Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report

1 Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Report : Raya Valley Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report Tigray Region Raya Azebo District Unifruit ethiopia Nexus Investment Solution PLC. October, 2011. Unifruit ethiopia i Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Report : Raya Valley CONTENTS. 1 1. General .. 1. Objective of the Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Study .. 2. Approaches and Methodology .. 3. General .. 3. Collection of Available Information .. 4. Field 4. Key Stakeholders Consultations .. 4. Public Consultations .. 5. Public Participations .. 7. Report 8. 2 Environmental Scoping .. 9. Limits of the Study Area .. 9. Concerns of Key Stakeholders .. 10. 3 Relevant Policies, Legislative and Institutional Framework .. 11. International 11. II. Convention on Biological 12. III. Framework Convention on Climate Change.

2 12. IV. The United Nations Conventions to Combat Desertification .. 13. V. The Basel Convention .. 13. Unifruit ethiopia ii Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Report : Raya Valley VI. The Stockholm 13. VII. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora 13. Economic Development Policies and Strategies .. 14. a) The National Economic Development 14. b) The Agriculture Sector Policy and Strategy .. 14. c) Ethiopian Investment Strategy .. 15. Environmental Policies and Strategies .. 16. i. Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of ethiopia .. 16. ii. The Conservation Strategy of ethiopia .. 17. iii. The Environmental Policy of ethiopia .. 18. iv. Environmental Impact Assessment Guideline Document .. 19. Sectoral Policies and 20. Legislative Instruments .. 23. 1. Environnemental Impact Assessment (Proclamation No.

3 299/2002) .. 23. 2. Environnemental Pollution Control (Proclamation No. 300/2002) .. 25. 3. Solid Waste Management (Proclamation No. 513/2007).. 25. Institutional Framework .. 26. National .. 26. 4 Project Description .. 30. Background to the Project .. 30. Location & Description .. 30. Project Goal .. 33. Baseline Environment .. 33. Physical Environment .. 33. Unifruit ethiopia iii Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Report : Raya Valley 5 Environmental Impacts identification, prediction and 42. Pre-construction Phase Impacts .. 42. Construction Phase Impacts .. 42. Removal of vegetation, landscape and land use pattern alteration .. 43. Impact on Air Quality .. 43. Impact on flora and fauna .. 43. Nuisance Noise .. 43. Work accident .. 44. Operation Phase Impacts .. 44. Impact ground water .. 44. Impacts on soil.

4 45. Impacts on terrestrial fauna and 47. Impacts on Socio Economic Environment .. 48. Loss of sites of cultural and/or religious values .. 49. 6 Impact mitigation measures .. 53. Preconstruction Phase Impacts Mitigation Measures .. 53. Mitigation Measures for Loss of Grazing land and other 53. Construction Phase Impacts Mitigation Measures .. 53. Mitigation Measures for Removal of vegetation, landscape and land use pattern alteration .. 53. Mitigation Measures for Impact on Air Quality .. 54. Mitigation Measures for Impact on flora and fauna .. 54. Mitigation Measures for Nuisance Noise .. 54. Mitigation Measures Work accident .. 55. Unifruit ethiopia iv Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Report : Raya Valley Operation Phase Impacts Mitigation Measures .. 55. Mitigation measures for impacts on water quality .. 55.

5 Mitigation measures for impacts on soil .. 56. Mitigation measures for impacts on terrestrial fauna and 58. Mitigation measures for socioeconomic impacts .. 58. Mitigation measure for Pollution from Solid and Liquid waste from packaging plant 61. Positive Socioeconomic impacts (Expected Benefits) .. 62. Creation of Job Opportunity .. 62. Contribution to Food security .. 62. 7 Environmental Management Plan .. 63. Pre-Construction Phase .. 63. Construction Phase .. 64. Operational phase .. 65. Environmental Monitoring Program and Parameters .. 67. 8 Conclusion & 69. 69. Recommendations .. 70. Unifruit ethiopia v Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Report : Raya Valley List of Tables Table 4:1 Rainfall Data of 2002 -2011 ---------------------------------------- ----------------------- 34. Table 4:2 Major crops in the district ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ 39.

6 Table 4:3 Livestock resources in the district ---------------------------------------- --------------- 39. Table 4:4 Number of students by Sex education level ---------------------------------------- -- 41. Table 5:1 Matrix showing the type and magnitude of identified impacts from the project ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------- 51. Table 7:1: Plan of the monitoring program. ---------------------------------------- -------------- 68. List of Figures Figure 1-1: Consultation Mehoni administration ---------------------------------------- ----------- 5. Figure 1-2: Community Consultation Kara Adishaw PA of Raya Azebo district -------------- 7. Figure 4-1: Project Location Map------------------------------------- -------------------------------- 32. Figure 5-1: Bushes and Scattered Acacia Vegetation on the site ----------------------------- 48.

7 Unifruit ethiopia vi Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Report : Raya Valley 1 Introduction General Unifruit Limited ( ethiopia Branch) planned to establish horticultural production farm in Raya Azebo district, Raya Valley, Tigray Regional State with the name FRUITFUL VALLEY. The project is planned to cultivate short term vegetables and fruits such as garlic, onions, pumpkin, butternut and strawberries and also asparagus, raspberries, boysenberries & grapes as long term vegetables and fruits on 1,000 hectares. The farm in its production process, will involve modern development and production methods. It utilizes tractors, ploughs, disc cultivators and planters in the development of the farm. The major of crops to be grown will be predominantly fruits and vegetables that will be exported and some will be supplied to local markets.

8 The company is expected to apply for Global Gap certification in 2012. The project farm site is located in Tigray Regional State, Southern zone, Raya Azebo district, Kara Adishaw locality, about 662km away from the capital Addis Ababa along Addis-Mekele main asphalt road, and 128km away from the regional capital, Mekele. The overall objective of the project is to cultivate and supply different fruits and vegetables to the international and domestic markets. Pertinent to the Ethiopian Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Proclamation (No. 299/2002) and International Finance Corporation's Guidance on performance Standards on Social & Environmental Sustainability, the company has commissioned Nexus Investment Solution, a consulting firm to conduct a full Environmental Impact Assessment study on the proposed project. In view of the this, the Report is prepared in line with the EIA requirements stipulated in the, International Finance Corporation's Guidance on Performance Standards on Social Unifruit ethiopia 1.

9 Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Report : Raya Valley & Environmental Sustainability, EIA proclamation of the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of ethiopia , proclamation No. 299/2002. The basic purpose of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study is to identify, predict and analyze the magnitude of Environmental and Social impacts and propose enhancement and/or mitigation measures for significant Environmental and Social effects that are likely to arise from the various activities of the fruit and vegetables farm project during pre-construction, construction and operation phases. Various ESIA tools for identification, prediction and analysis of impacts were used. Biophysical resources survey, field observation and socioeconomic assessments and utilization of secondary data sources were utilized tools.

10 In addition, national Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines and International Finance Corporation's Guidance on Performance Standards on Social & Environmental Sustainability were used in identification, prediction and analysis procedures. Significant positive and negative project impacts have been identified. On top of this, environmentally sound and socially acceptable impacts enhancement and management options were also suggested Public consultations were held with the communities living in the vicinity of the project site, and the outcome of consultations included in the Report . During discussions, emphasis was given to public participation and procedures by which their participation could be initiated and promoted from the early planning of the project up to its implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Objective of the Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Study The fundamental objective of the Environmental & Social Impact Assessment is to ensure that the proposed fruit and vegetables production project is environmentally sound and socially acceptable, and hence contributes to the development of Environmental and Social functions of local communities.