69491 China Transport Topics No. 06 June 2012 China: The Environmental Challenge of Railway Development Peishen Wang, Ning Yang and Juan D. Quintero World Bank Office, Beijing The phenomenal development of railways in China has brought real economic benefits to its people and businesses but, with the benefits, an environment, already buckling from the dizzying economic growth of the country, has been impacted. International experience demonstrates that environmental impacts can be effectively mitigated and the worst avoided if appropriate measures are taken. How has China responded to the profound environmental challenges of its rail program? This paper draws on almost 30 years of World Bank’s support to railway development in China in order to attempt to answer this question. Environmental practices such as avoidance of sensitive sites through alternative analysis, design of tunnel-bridge-tunnel schemes, application of innovative slope stabilization measures, attention to community connectivity, and incorporation of landscape design are noteworthy examples of effective measures routinely employed by the Ministry of Railways. At the same time, challenges remain in addressing cumulative impacts, improving the quality of public consultation and the integration of social mitigation measures with those meant to protect the environment. THE RAILWAY ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE railway projects include environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports prepared by MOR and other China’s railways entered a new phase of related safeguard instruments. Over the years the development with the Mid and Long-Term Railway World Bank has seen a convergence of national Development Plan, adopted in 2004 and revised environmental practice with international practice, upwards in 2008 and currently being implemented. particularly in the application of a mitigation The plan seeks to increase the total rail network from hierarchy (avoidance, mitigation and offset) to reduce 75,000 route-km in 2005 to 120,000 km by 2020. The impacts, and in a number of environmental integrated network, administered by the Ministry of management practices such as the use of public Railways (MOR), will include dedicated high-speed consultation, alternatives analysis, and establishment passenger routes on the main corridors, new regional of environmental management plans. inter-city networks, new dedicated freight lines and substantial double tracking and electrification. It is EVOLUTION IN SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT the world’s largest national railway development program for more than a century. The strengthening regulatory and institutional framework in China has provided a foundation for Impacts of this ambitious program are being felt better environmental practices. Statutory throughout the country: in the densely-populated environmental protection formally began with the and developed southeast and northeast; in the introduction of the Environmental Protection Law of ecologically fragile and less developed northwest; China (1979) leading to the adoption of specific and in the dramatic landscapes of the southwest. The environmental protection measures in railway development of such a system poses significant construction projects. In 1986, the State environmental and social challenges. For example, Environmental Protection Agency1 (SEPA) issued the some of the new lines cross sensitive ecosystems, are Environmental Management Measures for built in fragile mountain ecosystems, pass through Construction Projects, which specified the densely populated areas, or threaten rural requirements for environmental impact assessment connectivity. (EIA) reports. It also required the integration of pollution prevention and control facilities in project The World Bank has been involved in China’s railway design, construction and operation as part of the sector since the 1980’s including the financing of 17 1 projects with a total length of over 10,000 km. All Now Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) China Transport Topics No. 06 2 World Bank Office, Beijing “Three Simultaneous” policy for construction Avoiding Sensitive Sites by Alternatives projects. MOR responded by incorporating environmental mitigation works in its project design, Guiyang-Guangzhou Railway Project, a new 857 construction and operation. km double track electrified railway with design speed of 250 km/h, will, when completed, Since 1995, MOR has developed a broader set of traverse vast remote and mountainous area in environmental protection regulations, guidelines and southeast of Guizhou and Guangxi with rich standards and improved its enforcement. Railway ecosystems and scenic areas. Forty-seven projects are planned and implemented to comply environmental sensitive sites were identified with national requirements on EIA and the “Three along the planned project corridor, including Simultaneous” policy. MOR has financed overseas nature reserves, forest parks, scenic areas, study tours to countries such as Germany, US, and water resources protection areas and cultural France for its environmental management personnel relics sites. Various alternative analysis were and EIA practitioners to share environmental undertaken during the feasibility study and the management experiences. alignment finally selected avoided 40 of these areas. Network planning began to include macro-level Sound Engineering Schemes. The analysis of environmental measures with the promulgation of alternatives is complemented in mountainous areas China’s EIA Law (2003). This law requires that an EIA by an intensive use of tunnel-bridge-tunnel schemes. be conducted for sector plans (such as energy, These minimize the potentially damaging agriculture, and transport) before the draft of such environmental impact on mountain ecosystems plans are submitted for examination and approval. caused by landslides and erosion. On the Guiyang- The railway sector was identified by the Ministry of Guangzhou railway line tunnel-bridge-tunnel Environmental Protection as one of the pilot sectors schemes are extensively adopted for about 81 for such a sector plan EIA. It was applied to the percent of the alignment in order to in part avoid the railway network development program in the most sensitive land-take issues and minimize the nation’s Eleventh-Five Year Plan (2006-2010). Today, ecological footprint. The extensive use of tunnel- national and project level railway EIAs are routinely bridge-tunnel schemes in this and other selected developed and implemented. projects is shown in Table 1. APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN Table 1 Physical Characteristics under Selected RAILWAY PROJECT World Bank supported Projects Environmental protection is integrated throughout Bank-supported Total Tunnel- Spoils the project cycle, during network planning, project Length Bridge- (million prefeasibility analysis, feasibility analysis, preliminary (km) Tunnel m) 3 design, construction, and operation. At the core is a (% of km) hierarchy of measures: Guiyang-Guangzhou 857 81 41 Nanning-Guangzhou 400 33 7 Avoidance of sensitive sites. The preferred option is Jilin-Hunchun 360 66 14 where possible to avoid impacts on ecosystems, Zhangjiakou-Hohhot 286 68 5 biodiversity, and communities. Third party EIA consultants are employed to undertake a analysis of These schemes have a significant cost, since the cost alternative corridor alignments and to examine in of bridges and tunnels is about 50% - 100% more details areas of particular potential environmental than that of embankments. But this is not just true of sensitivity. Appropriately conducted alternative mountainous alignments. A viaduct scheme is also analyses are regarded as one of the most important adopted for more than 60% of the alignment across measures to avoid and greatly reduce potentially the flat plains of the Shijiazhuang-Zhengzhou railway adverse environmental and social impacts. line. The typical 18 m wide viaduct allows for minimum land take for its columns and for under-the- bridge crossing and farming while the typical railway China Transport Topics No. 06 3 World Bank Office, Beijing embankment permanently occupies a swath of land Excess spoils are often converted to arable land and 30-50 m wide. used for retention walls, landscaping, local farmers and communities. Sediments are removed from Railway projects in China routinely adopt advanced tunnel construction waste water before discharging soil stabilization techniques including structural and the water into rivers. Sites and buildings used for non-structural measures, complemented with temporary construction works are often converted to extensive landscaping. The aim is to blend the rail farmland. Temporary construction roads are line with the scenic qualities of the geographical area converted into permanent rural roads where needed. being crossed. Ongoing Reclamation in Former Beam Factory Slope Erosion and Protection Control Comprehensive Mitigation Plan. Some social and environmental impacts are unavoidable. In these cases comprehensive mitigation measures are incorporated into the project design and environmental management plan. Disposal and restoration. An inevitable outcome of the tunnel-bridge-tunnel schemes is the production of large volumes of excavated material (spoils). These spoils receive special attention during construction by balancing excavation with embankment. Borrow Pit Returned to Local Community as Fish Pond Construction Site Management. Temporary construction impacts such as noise, vibration, and erosion are mitigated through the implementation of environmentally sound construction management measures. An environmental management leadership group is routinely established within the railway project management units and led by a Chief Commander, supported by division chiefs and environmental management staff. Environmental mitigation measures are incorporated in the bidding Disposal Site Reclamation for Local Agriculture documents. Project-specific environmental management rules and procedures are developed. Inspection and incentive and penalty systems are enforced by the project management units. China Transport Topics No. 06 4 World Bank Office, Beijing Camp for Construction Workers In 2007, MOR issued the “Six in One” policy which classifies overall railway project objectives into six Cultural Relics Survey and Excavation Prior to Construction control targets, namely: quality, safety, (Zhongshan Tomb Protection Area, GuiGuang Railway Project) environmental protection, construction duration, Community Severance. As linear infrastructure, investment, and technical innovation. These railway lines often physically sever communities, objectives are specified, quantified and enforced by traffic, and irrigation systems. As such, the project the parties responsible for the rail project design seeks to identify and mitigate these impacts construction. In 2008, MOR issued its “Decision on by designing, in consultation with local communities, Promotion of Standardized Management of safe crossings when allowed or under or over Construction Projects” (or the “Four crossings when the rail and road are grade separated. Standardizations”), which imposed standardized The same is true of irrigation canals. management procedures, staff assignments, construction site management and process control. Table 2 Examples of Connectivity Measures Comprehensive implementation regulations and procedures have been developed by the 18 railway Rail Project (World Community Connectivity administrations within MOR, and enforced by the Bank financed) Measures railway construction entities. Contractors have Guiyang- Approximately 300 subsequently developed a set of standardized Guangzhou interchanges, 20 pedestrian implementation measures. The predominance of overpasses and 15 clean and orderly construction sites are evidence of underpasses, and more than the implementation of these standards. 900 culverts Nanning- Approximately 290 road Physical Cultural Resources. The EIA process includes Guangzhou overpasses and underpasses, a physical cultural resources survey conducted and almost 1,200 culverts through field investigation and consultation with local Jilin-Hunchun Approximately 30 road authorities and communities. The alternative analysis viaducts and 280 culverts includes avoidance to the greatest extent possible of Harbin-Jiamusi Approximately 300 culverts cultural resource sites. Where relics are suspected Zhangjiakou- Approximately 5 road and impacts probable, detailed site investigation and Hohhot viaducts and over 200 small excavation by a professionally licensed institute is community crossing culverts conducted prior to construction. Relics retrieved from the sites are turned over to museums. Chance-find Environmental Supervision. Following a Notice issued procedures in line with national laws and regulations in 2002, MOR requires environmental supervision to are included in the environmental management plans. 2The Notice on Promoting Environmental Supervision in Major Construction Projects was jointly issued by SEPA, MOR, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Water China Transport Topics No. 06 5 World Bank Office, Beijing be an integral part of the supervision engineer’s Environmental Management Plans. An responsibility. Independent environmental Environmental Management Plan is prepared for supervision companies have been employed on some each Bank-financed project but is not formally key national railway projects such as the Qinghai- required in China. A stand-alone Environmental Tibet line and the Chongqing-Huaihua line to further Management Plan, which extracts the EIA conclusions enhance the environmental safeguards enforcement. and recommendations, is a clear and succinct tool for managing environmental impacts and incorporating Regular supervision enforces the implementation of measures into project design, bidding documents and required mitigation measures. The use of an implementation practice. independent environmental monitor on Bank-funded projects has been extended to some MOR projects Integrate social impacts. The Chinese EIA law including the Beijing-Shanghai and Wuhan –Yichang requirements mainly emphasize the potential lines. Several independent environment monitoring impacts on biophysical environment, but there has consultants with railway project experience are now been an increasing awareness that the broader social practicing in China. impacts including land acquisition and involuntary resettlement need to be addressed in an integrated Looking Ahead way. In many ways, the railway sector in China has been a **************** pioneer in integrating environmental impact analysis and management into infrastructure projects. These Ning Yang is an environmental specialist at the World efforts continue in several key areas. Bank’s Beijing Office, Juan D. Quintero and Peishen Wang are environmental consultants to the Bank. Standardized Environmental Code of Practice. MOR’s Chongwu Sun was a peer reviewer. “Four Standardizations” details environmental regulations and procedures, but these remain specific This note is part of the China Transport Note Series to to each railway administration. A sector-wide railway share experience about the transformation of the environmental code of practice for railway Chinese transport sector. For comments, please construction environmental management would contact Ning Yang (nyang@worldbank.org), John further standardize good practice and ensure uniform Scales (jscales@worldbank.org) or Gerald Ollivier application. (gollivier@worldbank.org). EIA Documentation. The EIA documents prepared by Any findings, interpretations and conclusions railway design institutes follow the Ministry of expressed herein are those of the authors and do not Environmental Protection requirements in terms of necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank. document structure and contents. The documents Neither the World Bank nor the authors guarantee are technically strong, but would benefit from further the accuracy of any data or other information analysis of social and cultural impact and induced or contained in this document and accept no cumulative impacts. responsibility whatsoever for any consequence of their use. Public Consultation and Information Disclosure. Though they share the same aims, there are practical differences between Chinese EIA regulations and international practices regarding public consultation and information disclosure. In the former, the breadth and depth of public consultation are often limited compared to international practices, and information disclosure is often rudimentary. Sources, and China National Petroleum Corporation in 2002. It calls for piloting the enforcement of environmental supervision as an integral part of engineering supervision in several key sectors.