Kabul, Afghanistan, May 30, 2016

The Aim Texas Overseas Management Group has been shortlisted in the tender for providing consulting services on preparation of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for CASA-100 Project Afghanistan Segment, which comprises of approximately 550 km high voltage power transmission line from Tajikistan through Afghanistan to Peshaver, Pakistan.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) has been addressed to the following shortlisted Consultants:

No	Name of Consultant	Type of association	Leading partner	Country of Incorporation
					1	Aim Texas Trading, LLC	Sole	NA	USA
2	Adam Smith International	Sole	NA	UK
3	Resources Development consultant Pvt. Ltd. [Lead], in association with Afghan Youth Organization [Sub-Consultant] and GHANI Consultancy Services [Sub-Consultant]	Sub-Consultancy	Resources Development consultant Pvt. Ltd.	Sri Lanka
4	FICHTNER GmbH & Co. KG	Sole	NA	Germany
5	Pakistan Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd. [Lead] Integration Management Consulting Services [Sub-Consultant]	Sub consultancy	Pakistan Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd. [Lead]	Pakistan Afghanistan
6	Societa Italiano di Monitoraggio SpA [Lead member] State Helps Consultancy Co. [Sub-consultant]	Sub consultancy	Societa Italiano di Monitoraggio SpA [Lead member]	Italy Afghanistan

ESIA to be prepared shall be in full compliance with National policies and legislation, and World Bank (and other participating IFIs) Safeguard Policies and standards. In accordance with WB practices, it is customary for the Client to be responsible for conducting the ESIA for projects that are being financed. It is therefore likely independent ESIA Consultants should be engaged to undertake the ESIA.

While conducting the ESIA the Consultant might use the Integrated Biodiversity Evaluation Instrument (IBEI) which was developed by IUCN, UNEP World Environmental Monitoring Center, International Protection Company and International Bird Protection Association to check whether any significant biodiversity areas are located within the vicinity to or on the proposed TL site. This is a useful resource for selection in developing the map of high- value biodiversity areas (many of which correspond with Critical Natural Habitats) within the Project area. Based on the IBEI results it will be necessary to focus the site visits and investigations, as well as consultations with relevant national authorities, NGOs, individual experts and local communities.

The ESIA will assess the project’s negative impact on the following aspects:

• Air and Climate
• Noise and Vibration
• Aesthetic and visual resources
• Biological Resources
• Aquatic and terrestrial wildlife/fauna and associated ecosystems
• Endangered or Threatened Species
• Protected Areas and important Natural Habitats
• Social‐Economic‐Cultural Impacts
• Infrastructure
• Cultural, archaeological, ceremonial and historic and resources, and
• Land Use