The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) Combined Project Information Documents / Integrated Safeguards Datasheet (PID/ISDS) Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 11-Apr-2017 | Report No: PIDISDSA20781 Mar 21, 2017 Page 1 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) BASIC INFORMATION OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA A. Basic Project Data Country Project ID Project Name Parent Project ID (if any) Vietnam P159238 Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Practice Area (Lead) EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC 27-Mar-2017 21-Jun-2017 Transport & ICT Lending Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Investment Project Financing Government of Vietnam Traffic Safety Projects Management Unit Proposed Development Objective(s) To improve safe and climate-resilient road connectivity along the National Highway 19 Central Highlands-Central Coast corridor Components Road Improvements Implementation Support Financing (in USD Million) Financing Source Amount Borrower 3.70 International Development Association (IDA) 150.00 Total Project Cost 153.70 Environmental Assessment Category B - Partial Assessment Decision The review did authorize the preparation to continue B. Introduction and Context Mar 21, 2017 Page 2 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) 1. Over the past decade, Vietnam has taken advantage of its rapid economic development to develop both its transport infrastructure and services, but road investment in Central Highlands region is still low. The Government has continued to increase public spending on transport, from about USD 1 billion in 2002 to more than USD 5 billion in 2012, and has introduced a number of measures to improve the competitiveness of road transport. The road network has been significantly transformed over the past 10 years from 2005 to 2014, with a total percentage of paved network that increased from 19 to 50 percent, and a total length that increased by 30 percent. While Vietnam has a complete road network with a relatively high road density of about 0.87km of road per sq.km, the full potential of such a network is indeed hindered by its poor condition due to low levels of maintenance and maintenance financing, as well as the lack of a sufficient core network of main roads. Currently the extent of expressways is at 740km, or 2.2km per 1000 km2, a significantly lower density than most neighboring countries. About 96 percent of national roads are paved, but only about 43 percent are in good condition; 37 percent are in average condition; and 20 percent in poor to very poor condition. Provincial and local roads are in worse condition than national and urban roads. The overall network is only about 30% paved due to the significant share of district and commune roads that remain unpaved. When paved, the road pavements are often of poor quality. The average spending on road maintenance in the Central Highlands region is one of the lowest in the country in absolute value, with about VND 270 billion spent in 2011 at the Provincial level, far behind the VND 2,800 billion spent in the Red River Delta (MoT/DRVN data). Such a level of spending further deteriorates the road asset and hinders the life-cycle performance of the roads. Road investment spending in the Central Highlands region is also one of the lowest on average in the period 2011-2015, with about VND 6,055 billion spent in 2011, to be compared with the VND 12,552 billion spent in the Red River Delta in the same year (MoT/DRVN data). 2. Recent figures from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam report an exponential increase of trade after 2007, with trade between Vietnam and Cambodia reaching USD 2.3 billion in 2010 and USD 3.03 billion in 2015. Border gate trade between Vietnam, China, Laos and Cambodia is expected to reach USD 30 billion in 2016. Trade between Cambodia and Vietnam is supported by the Regional corridor R9 from the ASEAN Highway Network, which includes the National Highway No. 19 (NH19) on the Vietnamese side. This project will not only improve the connectivity of the coastal regions to the poorer central highlands regions, but also help the Cambodian economy by linking it to the thriving economy of Vietnam. The increase of regional trade and cross-border trade is hindered by the quality of the road, low density of the core road network, and high cost of road transport. Average road transport costs, represented by trip time are the highest in the region after Indonesia, are indeed holding back Vietnam’s competitiveness and trade efficiency. Meanwhile, there is a serious backlog of unmet demand, while inter-city two-lane roads such as NH19 are insufficient in meeting the growing demand for regional and inter-city mobility. The core national road network, representing the main corridors of the country, is not sufficient to support growth and trade development, and needs further investment. This shows that investment needs in the road sub-sector are still substantial and would benefit from continued financing, especially for inter-modal road links between major transport hubs, such as the proposed project. 3. Road fatalities account for about 96 percent of transport fatalities in Vietnam, and while death rates have been reduced by more than 30 percent between 2004 and 2012, road safety remains a challenge. According to ADB’s estimates, the economic loss and damage caused by annual road accidents in Vietnam is about USD 880 million, making up 2.45% of GDP (in 2003), which is higher than the average level of ASEAN countries (2.1% of GDP). According to the Master Plan on road traffic safety in Vietnam, the loss and damage caused by traffic Mar 21, 2017 Page 3 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) accidents on road in 2007 was estimated to be 2.89% of GDP, equivalent to VND 32,600 billion and keeps increasing. Increase in motorcycle use has substantial consequences in terms of the increase in accidents; additional vehicles within the same land area, increased capacity of vehicles to accelerate, as well as the limited protection offered to users, are all elements that make this transport mode more dangerous than others. In 2004, Vietnam had a death rate from road accidents of 16 per 100,000 inhabitants, but reduced this to 10.2 in 2012 (MoT/DRVN data), an encouraging reduction (World Bank data). Motorization rates increased by 320 percent from 2002 to 2013 (compound annual growth rate of 11 percent), while road length network increased by 30 percent over the same period (CAGR of 4 percent). This motorization rate coupled with weak regulations and capacity to tackle the challenge of road safety is leading to further levels of congestion, faster degradation of assets, as well as lower levels of safety for road users. 4. The traffic characteristics on NH19 are quite mixed with large number of heavy trucks and high speed vehicles with significant number of motorcycles, non-motorized traffic and local pedestrians, but the lack of road capacity and safe conditions keep NH19 not only in insufficient connectivity but also being exposed to a high risk of traffic accidents. During the implementation of the Vietnam Road Safety Project (VRSP), financed by IDA and completed in 2012, the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) consultant assessed most of NH19 as Star 1 and 2 ratings, which revealed that NH19 was one of the critically dangerous road, and strongly suggested NH19 be a next priority road safety project. NH19 is on the priority list of the National Traffic Safety Strategy up to 2020 with vision to 2030. 5. The current climatic environment, with its variability and extreme weather events, makes Vietnam infrastructure highly susceptible to climate impacts and these are likely to considerably increase when future climate change is taken into account. The interaction of infrastructure assets with terrain and climate results in a range of potential vulnerabilities depending on the nature of both the infrastructure assets and the climate threat. The NH19 corridor comprises a range of geomorphological and climatic zones; from near coastal through mountainous to central plateau and the principal concerns as to its climate resilience are likely to be centred around: (i) Erosion and instability of earthworks in steep terrain, (ii) Flooding of sections of the highway where the vertical alignment is low, and (iii) Erosion to bridge abutments and piers. The combination of this with significant changes in land-use, the variable geotechnical environment and the impact of climate have made these mountainous provinces areas of significant landslide activity. According to statistics published by the Vietnam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources (under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment), there are over 10,250 points of landslide risk in the 10 Northern Mountain Provinces, of which about 2,100 have been classified as large to very large. Every year during the rainy season significant soil or rock failures impact on these highways, sometimes with a soil-rock mass up to thousands of cubic meters. Such landslide risks and other climate and disaster risks, including flooding, do not uniquely apply to roads, but all modes of transport. 6. The proposed project aligns with the Government of Vietnam’s objectives, policies and strategies, as confirmed by the Prime Minister Decision No. 07/2011 / QD-TTg approving the plan of transport development in the key economic zone of the Central Vietnam to 2020 and orientations to 2030 for national highways, as well as the Minister of Transportation Decision No. 3936 / QD-BGTVT on 3rd December 2014 approving orientations and transport infrastructure development in the Central Highlands in 2015, and to 2020. The proposed project also aligns in vision and timing with the one stop one window approach for the Le Thanh/Ou Yadav border gate at the Vietnam-Cambodia border, inaugurated in December 2015 as a way to reinforce trade and cooperation between Mar 21, 2017 Page 4 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) the two countries, and to create favorable conditions in the transport links between Vietnam, Cambodia and other member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). C. Proposed Development Objective(s) Development Objective(s) (From PAD) To improve safe and climate-resilient road connectivity along the National Highway 19 Central Highlands-Central Coast corridor for the road users and local population in Vietnam D. Project Description 7. The proposed Project will be financed by an IDA credit of US$150 million, a US$0.20 million grant from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, a US$0.15 million grant from the Global Road Safety Program, and counterparts funds of US$3.7 million, and will build on the lessons and results from the previous World Bank- financed transport projects while expanding to new areas of engagement addressing road safety and climate change challenges. The Project will finance the following components: 8. Component 1 – Road Improvements (estimated cost of US$145m including contingencies) • This component will support the physical improvement of three sections of NH19 including pavement rehabilitation, widening of the road with paved shoulders, widening of lanes and features for the safe sharing of the road by users, including through the addition of dedicated motorcycle lanes, and reinforcement of slopes, to improve road connectivity, safety and to ensure sustainability of road assets. • The project will also finance the acquisition of land as necessary along the right of way and for the bypasses and compensation related to land and asset loss and involuntary resettlement, for a total estimated amount of US$17 million. • The total length of these 3 sections is 142km (out of a total length of 234km of NH19), composed on 116km of inter-urban roads and 26km of urban roads (bypasses), to complement the two Build- Operate-Transfer (BOT) sections of 75km implemented by the Government. The MoT and the two Provinces of Binh Dinh and Gia Lai have indeed been addressing the connectivity improvement and road safety issues on NH19 by promoting two BOT improvement projects and the NH1-Quy Nhon Port section improvement financed by MoT and Binh Dinh Province during the past few years. The two BOT sections are now in service and collecting tolls. These BOT sections have also established a reasonable precedence for cross-section designs to accommodate the separation of fast and slow speed vehicles and motorcycles in urban, semi-urban and rural areas. • The proposed component will help improve the remaining sections by completing the establishment of NH19 as a Road Safety Corridor that meets international connectivity requirements with traffic safety standards including the Vietnam’s Traffic Safety Strategy requirements of a minimum of iRaP 3-star standard, through road infrastructure safety features. IRaP is the International Road Assessment Programme and provides a simple and objective measure of the level of safety provided by a road’s design through star rating. Star Ratings involve an Mar 21, 2017 Page 5 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) inspection of road infrastructure elements that are known to have an impact on the likelihood of a crash and its severity. Between 1 and 5-stars are awarded depending on the level of safety which is ‘built-in’ to the road, 5 stars being the safest. • As the proposed 142km section for financing contains sections which are highly prone to landslides and potential natural disasters, a targeted intervention on these sections will contribute to the overall connectivity, resilience and safety along the entire corridor. 9. Component 2 – Implementation Support (estimated cost of US$8.7m including contingencies) through the following interventions: • The preparation of the detailed design for the sections of the roads, bridges and bypass to be improved, as well as the supervision of the works, and the monitoring of the safeguards aspects, all of key importance given the particular climatic environment, with its variability and extreme weather events, which makes Vietnam infrastructure highly susceptible to climate impacts. The proposed project will also be supported by a US$0.20 million grant from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, a US$0.15 million grant from the Global Road Safety Program, to finance the following activities: a) Road safety activities supported by technical assistance through a grant from the Global Road Safety Program (GRSF) to: (i) Conduct a Road Safety Audit (RSA) on NH19 in order to inform MOT’s pro-active management of safety improvements of NH19 by identifying risks associated with road safety deficiencies, (ii) Assess impacts of motorcycle lanes in Vietnam to inform the update of the draft manual for motorcycle lane design and specifications with incorporation of international best practices, and (iii) Strengthen the institutional capacity of MOT and TSPMU for managing road safety and physical works to improve road safety measures of the road network. b) Climate resilient activities supported by technical assistance through a grant from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GDFRR) grants to: (i) Support a landslide risk assessment of the project area that could be used by MOT to inform the identification of suitable climate resilience measures and design options to reduce the impact of landslides on NH19, and (ii) Provide cross-over recommendations on the limits and the strengths of the current technical standards, as well as on possible improvements to incorporate climate change adaptation and disaster risk management considerations in the design of road infrastructure. E. Implementation Institutional and Implementation Arrangements 10. The Ministry of Transport (MOT) is the owner of the project and will have the overall responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the project. MoT will report to the GOV, coordinate the activities of central and provincial government agencies and fulfill IDA requirements. MOT will also approve the overall feasibility/construction investment report and the overall procurement plan; provide policy/strategic guidance and instruction to the Traffic Safety Management Project (TS-PMU). The TS-PMU is MOT’s authorized executing Mar 21, 2017 Page 6 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) agency, and will have the overall responsibility for approving survey methodologies and plans, detailed engineering designs and cost estimates, bidding documents and requests for proposals, bid and proposal evaluation reports, bidding results and signing contracts in accordance with procurement requirements, as well as monitoring the quality of works and reviewing periodic reports such as the audits. 11. MoT has assigned TS-PMU to be responsible for the project implementation at the national level. TS-PMU will act as the fiduciary agent on behalf of MoT in procurement and FM for these components. TS-PMU will be in charge of the procurement of goods, works and services related to all project components and supervision including contracting and payments. TS-PMU will also be responsible for coordination, quality assurance, training, monitoring and evaluation, day-to-day supervision of project activities. TS-PMU is also responsible for implementation of the traffic safety activities in close collaboration with National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and Provincial Traffic Safety Committees (PTSCs) of Binh Dinh and Gia Lai Provinces. TS-PMU is familiar with the Bank’s fiduciary and safeguard requirements as it has successfully completed the Bank’s financed Vietnam Traffic Safety Project (VRSP) in 2012. In addition, it also has rich experiences in managing various projects financed by GoV’s budget and ODA donors. 12. At the Provincial level, Provincial People’s Committees (PPCs) of Binh Dinh and Gia Lai Provinces will be responsible for overall implementation of the resettlement and compensation of their related project road sections within their administrative jurisdiction. . F. Project location and Salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) The project will finance small scale physical construction to improve selected sections of NH19 which runs from east to west through two provinces from the coastal Binh Dinh province to Gia Lai province in the plateau of Central Highland. The road starts from the coastal lowland urban area in Quy Nhon City to hilly and mountainous areas in Gia Lai province and ends at the border gate with Cambodia. The total length of three sections of NH19 to be supported under the project for improvement is 142 km, of which 116km of inter-urban roads and 26 km located in urban centers. These sections mainly follow hilly contours and cross a number of small streams. Along both sides of these road sections are characterized by mainly agricultural fields for rice, cassava, maize, coffee and rubber gardens, plantation forests and bushes. These forests are for economic purpose and will be harvested during year 5-7. Watershed protection forests are at Km65-68 and Km180-185 and 15-20m away from existing roads. Houses locate sparsely in two sides along the road in rural areas and behind the demarcated right of way, about 10-15 m from the road. A number of houses have temporary cottages for small services along the road. Various pagodas, churches, schools, cemetery locate along the road and are 20-50m behind the demarcated right of way. Power poles are along the road sections at residential areas. The road also run through populated urban areas in An Khe town (km 76-82), Dak Doa town and Pleiku city (km 152-167) with houses locating about 10-15 from the road. A high mountain An Khe pass at km 59-67 runs through steep terrain on sidelong ground and deep valleys on the other side with twists and corners of limited visions. Signs of landslide are seen at various sites along the pass. Two new road sections will be constructed to bypass populated residential areas of An Khe town and Pleiku City. The 13.7 km An Khe Town bypass and 13 km Pleiku bypass run through paddy and vegetable fields, pepper and rubber gardens, acacia and eucalyptus plantation forest and residential areas. The project Mar 21, 2017 Page 7 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) will support the reconstruction of 8 small existing bridges (with length ranging from 9m to 87.5m) and the new construction of 8 small bridges along the bypasses (with length ranging from 33m to 99m). Existing and to-be-newly-constructed bridges cross mostly small streams and one river (Ba river). The streams and river are used for irrigation purpose. G. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Thu Thi Le Nguyen,Parthapriya Ghosh SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) This policy is triggered due to the potential environmental and social adverse impacts associated with construction activities under Component 1. The construction activities supported under the project including widening of existing road sections and construction of two new sections bypassing urban populated areas. Specifically, the proposed investment includes the expansion of 113.8km and resurfacing of 15.9 km of the existing NH19 and new construction of a total 26.9km of An Khe and Pleiku bypasses. The environmental and social assessment of the project concludes that the project is expected to Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 Yes bring about major positive environmental impacts including the creation of casual jobs and incomes for local people during construction phase; and improvement of traffic safety along the NH19, connectivity vehicle operating costs savings during the operation phase. However, there are also potential negative impacts and risks during the construction and operation phases of the project. These potential impacts are mostly temporary, relative short term, site-specific at low to moderate levels and manageable through mitigation measures incorporated into project design and/or construction practices. It is therefore the project is classified as environmental category B. Mar 21, 2017 Page 8 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) An Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA including the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) was prepared for the entire project which identifies and assesses potential impacts, specifies mitigation measures and plan to ensure compliance. This policy is triggered as project activity will involve the construction and reconstruction of total 16 bridges from 9m to 99m long. Among these, there are 3 bridges of which the construction of abutments will be undertaken within the natural river and streams. Drilling activities, generation of Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 Yes wastes and wastewater at bridge construction sites may potentially affect aquatic lives in these river and streams. Mitigation measures are specified in the ESIA and ESMP to address these impacts. No significant conversion or degradation of critical natural habitat is envisaged under the project. This policy is not triggered as the project does not involve forest plantation or management and will not (i) have the potential to impact on the health and quality of forests; (ii) affect the rights and welfare of people and their level of dependence upon or interaction with forests; or (iii) aim to bring Forests OP/BP 4.36 No about changes in the management, protection or utilization of natural forests or plantations, whether they are publicly, privately, or communally owned. The project involves the acquisition of 1.6 ha of plantation forest of acacia and eucalyptus along four different sections of the road. However, this impact was assessed as negligible. This policy is not triggered as the project will not involve the use, production, procurement, storage, Pest Management OP 4.09 No handling or transportation, nor result in increased use of any pesticide. No relocation religious and spiritual and cultural sites are expected under the project. However, the project will involve land acquisition which requires the relocation of 20 graves in the Glar commune’s Physical Cultural Resources OP/BP 4.11 Yes cemetery in Dak Doa District, in Gia Lai province. There are pagodas and churches locating about 20- 50m from the road, which may be temporarily impacted and disturbed by construction activities and workers’ presence within their immediate Mar 21, 2017 Page 9 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) vicinity. These impacts are temporary and modest and could be mitigated and prevented by application of appropriate construction method and practices. The ESMP includes site-specific measures to reduce impacts during grave relocations as well as chance finds procedure. There is presence of indigenous community in Gia Lai province along the project corridor. 60 ethnic minority households from Bahnar, Jarai, Nung, Thai, and Muong groups are also adversely impacted of which 4 households are likely to be relocated. Project carried out social assessment and prepared Ethnic Minority Development Plan for Gia Lai. The EMDP Gia Lai was prepared on the basis of free, prior and informed consultation with affected ethnic minority peoples. The affected ethnic minority Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 Yes groups have indicated their broad support for project implementation. The EMDP was developed in accordance with Bank’s OP 4/10, and explores opportunities to ensure the ethnic minority in the project area could receive socioeconomic benefits from the project that are culturally appropriate to them. EMDP will be updated on the basis of consultation with EM peoples when the engineering design is finalized to update their development needs, and any other impact - prior to implementation. The project will permanently acquire 191.7 ha of private agricultural land and 5.6 ha of residential land for both (i) widening of existing alignment and (ii) two proposed bypasses. The land acquisition in turn will impact 1,103 households (5,020 project affected persons) of which 91 households will be relocated. Project will also impact 290 business establishments, and about 20 graves of Bahnar people. In terms of temporary impact, the project is Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP 4.12 Yes anticipated to affect an estimated 9,800 m2 of agricultural land area, and 3,800 m2 of public land. Project carried out social impact assessment and prepared province specific Resettlement Action Plan. The two RAPs (one for Gia Lai and one for Binh Dinh provinces) were prepared in accordance with Bank’s OP 4.12. The RAPs proposed resettlement principles, mitigation to avoid the adverse impact, in case avoidance is not possible, mitigate, minimize the Mar 21, 2017 Page 10 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) adverse impact through compensation and support to ensure affected households restore their livelihoods to pre-project living standards. More consultation will be conducted with affected households to update the RAP, taking into account the detailed measurement survey results, final detailed engineering design, and replacement costs survey results. The project does not involve construction of new Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No dams, nor will it affect or be dependent on the safety of any existing dam. Projects on International Waterways The project does not involve activity on international No OP/BP 7.50 waterways. Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 No The project is not located in disputed areas. KEY SAFEGUARD POLICY ISSUES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT A. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues 1. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts: Long term social and environmental impacts will be positive in improving road connectivity, road safety, road climate resilience and well-being of local people. The project will have small to moderate environmental and social risks, limited in scope, localized and temporary. Project construction activities may cause temporary disruption of traffic and small household business along the road. They may generate noise, dust, fuel and lubricant wastes associated with the deployment of transportation and construction machinery. These potential negative impacts are expected to be modest. Analysis shows that quarries and sand pits identified in the ESIA are in compliance with the regulations of Vietnamese laws on the exploitation of mineral products. For future use of mines for supply of materials, the project will carry out assessment on environment and health safety compliance. The project does not carry any risk of significant degradation of critical natural habitat, forests or physical cultural resources in any tangible and/or irreversible ways. Measures to mitigate these potentials are specified in the project’s ESIA and ESMP. Land acquisition is limited to 191.7 ha of private agriculture land and 5.6 ha of residential land for both (i) widening of existing alignment and (ii) two proposed bypasses. The land acquisition in turn will impact 1,103 households of which 91 households will be relocated. 60 ethnic minority households from are potentially affected of which 4 households are likely to be relocated. Project will also impact 290 business establishments, and about 20 graves of Bahnar community. In terms of temporary impact, the project is anticipated to affect an estimated 9,800 m2 of agricultural land area, and 3,800 m2 of public land. Of the total number of affected households, 95 are vulnerable households, 116 are renter and 523 are marginally affected. A due diligence review was undertaken by the Borrower for the Build-Transfer-Operation (BOT) projects not financed by the Bank. The review of the EIA shows that they comply with the Vietnamese regulation and compatible with the Mar 21, 2017 Page 11 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) World Bank Safeguard Policies. 2,413 affected households have been identified of which 85 are to be relocated. Since resettlement zone was not available, relocated families opted for self-resettlement. The relocated households have received compensatory and assistance money, and rebuilt their house in their residue residential land. 2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area: The upgrading and expansion of the NH19 will help to improve the quality of the roads, eliminate road black spots, and create a separate lane for 2-wheeled vehicles, thereby enhancing the safety of the road users. The An Khe and Pleiku bypasses are expected to reduce traffic load on the existing NH19 sections currently passing urban centers. The upgrading and expansion of NH19 sections will facilitate travel and reduce travel time between the Central Highland provinces and the coastal region, thereby boosting trading of goods within the area. Goods and materials would be transported to the Central Highland provinces more quickly and conveniently, the selling of agricultural products such as coffee, rubber, sugar canes, etc. and other products grown in the Central Highland to other provinces and for exports would also be more convenient, contributing to the region’s economic development. 3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts. Analyses for alternative options of the investment supported under the project were undertaken by the Transport Safety Project Management Unit (TS-PMU) to assess social and environmental impacts associated with those design options. The ESIA were conducted early in the feasibility study to influence the choice of site-specific technical alternatives. Alternatives were considered in the preparation of the project including two options for the alignment of Pleiku bypass. Aspects for alternative considerations include (i) area of land acquired and number of households affected; (ii) road length, excavated soil volume, waste generation; and (iii) impacts during operational phase. Two alternatives for the sections from Km 155 to Km 160 on the width of the road. Aspects for alternative considerations include (i) width at cross-section; (ii) area of affected land; (iii) investment cost; (iv) alignment with relevant master plan; and (v) environmental impacts during operational phase. Three options for treacherous road section at Km 65+800 An Khe Pass were taking into account including (i) excavated soil volume; (ii) cost; and (iii) traffic safety and environmental and social impacts. The final option of the alternative analyses was selected based on thorough consideration of all aspects including technical, social and environmental, and economic dimensions. Effort was made by the TS-PMU to minimize the need of land acquisition and resettlement. In order to avoid large- scale resettlement, project has proposed two bypasses (An Khe bypass of 10km, and Pleiku bypass of 16km) in Gia Lai province. Temporary impact on existing living and business activities will be mitigated by allowing the households to continue using their existing houses and running their current business until their new houses are ready to move in. Majority of the widening work will be carried out in the existing right of way and only 5 m of land on either side of the existing alignment will be acquired. 4. Describe measures taken by the borrower to address safeguard policy issues. Provide an assessment of borrower capacity to plan and implement the measures described. An Environmental and Social Impacts Assessment (ESIA) has been prepared for the entire project. The ESIA including the ESMP was reviewed by the Bank. The ESMP consists in a set of good practice mitigation measures to address common construction related impacts with site-specific environmental and social measures, and specifies clear roles and responsibilities of relevant stakeholders. Monitoring and capacity building requirements are specified in the ESMP to be carried out during project implementation to mitigate negative environmental and social impacts. The project has also carried out province specific RAPs, which include key information on project impacts, mitigation measures, entitlement matrix, livelihood restoration mechanism, impact of labor influx, gender issues, consultation findings, grievance redress mechanism, mechanism for monitoring and evaluation, and implementation plan. Since Mar 21, 2017 Page 12 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) there is presence of ethnic minority, an EMDP has been prepared, with informed consultations hold with the affected EM groups in Gia Lai province. The EMDP will be updated – prior to implementation, to refect the development needs of affected EM people. The Ministry of Transport (MOT) is the project owner at central level and has an overall responsibility for the project management and implementation. The Transport Safety Project Management Unit (TS-PMU) under MOT, is responsible for overall supervision and monitoring of the ESMP implementation in the project area. All stakeholders at project level, including PPC, City/District PC, Ward/Commune PCs, have extensive experience implementing resettlement program in Vietnam, including experience implementing projects financed by the World Bank that involve resettlement and livelihoods restoration. In terms of monitoring, these governmental agencies will continue to cooperate closely with the PPCs and City/District PCs to implement and monitor the RAP implementation. External monitoring consultants will be engaged by TSPMU to provide an independent assessment of RAP implementation in addition to internal monitoring done by City/District PCs, and PPC. Before the start of implementation, these agencies will be invited to participate in additional trainings organized by TSPMU - with the Bank technical support, in order to update them on the new policies requirements and good implementation practices, as well as the new requirements on gender mainstreaming to ensure smooth and satisfactory RAP implementation. 5. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. A series of consultations were carried out in August, November, December 2016 and January and March of 2017. Apart from community consultations, meetings were held with the Provincial Departments, the District People’s Committees, leaders and members of affected commune officials, district compensation and site clearance committees, key district departments (environment and land management, agriculture, industry and commerce, labor, invalids and social affairs), etc. They were consulted on ESIA, RAPs, and EMDP. The feedback from the consultations have been incorporated into the project design, the final draft ESIA, RAPs and EMDP. These documents were disclosed both locally at the project areas, and at the World Bank’s internal and external websites on February 20, 2017. The final documents will be disclosed locally and through the World Bank’s internal and external websites. B. Disclosure Requirements OPS_EA_DISCLOSURE_TABLE Environmental Assessment/Audit/Management Plan/Other For category A projects, date of Date of receipt by the Bank Date of submission to InfoShop distributing the Executive Summary of the EA to the Executive Directors 20-Feb-2017 20-Feb-2017 "In country" Disclosure Vietnam 20-Feb-2017 Comments Mar 21, 2017 Page 13 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) OPS_RA_D ISCLOSURE_T ABLE Resettlement Action Plan/Framework/Policy Process Date of receipt by the Bank Date of submission to InfoShop 20-Feb-2017 20-Feb-2017 "In country" Disclosure Vietnam 20-Feb-2017 Comments OPS_I P_DIS CLOSURE_TAB LE Indigenous Peoples Development Plan/Framework Date of receipt by the Bank Date of submission to InfoShop 20-Feb-2017 20-Feb-2017 "In country" Disclosure Vietnam 20-Mar-2017 Comments C. Compliance Monitoring Indicators at the Corporate Level (to be filled in when the ISDS is finalized by the project decision meeting) OPS_EA_COMP_TABLE OP/BP/GP 4.01 - Environment Assessment Does the project require a stand-alone EA (including EMP) report? Yes If yes, then did the Regional Environment Unit or Practice Manager (PM) review and approve the EA report? NA Are the cost and the accountabilities for the EMP incorporated in the credit/loan? NA OPS_ NH_COM P_TABLE OP/BP 4.04 - Natural Habitats Would the project result in any significant conversion or degradation of critical natural habitats? No Mar 21, 2017 Page 14 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) If the project would result in significant conversion or degradation of other (non-critical) natural habitats, does the project include mitigation measures acceptable to the Bank? NA OPS_ PCR_COM P_TABLE OP/BP 4.11 - Physical Cultural Resources Does the EA include adequate measures related to cultural property? Yes Does the credit/loan incorporate mechanisms to mitigate the potential adverse impacts on cultural property? Yes OPS_I P_COM P_TABLE OP/BP 4.10 - Indigenous Peoples Has a separate Indigenous Peoples Plan/Planning Framework (as appropriate) been prepared in consultation with affected Indigenous Peoples? Yes If yes, then did the Regional unit responsible for safeguards or Practice Manager review the plan? Yes If the whole project is designed to benefit IP, has the design been reviewed and approved by the Regional Social Development Unit or Practice Manager? NA OPS_IR_ COMP_TAB LE OP/BP 4.12 - Involuntary Resettlement Has a resettlement plan/abbreviated plan/policy framework/process framework (as appropriate) been prepared? Yes If yes, then did the Regional unit responsible for safeguards or Practice Manager review the plan? Yes OPS_ PDI_ COMP_TAB LE The World Bank Policy on Disclosure of Information Have relevant safeguard policies documents been sent to the World Bank's Infoshop? Yes Have relevant documents been disclosed in-country in a public place in a form and language that are understandable and accessible to project-affected groups and local NGOs? Yes Mar 21, 2017 Page 15 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) All Safeguard Policies Have satisfactory calendar, budget and clear institutional responsibilities been prepared for the implementation of measures related to safeguard policies? Yes Have costs related to safeguard policy measures been included in the project cost? Yes Does the Monitoring and Evaluation system of the project include the monitoring of safeguard impacts and measures related to safeguard policies? Yes Have satisfactory implementation arrangements been agreed with the borrower and the same been adequately reflected in the project legal documents? Yes CONTACT POINT World Bank Mitsuyoshi Asada Sr Transport. Spec. Phuong Thi Minh Tran Sr Transport. Spec. Van Anh Thi Tran Sr Transport. Spec. Borrower/Client/Recipient Government of Vietnam Nguyen Ngoc Dong Vice Minister of Transport dongnn_mot@yahoo.com Implementing Agencies Traffic Safety Projects Management Unit Le Thang Deputy Director of TSPMU thangle73@yahoo.co.uk Mar 21, 2017 Page 16 of 17 The World Bank Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (P159238) FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects APPROVAL Mitsuyoshi Asada Task Team Leader(s): Phuong Thi Minh Tran Van Anh Thi Tran Approved By Safeguards Advisor: Peter Leonard 11-Apr-2017 Practice Manager/Manager: Almud Weitz 14-Apr-2017 Country Director: Ousmane Dione 15-Apr-2017 Mar 21, 2017 Page 17 of 17