Cambodia: Provincial Roads Improvement Project

Transport / Road transport (non-urban)

Improved access to markets, jobs, and social services in four project provinces (Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Pray Veng, and Svay Rieng)

Safe, climate-resilient, and cost-effective road network that provides all-year access in the agricultural areas of the project provinces

1. Project roads and the CBF at Prey Var, Svay Rieng rehabilitated

2. Increased road safety, institutional efficiency, and awareness of potential social problems

3. Increased resilience of project roads to climate change

4. Efficient project management

As of 31 July 2018, actual physical progresses of CW-A (Improvement of National Road 13), CW-B1 (Improvement of Provincial Road 314D), CW-B2 (Construction of Prey Var Cross-Border Facility), CW-C (Improvement of PR150B, NR53 and PR151B) and CW-D1 (Rehabilitation of Bakdao, Portanorn, and Srok Dykes) were 75.1%, 75.4%, 17.3%, 71.8% and 98.1% of completion, respectively. CW-D2 (Dredging and restoration of Khsaet Lake) has been completed. Taking over inspection was conducted in September 2017 and certification of completion of works was issued to the contractor on 31 October 2017. CW-D3 (Construction of Kompong Leaeng Water Supply package) was recently cancelled due to uncertain institutional arrangement in operations and maintenance of the facilities after works completion; and is replaced by dikes rehabilitation and dredging works whose contracts are expected to be awarded in Q4-2018. CW-D4 (Construction of Emergency Management Center and five Safety Areas) was 96% of completion. CW-D5 (Tree planting) was 30% of completion and will be completed in October 2018.

Road Asset Management was moved to implement in CDTA9300 and L3576-CAM with broader scopes.

Activities are ongoing for the road safety.

HIV prevention program is also ongoing. Consultant mobilized since March 2014.

The baseline survey report submitted to ADB in February 2015. There were 71,883 beneficiaries from this program as of July 2018.

Based on MPWT's quarterly progress report, 31.97% of the unskilled labor force hired by contractors were women as of May 2018.

Training on Flood Risk Management Interface was conducted on 21 January 2015 with the 18 participants.

Seminar on improving climate resilience of roads was held on 10 June 2015 with the 80 participants.

Vulnerability mapping completed.

The total number of staff of PMU3 is 24 persons, out of this, 7 are women (29%).

The project has been classified as category B for environment. Results of the initial environmental examination (IEE) showed that only minor adverse environmental impacts are anticipated for the improvement of project roads and implementation of small-scale climate change adaptation measures for surrounding communities. Such impacts, which are considered short-term and temporary in nature, will be largely experienced during construction mainly due to elevated levels of dust and noise, traffic disruption, and potential occupational and community health and safety risks, but can be mitigated. It has also been confirmed that none of the project roads are located near culturally protected areas and that no rare, threatened, or endangered species of flora and fauna are found in or close to the alignments.

Except for National Road (NR) 53, none of the project roads are in close proximity to any protected areas of ecological significance. NR 53 runs alongside part of the eastern boundary of Phnom Aural Wildlife Sanctuary (PAWS) for a distance of approximately 6.5 km. The Provincial Department of Environment confirmed that NR 53 does not intrude into the PAWS. As in the other Project roads, there are no forested areas in the vicinity of NR 53. The PAWS zones close to NR 53 are the community and sustainable zones which are predominantly agricultural areas while its conservation and core zones, at the nearest points, are approximately 2 km and 5 km, respectively, from NR 53. As such, no adverse environmental impacts are anticipated for all Project roads on ecologically protected areas. To avoid or mitigate negative impacts arising from the Project, an environmental management plan (EMP) detailing mitigation measures, monitoring activities and implementation responsibilities has been prepared as part of the IEE. Public consultations involving affected people and local officials have been conducted during the preparation of the IEE in compliance with ADB information disclosure and consultation requirements through focus group discussions and individual interviews along all project roads. Environment was not seen as a major issue by those persons interviewed. To ensure that the project is carried out in accordance with the EMP requirements, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) will specify details of the implementation of the EMP in the bid and contract documents for consulting services and civil works. MPWT will be assisted by the DDIS consultant in monitoring the environmental performance of contractors. The detailed design implementation and supervision consultant will also provide on-the-job training to the field personnel of the Environment Safeguards Office of MPWT to build their capacity in environmental management and monitoring.