China - Water Conservation Project : environmental assessment (Vol. 2 of 4) : Report on environmental influence evaluation

E-341 VOL. 2 Annex 16 World Bank Financed Water Saving Irrigation Project in Beijing Report on Environmental Influence Evaluation Evaluation institution: China Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric-Power Research Institute Co-Evaluation Institutions: Beijing Water Environment monitoring Center Beijing Water Conservancy Scientific Research Institute Office of Water Saving Irrigation Project in Beijing Financed by World Bank July, 2000   Beijing Report on the Evaluation of the Environmental influence for the World Bank-Funded Water-Saving Irigation Project Evaluation Institution: China Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric-Power Research Institute Legal Representative: Gao Jizhang Evaluation Institution: Environmental Evaluation and Research Center, China Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric-Power Research Institute. Representative of the Unite: Chen Kaiqi Cooperation Institutions: Beijing Water Environment Monitoring Center Beijing Water Conservancy Scientific Research Institute Direction of the Project: Chen Kaiqi, Ding Yueyuan. Compiled By: Zhu Yao (No.08262 of the envirom-nental Evaluation certificates) Zhao Jun, Liu Peibin Participants of the Project: Chen Kaiqi (No.0044 of the Environmental evaluation certificates) Wang Dongsheng (No.08242 of the Environmental evaluation certificates) Lu Guangsi, Wang Jianting, Liu Chunming, Cai Jinbao Revised by: Liu Lanfen. Approved by: Zhang Jun.   I General Description 1.1 Preface Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China, an ancient cultural city with a population of more than 10 million. It is an open-up intemational city, and the environment in the city should be comfortable to match its important status. Beijing is located in the semi-arid and semi-humid region. The average annual precipitation is 595 mm. The water resources per capita is less than 300 m3, which is 1/8 of the national average and 1/30 of the intemational average. Beijing is one of the largest cities with the year and among years, flood and drought frequently occur. Especially, the drought occurs during several consecutive years, which intensifies the water shortage problem. According to the prediction from "Water Resources Sustainable Utilization Planning in the Capital in the early parts of 21-st Century", the amount of water shortage in 2005 will be 0.794 billion rn3 and the amount of water shortage in 2010 will be 1.182 billion m3. The *water resource demand and supply conflict has been a restricting factor for the economic development and environment improvement in the capital. There are 330 thousand ha. of arable land in Beijing suburb, which is the important production base. Agriculture is the largest user of water, which consumes over 50% of the total water consumption. Though 230 thousand ha. of water-saving irrigation land had been constructed by the end of 1998, the water usage efficiency is still relatively low due to poor management. W^Jhich the rapid development of the municipal construction and the rapid economic development and population growth, more and more water is needed to satisfy the industrial and domestic consumption. Agricultural water consumption has to depend on the over-exploitation of groundwater. In some areas, the deep depressions have been formed with the towns as the centres. Hence, developing water-saving irrigation, enhancing the water consumption management level, improving the soil structure, increasing the water utilization efficiency are the good approaches to optimize water resources allocation, alleviate the water supply an demand conflict and improve the local ecological environment. According to the Beijing reality and the principles of project regions selection, 36 towns in 7 counties ( that is, Chao Yang, Tong Zhou, Da Xing, Fang Shan, Chang Ping, Mi Yun and Ping Gu ) have been chosen as the project regions. They are selected to develop water-saving irrigation technologies, including low-pressure pipeline irrigation, spray irrigation, micro irrigation and canal lining, etc. This project is an irrigation technology renovation project. The main purpose is to enhance the water utilization efficiency by renovating the existing facilities in the arable lands, to promote the sound circulation of agricultural ecological environment, and to realize the sustainable development of agricultural production. Hence, this project is an environment improvement project to a large extent. According to the "work Guidelines (OP4.0 1) for Environment Influence Evaluation of World Bank" and the national "Notice of Intensifying the Environment Evaluation Management for the Projects sponsored by International financial Institutions", Enviromnent Evaluation and Research Center of China Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric-Power Research Institute has authorized Beijing Water Environrment Monitoring Center and Beijing Water Conservancy Scientific Research Institute to compile the Beijing part of "World Bank Financed Water-Saving Irrigation Project Report on Environmental Influence Evaluation". 1.2 Compiling basis and evaluation standard of the report on the environmental influence  evaluation 1.2.1 Compiling basis The following related laws, documents and reports which are issued by various-level governments are the basis of compiling this environmental influence evaluation report: "Environment protection management regulations for the construction projects" the state Council (98) No.253 order "The People's Republic of China Environment Protection Law" (Dec. 26, 1989) "The people's Republic of China Water Pollution Prevention and Treatment Law" (May 11, 1984) "World Bank Environment Influence Evaluation Working Guidelines" (OP4.01) "Environment Influence Evaluation Introduction and Guidelines" (HJ/T 2.2-2.3-93) "Environment Influence Evaluation Introduction and Guidelines" Non-Pollution Ecological Influence (HJ/T 19-1997) "Environment Influence Evaluation Specification for water conservancy and hydropower Projects" ( SDJ-302-88) "Beijing World Bank-Funded Water-Saving Irrigation Project Proposal" (1998.10) "Pre-Feasibility Study Report of Beijing World Bank-Funded Water-Saving Irrigation Project" "General Planning Research on the Beijing Environrment", World Bank-Funded Project" (1996) "Beijing Water Environment Function Planning" 1.2.2 Evaluation Standard "Agricultural Irrigation Water Quality Standard"(GB5084-92) "Surface Water Environment Quality Standard" (GB3838-88) "Groundwater Quality Standard" (GB/T 14848-93) "Soil Environment Quality Standard" (GB 15618-95) "Water-Saving Irrigation Technical Specification" (SL 207-98) "Beijing Water Pollutants Discharge Standard"(Oct. 15, 1985, issued by Beijing Municipal Government) 1.3 Evaluation grade According to the environment grading principles contained in the environment monitoring document (No.324 [1993]) and "world Bank Environmnent Influence Evaluation Working Guidelines" (OP4.01), the environment evaluation of the project is graded to be type B. 1.4 Environmental Protection objectives (1). The implementation of the water-saving irrigation project should improve the water resources utilization condition and realize the water resources supply-demand balance and sustainable water resources utilization. (2). Take effective measures, rationally apply pesticides and chemical fertilizers and guarantee the project will no increase the groundwater pollution problems and other pollution problems. (3). Conserve the soil and water, do not increase the soil-water erosion area. 1.5 Evaluation Scope, content and working procedure The scope of the project construction is the evaluation scope, which consists of 27 sub- project regions in 7 counties (Chaoyang, Tongzhou, Daxing, Fangshan, Changping. Miyun.  Pinggu). The evaluation scope involves 36 towns and 284 villages with a population of 285.715 thousand people. The total arable land area is 26109 ha. Refer to the Appendix Figure 1. The main environment evaluation contents are as follows: (1). Evaluation of the current environmnent quality in the project region. (2). Construction of the project region. (3). Evaluation of the influence on enviromnent by the implementation of the project (4). Analysis and evaluation of the project construction benefit (5). Public evaluation of the project. (6). Enviromnent protection countermeasures and measures (7). Environment monitoring and protection management plan The project environment evaluation should abide by the national environment protection laws and related standards, satisfy the regulations and requirements for the environment influence evaluation of the projects funded by the international financial institutions, and satisfy the requirement of World Bank Environment Influence Evaluation working Guideline (OP4.01) in regard of evaluation content and evaluation depth. Analysis the potential influence on the environment by the project according to the feasibility study report of different project sub-regions. Evaluation methods include typical investigation, analogy, reasoning, induction, etc.. From the perspective of environment protection, prove the project feasibility and the rationalization of the proposed environment protection measures. The evaluation working procedure is as follows: 1). Determine the project content, dimension, evaluation, evaluation basis, evaluation standard, evaluation scope, environment protection objectives. 2). Prove the supporting conditions (technological, economic, management) to complete the project 3). Investigation and evaluation of natural geographical features, soil-water resources, hydrology and meteorology, social and economic situation in the project region. 4). Investigation and evaluation of the environment situation, resources allocation, quantity and quality of the soil, surface water and groundwater. 5). Envirornment problems before the implementation of the project and evaluation of the influence on enviromnent, resources and ecology by the implementation of the project. 6). Analysis of the effect on society and economy, resources, ecological environment by the implementation of the project. 7). Collect the evaluation opinions of the project from different groups of the society, revise the comprehensive benefit of the project from different perspectives, especially the resources benefit and environmental beneft; 8). According to the evalu4n above, propose the objective conclusion and the operatable suggestions for alleviating and preventing environmental pollution. 2 Basic situation in the project region and the evaluation of the current environmental quality 2.1 Basic situation in the project region 2.1.1 Name and nature of the project Name of the project: Beijing World Bank-Funded Water-Saving Irrigation Project 'Nature of the project: Renovated project  2.1.2 Nature geographical features (1) Location of the project region Beijing is located in the north part of North China Plain, form 115' 25 ' E to 117