Appendixes IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 DISCLAIMER This document was prepared for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) by a consultant team engaged to undertake the technical assistance project “Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar”. The views, conclusions and recommendations in the document are not to be taken to represent the views of IFC. Prepared by ICEM Prepared for International Finance Corporation (IFC) Suggested citation ICEM. 2017. Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar, Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report. Prepared for IFC. Hanoi. Photo credit ICEM More information www.icem.com.au | info@icem.com.au ICEM - International Centre for Environmental Management 6A Lane 49, To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Hanoi Viet Nam ii IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank AIRBM Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management DMH Department of Meteorology and Hydrology DWIR Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems FFI Flora and Fauna International GIA Gender Impact Assessment GOM Government of Myanmar HDWG Hydropower Developers’ Working Group HPP Hydropower Project IFC International Finance Corporation IHA International Hydropower Association IUCN International Union for the Conservation on Nature IAIA International Association of Impact Assessment IWMI International Water Management Institute KIO Kachin Independence Organization KNU Karen National Union NGO Non-government organization MOALI Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation MOC Ministry of Commerce MOEE Ministry of Electricity and Energy MOI Ministry of Industry MOLIP Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population MONREC Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation MOPF Ministry of Planning and Finance MOSWRR Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement MOTC Ministry of Transport and Communications MRCB Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business MIC Myanmar Investment Commission NWRC National Water Resources Committee RAP Resettlement Action Plan SEI Stockholm Environment Institute TAF The Asia Foundation TNC The Nature Conservancy UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme WCS Wildlife Conservation Society WLE Water Land and Ecosystems WWF World Wildlife Fund iii IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................................................... III LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................................. V LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................................ V 1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................1 1.1 SEA objectives and outcomes ........................................................................................... 3 1.2 Phases and key outputs .................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Scope ................................................................................................................................ 5 1.4 SEA institutional arrangements ........................................................................................ 6 1.5 Approach .......................................................................................................................... 7 2 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ................................................................................................8 2.1 Objectives of the stakeholder engagement plan (SEP) .................................................... 8 2.2 Stakeholder groups ......................................................................................................... 10 2.3 Stakeholder analysis ....................................................................................................... 10 2.4 Stakeholder groups ......................................................................................................... 11 2.4.1 Union Government .......................................................................................................... 11 2.4.2 Sub-national government ............................................................................................... 12 2.4.3 National and local CSOs .................................................................................................. 13 2.4.4 Stakeholders at the river basin level ............................................................................... 14 2.4.5 Local communities........................................................................................................... 16 2.4.6 Private sector .................................................................................................................. 16 2.4.7 International NGOs ......................................................................................................... 17 2.4.8 Universities and research organizations ......................................................................... 18 2.4.9 Multilateral development agencies and bilateral donors ............................................... 18 2.5 Gender ............................................................................................................................ 19 2.6 Conflict ............................................................................................................................ 20 3 ETHNIC ARMED ORGANIZATIONS (EAOS) ............................................................................. 20 4 KEY SEA CONSULTATION EVENTS AND PROCESS ................................................................... 20 4.1 Inception and scoping..................................................................................................... 20 4.2 Understanding sustainable development objectives ..................................................... 21 4.3 Identifying key issues and opportunities ........................................................................ 21 4.4 Key stakeholder consultation events.............................................................................. 21 4.4.1 Regional River Basin Consultations ................................................................................. 22 4.4.2 Scoping and Baseline Assessment Workshops ................................................................ 26 4.4.3 Local communities affected by existing hydropower development ................................ 26 4.4.4 Impact Assessment Stakeholder Workshops .................................................................. 27 4.4.5 Final Stakeholder Workshops .......................................................................................... 27 5 SPECIAL ADVISORY AND EXPERT GROUPS............................................................................. 28 5.1 Advisory Group ............................................................................................................... 28 5.2 Expert Groups (EG) ......................................................................................................... 28 6 SEA COMMUNICATION OUTREACH TOOLS ........................................................................... 29 7 CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................... 31 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 32 iv IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Key tasks ..........................................................................................................................................4 Table 2: Stakeholder analysis for key steps of the SEA.............................................................................. 10 Table 3: Union government stakeholders.................................................................................................. 11 Table 4: Sub-national government stakeholders ....................................................................................... 12 Table 5: Preliminary list of national CSOs stakeholders ............................................................................ 13 Table 6: Initial stakeholder list for CSOs in Thanlwin, Sittaung, Chindwin and Tanintharyi ...................... 14 Table 7: Initial stakeholder list for sub-national government in Thanlwin, Sittaung, Chindwin and Tanintharyi ................................................................................................................................................. 15 Table 8: Local communities ....................................................................................................................... 16 Table 9: Preliminary list of private sector stakeholders ............................................................................ 16 Table 10: International NGOs .................................................................................................................... 17 Table 11: Key stakeholder consultation events ......................................................................................... 21 Table 12: Dates and location of proposed regional river basin consultations .......................................... 22 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Existing and planned hydropower projects in Myanmar ...............................................................2 Figure 2: Three phases of SEA and main outputs .........................................................................................4 Figure 3: Planned and existing hydropower in major river basins in Myanmar ...........................................6 Figure 4: Overview of SEA team and relationships with key working units .................................................7 Figure 5: Planned stakeholder engagement activities for the SEA ...............................................................9 Figure 6: Example of blank participatory map for Thanlwin river basin .................................................... 24 Figure 7: Yeywa HPP, Mytinge River, Myanmar ........................................................................................ 27 Figure 8: SEA Roadmap on IFC website ..................................................................................................... 30 v IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 1 INTRODUCTION Myanmar has immense hydropower potential. It is home to the drainage basins of four large rivers: Ayeyarwady, Chindwin, Sittaung and Thanlwin. Despite its hydropower potential, rich biodiversity and natural resources, Myanmar remains the least developed economy in Southeast Asia (UNDP 2013). While the country has abundant energy resources - including renewable alternatives - hydropower is the main source of fuel for electricity requirements, followed by natural gas and coal (ADB 2015). In 2012, hydropower provided 75% of supply. Tapping the country’s extensive hydropower potential could provide a critical source of electricity for the national grid and could power economic growth, which is expected to average at least 6.8% in coming years. Myanmar also has one of the lowest electrification rates in Asia, where less than a third of the population has access to the electricity grid (World Bank 2014). There are 58 hydropower projects (HPP) under construction or planned (each with at least 10 MW capacity) with total potential installed capacity of 46,101 MW (Figure 1). These projects are expected to harness up to 50% of the country’s hydropower potential. Most of the hydropower development plans are targeting the Thanlwin and Ayeyarwady-Chindwin basins. 1 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Figure 1: Existing and planned hydropower projects in Myanmar In response, the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) with support from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), in partnership with and the Australian Government, are conducting a strategic environmental 2 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 assessment (SEA) of the hydropower sector in Myanmar. An SEA provides a valuable tool to plan balanced hydropower development in a watershed or nationally early in the planning process. An SEA considers the cumulative impact of multiple projects across a broad area, particularly on significant environmental and social values. An effective SEA could lead to the conservation and maintenance of natural systems and services while optimizing project siting and configuration. There is a critical opportunity to involve users of river resources in basin wide development planning so that all values and interests are considered, consensus reached on the tradeoffs and conflicts over resource uses resolved. The SEA and its program of stakeholder involvement has the potential to make an important contribution in that balanced and inclusive planning process. This document sets out the SEA approach to stakeholder engagement. 1.1 SEA objectives and outcomes The overall objectives of this SEA are to i) define a sustainable development pathway for hydropower in Myanmar over the next 20 years and beyond; ii) achieve broad consensus on this pathway, based on environmental, social and economic considerations; and iii) promote long-term economic development and sustainable use and protection of natural resources and ecosystems. The key expected outcomes of the SEA are:  a more informed and improved dialogue between stakeholders;  enhanced understanding by decision makers and other stakeholders of the range of stakeholder values and priorities that need to be considered in formulating the sustainable hydropower development pathway;  a shared development pathway that accounts for stakeholder priorities;  an E&S rating of pipeline project proposals;  recommendations on policies, procedures and plans required to plan hydropower, trading off different values and outcomes; and  recommendations on additional baseline data gathering required to fill key information gaps. The SEA is aiming to develop a Sustainable Hydropower Development Pathway in Myanmar. Conducting the SEA before major project decisions are made means it can have a real influence in shaping hydropower development and watershed management at the early stages of planning. 1.2 Phases and key outputs The 12-month SEA process will be implemented in three key phases: 1) Scoping and baseline assessment 2) Sustainable Development Pathway Setting and Assessment 3) Mitigation and recommendations. The phased approach envisages analysis, stakeholder engagement and documentation at each stage. That approach with progressive reporting and review promotes transparency, consensus building, validation, and respect for the process as it moves forward. It is important not to leave reporting until the final stage - there should be no surprises at that late stage, which could reduce the SEA’s credibility and authority and lead to its rejection by important stakeholders. The proposed phases are: 1. Scoping and baseline assessment: The geographic and temporal boundaries are determined. Through stakeholder consultations, sustainability principles and key themes are refined to identify the key strategic environmental and socio-economic issues for each river basin. Information and spatial data is collected to describe the existing status and trends in the key strategic issues. 2. Sustainable development pathway setting and assessment: The risks and opportunities associated with the implementation of the business-as-usual (BAU) case and sustainable hydropower development strategy are assessed using trend analysis and GIS overlays for each of 3 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 the strategic issues. Spatial multi-criteria analysis is used to rank the proposed hydropower projects according to impact and sustainability. 3. Mitigation and recommendations: The last step involves defining measures to enhance the benefits and to avoid, or mitigate, the negative effects of proposed hydropower development. Table 1: Key tasks SEA Steps Tasks outlined in the TOR 5.1 Appointment of an Advisory Group 5.2 Confirmation of SEA purpose and methodology Phase 1: Inception and baseline 5.3 Collection of Initial Baseline Information assessment 5.4 Stakeholder analysis and engagement planning 5.5 Identification of Sustainable Development Priorities Phase 2: Sustainable 5.6 Sustainability analysis of pipeline project proposals development pathway setting 5.7 Prediction of Business-as-Usual (BAU) Hydropower Development and assessment 5.8 Rapid impact assessment of BAU hydropower development Phase 3: Avoidance, mitigations 5.9 Framing the Sustainable Hydropower Development Pathway and enhancements 5.10 Sustainable Development Recommendations The phased approach envisages analysis, consultation and documentation at each stage. That approach with progressive reporting and review promotes transparency, consensus building, testing and agreement on the facts, and respect for the process as it moves forward. Stakeholder engagement and release of reports have been integrated into the overall SEA methodology as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2: Three phases of SEA and main outputs The main outputs for the SEA include:  A Stakeholder Engagement Plan  Scoping and baseline report  Project sustainability analysis report  Impact assessment report 4 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017  Project GIS Database- key layers for the country by watershed/sub-watershed and  Detailed Draft SEA;  Final SEA. Below is a summary of the key outputs and the expected dates for delivery: (i) Stakeholder Engagement Plan (December 2016): The plan will be prepared to ensure that the main stakeholder groups are effectively engaged in each of the key steps of the SEA. The stakeholder engagement plan will be reviewed and updated regularly as the SEA progresses to reflect experience and advice stemming from on-going consultations. It will be closely integrated with the overall IFC Communications Plan for the SEA. (ii) Scoping and Baseline Report (February 2017): This report will present the SEA purpose and methodology, scope and boundaries and tools for spatial and trend analysis and the initial baseline information for the key themes and issues. The report will include the review of the decision-making, institutional and legal framework and the definition of sustainable development objective and indicators for the key themes. A summary of the regional river basin consultations will also be included in the scoping and baseline report. (iii) Project Sustainability Analysis Report (May 2017): The sustainability analysis of projects is a core component of the impact assessment report. This component will be drawn out into a short policy brief and communications reference for decision makers. (iv) Impact assessment report (June 2017): The findings of the impact assessment phase will be distilled into the draft impact assessment report and released for stakeholder comment. (v) Draft SEA Report (August 2017): Sufficient time has been made available in the work scheduled for GOM and stakeholders to review and provide comments on the draft SEA draft prior to finalizing the report in October 2017. Members of the SEA team will be available to provide high-level briefings to Government and other stakeholders if required. (vi) Final SEA report (October 2017) Each of those reports will be subject to stakeholder review and comment. 1.3 Scope The scope of the SEA includes planned and existing hydropower development (greater than 10MW) in five river basins and two coastal regions in Myanmar (Figure 3):  Ayeyarwady-Chindwin  Thanlwin  Sittaung  Bago and Myit Ma Hka  Mekong  Tanintharyi and Rakhine coastal regions. 5 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Figure 3: Planned and existing hydropower in major river basins in Myanmar 1.4 SEA institutional arrangements Figure 4 provides an overview of the SEA institutional arrangements and the relationship to other working units in the study, including the IFC, the Advisory Group (AG), Expert Technical Groups and the Government of Myanmar. The SEA team will benefit from the inclusion of two technical advisors each from MONREC and MOEE. 6 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Figure 4: Overview of SEA team and relationships with key working units Government of IFC Myanmar (GoM) Advisory Group (AG) Team Leader ICEM Hydropower Engineer Geomorphologist Team Leader Economist MOEE & Social/Livelihoods Specialist MONREC SEA TEAM Project Manager International GIS Specialist Fisheries Expert Technical Advisors Project Coordinator Policy & Institutional specialist Expert Technical Environmental specialist Groups (EG) ICEM Technical, Social specialist Financial and GIS specialist Management Stakeholder engagement Support Team specialist Interpreter 1.5 Approach The systematic assessment to be applied in this SEA involves well integrated and often parallel tasks including:  Identifying key issues: Identifying environmental and social (E&S) issues considered by stakeholders as important for development and management of the river basins  Grouping issues into strategic themes: Consolidating the list of issues into strategic environmental and socio-economic themes  Overlaying available GIS layers for hydropower development and environmental and socio- economic issues in the selected river basins  Outlining the past and future trends (to 2035 and to 2050 for climate change) and drivers of change in the strategic themes  Defining sustainability objectives and indicators for the strategic themes  Reviewing of hydropower projects against the sustainability objectives and categorizing them according to the significance of potential impact  Trends analysis for scenarios: Outlining the expected future trends (2035) in strategic themes for the Business-As-Usual (BAU) case and for the sustainable hydropower development pathway  Identifying critical concerns and opportunities associated with hydropower development in Myanmar and policy and management responses to them The SEA seeks stakeholder involvement in each of those activities to ensure the approach is participatory and stakeholder driven process. 7 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 2 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Stakeholder engagement can be defined as “any process that involves stakeholders in problem-solving or decision-making and uses stakeholder input to make better decisions” (Baldwin and Twyford, 2006). This definition highlights that stakeholder engagement is a process or series of actions, impacts and outcomes and not one single activity (UNEP, 2007). The International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA) has developed SEA performance criteria to achieve “Participative SEAs”, so that the process informs and involves interested and affected public (Partidario, 2012). The approach of this SEA recognizes the need for stakeholder involvement in its activities and phases so the process is inclusive, transparent and fair. 2.1 Objectives of the stakeholder engagement plan (SEP) The objectives of this SEP is i) to outline the stakeholder consultation and communication activities throughout each step of the SEA, ii) to identify the key stakeholder groups, and iii) to identify resources needed and length of time to achieve effective participation in each stage of the process. Stakeholder engagement will be delivered primarily through carrying out the following key consultation events:  Kick-off meeting: Meeting with IFC, GOM and other stakeholders to introduce the SEA methodology and process.  Regional river basin consultations: Meetings and workshops with different stakeholder groups at the basin and region/state level to identify the key environment and social (E&S) issues and opportunities.  Multi-stakeholder baseline assessment workshops: Review findings from regional river basin consultations and to focus on identifying and prioritizing specific issues and opportunities at the national and basin level for the Ayeyarwady-Chindwin and Thanlwin.  Consultation with local communities: Discussions with local communities affected by existing HPPs in the Thanlwin, Ayeyayarwady-Chindwin and Sittaung.  Impact assessment workshops: Review findings of the impact assessment and project sustainability analysis report and play a role in framing the sustainable hydropower development pathway based.  Final Multi-stakeholder workshops: Review the draft SEA and provide comments and suggestions through group discussion and activities. Further information on the design of the key stakeholder events is outlined in section 5. The key stakeholder consultation events were designed to capture as many state/regions as possible with multiple visits to major river basins and coastal regions in Myanmar (Figure 5). 8 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Figure 5: Planned stakeholder engagement activities for the SEA The SEP recognizes the dynamic nature of a SEA and consultations will also involve ongoing:  Direct discussions with individual stakeholders;  Roundtable meetings with specific stakeholder groups;  Interaction with the Advisory Group and six Expert Groups;  Outreach at conferences, forums and other workshops in Myanmar and the Mekong region. 9 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 It is important to highlight upfront that the role of an SEA is to assess at a strategic-level, the cumulative impacts of multiple projects across the major basins and coastal regions in Myanmar. It needs to take into account the representative views of relevant stakeholder groups. But the SEA cannot be compared to an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) which examines individual projects and affected communities in more detail. The SEA will engage directly with some local communities affected by existing hydropower as a way of confirming and deepening understanding of riverine community concerns and opinions, however this will not always be possible - in which case stakeholder representatives or “gate keepers” will need to be identified and consulted. 2.2 Stakeholder groups The first step in the SEP is to identify the key stakeholders to be consulted and involved. The initial list of stakeholders was developed based on the TOR and updated following the kick-off Meetings in October through direct conservations with IFC, MOEE, MONREC, the Advisory Group and other stakeholders. The stakeholder groups to be engaged will be expanded and updated as the SEA evolves to identify additional groups which have an important stake in hydropower development and watershed management. The initial list of stakeholders is categorized under the following stakeholder groups:  Union government;  Sub-national government;  National and local civil society organizations (CSOs);  Local communities ;  Private sector;  International non-government organizations (NGOs);  Universities and research institutes;  Multilateral development agencies and banks. 2.3 Stakeholder analysis Stakeholder analysis is the process of identifying the stakeholder groups that are likely to affect or be affected by a proposed action, and sorting them according to their impact on the action and the impact the action will have on them. The following stakeholder analysis will be incorporated into the key steps of the SEA (Table 2). Table 2: Stakeholder analysis for key steps of the SEA SEA steps Stakeholder analysis Preliminary stakeholder analysis: Desktop analysis to determine for each Inception and baseline stakeholder group their potential role in the project and the degree of assessment importance and influence. ‘Influence’ relates to decision -making power and ‘importance’, the level of interest in the SEA. Sustainable development Participatory stakeholder analysis: will be used during the impact pathway setting and assessment phase to determine which stakeholders will be most adversely assessment affected by planned hydropower development in Myanmar. Institutional and legal analysis: to determine each stakeholder groups Avoidance, mitigations and interest and influence in the sustainable hydropower development pathway enhancements and influence recommendations for avoidance, enhancement and mitigation. Stakeholder analysis is an ongoing process and will evolve as new stakeholders are introduced to the SEA process. The preliminary stakeholder analysis has identified the various interests of stakeholder groups and what influence might these groups may have on the SEA. The analysis also shaped the design of stakeholder consultation events and which stakeholders to engage and when. The following sections will included for each stakeholder group: 10 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 1. Stakeholder identification - preliminary list of stakeholders 2. Stakeholder analysis - the potential roles, interests and influence related to the SEA 3. Stakeholder engagement activities - how and when the stakeholders will be engaged during the implementation of the SEA 2.4 Stakeholder groups 2.4.1 Union Government Union government agencies are key stakeholders for the SEA. Engagement with government will serve two main purposes: (i) involve ministries, departments and committees in each step of the SEA to build consensus and ownership of the findings; (ii) identify the governance framework for hydropower, socio-economic development and watershed management. Table 3 maps out the potential role, interest and influence in the SEA for each of the stakeholders at the Union government level when the mandate, history of involvement, resources and authority in development planning and decisions making considered. Table 3: Union government stakeholders Union government Stakeholder Potential role in the SEA Interest Influence Project partner: Engage hydropower developers and other MOEE national ministries and state/region offices in the SEA. Assist High High in updating HPP database and developing BAU case. Project partner: Provide EIA reports and data/information MONREC for biodiversity watersheds. Engaging with state/region High High offices and departments Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Provide information on agriculture, livestock and irrigation. High High and Irrigation Project specific information on multi-purpose projects (MOALI) The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) can provide hydrological data and information on the major Ministry of Transport rivers in Myanmar. The and Communications High High Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River (MOTC) Systems (DWIR) is the lead agency for the Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management (AIRBM) Ministry of Planning Outline national economic policies for key economic High High and Finance (MOPF) sectors and revenue/benefit sharing Ministry of Provide information on tariffs and policy for investment High Low Commerce (MOC) and approval of large infrastructure projects Ministry of Industry Explore the policy, objectives and targets of industrial High Low (MOI) development in Myanmar. Ministry of Labour, Provide statistics on labour, migration and population to Immigration and develop the baseline assessment for the social & livelihoods Low Low Population (MOLIP) theme. 11 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Ministry of Social Provide information on resettlement and displacement Welfare, Relief and policies for hydropower and large infrastructure projects High Low Resettlement for the social & livelihoods theme. (MOSWRR) Ministry of Ethnic Contribute information on the ongoing peace process and High Low Affairs (MOEA) engagement with EAOs in the states and regions. Outline priorities for water resources management in NWRC High Medium Myanmar at the national level. Contribute recommendation for SEA based on findings Myitsone Commission High Medium from Myistone The team will work closely with MONREC and MOEE to implement the SEA and will encourage the technical advisors and focal points to participate in all stakeholder engagement activities. Union level government representatives will be invited to participate in multi-stakeholder workshops. Through direct discussions and roundtable meetings with the national stakeholder groups the institutional (decision-making) responsibility and policy and planning instruments will be mapped for sectors using river basin resources including; agriculture, aquaculture, energy, fisheries, hydropower, mining, transport (navigation). The process for reviewing and approving hydropower projects will be examined carefully to identify steps, gaps or overlaps between institutions. The mapping process will help to identify the governance context and capacities of institutions to effectively manage river basin development. 2.4.2 Sub-national government The SEA team plans to conduct stakeholder engagement activities in states/regions where there is existing and planned hydropower development including; Kachin, Shan, Kayah, Kayin, Mon states, Sagaing, Mandalay and Tanintharyi regions, and Bago division. Sub-national government agencies at the state and region levels are key stakeholders in river basin development as summarized below in Table 4. Table 4: Sub-national government stakeholders  MONREC state/region offices  MOEE state/region offices Sub-national government  Other relevant ministries State/Region governments  Township Potential role in SEA Interest Influence Identify the issues and opportunities facing river basin development at the High Low state/region and basin level. State/region governments were created by the 2008 Constitution and established in 2011. Today, Myanmar comprises seven states and seven regions, five self-administered zones, one self- administered division, and Nay Pyi Taw as a Union Territory. During the past decade, there has been some decentralization of natural resource management and revenue collection (TAF, 2014). Engaging with region/state offices of MONREC, MOEE and other ministries presents an important opportunity to enhance coordination between the multiple sectors involved in hydropower development. States/region governments will be included in the following stakeholder engagement activities:  Regional river basin consultations  Baseline assessment multi-stakeholder workshops  Final multi-stakeholder workshops  Direct discussion and roundtable meetings. 12 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 The spatial analysis will also identify the extent to which the townships, village tracts and villages in each of the river basins will be affected by existing and planned hydropower development. 2.4.3 National and local CSOs There is mounting pressure from civil society organizations (CSOs) and local communities opposing large scale hydropower development. National and local CSOs in Myanmar have called on the government to halt hydropower projects on major rivers, citing potential negative environmental and social impacts. The environmental and human rights movement in Myanmar is very active, mobilized primarily around high profile projects and such as the suspended Myistone dam in Kachin State and the Mong Ton dam in Shan State. Table 9 summarizes the initial stakeholders for national CSOs based in Yangon. Table 5: Preliminary list of national CSOs stakeholders National:  Renewable Energy Association of Myanmar (REAM)  Mekong Energy & Ecology Network  Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability (MATA),  Myanmar Climate Change Watch (Tun Lwin Foundation)  Paungku  EcoDev/ ALARM  Spectrum - Sustainable Development Knowledge Network, Another Development  Myanmar Environmental and Rehabilitation Network (MERN)  Ecosystem Conservation and Community Development Initiative (ECCDI)  Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB)  Ju Foundation  PACT Myanmar  Promotion of Indigenous and Nature Together (POINT  Myanmar Green Network  Forest Resource Environment Development and Conservation Association (FREDA)  Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA)  Natural Resource Governance Institute  Food Security Working Group  Myanmar Bird and Nature Society National CSOs  Myanmar Forest Association  Marine Science Association Myanmar  Local Resource Centre (LRC)  Myanmar Environment Institute (MEI_  Insight Research Corner  Resource and Environment Myanmar  Yangon Technological University  Myanmar Survey Research  Development Center for Grassroots Community (DCGC)  Green Hearts Environmental Network  IDEA Myanmar (Environment, Rural Development and Participatory Forestry)  88 generation Peace and Open Society  Myanmar Institute for Democracy  Youth Circle  Yangon Justice Centre  Institute for Peace and Justice Centre  Tampadipa Institute  Pyidaungsu Institute  Proximity Design  Myanmar People Forum Working Group Potential role in SEA Interest Influence 13 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Participate in key consultation events, direct and roundtable meetings. Provide data and information for key themes and guidance on defining the sustainable High Low hydropower development pathway. National CSOs focusing on environmental and social issues and groups representing women, youth, ethnic minorities and other marginalized stakeholder groups will be invited to participate in key stakeholder events, including:  Baseline assessment multi-stakeholder workshops  Impact assessment workshop  Final multi-stakeholder workshops  Direct discussion and roundtable meetings. National CSOs will also be invited to join expert technical groups (EGs) and the SEA Advisory Group (AG). The Local CSOs based in states/regions have been mapped in preparation for the regional river basin consultations. 2.4.4 Stakeholders at the river basin level Stakeholder groups will be identified and mapped at different levels and scales. In the context of the SEA, scale in stakeholder engagement refers to river basin, administrative, hydrological, ecosystem or economic boundaries (Dore & Lebel, 2010). Globally, participatory approaches have tended not to effectively address the diversity of stakeholders in a river basin (Warner, 2006). Identifying and engaging stakeholders at the river basin level is complex due to geographic and administrative boundaries between countries, states/regions and townships. For example, the Thanlwin River originates in China and flows through the Shan, Kayah, Kayin and Mon States. Contested areas and regional autonomous zones further complicate stakeholder engagement in Myanmar. The SEA will take a decentralized approach to participation which addresses those challenges. In developing the SEP, stakeholder groups were initially identified for the regional river basin consultations planned in the Thanlwin, Sittaung, Chindwin and Tanintharyi region. There are several local CSOs operating at the basin and state/region level in Myanmar. These groups represent a diverse range of interests, including: environmental, governance and security, transparency and accountability, law enforcement, conflict, peace process and ethnic minorities. In planning for the regional river basin consultations, the local CSOs were mapped at the basin level for the Thanlwin, Sittaung, Chindwin and Tanintharyi. This process was led by the Stakeholder Consultation Specialist and involved contacting CSO networks to determine which organizations were working at the basin and state/region levels in the key river basins in Myanmar, this initial stakeholder list is shown below in Table 6. Table 6: Initial stakeholder list for CSOs in Thanlwin, Sittaung, Chindwin and Tanintharyi Basin CSOs  New Generation Shan  Sein Yaung Soe - Kyuk Mae  Cyoju Action Network  CSDC  Mai Pan Youth Network  Ta' aung Youth Association (Lashio) Thanlwin  Shan Sa/Ya Group (East Shan)  TSYU (North Shan)  Network Activities Group (NAG)  KLS (Than Lwin Chit Thu)  LoiKaw Women Centre  MATA (Kayah) 14 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Basin CSOs  Union of Kareni State Youth (UKSY)  LAIN Technical support group (Karenni)  Kayarmay Thetthay (Kayah North)  Myar Moe  88 generation (Kayah)  Karenni Civil Society Network  Women's Galaxy  KESAN - Karen Environmental and Social Action Network  Karen Rivers Watch  Htoo Pho Kapaw  Karen Affairs Committee (KAC)  Thwee Community Based Group  Western Than Lwin  KDW (Kyaut Kyi)  Lu Mu Htar  Shwe Yeik Sit  Taungoo Community Center Sittaung  Paung Ku  Sar Mu Htaw  KHRG (Thandaung)  Gal Bar Literature and Cultural  Upper Chindwin Youth Network (UCDYN)  88 Generation Peace & Open Society  Grow Back for posterity  Thuriyasandar (Environmental Conservation Group)  Sein Yaung Soe (Kathar)  MATA (Sagaing working group) Chindwin  Letpadaung mining watch group  Protection of Letpadaung People’s Benefit  Nadi Chindwin Myint Minn Thanlar  Monywa Youth  Save the Letpadaung mountain  Paungku (Sagaing Region)  Farmer Union  88 Generation Peace & Open Society  Green Network  Trip Net Tanintharyi  Tavoyon Women's Union  T.W.U  T.Y.O  Regional Development  Our Future Initiative (OFI) Stakeholders at the sub national level were also identified to ensure consultation with State/region offices of MONREC and MOEE in the relevant stages and regions (Table 7). Table 7: Initial stakeholder list for sub-national government in Thanlwin, Sittaung, Chindwin and Tanintharyi State/region Sub-national government  Taunggyi MONREC offices Shan state (Thanlwin)  Taunggyi MOEE offices  Other relevant Ministries 15 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 State/region Sub-national government  Loikaw MONREC offices Kayah state (Thanlwin)  Loikaw MOEE offices  Other relevant Ministries  Bago MONREC offices Bago division (Sittaung)  Bago MOEE offices  Other relevant Ministries  Monywa MONREC offices Sagaing region  Monywa MOEE offices (Chindwin)  Other relevant Ministries  Dawei MONREC offices Tanintharyi region  Dawei MOEE offices  Other relevant Ministries Other consultation events will involve sub-national government in the Mon and Kayin states for the Thanlwin basin. Stakeholders will be mapped again at the basin and state/region level prior to multi- stakeholder workshops and consultation with local communities affected by existing hydropower. 2.4.5 Local communities Local communities will be involved in the river basin consultative meetings and workshops. They will also be involved in case study consultations. Case studies: For in depth case study analysis, the SEA team will consult with local communities affected by three existing HPPs. These in-depth studies will provide an opportunity to validate information at the village level around the environmental and social impacts of hydropower. The spatial analysis will for the social/livelihoods team will also identify the exposed villages to existing and planned hydropower development. Table 8: Local communities Local Communities affected by and likely to be affected by existing and planned medium to communities large scale hydropower project Potential role in SEA Interest Influence Discussions with local communities affected by existing hydropower development in the Ayeyarywady-Chindwin, Thanlwin and Sittaung basins High Low aims to provide opportunities for ground truthing on the environmental and social impacts of hydropower in Myanmar. There are more than 135 ethnic groups in Myanmar - most located in the areas identified for intensive hydropower development. To ensure that consultation with local communities is inclusive of ethnic minority groups a pool of local interpreters who speak local languages and dialect will be available to assist the SEA team in carrying out these consultations. Conducting consultations only in the Burmese language has the risk of excluding the views and opinions of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups within ethnic communities. 2.4.6 Private sector Table 9: Preliminary list of private sector stakeholders  SN POWER  EDF Hydropower  K-Water  Andritz Hydro developers  Tata  Shwe Taung  IGE 16 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017  Members of the Hydropower Developers’ Working Group ( HDWG). Potential role in SEA Interest Influence Provide technical information on projects for updating the HPP database. Providing perspectives from private sector on issues and opportunities for hydropower High High development. Assistance in arranging field and site visits to existing HPP. There is an opportunity to involve some Myanmar and international hydropower developers in each of the key steps of the SEA. The interest of the private sector was demonstrated through participation in kick-off meetings and membership of the HDWG. The Shwe Taung group presented at the kick-off meetings in October 2016 and reaffirmed the commitment of the private sector to manage environmental and social impacts. The private sector have limited experience implementing E&S safeguards and IFC performance standards and require support from internatonal organisations. Hydropower developers and private companies will be invited to participate in the following key stakeholder events:  Multi-stakeholder workshops  Impact assessment workshop  Direct discussion and roundtable meetings. Hydropower developers were also invited to join expert technical groups (EGs) and membership on the Advisory Group (AG). The SEA team will engage with hydropower developers and association to update the HPP database and for assistance in arranging field and site visits to existing HPPs. A special purpose hydropower developers group has been established by IFC which provides a critical opportunity to bring the private sector into the SEA process - the Hydropower Developers Working Group (HDWG). The HDWG is an innovative platform for companies to influence policy, network, and identify solutions to improve sustainability and business operations. To provide hydropower companies with an opportunity to drive positive change in their sector, the HDWG was established in 2016 in Myanmar. Members meet quarterly for business discussions and seminars on pressing issues in their field. The SEA team will look for opportunities to meet with hydropower companies on an individual basis and to present progress of the SEA at its quarterly meetings. 2.4.7 International NGOs There are several international NGOs with extensive experience in Myanmar working on biodiversity conservation, integrated water resources management (IWRM), renewable energy, sustainable hydropower and advocacy for local communities (Table 10). Table 10: International NGOs  Flora and Fauna International (FFI)  The Nature Conservancy (TNC)  Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)  World Wildlife Fund (WWF)  International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) INGOs  International Rivers  Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI),  Water Land and Ecosystems (WLE),  International Water Management Institute (IWMI)  Oxfam  WorldFish Potential role in SEA Interest Influence 17 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Provide information and spatial data for inclusion in the analysis of key High Low themes of the SEA. Participate in multi-stakeholder workshops, EG and AG. The SEA will draw on existing research carried out by local and international NGOs for development of the baseline assessment. FFI, WCS, WWF, IUCN and WorldFish have extensive knowledge and spatial data on protected areas, landscapes and conservation areas across Myanmar that will feed into the biodiversity, aquatic ecology and fisheries themes. WWF also has a strong focus on renewable energies and water. Oxfam and International Rivers provide advocacy for river communities, with Oxfam also funding water governance programs and action research. SEI and WLE have conducted local level research in the Ayeyarwady-Chindwin and Thanlwin rivers on river health, sustainable hydropower and water quality. TNC have just opened their offices in Myanmar and have been evaluating system-scale planning for hydropower in the Yeywa cascade on the Mytinge River. As part of the SEP, the SEA team will engage with international NGOs throughout the key steps of the SEA. International organizations will be invited to participate in the following engagement activities:  Baseline assessment multi-stakeholder workshops  Impact assessment workshop  Final multi-stakeholder workshops  Direct discussion and roundtable meetings. National CSOs were also invited to join expert technical groups (EGs) and membership on the Advisory Group (AG). 2.4.8 Universities and research organizations  University of Yangon  Mandalay University Universities & research  Yangon Technological University organizations  Hpa An University  Mawlamyine University Potential role in SEA Interest Influence Provide data and research or baseline and impact assessment on biodiversity, Low Low aquatic ecology, hydrology, sediment and other key themes for the SEA. There is limited published information on biodiversity, aquatic ecology and fisheries for the major river basins in Myanmar. As part of the SEA the team plans to consult with universities and academic institutions to obtain existing information and explore linkages with ongoing research. Universities and research organizations will be invited to participate in:  Baseline assessment multi-stakeholder workshops  Impact assessment workshop  Final multi-stakeholder workshops  Direct discussion and roundtable meetings. 2.4.9 Multilateral development agencies and bilateral donors Multi-lateral development banks (MDBs) and banks IFC, World Bank, ADB Bilateral donors JICA, Norway, Australia, Netherlands Potential role in SEA Interest Influence Activities and programs of other development agencies will be an important source of information and participatory opportunities for the SEA - as well as High High a focus of its influence in improving coordination and implementation of its recommendations. 18 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 The World Bank is supporting the Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management Project (AIRBM). The project aims to assist Myanmar in developing the institutions and tools needed to enable informed decision making in the management of national water resources and to implement integrated river basin management in the Ayeyarwady Basin. The State of the Basin Assessment (SOBA) will commence in January 2017 and will comprise 6 packages:  Surface water modelling  Groundwater and Data Management  Sediments & Geomorphology  Biodiversity & Fisheries  Sectoral Development, Macroeconomics and Basin Pollution Assessment  3D Mapping and Local Consultations. Results from those packages are anticipated to be completed in April or May 2017 and will be integrated into the SEA baseline assessment, to some extent allowing the SEA team to focus research activities on the other major basins in Myanmar and the Tanintharyi and Rakhine coastal regions. The ADB supported an initial energy sector assessment that outlines development issues and strategic options for the GoM and is continuing to support power sector planning. This work will be complimented by World Bank studies on energy tariffs, the transmission network and rural electrification. As a part of the SEP, The SEA team will engage regularly with these stakeholder groups to ensure that the sustainable hydropower development pathway considers the opportunities and limiting factors of the energy sectors. There are many bi-lateral donors investing in the water and energy sectors in Myanmar. The following will be included in ongoing dialogue:  Government of Australia: Supporting the AIRBM, IFC sustainable hydropower program and Myanmar Healthy Rivers Initiative (MHRI) through the Mekong Water Resources Program and Australian Water Partnership (AWP).  JICA: Developing with MOEE the revised National Electricity Master Plan (NEMP), and will discuss data sharing and scenarios for hydropower development. The power demand forecasting will be finalized in March 2017 and be incorporated into the SEA. There is potential to identify the NEMP process as the framework within which the SEA is continuing and influencing. Collaborative arrangements are being put in place between the Japanese consultants working on the NEMP and the SEA team to integrate the two processes and avoid confusion among stakeholders. One special issue for discussion is the intention of the JICA team to conduct an SEA of the NEMP as part of JICA safeguard requirements.  Government of Norway: Assisting the MOEE with capacity building through assistance from the Norwegian Directorate for Energy and Water Resources (NVE). The cooperation focuses on sustainable hydropower development, legal frameworks, hydropower standards and hydrology, and provides on-the-job training and formal training courses. They have also established and E&S working group in MOEE.  Government of Netherlands: Recently commenced implementation of the Integrated Ayeyarwady Delta Strategy Project (IADS). The SEA team will need to work closely with the project consultants to share information and methodology especially relating to the business- as-usual case for planned HPPS in the Ayeyarwady-Chindwin basin. 2.5 Gender 19 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Hydropower dams affect women and men in different ways, either by imposing a disproportionate share of environmental and social impacts on women or through an inequitable distribution of benefits. Therefore, in engaging relevant stakeholders in the SEA, it is necessary to assess information about interests and opportunities of the hydropower sector as well as constraints faced by Myanmar women in affected communities. The team will obtain gender-disaggregated data, where possible, to understand the context and factors that influence gender differences as well as women’s participation in natural resources and community decision making. The stakeholder engagement activities will also engage women's groups to examine how these issues could impact livelihoods, gender relations and roles of women - and what kind of actions and solutions are needed to enhance equity and avoid negative effects. The SEA team will need to take those findings into account in implementing the stakeholder engagement plan and in conducting the stakeholder analysis. 2.6 Conflict The initial list of stakeholder focus on international and local organizations focused on groups working on environment, water governance and social & livelihoods. Following the first AG meeting, conflict and sub-national governance emerged as critical issues for inclusion in the SEA. Large-scale hydropower projects are planned in the upper reaches of the Ayeyarwady and Thalnwin rivers in the Kachin and Shan states, where there is active conflict, contested areas and regional autonomous zones. The following stakeholder groups that specialize in conflict and governance will be consulted to understand conflict issues and include this in the analysis of existing and planned hydropower: The Asia Foundation (TAF), Oxfam, International Resource Committee Conflict and governance (IRC), Hope Foundation, Community Development Association (CDA), organizations Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Joint Peace Fund 3 ETHNIC ARMED ORGANIZATIONS (EAOS) A key issue that emerged during the kick-off meetings was conflict. Actors in Myanmar’s ongoing peace processes have identified natural resource revenue sharing and control of natural resources as key issues. There are more than 20 EAOs, ranging in size from just a few dozen troops up to approximately 30,000 (TAF, 2014). Several planned HPPs in the Shan Kachin and Kayah States are in or near contested areas or self-administered zones. The SEA will now include a separate GIS layer for conflict analysis including; location of EAOs, contested areas, regional autonomous zones and conflict events. Additional resources will be provided by IFC to provide conflict advisors to determine how to integrate conflict into the SEA and to assist in designing and facilitating stakeholder consultations with EAOs in April and May 2017. The EAOs are an important stakeholder group as they have interests in the control of natural resources and specifically hydropower development. For example, the Karen National Union (KNU) has signed agreements to develop HPPs and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) Bukkhaw Power Company operates a HPP that provides electricity to Myitkyina, Kachin state. These consultations will provide unique insights on planning for hydropower development in contested areas, including negotiations around benefit sharing and control of natural resources. These consultations with be confirmed by IFC during the scoping and baseline phase. 4 KEY SEA CONSULTATION EVENTS AND PROCESS 4.1 Inception and scoping During the initial steps of the scoping and baseline phase, the team will consult with the GOM, IFC and AG to confirm work plans and discuss the SEA purpose, methodology and tools. At this stage the legal, institutional and decision-making framework for hydropower, watershed management and other sectors will be evaluated. This process will assist in identifying sustainable development objectives as 20 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 an assessment framework for the SEA by reviewing existing policy, plans and through direct consultation with GoM. The influence of government policy and strategy will be examined, including the presidential order issued on August 12 to form a commission to examine the 6000MW Myitsone hydropower project and the upper Ayeyarwady Cascade. The SEA team will engage with parliamentarians on key economic and other committees around hydropower and sustainable development. 4.2 Understanding sustainable development objectives Influencing decision makers and potentially affected or interested stakeholders starts with understanding the issues of concern and development priorities. The SEA team with the IFC, AG and EGs, will seek to improve stakeholder understanding of the range of development priorities of stakeholders and to gain broad understanding of sustainable development priorities by:  preparing an overview of key sustainable development priorities of decision makers / stakeholders so that these can be debated  meeting relevant decision makers and stakeholders to present and discuss the different priorities 4.3 Identifying key issues and opportunities One of the key objectives of the scoping and baseline phase is to identify and prioritize a list of key issues and opportunities that stakeholders consider strategically important for river basin development and management in Myanmar. The identification of key issues and opportunities will be stakeholder led. From the initial SEA consultations, it can be anticipated that the issues will relate to the following strategic themes: 1. Social issues, conflict and livelihoods 2. Economic development 3. Hydropower 4. Geomorphology and sediment 5. Aquatic ecology and fisheries 6. Biodiversity and environmental quality 7. Climate change and extreme events Key issues, opportunities and development objectives will be grouped into strategic themes and sorted with stakeholders in terms of significant. The issues will be identified through regional river basin consultations and direct discussions with stakeholders. The multi-stakeholder baseline workshops will guide stakeholder groups in prioritizing and grouping the key issues. 4.4 Key stakeholder consultation events The kick-off meetings between the SEA Team, IFC, MOEE, MONREC and other stakeholder groups were held in Nay Pi Taw on Thursday 6 October 2016. The purpose of this meeting was to present the SEA process and methodology, work plan and scheduling for the SEA. The key consultations as per the agreed work plan are outlined in Table 11. Table 11: Key stakeholder consultation events Key Events Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Kick-off meeting Regional river basin consultations 21 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Key Events Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Baseline assessment Multi- stakeholder workshops Local communities affected by existing hydropower development Ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) Impact assessment stakeholder Workshops Final Multi-stakeholder Workshops The following sections of the SEP provides a summary of the key stakeholder consultation events to be carried out under the SEA. 4.4.1 Regional River Basin Consultations The Ayeyarwady-Chindwin, Thanlwin and Sittaung are classified as the three major river basins in Myanmar. Also, there are planned and exiting HPPs in the Bago and Myit Ma Hka and Mekong river basins, and, within the Rakhine (Arakan) and Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) coastal regions. Initially the regional river basin consultations were planned to be carried out in the Thanlwin and Sittaung and the Tanintharyi and Rakhine coastal areas due to the significance of planned and existing HPP and the gaps in data and information. The Bago and Myit Ma Hka and Mekong sub-basins were not included as the Mekong sub-basins is in conflict areas and the Bago and Myit Ma Hka has only one existing 20MW project and no planned projects. Originally, the Ayeyarwady-Chindwin river basin was not included in the regional river basin consultations as the SEA was intending to utilize the multi-stakeholder platforms and field work as part of the AIRBM SOBA. However, due to ongoing conflict in Rakhine state and ongoing uncertainty concerning the SOBA studies start up, the Chindwin Basin was included in the regional river basin consultations. The revised dates for the planned consultations are provided in Table 12. Table 12: Dates and location of proposed regional river basin consultations Thalnwin River Basin Date Event Location Monday, November 7, 2016 Consultation with State government Taunggyi, Shan State Tuesday, November 8, 2016 Civil society workshop Taunggyi, Shan State Thursday, November 10, 2016 Consultation meeting with State government Loikaw, Kayah State Friday, November 11, 2016 Civil society workshop Loikaw, Kayah State Sittaung River Basin Date Event Location Tuesday, November 15, 2016 Consultation with Division government Bago, Bago Division Thursday, November 17, 2016 Civil society workshop Taungoo, Bago Divison Chindwin Basin Date Event Location Tuesday, December 6, 2016 Consultation with Region government Monywa, Sagaing Region 22 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Wednesday, December 7, 2016 Civil society workshop Monywa, Sagaing Region Tanintharyi region Date Event Location Tuesday, December 13, 2016 Consultation with Region government Dawei, Tanintharyi region Wednesday, December 14, Civil society workshop Dawei, Tanintharyi region 2016 The regional river basin consultations will consist of two separate events i) Meetings with region/state offices of MONREC, MOEE and other ministries, and ii) civil society workshop. The events are planned to assist the SEA team in compiling E&S data and information from region/state governments and civil society working at the river basin and state/region level. The purpose of the regional river basin consultations is to engage stakeholders early in the SEA process to:  Present the SEA objectives and identify how stakeholder can engage with the process  Carry out participatory stakeholder mapping and analysis at the river basin level  Identify key environmental and social (E&S) issues and opportunities  Group the E&S issues and opportunities into key (or strategic) themes. The participants will be encouraged to discuss E&S values and uses of the river, and development issues facing the basin or region. The SEA team will use the ‘affinity diagram’ process which combines individual/group brainstorming with a structured approach to displaying the ideas/products of the brainstorming according to common themes. These themes are then used by the Group as a basis for determining the key E&S values. Groups will then be provided with base maps of the river basin or region, to draw locations of key areas for biodiversity and livelihoods ( Figure 6). The results of the maps will then be digitized and with the key findings from the regional river basins prepared as a separate report. The participants will be asked to record the Top 2 Ways to receive Information on the SEA from the IFC communication outreach tools. The participant lists from those meetings will be recorded to ensure that the stakeholders are invited to participated in future multi- 23 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 stakeholder workshops at the basin and state level. Participant lists for all stakeholder consultations will be disaggregated by sex, ethnicity and location where possible. Figure 6: Example of blank participatory map for Thanlwin river basin 24 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 25 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 4.4.2 Scoping and Baseline Assessment Workshops The team will conduct three multi-stakeholder baseline assessment workshops in January and February 2017:  National Multi-Stakeholder Workshop: Friday, January 27, 2017 in Yangon  Ayeyarwady-Chindwin Multi-Stakeholder Workshop: Tuesday, January 31, 2017 in Myitkyina, Kachin State  Thanlwin Multi-Stakeholder Workshop: Friday, February 3, 2017 in Loikaw, Kayah State All the multi-stakeholder workshops will be inclusive and open for all stakeholders to attend from the union and sub-national government, international and local NGOs, universities and private sector. The IFC will advertise the workshops on the SEA website and participants will need to register prior to attending. The Ayeyarwady-Chindwin and Thanlwin workshops will have more of a regional focus, however stakeholder groups from Tanintharyi and Sittaung will be invited to attend. The objectives of the workshops are to:  Share findings from regional river basin consultations and other stakeholder engagement activities  Present the initial spatial and trend analysis under each of the strategic themes for the SEA  Identify key issues and opportunities in river basin development  Set priorities for the key issues and opportunities. The results of the baseline assessment workshops will be used to update the initial trend and spatial analysis and to define the indicators and BAU case for the impact assessment phase. A workshop report will be provided and disseminated to stakeholders for comment. 4.4.3 Local communities affected by existing hydropower development The consultation with local communities will include villages affected by existing HPP in each of the major river basins; Ayeyarwady-Chindwin, Sittaung and Thalnwin. These consultations are planned from January- March 2017 and will likely include the following three projects:  Shwegyin dam (75MW): Commissioned in 2011 in the Sittaung River Basin, Bago Division  Balunchaung 1,2, 3 Cascade: Thalnwin River Basin, Kayah State  Lower Yeywa (790 MW): Commissioned in 2010 in the Ayeyarwady-Chindwin basin, Mandalay Region The SEA team will arrange the Schwegyin and Balachaung cascade visits to coincide with the baseline assessment workshops in January and February 2017. A separate visit will be arranged in March 2017 to consult with local communities living near the Lower Yeywa dam ( Figure 7). The consultations with one or two villages affected by existing HPP will involve participatory approaches to identify the changes in water resources, fisheries, land use, ecosystem services and livelihoods. The consultation will include a discussion with local communities on resettlement, livelihood restoration and benefit sharing. Aspects of the Gender Impact Assessment (GIA) manual developed by Oxfam will be integrated into the stakeholder consultation tools recognizing that, in most cases, it is women and children who are more adversely impacted by dam-induced changes (Oxfam, 2013). 26 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Figure 7: Yeywa HPP, Mytinge River, Myanmar Consultations with local communities will are an opportunity for ground-truthing the views of local communities who have been affected by existing HPPs in Myanmar. Results of those consultations will be captured under the Social/Livelihoods themes of the Impact Assessment Report to identify exposed populations or those who may be affected by HPPs. 4.4.4 Impact Assessment Stakeholder Workshops The following outputs: a) Impact Assessment Report and b) Project Sustainability Analysis Report will provide interim reports for review, with material being used as a basis for stakeholder engagement and reported in the final SEA. The findings of the E&S sensitivity analysis, categorization of HPPs and impact assessment of the BAU case will be distilled into the project sustainability analysis report. The SEA team will conduct a National Impact Assessment workshop in June 2017 in Yangon. Stakeholder groups will be encouraged to provide comments on the findings and to have a critical role in framing the sustainable hydropower development pathway based on the impact assessment of the BAU case. A stakeholder analysis will be prepared by workshop participants to determine who may be affected by future hydropower development. The project GIS database will be updated and the GIS layers and maps presented during the stakeholder workshops. 4.4.5 Final Stakeholder Workshops The mitigation, avoidance and enhancement measures for the sustainable hydropower development pathway will be incorporated into the Draft Final SEA report for wider stakeholder review and comment in July 2017. The team will conduct three final Multi-Stakeholder workshops in July 2017 in:  Mandalay: Regional stakeholders from the Ayeyarwady-Chindwin basin  Hpa An or Mawlamyine: Regional stakeholders from Thanlwin basin  Yangon: National level stakeholders and international organisations The final multi-stakeholder workshops will allow stakeholder groups to review the draft SEA and provide comments and suggestions through group discussion and activities. A comments and responses matrix will be prepared to ensure that all comments and suggestions are considered in preparing the final SEA. This workshop will also identify stakeholder groups who may require consultation or issues that require further clarification by the SEA team. 27 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 5 SPECIAL ADVISORY AND EXPERT GROUPS The SEA team will interact with key stakeholder groups convened by the IFC including the Advisory Group (AG), Expert Technical Groups (EG) and the Hydropower Developers’ Working Group as part of the stakeholder engagement process. 5.1 Advisory Group The Advisory Group (AG) is a key guiding force in the SEA. It’s role is to: 1. provide oversight and support to conducting the SEA; and 2. to lend support in shaping and implementing recommendations of the SEA. The AG will commence by reviewing and providing advice on the SEA Team’s work and participating in some SEA consultation activities. A key function of the AG is to ensure that diverse views are considered during the SEA process. The AG will be briefed by the SEA consulting team on (i) forthcoming activities and methodologies, (ii) baseline conditions, and (iii) key findings as they emerge. The AG will provide on-going advice to the SEA team on their activities, sustainable development objectives and priority setting, available baseline data and the identification of significant biophysical and socioeconomic values, and consultation and relationship building. The AG will also review draft SEA reports. Members: the AG will be chaired by IFC, and consist of 15-18 members. Ideally, each member will commit to serving at least a one year term when the SEA Report is scheduled to be completed. Senior representatives will be drawn from a range of stakeholder groups with most based in Myanmar to facilitate regular interaction. Separate to the AG, the SEA will organize expert groups (EG) which will draw in additional stakeholders to provide technical inputs. AG members may have technical staff that can participate in the EGs. Meetings: The AG will aim to meet quarterly face-to-face and have additional engagements via conference calls (or other means) as needed between the quarterly meetings. SEA team input: the SEA team will provide an initial briefing to the AG on the aim and scope of the SEA and on baseline findings to date. Further presentations to the AG are expected to occur regularly during the SEA to provide briefings on developments and forthcoming activities. In addition, each draft report will be provided to the AG for review and comment. 5.2 Expert Groups (EG) Expert Groups (EG) will be convened during the preparation of the SEA to facilitate discussions on:  SEA approach and methodology  available data sources on baseline conditions;  potential hydropower impacts;  determination of the significance of key baseline values; and  review of assessment process and findings. The EGs will provide an effective mechanism for exploring each significant issue in detail. They provide an opportunity for consultation with recognized specialists in the main disciplines relating to sustainable hydropower development. Debate within each EG will be encouraged to determine significant biophysical and socio-economic values in Myanmar that require protection or controls. The following six EGs will be formed: 1. Hydropower and energy 2. River hydrology and geomorphology 28 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 3. Aquatic ecology / fisheries 4. Terrestrial ecology, protected areas, forestry 5. Social, livelihoods, indigenous peoples, conflict areas, cultural issues 6. Economics, river and basin non-hydropower use and development (including navigation, irrigation, agriculture, mining) Members: EG meetings will be convened by IFC. Each EG will consist of around 5-8 members with recognized specialists in key disciplines invited to join the EG for a 9-10 month period (the life of the SEA). Members will mainly be drawn from research institutes, NGOs and consultancies. Meetings: The most critical stage of EG input into the SEA is during (i) the collection of baseline information, (ii) determination of significant values, and (iii) definition of the desired sustainable hydropower development pathway, therefore several meetings are expected to occur early to cover the baseline, then less frequently as the SEA progresses. 6 SEA COMMUNICATION OUTREACH TOOLS Communication is one of the main components of SEA in its role to engage with stakeholders and to influence strategic decision processes. Keeping stakeholders informed is important throughout the process, and especially linked to each stakeholder consultation event. To ensure that stakeholder group can stay up to-date on events communication outreach tools, feature stories, podcasts, resources and progress in each step of the SEA implementation are available online and when appropriate in Myanmar language. The outreach tools include: 1. SEA Website: A one-stop for all resources and news related to the SEA - Infographic on Roadmap (Figure 5); Podcasts; Newsletters; Feature stories resources and key outputs 2. IFC Hydro Advisory Monthly News: Currently received by 1,500 industry-related subscribers. All consultation participants with email access will be subscribed to receive updates on the program and the SEA. 3. Radio: Could be an option to inform communities of the SEA progress and results… nothing planned yet, but if there is interest we could explore this. 4. Podcasts: Like radio, podcasts are longer features on the SEA, but online for free listening in English language. 5. Media: Interviews, op-eds and blogs on the SEA to inform the public on progress. 6. Video: IFC will document and produce a video on the SEA. But, it will not be finished until nearly the end of the study so this is for information on the process after it is finished. 7. Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, World Bank Myanmar Facebook The SEA road map is available on IFC’s hydro advisory website to facilitate participation and inform stakeholders. 29 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 Figure 8: SEA Roadmap on IFC website Stakeholder groups in the regional river basin consultations were asked to select the top two communication outreach tools which they considered to be the most effective means of reaching their constituents. The results of those surveys will be used to inform the overall communications plan and be presented in report on the findings of the regional river basin consultation. The SEA team will engage with the IFC outreach tools and provide comment, review and communication pieces as required. 30 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 7 CONCLUSIONS The SEA is a strategy development planning tool. It needs to be conducted in an efficient way so that its consultative processes and recommendations remain relevant to and can influence the on-going decision making process. SEAs take a broad approach in terms of geographic area, the planning horizons and the scope of planning and policy formulation. There are some 90 planned hydropower projects of all sizes covering all basins of the country. For that reason, the SEA needs to take a strategic approach to stakeholder engagement. It will not be possible to consult with all potentially affective communities and groups. The SEA will need to reach out to key groups and individuals who have the respect and confidence of riverine communities. It will need to reach out to representatives of the private sector and to other concerned segments of society. The approach the SEA is taking is to conduct as many consultative events as possible in decentralized locations which are a key focus for planned hydropower. It is also setting up a comprehensive set of linked expert groups which will meet frequently throughout the SEA process. Those groups alone will involve some 50 individuals from 30 organizations. Other methods are being adopted to assist groups to review and comment on the SEA findings and conclusions as they arise - not left to the final stage - so adjustments and new viewpoints can be taken on board. Particularly important all comments and opinions expressed with be documented and their influence summarized in a comments and responses matrix which will form part of the various SEA reports as they are released. Through those various measures, the SEA will seek to maximize stakeholder involvement in each phase of the process recognizing it is a strategic tool and will establish the framework and direction for future more intensive and site specific consultations with a broader range of stakeholders as the basin development planning process moves forward. 31 IFC| Developing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar | ICEM Stakeholder Engagement Plan Report - January 2017 REFERENCES ADB. (2015). Power Sector Planning in Myanmar. Asian Developmet Bank, Nay Pi Taw, Myanmar Baldwin, C., & Twyford ,V. (2006). Enhancing Public Participation on Dams and Development: The UNEP Challenge. 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