Nepal: Tanahu Hydropower Project...million were signed in 2013 for the main Project components,...

Panel of Experts’ Report

Project No. 43281-013 December 2018

Nepal: Tanahu Hydropower Project

Prepared by Jonathan Hinks, Susan Novak, and Jose M. Cabral for the Government of Nepal

and the Asian Development Bank.

This panel of experts’ report is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.

First Report of Panel of Experts (Draft) December 2018

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TANAHU HYDROPOWER LIMITED

REPUBLIC OF NEPAL

Tanahu Hydropower Project

First Report of Panel of Experts

(Draft)

December 2018

Jonathan Hinks Susan Novak Jose M. Cabral Dam Safety Expert and Social Development Expert Environmental Expert Panel Chair


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2. ABBREVIATION AND ACRONYMS

ADB Asian Development Bank

AH Affected Household

AIH Affected Indigenous Household

AP Affected Person

CDC Compensation Determination Committee

CDP Community Development Plan

CDS Community Development Strategy

DAO District Administration Office

DDC District Development Committee

DDR Due Diligence Report

DLRO District Land Revenue Office

DMS Detailed Measurement Survey

EA Executing Agency

EIB European Investment Bank

EL Elevation above sea level

EMP Environmental Management Plan

ESMU Environmental and Social Management Unit

ESMSP Environmental and Social Management Service Provider

FHH Female-headed household

FSL Full service level

GESI Gender Equality and Social Inclusion

GESIAP Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Action Plan

GoN Government of Nepal

GRC Grievance Redress Committee

GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism

HH Household

IMA Independent Monitoring Agency

IP Indigenous People

JICA Japanese International Cooperation Agency

LB Left bank

LCF Local Consultative Forum

M & E Mechanical and Electrical

MCE Maximum Credible Earthquake

NEA Nepal Electricity Authority


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NFTP Non-timber forest product(s)

NGO Non-governmental organization

OBE Operating Basis Earthquake

PAM Project Administration Memorandum

PIB Public Information Booklet

PIC

PMF

Public Information Center

Probable Maximum Flood

POE Panel of Experts

PPTA Project Preparation Technical Assistance

PSC Project Supervision PSCs

RB Right bank

RC Replacement cost

RCC Roller Compacted Concrete

RES Rural Empowerment Society

RIPP Resettlement and Indigenous Peoples Plan

ROW

RTS

Right-of-way

Reservoir Triggered Seismicity

SDE Social Development Expert

SEE Safety Evaluation Earthquake

SIA Social impact assessment

SPS Safeguard Policy Statement

THL Tanahu Hydropower Ltd.

THP Tanahu Hydropower Project

UpRIPP Updated Resettlement and Indigenous Peoples Plan

USD United States Dollar


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY

1. INTRODUCTION

2. GEOLOGY

3. SEISMICITY

4. LANDSLIDES

5. HYDROLOGY

6. SEDIMENTATION

7. DIVERSION TUNNELS AND COFFERDAM

8. DAM

9. GATES

10. SPILLWAY

11. HEADRACE TUNNEL

12. POWERHOUSE

13. INSTRUMENTATION

14. LAND ACQUISITION AND INVOLUNTARY RESETTLEMENT 14.1 Overview of Land Acquisition and Resettlement Impacts 14.2 Progress on Land Acquisition and Resettlement 14.3 Betini and Banchere 14.4 Reservoir Area 14.5 Affected Community Facilities 14.6 Community Forest Groups and Fishers 14.7 Livelihood Restoration Measures 14.8 Information Dissemination 14.9 Consultation and Grievance Redress 14.10 External Monitoring 14.11 Census, Detailed Measurement Survey and socio-Economic Baseline

15. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION ACTION PLAN 15.1 General 15.2 Women’s Employment on Project Construction

16. REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS 16.1 General 16.2 Review of Main Environmental Management Programs for Dam and Reservoir

17. RECOMMENDATIONS 17.1 Composition of POE 17.2 Geology/Seismicity 17.3 Landslides 17.4 Hydrology 17.5 Sedimentation 17.6 Dam


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17.7 Hydraulic Gates and M & E works 17.8 Spillway 17.9 Intake and Headrace Tunnel 17.10 Power Cavern 17.11 Social Development Issues 17.12 Environmental Issues 17.13 Other Issues

18. NEXT PANEL MEETING 18.1 Suggested Date 18.2 SDE Priorities for Next Mission

19. REFERENCES

20. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

APPENDIX A – PAPER ON BEHAVIOUR OF DAMS IN 2008 WENCHUAN EARTHQUAKE. IN CHINA


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SUMMARY

The first meeting of the Panel of Experts (POE) was held in Kathmandu from 17 to 21 December, 2018 with a site visit on 18 December. Significant effort has clearly been expended over the years to develop the project, not least in addressing social development issues such as compensation, resettlement, livelihood restoration and gender equality for the 547 households affected by land acquisition. This work needs to be carried forward throughout the construction period and possibly thereafter. The engineering designs developed so far seem to be generally sound but the dam, which will be considerably higher than the 114 m high Kulekhani Dam (presently impounding the only storage reservoir in the country) faces some formidable challenges:

• Very high seismicity

• Karstic dolomite at the damsite

• Risk of landslides into the reservoir

• Sedimentation issues

• Dissipation of energy from the spillway It is to be hoped that progress on these issues can be made swiftly in parallel with the resolution of the current contractual difficulties which lie outside the remit of POE. This report makes various recommendations for the way ahead including the early strengthening of the POE by the addition of a Geological Expert and also an Expert in Sedimentation. The later addition of an Expert in Gates and M & E is also advised.


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1. INTRODUCTION

Tanahu Hydropower Limited (THL) has received $ 505 million funding for the project from ADB, JICA, EIB and GoN. The construction camp is already complete and the access roads are under construction. Subject to the resolution of contractual issues, it is hoped to complete the diversion tunnels in 2020 and the whole project in 2023.

The Panel of Experts (POE) presently comprises the following:

Jonathan Hinks, Dam Safety Expert Susan Novak, Social Development Expert José Cabral, Environmental Expert

In addition, other experts can be added to the panel on either a temporary or long-term basis and recommendations are made regarding this at the end of this report. This report describes the first visit to Nepal by the POE which took place from 16 to 22 December, 2018 The Tanahu Hydropower Ltd. (THL) was established in 2012 as the Executing Agency (EA) for the development of the Tanahu Hydropower Project (Project or THP), located on the Seti River downstream of Damauli, the capital of Tanahun District. It is a storage type hydropower project with an installed capacity of 140MW. The main components are a 140m high concrete gravity dam that will create a storage reservoir some 25 km long with a surface area of 7.26 km2. An underground powerhouse is located 6 km downstream on the right flank of the Seti valley exploiting a sharp loop of the river. Permanent and temporary roads provide access to the Project area. Other facilities will include a permanent THL camp near Damauli and temporary facilities for contractor's camps, yard, office areas, etc. The THP also includes the construction of a 37-km transmission line and a rural electrification program that will provide electricity to communities within the Project area1. The Project is co-funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and European Investment Bank (EIB). Loan agreements totaling USD 419 million were signed in 2013 for the main Project components, i.e., i) headworks, ii) waterway, powerhouse and related equipment, iii) the transmission line and iv) the rural electrification program. Funds from the Government of Nepal (GoN) and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) will be used for the pre-construction infrastructure. The THL completed pre-construction works in 2018, including the THL camp, new access roads and a substation. The construction phase of the Project is anticipated to start in early 2019 with the mobilization of contractors for Packages 1 and 2 of the Project that are, respectively, the head works (construction of the main dam and an auxiliary dam, river diversion and associated works) and the construction of the waterway, the powerhouse and related equipment. The impoundment of the reservoir is scheduled to begin in early 2023.

1 The transmission line and rural electrification program are outside the mandate of the Panel of Experts (POE).


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2. GEOLOGY

The geology at the dam site, power tunnel and underground power station are generally considered favourable although karstic limestone is present and lugeon values are high in the abutments. Another concern is the possible presence of an active fault along the Seti River at the site. Vertical movement of up to 9 m on such an active fault beneath the structure seriously damaged the 21.4 m high Shih-Kang dam in Taiwan in the Magnitude 7.6 Chi Chi earthquake of September 1999. Although such fault movement is not known to have affected any other large concrete dams the possible existence of an active fault along the Seti River requires further investigation.

Shih-Kang dam after 1999 earthquake The possibility of landslides triggered either seismically or by heavy rainfall into the reservoir also needs to be considered (see also under seismicity below); and, also the geology of the plunge pool and its ability to withstand high velocities estimated as being up to 32 m/s on the surface and 23 m/s at the bed. The adit driven from near the tailrace to the roof of the power cavern passes through Dolomite and Slates which appear to be favourable to the proposed tunnelling. The same is understood to be the case for the headrace tunnel although the early enlargement of the POE to incorporate a Specialist Geologist is advised.


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3. SEISMICITY

The Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) for the Operating Basis earthquake (OBE) with a return period of 145 years has been estimated as 0.2 g and the Safety Evaluation Earthquake (SEE) with a return period of 10,000 years as 0.39 g. If we assume that the PGA for the 145-year event is correctly estimated we derive the following PGA for the 10,000-year event using the formula in Eurocode 8 as follows: PGA = (10,000/145 )0.33x 0.2 g = 0.8 g If, alternatively, we postulate an earthquake of Magnitude 8.0 on a fault currently not known to exist at an epicentral distance of 10 km and depth 15 km then the average of 6 common attenuation formula gives a PGA of 0.81 g. There is, therefore, good agreement returned for the PGA by the two methods. The Gorkha earthquake of 25 April 2015 had a Magnitude of 7.8 so the above calculation is not thought to be unrealistic. POE note also that Figure A3 in the Inception Report gives a PGA of 0.8 g. Table 1 on page 56 gives a Peak Ground Acceleration of between 0.70 g and 0.85 g (6.9 and 8.3 m/s2) for the 10,000 year event. Looking further afield we note that the PGA at the Shapai Dam in China was 0.71 g in the Magnitude 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake of 12 May, 2008 when the epicentral distance was 12 km and the depth 15 km. The June 2016 Seismic Hazard Assessment proposed a PGA for the SEE of 0.39 g which, for the above reasons, POE consider to be too low. It is recommended that the PSC review their calculations and compare their results with the PGAs being used for other dams planned or under construction in Nepal. POE do not have knowledge on this point but are aware that a PGA of 0.72 g was recently used for the 39 m high Patrind Dam near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan. The Peak Horizontal Ground Acceleration at the Shih-Kang Dam, mentioned above was only 0.51 g but, unusually, the Peak Vertical Ground Acceleration was slightly higher at 0.53 g – possibly because the epicentral distance was so small. The possibility of Reservoir-triggered seismicity needs to be considered for large storage reservoirs with dams more than about 100 m in height. Such earthquakes can have magnitudes up to about 6.3 so that, although they may cause a lot of damage and loss of life, as at the 103 m high Koyna Dam in India in 1967, they should not cause failure of a dam designed to withstand the earthquake with a return period of 10,000 years or longer.

4. LANDSLIDES

Because of the high seismicity and steep valley sideslopes the possibility of large landslides into the reservoir needs to be carefully considered. The classic example of a disaster of this type is the 260 Mm3 landslide into the Vaiont reservoir in Italy in October 1963. Damage to the 262 m high arch dam was restricted to the bridge along the crest, which was washed away, but a huge wave overtopping the dam killed about 2,000 people in Longarone and other villages downstream. There were certainly earth tremors but whether these were the cause or result of the landslide is not completely clear.


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The scope for stabilising the valley sideslopes upstream of the Tanahu dam appears limited but the problem is potentially serious. It is suggested that the matter should be considered by the geologist whom it is recommended should join the POE.

5. HYDROLOGY

Peak unrouted floods into the reservoir are quoted as follows:

Return Period ( Years ) Peak Inflow ( m3/s )

1,000 4,287

2,000 4,636

5,000 5,097

10,000 5,446

PMF 7,377

The catchment area at the dam is understood to be 1,502 km2 which implies a Francou-Rodier value of 5.31 for the inflow flood of 5,446 m3/s with a return period of 10,000 years and 5.58 for the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) of 7,377 m3/s. It would be useful to compare these values with those assumed for other dams, such as Kulekani, constructed or planned in Nepal. Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) have been known to significantly exceed the PMF in some instances but it is understood that there are only six glacial lakes in the catchment and that none of these are considered critical.

6. SEDIMENTATION

Average sediment inflow to the reservoir has been estimated as 5.66 Mm3/yr which compares with a reservoir capacity of 295 Mm3. Practice with regard to dealing with sedimentation in reservoirs has changed significantly in recent years and now tends to follow the philosophy set out in the World Bank publication “Extending the Life of Reservoirs” (Annandale, Morris and Karki, 2016). POE have been advised that the proposed bottom outlets are estimated to cost about $ 25 million which represents a substantial proportion of the cost of the dam (estimated as $ 141.3 m at 2016 prices). If they are used regularly and prove effective in extending the life of the reservoir this expenditure may be justified although there are other factors to be taken into account including the environmental impacts of large releases of sediment into the river and the possible future construction of the Lower Seti scheme 15 km downstream. POE recommend the preparation of a comprehensive Sediment Management Plan looking at all options including the construction of check dams upstream of the reservoir.


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Flushing at Jiroft Dam in Iran

7. DIVERSION TUNNELS AND COFFERDAM

Technical Memorandum No 4 proposes a cofferdam crest elevation of 343.0 m ASL and twin diversion tunnels of 10.0 m diameter situated beneath the right abutment of the dam. These tunnels should be able to pass the 20-year flood of 2,305 m3/s. Flow velocities in the tunnels are estimated as 15.38 m/s. POE understand that river diversion is programmed for 2020 and project completion for 2023. Completion of the diversion tunnels will be on the critical path for project completion.

8. DAM

Of large concrete dams now being built those of Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) are more common than dams of conventional mass concrete and an RCC Dam was recommended in the Design Report (Volume II page 2-7). It is understood that bidders were given the option to propose alternative designs, including Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC), but that all opted for mass concrete. Flyash is available from India and, this being so, there seem to be advantages of an RCC design which could probably be built more cheaply and quickly than a mass concrete dam even though there are various outlets which will disrupt, to some extent, the placing of RCC. However, the contract having been let, it is probably too late to consider a fundamental change at this stage although it would be worth seeking bids for an RCC option if the contract has to be rebid for any reason. There are basically two schools of thought on RCC. The one favours low paste RCC and the other high paste. POE tend to favour the latter, which is more popular worldwide, although both approaches are considered valid.


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The possible need to increase freeboard to prevent overtopping of the dam by landslide generated waves needs to be borne in mind. POE are concerned that, rather than being straight in plan, the crest of the dam incorporates two significant changes of direction. The risk here is that cracking can occur at each apex if longitudinal compression builds up in the dam. Such longitudinal compression built up in the 150 m high Fontana Dam in the USA as a result of Alkali Aggregate Reaction and slots had to be cut to relieve the compression. Post-tensioning was also required. The slots have had to be recut every 4 or 5 years. The 50 m high Mullardoch Dam in Scotland comprises two wings which meet at an angle of 140 degrees. Over a period of years calcite was deposited in the transverse joints during the winter and longitudinal compression built up during the summer months. A horizontal crack suddenly appeared at the apex on a hot day in July 1986 allowing a substantial flow of water into the gallery. 26 No. prestressed anchors, each with a capacity of 11,100 kN, were installed near the apex of the dam and, so far, there have been no further problems.

9. GATES

There will be 4 No. spillway gates at the dam and a significant number of gates for the various outlets and power intake. Included are large bottom outlet gates which will need to be designed for high heads. POE does not presently have an expert in Hydraulic gates/M&E and experience on other projects suggests that it is wise to deploy such an expert fairly early in the design process rather than leave it until the key decisions have been made. One point that may deserve further thought is whether the spillway gate trunnions should be prestressed back into the piers (as presently proposed) or whether heavy reinforcement would suffice. One drawback of using prestressing cables is that, unless they are restressable, they may lose prestress with time. It would be helpful if the PSCs were to explain their thoughts in this regard.

10. SPILLWAY

POE note that the number of spillway gates have been increased from three to four meaning that each will have to release 1,790 m3/s in the PMF (routed). Three gates (n-1) will be able to release 5,370 m3/s which approximates to the peak routed flood with a return period of 10,000 years (5,258 m3/s). It would be prudent, and probably necessary, to aerate the flows on the chute downstream of the gates as proposed by the PSC. A roller bucket plunge pool is envisaged downstream of the dam with tailwater levels determined by an auxiliary concrete dam about 30 m high located some 174 m downstream of the main dam. The energy density in the plunge pool will be high with flow velocities of 32 m/s and 23 m/s on the surface and bed respectively. Further hydraulic modelling is advised with particular


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reference to velocities in the plunge pool. It is understood that at least one laboratory has provided a quotation for the necessary work. The spillway and plunge pool do not align particularly well with the river downstream and at the next stage of design it may be worth considering moving the left abutment of the main dam slightly downstream. The model testing is likely to take time for procurement, implementation and reporting so early initiation is, therefore, advised.

11. HEADRACE TUNNEL

The concrete lined headrace tunnel will have a diameter of 7.4 m and a length of 1,203 m. There will be a surge tank of 28 m diameter 50 m upstream of the vertical, steel lined penstock.

12. POWERHOUSE

The powerhouse will contain two Francis turbines each of approximately 70 MW capacity. These will be installed in a cavern measuring 89 m x 23 m x 44 m. An adit has been driven from the valley side to intersect the roof of the cavern where rock quality appears favourable. The Project Inception report comments as follows: The powerhouse section of adit AP-2 is excavated in black, moderately strong to strong Slates.

Foliation is pronounced, generally dipping 45-50/235-240 (dip amount/dip directionSeepage

water (mainly drips) is present in the powerhouse area.

Other than AP-1, it has to be noted that many fissures (joints, foliation, faults) are healed by

either calcite or quartz. A clear system regarding vein filling could not be established, yet.

Generally, the entire rock mass of AP-2 appeared to be a little more disturbed as compared to

AP-1.

In the absence of a detailed engineering geological survey, this impression might be apparent,

only. Faults or other deformations of the rock mass can be traced easily due to abundant white

veins

13. INSTRUMENTATION

The PSCs’ proposals for instrumentation are given on Page 2-32 of Volume II of the Design Report and include the following:

• Thermocouples

• Construction joint monitoring

• Pendulums and Inverted Pendulums ( with dataloggers )

• Leakage Monitoring

• Piezometers and pressure gauges

• Monitoring of crest movements

• Seismographs on rock and on the crest of the dam


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14. LAND ACQUISITION AND INVOLUNTARY RESETTLEMENT

14.1 Overview of Land Acquisition and Resettlement Impacts

The THP is a category “A” project as defined by the ADB 2009 Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) due to its significant involuntary resettlement impacts; further, the majority of project-affected people (APs) are members of indigenous communities (janajathi). In compliance with the SPS, a Resettlement and Indigenous People Plan (RIPP) was prepared in 2012 by the Project Preparation Technical Assistance (PPTA) consultant. An Updated RIPP (UpRIPP) was prepared by the Project Supervision Consultants (PSC) resettlement specialist in 2018, based on a new Detailed Measurement Survey (DMS) conducted in 2016 and a new AP census conducted in 2017.

People living, farming and conducting business in two Rural Municipalities2 and two Municipalities are affected by land acquisition and involuntary resettlement, namely in i) Myagde Rural Municipality and Rising Rural Municipality and ii) Bhimad Municipality and Vyas Municipality. Overall, APs are located in 42 villages in 24 wards in these municipalities.

In total, 547 households and/or businesses been identified that will lose residential land, agricultural land, trees and business income. A total of 84 households and/or businesses are required to move and/or rebuild houses/structures on new sites. The following table summarizes the impacts associated with the acquisition of private land by Project component. Government owned land is not thought to be included in the figures quoted.

Project Component Land Acquisition

(ha)

Affected Households

(AHs)

Affected People

(APs)

THL Camp 6.5 115 824

Access roads (RB and LB) 1.0 34 244

Reservoir 62.3 343 2,457

Site installations (Packages 1 & 2)

2.5 55 294

Totals 72.3 547 3,919

Source: UpRIPP, 2018

POE have had considerable difficulty reconciling the land acquisition areas quoted in the various reports and recommend that all areas be checked for errors, which may be of more than one order of magnitude.

The majority of APs are vulnerable (72%), of which 87% are janajathi. Among janajathi, the majority are Magar (79%); other groups include Newar and Gurung. Households in these groups have similar livelihood patterns and social, economic, health and education status as other APs who belong to middle or high castes or are Dalits. The Project, therefore, is not expected to have differential impacts on janajathi cultural identity, cultural resources or livelihood systems, or on their cultural territories or ancestral domains.

The impoundment of the reservoir and construction of some Project facilities will affect 417.2 ha of community forest land, with the loss of 181,571 trees, poles or saplings. This will impact 2,800 households in 25 Community Forestry User Groups that harvest non-timber forest products (NTFP) for home consumption and income generation. There are also an estimated

2 Gaunpalika or gaupalika (Rural municipality) is the newly formed local level in federal structure of Nepal. The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (Nepal) dissolved the existing village development committees and announced the establishment of this new local level. There are currently 481 rural municipalities in Nepal out of 744 local levels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Federal_Affairs_and_Local_Development_(Nepal)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Federal_Affairs_and_Local_Development_(Nepal)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village_development_committee_(Nepal)


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140 people who fish part-time or occasionally in the Seti River, again for home consumption and income generation.

Community facilities that will be lost or affected by the Project include temples (2), sources of drinking water (2), cremation sites or ghats (9), resting places or pati (6), suspension bridges (6) and foot trails (11). In addition, approximately 4 km of fair-weather roads will be affected.

14.2 Progress in Land Acquisition and Resettlement

As of late December 2018, THL has successfully delivered entitlement packages comprising compensation and allowances to the majority of APs, including those affected by land acquired for pre-construction works (access roads, THL camp site, substation), the reservoir and Packages 1 and 2 of the civil works. A small number of APs have yet to receive compensation and/or allowances among those affected by the reservoir and by land acquisition for Package 1 (in the Betini area). THL anticipates completion of the delivery of entitlements early in 2019. Based on various reports (i.e., UpRIPP, DDRs and SSMRs), APs are reported to have a good understanding of the Project; and, in general, are satisfied with what they have received.

The entitlement packages include provisions that contribute to enabling APs affected by the THP to achieve the objective for involuntary resettlement, namely, to restore, if not improve, their living conditions, livelihoods and incomes. THL has worked closely with the Compensation Determination Committee (CDC)3, other authorities at the district level and APs to define the scope of compensation and allowances that responds to the nature and extent of land acquisition and involuntary resettlement impacts as well as the needs and priorities of APs.

The replacement rates for land compensation range from 200,000 to 800,000 rupees per ropani4, based on the type, location and quality of affected land. These rates exceed government rates by a factor ranging from 4 to 45 times. In addition, APs losing irrigated and non-irrigated agricultural land are entitled to additional allowances to address the costs as well as lost income during a period when APs will need to rehabilitate and improve the quality of newly acquired land.

APs that do not have or cannot obtain legal title to the land on which they live, conduct business and/or farm are entitled to an allowance to enable them to acquire land with title. Compensation for trees is based on the market value of production over a 5-year period, accounting for income loss while replacement trees mature. Title to affected land is transferred to THL following payment of compensation; however, THL has agreed that until the impoundment of the reservoir, APs can continue to cultivate their affected land and live and/or conduct business in their affected structures. All APs opted to receive compensation in cash, with funds transferred to existing or new bank accounts; in the case of new bank accounts, they have been opened, where relevant, as joint accounts in the names of both spouses.

In 2016, APs formed two committees, the Direct Concerned Reservoir Area Conservation Committee and the Tanahu Hydropower Direct Affected Area Concerned Committee, that submitted a letter to THL that was made public, in which they made a series of demands including higher rates of compensation. In 2017, ADB assisted to mediate a successful negotiation between THL and the APs that consisted of a 21-point agreement. At present, there are 21 APs who have refused to accept their entitlements because they are asking for higher compensation. ADB has again agreed to mediate with the APs in a process that started in December 2018.

3 The CDC is chaired by the Chief District Office (CDO); members include the Chief or the District Land Review Office (DLRO) and representatives of the two municipalities, the two rural municipalities and the EA. 4 One ropani = 508.72 m2.


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In early stages of THL’s work to deliver entitlements to APs affected by pre-construction works, APs received compensation payments prior to the start of civil works for access roads and the THL camp but not the allowances to which they were entitled. This contravenes resettlement policy in several ways by not paying APs in full prior to the mobilization of civil works and not providing displaced APs with the allowances intended to defray the costs of relocation. The cause was a cash flow problem: THL paid APs with government funds that, under the Nepalese legal framework, were restricted to payment of compensation. Allowances were paid following reimbursement of funds to THL by ADB. While many APs continue to receive their compensation and allowances in two separate payments, similar problems should be avoided in the reservoir area as entitlements are being delivered well before the impoundment of the reservoir.

The following sections discuss other issues related to land acquisition and involuntary resettlement for the Project, along with some recommended actions.

14.3 Betini and Banchere

In the Betini area, an access road and 60.1 ha of land have been allocated for the Package 1 contractor. This requires the acquisition of private land from 52 APs including 18 APs with affected structures; all APs will have to relocate out of this area. In the Banchere area, several discreet parcels of land have been allocated for the Package 2 contractor. Four APs must relocate from government land in this area.

At present, approximately half of the APs in Betini have received their entitlements including compensation and allowances; APs in the Bachere area have received compensation for their structures as well as allowances to which they are entitled, but have not yet been compensated for affected fruit trees. THL anticipates completing delivery of all entitlement packages within two months, that is, during January and February 2019.

The completion of the delivery of entitlements and the relocation of APs in these areas is on a critical path for the initiation of civil works. THL anticipates mobilization of contractors for Packages 1 and 2 in early 2019. Prior to mobilization of civil works, all APs must receive full payment of compensation and allowances to which they are entitled, and APs that are displaced must have successfully relocated. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that THL take immediate action to:

i) Make all efforts as a priority to complete payment in full of compensation and allowances to APs in these areas;

ii) Inform APs individually and in writing of the date(s) by which they must remove from their land and/or structure. The date for removal must be no less than 1 month from the date at which an AP has received payment in full of the compensation and allowances to which s/he is entitled; and, should be preferably 6-8 weeks after full payment.

iii) Consult with APs individually to identify and, if necessary, provide assistance to help APs identify new agricultural land, residential land and/or housing accommodation, find temporary accommodation and arrange for transport of belongings, equipment and salvaged materials, etc.

In discussions with the ESMU, some APs have signed an agreement to remove within two months. THL should review these agreements in the context of whether APs have received full payment of all compensation and entitlements to which they are entitled, and revise agreements as necessary to ensure that APs have 1-2 months to remove following full payment of entitlements. In establishing the timeline for handover of sites to contractors, THL should also consider the time required to clear the sites following removal of all APs.


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14.4 Reservoir Area

According to THL, all but 36 of the 343 APs in the reservoir area have received compensation and allowances to which they entitled. As noted previously, APs farming affected land in the reservoir area have been advised by THL that they can continue to cultivate their land after title has been transferred to THL, until the impoundment of the reservoir. APs that must relocate their houses and/or businesses have the option of relocating immediately (as some have done) or waiting to relocate. In both instances, these measures can facilitate the transition period for APs.

At the same time, however, THL should remain actively engaged with these APs over the period leading up to impoundment of the reservoir. APs have received compensation as much as four years prior to impoundment. While APs will use many criteria to decide how to use the compensation money, they should be encouraged to plan ahead to ensure they have the financial and other resources necessary to replace affected assets and/or relocate.

It is also important that APs are discouraged from making improvements on affected land that has been transferred to THL and for which they will not be compensated. This can be achieved through the Local Consultation Forums (LCFs) and the Public Information Centers (PICs), as well as through consultations associated with the Community Development Plan (CDP).

THL should also inform APs cultivating annual or perennial crops on affected land about the projected date for the start of reservoir impoundment, advising them that they need to harvest all crops prior to that date. APs should be informed as early as 12 months prior to the projected date and no later than 4 months prior to the date. This is important not only to enable APs to make cropping plans for the final season(s) they cultivate affected land with time to harvest the crops, but also to THL. The Entitlement Matrix for the Project stipulates that APs are entitled to compensation for annual or seasonal crops such as vegetables if they are unable to harvest them. This compensation is not being paid to APs for the THP, but that assumes they will be given sufficient notice to harvest their crops.

14.5 Affected Community Facilities

A range of community facilities are affected by land acquisition for the Project. For cremation sites (ghats) and public resting places (pati), THL should consult not just with the relevant LCF, but also directly with APs, village and ward leaders, religious leaders and community organizations to determine the best strategies for relocating and replacing them. For instance, will local communities undertake the work with financial support from the Project?

Suspension bridges and foot trails represent the “desire lines” of people’s movements – for social, economic, religious and other reasons. Again, THL should consult broadly with affected communities to ensure that the type and location of replacement facilities respond to these needs.

14.6 Community Forest Groups and Fishers

The impacts of the loss of forest land in the Project area are significant, not only in area of affected forest but also in the number of households in community forest groups that rely on non-timber forest products (NTFP) and other forest resources. Based on the permanent loss of access to these resources and the potential loss of real and imputed income from NTFP, these households could be considered project-affected people. A similar situation exists concerning the people who fish in the Seti River on a part-time or occasional basis, to meet household consumption needs and generate income. However, neither the RIPP nor the UpRIPP address these issues.


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It is recommended that THL, with the assistance of the ESMSP, conduct participatory rapid assessments to gain a better understanding of the nature and significance of NTFP and fishing to the people and communities that rely on these resources, in order to develop appropriate measures as part of the CDP and the Environmental Management Plan (EMP). These assessments should draw on the knowledge and experience that local people and communities have of the use and management of natural resources; and, should assess their significance from multiple perspectives including, among others, home consumption and income generation, nutrition and health, roles and responsibilities of women and men, and the cultural and religious significance for different indigenous groups and castes.

14.7 Livelihood Restoration Measures

To date, THL has delivered training to 60 APs to develop skills that would enable them to seek employment on the construction of the project. The topics included plumbing, electricity and masonry5. This is the first initiative under the heading of livelihood restoration measures for APs. Based on review of documents and discussions with THL and staff at the PIC in Bhimad Municipality, the following issues were noted:

i) The criterion for training cited in the UpRIPP is one person per affected household. It also appears there are other criteria, for instance, that limit the number of participants from certain areas of the Project area. It is recommended to clarify criteria for APs to participate in livelihood restoration activities (as distinct from other activities related to the CDP and/or the GESIAP).

ii) Based on discussions with PIC staff, it appears that the demand for this training exceeded the number of spaces available, by area and in total. The development of further livelihood restoration training initiatives should learn from this experience.

iii) The specifications for Package 1 and 2 encourage contractors to employ APs, to the extent feasible, but do not guarantee employment. Further, it is not clear what, on average, would be the duration of Project employment of local people with these skills. The relevance here is that it is important that THL, through the PICs, LCFs and the work of the ESMSP, communicates clearly to APs the nature and duration of potential employment and the procedures to seek employment, in order to enable APs to realize and have realistic expectations of the benefits of the training.

iv) In any case, employment during the construction of the Project will be limited to 5 years as per current information. This raises the issue of the employability of trained APs following this period. Is there sufficient demand in or near the communities affected by the Project for these skills that would make it possible for trained APs to find long-term employment and/or start businesses? Or, would they have to migrate away from their families to find work? These issues should be considered in the design of future vocational skills training for APs.

With the completion of the delivery of AP entitlements, the implementation of the UpRIPP now needs to focus on livelihood restoration as short-term measures to assist APs; and, how these measures transition into the CDP with longer-term initiatives that target APs and other members of affected communities. THL should work closely with the ESMSP to consult broadly with APs, local community-based organizations and NGOs to identify needs and priorities for restoring, consolidating and/or improving AP livelihoods and incomes. Based on review of documents and a preliminary reconnaissance in the Project area, the following may be relevant:

5 Different sources of information identified 2 or all 3 of the topics.


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i) Livelihood restoration measures should not target only the male members or heads of AP households but should also address the needs of women (whether household head or not) and young people because in rural households all members over a certain age are actively involved in paid and unpaid economic activities that meet household needs.

ii) Women from AP households who have participated in consultations related to resettlement planning and implementation have clearly expressed their desire and needs for knowledge and skills training that would support existing or new income generating activities or employment. This needs to be addressed through livelihood restoration measures.

iii) Field-based training in improved technologies to rehabilitate soil condition and productivity as well as in climate-smart agriculture would be highly relevant to APs’ ability to achieve staple crop yields equal to pre-Project levels and to sustainable production of home gardens that meet home consumption needs.

iv) Training in agriculture-nutrition linkages, the basics of good family nutrition and budgeting for family nutrition can contribute to improved family health (with less loss of time and costs associated with illness) and to greater food security.

v) Training in financial literacy and enterprise development can provide women and men in AP households with knowledge and skills that enable them to approach their major economic activity, farming, as a business; and, facilitates the development and/or establishment of other enterprises and income generating activities. This type of training can be delivered as a stand-alone activity and is very successful when combined with other initiatives such as community-based savings and lending groups that may be considered as part of the CDP.

14.8 Information Dissemination

THL has prepared a Public Information Brochure (PIB) that presents a summary of the Project, the land acquisition and involuntary resettlement impacts and the provisions of the UpRIPP. THL has also produced a separate brochure that provides details on the Entitlement Matrix for the Project. Both documents are produced in Nepali, and copies were available for public consultation during the visit to the PIC in Bhimad Municipality.

THL has also recently undertaken to have these two brochures translated into the languages used by the indigenous groups in the Project area. This initiative is in response to consultations with APs and their expressed need to have documentation that can be more widely understood within their communities.

14.9 Consultation and Grievance Redress

During this mission, the SDE did not conduct a full review of consultation and grievance redress activities during the planning and implementation of resettlement plans for the Project. These issues will be a priority in the next mission as effective consultation and grievance redress will continue to be important aspects of the development and/or implementation of the UpRIPP, CDP and EMP. For now, the following are preliminary observations based primarily on review of documentation.

i) There have been a large number of meetings and consultations throughout resettlement planning and implementation to date. The LCF appears to be an effective tool to engage with local communities affected by the Project. At the same time, it will be important to understand from the perspective of APs themselves how effectively they have been able to participate in and influence decision-making that directly affects their needs and wellbeing.


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ii) It is also important to understand the reasons for the low rate of participation of women, and to adapt consultation strategies to encourage greater female participation. For instance, it may be necessary to take consultations to the people, that is, conduct consultations in the settlements and villages where APs are located, in order to address time and mobility limitations of women as well as elderly and disabled people.

iii) Grievances are being addressed and, in many instances, resolved. The issues that have been discussed have been resolved through administrative responses, i.e., referral to district authorities. The SDE has not, however, had an opportunity to assess whether the structures and procedures for grievance redress are appropriate for the mediation and resolution of other types of issues.

The most recent monitoring report commented that there had been gradual improvement in the initiatives taken to THL to consult with APs and affected communities. This is understood to be a reference to the successful negotiations between THL and APs represented by the Direct Concerned Reservoir Area Conservation Committee and the Tanahu Hydropower Direct Affected Area Concerned Committee, that resulted in the 21-point agreement.

14.10 External Monitoring

THL engaged a local NGO, RES, as an independent monitor of the UpRIPP activities to deliver AP entitlements for compensation and allowances. The focus of this work was verification of the progress and compliance with agreed procedures, in order to enable THL to seek reimbursement of funds from ADB. This is an important aspect of the UpRIPP implementation, but it is not external monitoring as it is formulated in the RPF, that is, it is not monitoring of the impacts and outcomes of UpRIPP implementation against the overall objective of assisting APs to restore, or improve, their living standards, livelihoods and incomes.

With the completion of the initial phase of UpRIPP implementation, that is, delivery of entitlements, THL needs as a matter of priority to work with the ESMSP to establish an external monitoring process; and, extend the mandate of RES and/or procure an independent external monitor. Some APs have received their compensation as much as 4 years ago, and all APs are in the process of adjusting to the impacts (and opportunities) associated with the acquisition of their land and other assets. Indicators that measure impacts and outcomes need to be defined; the existing baseline data needs to be reviewed and, as necessary, supplemented to ensure it is possible to measure progress against indicators; and, procedures need to be established for the frequency of monitoring, methods and tools for collecting quantitative and qualitative data and reporting requirements.

14.11 Census, Detailed Measurement Survey and Socio-Economic Baseline

The SDE has been able to review some records maintained by THL that present data collected during the updated census and detailed measurement survey (DMS), conducted respectively in 2017 and 2016; and, has reviewed the reporting on socio-economic profiles of APs in the draft and updated RIPPs and the Community Development Strategy (CDS). This does not as yet constitute a full review of the resettlement and socio-economic baseline database(s) maintained by THL; this will be undertaken by the SDE in the next POE mission. Nonetheless, there are several issues that are apparent, including:

i) No data were collected to geo-reference the location of APs. As a consequence of this omission, it is not possible to map the location of APs, information that could be useful, for instance, in developing consultation strategies or elaborating measures to be included in the Community Development Plan (CDP).


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ii) The location information is limited to the name of the municipality or rural municipality where APs are located. In fact, these jurisdictions are composed of numerous villages that may be the nexus of the social, economic and community life of APs. It was confirmed by THL staff that in many instances, a particular indigenous group is dominant in a village. However, without this information it is difficult to understand, for instance, how concentrations of APs may affect them directly and other community members indirectly. The type of information would be useful in addressing ethnic, gender and social inclusions issues, needs and priorities in livelihood restoration measures of the UpRIPP and the CDP.

iii) No data were systematically collected during the AP census to identify female household heads among APs. The socio-economic baseline as reported in the resettlement plans does provide some sex-disaggregated data. However, there appears to have been no analysis done of gender relations within households, within different indigenous groups or castes or at the community level; nor of the incidence and causes of poverty. The differential impacts of land acquisition and involuntary resettlement on women and men are important considerations in identifying livelihood restoration measures as well as measures included in the CDP. Similarly, there may be differential impacts in communities where different indigenous groups are dominant.

It is recommended that the development of the CDP include a careful review of available data disaggregated by gender, indigenous group/caste, economic status, locality and other relevant parameters; identification of strategies to fill data gaps; and, analyses of opportunities and constraints based on gender, ethnicity and/or other relevant parameters.

15. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL

INCLUSION ACTION PLAN

15.1 General

During this initial mission, the SDE was not able to focus on the CDP and GESIAP specifically; and, did not visit or receive any specific information about the water supply system that has been developed. The CDP and gender and social inclusion issues will be a priority in the next mission when it is anticipated that the ESMSP has mobilized.

The SDE did, however, review the Terms of Reference (TOR) for contractors from the perspective of the prioritization of recruitment of qualified APs (as addressed above) and, also, issues of women’s employment on construction sites which is discussed below.

15.2 Women’s Employment on Project Construction

The GESIAP identifies targets for employment of 1,000 local people for construction of the Project, of which 30% are women. In the event that local women are employed by contractors and/or sub-contractors for the Project, it is necessary to ensure adequate provisions for women’s as well as men’s health and safety on the work site. More generally, in terms of community relations, it is necessary to address interactions of a predominantly male labor force with women and others in local communities.

These issues have not been explicitly addressed in the TOR for companies bidding for Package 1 and 2 contracts. Therefore, it is recommended that THL prepare specific guidelines including requirements for enforcement of provisions to address women working on Project construction and interactions between the male labor force and women in communities. Among issues that need to be addressed are:


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i) Non-discrimination based on sex in recruitment for work on construction sites; ii) Equal pay for equal work, for women and men; iii) Workplace culture, to ensure that women are not harassed and the work sites are not

hostile work environments; iv) Equal skills and on-the-job training opportunities for women and men; v) Training for women and men on appropriate gender relations on site and, for men, in

relation their interactions in local communities; vi) Protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate to women’s physique and size; vii) Separate sanitation facilities for women and men and, as relevant, separate

accommodations; viii) Specific sanctions against gender-based violence on site or in local communities, with

clear enforcement procedures and penalties.

One of a number of Dump Trucks driven by young women on a project in Malawi

16. REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS

16.1 General This chapter provides comments on the technical quality and completeness of the different environmental documents produced for the Project, and offers recommendations for their improvement.


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This chapter consists of three sections.6 The first reviews the five environmental management programs prepared or proposed for the dam and reservoir, namely: i) the Consolidated Environmental Management Plan (August 2018); ii) the Watershed/Forest Management Plan (August 2018); iii) the Wildlife Conservation and Awareness Management Plan (undated); iv) the Water Release and River Safety Management Plan (undated); and v) the Fish Conservation Management Plan (undated). The second section reviews the Environmental Impact Assessment developed for the dam and reservoir, as well as its updates. The last section reviews the Initial Environmental Examinations (IEEs) for the 220 kV Transmission Line Project and the Rural Electrification of the Village Development Committees, and the Environmental Management Plan for the Transmission Line Component prepared as part of the Environmental Addendum.

16.2 Review of Main Environmental Management Programs for Dam and

Reservoir The following five sub-sections offer observations on the content and suggestions for improvement of, respectively, the following five main environmental management programs developed or proposed for the dam and reservoir: i) the Consolidated Environmental Management Plan (August 2018); ii) the Watershed/Forest Management Plan (August 2018); iii) the Wildlife Conservation and Awareness Management Plan (undated); iv) the Water Release and River Safety Management Plan (undated); and v) the Fish Conservation Management Plan (undated). 16.2.1 Consolidated Environmental Management Plan This Plan updates, expands and supersedes the following previous Environmental Management Plans (EMPs): i) the original EMP included in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (August 2009); ii) the Updated EMP (October 2017); and iii) the Environmental Management Plan: Dam/Reservoir Component, prepared in conjunction with the Environmental Addendum (July 2012). Therefore, this sub-section only considers the Consolidated EMP. Following is the review of the Consolidated EMP, structured by section of the Plan. 16.2.2 System of Environmental Management Plans (Section 5.1)

The second level of the System, named Issue Management Plans (IMPs), which THL will prepare, aims to provide the principles, procedures and specific measures (emphasis added) for the planning and management of each major environmental topic. However, an examination of the proposed IMP topics reveals that they cover issues more in the domain of Site Environmental Plans (e.g., air quality, noise control, environmental training, waste management, site rehabilitation, etc.), which fall under the responsibility of Construction Contractors. In effect, in the description of the content of the Site Environmental Plans, Section 5.2 indicates that they will include: “… the environmental mitigation measures that will be

6 This Draft First Report of the Panel of Experts contains only the first section of the chapter. The Draft First Report was

prepared during the first in-country mission of the Panel. The full program of activities of the first mission allowed time only for the drafting of the first section. The remaining two sections of the chapter will be developed in the Environmental Expert’s home office as part of the preparation of the Final First Report of the Panel of Experts.


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installed over the duration of construction and illustrate these on a plan(s); and, operation and maintenance of mitigation measures” (p. 11). Based on the above, the Environmental and Social Management Unit (ESMU) of THL should consider providing guidelines for the preparation of each IMP, rather than developing “principles, procedures and specific measures” for each topic, since the pertinent details of these will be part of the Site Environmental Plans, which are largely site-specific (e.g., site restoration of a quarry versus a construction camp, erosion control in an unstable steep slope versus a temporary access road, etc.). In addition to the above, it is recommended that the ESMU consider focusing its activities on the following areas: i) development and implementation of the four main environmental programs recommended in the Environmental Addendum (2012) (i.e., Fish Conservation Management Plan, Watershed/Forest Management Plan, Wildlife Conservation and Awareness Management Plan, and Water Release and River Safety Management Plan; ii) oversight of Environmental, Social, Health and Safety compliance and performance by Construction Contractors, including enforcement; iii) monitoring of environmental and social parameters and variables; and iv) quality control of plans, studies and periodic reports produced by Contractors. 16.2.3 Reporting Mechanism (Sub-Section 5.3.1)

This content deals mostly with record keeping and does not identify the required reports under the responsibility of each actor in the environmental and social management of the Project. The Consolidated EMP should indicate at least the content, periodicity and authorship responsibility for each required environmental and social report. 16.2.4 Agencies Responsible for Auditing (Sub-Section 5.4.2)

The first sentence of the first paragraph states that: “THL, as the proponent of the Project, will be responsible for the auditing activities” (p. 14), which goes against established principles of auditing such as independence and impartiality. In addition, under the national environmental framework, the Ministry of Population and Environment (MoPE) is responsible to undertake environmental audits of the projects with approved EIAs by the respective concerned agency (sectoral ministry) and the MoPE after two years of operation. THL should consider contracting periodic external, independent environmental and social audits of the Project, which is a common requirement of multilaterals for highly-complex, Risk Category A projects such as the Tanahu Hydroelectric Project.

16.2.5 Grievance Redress Mechanism (Section 5.6)

The content in this section is very succinct and, therefore, needs a comprehensive treatment, given the importance of the Mechanism in preventing and ameliorating conflict and resolving complaints. In particular, it should, at a minimum: i) establish the requirements that the Mechanism must meet (e.g., it must not impose any cost to those raising a complaint); ii) identify the different instances of the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), as well as the constitution and responsibilities of each; and iii) detail the stages and corresponding steps of the Mechanism, their timelines and implementation tools.


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16.2.6 Consolidated Environmental Management Plan (Section 5.7)

Following are comments organized by row entry in Table 5:

• Muck disposal, stockpiling and quarrying activities: the content under the column for impacts corresponds mostly to mitigation measures, with only one potential impact identified.

• Waste management: the proposed measures are insufficient, with no mention of hazardous wastes or the need for a Waste Management Plan.

• Hazards management: There is some confusion and repetition in the treatment of occupational health and safety issues, which are considered under this heading as well as under “Workforce Management and safety”, “Impact on safety” and “Workforce safety”. Consider revising and consolidating these rows under the heading “occupational health and safety” or similar. There is no mention among the mitigation measures of the Health and Safety Plan required in the Works Contracts.

• Traffic and access control: both the impacts identified and the mitigation measures proposed are limited. There is no mention among the mitigation measures of the need for a Traffic Management Plan.

• Site rehabilitation management: there is no identification of impacts.

• Loss of forest area: this row repeats partially content in the “forest area clearance approval” row. In general, proposed measures seem insufficient in view of significance of impacts.

• Impact on tourism: the proposed mitigation measures seem insufficient.

• Sedimentation management: sediment concentration monitoring should be part of the recommended management measures.

16.2.7 Consolidated Environmental Monitoring Plan (Section 5.7)

In general, the column “method and scope” does not identify, for each parameter, specific measuring or sampling methods, or their scope, only indicating the type of sampling or measuring required (e.g., “water sampling”, “sampling, measurements and tests”, “baseline data”). Also, consider revising some monitoring frequencies (e.g., noise at blasting sites during blasting operations, flow rates of Seti and Madi Rivers).

16.2.8 Watershed/Forest Management Plan

Below are comments and recommendation on this Plan, organized according to the respective section of the document.

16.2.9 Legal Aspects of Forest Management Plan (Section 4)

This section mentions negotiations between THL and other organizations to reach agreements for the implementation of parts of the Plan, which should be subject to follow-up by the Panel. One of the agreements in progress is with the District Forest Office (DFO)-Tanahu regarding the planting of trees by THL as compensatory plantation on land provided by DFO at a ratio of 1:25 (i.e., for each tree lost, 25 new trees shall be planted), the management by THL of the plantations for five years and then their handing over to the DFO. The other agreement under negotiation is with Community Forest Groups (CFGs) for the latter to carry out the clearing of vegetation in the reservoir. In relation to the CFGs mentioned above, from the examination of documents and discussions conducted during the first mission of the Panel of Experts, it seems that the extent of the impacts


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of the Project on community forests and the livelihoods of persons connected with those forests have not been analyzed and possible compensation measures have not been considered. Therefore, THL should undertake the evaluation of these issues through the pertinent environmental and social management program or programs. This should be a topic for follow-up in future Panel visits.

16.2.10 Pre-Clearing Stage (Section 5.1)

Regarding the planned survey of fauna, the approach of having a “Fauna Spotter Catcher” assess the reservoir one month prior to commencing the clearing of vegetation in order to identify fauna breeding places (nests, burrows or occupied hollows) and determine actions to take, seems inadequate. On the contrary, there should be a detailed plan well in advance of the clearing to conduct the activities indicated, which would require the input of more than one person. Given that the preliminary survey of wildlife undertaken from August to November 2017 was incomplete because of lack of staff, as reported in the Wildlife Conservation and Awareness Management Plan (p. 39 of Annex III to Consolidated EMP) and that the Watershed/Forest Management Plan indicates that this survey will be updated, it is suggested that the scope of survey be expanded to determine the need for a capture/treatment/release plan based on variables such as, among others, species range, population densities, endangered/vulnerable/threatened status. This would be part of a menu of mitigation options, which may include, among others, the staging of clearing operations to allow for fauna movement. Again, it is important to stress the need for a well-developed plan to deal with the risks to wildlife due to vegetation clearing and reservoir filling prior to the start of vegetation removal.

16.2.11 Promotion of Good Watershed Management (Section 6.3)

This section states that the advancement of good watershed management practices will be part of the Forest Management Plan. The specific content on watershed management is very succinct and generic, affirming that the Plan will include additional measures to promote the management of soil and water, and that these additional measures would fall under the jurisdiction of the upper catchment municipalities. Based on the above, the watershed management component of the Project needs detailed development. It is recommended that THL consider the preparation of a separate Watershed Management Plan with participation of upper catchment municipalities. This Plan would recognize the importance of the management of the watershed upstream of the reservoir for the mid- and long-term viability of the dam, which involves measures beyond those included in a plan centered on the management of vegetation and fauna in view of the impoundment of the reservoir area. Some of the measures may be structural (e.g., check dams, retaining walls, etc.), may involve management and conservation measures for soil, vegetation and water, and may also involve livelihood alternatives (e.g., environmentally-appropriate production methods) and provision of services (e.g., small-scale sanitation and rural electrification) to protect the watershed.


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16.2.12 Wildlife Conservation and Awareness Management Plan

In its present format, this document cannot be considered a Management Plan. It presents ideas on what the content of the Plan should be, but taken together they lack the depth, level of detail and internal consistency of a Plan. It is suggested that THL develop detailed Terms of Reference for the preparation of the Wildlife Conservation and Awareness Management Plan. As already mentioned in Sub-Section 2.1.2.1 above, there is a need to update the limited wildlife survey undertaken from August to November 2017, including a comprehensive survey of wildlife in the reservoir area and specific management measures for habitat loss and direct impacts on populations, which should be ready well in advance of vegetation clearing.

16.2.13 Water Release and River Safety Management Plan

The development of this Plan is pending. The present content reads more like the Terms of Reference for the preparation of the Plan than the actual Plan. Thus, THL should take steps aimed at formalizing the Terms of Reference for the preparation of the full Plan, its development and implementation.

16.2.14 Fish Conservation Management Plan

The Plan provides a comprehensive and detailed framework for the implementation of effective management activities to prevent, offset, compensate and mitigate the impacts of the Project on fish populations. THL should follow closely the implementation of the Plan. From the documents read and the discussions held during the first mission of the Panel of Experts, there is no clarity regarding a series of issues related to the fishing activities that take place in the area of influence of the Project. In particular, whether there is a commercial component in addition to a self-consumption component to these activities. Further, it seems that the compensation for the future limitation of access to fish resources for self-consumption and/or income generation has not been considered. Therefore, it is recommended that THL undertake the analysis of these issues through the pertinent environmental and social management program or programs. This should be a topic for follow-up in future Panel visits. 17. RECOMMENDATIONS

17.1 Composition of POE

The immediate strengthening of the panel by the temporary or permanent addition of a Geologist/Grouting Specialist and a Sediment Expert is recommended. The deployment of an Expert in Hydraulic Gates/ M & E is also recommended in good time to be able to contribute to decisions on the gates, valves and other hydromechanical equipment. The possible need for a concrete specialist should not be ruled out.

17.2 Geology/Seismicity

Karstic dolomite is present on both sides of the river at the damsite and needs to be further investigated together with other aspects of the geology.


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Further investigations are also needed at the plunge pool, headrace tunnel and powerhouse. These should include investigation of the possible activity of the fault running along the river together with a review of the seismicity of the site ( which POE consider to have been underestimated ). 17.3 Landslides

It has long been recognised that large landslides into storage reservoirs in the Nepal Himalayas could pose a serious threat to the safety of the dams. However, Kulekani rockfill dam is the only large storage scheme completed so far in Nepal so experience gained is limited. It is recommended that the geologist proposed for inclusion on the POE should advise on what has been proposed by the PSC. There is a need to inspect the future banks of the reservoir for signs of instability. Possible safety precautions include the provision of extra freeboard at the dam to prevent overtopping in the event of a large landslide into the reservoir.

17.4 Hydrology

POE have no comments on the Flood Hydrology other than to recommend that PSC compare the proposed extreme floods with those at other dams/weirs existing or proposed in Nepal. Francou-Rodier or Creager coefficients would be suitable for this purpose.

17.5 Sedimentation

The issue of sedimentation impinges on the design of flushing facilities, reservoir operation, turbine wear, downstream water quality and a number of related issues. Whilst POE acknowledge the valuable work already done on these topics by the PSC, they recommend the preparation of an holistic Sediment Management Plan ( SMP ) to bring together all of the interrelated issues. 17.6 Dam POE are surprised that none of the six bidders for the headworks contract offered an RCC alternative for the dam but are disinclined to advise a change in dam type at this late stage. Changes in direction along the dam axis are, however, thought to be unwise for the reason given in Section 8 of this report. All aspects of the dam design, including grouting galleries and adits will need to be reviewed together with the proposals for the various outlets

17.7 Hydraulic Gates and M & E Works

PSC have proposed a significant number of gates and valves, some of which will be large and designed to withstand high heads. The designs of the associated outlets will need to be modelled as will the spillway ( see below ).


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The hydromechanical works will be expensive and POE experience on other projects has been that experts in the field are sometimes brought in too late. POE advise the timely deployment of a suitable expert to join the POE 17.8 Spillway

PSC have proposed to have 4 No. radial gates three of which could release the flood with a return period of 10,000 years. If all four gates were open the PMF could be released. Subject to confirmation that the calculated PMF is in line with that at other dams in Nepal POE consider this to be satisfactory. 17.9 Intake and Headrace Tunnel

The concept for the power intake with inclined screens and vertical gates appears to be appropriate and economical. Detailed comments by an M & E specialist would be welcome. The diameter of the headrace tunnel has been optimised at 7.4 m. A 28 m diameter surge chamber will be located 50 m upstream of the vertical, steel lined penstock. Proposals for these underground works need to be reviewed by a geologist to be recruited to join the POE. 17.10 Power Cavern

The power station will be located underground and will contain 2 No. vertical axis Francis Turbines each with an installed capacity of 70 MW. The specifications for the main inlet valves, turbines and draft tube gates, as well as cranes and smaller equipment, will need to be reviewed by an M & E specialist when recruited.

17.11 Social Development Issues

POE have found the various figures quoted for the areas to be acquired very confusing, with some areas being incorrect by more than one order of magnitude. The correct figures need to be established and care taken to ensure that mistakes are not replicated in the future.

The SDE submits the following recommendations to THL, some of which will be carried out in collaboration with the ESMSP; namely, that THL should:

i) Prioritize the completion of delivery of entitlements (compensation and allowances) to APs and, as required, provide further assistance to APs to relocate from the Betini and Bachere areas, in coordination with the schedule to mobilize of contractors for Packages 1 and 2;

ii) Remain engaged with APs who opt to remain in the reservoir area after transfer of their land to THL, to advise them about planning to ensure the financial and other resources required when they do relocate and about the consequences of making further improvements on acquired land;

iii) Consult broadly with APs and other community leaders regarding the replacement of affected community facilities;

iv) Conduct participatory rapid assessments to identify the nature and significance of impacts on community forest groups and local people who fish in the Seti River due to loss of and/or restricted access to forest and fish resources, and address issues in the CDP and/or EMP;


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v) Prioritize the development and implementation livelihood restoration measures that target identified needs of APs; and, coordinate these initiatives with the development of the CDP that identifies strategies to promote socio-economic development in communities in the Project area that is gender-responsive and socially inclusive. Participatory methods and tools should be used to develop the CDP, including collection and analysis of data to understand more clearly the priorities and needs of communities from the perspectives of gender, ethnicity/caste, economic status, etc.

vi) Prioritize the establishment of methods, tools and procedures for external monitoring of the impacts and outcomes of land acquisition and involuntary resettlement for the Project, including recruitment of an independent external monitor (or expanding the mandate of RES).

vii) Develop guidelines for contractors to address the rights, needs and other issues of women who are recruited to work on construction sites and to establish regulations and penalties regarding interactions of the male labor force with women in local communities.

17.12 Environmental Issues

Based on the above, the Environmental and Social Management Unit (ESMU) of THL should consider providing guidelines for the preparation of each IMP, rather than developing “principles, procedures and specific measures” for each topic, since the pertinent details of these will be part of the Site Environmental Plans, which are largely site-specific (e.g., site restoration of a quarry versus a construction camp, erosion control in an unstable steep slope versus a temporary access road, etc.). In addition to the above, it is recommended that the ESMU consider focusing its activities on the following areas: i) development and implementation of the four main environmental programs

recommended in the Environmental Addendum (2012) (i.e., Fish Conservation Management Plan, Watershed/Forest Management Plan, Wildlife Conservation and Awareness Management Plan, and Water Release and River Safety Management Plan;

ii) Oversight of Environmental, Social, Health and Safety compliance and performance by Construction Contractors, including enforcement;

iii) Monitoring of environmental and social parameters and variables; and iv) Quality control of plans, studies and periodic reports produced by Contractors. 17.13 Other Issues

In due course there will be a need for a Dambreak Study and Emergency Action Plan. 18 NEXT PANEL MEETING

18.1 Suggested Date

Following discussion with THL and the various existing Panel Members a date of 13 May 2019 is suggested for the start of the next POE meeting. Some of the Panel members could arrive earlier if they require more than a week for their activities.


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It is highly desirable that the Geologist and Sediment Expert should be present at that meeting so their early recruitment is advised. 18,2 SDE Priorities for Next Mission

For the SDE, it is hoped that a second mission in May 2019 will occur after the mobilization of the ESMSP and, to the extent feasible, in conjunction with a mission of the PSC resettlement specialist. The priorities for this mission include:

i) Updating the review of the status of land acquisition and involuntary resettlement activities, including delivery of entitlements, development of livelihood restoration measures and consultation and grievance redress procedures and activities; and,

ii) Consultations with THL, the ESMSP and the PSC resettlement consultant about the development of the CDP, including incorporation of priorities identified in the GESIAP.

During the second mission, the SDE would like to spend several days in the Project area, meeting in informal settings with individual or small groups of APs including women and men, APs from different indigenous groups/castes and APs who are at different stages of the land acquisition and involuntary resettlement process. The SDE would also like to meet with representatives of the CDC, LCF and RES, as well as other local stakeholders. 19. REFERENCES

Annandale G.W, Morris G.L and Karki P, “Extending the Life of Reservoirs”, IBRD/World Bank, 2016. Gosschalk E.M, Hinks J.L, Johnson F.S and Jarvis R.M, “Overcoming the Build-up of Stresses, Cracking and Leakage in Mullardoch Dam, Scotland”, ICOLD Conference, Vienna, 1991. Hinks J.L, “Behaviour of Dams in the Wenchan Earthquake”, Issue 3 of Hydropower and Dams, 2009. ( see Appendix A ) ICOLD Bulletin 148, “Selecting Seismic parameters for Large Dams”, May 2010 ICOLD Bulletin 137, “Reservoirs and Seismicity”, 2011.

20. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The POE wish to acknowledge the help given by Mr. Pradeep Kumar Thike and his staff with special mention of Mr. Shyamji Bhandari and Professor Surya Man Shakya. Thanks also need to be expressed to Dipl. Ing Udo W. F. Graef of Lahmeyer International who gave full cooperation to the panel in the course of their mission.


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APPENDIX A

PAPER ON THE BEHAVIOUR OF DAMS IN THE WENCHUAN EARTHQUAKE OF 12 MAY, 2008 ( PUBLISHED IN ISSUE 3 OF HYDROPOWER AND DAMS, 2009 )


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BEHAVIOUR OF DAMS IN THE WENCHUAN EARTHQUAKE

By

Jonathan Hinks, Leading Dam Specialist, Halcrow Group Ltd, UK Twelve International Dam Specialists together with Chinese Experts were invited to attend a seminar on Earthquake and Dam Safety in Beijing and Chengdu from 30th March to 4th April, 2009. The purpose was to visit the sites of some of the dams and power stations affected by the Wenchuan Earthquake of 12th May, 2008 and to engage in two days of technical discussions on some of the issues raised. The visit was hosted by Dr. Jia Jinsheng of IWHR and included the participation of Professor Chen Houqun who is a longstanding member of the ICOLD Committee on Seismic Aspects of Dam Design of which a number of the foreign participants are also members. The main earthquake took place at 2.28pm on 12th May, 2008 (Mw=7.9, Ms 8.0) and had a duration of strong shaking of 120 seconds. The focal depth was about 15km; the epicentre was in a very mountainous region about 80km west northwest of the city of Chengdu. 86,419 people are believed killed or missing and 374,176 injured. Millions were said to have been made homeless. The cost of relief reconstruction is estimated at $120 billion. A feature of the event was the destruction of the road network by rockfalls and landslides. Many road bridges were also destroyed. The earthquake was caused by a 270km rupture along the Longmenshan Central Fault which runs from southwest to northeast. The epicentre was at the southwest end of the rupture and progressed to the northeast. Seismic intensities were governed more by distance from the fault than by distance from the epicentre and there were significant aftershocks towards the northeast with MS up to 6.9. The greatest peak Horizontal ground accelerations was 0.98g with a vertical acceleration of 0.9g at the epicentre. Most historical earthquakes within the Sichuan Province have not exceeded Mw 6.5 (Bureau, 2009) but there was a destructive earthquake on 25th August, 1933 (Diexi Earthquake, M 7.5) about 90km north of the epicentre of the Wenchuan earthquake. Over 9,300 persons were killed. The Longmenshan Fault delineates the boundary between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates with the Indian plate moving northward at a rate of about 50mm/year. Rupture was characterised by thrust and accompanying right-lateral movements of lesser amplitude. The rupture occurred in two stages with about 6m of movement in the first stage and up to 4m in the second stage. The Wenchuan earthquake is estimated to have had a return period of between 3,000 and 6,000 years.


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Earthquake Intensities are estimated to have affected the following areas: Intensity XI 2,400 km2 X 3,100 km2 IX 7,740 km2 VIII 27,800 km2 VII 84,450 km2 VI 315,000 km2

Seismic Intensity Map for Wenchuan Earthquake Zipingpu Dam Zipingpu Concrete Faced Rockfill Dam (CFRD) was only 5-7 km from the fault break and 17km from the epicentre of the earthquake. It was completed in 2006 and is designed to hold 1,100 Mm3 of water although it was holding only 300 Mm3 at the time of the earthquake. The dam is 156m high with an upstream slope of 1:1.4. The upper part of the downstream face slopes at 1:5 and the lowerpart at 1:1.4. The crest is 12.0m wide with a 5 metre high retaining wall at the top of the upstream slope. The dam was designed for a peak ground acceleration of 0.26g – considerably less than the bedrock acceleration in the Wenchuan earthquake which was estimated at 0.51g. Measured acceleration at the crest was about 2g although the high accelerations were in high frequency peaks which may have been caused by rocks impacting the dam crest.


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Damage to the dam in the Wenchuan earthquake was relatively superficial with leakage increasing only from10.4l/sec before the earthquake to 18.8 l/sec after. The seepage water was reported to be turbid for two days after the earthquake after which it became clear again (Xu Zeping, 2009). Maximum settlement of the dam during the earthquake was reported as 684mm which increased to 760mm in the aftershocks. There was damage to the joints in the facing slab but the waterstops (thought to be copper) were not seriously damaged.

Upstream Face of Zipingpu Concrete Faced Rockfill Dam Shapai Dam The Shapai project comprises a 132 metre high three centred RCC arch dam and a powerhouse with 50 MW installed capacity some 5km downstream of the dam. The dam was completed in 2003 and designed for a seismic intensity of VII with a peak ground acceleration of 0.138g. The dam was12km from the epicentre and actual peak acceleration is thought to have been about 0.5g. The dam has a crest width of 9.5 m and a bottom width of 28m. There are four induced joints which were grouted. The upper part of the front face slopes in towards the heel as in a double curvature arch dam. The RCC was placed in 250mm layers where the deck was larger than 2,000m2 and 300 m where the deck was smaller than 2,000m2. Cooling water pipes were embedded during the months of July to September. The RCC typically had a cementitous content of 172 to 192 kg/m3. The Mg0 content was fairly high (3.68%).


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The reservoir was almost full at the time of the earthquake. The dam was undamaged. One of the gate gantries was slightly damaged, However all of the gates could be opened. The power station was badly damaged when large rocks rolling down the mountainside knocked holes through the walls.

Shapai RCC Arch Dam Baozhusi Dam Baozhusi dam is a 132m high concrete gravity dam which was not visited during the Seminar. The dam was 252 km from the epicentre of the earthquake but close to the fault and only 40km from the epicentre of an aftershock of Magnitude 6.2. Leakage increased from 9.9 litres/sec to 16.4 litres/sec before declining to 14.8 litres/sec. Bikou Dam Bikou dam is a 102m high rockfill dam with a clay core constructed in the 1950’s. It was not visited but was 260km from the epicentre of the earthquake but only 16 km from the fault. It was affected by a Magnitude 6.4 aftershock and reportedly settled 242mm. There were cracks at the top of the slope and the intake tower was badly damaged.


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Futang Weir The Futang gated weir is 31 metres high and diverts water to a 36MW power station. There are five gated openings. The principal damage was the collapse of a large retaining wall on the right bank and the fracture of one of the downstream pier nosings.

Futang weir showing collapsed retaining wall Tai Ping Yi Dam The Tai Ping Yi Dam is 28 metres high and has a number of openings with radial gates – some of them being designed for overtopping. One of the arms of the radial gate nearest to the right bank was hit by a large boulder in the earthquake causing the gate to collapse.


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Tai Ping Yi weir showing destroyed gate Other Dams At the present time few details are available of the remainder of the 2,666 dams reported damaged in the earthquake. Presumably most would have been quite small. A total of 331 were described as “highly dangerous” although none are thought to have failed catastrophically. It is understood that the Chinese authorities are categorising the damage; their conclusions will be of considerable interest. Tangjiashan and other landslide Dams A total of 30 large landslide dams were created by the earthquake. Of these the largest was Tangjiashan which was 124 metres high and had a crest width of more than 300 metres. Its volume was more than 20 million m3. The landslide impounded a 320Mm3 reservoir 6km upstream of a town and 100km upstream of Mianyang city. There was no road access after the earthquake so initial information came from satellite photography. Access by helicopter was first obtained eight days after the earthquake. A channel had to be constructed to release the water which was flowing into the reservoir at a maximum rate of 170m3/sec. It was therefore decided to bring in equipment using a large Russian helicopter with a lifting capacity of 13 tonnes. In this way 24 No excavators were lifted in, 13 bulldozers and 8 tipper trucks. The necessary work was done in 10 days.


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Good geological records were used to predict that the relief channel would only scour down to a certain level. In fact flows reached 6,500m3/sec which was slightly more than the 200 year flood.

Lake water flows through the enlarged spillway at the Tangjiashan Landslide Dam DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS In general it may be remarked that the various large dams visited performed well in the earthquake – the power stations and ancilliary works less so although the Zipingpu Power Station performed very well and was returned to service only one day after the earthquake. However the severity of the earthquake was typically greater than had been assumed at the design stage. At Zipingpu the design Peak Ground Acceleration was only 0.26g whereas the actual acceleration experienced during the earthquake is thought to have been 0.51g. At Shapai the design acceleration was only 0.138g whereas the actual acceleration was about 0.5g. The Longmenshan Fault has the lowest long-term deformation rate compared with other major faults of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau (Chen Houqun, 2009). With the exception of the M 7.5 Diexi earthquake of 1933, historic earthquakes within the Sichuan Province area have not exceeded Mw 6.5. The upper bound magnitude of the Yinxiu-Beichuan area has now been increased to 8.0. As will be obvious from the figure showing intensity zones the intensity of shaking in this case was dependent on the distance from the fault break rather than the epicentral distance. This will often be the case in large earthquakes where there is a long fault break – in this case 270km long. The question has been raised in the scientific press as to whether the Wenchuan earthquake might have been triggered by the filling of the 1,100Mm3 Zipingpu reservoir. This question is clearly of extreme importance.


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Shapai RCC Arch Dam It is well established that earthquakes up to Magnitude 6.3 can be triggered by the filling of reservoirs. This is thought to be due to the introduction of water into fissures in the rock and the consequent reduction of effective stress on the fault plane. Usually the weight of the water in the reservoir is thought to contribute little to the crustal stress field at hypocentral depth. Generally reservoir triggered seismicity has been associated with dams over 100 metres in height and reservoirs holding more than 500Mm3. Zipingpu dam is 156m high and the reservoir holds 1,100Mm3. However there was only about 300Mm3 of water in the reservoir at the time of the earthquake although there had previously been up to 900Mm3 of water in the reservoir. Where reservoir triggered seismicity has been experienced there has usually been an increase in the number of small earthquakes as the reservoir is impounded. The seismic activity at Zipingpu is reported to have remained almost unchanged before and after impounding. It is not, of course, possible to say with certainty whether or not the Wenchuan earthquake might have been triggered by the impounding of the Zipingpu reservoir but there is no known precedent for the triggering of such a large earthquake by the filling of a reservoir. The absence of increased low level seismicity suggests that it is unlikely. The importance of the issue is, however, such that it is to be hoped that the matter will continue to receive the attention which it deserves.


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Shapai Power Station which was seriously damaged. The Zipingpu Power Station was largely undamaged. There has been some debate in recent years over the vertical accelerations to be assumed near the epicentres of earthquakes. It is often assumed that the vertical component of acceleration at the epicentre will be equivalent to the horizontal acceleration although there is good evidence from Japan that the vertical acceleration will usually be less than the peak horizontal acceleration. It is probable that it depends on the type of faulting and that thrust faulting, such as occurred in the epicentral region at Wenchuan, will produce high vertical accelerations as happened on 12 May 2008. A feature of the Wenchuan earthquake was the large numbers of landslides and rockfalls due to the very steep topography. Whilst there has been no mention of landslides into reservoirs causing displacement waves which might threaten the dams this is clearly a possibility that must be bourne in mind. Likewise the possibility of seismic seiches such as was observed in the Yuvacik reservoir in the 1999 earthquake (M=7.4) at Izmit in Turkey. In that case a 5m high wave struck the dam very much in line with the prediction of the 1991 formula given in the Russian SNIP 11-7-81: ∆h = 0.4 + 0.76 (I-6) metres Where I is the intensity of the earthquake on the Medvedev, Sponheuer and Karnik (MSK) scale. Very useful information was provided at the seminar on the 124m high Tangjiashan landslide dam which threatened the city of Mianyang. The Chinese authorities acted extremely fast and efficiently


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with cooperation from Russia. It is probably worth drawing up contingency plans for dealing with such emergencies in areas where large earthquakes are a possibility. Detailed information is not yet available on the remainder of the 2,666 dams damaged in the earthquake – 331 of which were said to be left in a ‘highly dangerous’ condition. It is to be hoped that when the data have been analysed the Chinese authorities will make the information available to the world scientific and engineering community since it is likely that much can be learned from this information. Lastly it must be stressed that the road network was severely disrupted in the earthquake and it was noted that some roads had been completely obliterated by landslides over lengths of several kilometres. Emergency action plans need to take this possibility into account. REFERENCES Bureau G, 2009, “Seismic performance review of Zipingpu Dam, China”, International Seminar on Earthquake and Dam Safety, Beijing and Chengdu, March 29 – April 4 Chen Houqun, Xu Zeping and Li Ming, 2009, “Discussion on the relationship between large reservoirs and seismicity”, International Seminar on Earthquake and Dam Safety, Beijing and Chengdu, March 29 – April 4 Chen Sheng-Shui, 2008 “Impact of the “ 5.12” Wenchuan Earthquake on Zipingpu Concrete Face Rockfill Dam and its Analysis”, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute , Nanjing 210029, China Huang Enfu, 2009, “Construction Technology and Quality Control of Shapai RCC arch dam”, International Seminar on Earthquake and Dam Safety, Beijing and Chengdu, March 29 – April 4 Hubbard J and Shaw J.H, 2009 “Uplift of the Longman Shan and Tibetan Plateau, and the 2008 Wenchuan (M = 7.9) earthquake”. Nature Vol 458, pp 194-197, 12 March. Kerr R.A. and Stone R, 2009, “A human trigger for the great Quake of Sichuan ?” Science, Vol 323, 16 January. Naik G and Oster S, 2009. “Scientists Link China’s Dam to Earthquake, Renewing Debate”, Wall Street Journal, February 6. Xu Zeping, 2009, “Performance of Zipingpu CFRD during the strong earthquake”, International Seminar on Earthquake and Dam Safety, Beijing and Chengdu, March 29 – April 4 Zhaoyin Wang, 2008, “Avalanches, Landslides and Quake Lakes Induced by the Wenchuan Earthquake on May 12, 2008”. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank Dr. Jia Jinsheng and his colleagues on the Chinese National Committee on Large Dams for providing information so generously on which this paper is based. Thanks are also due to Ms. Alison Bartle for the high quality photographs. That of the Tangjiashan Landslide Dam was taken by Mr. Li Gang ( www.xinhuanet.com ).

http://www.xinhuanet.com/


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