DESCRIPTION
Component One-Construction works: The project will support construction of road works, traffic engineering works and tolling facilities, e.g., installation of traffic management equipment and traffic surveillance, roadside service facilities, tolling and communication systems.
Component Two-Consulting services: This component is comprised of two subcomponents, (a) for the project road, detailed design enhancements and construction supervision of the project and (b) for selected priority roads of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) network, feasibility studies (FS), environmental and social safeguards and preliminary designs.
Component Three-Operation and Maintenance: This component will support the purchase of essential equipment for RHD to introduce new technologies to improve the O&M supply chain for Sylhet Division area. This essential equipment will also support private sector contractors and local communities to improve the efficiency and quality of maintenance works.
Component Four-Project management support and capacity building: This component is comprised of the project management costs of the project implementation unit. The project will also support the training, capacity building and institutional development of RHD for operating, managing and maintaining the RHD networks of the project division areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION
The AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), including the Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) are applicable to the proposed project. The Project has been assigned Category A in accordance with the ESP due to the scale and complexity of the involuntary resettlement (approximately 2000 Project Affected People, or PAPs) involved. The Project will have negative short-term environmental impacts during construction works, but mitigation measures will be included within the construction contract. Further, to address negative impacts of the Project, an Environmental and Social Assessment (ESIA) including the management plan (ESMP) has been prepared. Furthermore, a climate risk assessment was conducted for the project road. Physical climate change risks were identified and the road design incorporated climate resilience features. The Project’s adverse social impacts will primarily comprise involuntary resettlement for people with businesses and residences along the right-of-way. A Resettlement Planning Framework (RPF) has been prepared to address the involuntary resettlement, and a detailed Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) is under preparation. Along with that, an IT-based monitoring system has been developed with the support of AIIB’s Special Fund to track the progress of relocation and resettlement assistance, including a detailed inventory of PAPs, status of compensation and other milestones. Consultations were held in phases during the preparation of the ESIA and RPF. They are ongoing for preparation of the RAP and will continue throughout the construction phase. Environmental and social documents, including local language translations of their executive summaries, have been disclosed by RHD and by AIIB respectively.
