World Bank Financed
Bengbu Integrated Environment Improvement Project
Social Assessment
(Summary Report)
National Research Center for Resettlement,
Hohai University
(NRCR)
June, 2007
1
Contents
Lists of Table 2
Abstract 3
1 Introduction 1
2 The General Situation of Project Area 5
2.1 Project Area Identification 5
2.2 Social and Economic Situation in Project Area 7
2.3 The Poverty Profile in Project Area 13
2.4 Minorities in Project Areas 15
3 Stakeholders Analysis 16
3.1 The Identification of Stakeholders 16
3.2 Demands of Stakeholders 19
4 Project Influence Analyses 23
4.1 Project Social Influences Analyses 23
4.2 Influences Analyses on Principal Stakeholders in Project 29
5 Willingness and Ability to Pay Analyses 33
5.1 existing payment status 33
5.2 Willingness to pay Analyses 38
5.3 Ability to pay Analyses 38
6 Identification and Control of Social Risks 38
6.1 Social Risk Identification 38
6.2 Social Risks Control 38
7 Conclusion, Suggestion and Action 38
7.1 Conclusion 38
7.2 Conclusion 38
7.3 Action 38
Appendix I: Agenda of Bengbu Integrated Environment Improvement Project Social Assessment Group 38
Appendix II： Symposium and Interview List 38
Lists of Table
Table 11 Contents of Bengbu Integrated Environment Improvement Project 3
Table 21 General Situation of Porject Area 6
Table 22 Project Area Population Status 10
Table 23 Project Area Principal Economic Indicators Table 11
Table 24 Project Area Principle Social Indicators 12
Table 25 Project Area Povery Status 14
Table 31 Principal Stakeholder of Each Subproject 17
Table 41 Social Aims of Project Construction 23
Table 42 The Service Scopes of the Establishments and Beneficial Population Status Before and After the Project Implementation 26
Table 51 The Supportive Policies of Relevant Fees toward vulneraly groups 36
Table 52 The Exerting Standard of Domestic Water Fees and the Predict increased Standard 38
Table 53 The Exerting Standard of Sewage Disposal Fees and the Predict increased Standard 38
Table 61 Table of main social iems, social risks, suggested measures and actions in each subproject 38
AppendixII-1 Symposium list 38
AppendixII-2 Interview with Affected Groups 38
1
Abstract
Entrusted by Bengbu Project Management Office (BPMO) of Bengbu Integrated Environment Improvement Project (BIEIP) funded by World Bank, the social assessment group of NRCR in Hohai University arrived at Bengbu City in May, 2007, and started a 20-days spot investigation on the 8 subprojects of BIEIP. And the social assessment report of BIEIP was finished after several communications with PMOs, project owner, design institute and planning unit of resettlement in June, 2007.
6 districts and 2 development districts (economy development area and hi-tech development district) are involved in this project. There are 8 subprojects which could be compartmentalized as 3 categories: (1) integrated management of water resources in Bengbu, including project of flood control and waterlogging drainage and environment improvement in Longzi Lake, and flood control project in Tianhe; (2) urban environment and infrastructure reconstruction, including Urban (Huaihe River south) environmental infrastructure improvement project, project of flood control and waterlogging drainage in Huaishang District, project of urban infrastructure reconstruction in Huaishang District, and project of flood control management and environment improvement in Xijiagou; (3) environment and infrastructure reconstruction of three districts, including Guzhen County integrated environmental improvment, Wuhe County Mohekou integrated environmental improvement and Huaiyuan County integrated environmental improvment.
The method of combining literature research with field investigation is adopted in the social assessment process. During the field investigation, 9 symposiums with different stakeholders were held (including 84 persons totally). There, 19 persons were interviewed concretely. Spot investigations were taken to every subproject. According to World Bank’s requests and DRA’s social assessment outline, this report mainly covers the following 4 aspects of the subprojects: (1) the positive and negative social impacts on the affected persons (especially the vulnerable groups) in the project; (2)with the rise of relevant rates which might be brought by the project, the affected persons’ payment ability and inclination; (3) the potential social risks and relevant measures to reduce the risks; (4) with the suggestions given by the social assessment group, the relevant institutions’ actions.
Through analysis and field investigations on the project, it is concluded that BIEIP would advance the ability of flood control, waterlogging drainage and water resource integrated management of 7 districts, enlarge the covering range of environment infrastructure, satisfy much more groups’ need, reduce poverty, improve social and economical status of project area, and then boost the development of economy, society, and environment. While the above positive impacts would be brought by the project, some negative impacts also might be brought to different stakeholders.
(1) Risks of the project design. ① If the project is not designed properly, the quantity of land acquisition and house demolition would be larger than necessary. For example, there are 6 subprojects (except the project of Tianhe river、Longzi Lake) involving land acquisition and house demolition, so the population of Dps is large. If these projects are not design under the objective to minimize these damages, the population of Dps would be increased. ② Parts of people might be excluded outside the range of project benefit. Through investigations and interviews, it is found that people in Tuanjie Village, Mohekou Town, and Wuhe County are relatively poor, and are drinking groundwater with high fluorine content chronically, so they need drinking water according to required standards. If the money for the branch pipe net, sending the water to villages and households, could not be raised successfully, there would be some vulnerable groups that would not benefit from better drinking water. ③ Secondary pollution to the environment could be increased. For example, to the desilting works of Guzhen project, Longzi Lake project and Huaiyuan project, if the silt is not examined and treated properly, a secondary pollution could be brought to the environment.
(2) Risk of vulnerable groups’ payment disability. Through symposiums and interviews, the team members of social assessment find that 95% of the interviewees like to pay for high-quality drinking water and environment improvement, if the price is adequate. Few people refuse to pay relevant rates because of poverty. By the prediction of payment ability, it is concluded that the rise of water supply and sewage improvement charges are in the range of general dwellers’ affordability. However, the impact on the poverty groups is significant, as more pressure would be brought to this group. It is suggested Guzhen County, Huaiyuan County and Wuhe County should hold hearings in the process of water price reform, and make remission policy for the vulnerable groups as quickly as possible.
(3) Risk of conflicts between residents and implementation agencies. During the construction process of each subproject, it is inevitable that noise would be increased, pollution would be caused by the dust, traffic pressure would be increased, hidden trouble of traffic security would be brought, and the residential environment would be inconvenient. If these negative impacts couldn’t be evaded and reduced well, the conflicts between residents and implementation agencies would be caused and then affect the construction schedule.
(4) Risk of conflicts between DPs and implementation agencies. The population of DPs caused by the land acquisition and house demolition is 11521. And, those programs including high-tech zone sewerage and storm water drainage network in urban environmental improvement subproject, city drainage in Huaiyuan subproject and embankment of railway and canal in Guzhen subproject are going to involve enterprises and shops demolition. So if the resettlement work is not well done, the conflicts between DPs and implementation agencies would be caused and then affect the project construction.
(5) Risk of social responsibility absence of the pollutant producer. Some abominable phenomenon exists in the project area, such as throwing garbage in disorder, dumping domestic sewage at random, usurping riverways and building illegal constructions. The enterprises also drain sewage without reaching the standard, and throw the solid garbages at random. These habitual actions of residents and enterprises, if being not forbidden during a certain time, will make the pollution source difficult to be interdicted, and bring a vicious circle which is “doing the pollution and remediation together”, and then affect the project construction and prediction benefits.
In order to reduce the potential social risks of each subproject, the social assessment group puts forward some potential measures and suggestions:
(1) Optimizing the design. Based on the following two social objectives the design should be optimized: ① Reduce the population of DPs as much as possible by evading residential areas, high-rise houses, roads and farmlands. ② Consider the need of the vulnerable groups who haven’t enjoy the healthy drinking water.
Design institutes of each subproject should demonstrate and optimize the design scheme, and consider the development demand of project areas and the need of residents. Each project unit should monitor the project construction efficiently. The project owner of Wuhe County and governments at all levels should organize the fee collection works of providing the water to villages well. Relevant departments should negotiate with the villagers to make a proper fund raising scheme and transport the water to every household. The water supply company of each district should provide technical support and branch tubes maintenance for transporting the water to households, so the poverty group of Tuanjie Village, Mohekou Town can enjoy high-quality drinking water.
(2) Supporting vulnerable groups.Derating relevant charges for vulnerable groups. Governments of Guzhen, Wuhe and Huaiyuan should make supporting policies for the vulnerable groups as quickly as possible and derate water supply fee, wastewater improvement fee and so on. Project owners, implementation agencies, local social security departments, and women association should cooperate with each other, and provide the non-technical employment post of the project construction to vulnerable groups at precedence.
(3) Strengthening communication with affected groups of construction period. During the project construction, the construction unit should communicate with the traffic department, surrounding schools, enterprises, stores in the project area, and residential districts in time. The construction scheme should be adjusted with the suggestions, so the conflicts could be avoided. The construction should set sound insulation fences and defending fences (bounding wall), avoid night construction, set obvious caution signs at the dangerous places, reduce the noise, dust and other impacts on traffic security during the construction.
(4) Implementation of resettlement and rehabilitation Resettlement planning institutes should compile proper resettlement action plan on the basis of sufficient investigations, and guarantee DPs living standards according to relevant policies. At the same time, the project unit should carry out the contents of RAP, give out the relocation fund timely, and monitor the relocation, guarantee the smooth channel formation for the participation of Dps.
(5) Implementation of programs to enhance awareness of environmental protection Definition of the social responsibilities of the pollutant producer and carrying out public environment and sanitary education activities. On one hand, we should definite the social responsibilities of the pollutant producer and enforce the effective measures of combination of praise and penalty, to avoid the phenomenon of doing the pollution and remediation together. On the other hand, we should enhance the public sanitary consciousness of all the residents and carry out environment and sanitary education toward them by the cooperation of the government publicity department, education bureau, environment protecting bureau, broadcasting bureau, the press, street and residence committees. Water saving, civilized swage and litter disposal, disease prevention should be publicized. Via Tv, broadcasting, papers and the billboard in the bustling section, the harm of environment pollution and the forming of good sanitary habits should be publicized to people. In a word, various methods should be taken to publicize public sanitary and environment.
During the Symposia with the relevant units and filed investigations, social assessment group discussed the hidden social risks and risk avoidance of the project with each unit and put forward some pertinent advices. The relevant units, including feasibility study units, RAP and environment evaluation report compiling units, WBPMO, World bank, sanitary bureau, environment protecting bureau, women association, civil administration department and other relevant departments, all agreed with the advices during discussion and took correlated actions.
(1) Project units. Each of subproject units has agreed the advices of social assessment group, and they promised the following actions:
① Reflecting the advices of designing team to the designing unit and Supervising and urging optimized designing;
② Establishing the pollution discharging exit, in Baligou subproject, near the sewage disposal plant;
③ Fully and timely giving out relocation fund and monitoring the relocation implementation according to the RAP and the standards on house demolition, land acquisition, and shop and enterprises demolition by Bengbu Government;
④ Doing the professional training, position arrangement, and living aid work well by cooperating with relevant government departments, such as civil administration, labor and social guarantee departments;
⑤ Coordinating the relationship between implementation unit and local enterprises, shops, and resident communities, moreover promising to guarantee the decrease of noise and dust pollution as well as the smooth and safe traffic during the construction period;
⑥ Publicizing environment protection and public sanitary by cooperating with environment protecting bureau, sanitary bureau and broadcasting bureau.
（2）Designing units.
Feasibility study units: Project unit has already conveyed project optimizing advices to Mid-south Design Institute and Water Conservancy Design Institute. To ensure optimized design, they should further optimize each subproject design, reduce the population of Dps as much as possible and enlarge service scope reasonably, examine and measuring the possible silt pollution in each subproject a.
Environment Evaluation units: Project unit has already conveyed the opinion of evaluating and examine the silt in Longzi Lake district and Guzhen county subjects to North China design Institute. North China design Institute will have the work done and feedback the results timely.
RAP compiling unit: On the existing investigations, Hefei design institute has identified the amount of Dps and demolished shops and demolished enterprise; has made out the compensation standard for land acquisition and house demolition according to relevant policies of Bengbu; the RAP and relocation report on demolished enterprises and shops will be perfected on the base of sufficient investigation.