Vietnam Bac Ai Pump Storage Hydropower Project: 2023 Supplementary Environmental & Social Studies

The Bac Ai PSHP Project has been classified as a potentially high-risk project and consequently requires that the environmental and social documentation be compliant with the World Bank standards and made available before loan approval.

To evaluate if existing studies comply with the co-financiers requirements, AFD reviewed the environmental and social context of the Bac Ai Hydropower project during a field mission in October 2022. It also appointed a consultant to evaluate gaps between current environmental and social documents and practices against requirements based on the World Bank standards.

The gap analysis recommended that supplementary environmental and social studies should be undertaken to (i) complement and update the existing documentation, and (ii) achieve compliance with the international standards. Five components were identified as requiring additional investigations, assessments, and commitments, as follows:

·         Biodiversity management.

·         Resettlement planning.

·         Stakeholder engagement.

·         Community health and safety assessment; and

Environmental and Social Management and Monitoring planning..