Easen International Co., Ltd. signed a consulting service contract for the Hubei Enshi Qingjiang Upstream Environmental Governance and Ecological Protection Project with an Asian Development Bank loan in March 2017.
This project will address the inadequate collection and treatment of wastewater, widespread non-point source pollution, and frequent floods in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (ETMAP), Hubei Province, which affect living standards and sustainable economic development. Its impact will be to improve the environmental and ecological sustainability of the upper reaches of the Qinghe River basin. The result will be an improvement in river health and water resource management in the upper reaches of the Qinghe River basin. The expected output of this project is: (i) improved wastewater management; (ii) Strengthen flood control management; (iii) Integrate water and environmental management; (iv) Strengthen inclusive capacity building.
The project is classified as Environmental Class A and has prepared an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) in accordance with the ADB's Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS, 2009). The environmental impact assessment and environmental management plan were disclosed on November 26, 2014. The project is expected to achieve environmental benefits, including improving the water quality of the Qinghe River in the project area, reducing flood risk, increasing wastewater treatment capacity, improving sewage coverage for approximately 40000 households, and improving the resource management capacity of ETMAPG for water quality. The potential environmental impact comes from planned dredging and embankments, as well as interference related to construction and operation. In the preparation process of environmental impact assessment, consultations were held with major stakeholders and the results were incorporated into the project design. ETMAPG, through the Project Management Office (PMO), will be responsible for overall implementation and compliance with EMP. The project management office and implementation agency will be responsible for implementing the environmental management plan on site. The project office will be ultimately responsible for the implementation of the appeal handling mechanism to resolve any disputes. The conclusion of environmental impact assessment is that implementing an environmental management plan can mitigate expected environmental impacts and risks.
According to the SPS (2009) of the Asian Development Bank, this project is classified as Class A involuntary immigration. It will permanently acquire a total of 73.15 hectares of land; An additional 145.28 hectares will be temporarily occupied. The project will demolish a 12778 square meter house. This will cause 5431 people to be economically displaced, of which 1645 will lose more than 10% of their agricultural production assets, and 143 will be displaced. ETMAPG has prepared two immigration plans for Enshi and Lichuan based on the SPS (2009) of the Asian Development Bank and relevant laws and regulations of Enshi and Lichuan in Hubei Province. ETMAPG will fully contribute RMB 132607 for land acquisition and immigration expenses. The Asian Development Bank loan will be used for the cost of semi annual external immigration monitoring and evaluation. ETMAPG has experience in land acquisition and resettlement for foreign-funded projects, and is capable of executing the resettlement plan for the project. PMO and PIU will closely monitor the implementation status.
According to the SPS of the Asian Development Bank, this project is classified as B. The ethnic population of ETMAP is 4.01 million; 45% Han, 46% Tujia, 6.5% Miao, and 2.5% other ethnic groups; The level of racial diversity in the project area is similar. The socio-economic and livelihood systems of ethnic minorities are similar to those of the mainstream population in terms of income, economic activities, and education, and no language or other cultural barriers have been found. They will benefit equally from project activities. In order to ensure that ethnic minorities benefit, ETMAPG has developed and approved a minority development plan.