The Guddu barrage is located on the Indus river in the Kashmore district (Sindh Province, Pakistan) and it has been in service for over 50 years. A barrage is a type of low-head, diversion dam which consists of a number of large gates that can be opened or closed to control the amount of water passing through the structure, and thus regulate and stabilize river water elevation upstream for use in irrigation and other systems. An international engineering consulting firm, which was commissioned by the Government of Sindh, indicates that there is a need for rehabilitation and modernization of the barrage. The proposed project involves mechanical and civil works on the existing barrage structure. Sindh Province is home to over 52 million people. Over 60% of the population lives in rural areas where poverty is pervasive. Guddu barrage supports irrigation, fishing, transportation and, water supply for communities living in and around the project area and the proposed project triggers potential environmental and social harms.

APPLICABLE SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS

Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 

this safeguard is triggered because the proposed project involves civil and mechanical rehabilitation works of the existing barrage, which is located on Indus river.

Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP 4.12

this safeguard is triggered because the staff colony would be established on land owned by the Irrigation Department. The [Resettlement Policy Framework] is prepared to guide resettlement planning for any unanticipated land acquisition and resettlement impacts during the course of the project implementation.

Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04

this safeguard is triggered because The project may impact on flora and fauna: the Indus River [..] is an important game reserve and habitat for the Indus or Blind Dolphin [..]During the implementation, the project will assess the performance of the fish ladder [..]

Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37

this safeguard is triggered because Although barrages are not dams, they are indeed major hydraulic structures on which millions of hectares of irrigated land and population are dependent.

Projects on International Waterways OP/BP 7.50

this safeguard is triggered because The project area is located on the Indus River which is an international waterway.

OUR RISK ASSESSMENT

Based on the World Bank's project documents, this project poses potential risks to the following human rights:

Right to food/ Right to livelihood
The barrage incorporates two fish ladders that might be impacted during the reconstruction and adversely affect communities that survive on subsistence fishing. A fish ladder is a structure designed to allow fish the opportunity to migrate upstream over or through a barrier to fish movement and work on the barrage may disable fish to pass around the barriers. Further, The Guddu barrage provides only way of crossing the river for some considerable distance.

Right to housing and property
Over the course of the project a portion of the population living in the province will be resettled due to the establishment of contractor's camp and construction yard.

Right to water
As the project involves large-scale rehabilitation works on the existing barrage, there is a possibility of interruption of water supplies through canal closures for a short or longer duration.

Right to healthy environment
During construction there is a high risk of accidental spills and leakages from fuel and oil tanks, vehicles, machinery and stored chemicals that are used in construction areas, yards, batching plants, worker camps, and storage sites. These spills can pollute soils and contaminate surface and groundwater in the area.

Rights of marginalized groups
In where the barrage is located, population was about 1.1 million in 2008. 71% of the population have income below the official poverty line. The dominant ethnic group in the barrage and surrounding area is the Mazari (50% of total population). Other tribes include Mirani (30%), Soomro (10%),Solongy (4%), Sheikh (3%) and the Chacher, Arain, Sher, Datsi, Malik, Indhar, Bhatti and Khosa (3%). The Mazari is a migrated tribe from Balochistan and others are mostly native tribes. The status of women in the project area is acutely disadvantaged. The WB has concluded that none of these groups can be defined as indigenous peoples and therefore safeguard policies for indigenous peoples are not applicable. The effects of the project may only be exacerbated due to the vulnerability of the population. Regardless of the indigenous peoples safeguards they still enjoy minority rights.

Bank financing: World Bank
Amount of bank loan or investment: $191 million
Total project cost: $209 million

Sindh Irrigation and Power Department
Contact: Junejo Zahid Hussain
Title: Chief Engineer
Tel: 92-301-8378787
Email: zahidjunejo@hotmail.com

Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team

Miki Terasawa (SASDS)
Javaid Afzal (SASDI)

Regional Safeguards Coordinator: Name: Francis V. Fragano (RSA)

Consultations
Consultations were conducted with communities living in in the Kashmore district by Independent Environmental Consultants and involved multiple methods – for example, household level interviews, village wise meetings, focus group discussions and workshops, totaling 1270 participants. The project prepared communication strategy as a part of Social Management Framework because there are “concerns over risk of conflict between local communities and contractors labour force during construction”. This includes continued consultations during the project implementation, in particular with community members who could be affected by the project works.

Consultations were conducted with stakeholders listed as “Sindh Irrigation Department, Sindh Environment Protection Agency, Wildlife Department, District Administrations, communities in project areas and command areas, private sector, and NGOs.” However, it is unclear how many of consultations participants were community members and what is the percentage of included participants of the total number of community members affected by the project.

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF WORLD BANK

The World Bank Inspection Panel is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by a World Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Inspection Panel, they may investigate to assess whether the World Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can contact the Inspection Panel or submit a complaint by emailing ipanel@worldbank.org. You can learn more about the Inspection Panel and how to file a complaint at: http://ewebapps.worldbank.org/apps/ip/Pages/Home.aspx.