China - Sichuan Urban Infrastructure Project

INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Report No.: AC958 Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: October 4, 2004 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: China Project ID: P083322 Project Name: Sichuan Urban Task Team Leader: HirDaki Suzuki Development Project Estimated Appraisal Date: June 1, 2005 Estimated Board Date: November 15, 2005 Managing Unit: EASUR Lending Instrument: Slpecific Investment Loan Sector: Roads and highways (60%); Theme: Pollution management and General water, sanitation and flood environmental health (]P'); Other urban protection sector (40%) development (S) Safeguard Policies Specialists in the Task Team: Chongwu Sun, You]an Zou Loan/Credit amount ($m.): IBRD: 190 Other financing amounts by source: Municipal Counterpart 240 ($m) B. Project Objectives The development objectives are to address infrastructure bottlenecks to facilitate continued economic growth, and to improve environmental conditions and the quality of life of growing populations in the key provincial cities of Mianyang, Panzhihua, Suirning and Yibin. C. Project Description The size of these cities (near 500,000 people), their rapid growth rates and strong revenue bases make them suitable project candidates. Panzhihua was established in the 1960's as a major industrial center -to extract and exploit its substantial mineral resources. With a population of 550,000, the city is an important industrial center and a supplier of raw materials and electric power. Major addiitional power generation facilities are planned in the area to serve the Changjiang River Basin. Proposed investments are intended to protect against continued, substantial riverbank erosion a]ong the Jinshajiang River, increase the capture of wastewater and open up new areas for city expansion. Mianyang (population 570,000) is an economic, cultural, and informnation technology center in northwest Sichuan increasingly renown for scientific research and electronic goods production. Proposed investments are intended to both accommodate its continuing rapid population growth  and help expand its solid electronics industry through development of mixed land-use expansion areas to the south and west of the city. Suining (population 420,000), equidistant from Chengdu and Chongqing, is a regional service and market center on the Fujiang River in east Sichuan that is well connected to regional road networks. A new rail link to Chengdu and Chongqing is being constructed. Proposed investments would develop a necessary city expansion area to relieve the high density of existing development, accommodate continuing rapid population growth (around 7% p.a.), and attract new economic activities and livelihood opportunities. Two new bridges across the Fujiang River are also proposed. Yibin is a communication and commercial center near the borders of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces. The city's population of over 400,000 (including its floating population) is projected to grow rapidly based on its thriving economic activity in energy, chemicals and wine manufacturing, and its plans for major new power generation facilities at Xiluodu and Xiangjiaba on the Jinsha River. Proposed investments would improve the arterial urban road network linking the downtown area to adjacent urban districts slated for rapid growth. Proposed investments include; a) infrastructure (including roads and drainage; water supply and wastewater networks; and amenity open space) for mixed land use cily expansion programs; b) road network improvements (including river bridges); and c) riverbank protection and wastewater improvements that both reflect relevant growth oriented p riorities and complement ongoing development programs including environmental infrastructure. City/Proposed Investments Estimated Cost Estiniated Cost Bank Financing (RMB millions) (US 5 million) (US$ million) Panzhihua 1,122 135 71 * Riverbank strengthening: Jinshajiang 470 River embankment; interceptor sewers * Bingcaogang-Renhe Road to open up 325 new development area south of Jinshajiang River * Land acquisition & design costs, etc. 326 Mianyang 1,090 131 50 . Infrastructure for mixed land-use 278 expansion in southern development zone * Infrastructure for mixed land-use 402 expansion in Pioneer Park * Land acquisition & design costs, etc. 410 Suining 620 75 30 . Infrastructure for mixed land-use 223 expansion in Xining District * Arterial road link connecting Xining site 99 * Bridges across Fujiang River 200 * Land acquisition & design costs, etc. 98 Yibin 608 73 39 * Widening of distributor road on north 380 bank of Min and Chiagjiang Rivers * Extension of distributor road on south 120 bank of Jinshajiang River  * Land ac uisition & desi n costs, etc. 120 Total 3,455 430 190 TA for capacity building could support urban planning and GIS; infrastructure operations and maintenance; transport planning, traffic management, and wastewater sector reform. D. Project location Project sites have been identified for almost all proposed components in the four cities of Mianyang, Panzhihua, Suining and Yibin in Sichuan Province. In Panzhihua, alternative alignments are under consideration by the Municipality and CIECC for the central section of the Bingcaogang-Renhe Road that links the city center with a rapidly deleloping area to the south, and will be reviewed under the feasibility study. Panzhihua's intent lo reconfigure and reduce the number of planned wastewater treatment plants may affect the design of the interceptor sewers proposed under the project. After Sichuan Province confirmed that city expansion areas, including Pioneer Park in Mianyang, are consistent with recent State directives relating to development of economic/industrial zones, NDRC approved the city expansion components for Bank financing under the project. Revised proposals for Suining now include two bridges across the river and a potential new link road between Xining District development and new development around the main railway station area. The need for and timing of these additional bridges will be reviewed in the context of the existing demand for cross-river travel indicated by traffic volumes on the second bridge when it opens later this year as well as growth forecasts for the ongoing development on the east bank of the Fujiang River. E. Borrower's Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies The PMO for the ongoing Sichuan Urban Environment Project has also been designated to coordinate the proposed new project. The Southwest Jiaotong University has also been involved with the Resettlement aspects of the existing project, including periodic external monitoring, and has been appointed to prepare the RAPs. The Institute's work on resi ttlement of bank-financed projects over the past 10 years, including for all railway projects, has been satisfactory. The Sichuan Provincial Academy of Environmental Protection Science (SAES) and the China State Power Corporation's Chengdu Hydroelectric Investigation and :Design Institute (CHIDI) (both Class A EA institutes) have been selected as EA practitioners fc)r proposed components in project cities. The SAES will prepare the EAs for Mianyang and Suinirig, and CHIDI will prepare the EAs of components in Panzhihua and Yibin. The Sichuan Provincial EA Evaluation Center will be contracted as the quality control institution that will produce tlhe project-wide EA Report and Executive Summary. All three institutions have previous experience preparing EAs for World Bank-financed projects.  II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Applicable? Safeguard Policy If Applicable, How Might It Apply? [XI Environmental Assessment (2P/BP 4.01) The project EA would include a project-wide umbrella EA report, four respective EA reports for project city components, an EA Execul ive Summary and an Environment Management Plan (EMP). The project's potential environmental impacts reflect the range of infrastructure investments including urban roads, wastewater, river embankments, area development for city expansion and, possibly, river brjidges. Key aspects to be reflected in the EAs include: (a) analysis of design alternatives; (b) public participation, consultation and disclosure arrangements; and (c) any potential linkages between the project and non-Bank financed projects. [TBD] Natural Habitats (2P/BP 4.04) [I Pest Management (OP 4.09) [XI Involuntary Resettlement (/BP 4.12) All four project cities would involve land acquisition nMd relocation, which could be significant in Yibin. One RAP for all sub-projects in each of the four cities, together with a Project-wide summary, would be prepared. [TBD] Indigenous Peoples (OD 4.20) A report on the Status of Minority Nationalities in the project area will be prepared by the PMO verifying, in particular: a) the nLimbers and locations of each Minority Nationality in Sichuan Province, the four cities and the project areas in each city; and b) if there are minority nationa[ities living in communities in the project areas, a comparison of their life and procluction characteristics will be made vis-a-vis the Han. I ] Forests (2P/BP 4.36) [ ] Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) [TBDI Cultural Property (draft OP 4.11 - OPN 11.03) A historic temple is close to the proposed Xining District development area in Suining. Possible impacts as well as any necessary mitigation measures will be determined during project preparation. I I Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP/GP 7.60) [ ] Proiects on International Waterways (OPBP/GP 7.50) By supporting the proposed project, the Bank does not intend to prejudice the final determination of the parties' claims on the disputed areas  Environmental Assessment Category: [X] A [ ] B [ ] C [ ] FI [ ] TBD (to be determined) If TBD, explain determinants of classification and give steps that wil [ be taken to determine that EA category (mandatory): III. SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN A. Target date for the Project Performnance Review (PPR), at which time the PAD-stage ISDS would be prepared: January 2005 B. For simple projects that will not require a QER, the target date for preparing the PAD-stage ISDS: n/a C. Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related sludies that may be needed. The specific studies and their timing' should be specified in the F'AD-stage ISDS. Key steps/milestones for EA preparation include: * Contracts signed with EA institutes: end August 2004 * TORs for proposed components in four cities: October 2004 * First public consultation when TOR available: Clot. & Nov. 2004 * Data collection, monitoring and analysis: Dec. 2004 to Feb. 05 * EA report (first draft): Feb. & Mar. 2005 * Second public consultation: N'[arch 2005 * EA revision and final version: JLne 2005 * Information disclosure: JLme 2005 IV. APPROVALS Signed and submitted by: Task Team Leader: a Approved by: / Regional Safeguards Coordinator: Glenn Morg / ' Comments / Sector Manager: Keshav Varma No_ Nv 4 zoo. Comments I Reminder: The Bank's Disclosure Policy requires that safeguard-related documents be disclosed before appraisal (i) at the InfoShop and (ii) in-country, at publicly accessible locations and in a form and language th.t are accessible to potentially affected persons.