China - Third Integrated Agriculture Intensification Loan Project : environmental assessment (Vol. 1 of 8) : Environmental report

Page 1 IAIL3 China Appraisal Supporting Document E1114 V. 1 E NVIRONMENTAL R EPORT China Research Academy of Environmental Sciences January 2005 Page 2 T ABLE OF C ONTENTS 1. I NTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................1 1.1. Purpose and Contents of Report ...............................................................................1 1.2. Background ...................................................................................................................1 2. O VERALL A SSESSMENT OF E NVIRONMENTAL I MPACTS OF IAIL2 P ROJECT ............2 2.1. Environmental Issues of IAIL2 Project ..................................................................2 2.2. Assessment of Actual Environmental Impacts of IAIL2 Project ......................3 2.3. Environmental Monitoring ........................................................................................9 2.4. Summary Conclusions of IAIL2Environmental Impacts Assessment ...........11 3. C OMPARISON OF E NVIRONMENTAL C ONDITIONS AND E NVIRONMENTAL I MPACTS B ETWEEN IAIL3 AND IAIL2............................................................................................12 3.1. Comparison of Project Counties (Cities) ..............................................................12 3.2. Comparison of Environmental Conditions ...........................................................14 3.3. Comparison of Project Contents ............................................................................15 4. C LARIFICATION ON P REPARATION OF IAIL3 E NVIRONMENTAL M ANAGEMENT P LAN ..................................................................................................................................16 4.1. Environmental Issues ................................................................................................16 4.2. Clarification on Preparation of Environmental Management Plan .................17 Page 3 1 1. Introduction 1.1. Purpose and Contents of Report This Environment Report (the Report) is prepared for the appraisal of the proposed World Bank loan-financed Irrigated Agriculture Intensification Project III (IAIL3, the Project). The World Bank preparation mission of November 2004 proposed that the environment category of the Project remains to be type B due to the similarities between the Project and Irrigated Agriculture Intensification Project II (IAIL2) in terms of project areas and basic contents. In order to simplify procedures the Bank no longer requires to review a full environmental assessment report for the Project, but requires to 1) assess the actual environmental impacts of the IAIL2 Project; 2) compare the environmental conditions of IAIL3 and IAIL2; and 3) prepare environmental management plan by Project provinces. In compliance with the above requirements the main contents of the Report include: 1) Overview of the actual environmental impact assessment of the IAIL2 Project; 2) Comparison of environmental conditions and contents between IAIL3 and IAIL2; 3) Clarification on the preparation of Environmental Management Plans for IAIL3; 4) EMP of respective project provinces (attached to the Report). 1.2. Background Since 1998 the IAIL2 Project had been implemented in 131 counties (cities) of China