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1 Introduction
This study is aimed at determining and assessing the potential social and environmental impacts of the activities to be undertaken as part of the project and developing mitigation, monitoring and institutional measures to be implemented during the project execution phase.
2 Description of the Proposed Project
Context
On account of specific geological and climatic conditions, the road network in Chad is rather rudimentary with 650 km of surfaced road only and a very extensive unpaved and earth road system (around 33,600 km) which is often impassable during the rainy season. There is no legal classification system for the road infrastructure of the public domain.
The N’Djamena – Moundou – Touboro road link is the major strategic corridor in the country. It connects the capital city with the very productive southern part of the country. With the commissioning of the new road up to Ngaoundéré in Cameroon, it will become the main corridor for traffic between Douala and N’Djamena. For the time being, it is the country’s longest paved road and the one which carries the most long-distance traffic. However, the traffic is moderate outside the urban areas.
Traffic levels
Traffic counts are carried out regularly (at least once a year at several points along the route). The last section (Moundou-Border) was opened recently: no data is therefore available over a sufficient period of time.
The following table gives an estimate of the traffic level in 2006.
Station / Section / Total(Average Daily Traffic)
Maïlao / N’Djamena – Guelengdeng / 742
Moulkou / Guelengdeng – Bongor / 290
Ham / Bongor – Eré / 353
Batchoro / Eré – kélo / 340
Déli / Kélo – Moundou / 280
In the future, when the corridor is extended up to Ngaoundéré, it should be considered that the traffic on the entire route will be around 400-600 vehicles/day (with maxima of course in the influence zones of the major urban centres, N’Djamena and Moundou).
The percentage of heavy vehicles ranges from 15 to 20 %.
Alternatives
This project deals with maintenance (regular or periodic) of an existing road that does not imply any standards or road line changes. The option “without project” will be to give up of this road.
Road alternatives would consist of not maintaining this road or developing a new one; theses options are rejected as the associated costs would not be justified by environmental benefits or other types of benefits.
The maintenance alternatives would consist of using other maintenance methods that are less durable; these options are also rejected as there are not sustainable and not economically interesting.
With regard to the quarries, the alternative would be to use the quarry located at Dandy, North of Ndjamena. The use of this quarry presents 3 mains drawbacks: the crossing of Ndjamena, the distance and the use of the sections that have just been renovated as Ndjamena-Guelengdeng. This alternative is for these reasons not feasible.
Scope of the impact study
The environmental and social impact study covers the periodic maintenance of the N’Djamena-border/ Karakaye road broken down into the following six sections:
- N’Djamena – Guélengdeng (144.4 km)
- Guelengdeng – Bongor (82.3 km)
- Bongor – Eré (83.2 km)
- Eré – Kélo (49.5 km)
- Kélo – Koutou /Moundou (99.3 km)
- Koutou/Moundou – Border (133.5 km)
with heavy rehabilitation works on three sections between Guelengdeng and Kélo.
3 Methodology and Consultations
Two methods were successively used for identifying, characterising and assessing the impacts: the one called Leopold matrix for identification and characterisation and the Sima method for assessment.
Various consultations took place for the needs of the project: meetings were organised with ministries, institutions, NGOs and public consultations took place in the main villages crossed.
4 Political, Legal and Administrative Framework
The administrative framework of environment in Chad consists (in decreasing hierarchical order) of the following: the “Assemblée Nationale” (National Assembly), the “Haut Comité pour l’Environnement” (Environment Committee), the “Comité National de Gestion de l’Eau” (National Water Management Committee), the “Comité Technique Intersectoriel” (Inter-sector Technical Committee) and the “Comité Technique National” (National Technical Committee).
The legal framework depends on whether the laws date from earlier or later than Law No 14/PR of 18 July 1998 which defines the general principles of environment protection and provides for the environmental impact assessments. The Ministry of Environment and Water published the “Guide national de gestion communautaire des écosystèmes du Tchad (GNGCET)” (National guidebook for community management of ecosystems in Chad) in November 2006 and consultations are under way for the “Guide général de la réalisation d’une étude d’impact sur l’environnement” (General guidebook for carrying out environmental impact assessments) which should be approved during the second half of 2007. Several international conventions have been ratified by Chad.
The political framework is defined by the “Plan National d’Action pour l’Environnement du Tchad (PNAE)” (National action plan for environment in Chad) and by the “Statégie nationale et Plan d’Action sur la Diversité Biologique du Tchad” (National Strategy and Action Plan for the Biological diversity of Tchad).
5 Reference Data (Initial Situation)
5.1 Physical Environment
In terms of surface area the major part of which is desertic, Chad is the fifth African country. The country is landlocked between Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the South, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger to the west (about 2,000 km from north to south and 1,000 km from east to west). Distances are very long between the national economic centres as well as between these economic centres and those of countries bordering on Chad. The capital city (N’Djamena) is located more than 1,700 km away from the nearest sea port.
5.1.1 Climate Characteristics
The study area is located in the subsahelian and sudanian climatic zone.
5.1.2 Geology
The country’s geological units mainly consist in sedimentary ground on which tertiary and quaternary continental deposits are preponderant.
5.1.3 Soil
The study area is on deep tropical iron-bearing soils, “vertisols” and hydromorphic soils.
5.1.4 Surface and Subsurface Water
Surface waters in the study area mainly belong to four catchment areas: the Chari catchment area, the Logone catchment area, the Mayo Kebby catchment area and Lake Chad. The main present constraints regarding water management in the catchment area lie in the low water periods characterised by very limited flows and the dependence of the country on incoming water from outside. The management of the aquatic ecosystem should take this aspect into consideration.
The major part of sedimentation elements and suspension matters results from the mechanical deterioration of the Chari and Logone high catchment areas. The surface water quality is not well known due to lack of measurements and documentation but the bacteriological analysis of the water used for truck farming shows that the surface water points contain bacteria.
The study area includes three major aquifers: the “Zone du Socle”, the Continental Terminal and the Pliocene, and the Quaternary. In the south, in the koros, water is bicarbonate calcic, acid, corrosive with iron content water.
Subsurface water recharge depends on the pluviometry, the climate and the physical characteristics of soils. In the (rainy) study area, about 15 mm of water percolate through the plioquaternary, 8 mm through the Continental Terminal in the south and about 55 mm through the southern aquifer.
5.2 Natural Environment
5.2.1 Plant Formations and Flora
The study area includes five major plant formations: the Sahelo-Sudanian area, the Sudanian-Sahelian sector, the Sudanian sector, the Sudanian-Guinean sector and the flood plains. Forest resources play a major role in the food, energy and housing construction sectors. 95 % of the population of Chad use wood as domestic energy source. There is no major documented endemism for the area..
5.2.2 Fauna and Protected Areas
The study area is mainly located in the Sudanian zone where the richest and most diversified fauna of Chad can be found. This biodiversity is favoured by the density of protected zones in the area and the intensity of the hydrologic system.
The road crosses the Mandelia fauna reserve, south of N’Djamena, described in poor condition on account of the anthropic pressure from the capital city, and a fauna reserve south-west of Moundou which is not legally protected and very poorly documented.
5.3 Human Environment
5.3.1 Population and Town Planning
The country’s population is not numerous: the present total population is estimated at 8.1 million inhabitants. Its average annual growth rate is 2.5 % and the population below 14 accounts for almost the half of the total.
Two land legislation systems cohabit in the study area: the customary one and the modern one.
Housing is mainly precarious. 70 % of dwellings are covered with straw, 16 % with “banco” and 14 % with metal sheets. Most walls are made of banco (67 %), 29 % are made of straw and 4 % are permanent or semi-permanent.
Many villages and hamlets follow one another along the N’Djamena-Karakaye route. Their density is strong between N’Djamena and Mogroum and limited from Mogroum to Kélo.
5.3.3 Economy
Introduction
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic and Demographic Studies, the GDP growth rate would be 1.9 % in 2006 against 8.6 % in 2005. Inflation was 8.6 % in late September 2006 (annual average), far beyond the subregional standard of 3 %.
Cotton
Although one of the oldest in Subsaharan Africa, Chad’s cotton sector suffered from the impact of successive crises resulting from the political conflicts in the country, from the variation of the cotton price on international markets as well as from the country’s landlocked situation.
Cotton only represents 2 to 3 % of the GDP but almost ¼ of the FOB value of exports. About 55,000 tons of cotton fibre are exported yearly.
Oil
The World Bank sponsoring contributed to make the Chad Oil Project an example of how to use oil resources for sustainable development.
It is estimated that the project contribution to the national economy would represent between 5 and 10% of the GDP growth. Oil exportation also changes the distribution of exports as it has been representing more than 80 % of the FOB value of exports since 2004, up to 36 % of the GDP.
Hygiene and Sanitation
The main local water pollution sources are agricultural, industrial or domestic.
The major part of air pollution is generated by the industrial activities, traffic and the dust produced by vehicles moving on earth roads.
The project area is not affected by major noise nuisance other than that generated by vehicle traffic in the towns located therein. Road traffic is limited and mainly interurban.
There is no waste collection and treatment system in the towns and villages along the existing road. However, a dumpsite project is under study in N’Djamena.
The health condition of the population is relatively alarming:
· Infant mortality rate (0-1 year):132‰
· Child mortality rate (0-5): 222‰
· Life expectancy: 50,3 years
· Maternal mortality rate: 0.8 to 1%
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment – N’Djamena-Karakaye – April 2007 – Draft Report
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6 Major Potential Impacts
The direct positive impacts are on the physical and socioeconomic environment:
- Improvement of the level of education of the population.
- Upgrading of the sanitary condition of the population resulting from easy access to the health centres and local education projects.
- Development of the agricultural, pastoral, commercial and craft activities.
- Better selling of productions.
The direct negative impacts are of socioeconomic and sanitary nature:
- Increase of most STI (AIDS), mainly during the works period.
- Increase of the number of collisions involving vehicles and population (children) or vehicles and livestock.
- Increase of human pressures (deforestation, poaching…) on Mandelia and Laramanay reserves. It is however important to note that these reserves are located near the road sections requiring only minor maintenance.
- Decrease in the agricultural manpower.
The project has also indirect impacts which can prove positive for the environment:
- Improvement of the access to the services and organisations in charge of protecting the natural resources.
- Increase of the number of jobs and simultaneous increase of the average income per inhabitant, which will improve the quality of life of the residents and strengthen the fight against poverty.
7 Environmental and Social Management Plan
7.1 Mitigation and Improvement Programme
7.1.1 For the physical environment
Implementing the following measures is recommended to mitigate the impacts on the physical environment:
- Regular spraying of earth roads and earthworks areas, especially close to dwellings.
- Control of the pollution generated by machines and works vehicles.
- Implementing a quarry ramp spraying system.
- Control of the pollution produced by the coating site.
- Maintaining a sufficient flow rate in the river downstream from an intake (maximum water quantity drawn: 1/10 of the river).
- Hydrocarbon separator downstream from the vehicle and machine washing and maintenance areas.
- Watertight washing area for concrete mixers and settling tanks downstream.
- Emptying and periodic washing of settling tanks and hydrocarbon separators.
- Re-design of the road water outlets (ditch to avoid the flooding of vulnerable neighbouring environments such as dwellings or crops).
- Safety measures: speed limit, signalling, vehicle/livestock collision prevention, setting up humps.
- Maintenance and refuelling of the equipment and vehicles on the site of the works base provided.
- Cleaning the concrete mixers on the site of the works base provided.
- Non-biodegradable waste collection and disposal, biodegradable waste burying, works waste incineration.
- Protection of vulnerable surfaces with vegetation (after adjusting top soils), masonry revetment or riprap (embankments).
- No storage of toxic products within a radius of 200 m around rivers.
- No deposit or cutting less than 15 m away from rivers.
Estimating the costs of implementing these measures is no easy. This is the responsibility of the successful works contractor who should take them into account in the presentation of his costs.