Bangladesh: Hatikumrul-Bonpara-Jhenaidah Phase I Road Improvement Project

OBJECTIVE

To provide efficient, safe, and resilient connectivity along a section of a regional transport corridor in Western Bangladesh.

DESCRIPTION

The Project will upgrade a 57.2 km section of existing two-lane road from Bonpara to Jhenaidah to four lanes, add slow-moving vehicle traffic lanes on both sides of the main carriageway, and provide optical fiber cable (OFC) to expand the country’s broadband connectivity and enable “smart highways” along the project alignment. The loan will finance road construction, OFC, consulting services, training and capacity building, equipment purchase, and ITS systems.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

The Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), including the Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) and Environmental and Social Exclusion List (ESEL) are applicable to the proposed Project. Preliminary on-the-ground assessment has determined that ESS 1 (Environmental and Social Assessment and Management) is applicable for the assessment of environmental and social (ES) impacts of Project activities. ESS 2 (Involuntary Resettlement) will also be applicable, as the road widening, and construction activities will require temporary and permanent land acquisition. Based on the initial assessment, the Project has been identified as Category A, because the anticipated ES risks and impacts are substantial due to land acquisition, potential physical displacements and resettlement and disturbance to communities.

The Project is being carried out in parallel with a separate World Bank project (covering the Jessore-Jhenaidah Road segment), each project covering separate sections of the Western Economic Corridor. To ensure efficiency of implementation, a common approach for addressing ES risks and impacts under each of these projects will be adopted by both AIIB and the World Bank.

The Project is expected to alleviate traffic and bring significant improvements in road safety to road users and nearby communities.

The negative environmental impacts of the Project are typical of road construction projects and are expected to be temporary and reversible, and mainly occurring during the construction period: air pollution, noise, soil erosion, tree cutting, water pollution, impacts on borrow areas, and disposal of construction wastes.

Given the significant land acquisition requirements, the existing resettlement plan (RP)^[1] will be assessed to identify any gaps in the proposed measures to mitigate the resettlement impacts and it will be updated to ESP’s requirements. The institutional arrangements will be reviewed to provide for inclusive community participation in the preparation and implementation of the RP.

Existing EIA and EMP^[2] will be updated and upgraded in accordance with the ESP as an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), which will include an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP). The ESMP will contain measures related to occupational and community health and safety, plans for air and water pollution control, noise control, workers camp and construction site management, traffic, and public utility management, among others. The ESMP will be included in the tender documents and made part of the contractual obligations of the selected civil works contractor(s). Risks for Gender-based Violence and Sexual Exploitation related to construction worker influx will be assessed. Potential to provide gender-mainstreamed employment opportunities will also be evaluated.

The project team will appraise how to conduct stakeholder engagements, consultations, and disclosure in an inclusive way within the context of any social distancing measures that may be in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New technological solutions will be explored to develop a multi-tiered GRM with to enhance acceptance, tracking and management of resolutions. The ES documentation will be disclosed in English (with Bangla summaries) on the websites of both AIIB and the Roads and Highways Department prior to appraisal. The Bangla summaries will be made available in hard copies in Project area.

^[1] The RP was originally prepared in accordance with ADB’s ES policy requirements.
^[2] The EIA and EMP were also prepared in accordance with ADB’s ES policy requirements.