World Bank Loan Funded Turpan Water Conservation ProjectIn Xinjiang, China

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Executive Summary

Prepared byEnvironmental Expert Panel of World Bank Loan Funded Project Management Office

of Turpan Prefecture Water Resources BureauEntrusted by:

World Bank Loan Funded Project Management OfficeTurpan Prefecture Water Resources Bureau (Project Implementing Unit)

March 15, 2010 Urumqi, China

E2332 v6

Table of Contents1. Project Background...................................................................................................................................2

2. Project Objectives.....................................................................................................................................2

3. Environmental Assessment Process and Legal Framework......................................................................3

4. Project Description....................................................................................................................................4

5. Environmental Setting...............................................................................................................................5

Physical Environment...........................................................................................................................5Ecological Environment........................................................................................................................5Socio- Economic Situation....................................................................................................................6Sensitive Sites.......................................................................................................................................6

6. Analysis of Alternatives............................................................................................................................6

7. Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures.....................................................................................9

Construction Impacts............................................................................................................................9Impacts on Terrestrial Ecology..............................................................................................................9Impacts on Cultural Resources............................................................................................................10Impacts during Operation Period and Mitigation Measures................................................................10Safety of Dams....................................................................................................................................10Pest Management Plan (PMP).............................................................................................................11Cumulative Impacts.............................................................................................................................11

8. Environmental Management Plan...........................................................................................................12

9. Resettlement Action Plan and Ethnic Minority Development Plan.........................................................13

10. Public Consultation and Information Disclosure..................................................................................14

11. Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................15

1. Project Background

This document summarizes the environment impact assessment reports of the WB financed project –Xinjiang Turpan Water Conservation Project, highlighting the main issues and conclusions of the environment impact assessment and environment management plan of the project. According to both Chinese Environmental Assessment laws and the World Bank’s Operational Policy 4.01 Environmental Assessment, the proposed project is Category A for environmental assessment purposes, due to the scale and significance of potential environmental and social impacts. Therefore, a full environmental assessment report was required. The total cost of the Project is $200 million, WB is considering providing financing of $ 100 million; the Borrower provides $ 100 million

In accordance with Chinese internal review and approval procedures, an EIA report was prepared for each of the subcomponents by the Xinjiang Water Resources and Hydropower Design Institute (XWRHDI) and Hunan Province Water Resources & Hydropower Design Institute. All Chinese EA reports were approved by relevant Environmental Protection Bureau. A Consolidated EA and EMP in both Chinese and English were prepared by the Environmental Expert Panel of World Bank Loan Funded Project Management Office of Turpan Prefecture Water Resources Bureau to synthesize the individual EA reports. This Executive Summary is based on these reports, as well as feasibility studies carried out for the project.

The EA reports and EMP were submitted to the World Bank for review and they conform fully to Bank policy guidelines regarding environmental and social issues. All above reports have been made available in China and in the Public Information Center (INFOSHOP) of the World Bank.

2. Project Objectives

The project development objective is to reduce the risk of flooding and groundwater overdraft, and increase water supply to industry and water productivity for irrigated agriculture in the arid Turpan Basin of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This will be achieved by transferring water currently wasted through non-beneficial evapotranspiration (NBET) and some of the water currently consumed for irrigation in the agricultural sector to industrial and environmental uses, while at the same time (i) mitigating the risk of flooding, (ii) increasing farmer’s income and productivity of consumptive use in agriculture, and (iii) reducing groundwater overdraft for the preservation of the oasis ecosystems and the ancient Karez water supply systems.

The Turpan Basin covers about 95 percent of Turpan Prefecture which is comprised of two counties (Tuokexun and Shanshan) and a county-level city (Turpan). Two-thirds of the population in these counties belongs to relatively poor ethnic minority groups which are the primary target beneficiaries of the project. The project will promote sustainable water resources development and utilization and sound economic and social development of Turpan Prefecture through the adoption of integrated water resources and environmental management for non-beneficial evapotranspiration (NBET) reduction and new concepts and methods for agricultural water saving irrigation, and improving regional on-farm water infrastructures..

There are about 0.58 million people in Turpan Basin, of whom 77 percent are ethnic minorities including Uygur, Hui, Kazahk, Mongol, etc. but Uygur account for 70 percent of the total. Of about 106,666 hectare of viable land in the basin, the project will pilot ten percent of the area with water conservation irrigation including pipeline and drip irrigation facilities.

3. Environmental Assessment Process and Legal Framework

A full Environmental Assessment (EA) was carried out following terms of reference agreed with the World Bank. The TOR was discussed in public meetings. The project triggered the following World Bank Policies: Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01); Natural Habitats (OP/BP4.04); Pest Management (OP4.09); Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11); Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10); Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12); and Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37). Compliance with these policies, and the WB’s disclosure of information policy, is summarized in Table 1. The project is also in full compliance with environmental policies and regulations in China, summarized in Table 2.

Table 1-Compliance World Bank Safeguards PoliciesSafeguards Policies ActionsEnvironmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01)

Category A project. Full EIA and EMP have been prepared.

Natural habitats (OP/BP4.04) Establishment of Ecological flow, monitoring of fish

Pest Management (OP4.09) Pest Management Plan has been prepared

Physical Cultural Resources (OP/BP 4.11)

Archaeological salvage by Xinjiang Cultural Relic and Archeological Research Institute before construction. These costs have been listed in the project budget. Chance finding procedures have been prepared.

Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10)Social assessment has been conductedEthnic Minority Development Plan (EMDP) has been developed

Involuntary Resettlement(OP/BP 4.12)

Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) has been prepared

Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37)

Operational, Maintenance and Surveillance (OMS) Manual, and Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) have been preparedDam Safety Panel (DSP) was hired to provide consulting services concerning safety of the new and existing dams

ConsultationOpinion surveys and public meetings were held in the township government, village committee and affected villager’s home during the preparation of the EIA and Resettlement Action Plan and EMDP

Table 2-Compliance with Chinese laws and RegulationsChinese laws and Regulations Project Compliance

Environmental Protection Law

EIA is prepared according to relevant laws/regulations and technical guidelines Mitigation measures are developed in EMP and incorporated into project design, to be implemented and supervised during construction. Final acceptance inspection will be carried out before commissioning.

Environmental Impact Assessment LawFull EIA report is prepared, and approved by relevant Environmental Protection Bureau. A dedicated Water and Soil Conservation Plan is developed and approved by water resources authorities.

Notice on Strengthening EIA Management for Construction Projects Funded by Loans from International Financial Institutions

EIA and EMP are prepared in compliance with world BankOP4.01

Solid Waste Pollution Prevention and A water and soil Conservation Plan is developed, and incorporated into

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Control LawEMP and contracts for implementation. All waste spoil will be reused or properly disposed of preselected and approved disposal sites with re-vegetation plan.

Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law

Mitigation measures are built into EMP.

Wildlife Protection LawPotential impact is thoroughly addressed in EIA, and necessary mitigation measures developed in EMP.

Water and Soil Conservation LawA Water and Soil Conservation Plan is developed, and incorporated into EMP and contracts for implementation.

Cultural Property LawCultural property survey within area of reservoir project has been conducted by licensed archeological institutes. Chance finding procedure will be followed.

Tentative Method for Public Participation in EIA

Public consultation was conducted following the tentative method during the preparation of the EIA

4. Project Description

The Project consists of 5 main components as follows: (1) ET-based Integrated River Basin Management in the Turpan Basin. (2) Increase of Upstream Storage Capacity. (3) Water Savings in Irrigated Agriculture. (4) Preservation of a Karez System. (5) Institutional Capacity Building and Project Management.

The implementation of project component 1 for the innovative ET-based Integrated River Basin Management in the Turpan Basin will promote sustainable practices and help mitigate adverse environmental project impacts. It will ensure that relevant government policies (e.g. for strict control of groundwater overdraft), and regulatory (e.g. for establishing a ET-based water rights system) and institutional frameworks (e.g. for setting up water users associations) are prepared or established. Most importantly, this component will ensure the implementation of such frameworks in order to improve water allocation in consumptive use terms while making water available for additional groundwater recharge to preserve the oasis ecosystems and the cultural heritage of the Karez water supply system.

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Main infrastructure components include one small and two medium-sized reservoirs with a total storage capacity of about 90 million m3. Water savings irrigation schemes will be implemented in about 11000 ha., including construction and rehabilitation of canals. A unique but important component of the project will be

the preservation of the Karez System in Turpan City. The project is located in Turpan Prefecture (see map)

5. Environmental Setting

Physical Environment

Topography and Landscape: Turpan Prefecture is a basin among mountains at the southern foot of Heavenly Mountain. Three distinct landscapes can be identified: high mountain zone, hilly zone, Gobi zone and alluvial plain zone. While all sites of proposed reservoir projects are in the mountainous regions, all other components

(water-saving Irrigation，canal construction and improvement and projects of Karez protection) are all in the

plain areas.

Regional Geology: The exposed strata in Turpan Prefecture corresponds to the Upper Paleozoic,, the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic Eras. The seismic intensity of Turpan Prefecture is basically of magnitude 7, indicating a relatively stable regional structure for the Turpan Prefecture.

Water Resources: Water resources in Turpan Prefecture are quite scarce. At present, industrial and agricultural development rely mainly on groundwater. All rivers in the prefecture are seasonal rivers, and therefore, very little surface water can be utilized. In order to meet the normal domestic and production needs,

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people have started exploiting groundwater in significant quantities, and as a result, ground water levels have dramatically declined in the last decade.

There are 14 river systems in the Turpan Prefecture, as shown in Map 5-1. Water availability in Turpan Prefecture consists of surface water (874 million m3) and natural-recharged ground water,( water 915 million m3). . Total precipitation amounts to 286.6 million m3,

The Project involves totally 5 rivers in the prefecture, including Taerlang and Meiyaogou rivers and Yaernaizi galley in the part of Tianshan Runoff Catchment Zone to the east of Turpan City, Ertanggou River in the part of Tianshan Runoff Catchment Zone to the north Shanshan County, and Alagou River in Western Tuokexun Runoff Catchment Zone.

All rivers involved in the Project present good water quality and can meet the Class-II standards defined in the China Quality Standards for Surface Water Environment.

Climate: Turpan Prefecture is located in the hinterland of the Eurasia, characterized by abundant heat, extreme aridity, high temperatures and frequent and strong winds, scarce precipitation, strong evaporation, long frost-free periods.

Ecological Environment

Terrestrial Ecology: Natural vegetation can be found on the reservoir construction areas, while cultivated lands are predominant along the canals. Turpan prefecture is rich in animal species, including birds, reptiles and amphibians. Wild animals in the project area mainly are small-sized ordinary mammals and birds, however in small quantities and with low diversity of species. There are no endangered or rare and protected flora and fauna species in the project area.

Aquatic Ecology: Aquatic fauna communities in the water bodies in Turpan Prefecture include 13 native fish species. These native fishes are distributed mainly in the water systems of the southern Heavenly mountain slopes. None of these species is considered endangered or rare and none are included in any list of protected species. Four of these native species are present in Ertanggou River related with the project.

Socio- Economic Situation

Turpan Prefecture is composed of Turpan City, Shanshan County and Tuokexun County， with a total area of

69,713km2. Many ethnic groups live together, in the Turpan Prefecture including 414,900 Uygur people (70.37%), 135,200 Han people (22.93%) and 39,400 people of other ethnic minorities (6.7%).

The GDP of Turpan Prefecture in 2007 amounted to 17.89 billion RMB Yuan. The contribution of the agriculture is 9.6%, the industry and architecture sector contribute to 68.2%, while the contribution from the tertiary industry is 22.2%. The GDP per capita amounted to 28,907 RMB Yuan, and the income of local finance is 973 million RMB Yuan.

The rural net income in Turpan is about Y4,483 which is not the lowest in Xinjiang Region. But among the three project counties, Tuokexun is a poverty county where the rural net income is only Y3,000 per farmer. While this project rehabilitates local eco-environment and enhance water productivity from Y20 to Y45 per cubic meter of water, it will also help reduce local poverty and increase farmers’ economic incomes by 2.25 times on average).

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Sensitive Sites

Main environmental sensitive sites in the project area consist of cultural relics distributed in the inundated areas of the Ertanggou and Alagou reservoirs. These sensitive sites were identified, analyzed, and registered in maps. There are no protected areas or any critical habitat in the area of influence of the projects.

6. Analysis of Alternatives

The project has been subject to intense analysis of alternative options ranging from the project-no project scenarios, dam sites, construction techniques (for canal rehabilitation and construction sub-projects), and various irrigation methods. The optimal alternatives were selected based on the avoidance of or possibility to mitigate adverse social and environment impacts, as well as other economic, technical, and financial considerations for the least cost solutions.

With and Without-Project Analysis: With and without-project analysis is conducted based on environmental costs and benefits and social economic evaluation. Under the “without project” scenario, there will be continuous threats to production and living standards of the local people and retarded economic and social development in the three river basins, since the conflict between water supply and demand and environmental deterioration in Turpan Prefecture are becoming increasingly serious. On the other hand, the “with-project” scenario will generate long-lasting social and economic benefits, while the environmental impacts, mainly during construction period and thus temporary, can be avoided or mitigated by using well known environmental protection measures. Environmental benefits clearly outweigh environmental impacts.

Alternative Analyses of Various Dam Sites: Two dam site options for each reservoir project were considered. These sites were compared according to a wide range of factor such as topography, engineering geology, construction conditions, quantities of earth and stone works, land occupation and inundation damages, resettlement, impacts on riverine ecology soil erosion, and total investment. All selected sites represent less land acquisition and resettlement needs, better geology, and less earth/stone works. The analysis of alternatives for dam sites is illustrated in the following table for one of the sites

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Map 5-1 River Systems in Turpan Prefecture

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Alternative Analysis of the Upper and Lower Dam Sites of Meiyaogou Reservoir

Topographical and

Geological Conditions

The upper dam site is located on the river bed of Meiyaogou River in the hilly area. The slope of the left bank of the river is steep and needs scaling. There are three galleys developed there. Sandy gravel is found beneath the Level-III terrace to the right of the main dam site and needs cleanup. The whole dam area is covered with Quaternary deposits, no outcropping bed rock is found there.

The lower dam site is located on the river bed of the Meiyaogou River on the piedmont inclined plain, where the valley is U-shaped with basically equal height of both banks. The left bank is slightly steep and needs scaling. A galley has developed along the left bank. The whole dam area is covered with Quaternary deposits, no outcropping bed rock is found there.

Construction

Conditions

The construction space at the dam site is broad, dam area that needs cleanup and seepage prevention using geomembrane is small. Intensity of dam body filling is lower, and distances to power supply and water source are short. Layout of construction road for dam construction is easier and the distance from the dam site and spoil area is about 1.5 km.

The construction space at the dam site is broad, dam area that needs cleanup and seepage prevention using geomembrane is bigger. Intensity of dam body filling is greater, and distances to power supply and water source are short. The distance from the dam site and spoil area is about 3.5 km.

Industrial Water Supply Methods

Gravity water supply can be realized.Construction of a pumping station is needed, and quantity of construction is bigger than the recommended dam sit plan.

Quantities of Earth and Rock Work

Dam filling totals 1.469 million m3 and earth excavation is 2.207 million m3

Dam body filling is 1.121 million m3, and excavation is 1.817 million m3

Land Occupation and

Inundation Damages

Land occupied by the construction is mainly barren rock and gravel area, mountain area along both banks of the river and river bed of bare gravels, where basically there is no vegetation. Some physical objects will be inundated, and the inundation area of the

reservoir is 0.56km2。

Land occupied by the construction is mainly barren rock and gravel area and river bed of bare gravels, where basically there is no vegetation. Based on field investigation, inundation losses are smaller than the upper dam site plan, with reservoir inundation area of 0.6 km2.

Resettlement No resettlement will be caused.

Rare Fauna and Flora Species

There is no distribution of rare fauna or flora species found in the permanently or temporarily occupied land areas.

Impacts on River Eco-

environment

Eco-environment of the river channel at the downstream is similar. Basically there is no flow in the river channel, except flood in summer flood season.

Impacts of Water and Soil

Erosion

Earth and rock excavation and filling for the upper dam site plan are both bigger than those for the lower dam site plan, thus resulting in more water and soil erosion because of soil disturbance and spoil.

Environmental Sensitive Areas

No natural reserve is involved; Without distribution of the “Three Areas” for fish species;① ② Without existing valley forest; Construction area of the lower dam site is located in the gobi③ ④

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area, far from the residential areas; the upper dam site requires use of the village road of Meiyao Village as entrance road to the construction area, along the road are residential area and a school, with a closest distance to the road of within 5 m.

Results from Environmental

Impact Analysis

Construction conditions of the upper and lower dam site plans are basically identical in term of non-existence of environmental constraints; land occupation of both plans are basically of the same type, the inundation area of the upper dam site plan is bigger than the lower one, but the losses can be mitigated using compensation measures; C4 and C5 stock ground of the upper dam site plan can realize use of excavation volume in filling; Upper dam site plan can realize gravity water supply which reduces labor and energy input for water supply; Earth excavation of the upper dam site plan is bigger and thus may cause greater soil and water erosion but can be mitigated by using soil and water conservation measures; Construction under the upper dam site plan may cause impacts on living of the residents in Meiyaogou Village and schooling of the kids there, but such impacts can be mitigated using strict management measures. The recommended upper dam site plan is environmentally rational.

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7. Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures

Construction Impacts

Construction of the projects will cause temporary impacts on the surrounding environment. Typical short-term construction impacts include ecological environment, soil erosion, water quality, air quality, noise, and solid waste. If properly planned, construction impacts on the natural environment can be minimized. Special attention has been paid to the aspects of construction impacts, such as access roads, disposal sites; borrow sites and management of camps, as well as cultural resources protection. Environmental specifications for all these activities will be included in bidding documents and contracts.

Access roads: Access roads will be required to the construction sites, disposal sites, borrow sites and management of camps, etc. The EA report includes an analysis of necessary access roads. The Design Institutes has developed design and construction specifications for the access roads to ensure that they are environmentally sound. These specifications will be part of the construction documents.

Disposal Sites: The project will generate large amounts of excess material from excavation, quarries, etc. Over 12 disposal sites have already been identified. All sites were screened from environmental and social consideration (not in protected areas, not in scenic areas, unstable areas), Soil and water conservation plan was prepared and mitigation measures will be taken in all sites.

Borrow pits: The project will require large amounts of gravel, clay, block stone, etc. Over 15 borrow sites have already been identified. All sites was screened for environmental and social consideration ( not in protected areas, not in scenic areas, unstable areas), Soil and water conservation plans were prepared and restoration measures will be implemented all sites.

Camps Locations and Management: The Design Institutes have designed camp location and management plans. Criteria for camp location have been identified and will be strictly enforced Camps specifications include the facilities as follows: adequate accommodations, water supply and sanitation, cooking facilities, considering the sensitivity programs on natural habits, ethnic minorities and health.

Impacts on Terrestrial Ecology

Potential impacts on ecological environment include the impacts on soil, vegetation, wild animals and soil erosion. These impacts are mostly associated with the high mountain sites for reservoir construction. However, the reservoirs will not flood any critical habitats nor convert or adversely affect natural habitats in this region. Strict measures for the control of workers behavior will be put in place during construction.

Identify the scope of area for construction and forbid the construction personnel and vehicles to enter into the non-construction area. When the construction is completed, the temporary production and living facilities will be removed, and these areas, quarry, and other construction slashes will be leveled, and restored.

Identify the scope of area for construction and forbid the construction personnel and vehicles to enter into the non-construction area. When the construction is completed, the temporary production and living facilities will be removed, and these areas, quarry, and other construction slashes will be leveled, and restored.

Strengthen propaganda and education of the ecological protection in forms of brochure and sign plates to the construction personnel and residents around.

Reinforce the environmental protection, supervision and management for the project construction. Implementation of Soil and Water Conservation Plans for all construction sites..

Impacts on Cultural Resources

The cultural relics in the flooded areas of Alagou and Ertanggou reservoirs include ancient tombs, ancient living sites and cliff paintings. The salvage archaeological excavation will be conducted by Xinjiang Cultural Relic and

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Archeological Research Institute before the start of any construction activities. The cost of archaeological excavation work has been listed in the project budget. In case any additional culturally significant sites are found during construction appropriate procedures were included in the EMP, and appropriate clauses will also be included in the related bidding documents and construction contracts for the three reservoirs.

Impacts during Operation Period and Mitigation Measures

The construction and operation of the reservoir projects, together with the water-saving irrigation projects, will have impacts on environment during implementation. Water balances and flows in the watersheds might be affected as well as the distribution of fish especially in the upper watersheds. Waters saving schemes will increase productivity and hence increase the use of pesticides. For this latter issue, a Pest Management Plan (PMP) MP has been prepared.

Hydrological Regime: Downstream, from the reservoirs there will be changes in flow speed and changes in river sections. Given the intermittent nature of these streams, these changes are considered of low magnitude and importance. However, minimum ecological flows and discharge passageways were defined for Ertanggou reservoir and Alagou reservoir during the design period,. For the Ertanggou reservoir, the amount of the ecological base flow discharge cannot be less than 0.25m3//s, for Alagou reservoir, it cannot be less than 0.4 m3/s.

Groundwater: According to the current surveys, the groundwater overdraft in the Meiyaogou River Basin and Ertanggou River basins is 79.8million m3 and 109.81 million m3 respectively..After the completion of the reservoir projects upstream and water-saving irrigation project downstream, a balance between the inflow and outflow of groundwater will be be achieved by the planned target year 2020, putting an end to the groundwater overdraft in the region. This is perhaps the most important positive impact of the project.

Aquatic Life: The construction of the Ertanggou and Alagou reservoirs will have adverse impacts on aquatic life in Ertanggou and Alagou rivers. The dams will form a barrier blocking the path of fish from reservoir to the downstream river reaches, and potentially alter the distribution of fishes and prevent the germplasm exchange to some extent. However, fish field surveys along these rivers concluded that fish in both rivers are distributed and thrive mainly in the

upstream reaches of the rivers ， while the Ertanggou reservoir and Alagou reservoir projects are located in the

downstream reaches of both rivers. As a result, the fish living space will be decreased in a small degree, but it won’t have unfavorable long term impacts on fish.

The formation of the reservoir area will make considerable changes in the hydrological regime of the water body. The reservoir will form a new aquatic ecosystem after its operation. The considerable increment in the fish lures of zooplankton, phytoplankton and benthos will lead to an increase in the fish stock accordingly.

In conclusion, the reservoir projects won’t have unfavorable impacts on aquatic environment in both rivers. However, an adaptive management approach is recommended and a fish monitoring plan will be implemented prepared during the operational phase. The knowledge gained on native fish changes in variety and quantity in time after the completion of the projects will provide the basis for additional fish management measures and the establishment of fisheries in the reservoirs.

Safety of Dams

The borrower has completed remedial work for the dam under Class-C, and also prepared Operation, Maintenance and Surveillance (OMS) manual and Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) for each of the 4 existing dams.

The borrower has hired a Dam Safety Panel (DSP) to assist the Turpan PMO in providing consulting services concerning safety of the newly and existing dams. It has also issued guidelines and regulations for dam safety management, including (i) Regulations on Reservoir Dam Safety Management; (ii) Regulations on Reservoir Dam

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Safety Review; (iii) Guidelines for Dam Safety Review;(iv) Guidelines for Emergency Preparedness Plan; and (v) Guidelines for Operation, Maintenance and Surveillance of Dams.

The Borrower hired 3 design institutes to design the three new dams. During Project implementation, the Bank will, together with the DSP hired by the borrower, supervise the implementation of all new dam construction and operation and maintenance of the upstream existing dams to ensure that the Project complies with the OP4.37.

Pest Management Plan (PMP)

The project will improve on-going integrated pest management in the province. Specifically, it will disseminate the application of high efficiency, low toxic, low residual effect chemicals and biological pesticides; prohibit the use of high toxic, high residual effect pesticides; reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers; and promote the use of non-chemical technologies for insect and pest control. A Pest Management Plan (PMP) was prepared for the project. The PMP covers major pest issues, present pesticides management methods, pesticides management organizations and their respective responsibilities in Turpan Prefecture, environmental, occupational and safety risk assessment, monitoring, evaluation activities, and capacity building etc.

Cumulative Impacts

Impacts on the Dispatching of Water Resources: Newly built and rehabilitated water conveyance canals will reduce the water losses due to canal leakage; the extension of water-saving irrigation technologies will significantly reduce non-beneficial Evapotranspiration (NBET) to save water up to 71 million m3 per year. The construction of the reservoir projects will increase the industrial water supply in a large scale, thus, improve the development of the prefecture’s industry and create more social benefits with the same amount of water resources.

Impacts on Ground Water Resources: The project will have a significant positive impact on the total volume of regional water resources. According to Turpan Prefecture Water Conservation Project -Environmental Management Report prepared by the Institute of Remote Sensing Application Chinese Academy of Sciences, the current water overdraft in Turpan prefecture is 253.78million m3. After the completion of the projects, and by the planned target year, the amount of the groundwater storage in Turpan basin will change to -71.66 million m3 from -253.78 million m3. The overdraft is to be decreased in a large scale, though the overdraft still exists.

Impacts on Eco-environment: The project will occupy some land. However, due to the very small size of land requisition, the land utilization pattern within the project influence areas will be not changed in general. The ecosystem stability analysis showed the project will not cause obvious impacts on the regional eco-stability, and the quality of the ecosystem in Turpan Prefecture will not be significantly changed. In the long run, with the rise of ground water level, the ecosystem stability and its quality will be improved.

Impacts on Social Environment: Reservoir projects will improve the current arrangement of water

resources，promote the guarantee rate of industrial water supply on the premise of ensuring agricultural water supply.

The launch of this project will significantly boost the rapid development of social economy in Turpan Prefecture. In addition, the initiation of the project will improve investment environment considerably, attract more funds, speedup industrial and agricultural development, drive the prosperity of tertiary industry concurrently, and provide more employment opportunities for the local population.

The improvement in the flood control capacity of Meiyaogou River, Ertanggou River and Alagou River will provide a security guarantee for the life and property of the people in the downstream area and create a safe residential environment for the local people.

The protection and restoration of the Karez cultural site will protect Turpan prefecture’s cultural resources, which will

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improve the tourism development in Turpan prefecture.

Throughout the whole process of the project, the Turpan Prefecture will increase its capacity to implement new water resource management pattern, receive useful training for related management personnel, improve institutional capacity building and increase the functioning efficiency of local governments and other water environmental administrative agents.

The establishment of ET management system and development of WUAs will make the water use system more equitable in the project area. Through the implementation of the water-saving, high efficient agriculture project, the income of ethnic communities, farmer households and extremely poor village groups will be increased, thus will help them get rid of the poverty which caused by water scarcity and reduce the gap between the poor and the rich of the village groups and farmer households.

In conclusion the positive environmental and social impacts of the project will offer an opportunity for more sustainable development for the Turpan Prefecture.

8. Environmental Management Plan

The EA report recommends the implementation of an Environmental Management Plan (EMP). The EMP proposes a number of measures to mitigate environmental impacts during the construction and operation of the proposed project and establishes an organizational structure, set of procedures and a budget to implement activities under the EMP. The EMP has also identified a set of environmental monitoring activities and capacity building programs to ensure achievement of the project’s environmental objectives.

The EMP addresses all issues identified in the EIA, and includes a detailed description of all activities, the institutional responsibilities for implementation, and defines a budget and source of financing for each one of the activities included in the EMP. Most mitigation measures have already been included in project design and included in project costs. Main components of the EMP are presented in the following table.

Main Components of the EMP Excavation, “information” salvage, and/or protection of cultural sites Management of construction impacts and mitigation measures The implementation of Soil and Water Conservation Plan Environmental monitoring and supervision Pest Management Plan (PMP) Resettlement Action Plan Institutional strengthening program

Clear environment management responsibilities have been defined for both construction and operation of the Xinjiang Turpan Water Conservation Project. Environmental management must be available throughout the construction and operational periods whereby there will emerge many factors that will have impacts on the environment. Therefore, the project will establish professional administrative institutions that have good professional background and administrative competence. They will be equipped with necessary environmental protection personnel, being merged into the established integrative and professional environmental protection system to be responsible for carrying out and supervising the work of environmental protection of the project.

Comprehensive environmental monitoring programs have been designed for both construction and operation phases of the project. Monitoring includes water quality, fish, hydrology, construction dust and noise, as well as erosion of construction disturbed areas. A qualified environment monitoring institution will assist to conduct environment monitoring work during construction. During operation, environmental monitoring will be carried out by prefecture

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(county) environmental monitoring institution, water conservancy agency and aquiculture institution, being responsible for submitting the annual report on environmental management and for compiling the reports of environmental monitoring during operation.

All personnel of the Project Office Environment Protection Section and construction workers will receive environmental protection training before commencement of construction. Key environmental administrative and monitoring personnel will also receive the technical training. The main issues addressed in the EMP are presented in the following table.

Impact Mitigation Responsibility

Construction Impacts

A detailed set of environmental specifications including soil and water conservation plan will be included in all bidding documents and contracts.Environmental training of all workersWorkers camp rules

Contractor, enforced by engineering supervision and water resource bureau

Cultural Resources

The cultural relics in the inundated area of Alagou and Ertanggou reservoir include ancient tombs, ancient living sites and cliff painting. The rescue archaeological excavation will be conducted by Xinjiang Cultural Relic and Archeological Research Institute before the construction activities. The cost of archaeological excavation work has been listed in the project budget. Chance finding procedures

Turpan Prefecture and County Cultural Relic and Archaeology Bureau

Natural Habitats

Ecological flow, monitoring of native fish species Local Environmental Protection Bureau

Pesticide Pest Management PlanLocal Agricultural Technology Extension and Service Center

Relocation of Population

Resettlement Action Plan Local Resettlement Bureau

9. Resettlement Action Plan and Ethnic Minority Development Plan

To achieve its objectives, the project envisages the construction of three mountainous reservoirs and some related main canals, as well as canal lining and on-farm water-saving irrigation. While bringing benefits to local populations, these project activities would also cause some land acquisition and involuntary resettlement of a Uygur community. The project social assessment (SA) was carried out by experienced social expert team consisting of 6 Uygur and 6 Han members, to survey the project impacts, its social and cultural compatibility, and the potential interaction between local people and the project undertakings, with a focus on Uygur and Hui ethnic minority groups. Besides the project information dissemination campaign in the overall project areas, the SA team also conducted a sample survey and case studies of 10 rural villages of the total 35 project villages, and of the 10 sample villages, 9 were mainly populated with Uygur and one with Hui. 1,700 questionnaire, 56 focus groups and village meetings, and 74 household interviews were conducted during the SA exercise. Based on fully informed and extensive consultation among these communities, the SA proved a broad support of local Uygur and Hui groups to the project and this led to an Ethnic Minority Development Plan (EMDP) on behalf of local communities themselves. The EMDP would then help ensure equitable opportunities for local ethnic minorities to participate in and benefit from the proposed project in ways compatible to their cultures. Since the majority of the project beneficiaries were Uygur and Hui, the elements of the

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EMDP were integrated into the overall project design so that the entire project would be implemented in conformity with OP4.10 requirements.

Moreover, in view of construction of three mountainous reservoirs, resettlement investigation was also carried out by professional teams in cooperation with local authorities at county and township levels. One of the three reservoirs, the Ertanggou Reservoir, would affect a hamlet relocation consisting of 97 people in 20 households who were all Uygur herders. RAP was prepared with census survey and impact inventory, on the basis of intensive consultation with the affected people and the host Uygur community. Appropriate and practicable measures were planned for compensation and rehabilitation of the resettlers’ livelihoods, as agreed and satisfied by them. The other two reservoirs, Alagou and Meiyaogou, would be constructed on the Gobi and the state-owned land with no population resettlement. Their impacts were surveyed and included in their respective Abbreviated RAPs. The related main canals, 48km long in total, would be all built in the pure Gobi area without any impacts on farmland, grassland, structures, assets or human economic activities. The Bank task team guided and ensured the adequacy and quality of all the safeguard instruments in compliance with the Bank social policies and disclosure requirements.

10. Public Consultation and Information Disclosure

A combination of opinion surveys and public meetings in the township government, village committee and affected villagers’ homes have been implemented during preparation of the EIA and Resettlement Action Plan. Each mitigation measure was determined by suggestions from both experts and the public. Most of the concerns have been incorporated either in project design or in the environmental management plan or resettlement plan.

Two-stage public consultations have been conducted with those affected by the proposed project and included persons from different groups, gender, socioeconomic and educational backgrounds, and occupations. The primary objective of the first round was to survey the public’s opinion about the project, while that for the second was to communicate the EA findings, discuss intended mitigation measures, and confirm public acceptance and satisfaction. In addition, there have been several rounds of consultations with government agencies, local governments, and other stakeholders to discuss site location, scope, and potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the proposed project. Because Turpan is an area populated with ethnic minority groups, all these consultations were proceed in a manner acceptable for local ethnic minorities including communication languages and forms they are familiar with. The majority of those consulted expressed strong support for the project, and acceptance of short-term inconveniences, such as noise and dust during the construction phase.

The public consultations of environmental concerns were also carried out in combination with project social assessment exercise so as to ensure the adequate participation of ethnic minority communities in a free, prior and informed consultation process. Besides an overall questionnaire survey, the SA team carried out intensive fieldwork with PRA approach in 10 sample villages consisting of mainly Uygur population in nine and Hui in one. Further household interviews and focus groups were conducted for more specific views from multiple perspectives in order to diagnose existing problems in water conservation, local irrigation system and livelihood generating. The SA concluded that the project social objectives were reflected in line with Uygur and Hui community’s development demands, and the project activities would be vitalized with their informed and active participation.

Information about the project was disclosed through major local newspapers in September through to November 2008. Telephone hotlines were established for the public to access relevant documents and offer comments. The availability of the consolidated EAs and RAP and where to access to them were announced in the major local newspaper Turpan Daily in June and August 2009. The EAs/ EMP/EA Summary, RAP and PMP were also disclosed at the website of different government agencies, and are available at each PMO and Project owner. CEA/EMP/EA Summary, RAP and PMP were also disclosed at the website of the Bank’s Beijing office and at the Infoshop in Washington, DC on

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December 28, 2009.

11. Conclusion

World Bank Loan Funded Turpan Water Conservation Project is an on-farm water conservation project and also an environmental project to maintain social and environmental functions. The Project is in compliance with both requirements in the Turpan Prefecture 11th Five Year Plan of Water-saving Society Development and the country partnership strategy of the World Bank.

The Project is ultimately aiming at “development of a water-saving society”. It consists of project components such as reservoir construction to solve the problem of uneven temporal and spatial water resources distribution in the prefecture, water-saving irrigation development to reduce agricultural water uses while maintaining unit yield of the crops, and introduction of internationally advanced ET-based water resources management model to enable scientific management and rational allocation of extremely limited water resources in Turpan Prefecture, all of which will help to fundamentally solve the problems of water shortage and sharp groundwater level drop in Turpan Prefecture, reduce losses caused by flood disasters, so as to ensure a virtuous and sustainable economic development in the prefecture. Therefore, the Project will produce very remarkable benefits.

The adverse environmental impacts of the Project include land occupation and short term unfavorable impacts on environment due to construction and resettlement activities. With various compensation measures taken and environmental protection measures implemented, the adverse impacts can be effectively mitigated.

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