the country in general. 6.4 Negative Impacts on Physical Environment 6.4.1 Disfiguring of landscape and visual pollution In the first about 50km section, there are many substandard horizontal curves that do not comply with the minimum radii requirement of the expected design standard in relation to the type of terrain. Improvement of the substandard radii would require designing realignments/ alignment improvements that involve deep cutting in slopes or high filling. In addition, the existing road has inadequate carriageway, which would require widening of the road width. These activities would involve cutting in slopes that is likely to generate excess spoil materials. Disposal or side casting of such excess materials on adjacent slopes can damage the landscape quality. In addition, it is most likely that scars would be formed on cut slopes, affecting the natural beauty of the landscape. Other activities that would impact on landscape quality include exploitation of construction material sources, and establishment of contractors’ site facilities. In particular major disfiguring of the landscape is expected at the locations of quarry sites and borrow pits. Implementation of the road project is likely to involve extraction of huge quantities of natural granular materials for sub- base construction and rock quarries for aggregate production and masonry works. Exploitation of borrow materials and quarries may create deep pits and scarred landscape, which could be visually unsightly. The Construction Materials and Geotechnical Investigation Team has identified and proposed 18 potential natural granular material sources and 8 rock quarry sources. Of the proposed material sources, 16 (62%) sites exist borrow pits and quarries while the rest are new ones. The landscape of many of the existing sites has already been significantly affected due to the previous or on-going exploitation and further use of those sites will further deteriorate the visual quality of the sites. In fact most of the sites are sparsely vegetated and little used for agricultural or other activities. Potential impacts on landscape quality can be reduced through the following mitigation measures: - Restoration (where practicable) of borrow sites and areas of the construction contractors’ site facilities through back-filling, landscaping and re-establishing vegetation cover; - To the extent possible, use of existing material sources and materials processing site like the one at km 5.4 (RHS) and natural clearings/open lands for contractor’s site facilities to minimize the impacts caused by exploitation of new material sources and establishment of new construction camps; - Proper compaction and grassing of embankment/fill slopes and cut slopes by seeding or planting grass strips of appropriate species; - Avoiding (if practicable) extraction of borrow or quarry materials from new sites by exploiting already existing sites to the maximum; - Avoiding indiscriminate disposal of surplus or unsuitable excavated materials by depositing it only at approved disposal sites and, on completion, by landscaping and Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 66 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation planting such sites with appropriate tree, shrub or grass species to improve the aesthetic quality of those sites; and - Proper reservation of spoil materials and utilization of them in back-filling of quarries or borrow pits when exploitation of those sites is over. 6.4.2 Slope Destabilization, Rock Falls and Risks of Blasting The geology of the area does not seem to have any major geological hazard, and no slope stability problem was observed during the site investigations. However, deep cutting in mountainous and escarpment areas may induce land-sliding or rock-fall problems at some spots. There are several locations characterized by weathered geologic formation, which could be prone to sliding upon intrusion in the slope. In addition, slope instability can be a problem at locations where inappropriate disposal of excess spoil materials esp. on steep slopes is practiced. Mostly it is cutting in the slopes or at its toe and loading of the slope by fill or dump materials, and alteration of surface runoff or drainage systems that may trigger slope stability problem. Extraction of rock materials for aggregate production or masonry works may involve blasting activities, which may produce fly rocks that may endanger the people or animals, or affect properties like residential houses found in the vicinity of the sites. In addition, it may produce rocks that may fall or roll down-hill slope. These falling rocks/boulders may jeopardise people or animals found below the sites. For example, the existing quarry site at km 6.50 (300m LHS) has such potential problem since it is located on hilly terrain and there are some residential houses within impact zone. Possible slope stability and associated damages can be minimized by adopting the following measures: - Designing and constructing appropriate slope stabilizing structures like retaining walls or gabions at the vulnerable sections; - Avoiding loading of sensitive slopes with fill or dump materials and minimizing excavating in such sensitive slopes to the extent possible; - Removing all dangerous and loose boulders and rocks from cut faces; - Avoiding side-casting of excavation materials on down-slope by depositing it only in approved disposal sites; - Controlling surface water infiltration to reduce seepage forces by providing adequate side drains, interceptor drains, etc.; - Carrying out all blasting following the relevant safety regulations and exercising every precaution to protect the persons, animals and properties near the sites. The blasting activities shall be limited to a specific period of the day so as to minimize disturbance and risks to people, animals and properties; and - The schedule of blasting activities should be announced to the vulnerable people in advance so that they are aware of the risk and take necessary precautions. 6.4.3 Impacts on Soils Potential impacts on soils mainly related to increased soil erosion, soil compaction and contamination of soils by hazardous substances. Considering the topographic features and intensity Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 67 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation of rainfall along the first about 50km section, the road works may create a moderate level of soil erosion during the construction period. Along most part of the remaining section of the project (i.e. km 50 – end of project), the risk of water erosion would be minimal by virtue of mostly flat terrain and low intensity of rainfall. Nonetheless, wind erosion can be a prominent problem related to the prevailing strong wind in the area. The main causes of soil erosion would be land clearing, cutting in soil and earthmoving works for: - increasing the road width and construction of the realignment/alignment improvement sections, - building of new culverts, extension of culverts and bridges and replacement of old or substandard culverts, - construction of roadside ditches and diversion drains or replacement of the old ones, and - Construction of detour and access roads, and contractors’ site facilities (campsites & materials processing and storage sites). These activities will remove the topsoil or cause destruction of soil structures and ultimately expose it to erosion by runoff water. In addition, soils can be affected due to disposal of spoil materials from road cuts onto adjacent lands, as well as disposal of waste materials from campsites. Moreover, soils in the impact zone can be impacted due to contamination by hazardous materials like oils and fuel resulting from accidental spillage, leakage of equipment and vehicles, or improper disposal of used oils. Furthermore, the soils in the areas adjacent to the road and other active construction sites may be affected due to compaction by heavy equipment used in the construction works and dump trucks used for transportation of construction materials. The use of unpaved access roads and detours will also have compaction or trampling effects on soils. The above-discussed potential impacts on soils can be minimized by applying of the following mitigation measures: - Implementation of the road works during the dry season thereby reducing soil erosion and compaction; - As far it is feasible, applying half-way construction method in order to reduce the impairment of soils by detour roads; - Design and construction of appropriate drainage structures such as paved side-drains, diversion drains, check dams, culverts and sufficient turnouts to reduce the concentration of water flows, erosion and scouring along and downstream of the structures; - Reducing the time surface remains bare by implementing grassing or re-vegetation by other plants following completion of the construction works; - Minimizing extension of work activities beyond the imperative area for the construction of the road and exploitation of material sources; and - Avoiding designing and construction of culverts and side-drains in such a way that they would release runoff or flood water onto slopes vulnerable to erosion, and for unavoidable cases, providing erosion/scour protection structures. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 68 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 6.4.4 Impacts on Water Resources The project road intercepts over 12 major rivers and streams and numerous minor drainage channels. Thus, the road upgrading works are likely to have some direct impacts on those water resources. Amongst the most likely impacts of the road upgrading activities are increased sedimentation and water pollution risks of rivers, streams and other waterways crossed by the project road or in its vicinity. The main potential sources of the impacts include: - excavation works for foundation of new culverts, extension of narrow culverts and bridges, and replacement of old culverts or substandard culverts, - excavation works for increasing the road width, construction of alignment improvements and realignment section, and roadside drainage structures, - dumping of spoil materials on riverbanks or in river-courses, - spillage of pollutants like fuel, oil and cement slug, and - Extraction of sand from river bed. Cutting or grabbing in adjacent slopes and earthworks for widening the road and construction of the realignments/alignment improvements and roadside drainage facilities may result in side tipping of excavated materials on river banks or in river courses. In addition, the excavated materials can be exposed to runoff water and easily transported into rivers and streams. These situations may greatly contribute to increased sediment loading of the rivers and streams crossed by the project road. In addition, the water quality of rivers and streams can be impacted due to contamination through spillage of hazardous substances like fuel and oil into watercourses, or due to improper disposal of used oil. Further, uncontrolled discharge of sewage and other fluid wastes at campsites may cause water pollution through surface runoff into watercourses or infiltration into the groundwater. In addition, the project will require sand for concrete and masonry works. The identified potential sources of sand include Borkena (0.0, towards Desse), Cheleka (km 20.4, Rt 50m), Lege Burka (km 52.3, Rt 50m) and Geraru (km 131, Rt 10km towards Adaytu). Extraction of sand from the river courses may have some local impacts on river courses. These sources have abundant sand deposits, which is annually renewable during the rainy seasons. Therefore, these sand deposits can be exploited for the sand quarries without any significant impacts on the resource potential. However, precautions should be taken to avoid pollution risks through leakage of fuel or oils from the equipment and trucks that would excavate and haul sand respectively. The sand deposit in Borkena and Cheleka river courses is already highly exploited for road and other construction activities in the area. Due to the location of the project road along Cheleka River around km 15.70 to km 19.70, this section of the road is vulnerable to erosion or scour problem by the river water esp. during the peak flood events or high water levels. In addition, this section of the road runs along counter-line of a long chain of mountainous/ hilly area and intercepts runoff water transporting heavy silt loads. This situation has resulted in clogging of culverts and pipes by silt deposition and overflowing of flood water on the road. These issues should be given particular attention during the engineering design, construction as well as operation phases. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 69 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation During the operation phase, increased traffic volume may produce more spills of hazardous substances such as fuel and oil, and road runoff that may cause pollution of the water resources in the impact zone. The above described potential impacts on water resources can be minimized by adopting the following mitigation measures: - Execution of the potentially impacting road construction and drainage works during the dry season when river flows are minimal or non-existent, to minimize interference in river flows and reduce erosion, sedimentation and water pollution risks; - Avoiding disposal of surplus excavated materials on river banks or in river courses by depositing it only at approved disposal sites; - In order to minimize the risk of siltation of drainage structures, energy dissipating structures, check dams, appropriate inlet and outlet structures like end walls, drop inlets, catch pits and chutes shall be designed and constructed; - In order to reduce the rate of erosion and silt transport from the adjacent catchments, soil and water conservations works/watershed treatment measures shall be implemented in collaboration with the local natural resources conservation offices. - Proper handling of hazardous substances such as oil, fuel and cement to avoid water pollution by spillages. Dispensing points of fuels and lubricants by the construction contractor during the construction period should have drip pans, and for the dispensing of petroleum products fuel funnels should be used; - Avoidance of leakages from vehicles and construction equipment by regular and effective maintenance; - Provision of satisfactory disposal of solid and liquid wastes generated by construction camps and maintaining the facilities for sanitation at the campsites in good condition; 6.4.5 Catchment Erosion and Siltation Problem in Drainage Structures The catchments intercepted by the section between km 0.0 and about km 54, are dominantly hilly, mountainous and escarpment terrain followed by rolling terrain. Most of these areas are intensively used for agricultural activities including crop cultivation and livestock grazing. Due to the terrain condition, i.e. largely steep sloping landscape, and intensive land use, coupled with high intensity of rainfall in the area, the rate of soil erosion and sediment transport is relatively high. This situation has resulted in serious siltation problem in the cross- and longitudinal- drainage structures of the project road particularly along the sections where the road alignment runs along counter line in hilly, mountainous and escarpment areas. Most parts of the catchments are devoid of vegetation cover due to land clearing for cultivation, over grazing and overexploitation of the natural vegetation for fuel, construction materials etc. Although some parts of the steep sloping and highly degraded areas are already designated as ‘protected areas’ or ‘closure areas’, they are not yet rehabilitated enough to reduce the rate of erosion and siltation problem to acceptable levels. Therefore, the soil and water conservation measures being implemented by local offices and the local communities need to be further strengthened and intensified in order to reduce the soil erosion Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 70 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation and siltation problem to acceptable levels. As a mitigation measure it is recommended that the road project would allocate some budget for enrichment planting and other conservation measures in the ‘protected areas’ along the project alignment and for implementing soil and water conservation measures in agricultural lands. As per the discussions made during the environmental field survey, the concerned local institutions and local community are willing to implement such conservation practices provided that necessary financial and material support is made available. In addition, as a short tem solution, appropriate structures including energy dissipating structures, check dams, appropriate inlet and outlet structures like end walls, drop inlets, catch pits and chutes shall be designed and constructed in order to minimize the risk of siltation of drainage structures. 6.4.6 Impacts on Water Supply Systems and Competition for Water There is an irrigation water conveyance canal at 37+266 to 37+800 (534m long and 0.50m wide) running on the right side edge of the road embankment. It is a lined canal that transfers water diverted from Kersa River to Kersa Irrigation Project. In addition, there are flumes at 20+200 (RHS), 37+280 (RHS, 9.0m long) and at 37+745 (RHS, 2.8m long) located just adjacent to a box culvert or a pipe culvert. These structures would be most likely affected unless increasing of the road width and extension of the culverts take place on the opposite side. The availability of developed water sources and surface water sources esp. during the dry season is very limited in the project area. Thus, use of water from existing sources for the road works and campsite requirements may cause significant competition with existing users. In particular along the section between Bati and Mille, which covers over two-third of the project length, scarcity of surface water during most period of the year could be a major constraint. Of the four rivers and streams that have been identified as potential sources of water for the road woks, three are major ones (Borkena, Cheleka, and Mille) which have substantial flows throughout the year. Thus, abstraction of water from these rivers for the road works requirement is not likely to cause appreciable reduction in river flows. However, care need to be taken during abstraction in order to avoid the risk of pollution though leakage of fuel or oils. Potential impacts on irrigation structures and existing water users shall be minimized through the following mitigation measures: - Taking maximum precautions not to affect the quality as well as quantity of the existing water supply sources used by the local communities for human, animal or irrigation purposes; the water sources that should not be used for the road project unless permitted by the local administration, water office or local community include the developed water supply sources of the villages and towns along the road and perennial streams during low flows such as Derekoli (km 29.4), protected spring (km 28, 150m RHS), Kersa River (km 38.6), and Lege Temira (45km); also water pools or ponds in the courses of the rivers between Bati & Mille should not be used since these are important water supply sources for the local communities. - In case the existing irrigation canals and flumes are affected, replacement structures shall be provided as soon as possible in order to let an uninterrupted flow of the irrigation water; Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 71 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation - Water for the road works or campsite requirements shall not be withdrawn from the streams or other sources being used by the local population unless its sufficiency is approved by the relevant local authorities or district water offices. 6.4.7 Air and Noise Pollution Air and noise pollution could be the most significant issue during the construction phase. Currently the traffic flows on the gravel section of the road, i.e. between km 42 and km 120, is generating high dust levels, which is posing major nuisances to the communities along the road. During the implementation phase, construction traffic, mainly related to the transportation of construction materials, mainly borrow and quarry materials, will increase traffic flows greatly. This in turn will increase air and noise pollution on a temporary basis till completion of such bulk operations. In addition, diversion of the normal traffic to gravel surfaced or earth detour roads may increase dust levels. Other potential sources of air and dust pollution include excavation and earthmoving operations, mining of quarry and borrow materials and their haulage to the construction front or processing sites, aggregate production and asphalt mixing activities, and application of the surface wearing course. The consequent dust and noise level is could be quite significant and may affect the communities and business activities along the road. As the project road passes through many villages and towns, as well as areas of high agricultural activities, the increased dust and noise levels may cause significant nuisance and result in increased incidence of some respiratory diseases. In addition, there are many other sensitive receptors such as mosques, schools, public health units, and water supply sources along the road. Consequently, dust and noise pollution may cause nuisance to a large number of people. After completion of construction, dust levels will be minimized because the road would be bituminized and traffic will use the asphalt road instead of gravel roads. During the operation phase, the upgraded road will reduce the vehicle operating cost, which will reduce the individual vehicle’s air and noise pollution. On the other hand, the impact of noise and exhaust emissions will tend to increase since the traffic volume is likely to increase. These increased emissions will impact on the air quality but this will to some extent be modified by the road upgrading which will tend to reduce the vehicle fuel consumption which will reduce an individual vehicle’s air and noise pollution. The relatively high traffic volume with higher proportion of heavy trucks on the improved road is likely to cause a moderate level of noise pollution. Considering the significance of air and noise pollution particularly during the construction phase, suitable mitigation measures need to be implemented to reduce dust production, nuisance noise and vehicle emissions. The recommended mitigation measures include the following: - Limiting traffic speeds and applying water regularly on dusty roads esp. along those sections passing through towns, villages, business/agricultural areas, and other sensitive places; - Use of modern and well-maintained equipment (with mufflers where appropriate), regular maintenance of diesel powered machinery and vehicles to reduce excessive exhaust emissions; Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 72 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation - Regular maintenance of emission intensive plants and application of dust suppressant mechanisms; - Locating the aggregate production plants and bitumen mixing plants at a minimum distance of 3km from any sensitive receptors such as residential areas, religious places, health units, schools and drinking water supply sources; - Construction works must comply with relevant health and safety standards pertaining to noise and emissions, such as wearing ear protection when operating plants or heavy machinery; - Implementing well-designed traffic management plan that considers traffic safety and working hours for materials transport thereby minimize transport-related disturbance to local residents and road users, and reduce traffic accidents; - Carrying out noisy construction activities during normal working hours; - Avoiding burning of materials such as tiers, plastic, rubber products or other materials that create heavy smock or nuisance odour; - Avoiding disposing of any volatile chemicals to the air; and - Informing local people in advance when there will be blasting or unusual unavoidable noise. 6.5 Negative Impacts on Biological Environment 6.5.1 Impacts on Flora Most section of the project road passes through areas covered with highly degraded or sparse natural vegetation cover. However, there are some areas that contain open to moderately dense natural vegetation, mainly bushes, shrubs and scattered/ isolated trees. In terms of conservation of natural vegetation, it is important to note that the mountainous/hilly areas along Km 10 – 20 and km 30 – 34 are designated as ‘protected or closure areas’ that are intended to allow for regeneration of the natural vegetation. These areas are covered by relatively dense bushy and shrubby vegetation. In addition, the section between approximately km 60 and km 90 has relatively important vegetation cover. Moreover, the seasonally flooded valleys and riverbanks along the major rivers such as Fursa River (km 75.70), Elwiha River (km 90.30), Idrisa River (km 106.00), Weranso River (km 108.50) and Bedena River (km 124.00) have relatively thick vegetation including trees of prominent size. It is expected that small portions of these natural vegetation areas and several isolated trees found along the road are likely to be affected. These impacts are mainly related to increasing of the road width, and construction of alignment improvements, diversion roads and access routes to material sources, as well as exploitation of borrow and quarry sites. None of the potentially affected plant species is known to be rare or threatened. Nevertheless, the natural vegetation/trees have essential roles in soil and water conservation and in maintaining the micro-climate/preventing against desertification as well as in socio-economic activities of the local communities including provision of feed resources for livestock, fuel wood and construction materials. It is worth mentioning that the vegetation in the lowland part of the project area is highly utilized by the pastoral community for livestock browsing. Thus, it has a major role in the Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 73 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation livelihood of the pastoral community. This was an important issue raised during the stakeholders and public consultations and observed during site visit. On the other hand, making of charcoal for sale/ cash income generation was noticed at several places along this part of the project area. Therefore, it is important to take possible measures to minimize damages of vegetation and mitigate the unavoidable losses through replanting program and/or strengthening the conservation efforts already initiated by the local natural resources conservation offices. Proposed mitigation measures include the following measures: - Considering the location of important trees or dense vegetation during the engineering design as well as construction in order to minimize damages of vegetation/trees by adhering to exacting principles of design, and widening/improving the road to one side only, where technically feasible, - Limiting land taking and earthworks to the area absolutely necessary for the road works, - Applying half-way construction method for sections passing through protected areas and sections having important solitary trees or dense vegetation to avoid construction of detours and the consequent loss of trees/vegetation, - Avoiding side-tipping of spoil/excess excavation materials on down-slope where it can affect vegetation/trees, - Avoiding extraction of construction materials from sites which have dense vegetation or important trees, - Avoiding locating of access roads, construction camps and materials processing plants within areas, which have significant vegetation or trees cover, and - Replanting appropriate tree species at areas affected due to temporary activities and at locations to be recommended by the Woreda Natural Resources Conservation Offices and/or the Environmental Protection and Land Administration Offices to compensate for trees/vegetation lost. In the planting program, ecologically/environmentally friendly species should be implemented with priority given for indigenous species, butalso suitable exotic species. 6.5.2 Impacts on Fauna Based on the information gathered from local offices and local people, as well as observations made during the environmental field visit, the project area has less significance for wildlife conservation since the diversity and population of wildlife in the road corridor is rather low. Mainly it is the ‘protected areas’ between Kombolcha and Bati and the places that have relatively dense vegetation and some sources of water that harbor some wild animals and a variety of birdlife. Hence, impacts on wildlife would be relatively important in these parts of the project area, whereas in the other areas it can be considered minor. During construction, the noise resulting from frequent movements of construction vehicles, and operation of heavy machinery will disturb the wild animals and birds adapted to use the habitats in the road environment. In addition, some fatalities of wild animals could result due collisions with vehicles though this is likely to be very occasional. It is expected that the bird species residing in the habitats adjacent to the project road, access roads, quarries and borrow pits, and sites of material processing plants will be greatly disturbed by noise generated from the operation of heavy Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 74 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation equipment and noisy plants. These disturbances may affect nesting and the breeding success of the bird species. Regarding the proposed quarry and select material sources, almost all of them have little importance as wildlife habitats since they are bare-lands or covered by scanty vegetation. During the operation phase, the wild animals and birds in the habitats adjacent to the road could be disturbed by noise pollution generated by vehicular traffic on the road, but the level of these disturbances would be less significant particularly compared to that of the construction phase impacts. In addition, vehicular traffic may cause some occasional killings of wildlife. However, these impacts are not likely to contribute for the declining of wildlife numbers. Possible impacts on wildlife will be reduced through the following measures: - The construction contractor shall avoid excessive destruction of wildlife habitats and illegal hunting; - Posting appropriate signs in the important wildlife areas and applying speed limits for sections passing through those areas; - Strict prohibition of illegal hunting by the workforce and killing of wild animals due to reluctances of drivers like over speeding of vehicles; and - Particular attention shall be paid and the above indicated mitigation measures strictly implemented for the section between Elwiha and Mille since the corridor of this section is inhabited by threatened species. 6.6 Other Environmental Issues 6.6.1 Impacts on Land Use and Land Cover Land taking for alignment improvement, widening of the road width, construction of detours and access roads to material sources, exploitation of borrow sites and quarries is expected to result in loss of farm lands, grazing areas, and plantation or naturally growing trees or other vegetation cover as discussed in other sections. Impacts on land use and the associated social effects can be minimized through: - Selection of the road upgrading option that will involve less land requirement for realignments and widening of the road width. Adopting a 30m ROW or even less width rather than 50m width, which is the ROW for DS4 according to the ERA Design Manual, is recommended in order to reduce the extent of additional land requirements and the associated impacts on agricultural lands, trees and other properties; - Limiting land taking and earthmoving activities to the area absolutely necessary for the road works; - Applying half-way construction method particularly for sections passing through sensitive areas like agricultural lands, dense plantation trees, buildings, public utilities etc. in order to reduce the impacts related to construction and use of detour roads; - Avoiding side-tipping of excavated materials onto adjacent agricultural lands, grazing lands or on areas having vegetation/trees cover; - Avoiding designing and construction of culverts and side-drains in such a way that they would release runoff or flood water onto agricultural lands; Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 75 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation - Restoration of areas affected due to temporary activities like detours and access roads to material sources and site facilities to productive state by removal of existing pavement materials, loosening of compacted soils and spreading of the topsoil preserved for this purpose; - Payment of adequate compensation for loss of farmlands and grazing areas according to the Regulations No. 135/2007, which deals with compensation issues for expropriation of landholdings for public projects. 6.6.2 Traffic Congestion and Accident Risks Traffic congestion and accident risks are likely to be issues of major concern since the road works will take place during the road in operation. They are related to partial or complete closure of lanes to vehicular traffic. Particularly along the sections located in mountainous and escarpment areas, traffic management could be very difficult and accident risks are potentially high. Provision of detour roads could be practically very difficult along many of such locations. The situation can be worsened by the high volume of heavy trucks, many of them with trail, using the road. The most vulnerable groups include the project workers on site and road users (like drivers, passengers and pedestrians). In addition, traffic congestion and accident risks are potentially high along the sections running through villages and towns since many of them have limited spaces for provision of detours (see Photo 27 as an example). Moreover, construction vehicles esp. the trucks involved in the haulage of construction materials can create high safety risks for roadside communities and animals. The other important traffic safety issue is related to a seasonal movement of the pastoral Afar’s livestock mainly along the project road to the place known as Borkena Plain/Chafa wetland (see Photo 28 below). This area is a seasonal wetland, which is a prime grazing and watering ground for extremely large livestock population. Borkena Plain is located to the southwest of Kombolcha town along the Addis – Kombolcha – Dessie Road. The livestock movement takes place when there is shortage of feed and water in the dry season and the livestock stays there until the onset of the rainy season and feed resources regenerate and water availability is ensured. The pictures shown below depict cattle movement on the road and the traffic congestion and obstruction caused by such activity. During the operation phase, the smoothened alignment together with the new pavement will provide a smooth road, which may lead to the tendency of drivers using a too high speed. It is very likely that higher driving speeds entail an increasing number of accidents. Particular areas of concern are towns and villages, and the schools aside the road where pedestrians and in particular pupils/children are highly in danger. In addition, areas with difficult terrain/ mountainous and escarpment areas and areas where livestock frequently move along or across the road are important. The potential problems of traffic congestion and safety risks should be minimized a well-designed work program and traffic management plan that may include the following components: - Provision of necessary information such as speed limits, direction, hazard locations, sensitive sites (e.g. schools, villages, animal crossing paths etc.) by putting appropriate signals and hazard markings; - Assigning traffic regulators or traffic police to control traffic flows at critical sections or periods where/when traffic safety is a serious issue; Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 76 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation - Awareness training of operators of equipment and construction vehicles in traffic safety measures; - Establishment of speed limits and controls for construction vehicles and discipline for the drivers; and - Providing appropriate information on the location of risky areas to potentially affected local residents and prohibiting such areas for safety reasons, e.g. borrow pits and quarries, rock blasting sites, and materials storage and processing places. Photo 27: Parts of Bati Town – densely built and highly congested parts of the town by transient heavy trucks, ‘Bajajs’, and animal driven carts. Photo 28:A seasonal movement of huge Afar’s cattle population to Borkena Plain (west of Kombolcha) in search of feed and water – travelling on the project road & passes through Kombolcha (Rt Photo) 6.6.3 Impacts on Physical Cultural Resources There are no any known physical cultural resources within the direct impact zone of the road project. However, if any assets of archaeological or cultural value become apparent during excavations for the road works or other project activities, the Contractor shall immediately Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 77 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation notify the Resident Engineer and shall protect and keep same intact, until the relevant authority takes delivery thereof. The Resident Engineer shall immediately inform the local Cultural and Tourism Office and/or the Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ARCCH) and ensure that the property is kept intact until the pertinent authority takes necessary action. 6.7 Negative Impacts on Human Environment 6.7.1 Impacts due to Land Acquisition The major potential impact of the project road on the socio-economic environment and on the livelihood of the communities is due to land acquisition. As is the case for most other similar projects, the project road will entail displacement of considerable number of households from their current dwellings. The extent of disruption and damage to the natural, economic and cultural resource base depends on the planning, and design of the project. The planning and design of a project should consider the socio economic and environmental issues to avoid and/or minimize the damages to be caused due to the construction of the road. It is, therefore, important to identify the socioeconomic components that are likely to be affected by the project. This would assist to propose appropriate remedial measures in advance for those factors that may have adverse impacts, and for their timely inclusion in the design of the project. The land requirement may entail relocation of some houses located along the project road and in the Right of Way. However, it may not require for involuntary resettlement of the local population because it will only take strips of land in some sections of the project road corridor. Places where there is a need for land acquisition, appropriate compensation has to be provided for lost assets, for lost income basis and other requirements based on Ethiopia’s laws and regulations of the major provisions in the FDRE Constitution and as to the Proclamation for the Expropriation of Land Holdings for Public Purposes and Payment of Compensation (Proclamation No. 455/2005). The details of land acquisition (permanent and temporary dispossessions), number of Project Affected Persons (PAP), Compensation estimates for the affected assets, etc. has to be presented and addressed in the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP). 6.7.2 Impact on Houses and Structures Along the road and within the right of way there are housing units at Woreda capitals and some small towns, which are Kebele centers crossed by the road. Especially the project is expected to involve displacement of many households from urban centers that includes Kombolcha the capital of both Kombolcha and Kalu woredas, Degan, Geba and Bati town. The impact on housing units will occur almost in all the major towns and some villages along the road as housing units for residence and business activities are built close to the road particularly in Degan, Gerba, and Bati towns. The impact in the other towns such as Burka and Elwiha is minimal. The following pictures may signify the existing situation of the towns crossed by the road. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 78 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Photo 29: Chain of houses, telephone and Photo 30: Chain of housing units nd electric electric poles located close to the road at Degan poles at very close to the road in Gerba town, town,at + 23 km km 28.5 from start of project road. Photo 31: Houses and public utilities at very Photo 32: Business housing units at very close close to the road at Bati town, km 42. to the road at Bati town, km 42.5. 6.7.3 Impact on Businesses In most rural and urban sections of the project road, several businesses, such as, shops and restaurants, tea rooms and including Bati open market will be affected by the project road due to widening of the ROW. Therefore, it will be worthwhile in the future to adopt appropriate compensation, rehabilitation and Resettlement Action Plan as mitigation measures for the people who will be affected by the project in accordance with government rules and procedures provided for the purpose. 6.7.4 Impact on Farm land The loss of land could be both temporary and permanent. The temporary loss includes loss of farm land for access road and detour. The permanent loss includes loss of farm for the widening of the ROW. In the rural section of the project road corridor, mainly between kombolcha and Bati Section there will be some loss farm land that would be affected due to widening of the road and Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 79 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation actual quantity need to be determined during the preparation of RAP when the detailed design is completed. Additional land loss is also expected due to land requirement for detours during construction. As the project area, particularly the section between Kombolcha and Bati is mountains and known for shortage of arable land, it demands due care and consideration. 6.7.5 Impact on Public Utilities As is the case for other similar projects, it is expected that the project may involve relocation of electric and telephone lines and water pipes especially in the major town, where the specified services are available. Thus, there will be a temporary disruption of electric, water supply and telephone services in the major towns. It is also a particular fear of the settlers of Degan, Gerba, and Elwiha Towns that the water lines in the towns should be critically considered before being affected. Because, the water distribution points located close to the road side in the towns are the only sources of water in the area. Therefore, it will be safe and a common practice that ERA should discuss this issue with concerned governmental offices regarding compensations and restorations of impacted social services. 6.7.6 Exposure to HIV/AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) As it is well-known road construction and other similar type of project workers and truck drivers are considered to have high potential for the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases due to their mobility, age, access to cash, etc. This is partly because construction workers are mostly young, sexually active group of the population, mobile and are partly because they are forced to live in hotel rooms and in construction camps. Since the project road is export-import corridor it is mostly used by large number of heavy trucks, and hence, many truck drivers and their assistants opt to stay overnight in the towns located along the project road. It is also obvious that the presence of large number of truck drivers and transporters attracts commercial sex workers to the area and also entice young girls from the locality to go into the business. Hence, this makes the project area highly vulnerable and easily exposed to the spread STDs and HIV/ AIDS transmitting factors. In this regard, as preventive measures are to create awareness raising and education campaigns about HIV/AIDS among the construction workers and local population to make them informed. This has to be done on the one hand by the contractor, responsible for workers and on the other hand by the communities residing along the project road targeting specially women and sex workers. In addition, condoms should be provided at subsidized rate or for free to construction workers and health facilities must be supported with supply of condoms. To have an effect in the long-term, schools should include information campaigns and/or special courses. Additional mitigation measures include:  Design awareness creation of projects/programs to address the problem and spread of HIV/AIDS among project workers and local communities  Provide education for local communities regarding the spread of HIV/AIDs and STDs in public places, schools, and through community clubs and groups  Work closely local health service giving institutions to control the spread of STD and HIV/AIDS Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 80 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation  Carry out voluntary testing among construction workers and local community  Provide care and support for HIV/ AIDs affected and infected groups  Free distribution of condoms both male and female type among construction workers and local sex workers  Produce leaflets and road side posters about HIV/AIDs in the project road corridor  Organize community drama groups with schools located in the project road corridor Woreda administrations, Urban and Rural kebele administrations, Woreda health offices, HIV/AIDs Prevention and Control Office, Elders and NGOs operating in the area need to work jointly to create impact and bring major attitudinal and behavioral changes. 6.7.7 Spread of Malaria Infection According to data obtained from respective Woreda Health offices malaria stands from 1st to 3rd among ten top diseases prevailing currently in four Woredas in general and the project road corridor in particular. This shows that project area is highly susceptible to spread of malaria and other low land area diseases. Since the area is attitudinally lies between 500 asl – 1800, makes it malaria infested area. Therefore, stagnant water concentrated in quarry sites, borrow sites and drainage ditches) that will be created associated with the implementation of the project may intensify the problem unless early mitigation measures are adopted before commencement of the construction activity. Photo 33: the road serving as walkway both to Human and animal herds at Degan and Kombolcha towns respectively The Local people are not accustomed to the relatively high vehicle speeds on new upgraded road that allows speedy driving. As observed all along the project road, the road is commonly used as channel for large herds of animals, as open markets and for walking. It is expected that there will be an increase in road accidents during the construction as well as operation of the road. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 81 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 7 CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES 7.1 Description of the Proposed Improvements The proposed road upgrading project will generally follow the alignment of the existing road and comprise the following: Realignment has been introduced at km 9.5 for traffic safety reason and also to shorten the alignment by 550m. Significant horizontal curve improvement is made, though some departures to horizontal curves are necessitated due to prevailing terrain conditions. Road width has been is widened to meet the design standard.  Realignment at km 9.5 to avoid the sharp horizontal curves at approaches of both sides of the Gelana River where serious traffic accidents have been occurring; this realignment, besides improving traffic safety, has the advantage to shorten the alignment by 550m;  Upgrading of the existing road by improving most of the substandard horizontal curves to the minimum requirement and the remaining to some extent.  Upgrading of the whole length of the road, which is currently about 54.8km asphalt surfaced road and about 78.2km gravel road to 50mm thick flexible bituminous surfaced road that has 200mm bituminous base and natural granular sub-base of thickness varying from 125 to 275mm;  Widening of the existing road by about 1.5 - 2 m and with gravel shoulders outside town sections;  Replacement of 20 bridges and 287 culverts by new bridges and new culverts, rehabilitation of 32 bridges and extension of 260 culverts, introduction of 15 new bridges and 35 new culverts, and replacement of 15 bridges by major culverts and 6 culverts by bridges; the need for replacement or rehabilitation of the existing structures, and introduction of new structures is mainly due to either structural failure in the existing structures or to accommodate the design flood and the prevailing siltation problem.  Improvement of side drainage and provision of erosion protection and silt minimization structures like check dams, lined side ditches and diversion drains, chutes, catch-pits etc.  Provision of Bus Bays and Parking Bays and safety measures like Safety Barriers, Traffic Signs, Road Marking, Marker Posts, Raised Pedestrian Crossings, Rumble Strips and other safety enhancing measures. 7.2 Description of Proposed Alternatives Alternatives in terms of road geometry/alignment have been considered for the road upgrading project. These are briefly described in the following sections. With regard to vertical gradient along the road, the existing road has no gradients that exceed the absolute maximum for the selected design standard, i.e. DS4, and type of terrain. In terms of horizontal radii, however, the existing road has many horizontal curves that do not comply with the minimum radii requirement and most of these are found in mountainous and escarpment terrain along the first about 54km. . In terms of geometry, two options have been considered. These are: Option 1: is upgrading the existing road without improving the existing geometry and without increasing the road width. Under this option, the road would be upgraded without improving the Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 82 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation above indicated substandard horizontal curves, which are below the minimum horizontal curve radius. In addition, the road would be maintained with the existing width, which is narrow and below the standard considering the traffic volume and composition. Option 2: is upgrading the existing road with improving the existing geometry. Under this alternative, the road would be upgraded by improving most of the substandard radii to the minimum requirement and the remaining to some extent. 7.3 Environmental Appraisal of Proposed Alternatives Considering the engineering features of the proposed upgrading options and the vulnerability of the impacted biophysical or social environment, the comparative indication of the anticipated environmental and social impacts of the proposed alternatives are discussed briefly below. The alternatives considered have their own advantages and disadvantages. Upgrading the road without improving the existing alignment will minimize additional land requirement and impacts related to improving the substandard curves. It will reduce a number of environmental and social impacts like loss of agricultural lands, intrusion in landscape/impacts on landscape quality, potential slope stability problem, soil erosion and sedimentation related to earthwork activities, and loss of roadside trees and other vegetation. On the other hand, maintaining the substandard radii will have some significant adverse impacts; the most important one is safety hazards for both vehicular traffic and pedestrians. Upgrading the road with improving the existing substandard horizontal curves and widening of the road width to the selected design standard will involve acquisition of additional land and major excavation works. This may result in some environmental and social impacts including loss of lands under agricultural activities, negative impacts on landscape quality/visual pollution, slope destabilization, increased sedimentation in water courses, loss of roadside trees, and damages to irrigation canals and other water conveyance structures. Conversely, it has a number of major benefits including improved traffic safety and better speed for traffic. Currently road and traffic safety is a critical problem along several stretches of the first about 54km section, and is blamed for causing serious accidents and loss of many human and animal lives as well as loss of quite significant properties. Therefore, upgrading of the road with improving its geometry to the extent feasible and widening its width to the selected design standard is expected to significantly improve traffic safety and the effectiveness of the road transport to enhance economic and social developments. The current environmental and social assessments carried out for the proposed improvements in the project road have identified and evaluated a number of positive as well as adverse environmental and social effects. Some of the identified negative impacts are likely to be significant, but most of them are temporary in nature and can be managed to acceptable levels by adopting impact minimization or avoidance measures in the engineering design and by implementing appropriate mitigation measures during preparation for construction, construction and operation phases. With proper implementation of the mitigation and management measures recommended in this study, it is anticipated that the positive effects of upgrading the road with improved alignment and widening of the road width are likely to outweigh the adverse impacts. Therefore, in view of environmental and social effects, there are no grounds that will prevent upgrading of the road following the envisaged alignment improvements and increasing the road width. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 83 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 7.4 “No Action� Alternative This scenario would leave the road as it is in current condition, i.e. without any improvement in terms of pavement, geometry, width etc. This option would avoid creation of any of the adverse environmental and social impacts associated with the road upgrading activities. However, the potential environmental and social benefits of the upgrade would be foregone. As it is revealed in this ESIA study, the social and environmental benefits of the road upgrading would outweigh the adverse impacts. In addition, the adverse environmental and social impacts are manageable and can be prevented or minimized to acceptable levels. Therefore, the “no action� scenario would not be a reasonable choice. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 84 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 8 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PLANS 8.1 Environmental and Social Management Plan Socio-environmental management is concerned with implementation of the measures necessary to minimize or offset adverse socio-environmental impacts and to enhance beneficial impacts. Unless the mitigation and benefit enhancement measures identified in the ESIA are fully implemented, the prime function of ESIA, which is the safeguarding of the overall environment, would not be achieved. Hence in order to maintain the environment effectively and efficiently, socio-environmental management must be fully integrated with the overall project management effort at all levels, which itself should be aimed at providing a high level of quality control, leading to a project which is properly designed, constructed and functions efficiently throughout its life. Both project management and socio-environmental management responsibilities are normally shared among several government and non-government organizations, each with specific executive responsibilities for particular aspects, which are exercised during the various stages of project preparation, implementation and subsequent operation and maintenance. In the following section and in Table 8.1 the major socio-environmental management activities and responsible bodies for the execution of these activities are described. 8.3.1 Detailed Designing Phase During the detailed design phase, the design consultant should incorporate socio-environmental mitigation measures and enhancement measures into the design and bidding documents so that socio-environmental mitigation and enhancement measures will be part of the contractual agreement. 8.3.2 Pre-Construction Phase Prior to contractor mobilization and the commencement of construction, socio-environmental management should focus on:  Ensuring that all government and funding agency requirements and procedures relating to ESIA are complied with,  Ensuring that the tender and construction contract documents contain appropriate clauses to allow control of impacts arising from construction activities,  Ensuring the proper implementation of land and property acquisition procedures including the payment of compensation.  Ensure that environmentalist and sociologist inputs are considered among the contractors personnel. 8.3.3 Construction Phase Most of the project socio-environmental management activities will be carried out during the construction phase, since it is at this time that most impacts can be expected to occur. The construction contractor will be fully responsible for implementing all the environmental mitigation measures included in the ESIA report, design and technical specifications. On the other hand, Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 85 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation construction supervisor should monitor impacts and the proper implementation of mitigation measures at the right time. The supervision team shall be fully responsible for ensuring that all the works will be carried out as per specifications and drawings, that the environmental impacts will be taken into consideration, and that good workmanship will be followed. The team should also be empowered to deal with infringements at the time and on the spot. In order to discharge the responsibility of overseeing the EMP, the team of construction supervision consultant should contain an environmentalist and a sociologist. They will have executive responsibility for ensuring that all site socio-environmental management and monitoring aspects are dealt, promptly and properly. They will be responsible for establishing procedures and mechanisms for effective environmental management and monitoring and will ensure that these are fully incorporated and integrated with the overall construction supervision and monitoring framework. This aspect will cover matters such as the development of checklists of key points which will be monitored on a routine basis during construction and reporting mechanisms for ensuring that appropriate remedial action is taken. The environmentalist and sociologist should also be responsible for reviewing and commenting on socio-environmental aspects of work plans prepared by the construction Contractor during the mobilization period, as well as in developing site environmental management procedures etc, in collaboration with the RE and other team members. They will also provide advice and assistance to the supervising Engineers and the RE, as and when required, on all aspects of socio-environmental management. The socio-environmental supervisors of the construction supervision consultant team should submit environmental performance progress reports to the EMSB of ERA, RE, financing organizations and to other relevant organizations as it deems. On the other hand, HIV/AIDS prevention, awareness creation, counseling, monitoring and evaluation activities should be subcontracted for NGOs or consultants who are involved and experienced in such activities. 8.3.4 Commissioning Phase During the commissioning phase, the construction contractor should clean up the project environment. All the salvages and waste materials from the construction process should be cleaned, demolished or dumped in appropriate and authorized places. Quarry sites, borrow areas, detour and access roads should be rehabilitated and replanted. Temporary camp sites should be removed and the compacted materials should be removed and reinstated so that the land continues giving services which were discontinued due to the project. The socio-environmental supervisors of the supervising consultant should follow up the proper implementation of these activities and check that the work as built meets all significant socio-environmental requirements before the project is officially accepted. The client should hold some amount of payment tagged to clean up until the construction supervision consultant assures that the work has been done properly. 8.3.5 Post-Construction/Operation Phase Continued enjoyment of the benefits arise from implementation of the project will only be achieved if effective routine and periodic maintenance of the road and drainage system is carried out in a Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 86 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation timely manner. Environmental management and monitoring in this respect will be the responsibility of the Operations Department of ERA, with implementation being carried out either by the department itself or by hired contractors. The Environmental Management –and- Safety Branch within ERA is expected to take an overall advisory role during this phase. Table 8.1 presents detailed environmental management measures to be taken with regard to the control of the potential impacts which might occur during the pre-construction, construction and operational phases of the project. It also indicates who will be responsible for taking the necessary management actions and allocation of costs. 8.3.6 Institutional Arrangement and Responsibilities for Implementing EMP The institutional responsibilities for implementing the recommended EMP are shown in Table 8.1 below corresponding to the mitigation and monitoring actions. The key institutions or parties to be involved in the implementation of the EMP and their main responsibilities are briefly described below. Federal Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Since May 2009, EPA has delegated the Environmental Units of Sector Ministries and Agencies to ensure that EIA is carried out for development projects under their mandate, and to evaluate and take decisions on EIA Reports and ensure the implementation of EIA recommendations or the EMP. Therefore, EPA’s involvement in the implementation of the EMP of the Kombolcha-Bati- Mille road project is expected to be very limited. Yet, upon request, EPA can be involved in some aspects such as review of the EIA Report, Environmental Monitoring Reports and Environmental Auditing Report, as well as in conducting Environmental Auditing for the road project. Regional Environmental Protection Agency (REA) The REA, mainly through its branch at woreda level, i.e. the Environmental Protection and Land Administration Office (EPLAO), will be responsible for implementing the environmental mitigation and monitoring measures specified in Table 8.1. Besides the responsibilities indicated in the Table, the Woreda EPLAO will conduct awareness creation for the woreda level implementers of the EMP and coordinate their activities. ERA’s Environmental Monitoring and Safety Branch (EMSB) The EMSB will carry out the environmental management and monitoring activities specified in Table 8.1 below. These include:  Ensuring inclusion of environmental protection structures or features in the detail engineering design and appropriate environmental clauses in the contract agreement for Contractors,  Ensuring assignment of a qualified Environmental Inspector in the Construction Supervision Consultant Team and Environmental Supervisor on the Contractor’s side,  Involving in site selection and approval for material sources (quarries & borrow sites), access roads and contractor’s site facilities so that environmentally sensitive areas are considered and avoided to the extent possible,  Reviewing environmental monitoring reports to be submitted by the Supervision Consultant and take necessary actions, Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 87 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation  Conducting periodic project site supervision to oversee environmental performance of the project or status of environmental protection measures and if required provide guidance for the Consultant Team esp. the Resident Engineer and Environmental Inspector on matters that would require improvement or particular attention,  Conducting environmental supervision or auditing after completion of the construction, but before the Contractor handover the project and approve the handing over of the project with respect to implementation of the EMP, and  Carrying out environmental monitoring during the operation phase and ensuring failures are sufficiently repaired in time. Construction Supervision Consultant (CSC) The main responsibilities of the CSC will be reviewing of the Contractor's Site Environmental Management Plan (SEMP), work plans, method statements, etc. and their approval, and making sure that these and other environmental protection requirements included in the contract are in fact fully complied with. In addition, the CSC is responsible for a day-to-day observation of all site activities and occurrence of any unforeseen issues. If unforeseen issues are observed, the CSC will recommend appropriate actions to the Contractor or other implementer(s) to overcome or mitigate the problems in time; if necessary the CSC will seek the advice of the EMSB or report the issue(s) to the EMSB for necessary actions. Details of the responsibilities of the CSC are shown in Table 8.1 below. Construction Contractor The Construction Contractor will be responsible for implementing appropriate mitigation measures for most of the negative impacts associated with the road works, extraction, haulage and processing of construction materials, establishment and operation of campsites and other site facilities, operation of contraction traffic, and other project activities. The environmental mitigation measures to be implemented by the Contractor are specified in the EMP (Table 8.1) and Environmental Clauses that will be part of the contract agreement. Based on the EMP given in this ESIA document, the environmental clauses given in the contract for construction, and update site conditions and project features, the Contractor shall prepare a detailed Site Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) before the commencement of the road works. The SEMP submitted by the Contractor will be reviewed by the CSC and submitted to ERA/ERA’s EMSB for further review and approval. Moreover, based on new emerging environmental and social issues at the time of construction including the nature, magnitude and significance of the issues observed, the Contractor might be required to continually update the SEMP. The Supervision Consultant will determine this requirement and enforce the Contractor to update his SEMP as deemed necessary. Other Stakeholders There are several other institutions or parties that will involve in the implementation of the proposed EMP. These include agencies responsible for public utilities such as EEPCO, ETCO, and Drinking Water Supply Offices, Woreda and Kebele Administration Office, Woreda Agriculture and Rural Development Office, Woreda Health Office etc. The responsibilities of each organization are specified in Table 8.1 below. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 88 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 8.3.7 Living Document/Updating of the EMP The construction contract should include obligations for the Contractor to prepare a detailed Site Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) during the preparation for construction, i.e. prior to the commencement of the road works. The SEMP should reflect the environmental and social issues and their mitigation measures identified in the ESIA study. It should also consider the environmental and social issues that were uncertain during the ESIA study. For example, site specific issues related exploitation of material sources (quarries and borrow sites), access roads, detours, campsites etc. In addition, the SEMP should consider any changes in the project features as well as changes in the baseline environmental conditions since the ESIA was conducted. As indicated above, the SEMP might need to be updated at the time of construction based on new developments. The Supervision Consultant will instruct the Contractor to prepare and submit a standard SEMP, and upon submission, review and comment for improvement. When the SEMP is to the satisfaction of the Consultant, he will submit it to ERA/ERA’s EMSB for further review and approval. In addition, the Consultant will monitor and ensure the proper implementation of the SEMP. Furthermore, he may instruct the Contractor for updating it based on new emerging situation. 8.3.8 Consequences to Contractor upon Failure to Implement EMP In order to make sure that the environmental clauses included in the contractual agreement are binding and effectively implemented, it is strongly recommended that the contractor provides a security in form of a (bank) guarantee of sufficient amount, e.g. 2% of the contract price, which may be forfeited in part or in total in case of contractor’s failure/non-compliance and the money shall be used to repair/mitigate environmental/social damages/impacts. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 89 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Table 8.1: Detailed Environmental and Social Management Plan S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr) I Detailed Design Phase 1 Inclusion of environmental High  Ensure that detail design incorporate features to minimize Design ERA’s EMSB Part of the clauses in the contract adverse environmental impacts Consultant design document  Ensure that construction contract document contains consultancy cost appropriate clauses to allow control of environmental impacts of project activities. 2 Compliance of ESIA report High  Ensuring that government and funding agency requirements As above ERA’s EMSB Part of the design with Government and relating to ESIA are complied with consultancy cost financer’s EIA guidelines and policies Consideration and High  Design team thoroughly understand the recommendations As above ERA’s EMSB by Part of the design 3 incorporation of ESIA made in the ESIA report and incorporate necessary organizing a panel consultancy cost recommendations into the improvements in the final design and tender document of experts design II Pre-Construction Phase 1 Loss of residential & High  Pay compensation for the affected properties based on the ERA through the Each Woreda To be included in business housing units, and current market value or according to the Regulations No. Compensation Administration RAP other properties 135/2007, and according to the World Bank OP 4.12. committee Office (WDO) 2 Loss of farmlands Low/  Pay compensation for the loss of income benefits from As above As above As above Moderate affected farmlands according to the Regulations No. 135/2007, and according to the World Bank OP 4.12. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 90 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr) 3 Relocation of public High  Shift Transformers, Electric and Telephone poles and EEPCO, Each WDA As above utilities transmission lines located in the impact zone at different ETCO, Town’s points along the project road. water supply  Shift the affected water pipelines &distribution point at offices & ERA Kombolcha, Gerba, Degan and Bati towns III Construction Phase 1 Disfiguring of landscape/ Moderate  Restoration of borrow sites and quarries to the extent Construction Resident Engineer 2,000,000 landscape intrusion and to High possible, Contractor (RE) & (lump sum) visual pollution  Use of existing quarries and borrows pits and materials Environmentalist processing site and natural clearings/open lands for Inspector (EI) of contractor’s site facilities. the CSC  Proper compaction and grassing of fill & cut slopes by Construction RE Given under item seeding or planting appropriate grass species. Contractor 3 below  Restoration of areas of the construction contractors’ site Construction RE & EI of the Part of the facilities, Contractor CSC Construction  Avoiding indiscriminate disposal of surplus or unsuitable Contractor’s excavated materials on adjacent areas. contract 2 Slope destabilization and Low to  Protect vulnerable slopes in the mountainous sections by Construction RE & EI Included in rock falls moderate designing & constructing appropriate slope stabilizing contractor in engineering cost structures like retaining walls or gabions. estimate  Minimizing side-casting of excavation materials on down- Construction RE & EI Part of the slope; contractor in Contractor’s  Controlling surface water infiltration to reduce seepage forces contract Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 91 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr) by providing adequate side drains, interceptor drains, etc.;  Remove all dangerous and loose boulders and rocks from cut faces 3 Soil erosion and drainage Moderate  Providing adequate and appropriate drainage structures Construction RE & EI of the Costs of erosion to High including energy dissipation structures at the outlets of slabs Contractor Construction control structures and pipe culverts Supervision like lining of side  Diversion drains which avoid excessive concentration of Consultant (CSC) drains are flow, included in the  Lined drains for the sections with erosion-vulnerable soils engineering cost and slopes; estimate;  Replanting (re-establishing vegetation cover) on cut-and-fill 1,800,000 Birr for slopes and other exposed areas, grassing of about  Sow local grass or other appropriate plant species on the 10ha area of exposed roadsides along the high land section (from roadside slopes & Kombolcha to Bati section), other exposed  Cuts on erodible surfaces should be properly executed surfaces during the dry season,  All the culverts and drainage pipes should have sufficient opening to pass the design flood and to minimize scouring downstream. 4 Increased sedimentation High  Executing road works during the dry season when river Construction RE & EI Part of the and water pollution risks flows are minimal or non-existent; Contractor Contractor’s  Avoiding disposal of surplus excavated materials on river contract banks or in river courses;  Proper handling of hazardous substances to avoid water pollution by spillages; Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 92 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr)  Hazardous substances shall be stored in a bounded area with impermeable surface.  If vehicle maintenance is to be conducted at the construction camps, then a work area with an impermeable surface and a low bund must be constructed, and petroleum products transferred only on that surface or using a drip pan.  Avoidance of leakages from vehicles and construction equipment by regular and effective maintenance;  Provision of satisfactory disposal of solid and liquid wastes generated by construction camps;  Water for the road works or campsite requirements shall not be withdrawn from the streams or other sources being used by the local population unless its sufficiency is approved by the local (district) water offices. 5 Catchment erosion and High  Design and construct appropriate structures including energy Construction ERA Included in the siltation problem in dissipating structures, check dams, appropriate inlet and Contractor& engineering cost drainage structures outlet structure Design estimate Consultant  Implement soil and water conservation measures including Woreda EA’s EMSB & construction of physical structures, enrichment plantation in ARDO, WEPLAO 2,000,000 protected areas and supporting conservation based WNRDCO & agronomic practices in the catchments. ERA Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 93 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr) 6 Impacts on irrigation water High  If technically feasible, at stations 37+266 to 37+800, 37+280 Design RE & EI, Woreda Included in conveyance structures & 37+745 designing the road by shifting centerline to the Consultant, ARDO engineering cost LHS to safeguard the irrigation structures, ERA & estimate  If the above option is not feasible, design and construct Woreda ARDO equivalent or better replacement structures, and implement these before commencement of the road woks at those locations in order to allow uninterrupted flow of irrigation water. 7 Competition for water and High  Avoid affecting the quality & quantity of the existing water Construction RE, EI, and The cost of water pollution risks of supply sources used by the local communities for human, Contractor Woreda Water supply for the community water supply animal or irrigation purposes; Offices project sources  Water for the road works or campsite requirements shall not requirements is be withdrawn from the streams or other sources being used part of the by the local population unless its sufficiency is approved by construction cost the local (district) water offices (see section 6.3.6 for the details). 8 Air and noise Pollution High  Limiting traffic speeds and applying water regularly on Construction RE Part of the dusty roads; Contractor Contractor’s  Use of modern and well-maintained equipment (with contract/ mufflers), obligations  Regular maintenance of diesel powered machinery, vehicles and emission intensive plants to reduce excessive exhaust emissions;  Locating the aggregate production plants and bitumen mixing plants at a minimum distance of 3km from any sensitive receptors; Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 94 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr)  Complying to health and safety standards pertaining to noise and emissions;  Implementing well-designed traffic management plan that considers traffic safety and working hours for materials transport;  Carrying out noisy construction activities during normal working hours; and  Informing local people in advance when there will be blasting or unusual unavoidable noise.  Avoiding burning of materials such as tiers, plastic, rubber products or other materials that creates heavy smock or nuisance odour, and  Avoiding disposing of any volatile chemicals to the air. 9 Impacts on flora Moderate  Confine vegetation clearance to what is absolutely Construction EI & Woreda Part of necessary; Contractor for EPLAO of Kalu & Contractor’s  Implement replanting program by supporting nursery roadsides & Bati Woredas contract and development at the existing nursery sites of Woreda project affected provided under NRDCOs to propagate and plant indigenous trees sites, and Kalu item 5 above (preferably) and suitable exotic species in areas adjacent to & Bati (Catchment the roads, at areas affected due to temporary activities and in Woredas erosion …) the protected catchments along the road (compensate for NRDCOs for agricultural/commercial species, such as eucalyptus; plant at planting in least 10 seedlings for other types of trees) catchments  Design the road upgrading project so as to follow the existing road alignments  Providing a training and awareness raising programme for people involving in constructing the road, Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 95 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr)  Transplant trees which are transplantable,  Make construction work force aware not to cut tree for any purpose without prior approval of Environmental supervisor and local forestry department 10 Impacts fauna and their Low  Apply speed limits and measures to increase the awareness Construction EI & RE Part of habitats of drivers towards wildlife, contractor Contractor’s  Install warning signs indicating wildlife areas & precautions contract and for wildlife 20,000 for  Avoid excessive destruction of wildlife habitats; installing warning  Post appropriate signs in the important wildlife areas and signs or posters in apply speed limits for sections passing through those areas; and the important  Apply strict prohibition of illegal hunting by the workforce wildlife areas. and killing of wild animals due to reluctances of drivers like over speeding of vehicles. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 96 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr) 11 Traffic congestion and High  Awareness training of operators of equipment and Construction Road construction Part of the accident risks construction vehicles in traffic safety measures, Contractor supervision team in Contractor’s  Provide diversions with suitable and reflecting road signs; collaboration with contract provide barricades and delineators and flagmen to guide the each Woreda traffic construction traffic. For regulation of traffic, the flagmen police shall be equipped with red and green flags,  Use clear, properly labelled and meaning full traffic signs and speed limits, especially at road crossing of the people and conjunction of animals,  Providing appropriate information on the location of risky areas to potentially affected local residents and prohibiting such areas for safety reasons, e.g. borrow pits and quarries, rock blasting sites, and materials storage and processing places,  Provide traffic awareness especially at schools, churches and other risky places. 12 Loss of farm and grazing Low  Minimize land take by locating campsites, quarry areas, Construction EI/ Sociologist of Part of the lands borrow sites, etc., in none productive areas Contractor CSC and local Contractor’s  Stockpile topsoil from access roads, detours & the land authorities obligations taken for road widening to use it in restoration works.  Rehabilitate all the temporarily lost land after the completion of road construction in such a way that it continues giving the interrupted services.  Pay compensation for loss of land, structures, and income ERA Woreda To be included in benefits from affected lands. Administration RAP Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 97 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr) 13 Impacts of construction Moderate  Carefully locate the camps in such a way to avoid sensitive Construction Sociologist and EI Part of the camps and materials areas such as dense forests and wildlife habitats, critical contractor in of CSC in Contractor’s processing sites slopes, community water supply points, etc. consultation collaboration with contract  Take care when selecting campsites in such a way that it with ERA’s the Woreda should not invite close interaction with local community. camp managers Environmental  Take photographs of the campsites before the construction and Woreda Protection and of any structure in order to compare the level of administration Land environmental degradation before and after the establishment and local Administration of the campsite and to plan rehabilitation work. communities Office (EPLAO)  Establish construction campsite with appropriate and standard sanitation facilities including an imperviously lined septic tanks.  All wastes must be treated in a proper way and disposed properly in a priory designated place under the control of CSC and Woreda health offices  The camps should be dismantled and the areas rehabilitated as per the surrounding nature once construction is completed.  Provision of health care services, potable water supply, garbage disposal and sanitation facilities for the camps.  Maintain proper management and discipline in the camps. 14 Malaria outbreak Moderate  Do not induce malaria out break by creating temporary & Construction EI/ Sociologist of 100,000 Birr for permanent water holding areas which favor mosquito Contractor (for the CSC with the purchasing and breeding his employees) Woreda Health distributing  Use chemically treated mosquito nets in times of malaria out & Woreda Offices chemically coated break and provide a clinic or medical facilities at the Health Offices & ERA for mosquito nets for construction camp likely affected  Restore borrow pits and quarry areas to minimize breeding local people sites for mosquito, local people Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 98 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr) 15 HIV/AIDS prevention High  Provide health education mainly focusing on the HIV NGOs involved Sociologist of the 1,500,000 Birr transmission and prevention in such CSC in (for  Avoid discrimination in work places due to HIV/AIDS and activities in collaboration with subcontracting provide counseling service collaboration health centres the activities)  Provide free counseling and distribute condoms & leaflets to with the along the project workforce and vulnerable group of nearby communities Woreda Health Offices road 16 Occupational health and High  Store any explosives and chemicals in a safe place and make Construction Sociologist of the Part of the safety issues notification during blasting activities contractor CSC in Contractor’s  Distribute goggles, helmets and other masks for the workers collaboration with contract who directly involved in explosives, stone crashing and Woreda Health other similar activities, Offices and Traffic  Minimize dust emission by watering the road during Police construction  Provide first-aid and clinics in the work places and main construction camps  Provide helmets and safety shoes for all construction workers.  Put visible and appropriate warning signs on the road during road construction including speed limits  Provide education to personnel of the contractor about safety procedures and emergency response plans associated with their task  If the project would conduct any deep trenching, deep trenching should use shoring of sides of the trenches, and ensure supervisors are present. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 99 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr) 17 Other public health threats Low  Minimize dust emission by watering the road during Construction Sociologist CSC in Part of the construction Contractor collaboration with Contractor’s  Provide safe water supply & appropriate waste disposal the Woreda Health contract facilities including the provision of sanitary latrines in the Offices construction camp  Provide clean, un congested and ventilated rooms for the workforce  Provide a clinic or medical facilities at the temporary and permanent camps 18 Unforeseen impacts  Identify unforeseen socio-environmental impacts of the Environmentali EMSB of ERA Part of the project and propose remedial measures st and supervision cost  Advise construction contractor regarding unforeseen Sociologist of environmental issues of the project the CSC IV Commissioning Phase 1 Impact from un cleaned High  Rehabilitate quarry, detour roads and borrow areas and Construction RE & EI salvages, wastes, unused drain if any water is impounded. Contractor construction materials,  Clean all the salvages and waste materials from the Construction RE, EI & Part of the un-reinstated quarries and construction process and camp sites and damp in an Contractor Sociologist of Contractor’s borrow areas, access and appropriate and authorized places. CSC in contract detour roads  Remove all the temporary camps and loosen the collaboration with compacted materials and reinstated so that the land Woreda EPLAO continues giving services which were discontinued due to and EMSB of the project. ERA  Check that the work as built meets all significant environmental requirements before the project is officially accepted. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 100 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation S. Environmental/ Social Signific Executive Cost Estimate Main Mitigation Measures/ Management Activities Supervising Body NO Issue/ Impact ance Body (Birr) V Operation Phase 1 Siltation of drainage High  Follow up of the risk/rate of siltation in culverts, roadside ERA’s EMSB of ERA & Part of the road structures drains, diversion drains etc. and implement de-silting Kombolcha Woreda EPLAOs operation and program. District maintenance  Monitor the progress of catchment rehabilitation and cost implement any reinforcement activities 2 Road and traffic safety High  Monitor the safety/effectiveness condition of traffic Road Safety As above As above issues safety signals and hazard markings on the road, Authority,  Monitor accident risks/rates, Local Traffic Police &  Provide awareness education about traffic safety issues WHO for local communities esp. at schools. 3 Soil and water pollution Low to  Monitor any contamination of soil and water by spills of Woreda As above As above Modera hazardous substances along the road. EPLAOs te 4 Erosion, scour or siltation  Conduct periodic monitoring of the road condition and ERA’s EMSB of ERA in Part of the road problems, failure of drainage system Kombolcha collaboration with operation and drainage or structures or  Conduct timely maintenance of the road District in Woreda EPLAO s maintenance environmental mitigation collaboration cost  Monitor and maintain road side erosion and erosion at the structures downstream of the drainage culverts with local offices Sub-total of Environmental Mitigation and Management Costs2 7,420,000 2 This cost does not include the RAP cost & the cost of physical structures that are considered as part of the engineering cost. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 101 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 8.2 Environmental and Social Monitoring Plan Environmental and social monitoring will be required both during the implementation and operation phases of the project to ensure the proper implementation of the EIA recommendations. Environmental monitoring helps to detect the scale and extent of impacts caused by the project over time and to assess whether mitigation actions have been properly and timely implemented and are working as expected. Monitoring of environmental parameters will identify potential problems from the road development activities and will allow for prompt implementation of effective corrective measures. The major issues that need to be monitored include the following, but not limited to:  land acquisition and restoration after completion of works,  location and operation of material sources and hauling condition,  establishment and operation of contractor’s site facilities,  soil erosion and siltation,  drainage, water pollution, and impacts on existing irrigation and human water supply systems, competition for water,  Spoil or excess materials disposal,  wastes (generated by workers camps, garages, used oils ect.) management or disposal,  impacts on flora and fauna and  road and traffic safety issues. The proposed environmental and social monitoring plan (ESMP) is provided in Table 8.2. During the construction phase, the results of monitoring should be reported, clearly addressing any specific concerns/issues quarterly to the ERA’s EMSB/representative. The Environmental Inspector (EI) shall work closely with the Resident Engineer (RE) in order ensure that the construction works are according the contract obligations including environmental protection measures. The RE oversees that the technical specifications are met during construction while the EI monitors internally that the implementation of the ESMP on site. It is recommended that the EI shall compile the monitoring results concerning environmental mitigation and management activities. The quarterly report may comprise the following issues, but not limited to: Results or status on implementation of the environmental management actions by the contractor in the specific period;  A description of any environmental accident or developments which could potentially develop into a non-conformance event by the contractor;  A description of exceptional conditions on site whether they be meteorological, personnel related, machinery related, or otherwise stipulated;  Minutes of meetings, if any, with stakeholders on any outstanding issues related to the road construction works; and  Proposed solutions for any outstanding/unforeseen issues/impacts detected during the monitoring. After evaluating the monitoring results and the proposed solutions for unforeseen issues, the ERA/EMSB may approve the proposed solutions or come up with other appropriate solutions. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 102 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation External monitoring can be carried out by representative experts from each Woreda/Zone Land Administration and Environmental Protection Offices, Health Offices and Woreda Administration Offices. Such monitoring can also be carried out intermittently by the funding Organization (ADB Mission). During the operation period, the institutions or bodies assigned for monitoring should report the results to ERA/ERA District Office as per the monitoring requirements together with proposed solutions for any outstanding issues. Then, ERA’s District Office reports to ERA’s EMSB, and the EMSB, if necessary, together with any other concerned party/parties approves the solutions proposed by the monitoring organizations or propose other suitable solutions. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 103 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Table 8.2: Environmental Monitoring plan Ser Environmental/ Social Indicators/Parameters to be Location/ Project Frequency Responsible body Cost Estimate in Birr . issues Measured/ Monitored Component No I Pre-construction phase Inclusion of Check whether the mitigation At ERA head office Once during the ERA and EPA’s representative Part of the routine work environmental and enhancement measures are document evaluation 1 mitigation measures in properly included in the the contract document contract document 2 Displacement of people Complaints from the affected In major settlement Once before the start A team comprises of 15,000(daily allowance and loss of properties people areas along the of the construction representatives from each for Woreda experts& Keeping records of payments project road where work Woreda EPLAOs transport cost) (payee, date, signed receipt, people have been etc.) with a weekly of bi- resettled or lost their weekly summary developed properties and provided to the appropriate authority. II Construction phase Pollution of water Water quality parameters such Major rivers, spring Once before Water quality expert from 100,000 (for analyzing quality by construction as EC, pH, TDS, Turbidity, oil, and borehole water construction, 4 times Zonal Water Department 4 water samples at a activities and improper grease, petrol and diesel samples from per year during time & 4 times per year, 1 disposal of wastes from leakages construction camp construction and 500 Birr per sample; campsites and sites once after the and per diem for 3 construction areas completion of experts & transport construction) cost. 2 Land use loss due to Area of affected land use in ha Along the project Once per year A team having 2 members 30,000 (daily allowance land requirement for road, access roads, representatives from Each experts& transport cost road construction, campsites, quarry Woreda EPLAOs and access road, quarry and sites NRDCOs borrow sites and camp sites, etc. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 104 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Ser Environmental/ Social Indicators/Parameters to be Location/ Project Frequency Responsible body Cost Estimate in Birr . issues Measured/ Monitored Component No 3 Soil erosion Area exposed to erosion Cut and fill areas and Once per year Representative from each Could be done at the steep slopes Woreda EPLAOs and same time with the NRDCOs above activities 4 Loss of roadside Number of indigenous At each Woreda Once per year As above Could be done at the plantations and trees fallen, along the project road same time with the indigenous trees  Number of tree seedlings above activities without raised, planted and number additional cost survived or well established Disposal of  Number of unauthorized Spoil disposed sites Once per year Representative from each Could be done at the construction spoils spoil disposal sites, along the project road Woreda EPLAOs same time with the 5  Number of spoil disposal above activities without sites properly managed. additional cost 6 Health condition of the Overall health and sanitation Construction Twice per year Two representatives from each 30,000 (daily allowance people along the project situation of the project area campsites, working Woreda Health Office experts& transport cost, road and status of including construction camps areas and nearby HIV/AIDS towns 7 Spread of malaria Prevalence and trend of Construction Once per year during Representatives from each Could be done at the malaria campsites and the pick season Woreda Health Office same time with the working areas above activities 8 Occupational health Number of construction All construction sites Once per week Contractor’s Occupational Part of the Contractor’s and safety issues workers provided with Health and Safety Officer cost items protective equipment such as helmets, safety shoes, gloves and eye glasses as appropriate. Number of injuries, lost days, and fatalities of construction workers and others. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 105 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Ser Environmental/ Social Indicators/Parameters to be Location/ Project Frequency Responsible body Cost Estimate in Birr . issues Measured/ Monitored Component No III Construction completion phase Aesthetic value and Un-rehabilitated areas and Throughout the Once for 5 days A team comprising of a 40,000 (daily allowance landscape leftovers project area before officially representative from each for experts and terminating Woreda Administration, transport cost) construction contract Woreda EPLAO, and a representative from ERA and ADB if necessary IV Operation phase Sedimentation of Number of blocked drainage Along the project Once per year Operation and maintenance Part of routine work drainage structures, loss structures, number of traffic road Department of ERA or ERA’s of traffic signals, sight signals damaged, etc. District Office distance issues and roadside weeds Sub-Total Cost 215,000 Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 106 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 8.3 Capacity Building Capacity building is essential to properly implement the proposed socio-environmental management and monitoring plan. The Environmental protection, land administration and utilization units of each Woredas along the project road are the principal stakeholders for managing and implementing the environmental issues within the project area. Therefore, it is pertinent to increase the capacity of these units by providing necessary training for the staff members and by equipping the units with facilities and necessary tools. The recommended level of training in relation to the proposed road construction is on job training. The potential participants, in addition to each Woreda EPLAO, could be representatives from the construction contractor workforce and key professionals of the construction supervising consultants. On job training can be arranged by the construction supervision consultant in collaboration with EMSB of ERA for five days before the start of actual road construction work and for another five days after the midway of construction work. The content of training should focus on environmental conservation and awareness creation in general and HIV/AIDS prevention in particular. The first session of on job training could incorporate the following modules:  An introduction to the concepts, terminology, aims and objectives of ESIA, socio- environmental management and monitoring, with specific reference to road development projects;  HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness creation;  On-site review of existing socio-environmental conditions in the project area, potential impacts and mitigation and benefit enhancement measures;  A review of approaches which have been and are being adopted towards socio- environmental management in the case of the present project, and their applicability in general to road projects, with particular reference to how uncertainties are handled; and  A review of the role of socio-environmental monitoring as a management tool. The second session could cover the following aspects:  on-site comparison of impact predictions in the ESIA with what has happened in practice, with particular emphasis on analyzing the reasons for any significant differences;  on-site review and analysis of the success or otherwise of the proposed mitigation measures, socio-environmental management and monitoring approaches, including contributions from the contractor, the site supervision team, and representatives of the local authorities and the people who live along the road; and  Summary of lessons to be learned which could usefully be applied to similar, future projects. A generally informal approach would be adapted to the training sessions, in order to promote interaction between trainees and trainers, and in particular to facilitate the free and open exchange and discussion of ideas. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 107 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Numbers of trainees would have to be discussed and agreed with both ERA and construction supervision consultant, but, it is suggested that the number should be limited to about 15. The cost estimated for the proposed on job training (capacity building) is listed in Table 8.3 below. Table 8.3: Cost Estimate for Capacity Building No. Item Quantity Unit rate Days Amount in Birr 1 Fee for Environmental 1 2,500 10 25,000 Specialist 2 Transport cost Lump sum 27,500 3 Per diem for trainees 15 250 10 37,500 4 Course materials Lump sum 10,000 Sub-total 100,000 8.4 Environmental Mitigation, Management and Monitoring Cost Estimate The environmental mitigation, management and monitoring costs are estimated to be about 8.5 Million Ethiopian Birr. The cost estimates in Tables 8.4 below are based on the following assumptions:  Items of an engineering nature that are in any case required under the construction contract and do not involve additional costs have been excluded from this cost estimate. Examples are drainage structures, retaining walls and lined drains that are designed to control or prevent soil erosion and slope instability.  The costs of mitigation measures to be implemented by the Contractor during construction are considered as included in his obligations under the construction contract. This applies to such measures as good management of the construction equipment and vehicles, workforce/camp management, good construction works, provision of necessary facilities for the workforce and proper waste management or disposal, restoration of campsites, traffic safety measures at construction sites, etc.  Similar to that of the Construction Contractor, the costs of supervision activities to be carried out by the team members of the Construction Supervision Consultant (CSC) is assumed to be included in the contract for the CSC.  The costs related compensation of affected private and public properties like housing units, fences, public utilities, loss of private plantation trees, farmlands etc. are considered to be part of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) and these costs would be worked out separately.  Some of the mitigation measures to be implemented by the local government organisations are considered as part of their routine jobs. For example, law enforcement, controlling illegal establishment of settlements and exploitation of natural resources, educating people about health and traffic safety, etc. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 108 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation Table 8.4: Environmental Mitigation, Management and Monitoring Cost Estimate Ser. Reference Cost Items Cost estimate No. Environmental and social mitigation and 1 Table 8.1 7,420,000 management costs 2 Table 8.2 Environmental and social monitoring costs 215,000 3 Table 8.3 Training cost 100,000 Total 7,735,000 Contingency (10%) 773500 Grand Total 8,508,500 Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 109 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 8 ENVIONMENTAL CLAUSES TO BE INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT DOCUMENT Concerning environmental and social impacts management aspects of the road project, the tender document for the Kombolcha-Bati-Mille road construction contract should include the following key issues and provisions but not limited to: 9.1 Preparation of Socio-Environmental Management Plan Contractor shall update the existing EMP from the ESIA report or prepare a new EMP that suits construction works for the entire project road. The EMP shall be updated/prepared using or based on the ERA’s EMSB guideline and submitted to RE/environmental supervisor and ERA/EMSB for reviewing and approval before the construction work commences. 9.2 Potential Impacts from Preparation and Location of Campsites Location of campsites will have an adverse effect on the environment. The following activities should be specified in the contract document to minimize adverse impacts that could be associated with the location of camp sites:  The Contractor Shall select location of campsites in collaboration with local authorities, RE and with EMSB of ERA, and camps shall only be established at places/locations approved by ERA’s EMSB and the RE in collaboration with local Officials and community members;  Locate campsites in less productive areas away from streams and rivers (at least 500 m);  The camp sites shall not be located close to residential areas, on fertile farmlands, and forested lands;  The RE and the contractors shall take photograph of the campsite before the construction of any structure in order to compare the level of environmental degradation before and after the establishment of the camp site and to plan rehabilitation work. Any removal activities of trees for camping shall be done in the presence of environmentalist from the supervision Team and a Forester from Local Forestry Department;  Establish construction campsite with appropriate and standard sanitation facilities including imperviously lined septic tanks to reduce possible pollution impact on ground and surface water resources;  Dispose all the wastes from the camp properly in a designated and authorized places;  The Contractor shall take all necessary measures and precautions to avoid any nuisance or disturbance to inhabitants arising from the execution of works;  If the campsites are not going to be used or going to be demolished, the contractor shall reinstate (the reinstatement activities shall include stockpiling the topsoil during camp construction, removing all concretes/slabs and all scrap metals from the workshops, loosening the compacted soils, and spreading of the top soils) to its original state; and  The RE shall order the Camp administrator for the planting of tree seedlings in the camp yard for beautification purpose. 9.3 Air Pollution The major effects on air quality during the construction period will be an increase in suspended particles from blasting, excavation, and movement of heavy machinery and other vehicles over Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 110 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation unpaved or dusty roads. Therefore, to minimize air pollution the Contractor shall implement the following mitigation measures:  The Contractor shall reduce dust from construction sites, access roads and detours by watering at least three times a day when the same are located in sensitive areas, towns and villages;  The Contractor shall prevent generation of air pollutants by watering during crushing and screening of aggregates;  The Contractor shall locate construction plants such as stone crushing plants away from the settlement areas, health centers, hospitals and schools;  The Contractor shall avoid burning of materials such as tiers, plastic, rubber products or other materials that creates heavy smoke or nuisance odour;  The Contractor shall avoid disposing of any volatile chemicals to the air;  Any vehicle with an open load carrying area used for transporting potentially dust producing materials should have properly fitted side and tail boards. Materials having the potential to produce dust should not be loaded to a level higher than the side and tail boards and should be covered with a clean tarpaulin in good condition;  The contractor shall provide safety equipment such as goggle, masks and other protection measures for his work force as it needed; and  The RE shall supervise and monitor the contractor’s compliance with the above conditions. 9.4 Noise Pollution Excessive noise levels will arise during construction from operating construction equipment and vehicles, blasting, concrete batching, and aggregate production. There are some sensitive noise receptors including public clinics, schools and religious places near the construction activity areas. Consequently, noise generated from the site can be a major annoyance to a large number of people, especially for those who are residing in towns. Therefore, the Contractor shall implement the following mitigation measures to minimize possible noise impacts:  The Contractor shall not operate noisy operations like crushing plants near the noise sensitive and settlement areas, hospitals, schools, potential wildlife areas;  Construction activities that generate disturbing noise levels are to take place during conventional working hours wherever possible;  The Contractor shall screen equipment producing high levels of noise when working near the settlement areas, clinics and religious areas;  The Contractor shall minimize the use of explosives and promote a systematic blasting schedule;  The Contractor shall provide safety equipment pertaining to noise, such as ear protection wear whenever necessary for the workers; and  The RE shall supervise and monitor the contractor’s compliance of the contractors with the above conditions. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 111 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 9.5 Impacts from Quarry Sites, Borrow Areas, Detour Roads and Workshops Quarry sites, borrow areas and detour roads unless properly rehabilitated would cause socio- environmental problems like loss of productive land, loss of vegetation, soil erosion, creation of mosquito breeding sites, un-aesthetic view, etc. Therefore, the contractor should implement the following mitigation measures:  The contractor shall select quarry and borrow sites away from settlement and environmentally sensitive areas after the approval by the Supervision Engineer/RE, ERA (EMSB) and Local Authorities;  The Contractor shall not select quarry and borrow sites near and at river bed;  The Contractor shall not establish quarries and borrow pits in forest areas;  Maintain detour roads within the ROW as much as possible;  The Contractor shall reinstate all quarries and borrow sites and access roads after the completion of the road construction works, any material sites shall not be left open unless otherwise approved by ERA (EMSB) and RE upon request from local people to have the sites open permanently;  The Contractor shall carefully handle hazardous substances such as fuel, oil, lubricants and cement during transport, storage and dispensing of the substances to avoid spillage and environmental pollution risks, The reinstatement works shall include the following activities:  The Contractor shall take photographs of the proposed borrow areas, quarry sites and detour roads before the commencement of the works;  The Contractor shall take lists of all the tree species found in the proposed quarry sites, borrow areas and detour roads and the exact number of trees to be affected in the presence of Environmentalist from the Supervision Team and a Forester from the Woreda Forestry Unit;  The Contractor shall preserve top soils for later use to refill borrow sites and quarry areas and do not mix top soil with subsoil;  Borrows and quarries shall be reinstated (which include dumping unnecessary materials and excess cuts, landscaping/leveling/shaping, spreading the topsoil uniformly over the surface, constructing spillways if in case the sites are deep enough to hold water and putting a barrier all around the sites to prevent accidents on animals and human beings) after completion of the works;  After reinstating, plant appropriate tree species (indigenous trees) or grasses to recover the original vegetation and to improve the ecological and aesthetic value of these sites;  Provide proper drainage to avoid storage of water in quarry and borrow sites to reduce malaria out break through reduction of mosquito breeding sites; and  Access roads to these sites shall be reinstated to productive state. Reinstatement work shall include: preservation/stockpiling of the topsoil, removing the applied selected/foreign materials, loosening the compacted soils and spreading the top soils. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 112 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 9.6 Slope Instability, Rock Falls and Soil Erosion Road construction work which involves cutting and filling in steep slopes will most likely induce slope instability and soil erosion problems. In the mountainous sections, construction of the road would require cut and fill, and in some places the cut or fill slopes may not intersect with the existing grade within a reasonable distance. Along the mountainous and escarpment sections including km 11 – 20, km 27 – 35, and km 42 – 50, some stretches/spots may face some slope stability problems and rock fall hazards. Therefore, the contractor should adopt the following mitigation measures and appropriate precautions, among others:  The contractor shall protect unstable slopes with stabilizing structures such as retaining walls; wire basketry, gabions etc. as permanent installation on risk slopes;  The contractor shall implement Bioengineering techniques to protect and stabilize unstable slopes and also shall use appropriate local variety grass species together with a physical engineering measures as soon as possible after completion of the works;  Install cut-off drains above cut slopes;  The contractor shall provide riprap, grassing on erosion prone slopes of high embankments and fill areas, toes and banks of the streams to avoid/restrict erosion;  The contractor shall remove all dangerous and loose boulders and rocks from cut faces;  Limit disturbance to natural vegetation above cut slopes;  The contractor shall pave roadside drains above 5% slope gradients and construct all energy- dissipating structures at the drainage outlets and discharging points;  The contractor shall provide cross drainage structures as close as possible to reduce the amount of flow from side ditches and to let the flood join to the nearest stream easily with out scouring the side walls;  The contractor shall plant local variety grass species and replant slope embankments and erosion prone areas and water them until the grasses and trees are survive independently; and  The contractor shall construct different physical erosion control measures such as paved side drain, check dams, and other energy dissipating structures such as chutes, cascades, etc. 9.7 Impacts on Soils and Water Resources The road construction process will cause some adverse effects on soil and water resources. Though there is no water in almost all the streams during dry season, water will be available during wet season. The likely sources of road construction impacts on the soil and water resources will include, redirecting water courses at culverts and bridges, enhanced soil erosion from road cuts and other exposed sites, temporary road diversion, operation of quarries and borrow pits, effluent discharge from campsites, spills of chemicals and pollutants from used fuel and oil, discharge of cement slag during construction, can all pose pollution risk to soils and streams intercepted by the road. Therefore, the Contractor shall implement the following mitigation measures to minimize these and other impacts of road construction on soils and water resources:  The Contractor shall avoid dumping of solid and liquid wastes from the construction areas and camps into farm lands, streams, rivers and dry stream beds; Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 113 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation  The Contractor shall not block natural flow of streams, rivers and wetlands;  The Contractor shall not select quarry sites in river beds and river banks;  The Contractor shall Re-grass cut slopes and fill sections to avoid downstream sedimentation and water quality deterioration;  The Contractor shall avoid polluting of soils, rivers or streams during concreting work from cement slag;  The Contractor shall not clean/wash construction equipment in to wet lands, streams and rivers, and shall not discharge waste chemicals into streams, if in case this problem happens, the contractor, at his own expense, shall be obliged to clear water until it reaches its original quality level or potable standard;  Servicing of plants, equipment and vehicles shall be carried out at a workshop area. The workshop area should be equipped with secured storage areas for fuels, oils and other fluids. The storages should be constructed in such a way as to contain any spillages, which may occur. Similar storage should be constructed to store used fluids prior to their disposal in a designated and authorized place. Waste oils from various plants and equipment shall be collected in drums and send it to oil reprocessing companies and never dispose them into wetlands, streams and rivers;  The contractor shall avoid conflicting with water demands for domestic and livestock consumption & give priority for domestic and livestock consumption, and not use water from low discharge springs or streams in this case the contractor shall fulfil his water requirements for campsites and construction purposes by developing own water sources;  The Contractor shall avoid locating camp sites near the water sources and ground water recharging areas;  Careful handling of explosives and residue of fuel to avoid health risk and soil and water pollution;  The contractor shall ensure that all the existing stream courses and drains within and adjacent to the site are kept safe and free from any debris; and  The contractor shall officially handover all developed water sources at any locations to the Local water Department after the completion of the road construction work 9.8 Impacts on Flora The road construction activities will cause some damages to already endangered tree species and vegetation found in the road right-of-way, campsites, quarry areas, borrow sites and access and detour roads. To minimize possible adverse impacts on vegetation, the contractor shall take the following measures:  The contractor should not locate quarry or borrow sites wherever there are significant cover of indigenous tree species;  The Contractor shall confine clearing of vegetation to what is absolutely necessary. All trees and shrubs which are not required to be cleared or removed for construction purposes should be protected from any damage that may be caused by the contractor’s construction operations and equipment; Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 114 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation  The Contractor shall not locate campsites, quarries and borrow pits and detour roads in a natural forest areas;  Farmers shall be given adequate time to harvest their trees before clearing;  Transplant trees which are transplantable;  The Contractor shall take maximum care and never cut endangered and indigenous tree species;  The contractor shall aware construction work force to not cut tree for any purpose with out prior approval of Environmental supervisor and Local Forestry Department;  The contractor shall plant at least 10 new seedlings for each indigenous tree to be affected and water them until the Local Forester approves that they grow independently;  The contractor shall take photographs of these sites before starting clearing and keep it as an official document in a separate folder; and  The contractor shall forbid his workforces from deliberately and discriminate cutting down trees, involving in any trade activities or illegally transporting forest products. The contractor shall take the responsibility for his misbehavior of workforces and involvement in any trade activities by his workforces or transporting of any forest products by construction vehicles. 9.9 Impacts on Fauna Though there are no protected wildlife conservation areas along the project road, some impacts during the construction phase on the available wildlife are expected in relation to disturbances in the right-of-way, along access roads and at quarries and borrow pits and increased animal fatality rates due to increased traffic volume. To minimize impacts on wildlife the following mitigation measures should be considered by the Construction Contractor:  The Contractor shall forbid his workforces from deliberately killing wild animals, hunting wild animals for food or sport purposes, involving in any trade activities of dead or live wild animals;  The Contractor shall maintain road side forest that may serve as wild life habitat and corridor;  The Contractor shall abstain from encroaching into areas of wildlife habitats and other sensitive areas;  The Contractor shall restore affected areas (e.g. quarries and borrow pits and access roads to those sites) through replanting program;  The Contractor shall install warning signs and speed control measures at animal crossing sites;  The Contractor shall create awareness among drivers to give priority for road crossing animals and abstain from running after them or chasing the animals away; and  The Contractor shall aware drivers to put off light and give priority for road crossing nocturnal animals during the night time. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 115 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 9.10 Traffic Management Plan (TMP) Contractor shall prepare Traffic Management Plan (TMP) that suits construction works for the entire or sections of the road project. The TMP shall be prepared using or based on ERA (EMSB) Road Safety Audit Manual and submit to RE and ERA’s EMSB for reviewing and approval before the construction work commences.  The Contractor shall provide diversions with suitable and reflecting road signs; provide barricades and delineators and flagmen to guide the traffic. For regulation of traffic, the flagmen shall be equipped with red and green flags;  Provide alternative pedestrian routes where these are interrupted;  The Design Engineer shall consult the local people as to where to construct the different engineering facilities like parking bays, foot paths;  The Contractor shall use clear, levelled properly and meaning full traffic signs and speed limits, especially at road crossing of the people and conjunction of animals;  The Contractor shall provide traffic awareness, especially at schools, churches and other places at certain period of construction time and introduce accident prevention methods; and  The Design Engineer shall identify all high traffic accident areas and safety measures shall be proposed at all these areas. 9.11 Impact on Farmland Farmland would be taken for various activities of the road construction. However, the magnitude of impact on farm land would vary depending on how the road construction Contractor manages its work and working environment. Careless disposal of spoils and construction wastes on farmland and unlimited use of detour and access roads could exacerbate adverse impacts of road construction on farmland. Therefore, the Contractor shall implement the following measures but not limited to:  The contractor shall abstain from locating campsites, quarries and borrow pits on fertile farmland, instead locate them in less productive areas;  The contractor shall not establish diversion roads in productive farmland and shall limit the diversions within the Road Right of Way;  The Contractor shall abstain from dumping any spoil from construction activities into farmland unless requested to do so by the farmers;  The Contractor shall separate topsoil from subsoil and preserve top soils for later use; and  The Contractor shall reinstate all the farmland temporarily taken for various activities of road construction. Reinstatement shall include stockpiling the top soils, removing any concretes or foreign materials, loosening the compacted soils, landscaping/levelling/ shaping, spreading the topsoil uniformly over the surface. The level of reinstatement shall be approved by the RE and Environmental supervisor as well as it should satisfy the land holders. 9.12 Impacts of Construction Camps, Workshops and Storage Sites Construction camps, workshops and materials storage sites can cause a number of significant environmental and social impacts unless the sites are properly selected and managed. Therefore, Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 116 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation the Contractor should adopt necessary precautions and appropriate mitigation measures including the following:  The Contractor shall take maximum care in locating the camps, workshops and materials processing and storage sites in such a way to avoid environmentally or socially sensitive areas;  The Contractor shall take photographs of the campsites before the construction of any structure in order to compare the level of environmental degradation before and after the establishment of the camp site and to plan rehabilitation work;  The Contractor shall provide health care services, potable water supply, garbage disposal and sanitation facilities for the camps including imperviously lined septic tanks, and proper hazardous wastes such used oils collection and disposal systems at the workshops;  The Contractor shall carefully handle hazardous substances such as fuel, oil, lubricants and cement during transport, storage and dispensing of the substances to avoid spillage and environmental pollution risks,  The Contractor shall maintain proper management and discipline in the camps;  The Contractor shall dismantle all the site facilities (camps, workshops and storage sites) and rehabilitate the areas as per the surrounding nature once construction is completed; 9.13 Impacts on Public Health From the viewpoint of public health, the construction crews and the campsite areas are the main concern particularly in relation to the expansion of HIV/AIDS, STD and Malaria. To minimize these health problems the contractor or construction activities shall:  Be aware that the road traverse through malaria endemic areas and be prepared to avoid possible health risk through environmental health and hygiene management of camp sites and availing clinic, chemically treated mosquito nets and medicines for the work force;  The Contractor shall not induce malaria outbreak by creating temporary & permanent water holding areas which favour mosquito breeding;  The Contractor shall restore borrow pits and quarry areas to avoid breeding sites for mosquito;  The Contractor shall provide clinics with all necessary medications in major construction camps, and First Aid kits at all working sites;  The Contractor shall minimize dust emission by watering the road during construction at the settlement areas at least 3 times a day (in the morning, before lunch time and before the end of working hour);  The Contractor shall take care when selecting campsites in such a way that it should not invite close interaction with local community;  The Contractor shall provide safe water supply & appropriate waste disposal facilities including the provision of sanitary latrines in the construction camp;  The Contractor shall provide health education mainly focusing on the HIV/AIDS control and prevention, avoid discrimination in work places due to HIV/AIDS and provide counselling service. This activity shall be executed as a sub contract by local NGOs and relevant institution; Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 117 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation  The Contractor shall provide free counseling and distribute condoms & leaflets to workforce and vulnerable group of nearby communities; and  Due precautions shall be taken by the contractor to ensure the safety of his staff and labour in collaboration with the local health office by providing medical staff; first aid equipment and stores, sick bay and suitable ambulance service at the camps, housing, and on the site at all times throughout the period of the contract 9.14 Impacts related to Occupational Safety During the road construction, there will be more occupational health problems associated with construction activities such as accidents from traffic or working machines, explosives, etc. To minimize these inconvenient working conditions and safety problems the following clauses shall be included in the contract document:  The contractor must ensure that the potential danger to the public (including pedestrians, all road users. and adjacent building owners and occupiers) is kept to an absolute minimum. All work sites are to be clearly sign posted and fenced, and if necessary lit at night. Safe, traffic control arrangements to provide well-signed pedestrian routes to be provided to avoid construction accidents;  During the execution of the works the contractor shall keep the site reasonably free from all unnecessary obstruction and shall store or dispose of any contractor’s equipment and surplus materials and clear away and remove from the site any wreckage, rubbish or temporary works no longer required;  Where the contractor is authorized to use explosives required for rock excavation, the explosives shall be stored, handled, and used with the utmost caution and strictly in accordance with the statutory government regulations. The contractor shall be responsible for the presentation of any unauthorized issue or improper use of any explosive and shall ensure that the handling of explosives shall be entrusted only to experienced and responsible men;  All open excavations shall be adequately barricaded to prevent workmen or others from accidentally falling into them. Any open excavation in the road carriageway or shoulder areas shall in addition be marked at night with white painted drums (or similar) and red or amber lighted lamps, to the satisfaction of the engineer;  Explosives and chemicals should be stored under proper security at a safe distance from the road and any inhabited premises;  Give warning each time of his intention to blast and should station personnel on the roads and elsewhere with flags, horns and whistles and prevent persons , animals and traffic entering danger zone;  Provide education to personnel of the contractor about safety procedures and emergency response plans associated with their task;  The contractor shall provide accommodation and amenities as it may be necessary for all his staff and labour including all fencing, water supply (both for drinking and other purposes), electricity supply, sanitation, cookhouses, fire prevention and fire-fighting equipment, air conditioning, cookers, refrigerator, furniture, and other requirements. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 118 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation  The contractor shall make any necessary arrangements for the transport, to any place as required for burial, of any of his expatriate employees or members of their families who may die in Ethiopia;  The contractor shall arrange for the provision of a sufficient supply of suitable food at reasonable price for all his staff, labour, and subcontractors for the purposes of or in connection with the contract;  Alcoholic liquor or drugs are strictly forbidden to use in whatever means; and  The contractor shall pay compensation according to the laws of the country for loss or damage suffered in consequence of any accident or injury or disease resulting from his work for any workman or other person in the employment of the contractor or any subcontractor. 9.15 Impacts on Archaeological Sites On the basis of previous archaeological surveys and information obtained from local authorities and local people, there are no known archaeologically sensitive sites in the direct impact zone of the Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road. However, the presence or absence of any archaeologically or culturally important properties underneath of the road or other possibly affected areas is not very sure at this level, and assets of archaeological or cultural value may become apparent during excavation for the road construction. Therefore, it is important that the Contractor is aware of this situation and take necessary precautions during the road construction works and take necessary actions (as recommended below) if any properties of cultural value are uncovered. If the Contractor discovers any properties or sites of archaeological or cultural value, he shall immediately notify the Resident Engineer and shall protect and keep same intact, until the relevant authority takes delivery thereof. The Contractor sets up rapid response system for physical cultural resources findings with concerned authorities. 9.16 Disruption of Crossing Structures, Access Roads and other Services  The design Engineer shall not propose fill sections in towns and rural villages;  The contractor shall provide different crossing structures or access roads to individual houses on upslope and social facilities;  The contractor shall not use market places for permanent or temporary storage of construction materials;  The contractor shall not block water pipes;  The contractor shall not disrupt electric and telephone lines; and  The contractor shall not operate noisy operations near schools and religious places. 9.17 Grassing of Cut Slopes and Bare grounds Road construction works, which involves cutting and filling, will most likely induce slope instability, bare ground and soil erosion problems. Therefore, the contractor shall:  Implement Bioengineering techniques such as planting locally accepted varieties of grass species together with physical engineering measures as soon as possible after completion of the works; and Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 119 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation  Apply grassing on erosion prone slopes of high embankments and fill areas, toes and banks of the streams to avoid/restrict erosion, and water them until the grasses and trees are survived independently. 9.18 Before Commissioning The construction contractor shall clean up the project environment before officially handover the project. The social and environmental supervisors and EMSB of ERA should follow up the proper implementation of these activities and check that the work as built meets all significant environmental requirements before the project is officially accepted and should report to the concerning parties.  All the salvages and waste materials from the construction process should be cleaned, demolished or dumped in appropriate and authorized places;  Quarry and borrow areas should be reinstated, drained and planted trees;  Temporary camp sites should be removed and the compacted materials should be removed and reinstated so that the land continues giving services which were discontinued due to the project; and  The client should hold certain amount of money until the completion of the cleaning activities approved by social and environmental supervisors. 9.19 Other issues  The contractor should give job opportunity for the local people as much as possible, giving priority for the affected people and women;  Take responsibility to create awareness among the work force about the protection of natural environment, maintaining of vegetation and wild life, keeping water sources clean etc. and  Work agreed with the environmental supervisor and site engineer in implementing the socio-environmental mitigation measures specified in the ESIA report. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 120 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 9 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 10.1 Conclusions On the basis of the findings of this ESIA study, the construction and operation of the Kombolcha- Bati-Mille Road will bring about a number of significant positive socio-economic and environmental impacts that justify the implementation of the project. The potential benefits are mainly related to improved geometry of the road alignment, wider carriageway, smoothened surfaces, wider and smoothened shoulders, sufficient and effective cross and longitudinal drainage facilities, and provision of bus bays and parking bays and safety measures. These situations will improve drainage, reduce erosion and siltation, improve sight distance and facilitate traffic flows at the design speed and enhance traffic safety and reduce the danger to pedestrians, and reduce vehicle-operating costs. In particular the improvement of the road will have a significant role in the export-import activities between Ethiopia and Djibouti port and in promotion of trade activities. Hence, it will greatly contribute to the improvement of social services, and the development of the local as well as the national economy, and improvement of the living standards of the local communities. Further, the improvement of the road is expected to have immense role in promoting the economic and socio-cultural interactions among the pastoral, agro-pastoral and agricultural communities of the Afar, Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups inhabiting different geographical settings, that is low land, middle land and highland areas respectively. In contrast, construction of the road will cause a number of negative environmental and social impacts particularly during the construction phase. The key environmental and social issues/impacts are related to the proposed road widening and alignment improvement requirements, which are considered to comply with the minimum width and radii requirement of the design standard in relation to the type of terrain. Other issues are related to activities involved in normal road upgrading/ rehabilitation works, extraction, haulage and processing of construction materials, construction camps, and implementation of the road works during the road in operation. Thus, those impacts are not unexpected ones, but they need due attention and mitigation measures. The potential impacts that will require particular attention and mitigation include road and traffic safety issues, dust and noise pollution, siltation problems, impacts on adjacent farmlands and irrigation structures, impacts on roadside properties (housing units, public utilities etc.) and impacts on community water supply sources. Other important issues are soil erosion, sedimentation of water courses, impacts on landscape quality and slope stability (at some spots), soil and water pollution, and loss of roadside trees. Nonetheless, most of potential impacts are short-term mainly occurring during the construction phase and can be managed/mitigated to acceptable levels with good engineering measures and other appropriate environmental and social mitigation measures. It can therefore be concluded that there are no severe environmental or social impacts that will prevent the proposed Kombolcha–Bati–Mille road upgrading project from proceeding to the implementation stage provided the mitigation measures recommended in this ESIA study are properly considered. 10.2 Recommendations Appropriate mitigation measures for all significant impacts are recommended in Chapter 6 and presented in Chapter 8 in the form of ESMP. To ensure implementation, the recommended mitigation measures shall be included in the detailed engineering design or in the tender Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 121 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation documentation, either as contract and/or special technical specification clauses. In addition, adequate budget shall be allocated for the mitigation and management actions not included in the obligations of the Contractor and the Construction Supervision Consultant, and necessary institutional/specialist arrangement is made for their implementation before the commencement of the construction works. Further, a well-planned monitoring programme should be instituted in order to follow up the proper implementation of the ESIA recommendations and their effectiveness, as well as incidence of any unforeseen issues. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 122 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation List of References 1. FDRE, Ethiopian Roads Authority, Contract Document for Consultancy Services for the Review of Feasibility and Environmental Impact Assessment Studies, Detailed Engineering Design and Preparation of Tender Document for Kombolcha-Bati-Mille Road Project. 2. FDRE, Ethiopian Roads Authority, Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Kombolcha - Mille Road. Tender Dossier, Volume XI, Part W: Notes of Specific Information on the Project. June 2003, Carl Bro International a/s in association with DANA CONSULT PLC. 3. The Environmental Policy of Ethiopia, 1989. 4. FDRE, Environmental Protection Authority, Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines Document, Addis Ababa, July 2000. 5. FDRE, Environmental Protection Authority, Environmental Impact Assessment Procedural Guideline Series 1. December 2003, Addis Ababa. 6. ERA Environmental Procedures Manual, August 2001. 7. ERA Resettlement/Rehabilitation Policy Framework, February 2002. 8. FDRE Proclamation No. 1/1995. The Constitution of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. 9. FDRE, Ethiopian Roads Authority. Awash – Dofen – Kassamender Road Project, Environmental Impact Assessment Report, September 2008, FINNROAD and SABA Engineering Plc. 10. National Report on Environment and Development. A Report prepared for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 1992. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1992. 11. Proclamation No. 299/2002. Environmental Impact Assessment Proclamation. 12. Proclamation No. 295/2002. Proclamation for Establishment of Environmental Protection Organs. 13. Proclamation No. 300/2002. Environmental Pollution Control Proclamation. 14. Proclamation No. 209/2000. Proclamation on Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage. 15. Proclamation No. 456/2005. Proclamation on Rural Land Administration and Land Use. 16. The Red List of Endemic Trees & Shrubs of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Jose Luis Vivero, Ensermu Kelbessa and Sebsebe Demissew. 17. Useful Trees and Shrubs for Ethiopia. Identification, Propagation and Management for Agricultural and Pastoral Communities. Azene Bekele-Tesema with Ann Birnie and Bo Tengnäs. 18. Afar Forestry Action Programme. Vol. III: Part 8 - Ecosystem Management, CEDEP, 1998. 19. Afar Forestry Action Programme. Vol. III. Part 9 - Wildlife Conservation, CEDEP, 1998. 20. Rangelands and Water Development Study - Afar National Regional State. Vol. III: Rangelands/Livestock and Fodder, Metaferia Consulting Engineers, 2000. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 123 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation 21. Study on Tourist Attraction Potentials of the Afar Region, Vol. III: Archaeological, Cultural and Historical Tourist Attraction Potentials. Final Report, September 1998. Industrial Projects Service (IPS). 22. 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Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final) 124 Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation APPENDICES Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project; Contract 1: Kombolcha – Bati – Burka Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation APPENDIX 1: LIST OF CONSULTED PERSONS AND ORGANIZATIONS No Name Position and Organization Amhara NRS 1 Ato Hashim Seid Chief Administrator, Kalu Woreda (rural woreda). 2 " Seyoum Asefa Deputy Manager, Kombolcha Town Woreda Administration. 3 " Fasil Kebede Head, Kalu W. Agriculture & Rural Development Office (ARDO) 4 " Beshir Yimama Vice Head, Kalu Woreda ARDO. 5 " Tehubo Adugna Irrigation and Drainage Process Owner, Kalu Woreda ARDO. 6 " Alemu Gebeyehu Natural Res. Expert, Kalu Woreda ARDO. 7 " Araya Embaye Forestry Development Expert, Kalu Woreda ARDO.. 8 W/t Shewanesh Abraham Natural Res. Expert, Kalu Woreda ARDO. 9 Ato Eshetu Ahmed Representative Head, Kalu Woreda Water Supply Office. 10 " Mekonnen Alemu Water Engineer, Kalu Woreda Water Supply Office. 11 " Wokneh Birru Head, Bati Woreda Administration Office. 12 " Abi Yemane Representative Mayor&Head of Mayor’s Office of Bati Town. Repr. Vice Head, ARDO & Extension Process Coordinator, Bati 13 " Waqgari Itana Woreda. Natural Res. Conservation, Devt & Utilzation Process Owner, ARDO, 14 " Ameyu Fekadu Bati Woreda. 15 " Abdulakadir Nesibo Irrigation and Drainage Process Coordinator, ARDO, Bati Woreda. Head, Bati Woreda Environmental Protection & Land Administration 16 " Melaku Gelgelo Office,. 17 " Seyoum Wubshetu Head, Bati Woreda Water Supply Office. Afar NRS 18 " Mohamed Hassen Chief Administrator, Mille Woreda Administration. 19 " Ali Hutika Head,Mille W. Pastoral Agriculture & Rural Devt Office (PARDO). 20 " Kedir-Nur Hussen Head, Adaar Woreda Pastoral Agriculture & Rural Devt Office. 21 " Ali Bidaro Head, Mille Woreda Water Resources Devt Office. 22 " Friew Bekele Animal Development Team Leader, Mille Woreda PARDO. 23 " Alemayehu Mulugeta Study & Design Expert, Mille Woreda Water Resources Devt Office. 24 W/t Zeyba Mohamed Irrigation Expert, Mille Woreda Water Resources Devt Office. Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT (Final Kombolcha - Bati - Mille Road Project; Contract 1: Kombolcha – Bati – Burka Phase II: Detailed Engineering Design and Tender Document Preparation APPENDIX 2 MINUTES OF PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS Associated Engineering Consultants Ethiopian Roads Authority March 2012