China - Guigang Multi-Purpose Navigation Project : summary environmental impact assessment (Vol. 4 of 9) : Summary EIA : Guigang multi-purpose navigation project

WY~~Y' 2: 7V22 7 -7 TDCr r . Report E0059 -~~~~~~~~r n :.4 f , 0:Chna- -- -'- - ;- - - ............. . ..... . .-.m.-: a- n:.a: 0 :. .;r;op se: Iniand-: - -: :- <aeray rojeg Guiangr Multiups :Navigation P-roj ect I -~ ~ ~~~~ This report has been prepared by the Borrower or its Consultant , r'2'rr- ". .... . ,.... .; ... ....- ~-w-77 ..-. tM; .u2t: S :-;~~~~~~I .. Is"' .. .... .. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ 44, i ..  rr) No. CzW PA37 72 - Ivo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -v IA 3 SUMMARY ENVIRONMENTAL AND SoCY5-C_iN0IC IMPACT ASSESSMENT of the GUIGANG MULTI-PURPOSE NAVIGATION PROJECT GUANGXI, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Prepared Under the Supervision of the Guangxi Communications Department and Compiled in English by Environomics Consultants Co. Ltd. Beijing December 1994  CONTENT SECTION I SUMMARY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 1. INTRODUCTION I 1.1 Regulatory Framework 1 1.2 EIA Report Preparation 2 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2 2.1 Objectives 2 2.2 Description 3 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 8 3.1 Natral Environment g 3.2 Socio-Economic Setting 9 4. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 11 4.1 Location Issues 11 4.2 Construction Issues 16 4.3 Operation Issues 24 5. PROJECT ALTERNATIVES 25 6. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND TRAINING PROGRAM 25 6.1 Institutional Arrangements 25 6.2 Environmental Monitoring 29 6.3 Envirownental Capacity Building and Training 34 7. ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PLAN BUDGET 34 8. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 36 APPENDIX KEY ELEMENTS OF THE EAP/EMP FOR THE GUIGANG MULTIPURPOSE NAVIGATION PROJECT 37 SECT ON II SUMMARY SOC0O-ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT 1. CURRENT SITUATION 45 2. DETERMNATION OF THE RESERVOIR AREA 45  2.1 Determination of the Area for Resettlement and Land Acquisition 46 2.2 Flood Control 46 3. OVERSEEING BODY 47 3.1 Organization for Coordination and Supervision 47 3.2 Survey of Villages 49 3.3 Survey of Families and Individuals 50 3.4 Schedule 50 3.5 Reporting 50 3.6 Local Relocation Offices 50 4. THE RESERVOIR COMPENSATION PROGRAM 51 4.1 Flood Protection 51 4.2 Full Utilization of Available Resources 52 4.3 Emphasize Meeting Infrastucture and Resource Needs 52 4.4 Environmental Protection 53 4.5 Socioeconomic Level of the Resettled Families 53 5. PLAN FOR AGRICULTURAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMEN 53 5.1 Development of Arable Land 53 5.2 Development of Fruit Production 54 5.3 Development of Township and Village Enterprises 54 5.4 Training Program 54 6. COSTS OF COMPENSATION AND RESETTLEMENT 54 7. OTHER FACILITES AFFECTED BY THE INUNDATION 55 7.1 Cultural and Historic Sites 55 7.2 Communication and Transmission Lines 55 7.3 Water Conservation and Electric Power Generating Installations 55 7.4 Transportation Installations 56 8. CONCLUSION 70  SECTION I SUMMARY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 1. INTRODUCTION 1. The original Chinese EIA for the Guigang Multi-Purpose Navigation Project (GMPN) was prepared by the Guangxi Electric Industry Design Institute (GEIDI) between 1990 and 1991 as part of the Feasibility and Preliminary Design Report. The EIA was reviewed and conditionally approved by the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) in December 1991. A supplemental report was produced in early 1992 to satisfy additional NEPA requirements and satisfy all Chinese EIA criteria. 2. The Guangxi Communications Department (GCD) engaged the services of Environomics in mid-1993 to assist in the preparation of the project English language EIA report for submission to the World Bank. The Environomics scope of work included review of the Chinese EIA documents. compilation and re-assessment of available background data and information, and drafting of the English EIA report. Due to time and resource constraints, the English EIA is based only on data collected during the original EIA and Feasibility Study and is supplemented with additional data provided by GPC. Environomics has attempted to validate available infonnation with the original field data when feasible, and has sought clarification and amplification of material from GEIDI to meet as closely as possible Bank EIA requirements. 3. In addition to the main EIA report, Environomics has prepared a combined Environmental Action Plan (EAP) and Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) under the direction of GCD. The latter two documents provide a rational program and schedule for mitigating and monitoring potential project environmental impacts within the technical and resource constraints of the project proponents. 4. A socio-economic impact study was completed by the Guangxi Electric Industry Design Institute and included in the original feasibility study for the project. It contains detailed infonnation and statistics on socio-economic impacts of the projects. Based on this report a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) was developed, modified and finalized in December 1994. 5. This Summary Environmental and Socio-economic Impact Assessment (SESIA) report is divided into two sections and provides a synopsis of the findings and proposed monitoring and mitigation actions related to Section 1: Enviromnental and Section II: Socio- Economic impacts of the GMPN project implementation. 1.1 Regulatory Framework 6. In August 1987, Guangxi Autonomous Region Construction Conunittee submitted Documem No. 85 to the Ministry of Communications proposing the GMPN project. The Ministry approved the location for the project and authorized the expedited completion of the preliminary project design. In January 1990, Guangxi Communications 1  Department Document No. 008 assigned the responsibility for performing the EIA to GEIDI which completed the report in 1991. 7. Originally the GMPN project was proposed as part of a domestically funded multi-component infrastructure construction project and had received approval for implementation. The EIA for the entire project was prepared in 1990 and approved by NEPA in 1991. However, due to funding constraints, only the bridge component which is part of the Guigang urban infrastructure program and is substantially financed by the city was initiated and is now nearing completion. The remaining components which are included in the inland water way program were re-packaged and submitted to the State Planning Commission (SPC) and approved for international financing. 1.2 EIA Report Preparation 8. The Chinese EIA was prepared with reference to the following regulations and standards: a. Environmental Protection of Law of P.R.C. b. Water Pollution Prevention Law of P.R.C. c. Fishing Law of PRR.C. d. Water Law of P.R.C.. e. Surface Water Enviromnental Quality Standard. F. Air-Environmental Quality Standard. g. Urban Environmental Noise Standard. h. EIA Standard of Hydropower from Ministry of Electricity and Hydrology. 9. The English language EIA report was prepared based on the original Chinese ETA data to meet as closely as possible the reporting ;ormat of the World Bank. In the period between 1991 and 1994 substantial changes occurred in enviromnental requirements within China and the World Bank, the English laneuage EIA and supporting documents have attempted where possible to upgrade the assessment to address the new requirements. 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.1 Objectives 10. The primary objective of the proposed GMPN project is to improve the navigability of the Yujiang river between the Xijin dam and Guigang city. The project will ensure a minimum navigable water depth during dry seasons, thus guaranteeing an uninterrupted flow of shipping and the reclassification of the river to a 3rd Class waterway accessible to 1000 ton barges. The upgrading will make the Yujiang river the backbone of the Xijiang river system transportation strategy and thus facilitate economic development in Guangxi and the adjacent provinces. 11. The main physical components of the project include (i) construction of a dam, ship lock. and hydropower station at Guigang, and (ii) small-scale removal of rock shoals at three locations by blasting. Originally the GMPN project was proposed as part of a domestically funded multi-component infrastrucmte construction project and had received 2  approval for implementation. An EIA for the entire project was prepared in 1990 and approved by the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) in 1991. However, due to funding constraints, only the bridge component which is part of the Guigang urban infrastructure program and is substantially financed by the city was initiated and is now nearing completion. The remaining components which are included in the inland water way program were re-packaged and submitted to the State Planning Commission (SPC) and approved for international financing. 12. Additional benefits of the proposed GMPN project include hydropower generation and increased availability of irrigation water. Guigang city and to a lesser extent the upstream Hengxian county are currently constrained in their development due to a shortage of electric power. The project will have the capacity to generate 120 MW of hydro- electric power to supplement area supplies. A minimum capacity of approximately 36 MW is guaranteed during the dry season which amotnts to an average 590 GW.h annual power generation. It is also anticipated that several hundred hectares of medium productivity land will be brought under cultivation following project completion due to the increased availability of high quality irrigation water. The irrigation scheme has not yet been determined. but a preliminary estimate indicated that the amount of irrigation water would be very small compared with river water flow even in the dry season. Nevertheless, individual irrigation projects will be subject to EIAs in the future in accordance with Chinese regulations. 2.2 Description 13. The proposed GMPN project is an integral part of the Guangxi Autonomous Region's economic development strategy which includes improvement of its railway, highway and waterway transportation infrastructure. Guangxi is located in central south western China and is bordered by Vietnam to the south: and Guangdong, Hunan. Guizhou and Yunnan provinces to the south east, east, north and west respectively. By virme of its location. Guangxi is a transit route for goods and commerce within south western China, and an important link for the region's international trade. 14. The Guangxi road and rail network is currently poorly developed and lacks the capacity to efficiently transport goods to potential markets. Traditionally, waterways have been a major mode of transportation in Guangxi and are currently used for shipment of bulk commodities and raw materials between the interior and coastal areas. The proposed GMP; I project is designed to increase the transportation capacity of the Yujiang river which flows approximately west to east in southern Guangxi and is a major transportation route for the entire region. 15. The Yujiang river is part of the Xijiang river system which drains an approximate area of 90,800 km- and discharges into the Pearl river delta in the east. The river system is a major route for the transportation of raw materials and manufactured goods from as far inland as Sichuan, and thus occupies a vital position in the economy of the region. The improvement of this waterway, combined with other proposed infrastructure projects shall provide the transportation network required to meet the anticipated demands of increasing trade between Guangxi, adjacent provinces. Vietnam and the ports of Hong Kong and Macau. 3  16. The proposed GMPN project consists of a low head concrete impoundment and lock system planned for the mid to lowe: reaches of the Yujiang river, approximately six kilometers upstream of Guigang City (Figure 2.2.1). The area is in the historic flood plain of the meandering Yujiang river, characterized by flat topography with occasional limestone outcrops. and deep. fertile fluvial soils. The project site is located in a straight length of the river which follows a wide turn and continues along the same course through Guigang city. (Figure 2.2.2) The Yujiang river is approximately 400 meters wide at this location and is confined within an eroded channel by unstable earth banks which are marked with drainage gullies and show evidence of erosion and slumping. 17. The Yujiang river is presently regulated by the low head concrete Xijin dam, approximately 104 kilometers upstream of the project site, and at 110 kilometers downstream by the Guiping dam. The dams were constructed in the 1960's and the 1980's respectively to enhance the navigability of the iiver, provide hydro-power and to improve irrigation and fisheries. The river is currently designated a 6th Class waterway (Table 1), navigable for 100 ton barges. While there is capacity for larger barge traffic during the wet season, the river flow between Xijin dam and the proposed project site is reduced significantly during the dry season, exposing sormie 22 shallow and rocky areas which hinder navigation and increase the hazard to shipping. The increased water depth resulting from the project construction will render all but three shoals harmless by submersion. The remaining three shoals located at lier. Difu and Fubo (Figure 2.2.1) consist of rock outcrops which shall be removed by blasting as part of the project implementation. (i) Infrastructure 18. The land transportation system in the project area consists of a network of dirt and gravel roads interlacing the countryside and connecting with paved two lane Class II or Class m highways. National Road 209 located on the northern plane of the Yujiang river is the major trunk road in the project vicinity. This road which is poorly maintained and very congested carries the bulk of the highway passenger and goods traffic in the region. The railway system in the Yujiang river area is relatively undeveloped: its main function is for hauling bulk materials to small loading facilities along the river which transfer the materials to barges for transportation to downstream locations. 19. The Xijin dam is the major source of electric power for Hengxian County. Several low-head dams along the tributaries of the Yujiang river also provide power to isolated communities or commercial operations. Guigang City receives its power from the regional electricity grid which is networked to both thermal and hydro-power plants. Currently, the Yujiang river area is constrained in its development due to a lack of electricity. This is particularly true of Guigang City, which suffers from acute power shortages, requiring major industries to generate electricity on site. 4  . . T*Ii j..1 _ '- ( " ^ \ / Jie ch X a .lr CIINA LEGEND 995' _-- .. - | ~~~~~~~~GUIGANG MULTI-PURPOSE N4AVIGATION PROJECT c-.~, .0.,, W/\|Fwpw *vt**set* ....... c ,, -X-,-t-<., OF FIIOALLOCAunONS _ _ _ _ _... . . .- , . _5  -YU~~~~~~~~~~ .7~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J..9-L~ ~ ~ ~~/. .. ...............~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~ .. , All.',~~~~~~~~~~~Fue .. THEGENRAL LAOU P-.W N te uw sola AVIGA'l VRONOMICS JN. ,FA ----NProe- 6~~~~~~~~~~'  TABLE I STANDARD SCALE OF WATERWAY NAVIGATION Efrle,i,c sc.l1 nar Na"iation f .i i*bleClear Hei1htl t Crn-ag RL..t SMrI ru (m) licel Scale (ml Was.1ablc l'ul Scale gm) le.1 (ml Ship 1l Idl & 1lalglh-WidUh' A, l & COmibled RcAj red Natunl & Conti RI.es Wreouted hlamF l lane llrie Sclc (LcsLh' Drnfl) R,er Cheamaie Curuaa ru Cf.. aTorniae Widhh' Depth V'IDol De Widlh Rad na L 2bl h niha U lda I Tper- Sad eNez ,;c I:rr.r 5r2e 11I lIrCin g llnmi Ilane lane tJIl KI h epth lheight Width bmoma, Heagha Height eih Me. F ram fH:g.zh ilth wdth _ILk) IHm) 91h2) ridlh Ib) (h) (MHml Itn I .drh ICb) Ib -I-ISO'64 a'1 5 120 1050 24 160 120 O0 2 45 (1271141 6-3 5 Ii 90 IS10Ia _ _ IIs 95 7 0 IX)RO 7S' 16 2'1 5 (126732 1 S 1 5 145 = o00 I0 34 5.5 95 10 7 70 _(4)192a32.4aJ 5 70 IJO S. i 530 510 s _65 30 S O 10 100 7 0 [13I16'12.4'1 5 - so 150 950 -05 SO h O 61 10C 3C3 z 122245a2 e 4 4 1 75 345 740 2I0 34 5.5 II 10 O.0 2 5l 14-2 6 3,1180a14,2 6 2 613.0 1 5 70 40 55 540 190 is 4.0 to so 40 6 0 10 65 50 is 0 (Mf270132 42 0 so [so I30 (23238211 &'2 0 53 110 120 200 Z 3 . 5 - 70 55 6 - _III 1000 h7 S-10o.' o 111c167:21 6*2. 0 2 0.4 45 90 3.2 5 50o ISO 2is 30-.3 10 60 45 6 0 Is 55 60 1411hOlo 1-2 o 30 60 32 5ii 410 3 10 5I 30.35 40 30 5 0 t SO 40 ea 3ll3t021 h-1 6 - 45 90 410 130 21 7 5. 30 60 30 4 0 IV SIX) 4SIII x1 1 h 121112-21 6- I6 40 50 2 5 50 340 120 21 2 50J 0 t 41 O 0 5o 15 II _M__109_10 __ _1 621 9 s 5 45 330 120 12 2 5-1 0 35 29 S0 O - 45 1 4 0 I1)125-11 411 - 40 7s 110 340 23 2 0-2 S 48 3i A0 V 100 35-9 1-1 3 _ Is (2189S14-1 1 35 70 20 75 270 IDD 23 2.0-2.5 1 I 45 8 75-77 62 1 5 1333719 2'1 3 3 3.1 6 22 40 2.5 40 260 300 12 2 5. 30 5 21.30 2S 35 S iS 32 5 S 20 20-2 5 I S 3 50 26*5 2'1 A l1)161a5a20 = 2.5 I1322 lOs 190 12 2 5 4.0 S 18-22 14.11 3 4 32'7'1 0 (21354-14 fil - 25 45 | 1130 160 16 15 4. S 22 17 I4 - = VI I II 32-6 2-i 0 l166551 S n o IS 30 IS 5 25 700 go a I5 25.30 19 3 6 30'6 4(7 5)1 n )1474-6 4(17.5)1-.0 - IS 130 13 23s 21. S0 a I 6 it 14 4 0 6 21-30 2 134 21'4 5*1 75 1I)2734.11-.75 2 2 1i I* 140 12 2 S Is 14 2 vll 51 213J'O 4d0 12)200'5 4-0.S 7 001 3 11 ZO 1.2 20 90 110 12 12 3.5 14 2 23 I 5 134 2 S 30-6 2-0 7 ,;)606s6 ol 7 _ 25 3 2 26 ISO 70 a 32 4 S l 14 2 a 4 5 '5-30 1'9 2 *Nai ga6I1r lam), lih, rt III Whae Idae ar . ltatil plekei. duine la e,aweriite, of h.ire. iM.,ds -n 1C jwd trordot *o i , ri r It21.n. Ihr U a me mid tI h JUEI fOe p.11.. ml .1.1k Inro brJge pne gm pillsl of Lne rnaillahm pja t WILCI the ..bb d the *4-.. tIl W-en brde In te h1iI b.b irn _ios ae at p-ret rdt abd In a. a te n * .dhe .ie, ft pir.q eat of aek -.gti-  (ii) Population and Output 20. Thie zone of influence (ZOI) for thc project is approximately 76,300 Km' which amounts to 32 percent of the area of Guangxi province. The area includes 12.33 million mu (790,000 ha) of cultivated land and has a population of 11.4 million, which is equivalent to 26.3 percent of the Guangxi population. The gross output value of agriculture and industry in 1992 was 20.6 billion yuan (RMB) with a 10.8 percent avcrage annual increase (calculated over the period 1981-90). Before 1988, agricultural and industrial output were approximately equal. In 1990 the value of industrial output increased to double that of agriculture and in 1992 it reached 16 times agricultural output. 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVRONMENT 3.1 Natural Environment (i) Meteorology 21. The GMPN project area lies in Southwest China and has a subtropical monsoon climate with distinct rainy and dry seasons. The rainy season, which is marked by heavy monsoon precipitation, lasts from April to the end of August. while the dry season extends from September to March. Rainfall ranges from 2020.7mm to 975.0mm, with an average annual precipitation of 1450nmn. Temperatures range from 39.50C in summer to -3.40C in winter, with an average temperature of 21.5DC. (ii) Terrain and Geology 22. Terrain in the project area is generally mountainous in the north, with low lying plains in the south. The Yujiang river flows through the Xijin step area and into the reservoir from southwest to northeast, forming a U-shaped river valley. 23. Some sections of the Yujiang river contain navigational hazards including shallows and rock outcrops, but most of the river is wide and has a natural flow. The step tableland bordering the river is heavily developed. 24. Exposed strata at the dam site consists of Cambrian. Triassic, Cretaceous. Devonian and Carboniferous fonnations, of which the latter two are the most widely distributed. Igneous rocks appear in the Xijin dam and impoundment area. Most of the bed rock is covered by Quaternary period strta. Fault activity in the region is considered low and earthquakes above magnitude 5.0 on the Richter scale do not commonly occur. (iii)% Surface and Groundwater 25. The proposed GMPN project site is located on the Yujiang river approximately 104 kilometers downstream of the Xijin hydroelectric station. The catchment area between the two locations is 4400 km-, 5.4 percent of the total river basin. There are seven major tributaries and some small reservoirs within this section of the Yujiang river. 8  26. The Yujiang river is the main source of industrial water supplies in the project area, as well as a supplementary source of domestic and irrigation water. Groundwater is plentiful. and many residents obtain their drinking water from domestic wells. (iv) Flora and Fauna 27. The region surrounding Guigang city, including the proposed project area, has been heavily developed, and high population density has put tremendous strain on the terrestrial environment. Deforestation and intensive agricultural land practices have decimated regional riparian biota. Diversity of plant species is low and forest cover which originally dominated the area has been destroyed and replaced by cash crops, shrubs and grassland for cattle grazing. Seasonal flood inundation has also greatly reduced the diversity of flora and fauna. 28. Bird and reptile species are the predominant wildlife species found within the extremely poor habitat of the project site. Birds likely to be found in the surrounding highland forests, and lowland shrub and grassland areas include owls, swallow, magpies. crow, thrush, monkey-face. hawk and wild pheasants none of which are likely to be impacted by the project due to their distance from the river. Within the project site riparian zone and river course, the habitat for eight species of aquatic birds and 27 species of wading bird have been identified. The habitat for one rare bird (China-Autumn Duck) has been identified in the tributaries of the Yujiang river but none have been observed. S9 Tortoise and soft-shelled turtles are usually found living in the larger tributaries and main branches of the Yujiang river. These have been impacted by harvesting as a delicacy and their habitat will be affected by the proposed project. Seven snake species have been identified in the region and are predominantly found in surrounding agricultural lands and mountains at a distance from the river. The rare animal species in the region such as pangolin. masked civet, silver-ring snake, and white crane inhabit mountainous and densely forested areas at a distance from the site, and hence are unlikely to be affected by the project. 30. The Yujiang river has an abundance of aquatic organisms including hydrophytes and a variety of fish species primarily introduced to the river from spawn farms. Some of these species may experience impacts due to the project. 3.2 Socio-Economic Setting (i) Local Economy 31. The project area is within a major agricultural region producing approximately 27 percent of Guangxi's agricultural output. Cultivated crops include cereals such as rice, wheat and corn. and also peanuts. sesame. mushrooms, sugarcane, fruits, tea and tobacco. 32. Farming activities have 'historically been consrained due to poor transportation. inadequate power availability, and cycles of drought and flooding. A secondary benefit of the project therefore will be the greater availability of quality irrigation water and the bringing into production of dry uncultivated lands. 9  33. Currently, the full potential for industrial output and commerce in the project area has not been realized. The major light industries process or produce sugar, paper. fertilizer, food products, textiles and leather. Heavy industries include manufacture of steel. concrete, and machinery as well as mining of coal and other minerals. (ii) Population and Indigenous Peoples 34. The project area has a population of 11.4 million, approximately 90 percent of which is rural and depends on farming or fishing for subsistence. Some 40 percent of the population is made up of non-Han nationalities, with a large majority being Zhuang. The various nationalities in the reservoir area are relatively well integrated with the exception of some isolated inland and highland villages which are predominantly Zhuang. The latter communities are not within the direct area of reservoir impact. (iii) Cultural and Historical Properties 35. Various surveys were performed during the feasibility study to inventory cultural and historic sites in the reservoir area and identify potential impacts of the proposed project on these sites. The District Traffic Planning, Prospecting and Design Academy (DTPPDA) in collaboration with provincial historical relics authorities prepared a report in accordance with "The Cultural Relics Protection Law of the People's Republic of China." which identified approximately 17 sites within the reservoir area. The DTPPDA performed a comprehensive survey of the reservoir area over one year and compiled sufficient information to characterize the historic sites and provide suggestions for mitigation alternatives where required. The DTPPDA survey was performed on both banks of the Yujiang river from Watang town in Guigang city to Hengzhou in Hengxian county. 36. Historical and cultural sites in the project area include: twelve Neo-lithic period relic sites containing artifacts such as pottery and stone implements; one ancient city site; one ancient kiln site: a group of ancient tombs and burial mounds from the Nan Dynasty; and three historic structures: the Mother Dragon Temple, Fubo Temple, and Haitang Bridge. (iv) Public Health 37. Diseases which have previously affected the reservoir area include viral hepatitis. dysentery, typhoid fever, encephalitis B and malaria. Viral hepatitis and dysentery currently pose the most widespread problems in the region. Incidence of encephalitis B has greatly decreased in recent years. Blood fluke and schistosomiasis were eradicated in 1983. and filariasis was eliminated in 1990. In the last five years,. the incidence of malaria has dropped to below 1/10,000. While the enlarged area of stagnant water resulting from the project is a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes, based on the experience of the nearby Xijin dam, this is unlikely to increase the incidence of malaria in the reservoir area. 10  4. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 4.1 Location Issues (i) Inundation Management and Prevention 38. Following completion of the GMPN project, the water levels in the reservoir will rise approximately six meters above pre-construction levels. The total inundated area is estimated at approximately 6,735 mu (450 ha), including 2,537 mu (169 ha) of paddy fields and 1,498 mu (100 ha) of dry cultivated land. The area affected by inundation covers 12 counties of Guigang city and Hengxian county. 39. During the primary stages of the GMPN project, engineering measures will be taken to minimize loss of land and other economic assets due to inundation. These include reinforcement of existing dikes and construction of additional ones in key areas. As a result of these measures, it appears that the GMPN project will not increase flood water levels during the rainy season and that any inundation will be in low-lying areas, below the design reservoir operating water level and primarily in the tributaries of the main channel. 40. Approximately 716 ha of land will be protected from inundation in 46 different areas. Cultivated lands account for 576 ha of the protected area and the remaining 140 ha includes residential areas and economic installations. The total area to be inundated after prevention measures are taken is 448 ha, of which cultivated land accounts for 269 ha. 41. There are currently 111 dikes and embankments with an area of 7,000 ha in the reservoir vicinity. Of these, 78 embanlhnents will be affected by inundation, approximately 46 of which will be rebuilt as part of the inundation prevention program. Embanlknent locations are shown in Figure 4.1. 1. (ii) Socio-economic impacts 42. The provincial government has taken considerable care to design the project in a manmer which will minimize disruption to area communities, economy, environment and historical sites. Where possible the project design has optimized use of protection measures and suggested alternatives to minimize economic dislocation of farming communities. As a result, relocation and re-allocation of labor has been minimized. Details of socio-economic impacts and mitigation action plans are presented in Section n1 of this report. 43 In addition to the area of inundation, the dam construction area will occupy 1,510 mu of land, including 158 mu of paddy fields and 1352 mu of sugar cane fields. A total of seven houses will be relocated, and 914 people will require new employment. The seven houses will be rebuilt within 200 meters of their original location with an investnent of 212,579 yuan. 44. The compensation program which has been formulated to assist farmers who will lose their land is discussed in detail in Section II of this report. The local govermnents which are responsible for this aspect of the project have already mobilized teams which will assist in the project implementation at the grass roots level. 11  L,.u...C I Ywib.ao h~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oA i,-,- ~AI~u T:wn- -O a j . aI / --~~~~~~~~~~~w - - - / a~~~~n ~~ *~~~**} SII.uAi I ~~~~ **-. IL .o W. I- -. I,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~T TE 4.1.1~~~~~~~~01- 11 l~ ~ ~ l I 12  a) Aquaculture and Forestry 45. Aquaculture investnent will be concentrated in Guigang city. It will involve improving existing fish ponds, investing in fish species and fry input. Some 252.8 ha of fish ponds with yields of less than 50 kg per mu will be upgraded. With a planned investment of 2.51 million yuan, 200 more fish fry are to be bred on every mu of fish porl. Ungmeng reservoir in Xingtang township will also be developed for fishing. Measures to develop forestry resources include planting trees on 67 ha of reclaimed land in Baihe town, Henghe county. (iii) Flora and Fauna 46. The project ZOI is a major agricultural zone of Guangxi province. Substantial wetland reclamation and cultivation has occurred in this area and currently no undisturbed wetlands have been identified witin the proposed project area. 47. Due to the generally poor quality of natural vegetative cover in the project area and dominance of cultivated land, it is anticipated that construction of the Guigang anchorage will not have a significant impact on natural vegetative cover. The flooding of mud-flats and grass beds, however, may have some impact on bird species and reptiles which inhabit these areas. 48. A major impact to wildlife resulting from this project will be the disruption of tortoise and soft-shelled turtle habitat- The current existence of reservoirs in the lower and upper sections of the river combined with the proposed new impoundment will create a closed river system which may be unfavorable to the tortoise and soft-shelled turtle. Due to their importance in the region, the following measures will be taken to assure their survival. 49. A mitigation alternative for potential impacts to tortoise and soft-shell turtle habitat is to allow surrounding fields which will be inundated to revert to wetlands. Captured tortoise and soft-shell turde species could then be relocated to these shallow wetland areas as well as to tributarnes which will be enlarged after submergence. Furthermore, these wetland areas would provide valuable habitat for wading and aquatic birds displaced by submergence in the inmmediate project vicinity. Secondly, a system of spawning plants may be set up to provide tortoise and soft-shelled turtle to the local population and to replenish river stocks in order to decrease pressure on the wild populations once they are relocated. The schedule for project construction will be carefully planned in order to accommodate the tortoise and turtle breeding season and thus assure a population size that will be amenable to relocation. 50. Prior to construction initiation, further surveys to locate endangered animal species in the project area will be carried out. In particular, care will be taken to ensure that no China Autumn ducks, pangolin, masked civet, silver-ring snake, or white crane are nesting at or near the site. To date none have been observed in the potential habitats in the area. If survey results indicate the presence of any of these species, special mitigation plans will be detailed. However, creation of new wetland areas surrounding the site will reduce the impacts on wading and aquatic bird species and possibly make relocation unnecessary. 13  In the case of the silver-ring snake, relocation will be the only option if the species is observed. 51. Changes in the river ecosystem will affect aquatic plants in the reservoir and downstream areas. Fish and hydrophyte species will have to adapt to direct and indirect man-made changes in environmental conditions. Some species will adapt while others will not, experiencing reductions in population. 52. To mitigate losses of commercially valuable fish stock, four spawning facilities will be constructed to augment fish populations increase activities already undertaken by Guigang and Hengxian and hatchery efforts will be focused on commercial species. An alternative is to thoroughly utilize all remaining water bodies including river bends for aquaculture. Employment opportunities from these mitigation measures will contribute to the economic development of migrants. 53. Wherever aquaculture would be developed in the project area, comprehensive water quality monitoring will be conducted. Semi-annual fish toxic metals bio-accumulation analyses will also be undertaken. If water quality assessments indicate the presence of contaminants, including heavy metals, mitigation measures will be adopted to include pollution source control and relocation of proposed aquaculture sites. 54. Measures will be taken both during and after construction in order to minimize impacts to hydrophyte populations. During construction, special measures such as the use of sand bags and hay bails to control erosion and reduce sediment flow into the river course will be employed. Oil slick booms and cleanup equipment will be employed to assure that oil and petroleum products from equipment used during construction will not contaminate the river. 55. Bank surveys will be undertaken during the operation phase to reduce erosion and collapse. In order to control the discharge of waste oil from barges, the Departments of Navigation Administration, Navigation Monitoring, and Shipping Management of the Guangxi Communications Department as well as the EPB have undertaken a comprehensive coordination program with regard to oil discharge control and enforcement and air pollution control in all provincial waterways. The program stipulates annual inspection and licensing of vessels with regard to oil collection and noise protection facilities. At the same time, measures have been taken to increase environmental awareness among navigation deparment and barge tansportation personnel. Guidelines for the control of waste oil discharges from ships are stipulated in the 'National Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law", the national "Shipping Contaminant Discharge Standard" (GB3552-83), and the 5th Decree of the Ministry of Transportation on "Shipping Sluice Management. S6. To control barge waste oil discharges, all motorized ships should be equipped with oil-water separators to ensure that oil content in the discharged bilge water does not exceed 15 mg/l. Where installation of such devices is not feasible, then a waste oil container should be kept on hand. The navigation administration and navigation monitoring deparmnents have equipped special ships to collect waste oil at regular intervals. 14  57. In the inland river area, an oil transport registration system has been implemented for 150 ton oil tankers and for common ships exceeding 400 tons. At present, however. waterway facilities in the project region do not have the capacity to dispose of waste oil and other shipping wastes. In order to remedy these deficiencies, investments are proposed for. waste disposal equipment within the project area. 58. The potential for accidental spills will rise as a result of the significant increase in river traffic. Spill prevention strategy centers on enforcing shipping and lock management. To prevent accidental spills of materials, a safety check will be enforced on all river vessels by navigation administration agencies at downstrnam and upstream handling terminals and shipping sluice gates. A special check will be performed for vessels which are carrying ecologically sensitive materials such as oil and coal. An accident mitigation plan has been formulated and put into effect by provincial agencies for the protection of water ways. 59. A major impact of the project on the aquatic environment is that of altering river flow velocity. Although the retention time in the reservoir is short, in order to sustain hydrophyte populations, it is important to limit stagnation in the water body by maintaining proper flow rates in the dry season. Continual monitoring of hydrophyte populations will be carried out upstream and downstream of all the impoundments within the Yujiang river and its major tributaries. (iv) Impact on Cultural and Historical Properties 60. Cultural and historical sites identified in the EIA, including the ancient kiln site, the Nan dynasty burial mounds, the Mother Dragon Temple, Fubo Temple and the Haitang bridge, have undergone evaluation, and have been determined to either be well removed from the reservoir or elevated above the maxinum design storage water level and as such will not be impacted by the project. In some cases such as Fubo Temple, the river banks below the site may be de-stabilized due to the elevated water level. Therefore slope protection and reinforcement measures will be implemented as necessary. 6 1: Thirteen cultural and historic sites will be affected by inundation. One of them is the ruins of an ancient city from between the Nan and Qing dynasties, while the other twelve are Neolithic age relics. Since the water level will rise and the passing of large vessels will cause bank erosion, bank collapse will be aggravated and may encroach on some of the more important sites. Therefore protection measures, including furtier field survey, excavation and removal of relics will be implemented. (v) Coal Handling Terminals 62. Since the Nanning coal handling terminal is still in the planning stages, the pre-feasibility report and the terminal siting will not be completed until the beginning of the second-stage engineering. Therefore, the tenninal has been included in the proposed project. The EIA of the terminal will be carried out in accordance witi Chinese regulations. The coal handling tenninal in Guigang has already been built and includes conveyer and terminal protection devices including water sprinlders for dust control, and waste water collection and sedimentation facilities. 15  63. The general environmental impacts identified, and mitigation measures adopted by the Guangxi Communications Department are as follows: a) Principal Environmental Impacts 64. Loading and unloading operations at the coal dock will contribute to atmospheric pollution in the area, particularly during the fall and winter due to dry, windy conditions. Heavy summer precipitation will mix with the exposed coal in the yard, forming contaminated runoff. Mitigation measures to control dust and prevent pollution of the harbor and river course are needed. b) Dust Prevention 65. Sprinklers will be used to control dust generated by loading and unloading of coal at the dock, and in the conveyer belt area. In each of the four coal storage areas, two water pumps will be installed with 15 automatic sprinklers. Spraying will be conducted as often as necessary in the coal yard, and along the harbor roadway. c) Wastewater Treatment 66. A special drainage system will be constructed to handle runoff from the coal yard. Runoff will be drained into a sedimentation pond at a rate of 0.37 m3fs, where it will undergo a 20 minute sedimentation process. Discharged water will meet national discharge standards. Sludge from the pond will be collected and recycled. 4.2 Construction Issues (i) Noise 67. Much of the construction equipment and activities including blasting and pile driving at the proposed project site will emit noise above 90 dB. This is above regulated standards in China (65 dB) and may cause hearing damage to construction workers in the event of prolonged exposure. Therefore hearing protection is recommended for construction workers. The noise sources are approximately 900 meters away from the closest residential units and as such will not cause significant impacts. The major noise in the residential units is anticipated to be from the existing highway. Noise levels are anticipated to reach approximately 57 dB during the peak construction times when 60 trucks will pass through the site each hour. The post construction activities are not anticipated to result in noise levels above regulated standards. (ii) Soil Erosion and Dust 68. One major environmental impact of construction is atmospheric degradation due to fugitive dust and increased erosion resulting from removal of surface vegetation. To minimize fugitive dust impacts, excavation and construction areas will be sprayed regularly. 69. The existing road connecting the construction area to the newly proposed quarry is mostly paved with the exception of a two kilometer section adjacent to the quarry. 16  The two kilometer section of road shall be upgraded to asphalt and the entire road shall be widened by two meters prior to quarrying activities. In general. dust resulting from traffic during project construction are not expected to seriously affect the local population. 70. The road to the new quarry site primarily passes through fields, a small rural commercial area and is far from the nearest village. There are no other enviromnentally sensitive sites along the road. This road will be managed and monitored by the Guigang city and monitoring will be performed by Guigang Environrmental Monitoring Center under the supervision of the Environmental Management Group of the Xijiang Project Headquarters (XJPH). Dirt roads affected by construction traffic including those inside the quarry area shall be sprayed regularly to minimize dust, and traffic control measures will be institutLd for safety. 71. Erosion control may be achieved by minimizing vegetation removal and exposed surfaces until necessary, and by installing silt traps and other erosion prevention measures. After construction is completed, the site and its surrounding areas will be restored as closely as possible to their origiuial state. (iii) Atmospheric Pollution 72. During construction, air quality in the project area will be imnpacted by to a limited extent by construction machinery due to the labor intensive nature of the work. emnissions from blasting, excavation and earth moving operations. Pollutants from vehicle emissions include NO,, SO7, CO and hydrocarbons, while CO and NO, are the primary emnissions released by blasting activities. 73. The extent of air quality degradation during construction is dependent on the intensity of site activities. It is anticipated that air quality degradation may occur on calm days (wind speed below 3 m/s) when site activities are at a peak and an atmospheric inversion occurs. Inversion however only occurs up to 15 days a year and the munber of construction machinery used at the site is quite limited. Therefore no significant air quality impacts are anticipated- (iv) Surface Water Pollution 74. The principal impacts on water quality during construction will be turbidity from foundation excavation work at the dam site and wastewater from the construction site and workers living quarters. Turbidity will be very limited in duration. The impact of wastewater from the construction site and workers living quarters on the Guigang downstream water supplies is negligible. However, in order to avoid impacts on downstream fisheries and inhabitants on both river barks, ffie construction wastewater will be treated before being discharged into the Yujiang river- Sewage will be disposed of in septic Tanks and sludge will be collected for use as organic fertilizer. (v) Economic Impacts of Construction 75. Construction of tle dam is anticipated to last approximately five years. During the peak period of construction in the second year, an estimated 3300 workers will be 17  employed on site. It is anticipated that infrastructure for the workers may encroach on adjacent economic activities such as agricultural production and cause some degree of interruption. River traffic will be at least temporarily disrupted, and local roads will become congested as large amounts of materials are transported back and forth in the construction process. HQwever, local residents will benefit economically from the opportunity to sell construction materials, food and other goods to the workers. (vi) Public Health 76. Project construction will potentially exacerbate existing public health problems in the region, particularly the incidence of water-borne diseases such as dysentery and viral hepatitis as well as vector borne diseases such as malaria. The high concentration of people in the reservoir area and resulting increase in the volume of sewage will potentially promote disease transmission. Based on the experience of other hydro-electric power stations, it can be anticipated that the incidence of epidemic diseases will increase, necessitating effective countermeasures. In particular, the threat of epidemic diseases brought in by the floating population in the area will need to be dealt with. Diseases transmitted by rats are likely to increase as they are driven from their original habitats by rising water levels. 77. In order to protect public health during construction, strict hygienic requirements will be placed on the living quarters of workers in the construction area. particularly the controlled disposal of solid waste (i.e. landfilling) and domestic sewage. Efforts will be made to avoid potential breeding grounds for rats, mosquitoes and flies, and a disease prevention unit will be put in place to detect the spread of epidemic diseases. Drinking water supplies will be placed a sufficient distance away from solid waste disposal areas and septic tanks. In order to safeguard water quality in the reservoir after construction, the bottom of the reservoir will be cleaned six months prior to water storage. (vii) Shoal Removal by Blasting The project includes shoal removal by blasting at three locations including: Jier, Difu and Fubo shoals (Figure2.2.1). Detailed blasting locations at each shoal is shown in Figures 4.2.1, 4.2.2 and 4.2.3 respectively. The purpose of blasting is to eliminate rock outcrops at each shoal location in order to increase navigation capacity and safety. The blasted rock shall be removed for use in construction projects, excess rock shall be used to fill deep spots at each shoal locations as shown in the shoal maps 78. The navigation departnent may conduct annual dredging work on the channel. While preliminary sample tests of bottom mud did not indicate the accumulation of toxic substances, in order to prevent any pollution problems from dredging, dredged sludge will be tested for hazardous substances such as Hg and Cr. Where tests indicate the presence of hazardous substances, the sludge will be disposed of in an approved, secure landfill site. Because the river course is generally 300-500 meters wide, dredging will not affect bank stability. 79. Blasting will be only undertaken during low flow periods. 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