56127

RESETTLEMENT ACTION PLAN FOR THE AWALI-BEIRUT
          WATER CONVEYOR PROJECT




            EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
RESETTLEMENT ACTION PLAN                                  COUNCIL FOR DEVELOPMENT AND RECONSTRUCTION (CDR)
ESIA FOR AWALI-BEIRUT WATER CONVEYER PROJECT                                               EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) was prepared in the context of the preparation of the LB-Greater
Beirut Water Supply Project (GBWSP) partly financed by the World Bank. It determines the procedures
required for land acquisitions and resettlement needed for project implementation, and related
compensation in accordance with Lebanese Law and the Operational Policies (OP) of the World Bank
(WB) defined under OP 4.12 on Involuntary Resettlement.
The GBWSP project includes acquisition of public and private land covering a total area of 426,563 m2
mainly relating to two main project components establishing a Bulk Water Supply Infrastructure: Tunnels,
Water Treatment plant, Transmission & Bulk Storage (including the Awali-Beirut Water Conveyor) and
Supply Reservoirs, Distribution Network and Metering (Improvement and rehabilitation of the water
distribution network in Beirut and its suburbs)
The main impacts of the project that give rise to resettlement are the following:


(i)Acquisition of land by use of the Government's power of eminent domain for the purpose of building
surface structures (infrastructure related to the conveyor, water treatment plants and storage
reservoirs).

(ii) Establishment of Easement right of ways (ROW) by use of the Government's power of eminent
domain where the water conveyor is passing underneath the surface as well as restrictions on drilling on
plots along the corridor of the conveyor.

CDR and BMLWA have adopted strategies to avoid or at least minimize the need for land acquisitions
in connection with this project as much as possible.
As the project will improve the water supply and distribution network across the Greater Beirut Area,
including in the low-income neighborhoods of Southern Beirut, the overall social and economic impact
of the project are considered positive. Villages along the tunnels will also benefit from additional water
supply options through designated points for connection to local distribution networks, should individual
local communities decide to do so.
The project will not result in involuntary physical relocation of people nor will it cause demolition of any
existing building. A temporary farmer and his family residing and working on one of the project
affected sites will be offered alternative employment by the landowner at a different location and
under the same conditions . This arrangement has been confirmed to the Bank by the CDR in a
separate letter.
Lebanese Law of expropriation established general provisions for prior compensation of expropriated
assets and easement fees for other restrictions imposed on property 2.. In addition, the mode of
payment when compensating for acquisition of land, will in practice be in several phases, although no
real time lag really exist between taking over of land and final payment. In the context of this RAP, CDR
and BMLWA will ensure that no land will be taken over under this project without full prior payment of
compensation. As regards the WB op. 4.12 requirement for an ffordable and accessible grievance
mechanism for the third-party settlement of disputes arising from resettlement the requirement under
Lebanese law to pay a fee to open an appeals case, and the requirement to pay 3, 5 % of the



PREPARED BY ELARD                                                                                          I
RESETTLEMENT ACTION PLAN                                COUNCIL FOR DEVELOPMENT AND RECONSTRUCTION (CDR)
ESIA FOR AWALI-BEIRUT WATER CONVEYER PROJECT                                          EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

additional amount of compensation sought in the appeal, as well as the requirement to be
represented by a lawyer, will also be mitigated through this RAP.
In accordance with op. 4.12 affected landowners and users and other stakeholders have been
consulted in connection with preparing the ESIA, the socio-economic survey and the expropriations
procedures. In addition the project PMU will remain open and accessible to the public during normal
office hours to address complaints and to ensure that affected peoples legal rights are being
respected in accordance with this RAP.
An implementation schedule and cost estimates for the implementation of the RAP are attached.
CDR has previously undertaken land acquisition for the purpose of the current project (mainly for
component1). The World Bank has had no involvement with these expropriations and CDR has
confirmed this in a letter to the Bank.  




PREPARED BY ELARD                                                                                     II