1 PC 23 is the name of the target irrigation area. The name dates back to the colonial period.

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1 Summary of Environmental and Social Consideration Study Preliminary Study on the Project for Improvement of the Irrigation System in the South-West Region of Lake laotra 1. Title of the Cooperation Project, Relevant Project Report (1) Project Title Project for Improvement of the Irrigation System in the South-West Region of Lake laotra, Madagascar (2) Relevant Project Report Report of Preliminary Study on the Project for Improvement of the Irrigation System in the South-West Region of Lake laotra Report of the Study on the Rural Development and Watershed Management in the South-West Region of laotra 2. Categorization and its Reason The environmental category of the project is. [Reason] lthough the impacts are not expected to be significant, several adverse impacts are predicted as follows. 1) The project site is located in the upstream area of Lake laotra and its surrounding wetlands which were designated as a Ramsar site, thus careful considerations should be given to the site in carrying out the rehabilitation works. 2) Involuntary resettlement of up to dozens of households may occur depending on the locations and specifications of proposed facilities. 3. Outline of the Location The Project site of PC (Périmètre de Colonisation) 23 1, an irrigation area of 17,600 ha, is located in the southwest quadrant of the Lake laotra, which is in the laotra-mangoro Region of eastern Madagascar. The southern and western area of the lake is characterized by the plain formed by a number of rivers including the Sahabe and Sahamilahy. The southwestern part of the lake is a vast marshland. The Sahabe (903km 2 of the watershed) and Sahamilahy (249km 2 of the watershed) are the main sources of irrigation water of PC 23, and the Lake laotra is situated in the downstream of PC 23 (see nnex 1 and 2). (1) Status of Natural Environment 1) Meteorological Conditions Monthly average temperature ranges from 17.1 degrees Celsius in ugust and 23.6 in January, and below 20 from June to September. Mean annual precipitation is around 1,000 mm, but highly fluctuates from 650 mm to 1,400 mm. 90 % of annual rainfall concentrates 4 months of the rainy 1 PC 23 is the name of the target irrigation area. The name dates back to the colonial period. 1

2 season, i.e. from December to March, and the other 8 months are the severe dry season. 2) Source of Irrigation Water The main sources of the irrigation water of PC 23 are the Sahabe and Sahamilahy. There is significant deference in the water flow between the dry and rainy season. The flow of the Sahabe is below 5m 3 /second in October and November when irrigation activities start. It then gradually increases up to 10m 3 /second in late December and m 3 /second in January, and reaches 50 in early February. 3) Ecological Conditions The Lake laotra and its watershed are registered under the Ramsar Convention on 9 September total of 722,500 ha including the Lake laotra, marshes, rice fields and laotra catchment basin, is currently conserved under the Convention. In addition, the Lake laotra and its surrounding marshlands are home to a variety of plants and animals. Many endemic species including Lac laotra Gentle Lemur can be found. (2) Socio-Economic Status 5 communes and villages in the target area have a population of 84,384. gricultural worker accounts for more than 80% of working population, and 70% of local income rely on agriculture and other primary sector activities. Most farmers in PC 23 engage in single rice cropping. 4.Legal Framework of Environmental and Social Considerations (1) Legal System related to Environmental and Social Considerations Major legal frameworks regarding Environmental and Social Considerations are listed below. 1) Environmental Charter (Loi n du 21 Décembre 1990 modifiée par la loi n du 06 juillet 1997 portant Charte de l Environnement) 2) Decree of the Compatibility of Investment and Environment (Decret N du 15 décembre 1999 modifié par le décret n du 03 février 2004 relatif à la mise en compatibilité des investissements avec l environnement : MECIE) 3) Ordinance of Environmentally Sensitive reas (rrêté n 4355/97 du 13 mai 1997: rrêté sur les zones sensibles) 4) Decree of Environmental Mediation (Décret n du : Médiateurs environnementaux) 5) Ordinance of Public Participation in Environmental ssessment (rrêté n 6830/2001 du fixant les modalités et les participations du public à l'évaluation environnementale) 6) Decree of Land Security (Décret n du : Sécurisation foncière relative) 7) Law of Land cquisition for Public Use 2 (Ordonnance n du 19 septembre 1962 relative à l expropriation pour cause d utilité publique, à l acquisition amiable de propriétés immobilières par l Etat ou les collectivités publiques secondaires et aux plus-values foncières) 8) Water Code (Loi n du 20 janvier 1999 portant Code de l Eau) (2) Progress of EI procedure of the Project and the Outline 1) Progress of EI Procedure Prior to the proposal of this grant project, Ministry of griculture, Livestock and Fishery (Ministère de 2 This Ordonance is usually described as Law of 19 Sep 1962 since Public Journal of Madagascar declared that this Ordonance is considered as a law. 2

3 l'griculture, de l'elevage et de la Pêche:MEP) carried out an Environmental Impact ssessment (EI). The assessment result was documented in Summary of Preliminary Plan for Environmental Impact ssessment (vant Projet Sommaire pour l Etude d Impact Environnemental) (hereinafter referred to as EI Summary by MEP ). In October 2007, National Office for the Environment (ONE) issued an Environmental Permit (No. 43/07/ONE/DG/DEE) to the project. However, it should be noted that the Permit was issued for the framework of the project, though the detail specifications and locations were not yet determined. Thus EI Summary by MEP should be further elaborated after the determination of the detail components. 2) Outline of the Environmental Impact ssessment of the Project EI Summary by MEP identifies the potential environmental and social impacts and presents mitigation measures and necessary monitoring mechanisms. The mitigation measures focus on the protection and restoration of soil, public health and sanitation, and surface water management. Since the Environmental Permit by ONE is for the project framework, a number of conditions are attached to the Permit as an environmental specification. mong others, the following conditions are considered important. Revision of the environmental specification after the determination of the detail design of the project (rticle 21 of Environmental Specification) Elaboration of a Contract Program with stakeholders and submission to ONE (rticle 22 of Environmental Specification) Development of periodical environmental monitoring reports and submission to ONE (rticle 14 of Environmental Specification) 3) Monitoring and follow-up survey EI Summary by MEP pointed out the necessity of monitoring on protection and restoration of soil, health and sanitation and surface water management. However, the following five should be monitored as well, taking into account the significance of impacts. Flora and fauna of downstream wetlands Disposal of dredged soil and wastes (papyrus, etc.) Water pollution during the construction works Social conflicts within PC 23 Social conflicts between the upstream areas 5.Outline of Relevant gency and Institution (1) National Office for the Environment (ONE) In Madagascar, ONE is responsible for EI. ONE assesses EI reports and issues an Environmental Permit of development projects under the Decree of Compatibility of Investment and Environment (MECIE). (2) Ministry of griculture, Livestock and Fishery (MEP) The Coordinator of National Program for Watershed and Irrigation (CPN-VPI) of MEP is in charge of the project, including EI of the project. The EI Summary by MEP was elaborated and submitted to 3

4 ONE by CPN-VPI. CPN-VPI is also responsible for implementing the conditions attached to the Environmental Permit. (3) Regional Direction of Rural Development of laotra-mangoro (laotra-mangoro DRDR) DRDR is a local branch of MEP at regional level. laotra-mangoro DRDR is in charge of executing mitigation measures and monitoring at field level under the supervision of CPN-VPI. 6.Outline of the Project and nalysis of lternatives (1) Outline of the Project The Preliminary Study Team proposes the following components of the project. Table 1: Outline of the Project Work Type Quantity Priority Component Rehabilitation of Flood 1 Installation of Release Gate Spillway Rehabilitation of Headwork 1 Rehabilitation of Flood Spillway Dredging of Sediment Renewal of Flushing Gate Installation of Water Intake Gate Construction of Settling asin 1 * Construction of Settling asin Rehabilitation of Irrigation Canal Main Canal P5 L=6,400m Dredging of Sediment Shaping and Compaction of Irrigation Canal Renewal/ Rehabilitation of Water Gate Renewal/ Rehabilitation of Distributor Primary Canal C5.5 L=7,900m C5.6 L=8,900m C5.3 L=650m Secondary Canal (Total 42,800m) C551,C552,C553,C554 C555,C556,C557,C558 C532,C533 C561~C569 Rehabilitation of Drainage Primary Drainage D0 L=14,700m D1 L=8,200m Secondary Drainage (Total 63,400m) D101~D108 D200,D203,D207,D209 D211,D213,D215,D217 D219, D221 Renewal/ Rehabilitation Water Level Regulator Dredging of Sediment Shaping and Compaction of Irrigation Canal Renewal/ Rehabilitation of Water Gate Rehabilitation of Release Gate Dredging of Sediment Shaping and Compaction of Irrigation Canal Rehabilitation of Water Gate Rehabilitation of Distributer Dredging of Sediment Shaping and Compaction of Irrigation Canal Installation of Water Level Regulator Dredging of Sediment Shaping and Compaction of Irrigation Canal Installation of Small Dams for Reuse of Drained Water Rehabilitation of Embankment L=1,500m Rehabilitation of Embankment Rehabilitation of Farm Road Farm Road 1(R1) Farm Road 2(R2) Farm Road 3(R3) L=5,100m L=16,200m (Total L=42,800m) Shaping and Compaction of Road Surface Road-Crossing Culvert Rehabilitation of Small ridge Maintenance Road (RM) L=9,200m uilding 1 2 C Office uilding uildings for Guards Equipment for Dredging 1 * Machine for Dredging Sediment 4

5 Soft Component 1 Set Improvement of Water Management Capacity Development of Water Users ssociations Note 1: The underlined works are those added as a result of the preliminary study. Note 2: is given the highest priority, is moderate, and C is the lowest Note 3: * means that the specification proposed by the Preliminary Study Team is different from the original proposal. s a result of the preliminary study, the benefited area of the project was expanded from 1,500 ha to 4,570 ha, which is located in southern part of PC 23. The components added because of the expansion were underlined in Table 1. ccording to ONE, an additional EI needs to be carried out for the underlined components. (2) nalysis of lternatives 1) Viewpoint of nalysis lternatives were elaborated taking into account major factors, i.e., location, size, structure and operational patterns, which will affect the significance of environmental and social impacts. Since the project mainly aims to rehabilitate the existing facilities, there will be no major changes in the location, size and structure. On the other hand, the operational patterns may affect the significance of the impacts because water intake from the Sahabe River may increase as a result of the rehabilitation. This section, therefore, focuses on the adjustment of water intake from the Sahabe River. 2) lternatives Possible alternatives of the project including zero option scenario are described in Table 2. Talbe 2: Outlines of lternatives lternatives Outline 1) Standard In this scenario, the amount of water intake from the Sahabe River is 8m 3 /second as planned. The water flow into the downstream may decrease in irrigation season due to the water intake of 8m 3 /second. 2) djustment of This scenario will adjust the amount of water intake referring to the necessary amount of water for Water Intake irrigation and the amount of river flow. The adjustment is expected to ensure certain amount of water flow into the downstream and to mitigate the adverse impacts on downstream wetlands. 3) Zero Option This scenario is the case without the project, thus current situation will continue. While the water flow into the downstream can be maintained, ineffective irrigation system will not be improved. (Source) Preparatory Study Team The adjustment of water intake scenario is considered as the most favorable one so as to achieve both the minimization of adverse impacts and the increase of rice production. In addition, although the planned water intake is 8m 3 /second in the original proposal, the Study Team revealed that 4.8m 3 /second would be enough to cover the benefited area taking into account the effective rainfall. It is, therefore, possible to reduce the water intake from the Sahabe River. The following should be noted in the subsequent stages of the project. a) When determining the water intake rules of the water user s associations and their federation, a viewpoint to ensure a certain amount of flow into downstream should be incorporated into the rules. It is significant to avoid extra water intake from the Sahabe River. b) MEP should carry out ecological monitoring and check the impacts of the project on the 5

6 downstream wetland. 7. dverse Environmental and Social Impacts The scoping result of the project is described in the Table 3. Detail of the result is indicated in nnex 3. Table 3: Scoping Table Impacts Potential Impacts pproximately 20 houses that were illegally built were found along a farm road (R2) and along an embankment of Drain 0 respectively, thus involuntary resettlement may take place in Involuntary case that these houses create a barrier to the rehabilitation works. Resettlement In terms of the construction of a settling basin and office buildings, involuntary resettlement will not take place since the candidate sites are vacant lots owned by the government. Land acquisition may be necessary for a settling basin and office buildings. However, a Land Use and Utilization of Local Resources small-scale settling basin in the main canal was proposed in the Study, thus MEP does not need to acquire new parcel of land for a settling basin. The candidate sites for office buildings are publicly-owned lands, thus no land acquisition problem is expected with respect to the construction of office building. Misdistribution of enefit and Damage Distribution of irrigation water may cause a sense of unfairness among benefited farmers. Local conflict of interests among benefited farmers may take place over the distribution of Local Conflict of irrigation water. The rehabilitation of the Sahabe head work and flood spillway may cause Interests flooding damage of upstream rice fields. Such troubles may continue after the rehabilitation. Water Usage or Local conflicts with upstream farmers over the use of the Sahabe River and those among Water Rights and benefited farmers in PC 23 may take place. Rights of Common Sanitation Sewage and waste may increase due to the inflow of construction workers. Hazards (Risk) Infectious Diseases such as HIV/IDS There are certain risks of increase of infectious diseases including HIVs due to the inflow of construction workers. Waterborne diseases such as malaria and schistosomiasis might increase as well. Soil Erosion Soil erosion from irrigated paddies and embankments of canals and drainage may take place. Groundwater Possibility of adverse impacts on the groundwater is very low since the project aims to rehabilitate the existing irrigation system which depends only on surface water. Hydrological The water intake from the Sahabe River may increase as a result of the rehabilitation, thus the C Situation amount of the water flow into the downstream wetlands may change. The amount of water intake from the Sahabe River may increase after the rehabilitation, and Flora, Fauna and C the amount of the water flow into the downstream wetlands may change. Such change may iodiversity disturb the flora and fauna living in the downstream wetlands and the lake laotra. Landscape Some adverse impacts on local landscape may take place due to dredged sand and mud. [Water Pollution by Rehabilitation Works] Rehabilitation works of the Sahabe head work and canals may cause water pollution which may bring adverse impacts on the downstream. Water Pollution [Water Pollution after the Completion of the Works] Some villages and agricultural lands are dotted around the Sahabe River, but there are no pollution sources along the Sahabe River. lmost all blocks in PC 23, except for the blocks 12, 22 and 23, currently receive the irrigation water, thus water pollution is not expected after the completion of the project. In addition, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are hardly used in PC 23 at present, thus water pollution caused by such chemicals will not occur. Waste Wastes generated by rehabilitation works and wastes of construction workers may have 6

7 adverse impacts on the local environment. ottom Sediment Increasing sedimentation is observed around head works and irrigation canals. The soil erosion from upstream areas will continue in the future. Regular dredging operation will be necessary, thus the impacts caused by dredged sand and mad need to be taken into account. ccidents ccidents by construction vehicles and heavy machines may cause damages of local residents and construction workers. [Legend] : Serious impact is expected. : Some impact is expected. C: Extent of impact is unknown No Mark: No/Negligible impact is expected. IEE/EI is not necessary. (Source) Preparatory Study Team 8. Mitigation and Monitoring for Key Impacts The mitigation and monitoring measures that MEP needs to take into account is as follows. Table 4: Mitigation and Monitoring Measures Impacts Mitigation and Monitoring Measures Location, specification and construction method of facilities need to be determined so as to avoid as much resettlement as possible. The width and construction method of the farm road (R2) and the cross-sectional design, part to be repaired and construction method of the embankment need to be carefully elaborated to Involuntary avoid the resettlement. Resettlement When involuntary resettlement is unavoidable, MEP needs to obtain agreement from the affected residents in accordance with relevant regulations. MEP also must establish a resettlement action plan to ensure fair compensation, to support relocation and restructure of livelihood basis, to establish system for accepting and processing complaints, and to install an effective monitoring mechanism. [Local conflicts between benefited farmers in PC 23] The rules and regulations of Water User s ssociations (WUs) including water intake rules, operation and maintenance rules and penalties should be settled with the participation of the benefited farmers so Local Conflict that water can be fairly distributed among the farmers in PC 23. In case the rules and regulations exist, the of Interests, contents should be explained to the farmers. Comments and opinions of farmers should be reflected to the Misdistribution rules and regulations. fter the completion of this consultation process, WUs need to require the of enefit and benefited farmers to comply with the rules and regulations. Damage, The capacities of WUs need to be developed so that the agreed rules and regulations are fairly enforced. Water Usage The capacities include water management capacity and financial management capacity. or Water The above process should be incorporated into the plan for the reinforcement of WUs. Rights and [Conflicts with upstream farmers] Rights of The rehabilitation plan must be disclosed to the upstream farmers. It is necessary to hold consultations Common with the upstream farmers and to obtain their agreement. The Sahabe head work and flood spillway should be the same scale as the existing ones to prevent flooding damages of upstream rice fields. Opinions and concerns raised by the upstream farmers should be taken into account when formulating the rehabilitation plan or rules of WUs. MEP should supervise construction workers to comply with the guidance of the Commune in terms of Sanitation disposal of wastes and sewages. Clauses that require subcontractors to ensure proper disposal of wastes and sewages shall be incorporated into the sub-contract. Hazards (Risk) Infectious It is necessary to provide basic information on infectious diseases such as HIV to the construction workers Diseases such and local residents, and to give guidance of prevention measures to the construction workers. as HIV/IDS Soil Erosion Measures for soil erosion such as compaction of embankments and planting grasses should be taken. Hydrology Extra water intake shall be restricted to ensure water flows into the downstream. Such aspects should be 7

8 Flora, Fauna and iodiversity Landscape Water Pollution Waste ottom Sediment ccident incorporated into gate operation rules and water intake rules and regulations of WUs. Ecological monitoring is necessary to observe impacts on the downstream ecosystem caused by water intake change. Representative and/or endangered flora and fauna can be ecological indicators, and changes in their numbers and/or outstanding changes of ecosystem should be monitored. If outstanding changes are observed, it is necessary to take into account the adjustment of gate operation to reduce water intake from the Sahabe headwork. Dredged soil must be effectively utilized as a repairing material for canals, farm roads and embankments. Surplus soil shall be properly disposed of to prevent landscape problems in accordance with the guidance of the related Communes. Earthworks shall be restricted to the dry season. Prior to the dredging works in canals, water must be removed by pumping and the canals must be made dry. If water cannot be removed, it is necessary to construct a temporary dam in the downstream of a work site to settle soil and sand. The dam will prevent muddy water from flowing out of PC 23. Organic wastes such as aquatic plants dredged from canals and drains should be composted and used in farm lands. Other wastes must be properly disposed of in accordance with the guidance of the Commune, which is a local authority responsible for waste management. Trucks carrying wastes must be covered to prevent the diffusion of the wastes. Dredged soil must be effectively utilized as a repairing material for canals, farm roads and embankments. Surplus soil shall be properly disposed of to prevent landscape problems in accordance with the guidance of the related Communes. Safety education for drivers and operators of construction vehicles shall be provided. Construction vehicles should not be operated during commute hours and nighttime. Person in charge of traffic control should be assigned for accident prevention. Regular meetings will be useful for ensuring the safety of construction workers. It is also necessary to provide local residents and farmers with information in advance on the type of civil works, duration and working hours. (Source) Preparatory Study Team mong the above mitigation measures, the following three should be focused in particular, considering the significance of the impacts. Mitigations for Hydrology and Flora and Fauna and iodiversity Mitigations for Local Conflict of Interests Mitigations for Involuntary Resettlement 9.Whether another Environmental and Social Consideration Study is required at this stage or not nother Environmental and Social Consideration Study is considered necessary due to the following reasons. n additional EI is mandatory due to the expansion of the benefited area, thus it is necessary to make sure the progress of the EI and to provide necessary supports. There are conditions attached to the existing Environmental Permit, thus it is necessary to confirm the progress of implementation of the conditions and the implementation mechanism of MEP. It is important to consider an additional mitigation measures that are not adequately addressed in EI Summary by MEP, and to recommend necessary revisions to MEP 8

9 nnex 1: Map of Project Site Madagascar ntananarivo Irrigation Rehabilitation Project in the South-West Region of laotra Lake laotra Project Site 9

10 nnex 2: Map of PC 23 Grain Size nalysis ppraisal Drilling, Penetration Test Longitudinal and Cross-sectional Survey 10

11 nnex 3 : Scoping Table Preparatory/ Construction Phase O & M phase Social Environment Natural Environment Pollution No. Possible Impacts 1 Involuntary Resettlement 2 Local Economy such as Employment and Livelihood, etc. 3 Land Use and Utilization of Local Resources 4 Social Institutions such as Local Decision-Making Institutions 5 Existing Social Infrastructures and Services 6 The Poor, Indigenous and Ethnic People 7 Misdistribution of enefit and Damage 8 Cultural Heritage 9 Local Conflict of Interests 10 Water Usage or Water Rights and Rights of Common 11 Sanitation 12 Hazards (Risk), Infectious Diseases such as HIV/IDS 13 Topography and Geographical Features 14 Soil Erosion 15 Groundwater 16 Hydrological Situation C C C 17 Coastal Zone 18 Flora, Fauna and iodiversity C C C C 19 Meteorology 20 Landscape 21 Global Warming 22 ir Pollution 23 Water Pollution 24 Soil Contamination 25 Waste 26 Noise and Vibration 27 Ground Subsidence 28 Offensive Odor 29 ottom Sediment 30 ccidents Construction of Dams (Head Work and Flood Spillway) * the impacts on "Gender" and "Children's Right" might be related to all criteria of Social Environment Rating: : Serious impact is expected. : Some impact is expected. C: Extent of impact is unknown (Examination is needed. Impacts may become clear as study progresses) No mark: No impact is expected. IEE/EI is not necessary. Overall Rating Rehabilitation of Canals Rehabilitation of Drainage Construction of Setting asin Rehabilitation of Rural Road Rehabilitation of ank Construction of Office uilding Irrigation (Water Intake, Operation of Gate etc.) Drainage Dredging Operation (Head Work, Canals, Setting asin, etc.) 11