Cambodia - Road Rehabilitation Project : initial environmental assessment (Vol. 1 of 2) : Initial environmental assessment - simplified engineering design

t ~~~E-249 ,YL AK1 KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA WORLD BANK Ministry of Public Works and Transport ROAD REHABILITATION PROJECT SIMPLIFIED ENGINEERING DESIGN INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT June 1998 : JAPAN OVERSEAS CONSULTANTS CO. LTD. in association with ORIENTAL CONSULTANTS CO. LTD. 7oo  ORIGINAL DOCUMENT PAGES MI SNUMBERED  Initial Environmental Assessment Cambodia Highways Rehabilitation Project June 1998 Prepared for the World Bank Canadian Environmental Collaborative Ltd.  Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................... iv INTRODUCTION .1 1.1 INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENyT (IEA) OBJECTIVE .I 1.2 THE PROJECT.1 1.3 STUDYAREABOuNDARIUs.. 3 2 INSTITUTIONAL SETTING, LAWS, POLICIES AND GUIDELINES. 3 2.1 ORGANIZATION OF INSTITUTIONS . . . 4 2.2 LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK, INSTRUMENTS AND PRocss ... 5 2.2.1 Environmental Legislation ...................................................................................................5 2.2.2 Land and Social Legislation .. ....... 5 2.3 CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES ........ ... 5 3 EXISTING CONDITIONS ................. 6 3.1 OVERvIEW ................... 6 3.2 PHNOM PENH ... ................ 6 3.2.1 Natural Environment ................. .6 3.2.2 Socioeconomic Environment .. 9 3.3 SIHANouKvILLE MUNICIPALITY . . . 9 3.3.1 Natural Environment.. 9 3.3.2 Socioeconomic Environment ..11 3.3.3 Cultural Environment ............................................. 1 1 3.4 SiEM REAP PROVINCE ............................................ 11 3.4.1 Natural Environment ............................................. 11 3.4.2 Socioeconomic Environment ............................................. 12 3.4.3 Cultural Property ............................................ . 12 4 IMPACTS AND MITIGATIVE MEASURES ............................................ 14 4.1 PHNOM PENH MUNICIPALITY ............................................. 14 4.1.1 Natural Environment ............................................ 14 4.1.2 Social Environment ........................................... . 14 4.2 SHANoUKvILLE MUNIcIpALTY ............................................. 14 4.2.1 Natural Environment ............................................ 14 4.2.2 Social Environment ............................................ . 15 4.3 SEM REAP PROVINCE .............................................. 1 5 4.3.1 Natural Environment ............................................ 15 4.3.2 Social Environment ........................................... . 16 4.3.3 Cultural Environment ............................................ 16 4.4 THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACTION P LAN ........................................... 1 7 4.4.1 Phnom Penh Municipality ........................................... 18 4.4.2 Sihanoukville Municipality ........................................... 18 4.4.3 Siem Reap Province ........................................... . 18 4.5 THE RESETTLEMENT ACTION PLAN (RAP) . .......................................... . 19 5 IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS ............................................ . 20 5.1 OVERVIEW ............................................ 20 5.2 IMPLEMENTING THE EMAP ........................................... 20 5.3 IMPLEMENTING THE RAP ........................................... 21 5.4 IMPLENTATION TMETABLE ........................................... 22 5.5 ESTIMATED COSTS ............................................ 22 ii  6 CONCLUSIONS AIND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................... 22 7 REFERENCES ....................................................................... 23 Annex 1 Environmental Management Action Plan (EMAP) Cambodian Highways RehabilitationProject ...................................................................... 25 Annex 2 Summary of PIU Responsibilities ........................ .............................................. 33 Annex 3 Cross-section diagrams of all recommended rural and urban road configurations ................ 34 Annex 4 Establishment of a Steering Committee on Cultural Property (CCP) .................................... 45 Annex 5 Laws and Standards on Pollution Control in Thailand, 3rd ed ................................................ 46 List of Figures, Photos, Maps and Tables Figure 1 Cross-section of RoW, Clearance Zone and Corridor of Impact on Cambodian National Highways (not to scale) .......................................................................3 Figure 2 Steps Involved in the Implementation of EMAP and RAP Mitigative Measures...Follwg.p.2 1 Map I Project Roads in the Context of the Cambodian National Road Network ...............................2 Map 2 Phnom Penh Project Road .......................................................................7 Map 3 Strip Maps of NR6 Showing Location of Laterite Bridges .......................... Following page 13 Map 4 Access Road from Kampong Kdai to Quarry Site at Phnum Khtutn ........... Following page 19 Table 1 Statistics for Project Roads ................................................................:.8 Table 2 AADT Traffic Volume Forecasts Along Project Roads (from economic study) ................... 10 Table 3 Proposed Timetable of Tasks for the Implementation of the Project RAP and EMAP ......... 21 Table 4 Estimated Costs of Executing EMAP and RAP Requirements .................. ........................... 22 Photo 1 The Speam Praptos Bridge on NR6 at Kampong Kdai, 1998 Photo 2 Example of Urban Streets Included in the Project in Sihanoukville Photo 3 NR3 Roadside Conditions Photo 4 Cut-over Mangrove Forest Along NR3 Photo 5 Roadside activity, Kampong Kdai, Siem Reap Province, 1998 Photo 6 Small Laterite Block Bridge in "Good" Condition Photo 7 Heavily Damaged Laterite Block Bridge .i.i  Executive Summary The two key outputs of this IEA are the Environmental Management Action Plan (EMAP) and the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP). The EMAP is included in this document as Annex 1, and is a point- by-point description of all measures required in order to avoid and mitigate negative impacts which could arise from the project; relevant documents and contract items, timing of actions, and organizations responsible for actions are specified. The RAP is a full stand-alone document which identifies the resettlement needs of the project, including compensation, entitlement, and cost details, and prescribes the steps required for fair and equitable treatment of all project-affected people (PAPs). The RAP is currently under finalization to meet the Bank's requirement. This TEA is undertaken in the broader context of building the Royal Cambodian Governmnent's capacity for dealing with environmental issues, particularly those related to infrastructure development. At present, the RCG is poorly equipped institutionally for dealing with such issues. and this project will be the first test case for a new environment cell to be created within the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) under ADB TA 2723-CAM. The Environment Cell will be responsible for much of the monitoring of the implementation of environmental measures -which wvill need to be put in place as part of the project. The project entails the upgrading of 115.2km of roads in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville Municipalities and Siem Reap Province. 11.8km of the project roads are urban roads, and 103.4km rural. Road improvements will vary from place to place, and will consist of everything from straightforward resurfacing, to widening by several meters, to elevation of the roadbed by over 3m for flood prevention. The improvements will be made in two stages. All project roads will be brought up to a standard width of 8m in the first stage (construction is slated to begin in late 1999), while the end of the second stage, some ten to fifteen years on, will see the standard width increased to I Im. The main issues of concern in the project are: * the need to resettle people who are living and doing business within the rights-of-way of the project roads; * appropriate management of cultural heritage found in the RoW in the face of increasing road widths and traffic; and * features of the natural environment, particularly waterways and trees, which intersect or are growing within the RoW, and which could suffer negative impacts as a result of the road improvements. Resettlement All national highways in Cambodia have a RoW of 50m, and while this is legally recogrized, enforcement of the boundary has been such that there is nevertheless considerable activity within the RoW, including permanent habitation, agriculture, and commerce. This level of encroachment has not presented problems in the past, but in order to accommodate the road upgrades and associated increases in traffic volume and speed, management of activity within the RoW is deemed necessary. Nearly 1500 project-affected people and over 1200 structures will have to be relocated and compensated for the first stage of the project to proceed; these are concentrated along NR6 in Siem Reap Province, and to a lesser extent along NR3 in Sihanoukville Municipality. In the vast majority of cases, the effect of the relocation on livelihoods and communities will be minor, as it will involve little more than "shifting back" from the road. The resettlement will be fully compensated under the terms of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), . iv  Cultural Heritage Siem Reap Province, the only part of the study area in which cultural heritage features are a concem, is designated by Royal Decree as a Protected Cultural Zone, which means that all development actions must be evaluated and approved with respect to protection of cultural property. Of particular relevance to this project is the NR6 RoW, which coincides with an ancient Angkor highway dating from the 12th_ 13'h Century, and includes ten Angkor bridges in addition to other possible as-yet-undocumented artifacts. Development of NR6 wvill require special attention to cultural heritage management, particularly with respect to treatment of the ten bridges. All will be studied to determine the feasibility of keeping them in use by the national highway. The RCG has formed a Steering Committee on Cultural Property (CCP), headed by the Minister of Culture and Planning, to guide the incorporation of cultural heritage management into the project process. Natural Environnient Natural environmental issues related to this project are for the most part minor, because the project involves no alignment changes, minimal widening, and relatively low projected traffic levels. The project roads do not pass through an) sensitive environments; most roadside areas have already been extensivel) modified. Waterwvays are of perhaps the greatest concern. because several bridges and culverts will be replaced. However, if the standard mitigative and precautionary measures prescribed in the EMAP are followed. impacts on waterways should be minimal. Tree removal is to be kept to an absolute minimum: onlv those trees which interfere with safe operation of the road or cannot be accommodated with design modifications will be cut down. All trees removed will be replaced as part of a replanting program. Two issues of primary importance to all involved in the implementation of this project are timing and cost. These issues are both addressed in the IEA. The implementation timetable, which appears in Section 5.3 as Table 3, specifies the start date and duration of all project components to be implemented in the design, construction and operational phases of the project. Crucial timing issues are the implementation of the RAP, and the upcoming Cambodian elections. Execution of the RAP is critical to the overall projectVs implementation, since all relocation of project-affected people must take place before the construction phase can begin. The elections are critical because the outcome could make or break the entire project; the decision of whether to proceed with the project as planned may be made on a political basis. Section 5.5 of the TEA outlines in brief the costs associated with implementing the social, cultural and natural environmental measures as prescribed in the EMAP and RAP. The total estimated cost of implementing the EMAP measures is US$1,255,000, and for the RAP it is US$313,435 The total estimated cost of all recommended social and natural environmental measures to be implemented as part of the project therefore comes to US$1,568,435. A detailed accounting of the costs associated with implementing the RAP can be found in the RAP document. v  I ITRODUCTION 1.1 INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (IEA) OBJECTIVE The objective of the IEA is three-fold: i. to identify the impacts of the proposed project activities on the natural and social environment and thereby establish what further level of environmental study, e.g., a full environmental assessment (EA), the project requires;] ii. to describe and assess the general impacts that could result from the proposed project options. define the most effective mitigation measures, and prepare an environmental management action plan (EMAP) covering both the natural and social environments; and iii. to prepare a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), addressing the issue of relocation and compensation of Project Affected Persons (PAPs). In cases where only IEAs are applied, as with this project, there is an implication that the potential impacts are well understood, predictable with a large degree of certainty, and can be effectively mitigated using standard methods. 1.2 THE PROJECT The proposed project consists of the rehabilitation and, in a few cases, the reconstruction of roads in three regions of the country, Sihanoukville Municipality, Phnom Penh Municipality, and Siem Reap Province (see Map 1). Of the total 115.2km of roads under consideration, approximately 11.8km pass through urban areas2, and 103.4km traverse rural agricultural settings, often passing through small villages. The longest single continuous road section occurs in Siem Reap Province, extending along NR6 from the intersection of the Siem Reap airport access road and NR 6 to the provincial border with Kampong Thom, for a distance of approximately 89km. The types of work proposed for this road improvement project are: - Resurfacing - calling for treatment of existing pavement, surface patching and restoration, as well as full-width application of thin (' 25mm) asphalt surfacing. This is sometimes referred to as preventive maintenance or periodic maintenance and does not inv.olve extending the work area beyond the existing pavement edge, or undertaking any geometric modifications to the road; * Rehabilitation - calling for full-length and full-width resurfacing and selective strengthening and road surface shape correction, but no geometric changes; also recycling of one or more pavement layers, e.g., scarification and reworking of a pavement layer; * Betterment - calling for geometric improvements related to road width, curvature or gradient, pavement and road shoulders; and * Reconstruction - calling for the full-width, full-length reconstruction of roadway pavement and shoulders, mostly on existing alignments, often including the rehabilitation of all drainage structures. Other than temporary construction-period disruptions, only the latter two road improvement categories are considered as having potentially significant environmental impacts. Within urban areas no roadwork improvements beyond rehabilitation are proposed, and resurfacing will not extend beyond the existing curbs. Along rural sections of NR3 and NR6 betterment and ' Should the EA suggest the potential for serious impacts, a filll EA would have to be undertaken. 2For the purposes of this report, urban areas occur only within the population centers of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. All other population centers, e.g., towns and villages, are considered to be part of the rural setting, and the roads passing through them are considered rural roads. 1  reconstruction work is proposed. In the first stage, these roads will be widened to 8m (including two 0.5m shoulders) and resurfaced; this will require the relocation, away from the road (Figure 1), of over 1,200 structures, mostly residences and small commercial wooden structures. The second stage, beginning some 10 to 15 years in the future, will involve a further widening to the llm national road standard. However, all new bridge and culvert installations will be installed to the full llm dimension in Stage 1, since having to replace these structures in Stage 2 would be a huge additional cost. A major part of the work will be the replacement and reconstruction of bridges which were damaged or destroyed during past military actions or have broken down due to lack of maintenance. There are more than 48 waterway and canal crossings along NR6. Ten of the NR6 crossings involve 12'h- 1 3th Century Angkor bridges, which are in various states of disrepair due to past military activities and monsoon flooding. At many of these bridges, the ancient laterite blocks lie scattered near the crossings. One exceptional bridge, the Speam Praptos at Kampong Kdai, which is 85m long and 14m wide (Photol), has been well preserved and stands as a prime example of ancient bridge construction. Map 1 Project Roads in the Context of the Cambodian National Road Network l SLD LA5 OS trasr to thes increasn Atrafi voums of th naioa hiha sytm Th 5te ieAgo .~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~R 1. A- T/nRto t CC t l ls imotn cutral than tepenPrpo. Itislnehtalo thSe nin brige wllb -SRF2~ g/ | t~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~EGEND 9 E | *) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~C. t a f Pe The Royal Cambodian Governmnent (RCG) has expressed concern about subjecting this cultural treasure to the increasing traffic volumes of the national highway system. The other nine Angkor bridges, while culturally significant, represent a less ornate construction style and are considered less important culturally than the Speam Praptos. It is planned that all of these nine bridges will be stirengthened with the addition of reinforced concrete deck slabs and internal columns together with some reconstruction. They will then continue to perform as bridges on the new improved road as per the recommendation of the archeological expert engaged to study this particular problem. 2  Along NR3 there are 15 water crossings, generally in better condition than those on NR6. The larger ones are Bailey bridges with sound substructures. For these bridges rehabilitation will consist of improvements to the approaches and replacement of the timber decking with welded steel plates, but no widening. The smaller bridges, mostly concrete-box and open-bottom culverts, will be replaced with new ones having a larger opening and permitting the full llm national standard road width planned for the future. Photo 1 The Speam Praptos Bridge on NR6 at Kampong Kdai, 1998 [See hard-copy version for photo] Aside from two structures on NR3 and the Kampong Kdai bridge, all bridges cross intermittent waterways where no flows exist from December to mid-May. The intermittent waterways are essentially runoff channels during the monsoon period (except the two along NR3, which are tidal channels). In Annex 3 the cross-sections of the new road surface/dimensions are superimposed on the existing dimensions, providing a measure of howN, much change can be expected in relation to the type of rehabilitation. The construction work would be undertaken over a three-year period, with most project roads in operation by 2003. 1.3 STUDY AREA BOUNDARIES National highways in Cambodia have a 50m RoW in most locations. While no law specifies this width, the Royal Cambodian Government (RCG) assumes 25m from either side of the road centerline to be the RoW boundary. Figure I shows the relationship between the RoW and the area to be cleared of encroachers. The 7-9m clearance zone is also the area where most trees are to be removed. It is assumed that tree removal will be kept to a minimum, and in urban areas the road pavement widths may actually be adjusted to accommodate mature trees that add to the aesthetic appearance of the roadside area. Figure 1 Cross-section of RoW, Clearance Zone and Corridor of Impact on Cambodian National Highways (not to scale) |_ 50 m Typical Right-of-Way for National Highway Area c approx. 7-9m _,c3.5m >- 3.5m. approx 7-9 m Area stuil occupied Cleared of Encroachers Lane Lane Clared of Encroachers stilU occupied | :by people ..by -pleop . __ O.5rm shoulder l 22-26m wide H Corridor of Impact 2 INSTITUTIONAL SETTING, LAWS, POLICIES AND GUIDELINES The objective of this section is to highlight the institutional strengths and weaknesses of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MPWT) as they relate to the application and management of EAs of infrastructure in general and transportation projects specifically by the MPWT. 3  2.1 ORGANIZATION OF INSTITUTIONS As with most line agencies in Cambodia, the MPWT functions under a minister, who reports to the cabinet. The minister usually has a secretary general or director general, with division or department heads reporting directly to the director general. In the case of the MPWT, there are division heads and department directors. The MPWT has neither an environment department nor a unit with the express task of managing EA requirements flowing from infrastructure development projects such as this one. One mid-level technical person attended the first major Cambodian training program in EA.3 Given the size of the existing and proposed investment portfolio4 of this ministry, it would seem highly desirable to create an environmental planning unit to serve the ministry's three project-implementation divisions. There are presently at least ten large infrastructure projects under consideration at the feasibility stage within the MPWT. most with environmental mitigation and monitoring requirements; more are being considered at the early conceptual stage. There is no formal structure requiring the MPWT to involve the Ministry of Environment (MOE). which is the key EA resource unit. or any other relevant ministry during the planning and execution of a project. The new Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Management (1997) specifies that a completed EA document should be sent to the MOE for review and comment-not necessarily approval. Developments of roads, bridges, power generation and other infrastructure projects can be approved by Cambodian Investment Board (CIB) within 45 days, without the need to seek environmental approval or even consultation with relevant line agencies. Instead of building environmental management linkages, the present institutional organization tends to minimize them, leaving environmental matters unaddressed. A new institution-building project funded through the ADB5 has a mandate to design and equip small environmental cells within the MPWT and the Ministry of Industry. Mines and Energy (MIME). This means that greater environmental skills and management capacity will be in place by March 1999. Technically, the Ministry of Economics and Finance (MEF) is responsible for handling all socio- economic and resettlement issues. In reality however, these issues are managed with input from 'round table task forces which are assembled, often in an ad-hoc fashion, from representatives of the proponent ministry and other ministries with a sigrificant stake in a project's output(s). The MEF is the only permanent, constant member. These 'round tables' take the completed feasibility studies, which include the EAs, and decide on budget, implementation and compliance. While they do have some technical knowledge through the representatives from the line agencies such as Agriculture, the MOE (the most knowledgeable on EA), is rarely present. Responsibility for implementation rests with a project implementation unit (PIU),6 which is a specially established group of MPWT staff whose primary function is to implement all aspects of the road project, including environmental measures. 3 Miss Phoeum Kanha of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport attended the ADB funded training program conducted in Phnom Penh in 1996. 4Based on the international donors' planning meetings convened in mid-1996, development assistance allocations to the MPWT (if one includes investments in aviation) would rank it the No. 1 recipient along with the Min. of Health. 5 ADB TA No. 2723; Institutional Strengthening and Expanding ELI Capacity in Cambodia. 6 A PIJ has been established for this project. 4  2.2 LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK, INSTRUMENTS AND PROCESS 2.2.1 Environmental Legislation In early 1997, the RCG enacted the Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Management. This law is general but nevertheless identifies the MOE as the lead agency with regard to EA. Decrees (policies) and sub-decrees (regulations) dealing with EA, pollution and other related matters must now be developed to fully empower the MOE to do its job. The law stipulates that the MOE should prepare a set of sub-decrees relating to the EA procedure as well as the classification of projects according to the intensity of environmental assessment required. Drafting effective sub- decrees will be an onerous task, given the limited skilled resources' within the agency and indeed the country. Aside from the Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Management, Cambodia is just starting to assemble the regulatory instruments it needs to effectively manage the massive resource extraction. reconstruction and development process sweeping the country. The informal 'round table' approach.8 implemented by the Council of Ministers. is the only known consultative forum which. at least in principle, provides for some assessment of environrmental benefits and costs as a project is designed. 2.2.2 Land and Social Legislation In the area of land and resettlement, three issues with legal implications must be considered. They are: (i) acquisition of land; (ii) fair compensation; and (iii) rehabilitation due to losses. Land acquisition and compensation are controlled by the MEF and are defined in the Cambodian Land Law of 1992. Of primary importance to this project is Article 5 of that law, which states that private user rights of government land are not guaranteed in a number of cases, including the use of "land reserved for road construction and road maintenance". The law also states that users of the lanld who have legal title to it, or have 'permission' (rented or perrnit from the rightful owner) to use it, must be fairly compensated for the loss of its use.9 The law does not specify what fair compensation is or who should monitor the process and assure that fair valuations are established. In practice, market- based replacement values have been used, most recently for the Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh Road Feasibility Project (Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick, 1997). Cambodia does not have any specified requirements for rehabilitation, which is therefore technically at the discretion of the PIU. In the absence of Cambodian regulations and guidelines regarding rehabilitation, the common practice is to apply donor specifications. 2.3 CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES During over twenty years of civil war, Cambodia's technical capacity and critical mass of trained people was severely depleted, with many bright minds fleeing the country and thousands of others purged from the system. In effect, there exists no 'mentor' level of professionals in Cambodia. A young and enthusiastic, but basically inexperienced group is now dealing with environmental matters, and it needs help. Aside from the 30-odd students who participated in the 1996 training course, no domestic EA expertise exists, and besides the Environmental Impact Assessment Department, no Cambodian agency has the capacity to complete a coherent and technically acceptable EA. Skills in mitigative measure implementation and compliance monitoring are even more scarce, which is understandable given that only two EAs have been completed in Cambodia to date. Within the MPWT there is only one person with some applied knowledge of EA. This extreme shortage of skilled staff can be expected to worsen rapidly, as the number of development projects 7 It was pointed out in the ADB TA report that the best students in the 1996 EA training course were hired away from the government by private sector firmns, thus seriously reducing this new public sector talent pool, and again weakening the govemment's capacities and depth in EA. sPersonal communications, Mr. Trac Thai Sieng, Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister of PWT. 9The RAP, included as a stand-alone section of the EA, provides more details on these conditions (see Annex 6). 5  being proposed has already eclipsed the capacity of the MOE and MPWT to address environmental concerns. Without the establishment of a special unit, such as an environmental cell within the MPWT or project-specific entities, the RCG may not be able to implement and monitor even a limited number of the many projects requiring EA. In the areas of social impact analysis and the fair and equitable handling of resettlement, there is even less capacity. The Ministry of Economics and Finance (MEF) is just that, the manager of the national budget, collector of taxes, etc., with limited experience in social assistance and implementation of resettlement action plans (RAPs). Any new units, e.g., an environmental cell in the MPWT. must incorporate specific expertise in identifying and mitigating impacts on the social environment. 3 EXISTING CONDITIONS 3.1 OVERVIEW The study area can be divided into three geographic regions: i. the alluvial plains of the Mekong River, which includes Phnom Penh; ii. the Tonle Sap Lake basin in wvhich the Siem Reap study area is located; and iii. the Gulf of Thailand coastal zone, in which the Sihanoukville study area is located. With regard to climatic conditions, the three study areas vary considerably in rainfall but minimally in temperature. The country is subject to two major seasons, the monsoon period (May-November) and the dry season (December-April). Greatest annual rainfall occurs in Sihanoukville, where it can reach as high as 4 m per year. Along the coastal hills in some sections of NR3, the annual rainfall can go as high as 5m, while in the Siem Reap area it averages about 2-2.5m per year. The monsoon invariably results in massive flooding; elevations of most of the lands in the study area are only a few meters above the Tonle Sap/Mekong's mean level. From the perspective of road development in areas of such low terrain and high rainfall, water and erosion management are the two environrmental conditions requiring the most attention. Wildlife, natural habitats and forests are expected to play a minor role in this project as none of the proposed improvements directly affect or impinge on conservation areas or sensitive habitats. 3.2 PHNOM PENH In Phnom Penh, the project area consists of 3.3km of I Im-wide roadway (Table 1 ) running from the Central Market Ring Road south to the Southern Truck Route (Map 2 ). The road passes through primarily commercial and light industrial land-use areas. This roadway will undergo resurfacing, as well as construction of new local drainage facilities, curbs and gutters, thus no widening beyond the existing edge-of-pavement is planned. 3.2.1 Natural Environment 3.2.1.1 Forests, Wildlife and Habitat The study area within the Phnom Penh municipality is essentially urban, coinciding with existing streets and devoid of any forest and wildlife, except for several common urban birds such as sparrows, mynah birds, and other songbirds. Bats are common and flying foxes make their homes in the very large trees which grow close to the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. A number of open 'park' areas exist within Phnom Penh, but these are sparsely treed; some barely have grass and are more amusement parks or temporary garbage collection areas than green spaces. Most mature trees in public places in Phnom Penh are in poor condition, due primarily to the lack of funds for urban parks maintenance. Non-native trees such as eucalyptus and casurina pine have been planted in a number of locations to improve the city's appearance. A number of low-lying areas in the city, e.g., 'Lakes' Boeng Kok and Tre Bek, are storm water and sewer discharge catch basins. 6  Map 2 Phnom Penh Project Road 1'5R5 Al _ _ _ 4 < ~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~~reah S.sovatUl .00 Truck Route % ithei (Northem segmen ) PP5(HI-HI 2C A12 { Boeng KokLake V P (H5-FI) / : S gRolllldah~~~~~~n Ioui (PP8-' \ _ / ~ \ ,1i21a \85g7 . P<eah llakesi C amkron : .A ( I Pocecnfonlg Street NR 3 atid , -= i319-P6 ;- A 10- PP13 (AIO-A55 -PP3(Bl-H3) \ SandachSotha: Wm A khTcp Phan IB3 tBl.hredeG6aulle \ PP14 (B36-B3 11 Blvd. Preahl t t ' (Aao Tse Twig Street D51 _ l HI'1 Blvd. SaTBdach Monirethd Pra ' PP15('B,7-B4) t / S .s_______X ); / PPII (AIO-B36-B7-C12-XI) Truck Route (Southem segment) Road 27 LEGEND Project Road Sections N P,2 7  Table 1 Statistics for Project Roads ROAD LOCATION ESTIMATED CUMULATIVE SECTION AND NAME LENGTH COSTRUCTION COST BY NUMBER (km) COST ($M) PROVINCE ($M) Phnom Penh Province PP 3.4,5 Blvd. deGaulle & Monenth 3.3 0.901 1.710 Siem Reap Province SRE 2E & F NR 6 45.1 12.741 12.741 SRE 2D NR 6 18.3 3.172 15.913 SRE 2C NR 6 10.7 1.487 17.400 SRE 2B NR 6 1.6 1.032 18.432 SRE 4 MainAccess to Angkor Wat 5.2 0.844 19.276 SRE 2A NR 6 6.2 1.755 21.031 SRE I Airport Access Rd. 2.2 0.543 21.574 Sub Total: 89.3 Sub Total: 21.574 Sihanoukville Province SVE I ._. NR 3 21.5 4.409 4.409 SV 1,2,5 Urban roads 1.1 0.410 4.819 Sub Total: 22.6 Sub Total: 4.819 Total for the Project: 115.2 Total for the Project: 28.103 3.2.1.2 Water Resources Phnom Penh has the misfortune of having a combined sewer system, designed such that sewage and street runoff mix and end up in the catch basins, which empty into the Mekong River (Sap and Bassac Rivers). The system is virtually plugged, causing severe flooding during the monsoon season when storm water mixed with sewage flows down the streets, flooding businesses, homes and restaurants. In essence the streets act as drainage channels, funneling this contaminated water into the Sap and Bassac Rivers, just at their confluence with the Mekong. 3.2.1.3 Airshed To date no data on air quality or the extent of road-related emissions have been obtained. The majority of Phnom Penh's traffic consists of motorcycles. Local airshed contamination does not appear to be a problem; there are no visible signs of air pollution. Due to its location on the shore of the Mekong-Sap confluence, Phnom Penh is subjected to regular winds, which quickly dissipate vehicle emissions. 3.2.1.4 Noise and Vibration Although no noise data exist for the project streets (based on a complete database search), it is estimated that during the morning and evening rush hours, noise levels easily exceed 7OdBA. These levels originate mainly from poorly maintained motorcycle taxis, and to a much lesser degree from cars and trucks. Traffic picks up dramatically at around 0600hrs and then drops off by lOOOhrs. By 2100hrs most streets are quiet, with noise levels well below the 45dBA mark. Vibration is not an issue since heavy vehicles are very uncommon in Cambodia. 8  3.2.2 Socioeconomic Environment Running from the Central Market Ringroad southward, Boulevard Charles de Gaulle and Boulevard Samdach Monireth, the project roads, pass through a mostly commercial and light industrial area. The existing street is a fully-developed urban thoroughfare, with curbs, gutters, sidewalks (in some places), and some roadside trees. These streets are used not only for vehicular traffic but also as gathering places, sales areas and locations for mobile vendors. 3.3 SIHANOLUKVILLE MUNICIPALITY All the roads in the Sihanoukville study area are within the Gulf of Thailand coastal zone. The rural road sections comprise NR3 along the coast between Veal Renh and Ban Trapeang Rapou. The I. 1 km of urban roads within the town of Sihanoukville pass through a market and commercial area. The project roads within the town of Sihanoukville are in a state of severe disrepair (see Annex 3), and present safety and sanitary hazards to local businesses. For the first 6-7km from Veal Renh, NR3 passes through rice-growing lands mixed with major tidal canals before moving on through marginal grazing lands on the landward side of the road and cut- over mangrove forest on the seaward or southwest side of the road (Photo 3 and Photo 4).. For 6km, the railroad parallels the road alignment. There are ten villages located along the road, most presenting minor environmental problems. Between Km 7 and Km 18, the roadbed will be raised to prevent destructive annual flooding of the road; the elevation of the road will be increased by up to 3.3m. The large amount of filling required for such an increase in elevation will create side slope toes as far as 15m from the edge of the existing carriageway (see cross-section details in Annex 3). The new road structure will extend over a 26m-width for at least lOkm of NR3. The fill material will come from existing borrow sites as well as a number of new sites located along the road. Trapeang Rapou, where between 25 and 30 residences and business establishments will have to be moved back from the carriageway to permit the road widening to take place, poses a problem in terms of resettlement and compensation (see RAP for details). Photo 2 Example of Urban Streets Included in the Project in Sihanoukville [See photos at end of report after Section7-References] Photo 3 NR3 Roadside Conditions [See photos at end of report after Section7-References] Photo 4 Cut-over Mangrove Forest Along NR3 [See photos at end of report after Section7-References] 3.3.1 Natural Environment 3.3.1.1 Forestry Wddlife and Habitat The natural environment of the urban Sihanoukville area relevant to the road project (1.1km) consists of roadside vegetation and trees which, for 95% of the road's length, will not-be touched. The habitat along both sides of NR3 has been extensively modified, with draught animal grazing, rice production and mangrove cutting (for charcoal production) taking place. Gully erosion is commonly seen south of Veal Ta Aoog village. Phnom Bokor National Park's southem boundary parallels the NR3 RoW between Kbal Prek and Trapeang Rapou, but it is more than 6km inland from the road. 9  3.3.1.2 Airshed Air quality in the Sihanoukville study area, which is well supplied with winds by the Gulf of Thailand, appears to be excellent. No quantitative data are available, but given the size of Sihanouk-ville Town and the small towns along NR3, as well as the low present and projected traffic levels (see Table 2), air quality is not an issue in this study area. 3.3.1.3 Water Resources In Sihanoukville Town water resources issues revolve around the storm water runoff and the present svstem of directing all runoff into the coastal waters along Sihanoukville's beach area. Beach users have complained about bad smells and pollution-induced (bacterial) 'swimmer's itch'. City officials have noted this problem. The project will not affect this situation, either positively or negatively, and no action related to drainage works is possible within the project TOR. Along NR3 there is one very large river/tidal canal (Prek Kampong Smach); the bridge which spans it will have a new deck installed. Further on, there are at least 10 small stream crossings. Five of the existing bridges will be used as they are and the rest will have new box culverts installed. These streams are surface drainage chamnels for the hills to the east. During the dry season they become small tidal canals; conditions vary between fresh water and brackish water. An extreme variation in water volumes exists. and sizing of bridge openings will be crucial to the maintenance of free- flowino systems in order to prevent. or at least minimize. erosion. The final crossing along NR3 at the Trapeang Rapou River/tidal canal requires replacement of a large bridge deck. The river will not be affected by this work. 3.3.1.4 Noise and Vibration Noise levels throughout thiis study area are estimated to be well below the 65-70. dBA levels considered to be the maximum acceptable in an outdoor residential setting. Within Sihanoukville, the actual and projected traffic volumes (see Table 2) suggest that noise is not and will not be an issue. The traffic volume forecasts predict 9000 vehicles per 24 hours on NR3 in 2017. This is small for a national highway. on which more than 80% of the traffic is two- and three-wheeled motorized" vehicles. At night the existing traffic has been virtually non-existent because of the dangers associated with night travel. It is expected to rise to an estimated 15% of the 24-hour volume over the next twenty years. Vibration is not an issue in this study area as heavy vehicles are rare. Table 2 AADT' Traffic Volume Fofcasts Along P ect Roads om economic study) Forecast Period/Type Forecast NR6-E2A NR6-E2B NR6-E2E-F NR3 Year Non-motorized Traffic % General >30% >30% >50% 3-5% of total 24hr period (total # of 1997 3536 24797 819 869 vehicles) 2007 7084 49679 3451 5493 2017 11650 81693 5783 9032 NIGHT: (0-5% of total 1997 177 1240 41 0 traffic) NIGHT: (15%) 2007 1063 7452 517 824 NIGHT: (15%) 2017 1747 12254 867 1355 'AADT-Average Annual Daily Traffic Volume: expressed as vehicles per day passing a point. 10 In fact, the proportion of 2- and 3-wheeled motorized traffic is not expected to decrease substantially over the next 20 years. 10  3.3.2 Socioeconomic Environment 3.3.2.1 Land, Communities and People In the urban area of Sihanoukville, encroachment on the RoW was found to be zero. Ten small communities are located along the rural section of NR3, with the largest being Trapeang Rapou. About 30 families live along the NR3 as it approaches the Trapeang Rapou Village bridge from the north. For the most part the villages along NR3 are well back from the road and typically consist of several residences, a store or two. a temple and a few other buildings. Encroachment is minor as most village residences are well off the road; however, some front yards of dwellings extend into the RoW. Stretches of NR3 from Km7 to Km l 8 are subject to severe annual flooding. resulting in major erosion problems along the road. Houses in the area are flooded regularly. 3.3.3 Cultural Environment There are no significant cultural heritage features within the RoW in the Sihanoukville study area. 3.4 SIEM REAP PROVINCE Siem Reap Province is quite div erse topographically. Siem Reap Town, while almost on the shore of Tonle Sap, is within 20 km of the southern extension of the Dangkret sandstone escarpmlent which stretches across northeni Cambodia. reaching elevations of 400-600 meters. The roads to be rehabilitated in Siem Reap Province fall into three distinct categories: urban roads, semi-urban roads (Main Angkor Wat Access Road), and rural roads (see Table 1). 3.4.1 Natural Environment Within Siem Reap Town. the roads slated for rehabilitation have no sensitive natural environment features in the RoW other than the mature trees on the town's main street, which runs past the King's palace and the access road to Angkor Wat. Only resurfacing of the road is planned along the stretches that have large trees, and therefore the trees will not be affected. Air quality, noise and vibration are not significant issues in the Siem Reap study area, as is indicated by the traffic volume projections (see Table 2). 3.4.1.1 Forests, Wildlife and Habitat On the rural sections of NR6 (towards the provincial border), roadside forest plantations are of some issue since over 1,500 mature trees will need to be removed from along the RoW to upgrade NR6 to an 8m road standard. Many of the roadside trees bear fruit such as mango, guava, and jackfruit, which are harvested by local people (see RAP for details). Tree removal is of particular concern in villages where trees, often with large canopies, provide shade, shelter and fuel for many residents. They serve as habitat for birds, which in turn control insect pests. Extensive agriculture (principally rice production) along roadsides precludes any 'natural' wildlife habitat being negatively affected. 3.4.1.2 Water Resources With the exception of the Siem Reap River, all waterways crossed by the project roads have an intermittent flow and are dry for 5 to 6 months of the year. These streams act as rain runoff channels and as such do not host fish year-round. During the monsoon season the river flows increase dramatically and fish from the Tonle Sap Lake migrate upstream to use a number of the streams (e.g., the Stoeng Chikreng, flowing through Kampong Kdai), for feeding and spawning. Fish species likely to be found in these streams include cyprinids (minnows, carp) and various catfish. These fish constitute an important seasonal food supply for the local population, and therefore these crossings are considered sensitive (see EMAP, Annex 1). 11  3.4.1.3 Air The actual and projected traffic volumes (see Table 2) do not indicate any present or future emissions-derived problems in Siem Reap. However, laterite dust produced by fast-moving traffic is a major problem during the dry season along NR6. Dust was obsered coating structures and trees within 100m of both sides of the road, including nearly 100% of the dwellings and food stalls along the roadside. A number of the open-air sheds along this road experience high levels of suspended particulate matter, especially during the dry season when wind conditions tend to be calm and the dust disperses slowly. Mitigative measures for the construction period along NR3 and NR6 as well as on the new quarry haul road off of NR6 (see Map 4) will have to be carefully planned. 3.4.1.4 Noise and Vibration While somewhat noticeable during heavy traffic periods of the day, noise is not a concern in Siem Reap Town. Noise levels are estimated to be at around 55dBA, with occasional spikes to 65-7OdBA as trucks pass by. Dwellings are generally set far back from the road, and thus avoid noise effects. On the rural sections of NR6, road noise is at virtually absent because of the very light vehicular traffic and the fact that existing traffic travels at low speeds. This is the case for all villages in the rural areas. Vibration is not an issue in Siem Reap Town nor in the villages through which the roads pass since traffic is primarily motorcycles and the occasional 5 to 10-ton truck; not enough to create road- related vibration problems. 3.4.2 Socioeconomic Environment Along the length of the NR6 RoW under consideration there are at least 12 villages which are very closely linked to the road in terms of transportation, commerce and communication. For the most part they are single or two-tiered villages (having one to two rows of buildings facing the road), with stores and restaurants fronting the main road. Small businesses, houses, stores and mobile vendors are all found within the RoW (Photo 5). Photo 5 Roadside activity, Kampong Kdai, Siem Reap Province, 1998 [See photos at the end of report after Section7-References] 3.4.2.1 Land, Commnunity and People Encroachment in the Siem Reap study area occurs along the urban as well as the rural roads. In the urban sections, namely SRE 2A-2B, more than 25 establishments (mostly businesses) are located in the RoW. In the rural sections of NR6, including the many small villages through which the road passes, the census of PAPs indicated that over 1,300 will be affected. These PAPs are primarily encroachers who have set up small business operations, are cultivating the land, or have ponds within the RoW. As discussed in the RAP, the majority of people using this land are farming small plots for rice, garden vegetables, and fruit tree crops. About 228 (of 1449) PAPs indicated that their operation in the RoW is their only means of support. 3.4.3 Cultural Property Siem Reap Province was designated a Protected Cultural Zone in 1994 under a Royal Decree (Reachkret). Any development work undertaken anywhere in the province which might disturb the natural environment and cultural property is governed by the Royal Decree, which requires that environmental studies, focusing on the impacts on and protection of cultural property, be undertaken. Under the terms of the Decree, the modification of any feature must be cleared with the provincial APSARA office as well as the Minister of Planning's office (UNESCO, 1996). Because of the highly sensitive cultural heritage and archeological conditions in Siem Reap, a full program of cultural property management, as pertains to the road rehabilitation project, is defined in this IEA. 12  NR6 runs through Siem Reap from the airport turnoff and over the Siem Reap River. and forms the oateway to the town and all the tourist attractions found there. The road from the Siem Reap River to the border with Kampong Thom Province is built over an ancient Angkor highway, and a number of important archaeological remains exist in the RoW. In fact the roadway itself is considered to be a culturally significant area because of its long existence. The most important site along the road is the 85m-long Speam Praptos Bridge. which crosses the Stoeng Chikreng River at Kampong Kdai. The bridge dates back to the 12'h or 13th Century and is considered to be an important piece of the national cultural heritage. Partially restored by the French government in 1966-67 [Dumarcay, 1967], this massive, ornate structure has been designated as part of the Angkor World Heritage Site (see Photo I). In addition to the Speam Praptos, there are nine comparatively small Angkor bridges made of quarried laterite along the road (see Photo 3). Four of these bridges were badly damaged by past military actions, and the rest have been weakened by flooding and the removal of laterite blocks by local people for building material. None are particularly visible from the roadway, yet each one is an integral part of this historic road (Photo 6). A number of the bridges have been buried by the existing road, with more recent bridge structures superimposed upon them. After consultation with the RCG, it was agreed that these nine smaller bridges would be strengthened and reconstructed and appropriate signage and interpretive information provided for tourists and other road users. Prior to the strengthening and restoration work technical specialists will complete a superficial archaeological survey of each site" and any other area within the construction that may have archaeological remains. It may well be that there is other, previously undiscovered cultural property within the road RoW. Map 3 Strip Maps of NR6 Showirig Location of Laterite Bridges [See following pages] lAround these sites there may be buried ancient structures. dating back to the 12'h and 131' centuries. 13  e-~~__ __ - 1* r- F '/ . V _I -* i~0D=i } i~. - .~- C . - .. -- I . ! . . - tt ~ 1: I I-- . . i -~ ~ -- .- ' '!-ri- - - -'-- ---- _ ,- I i , . - - - - --Z-!-. . o |'- .X,t..,. -- - - - ~- - ! t - i 1 - /. . .D....1 - --W ~~~F ._ 71i I........ '''' --. Ct.....................................| . . ;.. .ej . .i *t~~~~ . - . _ X__. ____. _._ Uq ~ ~~~~ ~~ 'j ' ' -- -'._ _- __._.~- -'~''~ o ~~ . ....._.' . . - -=_ . . . . - - -. - - .. - _ _ . _- _,, -7- t ............. _ .. __- - . - - - -----'- -- - --- ---+__ ._I'.i LI>- . . ~ ~ . _ . _ _ _ __ . _ .-- - ---- - .il ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. _. . , t - - . _ __ _ -2 \..C .... . _- _ .... . :_F4 .~ j ! 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I... -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. .. . . 0~~~~~~~ .. . . . ;; .; . . . -f, . . . .' . . . . ., . 0 - t | 0 0 ; ~~~- 1y4- - j _ . . .- . . . . . - . - u ~ 0 0 0 t ; 0 . -.---- .-----.--. _ -.;--- .--- ~-I . -. .t .- . ..... . . s~ ~ ~~~" - i --- -_ .......-____--._,_ ....... . 0 ~ ~ f 0 _ ___ . . . __, --_ = . -- ., .. y .__._ _________ __ __m =_,___. . _ ........................ . f~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- 4  :~~~~~~~~~~~~~ :-- - - l- - - - - - - . . . - - - - =- - =- - - - =- - - - - - I 'L =- - - __----------- 4 . = t . . .. . . __ . ,_ ,_ _ ._ .__ - G- ~ ~~. . . . . ._ . . .i: ._ _=. . . ._- - =. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . _, . . . . . . . . . _. _ .,_ _ - --- - - - - - - - I .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i7 s~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~f 1 a r t ~ ~ ~ ~ -- . . . . . . .'. _ ._ . . . . .- .7771~~~~~~_7 . nI.sz , .1 * |_* _ 0~ ~ ~ Xi - )r ID- J _-_ __ .._ -__ ._ - -r . . I , _ , _ _ _,_._ _ _ _-'-- v~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ '.. . . . .,_____. . __. _.o_. .L... - - z . . .. .. * . __ _ ' ~ - ~~ ~ ~~- . - s_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -- - -.,4 .____ -...- .~-,--- --.. t=-- _..,------...--..- --+ rI i -r ; ^ t 7-.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .. 1o ..,..1. .......4 , ,|I.S.....  Photo 6 Small Laterite Block Bridge in "Good" Condition [See photos at the end of report after Section7-References] Photo 7 Heavily Damaged Laterite Block Bridge [See photos at the end of report after Section7-References] 4 IMPACTS AND MITIGATIVE MEASURES Mitigative measures for the project area are summarized in this section and are identified in detail (including costing) in the project EMAP in Annex 1. 4.1 PHNOM PENH MUNICIPALITY 4.1.1 Natural Environment For the urban roads, impacts on the natural environment will be negligible. Construction-period impacts such as noise, dust, restricted access and traffic congestion are about the same as those associated with regular city road maintenance; these impacts are temporary in nature, and do not call for special mitigation. Proper procedure for management of construction sites and materials, protection of private property, and traffic management will be observed and specified in the Construction Contract, Terms and Conditions, and Specifications. Given that the roads in question are projected to have relatively low traffic volumes, even in 20 years (see Table 2), the project should not generate air quality problems. Improved road surfaces should aid traffic flow, thus reducing congestion and associated air pollution. In any case, Phnom Phen experiences regular winds originating in the Mekong-Sap confluence which aid in dissipating air pollutants. 4.1.2 Social Environment Other than temporary inconvenience from the resurfacing and storm drain improvement, no social impact is anticipated. 4.2 SIHANOUKVILLE MUNICIPALITY 4.2.1 Natural Environment In Sihanoukville Town, impacts resulting from the resurfacing of the 1.3km of urban roads are expected to be negligible. Removal of roadside vegetation will be minimal, the sewer system will be unaltered, and projected increases in traffic levels (see Table 2) are not expected to be great enough to produce any significant air quality or noise-related impacts. Along NR3, roadside residents will experience occasional noise peaks from poorly maintained trucks passing by, but these are expected to be infrequent occurrences. In the rural areas along NR3, impacts will be greater. The elevation of the road between Km7 and Kml 8 will greatly increase the portion of the RoW taken up by the fill slopes. Roadside trees which would interfere with the fill slopes will have to be removed. These will be replaced as part of the replanting program, which will have to take place during the construction period so as to avoid erosion of the new fill slopes and increased siltation of local waterways. Care will have to be taken in the design and construction stages to ensure that upgraded water crossings do not cause new erosion or fish migration problems. This can be achieved by assuring that all culverts have sufficient capacity to carry the runoff flows without constricting channels and increasing flow speeds. New culverts should be placed at slopes no greater than 3% to maintain streambed gradients acceptable for migrating fish, and any downstream plunge pools should have erosion protection, such as large rocks or a concrete lip extending beyond the culvert edge. Borrow site operations, maintenance and closure are described in the EMAP (Annex 1). 14  4.2.2 Social Environment Social impacts of the straightforward resurfacing work to be undertaken within Sihanoukville Town are expected to be negligible. No relocation of residents' homes or activities will be required. Disruption of business activities during the construction period is a temporary impact. and is in any case expected to be minor. The greatest social impacts are expected along the rural stretches of NR3 between Km7 and Km 18. Here. the elevation of tlhe road by up) to 3.3m and the associated increase in the size of the overall road structure -ill lme all that access for local residents and businesspeople wl l bc made ImloreC difficult: new\ access roads and ramps wvill have to be provided. A number- cf dwellings. othel structu-es, and agricultur-al plots which are prcsentl\ located within the fill zoiie w,vill need to be moved. M4ost of the loss of agricultural land wil1 occur along both sides of the road betw-eeni Km9 and KmrlS. Based on a driving survev. it is estimiiated that 35 to 40 structures wvill nced to be relocated alono NR3. of which about 50%O are located along the 400-500nm approach to the Trapeang Rtapou bridge. W'ith the excCptio]n of a few- Structurcs verv close to the bridge. where sever a] layers of structures exist. relocation wyill involve simply moving the structures back- fiomii the existing2 can-iaeew?k as far ais is dictated 1b- tihe p-rojected location of the slope toe. Relocation and compensation issues are addressed in detail in the RAP (Annex 6). Annual flooding of the communities alone NR3 is a fact of life for residents. and currently has little to do xvith the road. Attention w ill have to be paid during the design stage to the potential effects of the newly elevated roadbed on dispersal of floodwaters. Where impoundment of floodwaters by the newt 3m-high road structure is anticipated. appropriate drainage measures wvill be incorporated to avoid prolonging the flood season for roadside communities. In locations where the roadway is customarily used for conmmerce or congregating or, for that matter, wherever it is used by pedestrians. a potentially significant social impact is reduced safety. The condition of NR3 has alwvays been such that traffic was very light and had to move relatively slowly; local residents are not familiar writh the hazards posed by a greater number of faster-moving vehicles. Speed limit signs and other standard road-safety measures will be used in an effort to prevent an increase in serious road-related accidents in and around villages. 4.3 SIEM REAP PROVINCE 4.3.1 Natural Environment Mature trees lining both sides of NR6 from the airport access road intersection and through town are considered to be an important part of the scenic entrance to the center of Siem Reap; these trees will be left in place. They are far enough from the road's edge that no modifications in road design will have to be made to accommodate them. Due to a local scarcity of suitable aggregate material, a new quarry may be established northeast of Kampong Kdai along the Praptos River (Map 4). Its construction and operation will need to be carefully monitored. The design and construction stages must include measures to ensure that upgraded water crossings do not cause fish migration problems. Exposed earth slopes should be revegetated promptly to avoid siltation of channels. Also, all culverts should have sufficient capacity to carry the runoff flows without constricting channels and increasing flow speeds. New culverts should be placed at slopes no greater than 3% to maintain streambed gradients acceptable for migrating fish, and any plunge pools should have erosion protection, such as large rocks or a concrete lip extending beyond the culvert edge. 15  4.3.2 Social Environment The overridin_ environmental issue in Siem Reap is the relatively large number of project-affected people along the rural section of NR6. In the town of Siem Reap only two or three dwellings will have to be rclocated: fo tihe most part, impacts withini the town wRill be limited to temporary access restr-ictions dutrine- the construction period. Measures will be put in place to ensure that busin1esses in the RoAV maintain street access throughout the construction period. MlonL ic NR6 firom Silem Reap to the Khanapong Thon. border road. mor-e thani 200 structur-es will n ecc' lto bhc puShd back fi-on- their- existine locations at thc edae of the carrianewav (about A-3.1ni iu tihe centerlinle). Conipensation measures proposed in the 1P-I (Annex 6) include permittina people to colntilnilue to UsC a por1ion of the RoW. since durini StLace I of thie improvement widenino \viIl onl\ be to Snv The o-verninent will provide financial afristance to help people to mnove tlheir SlrvChtrc, wack to C safc distance friom the carriaoeeav. Those r'emainililna in tihe 50-m RoNV would be asked to si41n an ar cement stipulating that the- will move furhlel- back fr-om thle RoW Tvehn Stage 2 is iniluated and the v\ idcninLl to the full I Im wvidth takes place. If possible. agreements will be m1ade to h.a' C the P'APs mocive off tlhe coTidor-of-impact during this resettlemnen-t. Thle sicned aereemenlt will give occupants ample time to plan their eventual move furtlher- back from the RoW within the next 10-15 vears if thev choose to remiiain close to the road durin- this time. More details are presented in the RAP (Ainex 6). As witlh NR3. local residents, especially those in rural areas, are not accustomled to fast-moving traffic. This poses a safetv concern; speed control signs will be placed at the entrances of the towns and villages thlrough wvhich the road passes, with the goal of preventing an increase in serious accidents. A further safety concern posed by the mixture of slowv- and fast-moving vehicles is being addressed by the design of an oxcart path which would parallel the road where space permits. 4.3.3 Cultural Environment An archeolgical expert from the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient (EFEO) conducted a study of the ancient bridges on the NR6 between Siem Reap city and the Kompong Thom provincial border. His brief was to recommend a strategy for the Project that would preserve the cultural aspects of these bridges and yet satisfy the Project objective to improve the road. Although the final report of this expert was not available at the time of finalizing this report an interim report was available. This interim report recommended that the ancient bridges not be dismantled or moved from their current positions but rather that engineering solutions should be identified whereby the bridges could remain where they are and with suitable strengthening and reconstruction the new widened and improved raod could pass over them. This strategy has been informally accepted by the CCP and adopted by the Project. The issue of greatest concern in terms of possible cultural heritage impacts is the continued use of the Speam Praptos bridge at Kampong Kdai for national highway traffic. The nine smaller ancient Angkor bridges are to be strengthened with a new reinforced concrete deck slab and internal columns together with reconstruction/restoration as found necessary. This work will be performed under the additional specialist supervision of an archeoligist. One potential negative impact is damage to cultural heritage that may exist in the RoW. A superficial archaeological survey is called for in the EMAP, but it is possible that some sites will be overlooked and permanently buried beneath the road. The EMAP also contains a provision for the training of construction workers in procedures for dealing with cultural heritage features uncovered during the construction period. 16  In light of the great wealth of cultural heritage features in Siem Reap and the considerable potential for project-related impacts on it, the RCG has decided to form a Steering Committee on Cultural Property (CCP). The CCP's role will be to advise and assist the PIU in all handling of cultural heritage issues related to project actions: it Nwill also develop a protocol to be acted upon in the event of al1! discoverN of previously Unklnown cultural hacrita2c features in the RoW du-ing constructioni. See Anricx1 4 for details on the establishlnent of the CCP. 4.4 THlE ENVIRONMENTAL ALkNAGEMIENT ACTION PLAN In arri\ing at the design and scale of this pnojcct many optionis \vCe-C examined (see Option7s Repori. I0C. I 905). The optiolns w\Cle eCXamine ine tIr of thcir enetneerine. CCOnomiiC and ellnviromentl beneCfits and costs. Solme roads \-,vere completely] rcmovc fiomr, consideration due to their high CeneInceerill costs and potential enrivronnental losses. prilrmarily in milc social environninillt aica. inder thle chc'sCIl sccllario. imipilacts on the natural cn; ironlmllelnt arc. for the molslt part. expectedi to tiC ni; n't and. in falCI an improvemlcnt iln tilch naual etwiromnta conditions iS possible in man\ cases. onsultat'ionl Rwithi thc MOE anid Forestr\ ofljej-als. as wcell as intemational oran:.ization1s SuLCh t1s F7A0. TUNEP and others \Nolking inl Sicni R)C- ,ad TinKamrpo; provinces. confirmed these findings. Tlh,e follow\ina construction-period actions were predicted to gener ate the gr-eatest negativ e im1pacts: N'atural Environment * bitumen eheating and aggregate crushing; * borrowN pit and quarry access road constluction and operation (NR6): * laterite dust production from construction and other vehicle imovement; construction noise at late hours; clearing the RoW of trees; and * workforce sewage and garbage disposal. Social Environrment displacement of people from the road RoW; destruction of immovable assets located within the RoW; and * taking of arable land currently used by occupants of the RoW. Cultural Environment loss of cultural property during construction; exposure of the Speam Praptos bridge to increasing traffic * strengthening and restoration of the nine ancient 12th to 13th Century bridges along NR6; - possible loss of culturally significant assets, which have not been discovered. During the operation stage, impacts involving road-generated noise and emissions-related air quality deterioration will grow in proportion to traffic volumes. The projected growth in traffic volumes through 2017 may generate air and noise pollution impacts of enough magnitude to warrant mitigative measures in some cases, primarily in the urban areas. The maintenance of culverts and bridges to prevent obstructions from constricting the runoff flow during the monsoon period will be important erosion control measures. Since the population living along the project roads is not accustomed to any traffic, the opening of the road will pose a serious safety hazard, particularly through the many towns and villages where the road will be used as a commercial zone and place for congregating. Ox carts, bicycles, motorcycles and motorcycle taxis will constitute more than 80% of the traffic on the upgraded roads. This slow-moving traffic will share the roads with cars, trucks and buses which will be able to travel the resurfaced roads at greater speeds. The mix of slow- and fast-moving vehicles could pose a safety problem. 17  The Simplified Engineering Assessment and Design of the Kompong Kdai bridge indicated that the incrcasec liv e load due to vehicle weight will make little difference on the foundations as 95% of load carried by tle foundations is due to dead load ( i.e. the bridpe's on self weight ). The critical - cd - slr l V llingill in fact. dccreasc thle strcss at t h` cril.tc'l pOillt throulf: a w. ider v'is :il;u : tV c I\ lac !oad li is rocommeicnded that %vic- c'c;..il des'cn is madc tests s'iould lbc tionlc cr, UoCl,iI IS or cciCS takc fri t ,i-.l \v\ ich is in tIh bridac. I1a< ies.- ']i(U]e. e<c:r,ie- J ieC sale compressi\C st:rcs 1r,