CSAIL?s current and proposed wind and solar developments in Pakistan are along the same wind corridor in the southern part of Pakistan, distanced from populated areas along the national irrigation channel, and are located in desert areas and thus not expected to result in economic or physical displacement.

Most of CSAIL?s developments, especially the hydro projects, in Pakistan are at an early stage. The proposed hydro projects are two cascades located at high attitude in very steep valleys along the Jhelum River. Despite the large size of these proposed projects, requirements for physical relocation and agricultural land acquisition have been minimized through adoption of run-of-river designs. Based on existing local EIA documentation, there is no evidence that people living in the vicinity of the project sites depend on the river as a source of fish or irrigation water. Land acquisition to date is limited to facilitating exploration and is under temporary leasing terms through market-based transactions. 

CSAIL?s project-level land acquisition and resettlement process in Pakistan will be undertaken via a government-led process in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act. Local government will be responsible for identifying land for project development, negotiating with all affected people, and relocating and compensating project affected people and communities. The legal framework on land acquisition and involuntary resettlement in Pakistan is comprehensive, with articulated requirements on replacement cost, establishment of socio-economic baselines and livelihood restoration. This legal framework is based on one law and two supplemental governing/reference documents: 1) Land Acquisition Act 1894, 2) Project Implementation and Resettlement of the Affected Persons Ordinance 2001, and 3) National Resettlement Policy Draft 2002. The Land Acquisition Act comprises 55 sections pertaining to area notification and surveys, acquisition, compensation and apportionment, awards and disputes resolution, penalties and exemptions. The Ordinance is a supplemental standard procedure to incorporate specific local conditions into resettlement and compensation considerations. However, the interpretation and implementation of the Act can vary at the Provincial level, leading to variable compensation and resettlement packages and procedures on the ground. The National Resettlement Policy and its supplemental guidelines drafted in 2002 provide a more consistent approach and inclusive measures to address adverse social impacts result from land acquisition and detailed planning and implementation. 

The potential for physical relocation and land acquisition is first identified in the EIA process through site survey and modeling, and a socio-economic baseline and legal framework are established in the EIA. As part of IFC?s investment, a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) will be developed for each project expected to result in physical and/or economic displacement. All RAPs will be prepared by competent resettlement practitioners in compliance with IFC?s PS 5 on Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement and will be finalized prior to permanent land disturbance. The RAP will outline resettlement and entitlement determination and will lay out clearly defined roles and responsibilities for implementing the RAP. It is likely that a land acquisition & resettlement committee will be formed for each project with key members representing relevant governmental agencies, local community representatives and Project personnel. These committees will oversee land acquisition, compensation disbursement, and resettlement throughout the process of planning, implementation and monitoring of land acquisition and resettlement.  

CSAIL?s future compliance with IFC PS5 will be achieved through the development and implementation of such project-specific RAPs as well as any supplemental actions required to bridge potential gaps between Pakistani and IFC resettlement requirements, for example the establishment of resettlement monitoring and evaluation programs.

The two proposed CSAIL hydropower projects have local EIAs developed in 2009 and 2010, respectively, i.e. before CWEI?s engagement in those projects. The project at the most advanced stage is the 720 MW Karot Hydro power project in Rawalpindi district, Punjab province. Findings from the socio-economic baseline in the 2009 EIA for the Karot project concluded that there is no industrial activity in the project area; the predominant household income is from male household members working as unskilled laborers in the construction and transport sectors outside the valley, supplemented by subsistence farming of maize, vegetables, wheat, fruits and domestic animals. CSAIL have been conducting several detailed surveys since it took over ownership of the Karot project in July 2013. Data collected from these surveys in late 2013 suggested that a total of 40 acres of agricultural land in Gorah Village and residential land in Karot village will be impacted, resulting in physical and/or economic displacement of up to 100 households including shop owners, and local infrastructure such as roads and bridges. The detailed engineering study will be completed for Karot by the end of January 2014, and the result will be used to update the socio-economic baseline. Construction is expected in February 2015, for a total of 6 years. Requirements for physical relocation are mainly related to the development of a complex comprising of a construction camp, laydown area and power house. Completion of physical relocation is planned before the completion of EPC tendering. CWEI has commenced a process with the local government of finding alternative relocation sites and has planned to engage with competent resettlement specialists throughout the resettlement process. As part of IFC?s investment, the Karot RAP will be finalized before the commencement of the construction of the complex (in late 2014). 

The Karot RAP will also be used to develop a Resettlement Action Framework (RAF). The RAF is a part of CSAIL?s E&S management plan to provide principles, guidance, and tools to develop CSAIL project specific RAP (ESAP Action No. 8).

The second possible hydro project in the pipeline is 1,100MW Kohala located at 174 km from Islamabad, which is at a relatively early stage of development. This project is a public-to-private transfer project and currently is in the process of EIA preparation. It is estimated at this stage that a total of 100-200 households will need to be physically relocated mainly for the development of a power house and project camp site. Earliest construction is expected in 2016, for a total of 6 years.