Bahrain: Bahrain SKBS Port Road Interchange Project

OBJECTIVE

To enhance traffic flow efficiency at the Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman (SKBS) Port Road Junction, ensuring agile movement from Bahrain’s SKBS Port to the Saudi Arabia, through the King Fahd Causeway.

DESCRIPTION

The Bahrain SKBS Port Road Interchange Project (the “Project”) involves civil works for the enhancement of the traffic interchange conditions between Bahrain’s SKBS port and the King Fahd Causeway. This includes the construction of an East-West Underpass, improvement of the at-grade junction, and widening of the Dry Dock Highway, as well as consultancy services for construction supervision.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

Applicable Policy and Categorization: AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP) and Environmental and Social Exclusion List (ESEL) will apply to this Project. In addition, AIIB Environmental and Social Standard 1 (ESS 1) “Environmental and Social Assessment and Management” applies in full, and the applicability of ESS 2 “Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement” will be assessed during Project preparation. Indigenous people are not affected by the Project and therefore ESS 3 “Indigenous Peoples” is not triggered. Based on the available information, the Project has been preliminarily categorized as B, as environmental and social (ES) impacts and risks are predicted to be minor, localized, reversible and temporary. There is not expected to be any involuntary resettlement, and no areas or species designated for their importance to biodiversity are expected to be affected. Risks and impacts associated with this type of infrastructure development are standard and can be effectively managed when practical and well-established mitigation measures are in place.

Environmental and Social Instruments: The Project ES instruments will include an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) that complies with Bahrain's national legislation, encompassing an environmental baseline and a construction-phase assessment. Additionally, a supplementary Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) will be conducted to address any gaps between the national EMP and AIIB’s ESP and ESS’s. A comprehensive Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) will be developed to consolidate all requirements and mitigations measures identified in both the national EMP and the supplementary ESIA. An ES audit will also be carried out on works completed prior to the start of the Bank funded project, including utilities relocation. In addition, due diligence to determine if any additional associated facilities exist will be carried out prior to the Appraisal of the Project.

Environmental Aspects: The Project is part of the East Hidd Development Access Roads and Junctions Upgrade Program but will be built independently. A framework Construction Environmental Management Plan (fCEMP) was prepared in 2021 for the whole Program, including the Project, covering environmental baseline, impact assessment, and mitigation for construction-phase risks such as air quality, noise and vibration, geology and groundwater, waste management, terrestrial ecology, traffic and transport, occupational health and safety, and landscape and visual changes. The fCEMP identified ecologically designated areas and confirmed that none will be affected by the Project. Similarly, although a baseline ecology survey has not been completed the fCEMP concluded that the sterile lands that will be taken have negligible ecological value. In addition, the road widening will result in the removal of palm trees (planted in rows along the roadside), and all trees lost will be replaced, following a national requirement.

Social Aspects: The Project activities are not expected to result in involuntary resettlement as it is a rehabilitation of an already available right of way (ROW). To ensure alignment with AIIB’s ESF, gaps in the national ES assessment standards, as outlined in the fCEMP, will be assessed and addressed during Project preparation. The fCEMP does not cover design and O&M phase risks and impacts for all ES topics and lacks AIIB's social requirements in its construction phase assessment. Therefore, the Ministry of Works (MOW) will engage an experienced ES consultant familiar with MDB standards, including those of AIIB, to (i) perform a gap analysis of the Project against AIIB’s ESF; and (ii) develop a gap closure plan and implement the necessary actions to ensure conformance with AIIB’s ESF.

Stakeholder Engagement, Consultation and Information Disclosure: Meaningful and inclusive stakeholder engagements will be conducted during the preparation of the ESIA. This will be further strengthened in phases during the finalization of the ESIA and related ES instruments. The draft English versions of the ESIA and related ES instruments, and English, Arabic versions of the Executive Summaries will be prepared and posted on the MOW’s and AIIB’s websites and made available in hard copies in the project area.

Project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM): A multi-tier GRM will be developed according to the Bank’s ESP requirements. Locally appropriate public consultation and disclosure processes will be used to disseminate information about the GRM. In addition, a commensurate mechanism will be made available at the contractor level for worker’s grievances. The information of established GRMs and Bank’s Project-affected People’s Mechanism (PPM) will be timely disclosed in an appropriate manner.

Monitoring Arrangement: The Project Implementation Unit (PIU) will have primary responsibility for monitoring the Project's progress and performance. Regular monitoring reports will be prepared using an agreed-upon format and submitted to the Bank through periodic reports. AIIB will also conduct supervision and monitoring missions at the project site. Detailed monitoring and reporting arrangements will be further refined during the preparation of the ESIA.