The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) Appraisal Environmental and Social Review Summary Appraisal Stage (ESRS Appraisal Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 09/11/2024 | Report No: ESRSA03690 Sep 12, 2024 Page 1 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Operation Data Operation ID Product Operation Acronym Approval Fiscal Year P179128 Investment Project Financing (IPF) ETMIC 2025 Operation Name Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project Country/Region Code Beneficiary country/countries Region Practice Area (Lead) (borrower, recipient) Turkiye Turkiye EUROPE AND CENTRAL Transport ASIA Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Transport and 19-Sep-2024 12-Nov-2024 Infrastructure Estimated Decision Total Project Cost Review Date Public Disclosure 17-Sep-2024 1,615,212,731.00 Proposed Development Objective The Project Development Objective is to improve the rail connectivity of eastern Türkiye along the Divriği-Kars-Georgia border railway section of the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor. B. Is the operation being prepared in a Situation of Urgent Need of Assistance or Capacity Constraints, as per Bank IPF Policy, para. 12? No C. Summary Description of Proposed Project Activities Türkiye ratified the Paris Agreement in October of 2021, adopted its first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in 2022, and committed to achieving a net-zero economy by 2053. This has placed climate change mitigation at the very top of Türkiye’s economic development agenda. The EU Green Deal, and its potential economic implications for Türkiye, such as a need to reduce the carbon footprint of Turkish supply chains—including their transportation and logistics component—under the forthcoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), further contributes to the urgency for Türkiye to reduce emissions across its main energy-consuming sectors. Türkiye’s high vulnerability and exposure to climate and natural hazards generate risks, but also pose an opportunity to invest in resilient infrastructure. The World Sep 12, 2024 Page 2 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) Bank’s Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) found that Türkiye’s road network is more vulnerable to disruption than that of European comparators across the income spectrum (such as upper-middle income Serbia and high-income Germany), and that its railway network is, in turn, significantly more vulnerable to disruption than its road network. The CCDR estimates that ensuring all new transport infrastructure assets are built to higher resilience standards would increase investment needs by nearly 11%, but it could also reduce average annual repair costs by a factor of 7. In Türkiye transport sector decarbonization cannot be achieved without decarbonizing the transportation of freight. In 2019, half of Türkiye’s transport-sector GHG emissions originated from freight transport. Decarbonizing Türkiye’s freight transport means, above all, reducing emissions from the transportation of goods by trucks— particularly heavy-duty trucks. In 2019, 95% of Türkiye’s GHG emissions from freight transport came from trucking- related emissions. More than two-thirds of this (68%) was generated by heavy-duty trucks, which are comparatively more difficult to decarbonize than light-duty commercial vehicles, with a technology trajectory that is likely to take longer to reach widespread market adoption than that of low- and zero-carbon small, short-haul trucks and vans. During the early period in the runup to the 2053 net zero target—e.g., over the next 10-15 years—facilitating the use of rail freight, and shifting long-haul truck freight to rail, are among the most effective ways to decarbonize freight transport, while also attaining key complementary goals like reducing transport costs; reducing road congestion, accidents, and fatalities; improving urban livability; and reducing road infrastructure wear and tear. The proposed project will contribute to the World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Türkiye for the FY18-FY23 period (Report No. 11096-TR, July 28, 2017), by supporting its Growth and Sustainability Focus Areas. Specifically, the project is aligned with the Growth Focus Area objective of enhancing competitiveness and employment in selected industries, as it will contribute to improving the profitability, productivity, and access-to-market of firms—importers, exporters, and domestic producers—in sectors reliant on commodities economically compatible with the use of rail, both in the Public Disclosure project’s immediate area and nationally. The project will also contribute to the Sustainability Focus Area objective of increasing the sustainability of infrastructure assets and natural capital, by (a) boosting the energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of freight along the target corridor, and (b) making the national railway network safer and more operationally resilient. The project is expected to champion preparation and execution of engineering design and construction approaches to develop infrastructure that can withstand more erratic weather patterns, severe weather events, and non-climate related natural disasters. The project will rehabilitate, electrify, and modernize a 660km railway corridor in eastern Türkiye, linking Sivas Province (at Divriği) with the border with Georgia, via the city of Kars. This corridor ends at, and includes, the Turkish portion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, making the target railway section a component of the Middle Corridor, an intercontinental railway and multimodal route between East Asia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Europe. The project will have two main components: Component 1 - Rehabilitation of the Divriği – Kars – Georgia Border Railway Line (US$1,607.0 million, including contingencies and VAT). This component will consist of design, construction, and construction supervision of 143km of new standard gauge railway line to replace the existing line; installation of signaling, telecommunication, and electrification systems along the 660km total length of the corridor, as well as construction/rehabilitation of sidings, bridges, station buildings, and other facilities. Tentative technical works under this component are as follows: • Construction of 143km of new standard gauge railway line; • Installation of ERTMS/ETCS Level 1 signaling, telecommunication, and electrification systems along the entire corridor; • Construction of 10 new sidings and extension of 30 existing sidings at existing railway stations; • Establishment of electric power installation systems with 16 substations, 16 neutral zones, and 154kV power transmission lines; • A 350km 4-zone distributed acoustic detention system; • Tunnel clearance works for electrification; • Construction of 120 controlled level crossings; • Construction of 4 new bridges (144m), • Renewal of 2 passenger platforms, • Construction of retaining walls (1,050m), • Renewal of 77 culverts, • Construction of 7 new overpass and 10 km of snow barriers; and • Construction of selected station buildings, facilities, and signaling, Sep 12, 2024 Page 3 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) telecommunications, and electrification systems, including construction of 20.8km of signaling/telecommunication and 15.3 km of electrification systems at the Kars logistics center. Component 2 – Project Management (US$6.5 million, including contingencies and VAT). This component includes support for the Project Implementation Unit (PIU). D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1 Overview of Environmental and Social Project Settings The project will be implemented in the provinces of Sivas (Divriği), Erzincan, Tunceli, Erzurum, Kars, Ardahan up to the border with Georgia. The provinces that host the Divriği-Kars-Georgia border railway corridor are highly exposed to extreme weather events and natural hazards. Specifically, there is a high risk of urban floods, landslides, and wildfires in all four of these provinces, as well as a medium to high risk of earthquakes. Furthermore, the areas in the vicinity of the railway alignment are characterized by the presence of habitats qualified as critical during the preparation of the Trans- Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) and partially intersecting with the proposed project area. These critical habitats are: • Segments of Karasu and Süngütaşı Rivers in Erzurum, where critical species of Montivipera wagneri, Salvia huberi, Cephalaria sparsipilosa, Eryngium wanaturi, Polyommatus merhaba, Cousinia bicolor have been observed; • An area near Handere where critical species of Lathyrus karsianus, Eulasia chrysopyga, Phengaris nausithous, Zonitis nigriventris, and Hieracium sarykamyschense have been observed; and • An unkonwn creek in Kars, accommodating critical species of Eulasia chrysopyga and Hieracium sarykamyschense. Public Disclosure In addition, the existing railway route passes nearby some important protected areas such as Çıldır Lake, Sarıkamış Forests, several rivers such as Karasu stream, Euphrate, Kuyucuk Lake wetland recognized as a Ramsar site, a number of natural and national parks in each of the project provinces, and some cultural heritage sites including the historical station buildings. The Divriği-Kars-Georgia border railway corridor runs through an economically lagging region of Türkiye; upgrading the corridor would facilitate local economic activity, create jobs in its immediate catchment, and help alleviate Türkiye’s spatial economic disparities. In addition, the Divriği-Kars-Georgia border international corridor on the eastern end of the network links Türkiye with the South Caucasus via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line and, via the Caspian Sea, with Central and East Asia, thus, upgrading of the corridor will significantly increase international accessibility of the region. The corridor spans mainly four provinces of eastern Türkiye—Sivas, Erzincan, Erzurum, and Kars. Like eastern Türkiye as a whole, these provinces lag the rest of the country across several indicators of economic well-being. In 2021 all four provinces had a GDP per capita below the national average, at levels of difference ranging from mild (84% of the national average for Erzincan) to staggering (48% of the national average for Kars). The GDP per capita of the richest province within the corridor—Erzincan—was less than half (49%) that of the richest province in the country (Kocaeli). With regards to multidimensional measures of well-being, with the corridor provinces of Erzurum and Kars ranking only 52th and 70th, respectively, out of 81 provinces in the ‘well-being index’, a metric used by the Government of Türkiye (GoT) that considers aspects like housing, income, health, education, environment, safety, life satisfaction, and civic engagement. Based on these provincial data, it is highly likely that there is a significant number of poor and vulnerable population in these provinces. The economies of all four provinces are intense in primary sector activity. Industrial production is also common, particularly in Erzincan, where industry accounted for 31% of its GDP in 2022. The industrial Sep 12, 2024 Page 4 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) and agriculture sectors of these provinces would benefit from improved rail freight connectivity for both domestic distribution and exports. This includes more intense use of rail-enabled logistics clusters in the region, such as the Kars Logistics Center. Located at the end of the BTK line, the Kars Logistics Center has remained underutilized since the BTK line’s inception in 2017. D.2 Overview of Borrower’s Institutional Capacity for Managing Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts The project will be implemented by Directorate General of Infrastructure Investments (DGII) as the lead agency for rail infrastructure development under Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MoTI). An ETMIC-dedicated PIU sub-unit will be established at DGII, side-by-side DGII’s existing PIU team responsible for the implementation of Rail Logistics Improvement Project (RLIP) (P170532)) that is being financed by the World Bank and is being implemented following the ESF. Moreover, while DGII does not have a long history of implementation of World Bank projects (RLIP is its first), it has significant experience with the planning, execution, and handover of large infrastructure projects in railways and other transport subsectors. The PIU set up for RLIP has two and a half years of experience of the implementation of the Environmental and Social (E&S) risks assessments and management following ESF which will be utilized for this project. The PIU, including its ETMIC-dedicated sub-unit, will continue to be led by the Deputy Director General of DGII as PIU Director, and by the Director of DGII's Railway Construction Department as Deputy PIU Director. The ETMIC sub-unit will be staffed by a total of 10 members, including a sub-unit leader, engineering and construction specialist, procurement specialist, financial management specialist, social development specialist, environmental specialist, occupational health and safety specialist, gender specialist, citizen engagement specialist, and an administrative assistant. These staff are expected to be recruited during project implementation through the Public Disclosure engagement of a specialized firm with expertise in project management, construction, engineering, and monitoring. The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the selection of these services have been prepared by AYGM and confirmed by the World Bank as responsive to the Bank's ESF principles. The Project will utilize design-build procurement method (as per FIDIC Yellow Book). The contractor will finalize the design of the project activities and may make some other modifications that differ from those outlined in the ESIA report. Therefore, to be aligned with the final design, the contractor will carry out additional E&S assessments and update the sub-management plans and Contractor’s ESMP (C-ESMP). ETMIC sub-unit of PIU will ensure such compliance by the contractor by including a clause in the contract between the Project and the contractor and subsequent E&S management supervision, monitoring and reporting. After the completion of the construction works, the project will be handed over to the Republic of Türkiye Directorate General of State Railways (TCDD) and the operational activities will be performed by TCDD. TCDD serves as the primary authority for managing, maintaining, and expanding Türkiye's railway infrastructure. Tasked with overseeing the nation's extensive network of tracks, stations, and signaling systems, TCDD plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth operation of both passenger and freight services. It operates a comprehensive passenger train network, connecting major cities and regions across Türkiye, while also facilitating the efficient movement of goods through its freight transport services. TCDD has experience implementing Bank lending project (the Railway Restructuring project (P077328)). II. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS Sep 12, 2024 Page 5 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Substantial A.1 Environmental Risk Rating Substantial Environment risk is rated as Substantial. The project will support large-scale, though exclusively brownfield, civil works for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of an existing railway corridor with a total length of 660 km, along with the rehabilitation/modernization of supporting infrastructure and the installation of state-of-the-art equipment, including signaling systems, a tunnel for electrification, 4 bridges, and improvement of selected railway stations. While the scope of the anticipated civil works is significant, these are expected to be conducted within the footprint of the existing railway corridor, where the disturbance has been observed since it started operation around the 1930s of the last century. The key environmental risks anticipated in relation to the project activities include: During construction: (i) air pollution and noise from construction machinery and quarries operation phase noise and vibration impacts, (ii) soil disturbance and loss during earth-moving, (iii) loss of vegetation, (iv) impacts related to improper waste management, (v) impacts related to improper construction camp management, (vi) risks to community health and safety (traffic safety, earthquakes, avalanches etc., (vii) risks associated with improper occupational health and safety (OHS), and (viii) potential impacts on culturally and naturally protected areas (such as habitat loss/fragmentation and/or displacement, invasive alien species, damage to registered cultural/archaeological sites and/or assets), the latter related to the presence of several KBAs, national parks, lakes, rivers/streams, and critical habitats in the vicinity of the railway alignment as detailed in Section D1. During operation: (i) noise fand air pollution due to the use of trucks and loading facilities; (ii) soil erosion and risk of landslides from soil compaction; (iii) generation of wastewaters and solid wastes, both domestic and industrial, due to the operation of railway facilities and washing and maintenance of trucks and related equipment; (iv) risk to biodiversity due to potential introduction Public Disclosure of invasive alien species and habitat loss due to improper waste/wastewater management. The construction and operation risks will be addressed by the implementation of respective mitigation measures specified and good construction practices, as well as by strengthening the ESMS capacity of AYGM. A.2 Social Risk Rating Substantial Social risk is rated as Substantial. During the pre-construction and construction phases, social risks and impacts may include a) land acquisition beyond the existing right-of-way; b) physical relocation; c) economic and livelihood impacts; d) labor conditions, OHS and labor influx; e) adverse impacts on community health and safety including increased risks of Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Harassment (SEA/SH), f) impacts on stakeholder engagement, and; g) impacts on cultural heritage. Given the project’s brownfield nature and the fact that the government already own surrounding land as part of the corridors’ right-of-way and likely to accommodate most of the project’s land needs, land acquisition beyond existing right-of-way is expected to be limited to: a) temporary requisition of land for associated services (e.g. labor camp, storage of goods) during replacement of 143km of railway lines; b) establish electric power installation systems with 16 substations, 16 neutral zones, and 154kV power transmission lines; d) rehabilitate four bridges (144m); e) renew 77 culverts; f) build seven new overpass and 10 km of snow barriers; g) improve selected station buildings, facilities, and signaling, telecommunications, and electrification systems, including construction of 20.8km of signaling/telecommunication and 15.3 km of electrification systems at the Kars logistics center. Furthermore, the rehabilitation of infrastructure may cause moderate physical displacement and relocation of houses and other fixed assets, and loss of land and non-land assets and temporary access restrictions to land use in the right-of-way (RoW) of the railroads. Land-induced livelihood impacts such as restrictions of access to pasture land and agricultural lands including on vulnerable communities in some parts of project areas are likely. Risks related to working conditions may include inadequate housing and basic amenities, lack of heating in regions with severe winter Sep 12, 2024 Page 6 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) conditions, the lack of domestic waste disposal in camp areas, transportation to and from worksite and occupational health and safety. During the construction phase significant labor influx is not expected. Project workers who will be on-site will be mostly skilled technical workers and expected to be limited in number. Unskilled labor will be hired from local settlements. Other community health and safety risks may include temporary dust, noise, traffic congestion and localized exposure to construction site accidents, and potential damage of crops. These risks are expected to be mitigated through good construction and engineering as well as E&S practices. Risks to traffic and pedestrian safety due to construction traffic, including access routes, signs & signals and marking, messages of construction traffic, drivers and operators, speed limits, vehicle maintenance, material borrow sites and quarries; risk to SEA/SH; community exposure to health problem, and security are as a part of adverse impacts on community health and safety in the scope of the project. In addition, the project may lead to risks such as exclusion of vulnerable groups from consultation processes as a result of the stakeholder engagement process not being organized in a way that meets the needs of vulnerable groups, and lastly causing a negative impact on tangible and intangible cultural heritage. During the operation phase of the project, in some parts of the alignment (where station buildings and facilities will be rehabilitated or expanded), increased rail traffic may pose limited impacts on community health and safety (e.g noise, local community’s exposure to pollutants from trucking activity). On the positive side, the project- financed signaling and early warning systems are expected to significantly reduce local communities’ exposure to railway accidents and unsafe crossings. As MoTI has extensive experience with large-scale government-financed civil works as well as considerable experience with World Bank’s B. Environment and Social Standards (ESS) that Apply to the Activities Being Considered Public Disclosure B.1 Relevance of Environmental and Social Standards ESS1 - Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts Relevant Both environmental and social risks are currently rated as Substantial, and linked to the impacts associated with rehabilitation of existing railway infrastructure. Most of these impacts will be caused by activities under component 1 that include major civil works that are brownfield in nature. During the construction phase, the key risks include: (i) air pollution and noise from construction machinery and quarries, (ii) soil disturbance and loss during earthmoving, (iii) tree-cutting and loss of vegetation (iv) waste generation and management (including hazardous waste), and (v) construction camp’s improper management, (vi) impacts to community health and safety (traffic safety, ), (vii) labor and working conditions (including occupational health and safety), (viii) land acquisition induced physical and economic displacement for individuals and businesses, (ix) potential impacts on culturally and naturally protected areas, key biodiversity areas and four critical habitat areas, where endangered species have been identified, (x) stakeholder engagement including impacts on vulnerable groups. To address potential E&S risks, the Borrower has prepared prior to appraisal the following instruments: (i) Project-wide Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), including a project-wide Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP); (ii) Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP); (iii) Resettlement Framework (RF) ; (iv) Labor Management Procedures (LMP); (v) other sub-management plans as part of ESMP (e.g. Community Health and Safety Management Plan (CHSMP), Biodiversity Management Plan). The WBG’s General Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines as well as EHS Guidelines for Railways, Toll Roads and Electric Power Transmission and Distribution has been carefully reviewed and used particularly to address issues related to project environmental and social risks. Since the proposed project alignment partially passes in the vicinity of four critical habitats, the ESIA/ESMP has determined respective mitigation and protection measures Sep 12, 2024 Page 7 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) for avoiding or addressing risks to the critical habitats. As part of the critical habitat assessment and development of mitigation measures, the ESIA accommodated studies of flora species. Due to seasonal limitation, the ESIA did not cover similar studies of fauna species and envisages those to be conducted and reflected in the updated BMP and Contractor’s ESMP (C-ESMP) prior to the commencement of civil works. During the operation phase, key risks will be caused by increased railway traffic and may include (i) noise and vibration impacts, and (ii) impacts on community health and safety. However, the project is expected to significantly improve community safety through modernization of obsolete, non-signalized railway infrastructure assets, as well as to contribute to improved local pollution outcomes by promoting the use of electrified railway transport as an alternative to internal combustion engine vehicle transport. ESS10 - Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure Relevant The Borrower has prepared an SEP for the entire project to follow in compliance of ESS10 and relevant national legislations. Directly affected people include residents and business owners residing or operating in the communities in the sub-project areas. Non-turkish speaking people, elderly people and disabled people have been identified as vulnerable/disadvantaged groups. Additional measures to enable disadvantaged/vulnerable individuals or groups to participate in stakeholder engagement activities are identified in the SEP. Additionally, local NGOs/CSOs, academics and environmental experts, community leaders, and local government representatives residing or working in the project areas have also been considered as stakeholders. Project implementation will require the involvement of various actors such as other ministries and public agencies, local authorities, existing and potential investors, relevant associations and private sector consultants who may be interested in the operations of the Project. Throughout the life cycle of the project, it is important to ensure that all stakeholders are informed about issues that potentially Public Disclosure affect them, to encourage their participation in an effective and inclusive manner, and to ensure that they have access to the tools for effective and inclusive participation. The SEP promotes two-way communication between the PIU and different stakeholders continuously. Information regarding the project, environmental and social risks and impacts, proposed mitigation measures, resettlement plans, grievance mechanism, will be shared with project stakeholders on a regular basis. The PIU will continue to communicate with the stakeholders, specifically with communities around the RoW throughout the life of the project to manage risks and impacts, ensure benefits to local communities that will be impacted and also manage labor influx induced impacts and GRM arrangements. The PIU will maintain and disclose a documented record of stakeholder engagement, including a description of the stakeholders consulted, a summary of the feedback received and a brief explanation of how the feedback has been taken into account (or reasons if it is not). The SEP may be updated based on the final project design during the implementation phase so that all relevant stakeholders are identified consulted on a regular basis. Grievance Mechanism: The borrower currently utilizes the national GM system which is the Presidential Communication Center (CIMER) along with its own project and site level GM through regional offices and site managers. CİMER is an electronic platform for the use of right of petition (Law No 3071; Official Gazette No. 18571 dated 10.11.1984) and right to information act (Law No 4982; Official Gazette No. 25269 dated 24.10.2003). The main channels for submitting grievances of borrower’s existing GM are official letters, phone lines, e-mails and verbal communication through site personnel, grievance boxes at the construction site and other accessible public locations. The functionality and accessibility of the GM will be assessed throughout the project and project level adjustments will be made as needed. Within its current practice the borrower takes into consideration the grievances logged by the stakeholders during project design and implementation and thus, modifies the design accordingly. Sep 12, 2024 Page 8 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) ESS2 - Labor and Working Conditions Relevant The project will not be labor intensive as the railway tracks are constructed through mechanized/automated approaches. Project workers include direct workers, contracted workers, and primary supply workers. The Project is not expected to have community workers. It is estimated that approximately 225 people—25 of them will be direct workers and 200 of them will be contracted workers—will work during the construction phase of the project and 35 people—15 of them will be direct workers and 10 of them will be contracted workers—during the operation phase. Since the project is a linear project, the 225 people who will work during the construction phase will not work in just one area, will disperse along the line. Direct workers, mostly AYGM staff, are civil servants per national legislation. Civil servants must be above 18 and citizens of the Turkish Republic. Project consultants, expected to be specialists, are also anticipated to be citizens of the Turkish Republic and above 18. Direct workers will primarily engage in policy development, capacity development, forestry service, communication activities, and project management. Twenty out of the 25 direct workers are expected to be civil servants and the rest of them will be hired as individual consultants. The composition of contracted workers will vary based on the activity, with construction activities expected to involve predominantly male workers above the age of 18. It is foreseen that direct and contracted workers will be mostly technical and skilled staff who will be utilizing the accommodation facilities on site. The labor influx risks and details, including camp management, have been assessed within the scope of E&S studies. The requirement of local unskilled laborers will be limited. Turkiye is party to a multitude of ILO conventions, which is in line with Environmental and Social Standard (ESS) 2 requirements. National Labor Law includes provisions on non- discrimination, freedom of association, minimum employment age, child and forced labor, occupational health and safety and dispute resolution. Risks related to child/forced labor are not foreseen as most workers will require to have technical skills. Potential risks related to child and forced labor of the primary suppliers (i.e. Supply of stone for Public Disclosure the rails, steel manufacturers) has been evaluated in the E&S studies. The borrower has developed an LMP to be implemented throughout Project implementation period. A Code of Conduct (CoC) has been prepared by the Project for all workers to follow. The CoC has also included measures to prevent SEA/SH. Finally, an workers’ GRM will be set up as per the LMP to address their grievances. The LMP has also included procedures, terms and conditions for primary supply workers following the ESS2 that will be reflected in procurement documents for the primary suppliers to follow. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS): In recent years, Turkiye has undergone a reform to improve its national OHS system by adapting a set of international and regional standards into its national level requirements for the prevention of occupational risks. In addition to ILO ratification, Turkiye has also passed a law specific to OHS (i.e. Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety) in 2012. The OHS Law governs workplace environments and industries (both public and private) as well as virtually all classes of employees including part-time workers, interns, and apprentices. The legislation is comprehensive and is generally applicable across all sectors and many industries. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security has a Labor Inspectorate that enforces the law and conduct regular OHS and labor audits. The construction contractors shall be subject to national OHS legislation. The potential OHS issues which should be managed under the project will mostly relate to the construction phase and will include the impacts on workers, including impacts of noise, vibration, fumes, dust; risks associated with the use of construction machinery, moving equipment; risk of undertaking electrical works; failure to fence the construction sites, risks of slides during the excavation works; risks to workers of carrying out works at height without proper PPE and improperly assembled scaffolding; impacts of improper sanitary and hygienic conditions at the construction sites, including the risks of spread of diseases/air-born diseases, etc. For the operation phase OHS issues, MoTI has a separate regulation on railway safety which defines risk management including measures to minimize the risks in railway operation as well as regulates significant accidents. Regarding the management of OHS related risks, an Occupational Health and Safety Sep 12, 2024 Page 9 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) Management Plan (OHSMP) was developed as part of the ESMP. In line with this plan, site specific OHS risk assessments will be carried out and site-specific OHS Management Plans will be developed and implemented. ESS3 - Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management Relevant The railway route runs in the vicinity and crosses rivers and canals at several locations. The construction activities will require temporary consumption of water, both drinking to be supplied to workers and non-drinking to be used in construction processes and for dust suppression. Electricity will be used at the project sites during both construction and operation phases. Construction materials, such as sand, gravel, and stones, will be provided during the construction. The project ESIA and ESMP incorporates measures to ensure efficient use of resources, including identification of sustainable volumes and sources of water to be consumed for domestic and technical purposes, requirement to purchase materials from licensed operators, and identification and assessment of the capacity of borrow pits within and in the vicinity to the project area. The latter will be further considered by Contractor and detailed in C-ESMP, including plans for the environmentally and socially compliant operation and closure/reinstatement of quarry sites. The major pollution related risks of the project are improper waste and soil management, adverse impacts on the nearby water bodies, deterioration of air quality and noise quality during construction. In addition, transport of hazardous wastes during operation phase will require adequate management and mitigation. These anticipated impacts have been analyzed and assessed in detail by the project ESIA/ESMP. Water, air quality (including noise and vibration) and soil mitigation and monitoring measures have been developed as part of the ESMP, also indicating overall responsibility of the client and specific responsibilities of contractors. During the project’s operational phase, use of pesticides may be required for railway vegetation clearing in the scope of maintenance works. Wastes (non-hazardous and hazardous) to be generated at the construction and operation Public Disclosure phases of the railway will be managed with respect to national regulations and international best practices. The Pollution Prevention and Waste Management Plan (PPWMP) has been prepared within the scope of the ESIA/ESMP and will further be detailed by the construction contractor with consideration of site-specific information. Within the scope of the project, appropriate storage areas will be determined for the excavation surplus material storage and necessary expropriation procedures will be carried. ESS4 - Community Health and Safety Relevant Community-related impacts of railways and other infrastructure are associated with noise and air emissions, traffic management and temporary blockades, labor influx and labor camps causing disturbance to local communities. The ESIA and SEP have identified groups that are likely to be impacted and the likely impacts of construction and operational phase community health and safety issues, mitigation measures, monitoring and reporting requirements. Potential impacts are determined as infrastructure challenges, winter conditions and headings, regional challenges, tunnel structures, controlled crossing equipment, perimeter walls, overpasses and underpasses, designated crossing area, livestock management, security of construction activities, protection of materials, training and awareness, compliance monitoring, integrated safety and security plan, monitoring, training. The ESIA also assessed the potential scale and risk due to natural hazards associated with floods, earthquakes, landslides, and avalanches. The findings of the ESIA and TA under Sub-component 1.2 will ensure the railway facilities are designed with adequate structural safety measures (against earthquakes, landslides and avalanches) and climate change adaptation measures (for floods). In addition, the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRPs) has been prepared for both construction and operation phases to provide a clear framework for taking specific actions and following established protocols when emergencies arise.. For the public access places such as railway station platforms, the aspects of universal Sep 12, 2024 Page 10 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) access and life and fire safety has been addressed under the ESIA and will be integrated into the engineering design. Within the scope of the overall ESIA Process, the Traffic Management Plan (TMP) has been prepared. The site-specific Traffic Management Plan(s) (TMP) needs will be implemented before commencing the construction works by the contractor; and the traffic management measures will cover management of traffic safety risks, accident prevention, training programs, relevant stakeholder engagement activities and site safety awareness and access restrictions. Labor influx: A moderate number of workers will be employed and will use the camp site accommodation. It is anticipated that technical and skilled staff will be utilizing the accommodation facilities on site and local people will be preferred to the extent possible as unskilled workers. To eliminate the risks that may arise from interaction between project workers and local communities, the contractor will prepare a Workers’ Camp Management Plan prior to commencement of works and submit to ETMIC sub-unit of PIU for approval based on the Good International Industry Practice. The works will not commence until these plans are cleared by ETMIC sub-unit of PIU. These plans will involve sensitization and awareness campaigns among the project workers and the local community, including but not limited to Code of Conduct (CoC) and grievance mechanism. The Contractor will be required to appoint designated community liaison persons as part of E&S risk management who will keep local communities informed of project implementation schedule, expected impacts and other issues of interest for them, and receive grievances or feedback from them. Stakeholder engagement will be a key part of preparation and implementation of the ESMP and emergency preparedness plans. No utilization of designated security personnel is foreseen for bridge, culvert and railway construction and operation phases. The ESIA, including ESMP, has also included measures for addressing SEA/SH risks, including a Code of Conduct for workers, a mechanism to report SEA/SH cases and training and awareness sessions for project workers and affected communities. ESS5 - Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement Relevant Public Disclosure In the scope of the project, while the railway line modernization will not require any land, other facilities may require land acquisition. The scope of the land acquisition will be defined once the detailed engineering designs including power transmission lines and access roads are prepared by the contractor/PIU. The project will make efforts to avoid environmentally sensitive locations, agriculturally significant and residential areas as much as possible while planning these sub-projects. Moreover, even with limited land acquisition, physical and economic displacement is likely to be caused by planned activities under Component 1. State forest land, pasture land, treasury land and private lands are the types of lands likely to be impacted under the project. The severity of land related impacts are expected to be confined primarily to the right of way and sub-project sites. Permanent land acquisition may be required for sub- projects like bridge, culverts, sub-stations etc (which are small, fixed structures). Animal husbandry, agricultural and apiculture are among the main economic activities of the communities that may be affected causing adverse livelihood impacts. The project has prepared a Resettlement Framework (RF) and will prepare Resettlement Plans (RP) and Livelihood Restoration Plans (LRP) as required during the implementation phase. The RF has included information on the regulatory framework on resettlement and provide means and actions to bridge the gaps between national law and Bank standards. An entitlement matrix which covers physical displacement actions and compensation measure has been included in the RF. The ETMIC sub-unit will be staffed by a social development specialist who will be responsible for the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the RPs, if required. The social development specialist of the ETMIC sub-unit of the PIU will work in close cooperation with the Department of Real Estate and Expropriation and will follow the land acquisition activities in order to ensure that land acquisition activities are carried out in accordance with relevant national laws and ESS5. Sep 12, 2024 Page 11 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) ESS6 - Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Relevant Resources The ESIA/ESMP undertaken by the client identified the areas in the vicinity of the railway route, which are characterized by the presence of a number of biologically and ecologically valuable and sensitive hotspots, including national and natural parks, natural monuments, lakes, river, streams. Biodiversity risks have been analyzed and assessed by the project ESIA, which concluded that there are critical habitats passed by the railway alignment, which accommodate endangered flora. The ESIA concluded that the existing railway route does not encroach into the critical habitats, and set a firm requirement for all project activities not to be conducted in the areas identified as critical habitats. A Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) has been developed as an annex to the ESIA/ESMP to provide for respective mitigation measures and monitoring program for addressing potential impacts on biodiversity of all identified areas of biological and ecological value, including inter alia mitigation of air, noise and vibration impacts, protection and prevention of pollution surface water courses and introduction of seasonal planning for construction works to avoid sensitive periods such as breeding and nesting. Due to seasonal limitations, biodiversity studies could not be fully conducted to identify and demarcate habitats who can potentially be classified as critical due to the endangered fauna species. The AYDM PIU will arrange for these studies within the timeframe indicated in the ESIA/ESMP and BMP for various species, and incorporate their results into updated ESIA/ESMP, BMP and C-ESMP prior to the start of civil works. If found necessary, additional measures will be suggested and reflected in the BMP, which may also indicate the changes in the design of the alignment or offset. The principle of ‘no net loss-net gain’ will be applied to critical habitats. To ensure adequate technical capacity at the Supervision Consultant’s team, biodiversity expert will be on site to coordinate relevant aspects of the construction monitoring program. Public Disclosure ESS7 - Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Not Currently Relevant Local Communities This standard is not relevant as there are no Indigenous Peoples, who meet the definition of this standard, located in Turkiye. ESS8 - Cultural Heritage Relevant The project may affect sites with cultural heritage. The ESIA has assessed impacts for pre-construction, construction and operation phases including impacts on cultural heritage. The project may create some potential adverse effects on both known and chance finds. These can be summarized as: a) pysical damage of sites, including from noise, vibration and dust due to plant, equipment and heavy vehicles, and from spills and leaks; b) noise and visual intrusion on people’s appreciation of cultural heritage; c) disruption of access to cultural heritage sites; d) enhanced access to cultural heritage sites allowing increased opportunity to outside parties for collection of artefacts or damage to resources; e)Disruption or diminution of cultural ecosystem services. To minimize the adverse effects, a Project- specific Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) and a chance finds procedure (CFP) have been prepared to guide the Contractor which will also be included in the bidding documents. The cultural heritage assessment has considered both tangible and intangible heritage including cultural spaces of importance to the communities that will be impacted. Specific measures and actions stipulated by the relevant cultural heritage authorities in their official decisions (e.g. trial pits, geophysics surveys, salvage excavations, technical drawings, route change/relocation, construction under supervision of the related museum, etc.) will be implemented for the management of potential cultural heritage impacts as part of the Project. Since the national regulations on the conservation of cultural Sep 12, 2024 Page 12 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) properties are strict, it is not anticipated that any additional requirements would arise under WB ESS8 requirements. MoTI is responsible for avoiding or mitigating impacts on physical or cultural resources of the financed projects. Therefore, MoTI will not proceed with project funding until all requirements of the Turkish legislation are met. ESS9 - Financial Intermediaries Not Currently Relevant Project does not involve any financial intermediaries. B.2 Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Operations on International Waterways No OP 7.60 Operations in Disputed Areas No B.3 Other Salient Features Use of Borrower Framework No Borrower's E&S Framework will not be used. The project will be prepared and implemented consistent with the ESF and in full compliance with the national environmental and social legislation, other regulations and standards. Use of Common Approach No Public Disclosure The project will be co-financed by AIIB. AIIB has agreed to the application of WB ESF for the Project. C. Overview of Required Environmental and Social Risk Management Activities C.1 What Borrower environmental and social analyses, instruments, plans and/or frameworks are planned or required by implementation? • Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP): The WB and MoTI will agree on an Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), which will set out the material measures and actions required for the project to meet the ESSs over a specified timeframe. The draft ESCP has been prepared and disclosed prior to appraisal. The ESCP will be finalized during the Project negotiation and will form part of the legal agreement. • Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) has been prepared and disclosed prior to appraisal. It will be consulted and finalized by end of the Appraisal. It will be implemented throughout the life of the Project. • Draft ESIA, which is including ESMP, RF and LMP have been prepared and disclosed. The ESIA and ESMP will be updated based on stakeholder consultation. • Site-specific Environmental and Social screening, assessment and management plans will be prepared during implementation. • Resettlement Plans (RPs) will be prepared during the implementation phase if land acquisition is required. III. CONTACT POINT Sep 12, 2024 Page 13 of 14 The World Bank Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway Development Project (P179128) World Bank Task Team Leader: Murad Gurmeric Title: Senior Transport Engineer Email: mgurmeric@worldbank.org TTL Contact: Andrew Michael Losos Job Title: Senior Transport Specialist Email: alosos@worldbank.org TTL Contact: Luis C. Blancas Mendivil Job Title: Senior Transport Specialist Email: lblancas@worldbank.org IV. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects Public Disclosure V. APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Murad Gurmeric, Andrew Michael Losos, Luis C. Blancas Mendivil ADM Environmental Specialist: Gulana Enar Hajiyeva ADM Social Specialist: Ferdous Jahan Sep 12, 2024 Page 14 of 14