China - Shaanxi Ankang Road Development Project : resettlement action plan (Vol. 1 of 2) : Ankang Maoba Expressway

RP439 v 1 Shaaxi Ankang Road Development Project Resettlement Action Plan For Ankang-Maoba Expressway RECEIVED MAY0 5 2006 EASTR I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A ~~~SCANNED Shaanxi Provincial TransportDepartment In April 2006  ................ I OBJECTIVES OF THE RAP AND DEFINITION OF RESETTLEMENT TERMINOLOGY 1 I GENERAL INTRODUCTION ..................................................................... I 1.1 Background .......................................................................... 2 1.2 General description ........................................................................... 3 1.3 Significance ........................................................................... 6 1.4 Planned schedule .......................................................................... 6 1.5 Measures to reduce the impact of the project .......................................................................... 8 1.6 Project design......................................................................... 8 1.7 Preparation of resettlement rules .......................................................................... 9 1.8 Preparation for RAP ........................................................................... 1.9 Strategic objectives for com piling RAP ......................................................................... ]0 11 2 GENERAL NATURAL SOCIOECONOMIC SITUATION IN AFFECTED AREAS ....................... 11 2.1 Characteristics of physical geography 2.2 General socioeconomic situation of the affected areas 13 2.3 General socioeconomic situations of affected towns/townships and villages .15 2.4 General economic situation of the affected households .21 2.5 Modes of livelihood in the affected area.22 3 PROJECT IMPACT .25 3.1 Determining the scope ofland acquisition and resettlement .26 3.2 Survey on entity indexes for land acquisition and relocation .26 3.3 Major indexes of affected properties .27 3.4 Analysis on project impact.37 4 FRAMEWORK OF RESETTLEMENT POLICIES .41 4.1 Policybasis.41 4.2 Relevant laws and regulations .41 4.3 Compensation standards .48 4.4 Table of PAPs' rights and interests .. 51 5 RESETTLEMENT AND RESTORATION PLAN.56 5.1 Objective and plan.56 5.2 Policy and principle of the immigration resettlement plan.56 5.3 Overall plan for immigration resettlement .57 5.4 Analysis of the immigration resettlement environmental potentiality .58 5.5 Plan for rural resettlement .59 6 BUDGET OF COMPENSATION FOR LAND ACQUISITION AND REMOVAL.65 6.1 Basis of budget.66 6.2 Compensation principles.66 6.3 Budget of compensation .66 1  7 RESETTLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ... ..................................................................... 70 7.1 Implementation Procedures ......................................................................... 7.2 Schedule .............................................................................. 70 7.3 Fund 72 flow and allocation plan ............................................................................. 73 8 ORGANIZATIONS ......................................................................... 8.1 Organization 76 establishment ............................................................................... 8.2 Organizations' 76 composition and responsibility ....................................................................... 8.3 Staff ....... 76 .............................................................................. 8.4 Connections 78 between Organizations ........................... ................................................... 8.5 Measures 79 to strengthen the organizations' capacity ................................................... ...................... 80 9 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND CONSULTATION ....................................................................... 81 9.1 Public participation ......................................................................... 9.2 Appealing 81 procedures and channels .............................................................................. 85 9.3 Public Consultation ............................................................................... 85 10 MONITORING AND EVALUATION ......................... ................................................ 10.1 Internal 86 monitoring ............................................................................... 10.2 External 86 independent monitoring and evaluation ............................................................................ 87 11 REPORT COMPILATION PLAN......................................................................... 90 11.I Report onthe RAP .............................................................................. 11.2 Report 90 on resettlement progress .............................................................................. 11.3 Report 90 on independent monitoring and evaluation .......................................................................... Appendix 91 I Guide to resettlement investigation for Ankang-Maoba Highway Project ....................... Appendix 92 II Forms of social investigation in the affected areas........................................................... Appendix 96 III Table of the project affected towns and villages ........................................................... Appendix 105 IV Statistic table of land acquisition in each village ....................... ................................... Appendix 106 V Statistic table of demolition and removal of private houses in each village................... Appendix 10 VI Statistic Table of the project affected population in each village for Ankang-Maoba Highway Project ............................................................................ 12 Appendix VII Statistic table ofthe scattered adult trees to be felled and tombs to be removed Appendix ineach village... 114 VIII RAP and plan for land acquisition and house removal in the major villages affected by the project .......................................................................... 116 Appendix IX Affiche Replica of Project ..................................................................... 144 2  Objectives of the RAP and Definition of Resettlement Terminology The Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) is prepared according to the Laws and Regulations of PRC, that of Shaanxi Province as well as a series of regulations in the Guidelines of the World Bank (Operational Directive for Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP4.12). Its purpose is to set out an action plan for the resettlement and rehabilitation of the project affected persons (PAPs) to ensure that they will benefit from the project and their standards of living will be improved or at least be restored after the project. On account of the implementation of the project, occupation of land and other properties will impose great negative effect on the people toiling in the fields and making a living by farming. "The Project Affected Persons refer to those whose production or life will be affected by land acquisition and house removal for the project. The following people will be involved: (1) Their land (including house sites, land occupation for public facilities, agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery and sideline production), buildings (including private houses and auxiliaries, enterprises' buildings and public buildings, etc.), rights or other properties will be partially or wholly, temporarily or permanently acquisitioned and occupied (2) They own the above-mentioned land, buildings or properties, or their work, residential places and life style will be adversely affected. (3) Their living standard will be adversely affected because of land acquisition and house removal. Definition of "PAPs": "PAPs" refer to those: whose living standards have been adversely affected or will be adversely affected because of the project implementation; whose ownership of any house, rights or interest, land (including house sites, farmland and grassland) or other movable or immovable property will be temporarily or permanently acquisitioned or occupied; whose business, occupation, work or inhabitation and life will be adversely affected. PAPs may be individuals or legal persons of a company, or a public institution. Definition of PAPs is not limited to their legal status, life style or business in the affected location, or their title to property compensation. They include: (1) Those will be affected by the project regardless of their legal rights or absence when their property is acquisitioned. (2) Those have not got the residential permit to live in a specified place. Therefore all those to be affected will need to be considered and recorded as PAPs, regardless of their legal property, land or social position. If the land or property to be acquisitioned belongs to more than one person, or one household, they will be compensated and rehabilitated according to their loss, their rights, and the impact on their living standards. The definition of PAPs is linked directly to the adverse effect of the project, regardless of their legal rights title or interest.  All PAPs are entitled to some compensation to improve or at least restore their living standards, and compensation for the property losses. Compensation for their property will be paid by the replacement cost. Deductions and discounts by the excuse of depreciation or other reasons will be strictly forbidden as far as their compensation amount is concerned. All PAPs should benefit from the effect. In addition to the compensation for their property losses, they are entitled to receive subsidy to restore their life and production. Those PAPs, who have no title, authorization or legal permission to reside in, to do business, to cultivate land or build houses, are also eligible for rehabilitation of their livelihoods and compensation for their property and accordingly are on an equal footing with those with formal legal title, authorization or permissions for depreciation or other reasons for depreciation or other reasons. Definition of "Resettlement" "Resettlement " refers to making some arrangements for PAPs' life and production so that they can benefit from the project. Its main contents include (]) to relocate their living quarters; (2) to find new jobs for those who are affected; (3) to restore (or compensate) the affected land, workplaces, trees and infrastructure; (4) to improve their living standards (quality of life), affected by land acquisition and house removal (e.g. the adverse effect ofpollution); (5) to restore or compensate the affected private and public enterprises; (6) to restore the adversely affected culture and collective property. Definition of "Restoration" "Restoration" refers to restoring the affected people's ability of resumed production and their life to a higher level or at least equal to the previous life before the project. In order to achieve this objective, this RAP is to provide some countermeasures for the PAPs to restore their income to support themselves. Besides, the affected businesses (including shops and enterprises) and public property, infrastructure and cultural property will also be improved or at least restored to the previous standard. ii  1 General introduction 1.1 Background Since the implementation of reform and open policy in China, the west of China has quickened its construction of infrastructure, esp. transportation so as to enhance the interchange and mutual compensation of economic factors between the east and west part of the country. As a result, there has been a leap forward in transportation as compared with the situation in the very beginning. As for narrowing down the gap between various parts of the country, expanding the open-up policy, and making cooperation and developing trade in broader areas, however, the west part of China is still rather backward intransportation. Accordingly, much priority is given to the construction of infrastructure in the implementation of western development strategy. Therefore, on the basis of the existing "five longitudinal and 7 transverse" national trunk highways, the Ministry of Communications of China planned "4 longitudinal and 4 transverse" provincial trunk highways (eight highways) in 2000 to meet the strategic requirements in the great west development. Its aim was to break the bottleneck restriction in the West China, and to improve the poor inter-provincial transportation in the west so as to meet the needs of the development ofnational economy. Arun Banner-Xi'an-Chongqing-Beihai (Arun-Beihai) is one of the planned eight trunk highways connecting the north, northwest with her southwest coastal cities, playing an important role in the whole transportation network of the country. This trunk highway passes through six provinces (autonomous region), i.e., Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, and Guangxi. Its total length is planned to be about 4000km, of which 950km is in Shaanxi Province, connecting the three economic regions, Northern Shaanxi, central Shaanxi, and Southern Shaanxi, forming the pillar of the highway network frame of the province. Ankang-Maoba section is an important part of the expressway in Shaanxi Province, its construction is of great strategic significance in improving the major framework of the provincial highway network and in speeding up the economic development in the West China, especially, the economic growth along the expressway in Shaanxi. No. 210 national highway is the most important passageway from Xi'an to Chongqing and the areas beyond it. This section starts from Xi'an, climbs southwards over Qinlin Mountain,Yueheliang, Pingheliang, and reaches Shiquan; then its goes through Xixiang, Zhenba, over Daba Mountain into Sichuan Province; it runs southwards, passing through Wanyuan, Dazhou, and reaching Chongqing at last, covering a total length of 855km. At present, most parts of the existing highway are of Grade 3. Located in the rolling terrain of i Qinba Mountain where the topographic and geological conditions are rather complicated, the existing highway is low in technical standards, small in transportation capacity, so the traffic blockage occurs frequently. Meanwhile, it is weak in resisting the natural disasters, accompanied by geological hazards every year, often resulting in traffic blockage. That seriously hinders the communications between the north and south of Qinling Mountain. Considering the general trend of the great west development and local economy, the exiting highway cannot meet the requirement of the fast transportation in the future. In order to meet the needs of sustainable fast development of economy and service of major highways, China has quickened her pace for the construction of arterial highways and inter-provincial highways in the  West China. At present, Xi'an-Huangling section of the expressway in Shaanxi Province has been put into operation, and most sections from Huangling to the boundaries of northern Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia will start soon. The construction of Xi'an-Ankang section started during the 15th five-year national plan period. Ankang-Maoba section is the southern tip portion of Arun-Beihai Expressway in Shaanxi 1.2 General description 1.2.1 Technical indexes According to the relevant specifications in Highway Project Technical Standards (JTG BO]-2003) issued by the Ministry of Communications in March 2004, with comprehensive consideration of the functions of this project in the national highway networks and regional highway networks, together with the analysis of the traffic capacity of the project, resultof traffic volume prognosis, topography along the line, it has been determined that the project is a 4-lane expressway with the design speed of 80km/hour, and subgrade width of 24.5m. For some difficult sections, the technical indexes can be lowered appropriately provided that the running speed of vehicles is ensured. The main technical indexes of the project are listed in Table 1-1. Table 1-1 Main technical indexes of the proposed highway Index Unit Technical index Design speed km/hr. 80 Mileage km 86.902 Subgrade width m 24.5 Lane width m 2x7.5 Min. radius of horizontal curve m 400 Max. longitudinal gradient % 4.6 Clearance of culvert and bridge m 10.25 Design loads of culvert and bridge Highway-Grade I Design flood frequency of culvert Extremely large bridge: 1/300, others: and bridge 1/100 1.2.2 Quantity of work The recommended route, Ankang-Maoba section, totals 86.902km, and there are altogether 21235.69rn/15 extremely large bridges, 19751.05m/931 large bridges, 1080.06m/25 medium bridges, 158.08m/llsmall bridges; 28986.5m/5 super-long tunnels, 3842m/2 long tunnels, 4487.0m/6 medium tunnels, 6273.5m/18 short tunnels; 6 interchanges and I flying bridge, 18 passageways, besides, I management department, 3 service areas, 5 parking zones, 2 maintenance zones, and 6 rump toll stations. 2  1.2.3 Alignment The major alignment of the project is from northeast to southwest. It starts from Yinjiaying (K196+560), Wuli Town, Hanbin District, Ankang City, joining Xiaohe-Ankang Expressway under construction. Then it goes ahead combining with planned Shiyan-Tianshui Expressway, flying southward over Yuehe River. It then goes westwards along the southern bank of the river, passing Liujia Village and Hejiaba, separating with Shiyan-Tianshui Expressway at Hengkou Interchange in Jiajiagou. Afterwards it runs southwards to Jiajiagou, passing Fenghuang Mountain via 5km super long tunnel at Taishanmiao, coming out of the tunnel at Xiejiayuanzi. It then goes along Qiligou, via Gunpeling Tunnel, turning westwards, passing Heigou, Danjiagou, Xiongjiagou, flying across Yijiahe River. It then reaches the interchange at Yejiayuanzi, going southwestwards via Longjiagou, Beigou, flying over Liushuihe River at Lljiabao, entering Huoshiliang Tunnel(L=1830m) from Xiaogangouya to Biegaizi. Going along Haopinghe River and passing Shuangqing Village, it reaches Haoping Interchange at Yangjiayuanzi. Joining Hengzi Highway and passing super long Mixiliang Tunnel (L=8062.5m) from Zhujiayuan to Changtangou, at the entrance of Changtangou, it flies over Xiangyu Railway and Hanjiang River. Passing through Songjialiang, Ziyang Power Station, Mahuangling and entering Renhe section, it goes along the south bank of Renhe River and comes to Ziyang Interchange at Mozigou. Then, it passes Longdonggou, Taishanmiao and Maojiatai, reaching the north bank at Renhe, via Wujiawan, Wafangdian, Heiwang, Bajiaogou, entering Bajiao Township. It passes Gaotan Town, Yuxihe, Daba, arriving at the destination, Maoba Interchange at Dalantan(K293+000), covering a total length of 86.902km. Its major control points are Hengkou, Haoping, Ziyang, Quanhekou and Maoba. 1.3 Significance (I) To meet the requirements in implementing the strategy of great west development, perfecting and optimizing the artery highway network of the country. For a long time, the economic growth in the West China has been sluggish because of its history, natural geological environment and other factors, so has been the construction of its infrastructure, such as transportation. The strategy of great west development has provided a gold historic chance for west China. To develop the west China, the key point is to quicken the construction of its transportation. The passage blockage restraining the communication between the west China, central and east China, between southwest China and northwest China, should be broken through to form a smooth passage to coastal areas and surrounding areas. For this purpose, on the basis of the previous 12 national trunk highways, the Ministry of Communications of China planned 8 inter-provincial trunk highways for west development in 2000 and ordered to quicken the west development. Being a pioneer of the west development, the aim is to improve the transportation between the provinces in the West China and those in central and east China and to complete the national trunk highway network as soon as possible. This project is therefore, of great significance in boosting the implementation of great west development, changing the backward infrastructure of transportation in the West China and perfecting the artery highway network of China. (2) To meet the requirements in strengthening the link between economic zones and building powerful 3  provinces in the West China The proposed projected connects two large economic zones, southwest China and northwest China. It also links the two central cities, Xi'an and Chongqing in the West China. Xi'an is at the center of China, also at the intersection of south to north and east to west in China. Cooperating with the East China to develop the West China, Xi'an has been very important in linking the north and south of the country, a pivotal city connecting the East China with southwest China and northwest China. As the two key cities in the West China, Xi'an and Chongqing are also two adjoining cities, there is a strong complementary function between the two cities. It is very important to strengthen the link between the two cities, especially for the development of the West China. Arun-Beihai Expressway, planned by the Ministry of Communications, will greatly shorten the trip between the two cities. The project is therefore, essential to boost the combination of economic development of the two cities, enhance and improve the inter-provincial highway network between Sichuan, Shaanxi, Chongqing and their adjoining areas, and accelerate the economic development along the line. In addition, the proposed project is very important in driving the economic development in Southern Shaanxi, making full use of the latent advantages of Shaanxi, realizing the leap forward of economy in Shaanxi, and becoming a powerful province in the West China as soon as possible. (3) To meet the requirements in perfecting the highway network in Shaanxi Province In the central part of China, Shaanxi is located in the joining areas of the central and west China, and adjoining it are eight provinces/specialties/autonomous regions in the four large jurisdiction zones, north China, central China, northwest China, and southwest China, its pivotal role is prominent. As an important means of transportation for the economic and social development in Shaanxi Province, its highways have been developed very quickly in recent years, forming a provincial highway network with the national arterial highway as trunks, west large passageways, national and provincial trunk highways as major frame, and with Xi'an as the center, Having linked cities, towns and highways of the adjoining provinces. Due to the backward economic development, insufficient ability of self-development and weak sustainability, its highway construction still lags behind the overall economic development in Shaanxi. The strategy of great west development has brought higher requirements for the construction of infrastructure, such as transportation. Of the "five longitudinal and seven transverse" national trunk highways, Qindao-Yinchuan Highway (GZ35), Eren Hot-Hekou Highway (GZ40), Lianyungang-Huoerguosi Highway (GZ45) pass Shaanxi Province and of the eight large passageways in the West China, Six highways go through Shaanxi, including Arun-Beihei Highway, Yinchuan-Wuhan Highway, Xi'an-Hefei Highway, etc., forming the backbone of Shaanxi's highway network. Those six major highways link ten provincial cities in the provinces, all the national and provincial high-tech development zones, economic development zones, agriculture bases and major tourist attractions, making Shaanxi the pivot linking east and west China, north and south China, and an important distribution center of Eurasian land bridge in China. The total length of the six highways in Shaanxi is 2900km, of which, about 10OOkm has been put into operation, about 10OOkm is under construction, and still the construction of about 900km highway is to be started. As to the arrangement of the Ministry of Communications, the construction of 4  arterial highways and major highway in the West China is to be completed by 2008 and 2010 respectively. Therefore, there is stilla heavy task for highway construction in Shaanxi and its pace should be sped up. (4) To meet the requirement in developing the road transportation in northwest and southwest of China Due to the blockage of a number of mountain ranges, such as Qinlin Mountain, Daba Mountain, Bayan Har Shan Mountain, Tanggula Mountain, the communication between northwest China and southwest China has been poor all the time in the history. The technical standards ofthe road construction after liberation are low, which cannot meet the requirements of transportation between the two areas. The poor transportation has always been a factor restricting the economic links between northwest China and southwest China. Between Xi'an and Chongqing, there is only No. 210 national trunk highway so far. Because it was constructed early with low technical standards (most parts are of grade 111), and long detoured distance, it cannot meet the requirement of economic development for transportation in the West China. Based on the analysis of traffic volume at Panjiahe Traffic Volume Observation Station along G210 Highway, there had been a fast traffic growth before 2001, for the traffic volume of 288 vehicles (absolute value) in 1990 had increased to 1168 vehicles in 2001, with an average annual increase of 13.57% for vehicles and over 20% for heavy lorries. 24-hours OD observation at Yudu toll station in 2003 shows that inter-provincial through traffic takes up 56% of the total vehicle. The above data show the prominent role of the proposed highway in linking west China. It should be noticed that the present highways are low in technical standards so that the trip takes longer time, which considerably restrains the distance transportation. There is a large latent transportation potential of cargoes and passengers between Shaanxi, Sichuan and Chongqing where the population takes up about 10% of the country's total. Construction ofthe project will certainly boost the economic link between Shaanxi, East Sichuan and Chongqing, attracting a large amount of flow of cargoes and passengers. The construction ofthe project is therefore to meet the requirement of the development of transportation between northwest and southwest of China. (5) To meet the requirement of economic development in the backward mountainous areas and poor peasants' poverty relief Ankang City is located at Qinba mountainous area, a transitional zone from subtropical to warm temperate zones. Separated by Qinling Mountain and Bashan Mountain from the outside, it is poor in developing its environmental and natural conditions, being backward in infrastructure, weak in industries, irrational in industrial structure. And for a long time, its advantageous resources cannot be exploited. It is one of the major poor areas of the country since its social development oflocal economy has been backward at all times. Of 10 counties/districts of the city, 7 of them are among the national poor counties. Since the implementation of reform and open up, though great development of the local economy has made, it still considerably lags behind the average development level in Shaanxi Province. In 2004, its GDP per capita was 4000yuan, only about 38.55% of the national average and 55.82% of the provincial average respectively, and its peasant's net income was only 1471 yuan, only 57.23% of the national average and 88.78% of the provincial average, so that it is a major city to be relieved of poverty in Shaanxi Province. Considering various factors affecting the economic development of Ankang City, it does not lack the resources for economic development and its backwardness largely lies in its undeveloped transportation 5  infrastructure and serious blockage of communications between the outside. From the statistic data of highways in the city, there is no highway with high grade, highways of grade 2 take up only 3.0% of the total highways in the area, while grade 4 and substandard highways take up 77.4% of the total. The construction of Arun-Beihai Expressway in Ankang will end the history of the city that there have been no expressways there, and will radically improve the conditions of outward highway transportation from south to north. It can be expected that the implementation of the proposed expressway will dramatically ameliorate the local conditions of the city in accepting the influence from Hubei Province, Chongqing City and Sichuan Province. It will also boost the development of the local advantageous resources in biology, mineral industry, hydraulic power, etc. The project will play a decisive role in enhancing the economic development along the line, and speeding up the pace of poverty relief of the people in the mountainous areas (6) To exert great influence on quickening the tourism in Shaanxi as well as the whole west China Shaanxi is rich in tourism resources, advantageous in developing large-scaled tourist sector. In the social and economic development planning of Shaanxi Province, tourism has been taken as a leading industry, with an aim at building the province into a big and strong province in tourism. Arun-Beihai Expressway is an important passage between northwest and southwest of China, linking Shaanxi, East Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou and Guangxi. It is the shortest road between the two central cities in the West China, Xi'an and Chongqing where there are abundant ancient and cultural remains as well as peculiar tourist resources, making the two cities famous places of interest in tourism both at home and abroad. On completion, it will link Xikang Expressway and those expressways in Sichuan Province, forming a speedy passage between Xi'an and Chongqing. By that time, the trip between the two cities can be completed within a day, which will meet the passengers' requirement for comfort, safety and speediness, which will produce significant influence on enhancing the tourism industry of west China, including Shaanxi Province, Sichuan Province and Chongqing City, etc. 1.4 Planned schedule According to the rule for road constructions in the West China set out by the Ministry of Communications of China and the plan of major highway projects in Shaanxi Province, the project is to be started in 2006 and completed in 2009 with a total construction period of 4 years. 1.5 Measures to reduce the impact of the project 1.5.1 Layout and design stage During the layout and design stage of the project, the design unit and owner of the project should take the following measures to reduce the impact of the project on the local social economy. A. Try to take into account as much as possible the impact of the project on the local socioeconomic, and take this as the key factor in the optimization and comparison of schemes at the layout stage. B. Try to make the route go along the foot of a hill/mountain, or a place without or with fewer inhabitants, to avoid house demolition and removal, and acquisition and occupation of land with good irrigation condition, as much as possible. Viaducts should be used as much as possible so as to reduce the 6  land acquisition. C. To choose the wasted hillsides so as to reduce the amount of demolition, removal and land acquisition, to take up less cultivated land, locate service areas, grade separation, and other service facilities with large land areas as much as possible to save the cultivated land, residential quarters. D. To optimize the construction design, to shorten the construction period, to appropriately arrange the house demolition, removal and construction schedules, so as to minimize the immigrants' losses, for example, in general, demolition and reconstruction of houses are to be carried out in their spare time, and the land is to be acquisitioned after harvest. E. To consider comprehensively the inconvenience of the local people's production and life, e.g. to provide overpasses and underground passages at places near schools or densely inhabited places so as to facilitate the students and the local people's communication, to equip with the strengthened guide rails, to build sound insulation boards and sound barriers; to provide enough passages for farming vehicles and wild animals. Generally, account should be taken of local inhabitants' convenience in production and life, so that at places with flood in mountainous areas, enough draining channels and passages for people and farming equipment; when the tractor-plowed land is to be intercepted, flyovers or viaducts with sufficient clear height should be built to ensure the smooth operation of the farming equipment; to restore the damaged infrastructure, such as irrigation channels due to the construction to ensure their normal function. 1.5.2 Construction stage A. Strengthening public participation Prior to the commencement of project implementation, the starting time and project schedule will be publicized in the resettlement area, the policy about land acquisition and compensation will also be publicized to accept supervision of PAPs and the present inhabitants. During construction, priority will be given to the use of local materials, transportation means and lobar force so as for the immigrants to get benefits from the project. B. Reducing dust In order to create a clean and comfortable environment and reduce the impact on the surrounding environment, during the project construction period, if the weather is continuously fine but windy, the surface of the roads in the densely inhabited area should be sprayed with water so as to avoid dust. Measures will be taken to ensure no overloading during transportation and no spilling along the routes so that there will be a clean environment. C. Strengthening the prevention and control of infectious disease in the construction area The local government and relevant units should strength the management, all the construction units should follow the rules and regulations of the local environment protection and health care organizations, clear the domestic garbage in time so as to keep the construction site clean and avoid the outburst and spread ofepidemics. 1.5.3 Implementation stage of RAP When land acquisition and resettlement is inevitable, following measures will be taken to reduce the 7  local impact caused by project construction: A. To enhance basic data collection, conduct thorough analysis on local socioeconomic status and its development trend. To formulate feasible action plans with due consideration of the actual situation, thus ensuring that the living standards of the PAPs will not be lowered. B. To take technical measures so as to mininize the possible impact, e.g., during resettlement planning, to keep earth borrowing compatible with the progress of the project, to open ponds to solve irrigation problem for the residual land and to improve land exploitation condition. C. To strengthen internal and external monitoring activities, to establish high efficient and smooth channel for information feedback, to educe information processing period, thus to ensure a timely solution of existing problems. 1.6 Project design Ankang-Maoba Expressway Project is designed by Shaanxi Provincial Highway Survey and Design Institute (SPHS) and No. 2 Highway Survey and Design Institute of the Ministry of Communications of China (No.2 HSDI). During the engineering feasibility study and preliminary design stage, the design units will provide several alternative routes for comparison, carry out deep-going technical and economic study. For the alternative schemes, they conducted economic and rational comparison in terms of the impact on the local social economy, land acquisition, relocation and resettlement, geological structure, hydrology and meteorology, topography, geomorphology and construction condition. In the end, the recommended scheme will be ascertained. 1.7 Preparation of resettlement rules A. Survey of project impact According to the range of land acquisition determined by the design units through field setting out, from November to December 2005, the investigation team, formed by the related members from Chang'an University, Communications Bureau of Ankang City, and the counterparts of Hanbin District and Ziyang County, carried out an overall investigation on different property indexes such as houses, auxiliary facilities, land, special facilities and scattered trees within the affected areas. Later, under the guidance of Shaanxi Academy of Social Science, a resettlement consultation unit, according to the scope of land acquisition and house relocation provided by the design units, the local governments at different levels organized related workers to carry out a survey on various affected population as well as private businesses. The investigation was greatly supported by the local governments at all levels, village committees and PAPs. Based on the differences of the affected objects, project impact survey was divided into investigation on land acquisition, relocation for houses and auxiliaries, cutting of scattered trees, private businesses, enterprises, reconstruction of special facilities and investigation population of PAPs, all the results had been approved by the immigrants and PAPs. B. Socioeconomic survey In order to analyze the project impact and draw up a feasible RAP, under the leadership of the Foreign 8  Affairs Office, Shaanxi Provincial Communications Department, governments of counties and districts organized the related departments to carry out a detailed socioeconomic survey on the towns/townships, villages, villager groups in the affected areas. The investigation was carried out by two means, collecting of the existing statistic data and conducting field investigation, and was divided into parts as follows. (I) Basic conditions, socioeconomic status quo and development plan of the areas, influenced by land acquisition and house relocation Collecting different data and materials from planning, statistics, price departments of the local governments, including: GNP, national income, gross industrial and agricultural output value, state revenue, standards of people's living and income, agricultural and sideline products, various price infornation needed, agricultural planting structure, farming area, yield per mu, farm land owning conditions and annual statistic reports, etc to analyze and sort out different indexes reflecting the local socioeconomic conditions. (2) Production and living conditions of the areas, influenced by land acquisition and house relocation Determining various indexes reflecting the impact of the project on local production and living standards of the residents, and carrying out sample investigation on the impact of land acquisition and house relocation. C. Resettlement programming The project resettlement programming work will follow the principle of "Resettlement with characteristic of development" to ensure that the resettlement areas have basic material conditions for survival and long-term developing potentials. With the combination of local exploitation and economy development, the PAPs will become rich after land acquisition, and their living standard will reach or exceed their former level. The resettlement programming work was organized and leaded by the local county/district government. On the basis of fully soliciting opinions from villagers and combining with the practical conditions of the towns /townships, villages, resettlement modes and programming schemes for RAP were determined. Later after discussion by two committees of the villages, Initial Resettlement Layout for XX Villages Involved in Ankang-Maoba Expressway Project was compiled by the villages, in a general mode that PAPs were resettled as peasants as long as they have land. Since there is little impact on the local economy, basically the following measures will be taken, such as adjusting land within the villages and villager groups, or reclaiming wasteland, or adjusting agricultural production structure, so that PAPs' production and living standard will be restored or better than their previous one. At the same time, the resettlement leading groups were set up in the counties, cities or districts one after another to strengthen leadership and coordination. 1.8 Preparation for RAP The project owner, the Foreign Affairs Office, Shaanxi Provincial Department of Communications, participated by relevant units, resettlement consultation units and the local governments at various levels, organized work of preparation for RAP. The design units identified the scope of impact and the local government at various levels was responsible for drawing up resettlement plans. Since May 2005, various work had been carried out, including establishment of resettlement offices, determination of 9  project impact scope, compilation of the work outline of the RAP, socioeconomic survey and inventory of project affected losses, relocation and resettlement, policy research, drawing-up of resettlement plans and compensation estimation, etc. Finally compilation of RAP has been completed, including the preparation of monitoring and evaluation work. 1.9 Strategic objectives for compiling RAP (1) To adopt engineering, technological, economical measures to avoid and reduce land acquisition and house relocation; however, when land acquisition and house relocation is inevitable, effective measures should be taken to reduce the relevant impacts on production activities and living conditions of the local residents. (2) To conduct socioeconomic investigation and to compile the related resettlement plans during the preparation stage of the project, (3) To base the resettlement on the indexes of entities to be demolished or relocated and compensation standards, aiming at improving, at least, restoring the original living standard of the immigrants. (4) To advocate developmental resettlement. Resettlement of peasants should be based on land, and supported by the secondary and tertiary industries to seek more employment by taking full advantage of the local resources of plant and stone.. (5) To encourage resettlement and original residents in the resettlement area to take part in the resettlement plan. (6) To give priority to the resettlement in the original communities. (7) To make the immigrants and the original residents in the resettlement area benefit from the project. 10  2 General natural socioeconomic situation in affected areas 2.1 Characteristics of physical geography Ankang City Ankang City lies in the south of Shaanxi Province, between north latitude 31042'-33 049'and east longitude 108001 '- 10012'. It is about 200km from east to west and 240km from south to north, with a total land area of 23529 square kilometers, taking up 11.4% of the total of the province. With its peculiar and advantageous geographical location, it adjoins Xi'an City and Shangluo City on the north, Hanzhong on the west, Chengkou County and Wuxi County of Chongqing and Wanyun City of Sichuan Province on the south, and Zhushan, Zhouxi, Yunxi and Yun Xian counties of Shiyan City inHubei Province on the east. It is also at the boundaries between Sichuan, Shaanxi, Hubei provinces and Chongqing City, and the center of three large economic zones, Xi'an, Wuhan and Chongqing. According to 2001's administrative division, it has one district and 9 counties, 3 municipal offices, 197 towns/townships. By the end of 2003, its population totaled 2,940,600, with a density of 125 persons per square kilometer. It is located between Qinling Mountain on the north and Daba Mountain on south, with the river valley and basin in its central part, and Hanjiang River traversing it from west to east, forming a natural physiognomy of "plain between mountains". Its landform shows its rolling feature, generally higher in the west and lower in the west. Its major mountains include Qinling, Dongliang, Tianheliang, Yueheling, Nanyang, Daba, Longhuan, Fenghuang, Bijia, with Dongliang Ridge of Qingling Mountain as the tallest peak ( at an attitude of 2965m) , and the valley between Baihe River and Hanjiang River on the boundary between Hubei Province at the lowest place (at an attitude of only 170m). According to its terrain, mountainous areas take up 92.5% of its total territory;hills, 5.7%; and valleys and plains, only 1.8%. It is of north subtropical continental monsoonal climate. It has clear seasonal changes, plentiful rainfall and long frost-free period, with an annual average temperature of 16.20; rainfall of 665mm, frost-free period of 265days, and relative humidity of 74%. Its natural landscape and agricultural production are notably transitional from north to south. Its multiplicity in natural conditions forms its richness in local produces of forestry and tertiary industry as well as its wildlife, which not are not only prominent in Shaanxi Province, but also well-known in the whole country. Hanbin District Hanbin District lies in the central part of Ankang City, within east longitude 108030'-109023 and north latitude 33022 -33017. Hanjiang River traverses it from west to east, dividing it into two major parts, southem part and northem part. Hanbin District is the sites of both the Committee of Chinese Communist Party and the Municipal Govemment ofAnkang City, being the political, economic and cultural center of the city, also a major city in south Shaanxi. It borders Xunxian County on the east; two counties, Pingli and Langao, on the south; two counties, Hanyin and Ziyang on the west; and Ningshan County and Zhen'an County on the north. It is 82km wide from east to west and 101km long from north to south, with a total area of 3643.5 square kilometers, taking up 15.49% of the city's total. There are 3 offices and 43 towns/townships II  under its jurisdiction. In 2004, its total population was 939300, accounting for 32.03% of the city's total. Itis a district with the largest population in Shaanxi, with its population density of 258 persons per square kilometer, Its topographical feature is of hilly gully in the mountainous areas of south Shaanxi. Hanjiang River and Yuehe River pass through its central portion. As a dividing line, Yuehe River separates the district into a hilly part of Qingling Mountain in the north and the last part of Bashan Mountain in the south. Its southern and northern parts are higher and its central part is lower, forming a landscape of'two valleys between three mountains", with a perpendicular difference of 1900m in altitude. It is rolling, with a lot of mountains and peaks, gullies and ravines. Its highest point is on Yepingfeye Mountain, with an altitude of 2141m; while its lowest point is only 216m in altitude. Its major mountains are Fenghuang Mountain, Niushan Mountain, Wenwu Mountain, and Pingtou Mountain, etc. Valleys, hills and hilly country are its three major topographical features, taking up 10%, 50% and 40% of its total area respectively. It is of north subtropical continental humid monsoonal climate. It has clear seasonal changes, plentiful rainfall and a long frost-free period, with an annual average temperature of 15.7 C; rainfall of 799.3mm and 0 a frost-free period of 254days It is one of the areas with the richest hot resources in Shaanxi Province. There are densely distributed rivers and ravines, with all its rivers belonging to Hanjian River water system for it is the largest river (110.2 km long) in the area. There are 17 rivers in the district, each is above 100km long in it. The secondary tributaries of Hanjiang River in the district are mainly Haoping River, Liushui River, Yuhe River, Shentan River, Lanhe River, Jihe River and Huangyang River, etc,; and the major tertiary tributaries are Henghe River and Fujia River, etc. The total annual flow of the secondary tributaries amounts to 1.3.06 billion cubic meters. Ziyang County Ziyang County is located in the southeast of Ankang City and the central part of Qinba mountainous area and on the middle upper reach of Hanjiang River. It is between east longitude 108