Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project

environmental risks and impacts in its area of influence requires an EA indicating the potentialrisks, mitigation measures and environmental management framework or plan.Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04): Natural habitats are land and water areas where most of theoriginal native plant and animal species are still present. Natural habitats comprise manytypes of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems. They include areas lightlymodified by human activities, but retaining their ecological functions and native species. TheNatural habitats policy is triggered by any project (including any subproject under a sectorinvestment or financial intermediary loan) with the potential to cause significant conversion(loss) or degradation of natural habitats, whether directly (through construction) or indirectly(through human activities induced by the project). The policy has separate requirements forcritical (either legally or proposed to be protected or high ecological value) and non-criticalnatural habitats. The Bank’s interpretation of “significant conversion or degradation” is on acase-by-case basis for each project, based on the information obtained through the EA.Forest (OP/GP 4.36): This policy is triggered by forest sector activities and other Banksponsored interventions, which have the potential to impact significantly upon forested areas.The Bank does not finance commercial logging operations but aims to reduce deforestation,enhance the environmental contribution of forested areas, promote afforestation, reducepoverty and encourage economic development.Physical and Cultural Resources (OP 4.11): Physical cultural resources are defined asmovable or immovable objects, sites, structures, groups of structures, natural features andlandscapes that have archaeological, paleontological, historical, architectural, religious,aesthetic, or other cultural significance. Physical cultural resources may be located in urbanor rural settings, and may be above ground, underground, or underwater. The Bank seeks toassist countries to manage their physical cultural resources and to avoid or mitigate adverseimpact of development projects on these resources. This policy is triggered for any projectthat requires an EA.Policy on Disclosure of Information, 2002: There are disclosure requirements at every partof the project preparation and implementation process. Consultation with affected groups andlocal community should take place during scoping and before Terms of references (ToRs) areprepared; when the draft EA is prepared; and throughout project implementation asnecessary. The Borrower makes the draft EA and any separate EA report available in countryin a local language and at a public place accessible to project-affected groups and localcommunity prior to appraisal.World Bank Country Environmental Analysis, 2006: Chapter 4: Management of CaptureFisheries highlights how the inland capture fisheries, a valuable resource for the poor, havecome under threat due to encroachment and degradation of natural assets and rapidurbanization. It also underscores the need for management controls in the coastal capturefishery. This chapter also looks into policies and institutions for capture fisheries managementand offers recommendations for improving the situation.1.3.3 The Japan International Cooperation Agency Requirements26. “JICA Guidelines for Loan Aid (Japan Bank for International Cooperation Guidelines forConfirmation of Environmental and Social Considerations, April 2002)” provide four categories ofprojects as per its environmental classification system. The Projects classified under this system arescreened for the anticipated environmental impacts and are set under relevant categories. JICA hasclassified Projects in the following four categories:Category A: A proposed project is classified as Category A if it is likely to have significantadverse impact on the environment. Borrowers and related parties must submit EnvironmentalImpact Assessment (EIA) reports. For projects that will result in large-scale involuntaryresettlement, basic resettlement plans must be submitted. EIA and other reports need to besubmitted through the borrower before the JICA environmental reviews.1-15