INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Report No.: ISDSC13619 Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 25-Jan-2016 Date ISDS Approved/Disclosed: 26-Jan-2016 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: China Project ID: P149528 Project Name: CH-Second Gansu Cultural and Natural Heritage Protection and Development Project (P149528) Task Team Ji You,Guido Licciardi Leader(s): Estimated 07-Mar-2016 Estimated 26-May-2016 Appraisal Date: Board Date: Managing Unit: GSU08 Lending Investment Project Financing Instrument: Sector(s): Public administration- Other social services (50%), Urban Transport (30%), General water, sanitation and flood protection sector (20 %) Theme(s): Cultural Heritage (60%), Other urban development (40%) Financing (In USD Million) Total Project Cost: 175.00 Total Bank Financing: 100.00 U Financing Gap: 0.00 Financing Source Amount Borrower 75.00 o International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 100.00 Total 175.00 Environmental A - Full Assessment Category: Is this a Yes Repeater project? B. Project Objectives The objective of the project is to conserve cultural and natural heritage, enhance tourism services, and improve community services in selected project sites in Gansu province. C. Project Description Project design is based on a sound analytical basis. The Gansu provincial government engaged the Northwest Normal University for the preparation of the "Longdongnan Regional Strategic Planning Study for the Cultural and Natural Heritage Conservation and Sustainable Tourism Development (Longdongnan Regional Study)". The study provides elements to screen project sites that can be potentially included in the project, analyzing Strengths and Weaknesses, as well as Opportunities and O Q) Threats. Sites with higher development potential, benefits in terms of attractiveness for private sector investment, job creation, income generation for local communities, are considered with a higher priority. Additionally, potential sites should already have a complete set of planning tools to expedite implementation, including development and heritage conservation plans at both county and site level, tourism development plan at county level, county master plan and site master plan. Project sites are being carefully screened for inclusion in the project. Among the rich stock of cultural and natural heritage in Gansu in general, and Longdongnan Region in particular, 7 potential sites are being considered by the clients, based on the criteria defined above. Other sites could be included during project preparation, should the selection criteria be met. Below is a list of sites being considered by the client and their ranking: Sites being considered by the client Ranking Kongtong District Kongtong Mountain Cluster of Historic Buildings 5A Jinchuan County Hundred Mile Grottoes Corridor Conservation 4A Zhuanglang County Yunya Temple Cultural Heritage and Scenic Area 4A Jingtai County Yellow River Stone Forest Conservation 4A Tanchang County Guan'egou Ethnic Cultural and Natural Heritage Conservation 4A Kangxian County Yangba Natural Heritage Conservation 4A Hezheng County Hua'er Traditional Music Conservation and Inheritance Program 4A Project components would blend investments in sites and communities, together with capacity building. The proposed project would include the following three components: Component 1: heritage site conservation and development; Component 2: community service delivery; and Component 3: capacity building for project sites, institutional strengthening, and project management support. Component 1: heritage site conservation and development. This component would focus on enhancing site conservation and development, tacking the sustainability of the existing tourism sector. It would target the Scenic Areas directly, within their boundaries, and provide investment for site management, conservation of assets, enhancing their carrying capacity and tourism access, addressing soil erosion and landslides, creating new pathways to better control visitors flow, appropriate interpretation of the heritage properties, etc. Component 2: community service delivery. This component would focus on enhancing inclusiveness of local communities in the ongoing development process in Gansu, with the goal of further improving the enabling environment for local enterprises to grow and private sector investment to be leveraged. It would target settlements outside the Scenic Areas, in identified buffer zones, financing improvement of service delivery, including roads, water supply, solid waste, wastewater and street lighting. Existing local businesses, which provide the largest share of jobs locally, including bed and breakfasts, restaurants and handicraft shops, are all located in areas with higher services. If needed basic services would be further extended, enabling these businesses to grow further, in both number and size, creating jobs and generating income for the local communities. Component 3: capacity building for project sites, institutional strengthening, and project management support. In addition to supporting project delivery and management, this component would address U site management issues, to make Scenic Areas Administration more responsive to the environmental and social impacts of tourism developme nt. This component would target skills training to help local communities in the establishment of small business. This component would also include specifics studies for Gansu and the selected projected sites aiming to enhance the technical capacity for tourist destination management and heritage conservation techniques. Due to its cross-cutting nature, the task team is exploring partnership with IFC, due to their unique capacity and knowledge in private sector development. D. Project location and salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) The project is scattered in several areas in east, southeast and central area of Gansu Province, middle west of China. The biggest concentration (Kongtong District, Jingchuan and Zhuanglang County) is in Pingliang Prefecture, eastern part of the province on loessplateau in cold temperate zone with semi-wet climateand annual precipitation of 420-600mm. Two project counties (Tanchang and Kang) are in Longnan Prefecture, southeast of Gansu, at the foot of Qingling mountain with wet warm temperate climate and annual precipitation of 580-750 mm. The reminder is located in central Gansu on loess plateau with semi-arid to arid climate and annual average precipitation down to around 200mm. Several sites are located in natural reserves or scenic/geological parks of national or provincial level. The project area is relatively poor and has more than 20 ethnic minority groups. E. Borrowers Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies The provincial PMO is the same one for Gansu Cultural Heritage and Tourism Development Project- Phase I, just completed in 2015. It has adequate experience with the WB safeguard. However, most of the project counties/sites are new to the WB project and their PMOs have little knowledge about the WB safeguard policies and requirements. The Bank team provided training on safeguard and will continue capacity building in safeguard preparation and implementation throughout the project cycle. F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Meixiang Zhou (GSU02) Xin Ren (GENO2) II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Environmental Assessment Yes Activities proposed include conservation of cultural OP/BP 4.01 relics, rehabilitation of existing roads/paths, and construction of new roads/foot paths, tourism and sanitation facilities in natural reserves, national scenic/geological parks or local drinking water protection area. Given the cultural, historical and natural significance and sensitivity of the sites involved, even moderate scale of activities as proposed under the project might generate sensitive and irreversible impacts. Impacts during construction mainly include damage to cultural resources by improper repair, noise and dust, wastewater discharge, vegetation loss, and off site impacts from borrow and disposal pits. Major impacts during operation include air pollution and noise from traffic on new roads, sewage and solid wastes from tourist facilities and home stay, and social and environmental impacts induced by influx of tourists once the project completes. Therefore, a category A is proposed. One Environmental Assessment (EA) report will be prepared to consolidate all subprojects' domestic EAs. Off-site impacts need to be assessed beyond project's physical boundary, e.g. impacts of borrow pit and disposal site on water and soil erosion, and disposal of garbage and manure collected from the tourism area. The current garbage, manure and sewage treatment and disposal facilities in each subproject and nearby county seats/towns need to be investigated in the EA process with the result being fed into the project design. An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) will be developed following the pattern of the phase I project. It will include general mitigation measures by major type of activity and site-specific measures as well as monitoring for each subproject, taking into account the WB's Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines applicable to the project. Public disclosure and consultation should be conducted at least two rounds during EA preparation. The public consultation should focus more on affected people instead of local officials. Their concerns and suggestions shall be incorporated into the EA and the development of the EMP. Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 Yes Project activities include civil work and new roads/ paths in natural reserves of national/provincial level or national scenic/geological parks or drinking water protection area for the nearby county towns. According to the WB policies, the OP 4.04 will be triggered. Details on natural habitats will be obtained through systematic survey during EA process to identify if any of them are critical habitats. Relevant mitigation measures and monitoring requirement will need to be included in the EMP. Forests OP/BP 4.36 No The project doesn't involve any forest. o Pest Management OP 4.09 No The project doesn't involve any use of pesticide or change in pest management. Physical Cultural Resources Yes Activities proposed include conservation of national, OP/BP 4.11 provincial and county level physical cultural resources as defined by this OP. A cultural resource management plan needs to be developed and included or annexed to the EMP. The chance find procedure will be included to properly handle and timely report any chance finds uncovered during construction. Indigenous Peoples OP/BP Yes The project will support Tanchang county for ethnic 4.10 cultural heritage protection and Hezheng county for traditional music conservation and inheritance. There are various ethnic minority groups such as Tibetan- Qiang minorities in these project counties and others. A social assessment will be done to confirm whether the presence of ethnic minorities which meet the requirements for the Bank OP 4.10 IP term. The social assessment will also carry out a free prior consultation with ethnic minorities in project sites, assess social risks and impacts, and recommend suitable action plan to mitigate social risks and promote positive social impacts. Since the project does not take a framework approach and the project sites are selected, it is very unlikely to add new project sites which might be in ethnic minority areas. It is therefore not necessary to prepare an IPF. But Aan IP plan (or called ethnic minority development plan) will be prepared for Tanchang and Hezheng counties if the Bank OP 4.10 policy is triggered by further confirmation during project preparation. The EMDP (or IPP) will highlight culturally appropriate measures for the ethnic minority development. The EMDP together with other social instruments will also guide suitable tourism-driven commercial development of cultural resources. Involuntary Resettlement OP/ Yes The project civil works will be mostly constructed BP 4.12 oin existing land in scenic areas which are already state owned land. The project might acquire additional land for civil works under Component 2: community public infrastructure service improvement. But this can willonly be confirmed during project appraisal stage. Yet Ssome of the specific locations of land to be used for the project can only be determined during project implementation. Specific construction will include creation of new paths and roads, tourism and sanitation facilities. A resettlement policy framework will be prepared to address potential emerging land demands by the project appraisal and during project implementation. The RPF and will ensure measures and procedures to be followed so as to mitigate negative impacts of involuntary resettlement. Wide consultation will be done with affected people and their rights and interest, compensation and livelihood restoration will be properly addressed. In case specific land acquisition and resettlement emerges under this project by appraisal, an RAP will be prepared to address compensation and livelihoods restoration for affected people and community. Implementation of the RPF and RAP (if any) shall be monitored and evaluated. Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No The proposed project investment will not involve or link to dams defiled in OP/BP 4.37. Projects on International No Not applicable. Waterways OP/BP 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/ No Not applicable. BP 7.60 III. SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN o A. Tentative target date for preparing the PAD Stage ISDS: 21-Dec-2015 B. Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed. The specific studies and their timing1 should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS: Safeguard Preparation Plan > Target date October 21, 2015 IV. APPROVALS Task Team Leader(s): Name: Ji You,Guido Licciardi Approved By: Safeguards Advisor: Name: Peter Leonard (SA) Date: 26-Jan-2016 Practice Manager/ Name: Abhas Kumar Jha (PMGR) Date: 26-Jan-2016 Manager: 1 Reminder: The Bank's Disclosure Policy requires that safeguard-related documents be disclosed before appraisal (i) at the InfoShop and (ii) in country, at publicly accessible locations and in a form and language that are accessible to potentially affected persons.