Environmental & Social Management Framework - About ...

Environmental and Social Management Framework1.3 Rationale and Approach for the Environmental and Social ManagementFrameworkRoad construction activities bear the risks for potential environmental impactslikely to occur in the physical, biological, social, cultural and sometimesarchaeological spheres. Landslides, slope failures, soil erosion, loss of nationalpark, forest and agricultural lands and interference with water courses, irrigationfacilities, run-off and sedimentation are among the major impacts resulting fromroad construction that need thorough addressing in design and construction,incorporating proven mitigation measures that will bring adverse effects down toacceptable levels.Awareness and appreciation of the opportunities and risks involved due to roadproject implementation are often beyond the comprehension of local people. Theymay greet the new construction with high expectations, or anxiety, suspicion,concern or resistance. It is among the principal objectives of this ESMF to providedecision makers, engineers and supervisors of road maintenance works with areference document that will demonstrate the government’s proponents efforts toaddress properly the potential risks associated with road works, and to divulgatethe management options and environmental/social safeguard measures to thebroad public to gain full understanding and support of those using the nationalroad network.1.3.1 Key Objectives of the ESMFThe ESMF intends to provide technical and managerial inputs and guidance intothe design of the strategic roads (both designated for rehabilitation and, to lesserextent, to new construction, in the Western Districts of Nepal), throughidentification of key environmental and social issues related to the foreseenprojects (hereunder referred as “SRN sub-projects”), mitigate potential impactsand concerns and, devise opportunities to enhance the benefits. The frameworkintegrates in a step-wise approach the most important environmental and socialconsiderations into all stages of project preparation, implementation, monitoringand operation and is applicable to all future sub-projects funded under the SRNprogram. Based on both the Consultants’ ToR and discussions held with theClient (DoR/WB), the key objectives to be addressed in the ESMF are:• Review GoN’s existing policies, regulations, operational guidelines andinstitutional arrangements to address and mitigate environmental and socialimpacts of national roads.• Assess the compatibility of the core principles of GoN policies with policies ofthe donor agencies, identify gaps, and present recommendations foraddressing the gaps.• Describe the tools and procedural steps to assess the environmental andsocial issues for all project-related activities, and describe stepwise thecorresponding management requirements in the entire project cycle.• Prepare a screening and consultation framework for environmental andsocial assessment of the proposed sub-projects; this framework shall includeall parties involved, particularly focusing on service providers to ensure thatthe safeguard measures prescribed in the EMAPs are duly followed andenforced.• Refer to established principles relating to environmental and social safeguardmechanisms to be incorporated in DoR’s road development programs; TheCode of Good Practice compiled in this document (Annex 2) and the SocialAssessment and Consultation Frameworks (Chapter 6 to 8) shall form aninstrumental basis in carrying out new road development projects.• Planners and users of this ESMF should also consult other documentationthat will give ample accounts on lessons learned with respect toApril 2007 Chapter 1-3