for Stage 1 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Barki Tojik January 30 th 2015
LIVELIHOOD RESTORATION PLAN FOR STAGE 1 Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 THE PROJECT LIVELIHOOD RESTORATION PLAN 1 1.2 BACKGROUND 2 2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT AND RESETTLEMENT 3 3 LEGAL FRAMEWORK 3 4 DEVELOPMENT OF THE LRP 4 4.1 SUMMARY OF RELEVANT FINDINGS FROM THE RAP 5 4.2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS FROM THE 2014 SITE VISIT AND OBTAINED DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LRP 7 4.2.1 KEY ISSUES AND CONSTRAINTS 7 4.2.2 IMPACTS ON LIVELIHOODS AND POTENTIAL RISKS 8 4.2.3 LIVELIHOOD RESTORATION ACTIVITIES ALREADY UNDERTAKEN 12 4.3 PLANNED AND IDENTIFIED POTENTIAL LIVELIHOOD RESTORATION ACTIVITIES 13 4.3.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF RESETTLEMENT SITES AND OPPORTUNITIES FROM A LIVELIHOOD RESTORATION PERSPECTIVE 13 4.3.2 LIVELIHOOD RESTORATION IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS 15 5 ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSISTANCE 19 6 DESCRIPTION OF ENTITLEMENTS 21 6.1 REPLACEMENT LAND FOR FARMING 22 6.2 ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT / LIVELIHOOD GENERATION PROGRAMS 23 6.3 ACCESS TO TRAINING 24 6.4 ACCESS TO SOCIAL WELFARE AND UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS 26 6.5 OTHER POSSIBLE FORMS OF ASSISTANCE 27 6.6 ENTITLEMENTS MATRIX 27 7 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LRP 31 7.1 DEVELOPMENT OF EXCEL DATA BASES 31 7.2 COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN EACH LOCATION TO PRESENT THE ACTIVITY 32 7.3 INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS AND DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PLANS 32 7.4 IDENTIFICATION OF AVAILABLE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS OF SUPPORT 34 7.5 IMPLEMENTATION OF INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PLANS 34 8 CONSULTATION, DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION AND GRIEVANCE MANAGEMENT 35 8.1 CONSULTATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LRP 35 8.2 PLANNED CONSULTATIONS AND GRIEVANCE MANAGEMENT 36
9 INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LRP 37 10 TIMETABLE / WORKPLAN FOR LRP IMPLEMENTATION 38 11 MONITORING AND REPORTING 38 11.1 MONITORING 38 11.2 REPORTING 41 12 ESTIMATED BUDGET FOR LRP IMPLEMENTATION 41 13 CONCLUSIONS 42 ANNEXES 44 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 4.1 EMPLOYMENT OF INDIVIDUALS BASED ON THE 2011 CENSUS DATA, PER RESETTLEMENT LOCATION... 6 TABLE 4.2 PRESENTATION OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS BEFORE AND AFTER RESETTLEMENT... 10 TABLE 4.3 ESTIMATED JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN SCHOOLS AND HEALTH CENTERS IN EACH LOCATION... 15 TABLE 4.4 CURRENT NUMBER OF JOB VACANCIES IN THE AFFECTED AREAS PER SECTOR... 16 TABLE 4.5 DETAILED LIST OF CURRENT JOB VACANCIES IN RUDAKI... 16 TABLE 4.6 TRAINING AND/OR EMPLOYMENT IN 2013 AND 2014 THROUGH THE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY... 18 TABLE 6.1 ENTITLEMENTS FOR AFFECTED PEOPLE WITH AGRICULTURAL AND PASTURE LAND... 22 TABLE 6.2 EXAMPLES OF TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED THROUGH THE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY PER REGION... 25 TABLE 6.3 GENERIC ENTITLEMENTS MATRIX... 28 TABLE 11.1 INDICATIVE LIST OF INDICATORS FOR MONITORING... 39 TABLE 12.1 ESTIMATED BUDGET FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF LRP IMPLEMENTATION... 41
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ESIA FAO GOT HH HLA HPP LRP MLMEP NGO PAP RAP RPF RU TJS UN USD WB Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Food and Agriculture Organization Government of Tajikistan Households Household Level Audit Hydropower Project Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of Population Non- Governmental Organisation Project Affected Person Resettlement Action Plan Resettlement Policy Framework Resettlement Unit Tajikistan Somoni United Nations United States Dollar World Bank
1 Introduction The Government of Tajikistan (GoT) is planning to implement the Rogun Hydropower Project ( Rogun HPP or the Project ). The implementation of the Project will require resettlement of an estimated 6,000 households (42,000 people). Resettlement will be carried out in phases and currently Stage 1 is ongoing, which includes 289 households (527 families). The project is committed to following international best practice in resettlement, more precisely the WB standards and therefore appropriate livelihood restoration measures have to be developed and implemented. A special unit, the "Directorate of the Flooding Zone of Rogun HPP", referred to as the Resettlement Unit (RU), was set up to organize resettlement in coordination with other government ministries and agencies. The RU reports directly to the Government of Tajikistan. RU has local offices and representatives at all Stage 1 resettlement sites (Rogun, Rudaki and Tursunzade). A Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) has been prepared for Stage 1 resettlement in 2014 and is being implemented by the RU. A Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) has also been prepared and will be implemented for all future resettlement in relation to the Project. Both documents, which have been officially endorsed by the GoT, specify that a will be developed and implemented. 1.1 The Project The RU has developed this (LRP) with assistance from external consultants, in accordance with Tajik legislation and the WB OP 4.12, with the aim of assisting the restoration of livelihoods for all families who will be or have been resettled as part of Stage 1 of the Project. The LRP should be read in conjunction with the RPF and the RAP, as it leans on the information provided in these documents and further describes measures for assisting project affected people (PAPs) in Stage 1 resettlement to improve, or at a minimum restore their livelihoods to pre-project levels in their new places of residence, in the next three to five years. The LRP has been endorsed by the GoT and will be implemented by the RU, in cooperation with other relevant central and local government agencies and organizations, as well as external partners. The principles and process from this LRP will also serve as a basis for implementing all future livelihood restoration activities in subsequent phases of resettlement, which are expected to take place over a period of 16 years. To achieve the aim of improving or at a minimum restoring livelihoods of project affected people, livelihood restoration activities will continue being implemented beyond the completion of physical resettlement, for at least another three to five years. 1
1.2 Background Tajikistan became an independent country in 1991 with the breakup of the former Soviet Union. It has one of the lowest per capita GDP among the former Soviet Republics. The country also suffered through a civil war in the period from 1992 to 1997, which has had a further damaging effect on an already weakened economy. After the war, in the early 2000s the economy began to show signs of consistent growth, until the 2008-09 global economic crisis. Growth recovered quickly driven by remittance inflows and averaged over 7 percent annually in the period 2010-2013, however with rates of poverty remaining high, particularly for women. Economic growth, private sector development, job creation (especially for young people), and education / training for employment are considered the four most critical areas for reducing poverty and promoting shared prosperity. The government of Tajikistan has set ambitious goals of doubling the GDP, reducing poverty to 20 percent and expanding the middle class by 2020 1. According to a recent 2014 WB study 2, generating more productive employment remains one the most critical challenges for achieving these goals. The main finding of the report is that skills gaps hinder labour market outcomes in Tajikistan. The report concludes that Tajikistan s economy is shifting away from agriculture and industry toward services and there is an increasing demand for new economy skills. It further concludes that formal sector job creation is still insufficient and that a sizable portion of the working population is engaged in the informal sector (60 percent). Jobs are distributed unevenly and in particular, female employment rates are only 25 percent while over 15 percent of the young population is not looking for a job because they do not believe they can find one. Almost one-in-three young men migrate abroad for employment purposes, mainly to the Russian Federation. In addition, weak labor market systems are limiting the extent to which the supply of skills are effectively matched with employer demand. Difficulties in learning about job vacancies and demonstrating their skills make it harder for people to find suitable jobs. As could be expected, employment prospects are stronger for higher educated and secondary special/technical educated individuals. The study highlights that higher education completion rates are greater in urban areas (36 percent among men and 18 percent among women), compared to rural areas (15 percent among men and 3 percent among women). Opportunities for livelihood restoration in connection to the Rogun HPP have been considered against the background of the above issues, particularly in light of the fact that a part of the affected population is resettling from rural to urban areas, as described in the following section of the LRP. 1 Country Partnership Strategy for Tajikistan, for the period FY15 FY18. 2014 World Bank, Washington, DC. 2 The Skills Road: Skills for Employability in Tajikistan. World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014. Ajwad, Mohamed Ihsan Stefan Hut, Ilhom Abdulloev, Robin Audy, Joost de Laat, Sachiko Kataoka, Jennica Larrison, Zlatko Nikoloski, and Federico Torracchi. 2
2 Brief Description of the Project and Resettlement The Rogun HPP site is located in the Vakhsh river valley, about 110 km east of Dushanbe. The site is located in the Rasht region, affecting three districts: Rogun, Nurobod and Rasht. The project is proposed to consist of a 335 m high dam, a reservoir with a full supply level of 1290 m asl covering an area of 170 km and a power house with an installed capacity of 3200 MW. Stage 1 resettlement encompasses relocation of 7 villages as follows: 6 villages (Kishrog, Mirog, Tagi Agba, Talkhakchashma, Tagi Kamar, and Sech) located within the risk zone associated to the construction site of Rogun dam. 1 village (Chorsada), located 12 km upstream of the dam, outside of the construction area, however planned to be submerged in the first stage of reservoir filling. These 7 villages have a population of 2,048 persons in 289 households, consisting of 527 families (status as of April 2014 from the Project RAP). One of the benefits of resettlement is the possibility given to households to obtain multiple land plots for housing in new locations, so that individual families (e.g. married sons and daughters with their children), living within one household in the old location, can begin living independently as separate households once they move. Compensation for construction of housing was/is provided only to one family unit (the head of the household), while other families receive a land plot and are expected to construct their houses from their own resources, if they wish to do so. From 289 households, 527 families have received the right to land plots for housing in new locations. Families are relocating to four locations as follows 3 : Tursunzade, urban area 124 families Rudaki, urban area 234 families Rogun district, rural area (Yoligarmova and Novi Saidon) 141 families As of December 2014, 255 families have already been fully resettled to new locations. These include all 234 families resettled to Rudaki and 21 to Tursunzade. Those who are still awaiting resettlement are families going to the two sites in the Rogun district (141) and the majority of families going to Tursunzade (103). In parallel to the development of the LRP, an Intermediate Household Level Audit (HLA) was undertaken by another team of consultants in cooperation with the RU. The aim of the audit is to identify any specific additional compensation, which would be due to affected people to ensure that entitlements under the projects RAP are applied to all affected people. 3 Legal Framework Resettlement for the Project is being implemented in accordance with two main documents: Rogun Resettlement Law 4 3 Information was provided for a total of 499 families; information for 28 families is missing. 3
The WB policy on Involuntary Resettlement (OP 4.12) 5, representative of international good practice, and which GoT is committed to implementing. With regards to livelihoods, the Rogun Resettlement Law specifies in Article 12 that The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan 6, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tajikistan, the State Committee for Investments and the Agency for State Property Management jointly with chairmen of Khatlon Oblast, Rogun and Tursunzade towns, Nurobod, Rudaki and Dangara Rayons of Khatlon Oblast are to take practical measures on assistance in ensuring the employment of migrants, in particular investment programs. The WB OP 4.12 states that Displaced persons should be assisted in their efforts to improve their livelihoods and standards of living or at least to restore them, in real terms, to pre-displacement levels or to levels prevailing prior to the beginning of project implementation, whichever is higher. Additional requirements with regards to livelihood restoration applicable to this Project can be summarized as follows: Livelihood restoration activities must be planned and implemented with appropriate disclosure of information, consultation, and the informed participation of those affected; Special provisions must be in place for assisting disadvantaged or vulnerable individuals or groups that may be more adversely affected by displacement than others and who may be limited in their ability to claim or take advantage of livelihood assistance and related development benefits; A grievance mechanism must be put in place to receive and address in a timely fashion specific concerns about displacement and livelihood restoration that are raised by displaced persons. The law and the policy specify the main principle of ensuring that resettled people are able to relocate and restore their livelihoods. This LRP has been developed with a view of putting these policy documents into practice and listing the main activities, which will be implemented by the RU to ensure that the above principle is fulfilled in accordance with international good practice. 4 Development of the LRP The LRP was developed in fall of 2014, by the RU with assistance from a team of social consultants. For this work, the team used information from previous work done for resettlement planning, data available in the RU and in other relevant institutions, as well as information collected in the last quarter of 2014, particularly during a site visit carried out from November 24 th to November 28 th 2014 (Annex 1 List of 4 The GoT Resolution dated 20 th January 2009, No. 47 City of Dushanbe, on Resettlement of the Population of Rogun Town and Nurobod Rayon from Zones of Submersion of Rogun Hydropower Plant. 5 The text in this section is only a brief summary of the OP 4.12 requirements and is qualified by reference to the full text of the policy (http://go.worldbank.org/gm0oeiy580) 6 Now the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of Population 4
meetings held). A summary of findings relevant to livelihood restoration from the RAP and collected in the last quarter of 2014 is presented further in this section. 4.1 Summary of relevant findings from the RAP A detailed overview of the socio economic situation in existing villages, mainly based on data collection carried out in 2011, is provided in the Project RAP and the Project Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), while this section only highlights some of the main findings relevant for livelihood restoration, as follows: 56% of the affected population is working age (approx. 1,150 people). 27% of the male population was employed at the construction site of Rogun HPP. 24% of the male population was found to be migrant workers in the Russian Federation. Over 73% of women are housewives and work mainly in the household family gardens and orchards. 18.4% of men and 10.5% of women were found to be unemployed. 2.6% of the population is employed in public institutions as teachers, Hukumat employees, doctors, etc. the level of education among the adult population is relatively low when compared with the average national level, especially among the female population. However, it should be noted that 48.3% of affected people have completed secondary education (52.2% of men and 44.3% of women) and an additional 10% have higher education (19.3% of men and only 1.1% of women). 4.5% are illiterate (2.1% of men and 6.9% of women) while 13.3% received only primary education (9.2% of men and 17.4% of women). According to the results of the household survey from 2011, incomes were generated in the following way: 39% from wages (predominantly employment at Rogun HPP) 23% from dekhan 7 farms and 8% gardens 18% from migrant labor 6% from businesses 4% from pensions 2% from employment other than Rogun HPP (schools, health centers, public administration, etc.) The survey also showed that the majority of the household income was spent on food (approx. 70%). 7 The main form of land ownership, besides the household ownership, is dekhan farm in Tajikistan. Under the dekhan farms, the land remains state property (cannot be sold), however, farmers are granted inheritable land use rights that give legal freedom to manage the land as landholders wish. The state collects taxes and can repossess the land if it believes the land is not being managed properly. The three types of dekhan land are: (i) individual (land use certificate is held by the individual), (ii) family (certificate is held jointly) and (iii) collective (certificate details common property shareholders). 5
In the original villages, households used mainly land around their houses for subsistence farming (house gardens with vegetables and fruit trees) and in some cases additional land for farming i.e. dekhan farms, presidential land and leased land (approx. 38% of households). The majority of households also kept poultry and livestock (90%), as pasture land was widely available in the affected area. The Project RAP states that villages in the Rogun HPP project area from which affected people are relocating are not suitable for agriculture due to limited availability of suitable soils, difficult climatic conditions and no or only small scale irrigation. On the other hand, these areas are suitable for livestock (mainly cattle), with livestock husbandry on a low intensity level, based mainly on pasture. Pasture is readily available in the villages in the Rogun HPP project area 8. The situation for those people who relocate within the project area (Novi Saidon, Yoligarmova) will remain the same, where sufficient pasture land is available for continuing livestock husbandry in the same way. However, the situation in the urban areas in the plain (Tursunzade, Rudaki), which are agricultural areas is quite different. There, good agricultural land is available, with irrigation systems in place, for cultivation, however, pasture land is scarce and, if at all available, in a considerable distance to the new settlements. It is difficult or even impossible to continue, at these new sites, with the traditional form of livestock husbandry. More than 72% of affected people declared that they would like to receive livelihood restoration assistance, i.e. training, in their new places of residence. More than 40%, mostly men, would like to learn new farming techniques (e.g. production of cotton, vegetables and rice). Over 50% of women would like to attend courses in embroidery and 20% in cooking. In order to understand the overall number of potentially affected people in Stage 1 and the types of assistance that would need to be provided to them to restore livelihoods at the family level in their new places of residence, Table 4.1 was generated by combining data obtained through the 2011 census for 2,048 affected individuals and data on affected families per location (to where they resettled or will resettle), received from the RU. The data is only indicative and will have to be updated through the development of a census level data base as described in Section 7. Table 4.1 Employment of individuals based on the 2011 census data, per resettlement location Employment Rudaki Yoligarmova New Saidon Tursunzade TOTAL farmer 11 0 0 0 11 pensioner 59 12 21 28 120 business 16 2 4 4 26 worker 37 36 31 53 157 student 19 2 5 7 33 migrant worker 100 3 21 14 138 teacher 22 1 7 5 35 housekeeper 210 45 63 94 412 unemployed 70 10 30 48 158 8 see ESIA Main Report, Chapter 9 6
Employment Rudaki Yoligarmova ROGUN HPP ESIA New Saidon Tursunzade TOTAL other 6 1 0 2 9 Total over 16 years of age 550 112 182 255 1,099 Total under 16 years of age 429 132 151 237 949 TOTAL affected population 2,048 Source: 2011 census and RU (December 2014) 4.2 Summary of findings from the 2014 site visit and obtained during the development of the LRP 4.2.1 Key issues and constraints As explained earlier, some families (e.g. married sons and daughters with their children) who used to live as part of a household in old villages decided to opt for receiving their own, separate land plots and begin living independently in the new locations. From 289 households, 527 families have received the right to land plots for housing in new locations. Recognizing that these families will have to generate independent incomes and will have independent livelihood sources in most cases, it has been decided that livelihood restoration efforts must target families, not households. According to the HLA - Intermediate, in households, incomes were/are generated by only one (57%), two (19%) or three (24%) members. Incomes of all of the affected people have to be restored to pre-displacement levels, while at the same time, household members who were not previously engaged in generating the household income, who have opted to live independently with their families in the new locations, will have to be assisted to start generating incomes. One of the key challenges encountered during the development of the LRP was the lack of basic census data on all affected people, including their names, ages, educational status, skills, sources of livelihoods before and after relocation, levels of household incomes before and after relocation, preferences for future livelihood generation activities, etc. Data recorded in 2011 is outdated and the codes and information were at household not family level, preventing the planning of detailed livelihood restoration measures for each affected family. Another constraint was the fact that all data collected previously and audits that were or are being carried out, focused on households (as they were before relocation), while most of the households separated or will separate into families in new locations. No information at family level was previously recorded and as part of this assignment, there was no time for collecting relevant data at the level of individual and family. The development of an LRP separately from the RAP and RPF is challenging in itself, as naturally issues around physical displacement and impacts on livelihoods are completely intertwined, as are the mitigation measures, many of which must be undertaken in parallel. Since a part of the physical resettlement has already taken place, there has been a late start in addressing some of the livelihood restoration issues, which could lead to further deterioration of livelihoods and require additional efforts and funds for restoring livelihoods. According to the Jamoat representatives in Tursunzade and 7
Rudaki, resettlement is being implemented in three phases: a) construction of infrastructure, b) construction of houses and c) provision of access to employment, as the final phase which is about to begin. At the moment when this LRP was being developed, most people were oriented exclusively towards finalizing construction and the resettlement process and they stated that they have not had a chance to think about concrete livelihood opportunities in the new locations yet. During construction, families continued to rely on incomes of employed family members (at Rogun HPP or in other places), remittances from family members working abroad, sale of agricultural products, incomes of family members engaged on construction of community infrastructure, other houses, etc. Finally, it should be noted that the number of people whose livelihoods have been or will be impacted in Stage 1 is not significantly high. According to the 2011 census data, approximately 1,100 individuals are of working age (between 16 and 65). Taking into consideration that not all of them contributed to livelihood generation previously (young people in school, people not able to work) and that the main sources of income, i.e. employment in Rogun or local schools and, to a lesser extent remittances, have not been permanently disrupted or discontinued, the number of people who will require livelihood restoration assistance in Stage 1 will be manageable. 4.2.2 Impacts on livelihoods and potential risks Families which were met during the site visit were at different stages of resettlement and differences in how well they prepared for resettlement and adapted in their new environments were visible. While most of the affected people clearly articulated general reasons why they chose to relocate to particular sites (rural or urban), there is a risk that some of them who chose an urban setting did not manage to realistically assess their options and opportunities at the new sites. It was clear that many of them wanted to move to urban areas because they have expectations that they will have many more income generating opportunities, thus not having to engage in agriculture anymore. However, the risk is that they will not have the relevant skills for these available income earning opportunities (as discussed in Sections 1.2 and 4.1), which means that identifying income earning opportunities relevant in the urban contexts and relevant training will be a key tool for increasing their employability. According to the RAP all affected people are entitled to replacement agricultural and pasture land before relocation. However some of them who have moved to Rudaki in the summer of 2014 stated that they do not have replacement agricultural land yet. As mentioned further in this paragraph, the reason why they did not have the land yet, was not clearly established 9. Some families reported that they are still going back and using their old land 10 and according to the RU, they will be able to do so until the beginning of 2016. Some of them brought food produced at the previous location 9 This issue is discussed in the Household Level Audit Intermediate (HLA) 10 It should be noted that they are accruing costs in this process of going back and forth to use the land. The greatest distance between original villages and Novi Saidon is approx. 4 km, while to Yoligarmova, the greatest distance is approx. 16 km. The distance between the project area and Rudaki is approx. 110 km, while the distance to Tursunzade is approx. 170 km. 8
several months ago. Without access to new land, there is a risk that those who are not going back to use the agricultural land in their previous location will not be prepared for the upcoming year and will have to spend money on food that they previously were able to produce for the household. In this sense, providing people who want to continue to engage in agriculture with replacement agricultural land over winter 2014/2015 is critical to enable them to start production in spring 2015. Affected people are aware of the fact that for this entitlement to be realized they will need to submit an application to the Jamoat for the transfer of rights to land in their new place of residence. However it has not been clearly established how many did not apply because they are choosing to leave agricultural activities behind and how many are waiting for the RU to provide this entitlement to them 11. To ensure that all those who want replacement agricultural land are provided with it in accordance with the RAP, as a priority, the RU will proactively communicate with and visit all families who had/or still have land in old locations and provide support to them to prepare the necessary documentation and submit an application to the Jamoat. The RU will be in close communication with the Jamoat, until the process is finalized and the affected person obtains adequate replacement land as required under the RAP. Replacement agricultural land in the new location, for families that have resettled and want the land, will be provided before the next planting season. For those who have not resettled yet, replacement land will be provided prior to physical displacement. One of the most sensitive groups with regards to potential loss of livelihoods are women moving from rural areas into urban areas (Tursunzade and Rudaki). They were/are largely engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, including collection of nuts and berries, and following resettlement, opportunities for them to continue with these activities could be significantly reduced. While in most cases this food was produced for the household s own consumption, in cases of surplus, food was also sold, contributing to the family income. In both cases, the loss of these opportunities could impact family livelihoods. The women going to urban areas also reported that just because they were/are not working in the old villages, does not mean that they are not interested in working in the new resettlement locations. The RU recognizes women as an important target group and has expressed strong commitment to secure equal access to all employment / livelihood generation opportunities for women and men, including those in connection to Rogun HPP. Both positive and negative impacts on livelihoods, as a result of the project have been identified. However, certain impacts on livelihoods are not the result of the Project itself (and the need to physically relocate) but the result of affected people s own decisions about moving to urban environments and mismanagement of compensation funds. All these impacts are presented below in Table 4.2. 11 This issue is presented in the Household Level Audit Intermediate (HLA) 9
Table 4.2 Presentation of positive and negative impacts before and after resettlement ROGUN HPP ESIA BEFORE PHYSICAL RESETTLEMENT Past / current / Positive impacts / future opportunities Rural to rural Impacts already Opportunity to use house occurring for plots in both locations 141 families (current and future), i.e. have who will several small gardens, resettle to orchards Yoligarmova Increased number of job and Novi opportunities in construction Saidon (community infrastructure) Negative impacts / losses Rural to rural Dedication to construction of housing and therefore reduced number of HH members generating income (neglecting agriculture, return from work abroad and loss of remittances) Increased spending during construction (e.g. travel from/to new site) Impacts already occurred for 234 families who resettled to Rudaki and 21 who resettled to Tursunzade Impacts currently occurring for 103 families who will resettle to Tursunzade Rural to urban Opportunity to use house plots in both locations (current and future), i.e. have several small gardens, orchards Increased number of job opportunities in construction (community infrastructure) Impacts not resulting from the Project, but affected people s own decision to construct more than one house and of a better quality: Increased spending for construction of more than one house and further prolonging construction related impacts on livelihoods Increased spending for higher quality materials and construction of larger houses Rural to urban Dedication to construction of housing and therefore reduced number of HH members generating income (neglecting agriculture, return from work abroad) Increased spending during construction (travel from/to new site, separated expenditures for food, etc.) Impacts not resulting from the Project, but affected people s own decision to construct more than one house and of a better quality: Increased spending for construction of more than one house and further prolonging construction related impacts on livelihoods 10
AFTER PHYSICAL RESETTLEMENT Past / current / Positive impacts / future opportunities Rural to rural Impacts which Individual families have will occur for their own house plot. 141 families Surplus wood resulting from who will the ability to cut down trees resettle to which were already Yoligarmova compensated and Novi Increased quality and Saidon therefore value of homes No loss of jobs in Rogun HPP, in schools and medical centers More job opportunities in new schools and medical centers than in previous location No loss of opportunities for indirect employment associated with Rogun HPP Opportunities for agricultural and livestock production activities remain the same as in original locations Ability to continue using house plots in old location until 2016 Increased number of job opportunities in construction (community infrastructure) in new villages, as part of Stage 2 resettlement Increased spending for higher quality materials and construction of larger houses Negative impacts / losses Rural to rural Family house plots are not next to each other, as they were provided through the lottery system, thus affecting agricultural productivity Impacts not resulting from the Project, but affected people s own decisions: Separation of households into families (new households) and loss of shared incomes and expenditures Impacts currently occurring for 234 families who resettled to Rudaki and 21 who resettled to Tursunzade Impacts which Rural to urban Individual families have their own house plot. Surplus wood resulting from the ability to cut down trees which were already compensated Increased quality of homes and better location, leading to higher value of homes No loss of jobs in Rogun Rural to urban Family house plots are not next to each other, as they were provided through the lottery system, thus affecting agricultural productivity Increased expenses of traveling to old location to cultivate land (if replacement land has not been provided) 11
will occur for 103 families who will resettle to Tursunzade HPP, in schools and medical centers More job opportunities in new schools and medical centers than in previous location New training/educational and job opportunities in urban settings, including for women and young people Access to better quality and irrigated agricultural land and opportunity to generate more income Increased number of job opportunities in construction (community infrastructure) in new town or nearby ROGUN HPP ESIA Impacts arising as a result of relocation from rural to urban settings and affected people s own decisions to construct more than one house: Increased cost of living in urban settings Separation of households into families (new households) and loss of shared incomes and expenditures Loss of access to pasture land and ability to keep livestock and produce for household consumption and sale of surplus Loss of opportunity for indirect livelihood generation from Rogun HPP (i.e. construction workers purchasing food directly in the villages) Loss of ability for women to engage in agriculture and generate livelihoods, if the household decides not to engage in agriculture in new location Loss of ability to informally use land which is outside their formally owned land, as a result of less free land being available in new locations Increased costs for use of agricultural land, as it will most likely be further away from house (i.e. costs of transport) Need for completing additional training or re-training to gain new skills needed for generating income in an urban environment (see Sections 1.2 and 4.1) 4.2.3 Livelihood restoration activities already undertaken Recognizing the importance of maintaining streams of income for families who are relocating as a result of the Project and in line with the commitment of the GoT for securing employment of affected people, several activities have been undertaken in that direction so far. 12
One of the initial key activities was the presentation of available project sites and the main characteristics of each site, to enable affected people to make informed decisions on where they want to go and what opportunities they will have there. According to the HLA Intermediate, each HH has been given the option to choose the site of destination, as confirmed by 97% of the HH interviewed. The same 97% of the HH interviewed indicated that they had been given information on the resettlement site. However, the extent to which the information was sufficient vis-àvis availability of land, cost of living, etc., is not known. As one of the key sources of income for a significant number of households has been employment in Rogun HPP, practical measures have been taken to ensure this employment continues even after physical displacement. Workers who have moved to Tursunzade and Rudaki are now working in 15 day shifts and are being provided with organized transport to and from work and per diems. As reported by the RU, 104 individuals are working in HPP Rogun at present. According to their new place of residence (current and future), the breakdown is as follows: Tursunzade 43 Rudaki - 6 Yoligarmova - 35 Novi Saidon 20 Although there was no precise registry at the time of developing the LRP, it has been noted through discussions with various stakeholders that in new locations some individuals already managed to engage in construction, both on settlement infrastructure (schools, health care centers, roads, etc.) and privately for other individuals, some continued to work abroad and some engaged in other temporary informal jobs. In addition, some individuals have already been employed in new schools and health care centers in Tursunzade and Rudaki. This includes both individuals who had the same jobs in the original villages and newly employed individuals. All those who lost jobs in the original villages, in schools and health care centers, were given new jobs in the new locations and almost all of them accepted these jobs. In Tursunzade, a total of 18 resettled people have been employed (7 teachers and 11 technical staff), while for Rudaki, the information was not available. 4.3 Planned and identified potential livelihood restoration activities 4.3.1 Characteristics of resettlement sites and opportunities from a livelihood restoration perspective As mentioned in previous sections, most of the affected people made decisions as to where they want to relocate based on certain expectations of livelihood generation opportunities in new resettlement sites. They can be presented as belonging to two groups: Rural to urban resettlement (i.e. from the project affected area to Tursunzade and Rudaki) the affected people having expectations that they will be able to a) continue in their previous employment, particularly in Rogun HPP, b) find 13
new employment opportunities (e.g. industrial employment in Tursunzade) and c) that there will be more opportunities for their children, to access educational facilities and a broad range of employment opportunities leading to an improved living standard. Rural to rural resettlement (i.e. from the project affected area to Yoligarmova and Novi Saidon in the Rogun district) the affected people wishing to continue with the same livelihood generating activities as before, i.e. agriculture and animal husbandry, with more opportunities arising from the Rogun HPP project in the general area, including development of fisheries and tourism. As shown in the previous section of the LRP, Rogun HPP is an important source of employment for many affected people and it is hoped that it will continue to be, in the upcoming years, as the project progresses. It will be important for the RU to undertake all possible measures to ensure that affected people have access to new jobs in Rogun HPP. This will be done in close cooperation with Rogun HPP and all subcontractors. When developing individual livelihood restoration assistance plans particular attention will be placed on screening potential candidates for work on the project or for training, which would enable them to work there. Lists of potential employment candidates recorded by the census as affected by Stage 1 resettlement will be regularly exchanged with Rogun HPP and all subcontractors, for consideration for available employment opportunities. Where possible, the RU will suggest to Rogun HPP and the subcontractors, that in case two candidates apply for the same position and they are at the same level of qualification, priority is given to an eligible project affected person. On future resettlement sites, construction jobs (e.g. community infrastructure, housing) will be awarded by the RU and therefore the RU will provide priority access to jobs to project affected people. With regards to provision of replacement agricultural land, according to information received from the relevant Jamoat representatives, 100 ha of agricultural land are available in Rudaki district, while in Tursunzade district, 350 ha of agricultural land are available. In Yoligarmova and Novi Saidon, agricultural land is not widely available (as is the case in original villages from which people have/will resettle), however pasture land is available and so the resettled families will have access to it and be able to continue with animal husbandry. In the event that some resettled people decide to move to urban areas because they do not want to continue agricultural activities, they will be assisted through other available measures for restoring livelihoods, as presented in the entitlements matrix. Other opportunities in new places of residence include known jobs in new schools and health care centers. Table 4.3 shows the estimated job opportunities in new schools and health care centers in each location. It should be noted that some of the positions have already been filled by resettled people, as well as people from the host community (in Tursunzade and Rudaki). The RU has and will continue to ensure that resettled people have priority in accessing employment in these institutions. 14
Table 4.3 Estimated job opportunities in schools and health centers in each location ROGUN HPP ESIA Resettlement Opportunities in new schools location Tursunzade one school with capacity for 1,200 students approximately 100 teachers and other educational staff; 40 technical staff Rudaki two schools with a total capacity for 520 students approximately 40 teachers and other educational staff; 20 technical staff Yoligarmova one school with capacity for 330 students approximately 20 teachers and other educational staff; 10 technical staff Novi Saidon one school with capacity for 320 students approximately 20 teachers and other educational staff; 10 technical staff Source: RU, December 2014 Opportunities in new health care centers one health care center 2 medical and 2 technical staff members two health care centers 4 medical and 4 technical staff members one health care center 2 medical and 2 technical staff members one health care center 2 medical and 2 technical staff Some site specific opportunities also exist, such as the Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO) in Tursunzade, which is a major employer in the area and could potentially provide an opportunity for affected people resettled to this location. It should be noted that TALCO is presently not working to full capacity and therefore new employment may not be possible at this time. The GoT however has adopted a certain program of measures to support this plant and a restructuring plan is underway. Whilst it may not be an opportunity for a significant number of people, some could find their livelihood from this plant in the future. Having in mind the average educational status of affected people (see Section 4.1), opportunities may be limited to unskilled or low skilled positions such as cleaning staff, security jobs, drivers, cooks, etc. 4.3.2 Livelihood restoration implementation partners The Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of Population and the Employment Agency The GoT is committed to assisting people to access employment opportunities in their new places of residence, which is reflected in the Rogun Resettlement Law and the program of the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of Population and the Employment Agency for 2014-2015. Although this is a nation wide program, it also presents a basis for providing individuals who are being resettled as a result of the Rogun HPP project to access various types of assistance being offered. This Program has the following objectives: Promoting employment of people who are not competitive in the labor market Promoting youth employment Promoting women s employment Adaptation of the workforce to the needs of the labor market Consulting services and financial support for the unemployed in the development of small and medium businesses During 2014-2015 under this program an estimated 398,400 individuals in the country are planned to be covered by various types of assistance: 15
direct employment through the employment agency permanent jobs in enterprises and organizations job fairs training and retraining (see Table 6.2 for the list of trainings) execution of public works loans for organizing their own business unemployment benefits, etc. Direct employment opportunities ROGUN HPP ESIA At present, in the affected regions there are open job vacancies available through the Employment Agency, as presented in the Table 4.4 below: Table 4.4 Current number of job vacancies in the affected areas per sector Industry Construction Agriculture Transport and Communications Education Healthcare Trade and Food Housing and communal Other industries Total Rudaki 50-22 - 17 49 11 10 52 211 Rogun - 63 1 3 6 9 - - 27 109 Tursunzade 920 - - - - 2 - - 1 923 Total: 970 63 23 3 23 60 11 10 80 1,243 Source: MLMEP, December 2014 An even more precise table that shows the detailed job vacancies available in Rudaki at the time of finalizing this LRP is provided in Table 4.5 below. It also shows the employer, the deadline by which the application has to be submitted and the salary level. This type of data can be found at the website of the national data base of vacancies of the MLMEP (http://www.kor.tj/ru) and the same type and level of information exists for other regions. Table 4.5 Detailed list of current job vacancies in Rudaki # Name of Job Employer Deadline for Salary applications 1 pediatrician ЧДММ Сино 2014-12-31 289 TJS 2 Medical nurse ЧДММ Сино 2014-12-31 394 TJS 3 family doctor Health Center 2014-12-31 350 TJS 4 TB specialist Clinic 2014-12-31 680 TJS 5 Medical nurse Clinic 2014-12-31 6 sanitarian Central Hospital 2014-12-31 281 TJS 7 Cook Central hospital 2014-12-31 300 TJS 8 Cleaner Central hospital 2014-12-31 250 TJS 9 Pediatrician and test Central hospital 2014-12-31 250 TJS specialist 10 Guard Water supply and 2014-12-31 330 TJS sewerage company 11 Computer specialist Water supply and 2014-12-31 Negotiable 16
# Name of Job Employer Deadline for Salary applications sewerage company salary 12 Water Inspector Water supply and sewerage company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 13 Water distributor Water supply and sewerage company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 14 Engineer Water supply and sewerage company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 15 Secretary Technical College 2014-12-31 300 TJS 16 Teacher of Tajik Language Local department of 2014-12-31 600 TJS and Literature Ministry of Education 17 Teacher of Russian Local department of 2014-12-31 600 TJS Language Ministry of Education 18 Teacher of Biology Local department of 2014-12-31 600 TJS Ministry of Education 19 HR Manager Angara Company 2014-12-31 800 TJS 20 Electrician Fayzrez Company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 21 Driver Central Hospital 2014-12-31 300 TJS 22 Teacher of physics, astronomy and chemistry Local department of Ministry of Education 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 23 Driver Technical College 2014-12-31 400 TJS 24 Lawyer and Accountant Hosilot company 2014-12-31 850 TJS 25 Driver development of 2014-12-31 471 TJS geology and expedition 26 Blacksmith Bunyodkor Company 2014-12-31 650 TJS 27 Cook development of 2014-12-31 264 TJS geology and expedition 28 Guard Bunyodkor Company 2014-12-31 337 TJS 29 Electrician Sangsoz Company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 30 Operator and blacksmith Farroz Company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 31 Typist Gafro Agregat Company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 32 Worker Sangi Daryo Company 450 TJS 33 Electrician District Power Company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 34 Driver District Power Company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 35 Driver Farroz Company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 36 Specialist Farroz Company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 37 Head of brigade Farroz Company 2014-12-31 Negotiable salary 38 Builder Bunyodkor Company 2014-12-31 650 TJS 39 Brick masonry specialist Bunyodkor Company 2014-12-31 337 TJS Source: national data base of vacancies of the MLMEP (http://www.kor.tj/ru) on 18.12.2014. Job fairs Job fairs are organized periodically on the basis of available jobs provided by companies and organizations in the Employment Agency. Data on job vacancies is collected by a representative of the center in the relevant locality through direct communication with companies, enterprises, etc. Information on job fairs is 17
distributed through the media, information points and through the website of the national data base of vacancies of the MLMEP (http://www.kor.tj/ru). In addition, this data is available to the unemployed and job seekers directly in the Employment Agency. Usually, representatives of all businesses and organizations who provide data on job vacancies are invited to participate in the job fairs. Job fairs are organized locally in districts and their duration is from 3 to 5 hours 12. Trainings Table 4.6 shows the number of people who received training and/or were employed through the Employment Agency in 2013 and in the first three quarters of 2014, in the three districts where affected people have or will resettle to. The table is provided to demonstrate the efficiency of services provided. Table 4.6 Training and/or employment in 2013 and 2014 through the Employment Agency Attendance of training (adult education) Employed through the Employment Agency District 2013 2014 2013 2014 Rogun 1203 872 297 288 Tursunzade 1877 2005 603 838 Rudaki 2,362 2,362 921 494 Source: MLMEP, December 2014 Interest free loans Interest-free loans 13 are provided to unemployed individuals who officially register in the offices of the Employment Service. Loans are provided in three areas: small businesses 4,000 TJS for a period of one year services 5,200 TJS for a period of one year small production 7,200 TJS for a period of one and a half years Other potential livelihood implementation partners During the development of the LRP, other existing opportunities for partnerships in restoring livelihoods for affected people were explored. Contacts with international agencies, microfinance institutions and local organizations were made, however no definite opportunities for cooperation with the RU have been identified yet. (A list of contacted organizations is provided in Annex 2.) Nevertheless, the RU will as part of its work on livelihood restoration under the LRP and especially after the development 12 For example in 2012, 18 job fairs were organized only in Dushanbe. 770 people were employed, while 280 were sent to training courses. 13 In the first 11 months of 2014, 3,505 individuals were provided with loans in the total amount of 11.6 million TJS, which constitutes approx. 8% of the officially registered unemployed persons in the Employment Service. 18