Development of Guidelines

For Environmentally and socially

Acceptable Reclamation Project

In

Coastal and Lakeshore Areas

Terms of Reference

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1. Introduction

1.1 Problem statement

The Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR), is responsible

for the management of land and water resources in the Philippines. In the
Philippines, especially in the coastal area of manila Bay and Lake Shore area of
Laguna de Bay spatial on the land increases due to population growth and,
related economic activities water pollution in the area increases. The discharges
of waste waters and the run off of polluted water from land surfaces have an
adverse effect on water and sediment quality. Since Laguna de Bay is the main
source of fresh water for public water supply in the area, the deteriorating water
quality aggravates the water supply problem.

Dredge sediments can be used to reclaim new land along the sea lake shorelines
in the Philippines. The land reclamation Projects create space for land based
activities, so reducing spatial pressure in the area/However, land reclamation has
adverse effects on the water and land system as well and as, a consequence, on
the land and water based user functions.

The costs and benefits of land reclamation are borne by respectively distributed
over government, interest groups and Social groups. This affects welfare level
and income distribution. Depending on the way interest and social groups
participate in the projects and are entitled to start activities on the newly
reclaimed land the projects contribute to a higher or lesser degree to poverty
abatement and the development of social groups that lag behind.

To reduce, mitigate or offset the adverse effects of land reclamation on the

environment and the society DENR is trying to develop environmental sound,
economic and socially acceptable ways of reclaiming land.

1.2 Impact on water system

Dredging of sediment and dumping dredge spoils in water systems changes

water depths and water circulation patterns. Also due to dredging and spoils
dumping the concentration of suspended matter in the water phase will increase
which in its turn affects algae growth and fish and bird predators, fishing on sight.
So both water quality and ecosystem quality are affected. In lakes as Laguna de
Bay land reclamation may also affect the availability of fresh water of good
quality.

Land reclaimed from the lake or from the sea will be used for different activities
smaller or larger amounts of more or less polluted waste will be discharged to the
lake/sea. The run off and wash away of polluted water from land surfaces

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increases the total pollution load. The water pollution has an adverse impact on
water and sediment quality and as a result on ecosystems.

Not only the impacts of land reclamation on the water system (fresh water
quality, quality, aquatic and related terrestrial ecosystems) have to be
investigated, of equal importance is that mitigating measures to minimize and/or
to compensate possible adverse effects are identified and analyzed.

1.3 Impact on land system

Reclamation land from water affects the surface water and groundwater system
and the shore line configuration. Groundwater levels may change near the new
land areas. Saline water intrusion may change as well.

The economic activities that will develop on the reclaimed land also influence the
land system. Air, soil quality and groundwater quality may be affected with
successive consequences for land and shore line ecosystems.

The impacts of land reclamation on the land coastal system (air, soil- and
groundwater quality, terrestrial ecosystems) have to be investigated. Mitigating
measures must be identified and annualized to minimize and/or to compensate
possible adverse effects.

1.4 Impact on user function

Lakes as Laguna de Bay mean important sources of water for public water
supply, Agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, water recreation and nature in the lake
and in the area surrounding the lake also benefit from an optimal fresh water
quality. Shipping is favored be sufficient water depths and undisturbed passages.

In sea shipping and fisheries and along the shore line also recreation may be
affected by land reclamation. On the reclaimed land housing, industry, agriculture
and traffic will develop.

All these user functions either benefit or are affected by the land reclamation in
different ways. As a secondary effect functions might be affected by activities of
other functions. The impact reclamation of the user functions ( of the, the sea, the
shore line and the land) have to be investigated. Secondary impacts must be
assessed and mitigating measures must be identified and analyzed to maximize
benefits and minimize and/or to compensate possible harmful effects.

1.5 Social aspects

Newly reclaimed land provides opportunities for economic activities and

economic development. The way and the extent in which society as a whole
benefits from the land reclamation depends on the degree of participation of

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interest and social groups in project development and availability of finds for
specific groups to be able to make investment and start activities. The degree of
participation, the accessibility of funds and also the availability of information on
the projects (goals, progress, layout, and planned activities) are important factors
for making the projects successful, especially in abating poverty. Moreover social
groups that lag behind must be stimulated to start activities on the new land.

The social aspects of the land reclamation projects must be made clear. The
impact on the income distribution must be investigated. Also a clear
understanding is needed of the opportunities of social worker groups to benefit
from the projects and to develop. In this respect the way in which the different
actors, interest and social groups are involved in decision making and are offered
opportunities to start activities is relevant. Attention must be given to cultural,
legal and institutional aspects that place certain social groups in a back stage
position. The possibilities to improve the position of specific groups in society
must be determined. The effects of these development opportunities must be
analyzed.

2. Objectives of the elopement of specific guidelines

Due to the increasing spatial pressure in the area around, Manila land
reclamation to relieve the pressure and to offer opportunities for economic
development becomes more and more promising. However, land reclamation
can also have, and actually has, adverse effects on the environment (air,- water-,
soil- and ecosystem quality) and society, with this in mind DENR is searching for
environmental sound, and economic and socially acceptable ways of reclaiming
land.

The objective of the present study re as follows:

1. to compile a report: “Guidelines for environmentally and socially acceptable

reclamation projects in coastal and lakeshore areas”
2. to ensure that the report is applicable and appropriate for use within the local
regulatory and institutional setting in the Philippines.
3. to ensure, as far as possible, given the context of the regulatory and
institutional setting, that the guidelines follows accepted European and
International procedures.
4. To ensure that the Guidelines can be monitored and regularly adjusted and
updated by the Philippines Government.
5. To advise the Philippines government on the use (type of projects,
geographical areas), application (stages, phases, phases e.g. prefeasibility,
feasibility, preliminary design, final, design etc.), procedures and maintenance
of the Guidelines.

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Concerning the content of the Guidelines, it is expected that reference will be
made in the Guidelines to the following activities, which have to be conducted by
a developer, planner, consultant, contractor etc. With elaboration of the following;

 To determine the baseline conditions for the water and land system and the
user functions involved and where considered relevant estimate autonomous
developments.
 To develop alternative land reclamation projects and identify the most
promising ones by applying a screening procedure;
 To determine the impacts on the water system (fresh water availability, water
and ecosystem quality) and on the land system (air-, soil-, groundwater- and
ecosystem quality);
 To identify and analyses mitigating measures to prevent or compensate
adverse effects on the water and land systems;
 To determine the impacts on user functions (in the lake, on sea, and on land);
 To identify and analyses possible measures to improve the economic and/or
financial feasibility;
 To determine the relevant social aspects of the project (contribution to the
improvement of the welfare level and the inconnu a distribution, contribution
to poverty abatement and development of social groups that are behind);
 To identify and analyse possible measures to improve the social aspects;
 To determine if and to what extent the project and the impacts of the project
(environmental, economic, financial and social) are in line with the principles
of sustainable development;
 To identify and analyse possible measures to improve adherence to the
principles of sustainable development;
 To determined the need for monitoring.

The guidelines must be written in a clear, unambiguous and conveniently

arranged way.

3. Method statement

In drafting the Guidelines the Consultant shall not limit himself to the aspects
described in this TOR. If other aspects are considered of importance they can be
indicated in the proposal. Also, the Consultant may comment on this TOR and, if
considered necessary, in his proposal he may make amendments to the TOR.

In the Guidelines attention must be paid to the identification of basic data and the
need for collection and analysis of these data if not available. The basic data can
be used among others to identify major impacts. The availability of these data in
an early stage contributes to an efficient planning and execution of a land
reclamation plan. Also attention must be given to public participating in
developing and screening the alternative land reclamation projects.

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In developing and screening alternative land reclamation projects, and in a later
stage, the evaluation of the promising alternatives the impacts of the projects
must be compared to standards, threshold values and other restrictions. Violation
of standards, etc., principally, is not allowed. In that case mitigating measures
must be identified and analysed. The Guidelines must pay attention to the
screening procedures and procedures to evaluate alternatives.

In the Guidelines a distinction must be made between effects and aspects that
are probably significant and those that are probably less relevant. In case it is
difficult to make this distinction at forehand a procedure must be prescribed
which tells how to do this in the planning stages of the project.

Guidelines already have been developed for natural resources development and
other projects in Asia. Existing Asian guideline should be used to draft the
guidelines for the land reclamation projects, e.g.:

 Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines for Water Resources

Development, United Nations/ESCAP:
 Environmental guidelines for selected agricultural and natural resources
development projects, ADB;
 Handbook for Incorporation of Social Dimensions in Project, ADB.

Also it is useful to discuss the development of the guidelines and the results with
representatives of the Commission on Environmental Impact Assessment in The
Netherlands, as this commission has a long listing experience in evaluating
Environmental Impact Assessment studies. Institution in the Philippines also may
be involved in the development process.

4. Scope of consultant Service

The scope of work comprises the drafting of the guidelines. It includes but is not
necessarily limited to the description of the following items:

4.1 General background and scope of the guidelines

The consultation shall describe the rules of the guidelines, the purpose, the kind
of projects and the geographic area to which the guidelines apply. The different
stages in planning and development of land reclamation projects have to be
indicated. Which part of the Guidelines refers to which stage of the project has to
be made clear. The terminology used in the guidelines has to be in line with
current international practice.

The consultant shall describe the authorities, interest groups and social groups
that will be involved in project planning and execution. How and when (in what
stages) each of them participated will be described.

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The Consultant shall describe the laws and regulations that are commensurate
for the land reclamation projects. Social and cultural institutions that may affect
the economic and financial feasibility or may be important for other aspects in
planning the projects shall be described as well.

The Consultant shall describe the determination of the base line conditions (land
and water system, user functions) and the development and screening of
alternative land reclamation projects to identify the promising ones.

4.2 Impacts to be identified and analysed

The consultant shall describe the impacts on water systems to be investigated,

not only during construction of the new land sites but also afterwards when the
land site are used for the planned activities. It includes the impacts on fresh
water availability (e.g. in Laguna de Bay), on water movement and water depth,
on water quality, and on ecosystem quality (aquatic and terrestrial).

The consultant shall describe the impacts on land systems to be investigated,

both during the construction phase and afterwards when the new land sites are
used for the planned activities. It includes air-, groundwater- and soil quality,
groundwater levels and magnitude of the fresh water acquifers, salt intrusion,
and terrestrial ecosystem.

The consultant shall describe the impacts on user functions to be investigated,

also during construction and afterwards when the land sites are used. For each
existing and potential function that may face impacts the impacts shall be
described. The guidelines shall also deal with secondary economic impacts: to
what extent have changes in cost and benefit figure effects on the economic
position (profitability) of user functions.

The Consultant shall describe the social aspects to be investigated. Changes in

income distribution and opportunities to abate poverty both during the
construction phase as afterwards when the land sites are used shall be
described. Effects on human health condition and other aspects that may be
considered important shall be describe as well.

Where considered useful the consultant shall indicate threshold values and other
restrictions for impacts and aspects to be investigated. The Consultant shall
compile checklists for all above mentioned effects and aspects to be investigated
and analysed. Where considered useful and applicable a distinction shall be
made between significant and less relevant effects and aspects. The consultant
shall indicate the method that has to be applied to determine specific impacts.
Depending on the stage in the planning and development of land reclamation
project more or less elaborate checklists may be used.

4.3 Economic and financial feasibility

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The consultant shall describe in what way and how accurate the economic and
financial feasibility of land reclamation projects must be determined. Also
threshold values for the benefit-cost ratios and/or other profitability indicator will
be determined. Uncertainties in the estimation of costs and benefits need special
attention.

4.4 Identification and analysis of mitigating measures and measures to

improve the performance

The Consultant shall describe that mitigating measures and measures to improve
the performance of a land reclamation must be identified and analysed. The aim
of mitigating measures is to decrease and/or compensate possible detrimental
effects (on the water system, on the land system, and on user functions) and
aspects (social), Performance measures are meant to increase or improve
positive effects (economic, financial, and social).

The consultant shall compile checklist of possible and promising measures and
shall indicate how and to what extent mitigating and performance measures must
be analysed.

4.5 Adherence with principles of sustainable development

The Consultant shall describe that land reclamation must be evaluated on the
degree of adherence with the principles of sustainable development. It means
that the ‘balance’ between economic and financial aspects, impacts on nature,
and social aspects must be evaluated in a qualitative way. In consultation with
the authorities involved in planning and decision making of the land reclamation
projects an method shall be described for the evaluation.

4.6 Monitoring

Because of uncertainties involved in estimating and predicting the effects and

aspects of land reclamation projects some continuing monitoring usually will be
need for assessing the actual effects and aspects during construction of the land
site and afterwards when the land sites are used. The monitoring which is
needed may involve physical, chemical and biological and also socio0economic
parameters. The Consultant shall describe the need of monitoring programmers
and if considered useful details of the programme as frequency, etc.

5. Time and budget

The proposal for drafting the guidelines should be delivered to DENR not later
than ….
Drafting the guidelines should be completed within a period of 12 months from
….

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The estimated budget allowance for drafting the guidelines is approximately Dfl
450,000. For this amount it is expected that the guidelines for land reclamation
projects can be developed and drawn up.

Questions on any aspect of the proposed drafting of the guidelines should be

addressed to.

To focus the study to include:

1. The guidelines to be developed will be integrated into the requirements of

the EIA System which has it built – in the monitoring system.
2. Detoured breakdown of estimated budgeting requirements.
3. Identify other alternative filling materials and determine reclamation
method for each type of filling materials and sequence of the reclamation
works.