Note No. 65 July 2001 Influencing Project Design through Participation: Pakistan Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project Social Development Best Practice Elements · Attention to adverse impacts · Institutionalized mechanisms for participation · Establishment of mechanisms for voice and accountability The Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project is a major example of inclusive project planning. Communities run-of-river power project designed to meet the acute and NGOs worked with social scientists and engineers shortage of power in Pakistan. It is being implemented to develop engineering solutions to mitigate adverse by the Water and Power Development Authority of social impacts and to make the project design Pakistan (WAPDA). The project consists of a barrage responsive to social concerns. located near Ghazi village in the North West Frontier Province, a 52 km long concrete lined power channel Physical Design of the Project and a power complex located near Barotha village in the province of Punjab. It is expected to have an Beginning with the pre-feasibility stage in 1991, installed capacity of 1450 MW and provide an social considerations were factored into how major estimated energy output of 6600 GWh. The project is a components of the project would be treated, major element of the Government's strategy for including the siting of the barrage and headponds meeting future power demand in Pakistan. and the alignment of the power channel. The evaluation of design alternatives and adoption of Impacts of the project include changes of land use in modifications took place in consultation with areas temporarily and permanently acquired for affected communities and included protection of construction. This will affect about 20,000 people, cultural heritage sites. including resettlement of 179 families with a surveyed population of 899 persons. From the earliest stages of The channel represented perhaps the biggest challenge. project development, assessment of social impacts was It was realigned away from the most economical and incorporated into the evaluation and selection of direct route to one that followed a higher contour along alternatives for the siting of major infrastructure more difficult terrain at a substantial increase in cost. components. The analysis of alternatives has allowed Although more costly to construct, the power channel for a significant reduction in the extent of resettlement alignment radically reduced resettlement from and archeological impacts. The project serves as an potentially impacting 40,000 people to 899. The _________________________________________________________________________________________________ The task manager for this project was Zoubeida Ladhibi-Belk. Afshan Khawaja, social scientist and a member of the project team, prepared this best practice note. The views expressed in this note are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the World Bank. realignment of the power channel followed the contour provide the adversely affected people an economic higher up the slope. It thereby bypassed many villages base within the project area. It will also lessen the and minimized damage to shrines, graveyards and overall impact of land acquisition. archaeological sites, substantially reducing the resettlement cost. Institutional Mechanisms Treatment of Environmental and Social The participatory processes developed for the Impacts project have been facilitated by two independent bodies, the GBDO and the Environment and Community concerns were integrated in the Resettlement Panel (ERP). Supported by an preparation of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP). endowment grant by WAPDA and registered as an Among these concerns were the needs to ensure independent company, the GBDO is tasked with equitable compensation and also to give priority in maintaining ongoing consultations with affected employment to those adversely affected by the communities on land acquisition issues. It has also construction. Provisions of the RAP were designed to incorporated community participation in the ensure that affected communities participate directly in preparation and implementation of an integrated determining fair and equitable compensation for the regional development plan. GBDO has established acquisition of their land. community organizations in all the villages affected by the project. In its advocacy role, it has Instead of revenue officials determining the negotiated and resolved difficult land acquisition replacement cost of lands and houses, these costs have issues between the project affected persons and the been determined by a Land Valuation Committee government. The board of the GBDO consists of composed of a government representative, a WAPDA thirteen members and includes six community representative, two representatives of the affected representatives, divided evenly between men and community, and a representative of the specially women. During project implementation, the created independent Ghazi-Barotha Development GBDO meets regularly and is actively involved in Organization (GBDO). Significant emphasis has been identifying and addressing a broad range of social placed to ensure that the views of women, small concerns. landowners, landless tenants and poor laborers are reflected in determining compensation values and that The Environment and Resettlement Panel, consisting they understand their entitlements and procedures for of three internationally recognized experts, has been compensation under the project. Gender specific associated with the Project from the initial stages of scoping sessions and compensation delivery modalities project preparation. During the preparation of the have been developed to ensure that women project, it was responsible for conducting a titleholders, not male relatives, receive their comprehensive review of the environmental and entitlements. resettlement impacts of the project as an input to the project design and analysis of design alternatives. This Reluctance of people adversely affected by Panel has been reconstituted to review and monitor resettlement to settle into an unfamiliar host implementation of the environmental mitigation and community also led to an innovative approach to resettlement plan during the construction and initial develop irrigated spoil banks to support irrigated operation of the project. Panel members visit the agriculture. The Project requires the acquisition of project site twice a year, and consult extensively with a 3,457 hectares of land from private landowners. Of broad range of stakeholders. The panel provides this, 1,640 hectares would be needed temporarily for communities and local NGOs with an independent the spoil banks. These lands are being developed, channel for voicing their concerns to the Bank and provided with irrigation facilities, and used as the core WAPDA. The panel's reports are disseminated widely land-for-land option for adversely affected landowners. among NGOs and community organizations, and are The income of a typical farmer currently working viewed by these parties as an independent assessment barani (rain-fed) land who receives land on irrigated of the environmental and social issues the project is spoil banks could potentially be doubled. This would facing during implementation. "Social Development Notes" are published informally by the Social Development Family in the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Network of the World Bank. For additional copies, contact Social Development Publications, World Bank, 1818 H Street, NW, MSN MC5-507, Washington, DC 20433, USA, Fax: 202-522-3247, E- mail: sdpublications@worldbank.org. 2 Printed on Recycled Paper