MCA-Mongolia Environmental and Social Performance (ESP) mission activities and commitments are to uphold a high standard of environmental and social performances aligned with Mongolian laws and regulations as well as international good practices as codified in the MCC Guidelines and IFC Performance Standards.
Within the framework of Water Supply project, Environmental Social Impact Assessment, Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment, Resettlement and Land acquisition activities will be conducted in consistent with environmental and social safeguard laws of Mongolia, MCC Environmental Guidelines, IFC Performance Standards (as of 2012), and MCC Gender Policy and Guidelines. This is critical for contributing to the smooth running of the project, ensuring health and safety of the project affected communities, stakeholders, providing efficient participation of the parties and sustainability of the environment and nature.
The following ESP activities will be conducted:
1. Environmental Baseline Assessment (EBA), Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) will be developed in order to document the existing conditions of the natural and human environments, and assess the potential environmental and social impacts that could result from implementation of the Water Supply Project under the Water Compact;
2. Environmental Social Management Plans (ESMP) will be prepared to specify mitigation measures and associated monitorings to be implemented during construction, operation stages, and maintenance to avoid, eliminate and reduce potential adverse effects;
3. The Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) will be developed and implemented to specify the procedures that will be followed and the actions taken to mitigate adverse effects, compensate losses, and improve benefits to those people and entities affected by the project activities through physical displacement.
MCA-Mongolia is in the stage of developing Environmental Social Management System (ESMS) to manage environmental and social risks and impacts related to the implementation of all the Projects developed under the Water Compact. It defines a continuous process initiated and supported by MCA-Mongolia management which involves MCA-Mongolia staff, contractors, local communities directly affected by the project activities, and other stakeholders, such as government and non-government organizations, private industries, and women’s groups. This document entails a methodological approach of “plan, do, check, and act,” handling environmental and social risks and impacts in a structured way and on an ongoing basis. This document will be approved by the Board and available soon.