PROJECT TITLE: WB Project: Preparation of Environmental and Social Safeguard Documents for the Project P146328 "Construction of the Electrified Railway Line Angren-Pap".

CLIENT: SJSRC "Uzbekiston Temir Yullari" / the World Bank

PERIOD: 2015

PROJECT AIM Uzbekistan was applying for a Loan from the World Bank to cover part of expenses related to the supply and installation of rail electrification, signaling, track maintenance and closed-circuit television within the project "Construction of the electrified railway line Pap-Angren".

SJSRC "Uzbekiston Temir Yullari" intended to use part of the ECAPDEV Grant to finance consulting services for preparation of mandatory documents related to environmental and social safeguards policies of the World Bank. Al Mar Consulting carried out a detailed assessment of social and ecological aspects of the project, preparing and coordinating with the World Bank final project documentation on safeguards in order to minimize negative impact and design mitigation measures on local population, environment of the project area, and on physical cultural resources.
DESCRIPTION OF ACTUAL SERVICES PROVIDED IN THE ASSIGNMENT Because of the significance of its impact, the project was rated Environmental Category A as per World Bank environment policies, which means that appraisal of impact and mitigation measures and implementation of those measures will have to be comprehensive. The role of Al Mar Consulting was to update the Environmental Impact Assessment (with EMF) for railway and tunnel following recommendations by the State Expert Review and the Bank and to proceed with public disclosure and consultation with interested stakeholders if necessary. The EIA (with EMF) included action plans for: (a) management of radioactivity risk, (b) mitigation of negative environmental impacts in sensitive areas (i.e. pollution of rivers and streams, water protection zones), (c) management of borrow pits and sites for waste material, (d) management of geological risks and emergency situations, and (e) mitigation plan for physical cultural resources. Site-specific EMPs was prepared by Al Mar Consulting for tunnel and transmission lines. The Consultant also helped organize and hold the disclosure and consultation of the EIA and EMF.