(Bumbobi)-Bubulo-Lwakhakha Road

Bumbobi-Bubulo-Lwakhakha Road

ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT (ESIS)

Updated Final Report November 2013

Uganda National Road Authority Consultancy Services for Feasibility Study, Detailed Engineering Design, Tender Assistance and Project Management for Upgrading to Bituminous Standards: Lot E Updated Final Report November 2013

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

FINAL REPORT

Prepared by:

______Robert Ndyabarema Certified and Registered Environmental Practitioner Team Leader /Natural Resources Specialist

Area of Expertise: Environment and Natural Resources

______Irene Nakiwu Certified and Registered Environmental Practitioner Senior Sociologist

Area of Expertise: Social Sector Planning

______Jovah Ndyabarema Certified and Registered Environmental Practitioner Environmental Specialist

Area of Expertise: Environmental Sanitation, Social Impact Assessment, Community Management, Zoology, Entomology, Parasitology, Policy and Institutional Review

THE STUDY TEAM

Name Position NEMA Certified as an environmental assessment practitioner

Robert Ndyabarema Team Leader / Natural Yes Resources Specialist Irene Nakiwu Senior Sociologist / Yes Participation Expert Jovah Ndyabarema Environmental Specialist Yes Omino Joseph Oteu Environment Specialist Yes Jane Mugano Sociologist Yes Peter Khawukha Local Knowledge Assistant No Eng. Michael Daka Road/Highway Yes Engineer & Project Manager

In Association with Uganda National Road Authority Consultancy Services for Feasibility Study, Detailed Engineering Design, Tender Assistance and Project Management for Upgrading to Bituminous Standards: Lot E Updated Draft Final Report September 2013

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction In line with the 10-Year Road Sector Development Program (RSDP3) the Government of Uganda (GoU) has applied for an approval for a loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to finance the upgrading of Mbale (Bumbobi)-Bubulo-Lwakhakha road to improve the current bad conditions of the road characterized by potholes, rapid loss of gravel, scouring of drainage channels and below standard road alignment. In accordance with the Uganda laws, the proposed development falls under the category of "major infrastructure development projects" which are listed under the Third Schedule of the National Environment Act, Cap. 153. Section 2 of the Third Schedule obliges a developer to conduct an EIA before implementation of such a project. Under the same Schedule, all major roads are among transportation projects requiring mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment to be done before their implementation. In line with all these requirements, this ESIA for the Upgrading of Bubombi –Bubulo –Lwakhakha Road was undertaken. The Government represented by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) therefore engaged SMEC International Pty (SMEC) in association with Newplan Limited (NPL) to provide the required services of conducting an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). As per AfDB requirements, the summary covers: i) Project Description and Justification; ii) Policy, Legal and Administrative Framework; iii) Description of the Project Environment; iv) Project Alternatives; v) Potential Impacts and Mitigation/Enhancement Measures; vi) Environmental Hazard Management; vii) Monitoring Program; viii) Public Consultations and Public Disclosure; ix) Complementary Initiatives; x) Conclusion; and xi) References.

Project Description and Justification Project Description The Bumbobi- Bubulo -Lwakhakha Road is a 44.5 km gravel road situated in the districts of Mbale and Manafwa in the Mt. Elgon region of eastern Uganda. It is among the national road networks that have been identified for upgrading from gravel to high class bitumen. The full road alignment follows the existing Bumbobi- Bubulo - Lwakhakha gravel road from Bumbobi Trading in the Mbale -Tororo Road in Bunghokho sub-County through the trading centres of Nabumali, Mayenze, Bubulo, Bugobero, Butiru, Bubuto, Munamba to Lwakhakha Township on the Kenya Uganda border. A ROW of 30 m will be applied for the entire road with carriageway of 7m. Intersections/junctions have been proposed as per the design manual guidelines with segregated 2m wide footpaths in the trading centres. Service roads and 2m wide pedestrian footpaths have also been proposed at the trading centres of Mayenze, Bugobero and Sihana and Lwakhakha. Bus bays will be provided at all trading centres near institutions such as schools and near major junctions. Details of other towns through which the road alignment passes and those to be bypassed are shown below: a) Km 4+365: Nabumali Trading centre; the existing roundabout has been retained but widened to control the traffic flow

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b) Km 6+500 to 7+100: The existing kink on the horizontal alignment has been removed and replaced by a straight line. c) Km 12+500 to 13+500: Mayenze trading centre; possibility of a by-pass investigated but the alignment was agreed to be passed through the centre but shifted to LHS to minimise impacts of structures on both sides d) Km 15+000-15+400: Bubulo-Manafwa trading centre; a single curve introduced to this trading centre to improve the road geometry and avoid the narrow existing road through the centre e) Km 15+800 to 16+600: Bridge over River Manafwa; the alignment has been modified to improve the approaches to this bridge. Affected structures within Nabwima trading centre are to be compensated f) Km 16+900 to 17+100: Kufu trading centre; A horizontal curve has been introduced at this location to improve the road geometrics g) Km 17+800 to 19+200: Alignment improved at Bunangabo area, affected structures to be compersated h) Km 21+700 to 24+100: Bugobero trading center; alignment shifted to the RHS to save more structures on the LHS i) Km 25+00 to 25+700: Alignment shifted to the LHS to save many structures on the RHS j) Km 29+300 to 30+200: Realignment carried out at this section k) Km 33+500 to 34+800: realignment to avoid congested Bubutu trading center l) Km 37+200 to 37+800: Geometric improvements at Bumulekei trading center m) Km 39+600 to 40+400: Munamba II bypass alignment passed on the RHS to improve geometry and minimise compensation n) Km 40+700 to 41+800: Bukhomeli bypass; alignment shifted to the LHS minimising compensation o) At Lwakhakha town, (km 44+200 to 44+672) centreline shifted to the LHs minimising structural destruction on both sides of the town The Road links Uganda to Kenya and its upgrading will be appreciated as an enhancement to the integration of the East African community (EAC). Other than removing sharp corners and reducing steep slopes, there is no major alternative road route but to follow the existing road alignment. The technical design, construction and post construction activities will include among others, civil works (widening of existing bituminous surfaced road with 1.5m bituminous shoulder on both sides of the 7m carriageway, improvement of the 30 m ROW, readjusting the filling and cutting of the soil, providing stone masonry drains in the cut areas for road side drainage and covered concrete drains in urban areas. In terms of recommended structures, a total of 61 piped culverts, 7 box culverts and 4 bridges have been proposed. iv

Two of the existing bridges will be replaced with new structures and additional bridges are proposed for the others A Camp sites and workshops will be established on at least three sites yet to be identified. The planned project activities are in three phases namely i) pre-construction (setting up servitudes and site camps, surveying, clearing and grubbing, topsoil stripping and construction of access roads, transporting materials, establishing of crusher plants) ii) construction phase (construction of new bridges/culverts, earth works including cutting, drilling/blasting, works in borrow pits and quarries, pavement layers preparation of sub-base, surfacing, drainage structures, side ditches / offshoots, road furniture including road marking, sign posts, warning signs /guardrails as well as site cleaning and rehabilitation,) and carrying out of the HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, road safety and environment protection activities such as tree planting. iii) Operational phases (de-silting of side ditches, shoulder recharging and re-surfacing). Project Justification The development of Bumbobi - Bubulo- Lwakhakha Road is a Ugandan Government initiative aiming at improving the current bad conditions of the road characterized by potholes, rapid loss of gravel, scouring of drainage channels and below standard road alignment. The carriage way width is small and this poses danger to driving especially during the rainy season. With this road developed, linkage between Mbale town and the people living on the slopes of mountain Elgon will be enhanced and the economic activity improved. Tourism and mining of vermiculate will benefit from this development. The road connects Mbale and Manafwa districts to Lwahkakha Township on the Kenya Border and therefore its upgrading will lead to an increase in traffic between the Kenya border and Mbale town and beyond hence a likely increment of trade and other commercial activities in the area of its influence. The increased inflow of vehicles to transport agricultural produce will help farmers to transport their produce to the market in and outside Uganda with ease. It should be noted that since the road already exists and is to simply be upgraded to a bitumen road, alternative route different from the existing one would be economically, socially and environmentally untenable option. A new route would require new land acquisition for a length of 44.5 km; hence a huge social cost of associated resettlement yet no such cost would be necessary along existing road. That option would also have new environmental impacts that are currently not found along the existing road. The proposed upgrade is a basis on expected socio- economic benefits below, which may not manifest along an entirely new route:

(districts of Mbale, Manafwa and the neighboring Bududa) along the road. Along the road are found numerous schools, healthcare facilities, markets and trading centres access to which would be enhanced by an improved road. It is evident that an improved road would shorten travel time to medical facilities in case of medical emergencies such as road accidents.

tern Uganda, Kenya through Lwakhakha border and the Kampala-Gulu-Juba corridor. The route would become a key alternate transport route for national, regional, and international trade of the East African Community (EAC) countries—Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda. Modernization of transport infrastructure along this corridor is critical for trade expansion and economic growth, which are key to the success of regional integration, creation of wealth, and poverty alleviation in these countries. There are no negative transboundary impacts envisaged, but as indicated above, a key regional benefit of this road is enhancing connectivity between Eastern Uganda, Kenya and Kampala - Gulu - Juba corridor. This will improve regional trade. Policy, Legal and Administrative Framework According to the AfDB’s environmental categorisation, rehabilitation or upgrading of major transportation projects (i.e. those exceeding 50 km), is classified as Category I undertaking which requires detailed ESIA studies. Similarly, according to Third Schedule of the National Environment Act, Cap. 153 (Section 3a: “all major roads”, and Section 3b: “all roads in scenic, wooded or mountainous areas”), Ugandan environmental laws and regulations, require road projects to undertake a full EIA. Furthermore, AfDB’s Involuntary Resettlement Policy requires that a full Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) be prepared if number of project affected persons (PAP) exceeds 200 people. Besides AfDB requirements, policies and laws under which this ESIA was prepared and will be implemented are outlined below:

Policy Framework  The National Environment Management Policy  Transport Sector Policy  Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture (PMA)  The Gender Policy, 1997  The National Policy for Conservation and Management of Wetlands, 1995  Uganda Forestry Policy, 2001  MoWT Resettlement /Land Acquisition Framework, 2002  National Aids Policy, 2004  Road Sector Policies – Gender Policy Statement, HIV/AIDS Policy Statement,  Policy Statement for People with Disabilities and Elderly Persons (Dec. 2006); Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)  Legal Framework  The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda  National Environment Act Cap 153  The National Environment (Waste Management) Regulations 1999  National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003  The Local Government Act, 1995  Land Act, Cap 227  Land Acquisition Act, 1965  The Access Roads Act, Cap 350 vi

 Water Act, Cap 152  Mining Act, 9/2003  The National Environment (Wetlands, River Banks and lakeshores Management) regulation S.I No.2/2000  The Roads Act, 1964 ( Cap 358)  The Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2006  Workers’ Compensation Act 2000  The National Environment (Management of Ozone Depleting Substances and Products) Regulations, S.I No. 63/2001  The National Environment (Standards for Discharge of Effluent into Water or on Land)  Regulations, S.I. No. 5 /1999.  Water Resources Regulations, SI No. 33/1998  The Historical Monument Act, Cap 46  Petroleum Act, Cap 149  The National Environment (Audit) Regulations, 2006  Physical Planning Act 2010  The Water (Waste Discharge) Regulations S.I. No. 32/1998  The National Environment (the Control of smoking in public places) Regulations S.I, 2004 Institutional Framework  Ministry of Works and Transport, MoWT  Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA)  Ministry of Water and Environment  The Directorate of Water Resources Management (DWRM)  The Directorate of Water Development (DWD)  The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC)  National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA)  The National Forestry Authority (NFA)  Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF)  Ministry of Gender Labour & Social Development  Town and Country Planning Board  Local Administration Structures and Road Committees  Ministry of Tourism, Trade & Industry (MTTI)  District Land Boards  Department of Geological Survey and Mines

Safeguard Policies of African Development Bank  African Development Bank, 2004. African Development Bank Group’s Policy on the Environment.  African Development Bank, 2003. Involuntary Resettlement Policy. vii

 African Development Bank, 1992. Environmental Assessment Guidelines.  African Development Bank, 1995. Guidelines on Involuntary Displacement and Resettlement in Development Projects.  African Development Bank, 2011. Environmental and Social Assessment Procedures for African Development Banks Operations.

International Conventions and Agreements:  The Ramsar Convention of Wetlands, 1971  Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and its Montreal Protocol;  Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants  Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Description of the Project Environment

Mbale District is located in the Eastern Region of Uganda, bordering several districts, Manafwa and Bududa in the East; Sironko in the North; Bukedea in the Northwest; Budaka and Pallisa in the West and Tororo and Butaleja in the Southwest. It lies between the longitudes of 340 E, 350E and latitudes 000450N with land area of 534.4 square km and population density of about 620 persons per square KM. Biophysical Environment The proposed project traverses an area with a physical environment characterized with slightly steep terrain between Bubulo and Lwakhakha Trading centres. It crosses several valleys with streams and rivers and a few wetlands that emanate from the Mount Elgon ranges and associated with Lake Kyoga through Mpologoma River. It is underlain by tertiary cretaceous carbonites dominated by Crystalline Precambrian basement with a few areas of intrusive granite and granitoid gneisses cainozoic formations consisting of pleistocene to recent sediment, alluvium deposits in the flood plain areas. The project area is predominantly covered sandy loams of medium fertility in the valleys and later tic loams in the raised areas. These soils support the growing of assorted crops such as maize, coffees, bananas, coffee, cassava, sweet potatoes and millet. In most of the wetlands the flood plains are hydromorphic alluvial sand deposits with thin layers of silt loam underlain with clay supporting the growing of crops such as rice, sugar cane, millet, rice and maize. The narrow river valleys have sand deposits. The project is located in an area described as generally wet with bi-modal type of rainfall of about 1,191 mm per annum experienced in March-July and August-September. There is a short dry season between the two seasons, and a long dry period between January and March. The district’s climate is generally influenced by the Mt. Elgon ranges and experiences very low temperatures in areas with high altitude. Floral diversity The vegetation of the project area falls under one major ecosystem (the agro-ecosystem) which consists of planted woodlots, agriculture, domesticated plants and exotic species. This secondary vegetation has emerged as a result of anthropogenic activities crop growing, settlement and cutting viii

trees for charcoal making. The major wetlands crossed by the proposed road have been transformed and the major vegetation there in is associated with crops, tree and remnants of the original vegetation in few areas. Faunal Diversity The area has no big game animal species save for some animals that have been reported to exist around banks of the streams and swamps and these include monkeys, snakes, toads, frogs and lizards. Several birds’ species found in the area include among others weaver birds, Storks Black headed heron, African pied Wagtail, few wetland birds (crested crane, ibis). Socio-economic Environment On land tenure, over 90% of the households own land under customary tenure with the land being held in trust by the clan leader. However, due to population increase land is becoming scarce with 48 % owning less than 1.5 acres of land and this often is a source of land conflicts, rampant in the project area. This land is mainly used as agricultural land, for settlement, for trading centres and establishment of social infrastructure such administrative centre, schools hospitals etc. Land use and land tenure should principally guide the developer in compensation issues that concern land. Settlement in the project area is linear in growth centres and nucleated but scattered from each other in the rural setting. About 66.3 % of households in the project area own semi-permanent buildings with permanent structures observed in most of the trading centres. Buildings in some trading centres such as Mayenze and Bubulo Town Council are in the road reserve. The project area has several health infrastructures and these include; seven health facilities that offer services such as Outpatient, Inpatient, Antenatal and Maternity, Laboratory, Dental, HIV/AIDS counselling and Testing, Minor Surgery, Immunization among others with complicated cases referred Mbale and Tororo referral Hospitals. The health service in the project area is staff strained and may not be able to handle additional patients (project workers) in the construction phase hence the need for the project to provide health services for its workers. The common diseases in the area are malaria, cough, water related etc. HIV/AIDS prevalence in the project area is put at 10.7 – 11.7 % in some sub counties of the project areas. This is higher than the national average of 6.4 %. With the influx of workers during the construction stage, this rate may increase. Other social amenities include; water supply dominated by gravity flow schemes, protected spring wells, bore holes and shallow wells with over 50% of the households along the project using boreholes as their main source. The project area water quality is perceived as good and sanitation fair. In terms of energy supply, most parts of the project areas lack electricity supply and have only one fuel station. The major source of energy in the project area is wood fuel for cooking and paraffin for lighting especially in rural areas and electricity or gas for cooking and lighting in big towns like Mbale town. A big part of Manafwa district has no access to electricity supply. Transport is hampered by the poor state of the road which can be dusty in the dry season and slippery during the wet season. The major means of transport in the area are commuter taxis, Boda-boda cyclists, bicycles, trucks carrying sand and aggregates, trailers carrying goods to and from the Kenyan border and salon cars. The area is served by a number of telephone services; MT.N, Zain, Warid, Orange and UTL and Safari Com from across in Kenya. ix

The majority of households in the project area depend on subsistence agriculture as the main source of employment with over 68% of the households involved. Other people are engaged in petty trade (carpentry, maize mills, restaurants, sale of fish) Boda-boda riding, brick making, stone quarrying and sand mining. The skilled personnel in the project area work for various Local Government offices and NGOs. The average income per household per month is UGX 203,884, less than a dollar a day. This project therefore is considered as a source of employment for the people living along the road. The project has relatively good food security based on the rich agriculture zone. The project is located in the high potential tourism area of Mount Elgon and there are few cultural sites along the road that will be affected by the project and these are represented by graves and the circumcision (“Imbalu” Cultural) site at Mutoto. Although there were no reports of planned development activities along the road, there are several Non-Government Organizations, Community Based Organizations and Civil Society Organizations that have established programs in the project area. These organizations have programs that target different interest groups like women, youths, people with disabilities PWDs, people living positively with HIV/AIDS, children and farmers among others. In terms of gender, both men and women own land though men still have the upper hand over women. Women on the other hand are not involved in gainful employment with only 10% of the women involved. In regard to division of labour, women in the project area are engaged in activities such as farming, domestic chores (cooking, looking after the children, fetching water, washing clothes and collecting firewood among others) while men are involved in farming, trading, brick making, sand harvesting among others. Security in the area is good. Structural Amenities to be affected Although upgrading of Bumbobi-Bubulo-Lwakhakha Road from a gravel road to bitumen was planned to follow existing alignment, there has been a number of re-alignments in the different locations of the road which will lead to land loss, loss of residential (both permanent and semi- permanent), and commercial houses, business units, shops, kiosks, hedges, strips of land, crops and trees (including fruit trees). Structures to be affected and their numbers are provided in the Table below: A list of affected structures and other property is given in the table Type of Building/Structure No. Permanent Structures

Commercial 347 Residential 94 Incomplete 76 School Blocks 3 Churches 2 Mosque 1 Semi-Permanent Structures

Residential 317 Kitchen/stores 65 Other Properties

Pit latrines 12 + 26 (semi-permanent) x

Type of Building/Structure No. Shades 14 Kiosks 5 Barbed wire fences 1685.5m2 Chain link 188.5m2 Local Hedges 2573m2 Earth Graves 93 Cemented Graves 35 Paved /Concrete yards 118.21m2 Gates 7 Septic Tanks 1 Boundary /retaining walls 98.3m Water Tanks 4

Project Alternatives

The following alternatives were considered: Alt I Re-gravelling the entire road: This is a cheaper option than upgrading the road to bituminous standards. However, this alternative is rendered untenable due to a huge recurrent maintenance cost especially during or after rainy seasons; environmental cost of obtaining gravel. Additionally, this option has a host of attendant environmental and social concerns such as land uptake for borrow areas, landscape/ scenic blight due to borrow pits, erosion and siltation of water bodies, and dust nuisance to the road users and the public. The Option also yielded Negative Net present Value and economic benefits. Therefore, this alternative is not tenable considering its cost and recurrent negative environmental and economic impacts due to reliance on ever increasingly scarce gravel resources.

Alt II Upgrade entire road to bituminous standards using double bituminous surface treatment (DBST): Although initially expensive, this alternative is sustainable and will lead to both social and economic exogenous benefits such as surplus crop production and savings. This option also yielded positive economic benefits. It also offered to be a stronger pavement with roughness of between 2 & 6 IRI throughout 20 years analysis period. During the 20 years of the road life, the effects on the environment which occurred during the upgrading will have recovered and more so, subsequent impacts on the environment from maintenance activities will not be significant as opposed to the re-gravelling option. This option creates a robust investment that enhances regional trade of directly Kenya and Uganda and Gulu-Juba corridor. This is the desired alternative.

Alt III Upgrade entire road to bituminous standards using asphalt concrete (AC). Both Alt II & III offered to be stronger pavements with roughness of between 2 & 6 IRI throughout 20 years analysis period. During the 20 years of the road life, the effects on the environment which occurred during the upgrading will have recovered and more so, subsequent impacts on the environment from maintenance activities will not be significant as opposed to the re-gravelling option. This option creates a robust investment that enhances regional trade of directly Kenya and Uganda and Gulu-Juba corridor. Both yielded xi

positive economic benefits. Alternative III however yielded lower internal return rates at 13% compared to 15% for Option II. In view of the above analysis Option III is a less desired alternative.

Alt IV “No Project” Scenario: Currently, the existing road is either in a dilapidated state or of limited capacity and therefore not able to meet current demand for service provision, latent or otherwise. A key benefit of the road is to support accessibility to markets in Mbale and Manafwa Districts and enable the East African Community Integration process and production activities. Additionally, the road provides a strategic link of Eastern Uganda to Kenya and Gulu-Juba corridor. Without the project, these benefits will be lost.

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Potential Impacts and Mitigation/Enhancement Measures

Phase Impacts Analysis Enhancement/ Mitigation

Positive impacts Site Employment Duration of the impact is short term, covers the whole -Sensitise communities on available preparation Opportunities/source of project area during construction and significance is medium opportunities and income; negative as fewer people will get the opportunity compared -Affirmative action to provide Construction There will be direct to the lack of employment in the area employment to women employment and income from -Promote labour based road works to rental houses employ unskilled -Advertise jobs locally to attract skilled labour resident in the area Provision of market for local Impact will have wide coverage but will be short term, thus commodities like food stones significance of impact is medium and their related products, sand, gravel etc. Operation and Improved trade and tourism Impact is long term, has wider coverage up to Kenya and Periodic and routine maintenance should maintenance within the region as well as the probability of the impact taking place is high. Therefore be streamlined. across the border with Kenya significance of impact is high and Retention of qualified Impact is long term, will be localized to areas near the road. personnel and reduction in Therefore significance of impact is medium labour turnover in local government offices, health centres, schools and others Prevention of Soil Erosion and Impact is long-term, will localized along the road only -Involvement of Road Committees Beautification as the area is therefore significant of impact is medium during and after construction prone -Involvement of communities to

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Phase Impacts Analysis Enhancement/ Mitigation

continue participating in caring for the trees after the contractor has left Installation of road furniture Impact is long Impact but is localized along the road thus impact is medium. Appreciation of value of land Impact is long term limited to land close to the road and and other property trading centers. Therefore significance of impact is medium positive Accessibility to Health Impact will be long term but will cover only those facilities Facilities and schools that are close to the upgraded road (localized). Significance of impact will be medium. Increased Crop Productivity Impact is long term, covers the whole project area. and Sale of Farm Products Significance of impact will be high. resulting from access to markets

Negative Impacts Pre- Social expectations generated It is long term, affects all the people in the communities of - Communities be given all the construction by disclosure of information to the project area, probability that this impact will happen is information about the project /planning the Community. high. Therefore the impact significance is high negative - Continuous sensitization be carried out - Road safety campaigns should be carried out before start of construction Construction Land acquisition Solid Waste Generation and The impact is short term, reversible and can be mitigated. - Use top soil remains for landscaping disposal However, it will affect most areas of the project and the Use soil spoil material for rehabilitation construction activities are expected to generate a lot of of abandoned borrow pits overburden due to cutting of many corners and campsite -Waste should be sorted into degradable activities. Thus significance of impact is expected to be high. and non-degradable and put in separate xv

Phase Impacts Analysis Enhancement/ Mitigation

clearly marked dustbins -Waste management hierarchy of 3 or 4Rs should be included in waste management. -Degradable material be disposed off to disposal areas in Mbale and Lwakhakha while the non-degradable like metals and plastic shall be sold off for re-cycling in Jinja and Kampala Potential Contamination and This impact is short term but irreversible where structures - Water supply pipes should be identified disruption of water sources like boreholes (3 boreholes) and pipes have to be relocated, and relocated together with boreholes contamination will localized as it will affect 5 rivers, about before site clearing and construction is 10 streams in different areas most of which are expected to done. have culverts and bridges installed. The impact significance - Material stock pile should be located is therefore expected to be medium. away from the watercourses. - Maintenance of vehicles and equipment should be done in designated areas (workshop) and not in water ways such as wetlands. -There should be a provision in the contractor’s bid for sufficient sanitary facilities for the contractor workforce including mobile ones - Oil interceptor be installed at the workshop - Oil drums be placed on top of wooden structures -Supplementary budget be set aside for

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Phase Impacts Analysis Enhancement/ Mitigation

the rehabilitation of water sources

Blocking access roads to Impact will affect most areas close to the road but will be - The local authorities should be involved water source, homesteads etc. short –term and can be mitigated. to identify areas where to pile the spoil materials - All accesses should be restored as soon as a section is complete Drainage Disruption and The probability of this impact taking place is high and if it -Spoil material should not be dumped Impacts on Wetlands happens it causes long-term effects. However it will be flood plain wetlands or localized to a few areas e.g. Namukhali and Wopondo and river courses the rivers and streams indicated above. Thus impact - Appropriate sizes of culverts should be significance is expected to be medium. installed to provide adequate space for water flow especially in the wet season - Where culverts will not be used, backfilling should be with hardcore/gravel material instead of soils to allow water to percolate slowly. - The site supervisor should be cautious of the sensitive areas such as wetlands mentioned in the baseline.

Deterioration of Air Quality It will cover the whole project especially along the road to - Speed of vehicles be controlled by use be upgraded but will be short term and will be mitigated. of Impact significance is expected to be medium rumble strips/humps, sprinkle water (3-4 times a day) to suppress dust especially in the dry season - All trucks carrying the granular material xvii

Phase Impacts Analysis Enhancement/ Mitigation

should be covered. be covered - Minimize vegetation clearing around all work sites including proposed campsite - Construction equipment and vehicles should be maintained to minimise gaseous emissions - Provision of dust respirator with filters to employees exposed directly. -Air quality problems can also be addressed by tree planting of trees for carbon dioxide Sequestration as a long term strategy. Increased noise Although this impact is likely to affect all people that are -Schedule noisy construction operations close to the road including schools, it is temporary, short- to be term as it will last up to end of construction and will be executed during the day (before 6pm) mitigated. - Workers exposed to excessive noise should have hearing protection (quarry area) - Proper maintenance of construction equipment - Avoid unnecessary vehicle movements Impacts from Bitumen and Over all impacts resulting from these activities are expected - Careful handling ensuring that all valves road markings to be of medium significance as it is short-term, localized are always closed before the truck moves and heating will be done using boilers and asphalt plants outside its working area to avoid spill and the period for road marking is also short. These have - All workers should be equipped with controlled emissions and minimal accidental spillages during nose masks, gloves, overalls, boats, and transportation. other protective wear xviii

Phase Impacts Analysis Enhancement/ Mitigation

- Should have First Aid Box on work site where bitumen is being prepared and used - Avoid having fire near areas where road marking is taking place as road marking coating is flammable. Vegetation Clearing - Vegetation clearing should be Although the impact of vegetation clearing is irreversible minimised and restricted to the planned and long term the trees can be offset. area of the road; - Landscaping and re-vegetation - Project should plan to plant trees at the boundaries of the road reserve which will improve aesthetics and mark the boundaries. - The project should deal with the owners of trees as suggested by NFA and compensate them promptly and or harvest them for use as timber if mature Disruption of Animals and There were no animal species that are endangered, -Sensitize the community to tether their Habitats threatened or rare and that common animals are domestic animals away from the road reserve animals and most of the habitat disturbance will occur -Signs indicating domestic animals eg within the road reserve. The impact is short –term and cattle crossing should also be placed in localized thus significance of impact is considered minimal. areas where most animals cross from. -UWA recommended that construction workers should be sensitized during orientation about the presence of these domestic animals and other animals and

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Phase Impacts Analysis Enhancement/ Mitigation

the strategies to avoid affecting them. They should further be informed that any killing of wild animals is illegal and it is an offence therefore regarded as Poaching Decreased Aesthetic value Impact is short term, localized -Planting of trees -Landscaping and , -Grassing of all exposed areas Influx of People into the Area Although the existing communities are highly vulnerable, - Local labour should be given priority looking for work the significance of impacts caused by population influx are - Bitumen boiling should be done using leading to increased considered as medium due to the fact that it will be short acetylene gas instead of firewood. pressure on facilities term in nature and reversible since most people will go back - Local authorities shall need to be (health) and resources after construction strengthened. (water, food, wood fuel etc - Sensitization of communities in cultural values - Awareness campaigns should be set up and Increased risk of Diseases For the case of malaria, the impact is short-term but spread - The project should work closely with especially HIV/AIDS & in the project area where stagnant water will form. This respective government departments, local Malaria impact is expected to be mainly in trading centres. It is NGOs, and/or faith based organizations, long-term and irreversible for the case of HIV but can be and local communities involved in HIV mitigated. and reproductive health - Mega awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS and other STDS should periodically be organized -Voluntary Counseling and testing services to the workers and community members should constantly be made

Phase Impacts Analysis Enhancement/ Mitigation

available. - There is need for continuous sensitization of the workers and community members about HIV/AIDS and other STDs. -Contractor should hire a Social, Health and Environmental coordinator. -The project should put in place strategies to control malaria such as distribution of mosquito nets and sensitization of communities along the road. This should be done through Health Centres and Non-Government Organizations operating in the area. - There should be provision of first line treatment for workers and their families. -The project can also support some of the health centres along the project area so as to improve on the service delivery. - The Project should have its own health facility, and offer services to its workforce and their families to reduce pressure on existing health

Health and Safety of workers The impacts are short-term, will cover the whole project -Occupational health and safety measures and the community (Accidents area but will be mitigated. Impact significance is medium. should be followed as provided in and injuries, respiratory General Specifications for Road and

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diseases due to dust, noise Bridges (MoWH&C, 2005): details nuisance) provided in the main report

Other measures related to the safety of the community and workers - Road warning signs, humps should be installed to minimize speed and reduce accidents - Diversion roads should be made and traffic guides put in place to avoid risk of accidents to the community. Constant watering of the road to reduce dust and related diseases. - Regulated speed and enforcement of speed limits for project workers as well as other drivers to minimize accidents. - Provide personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to project workers like masks, Helmets, Jackets and gloves, Disruption of educational This impact is short term, localized as only 2 schools will -Local authorities to discourage students programmes lose structures while others will be indirectly affected. The from seeking impact is reversible and can be mitigated. employment on the project - School authorities prohibit students from getting close to the site. - Install warning signs in places which are likely to be dangerous. - Contractor should ensure that there are xxii

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clear rules and regulations for site workers - Compensation /replacement for damaged school facilities. -Electing of shields e.g. using iron sheets so as to minimize disruption of school activities. Impact on Physical Cultural The few circumcision sites were reported to be in the - Circumcision sites although outside Resources different hills but the locations are not known as they are road reserve should further be identified kept a secret by the community until they gain confidence by the contractor together with the No physical cultural sites were in any person seeking to know. Although the impact on community to make sure that they are not identified within the road these may be long-term, it is expected to be minimal as they affected by activities like gravel extraction reserve, only some graves were are outside the road reserve except the graves which will be etc. found compensated. - Contractor and supervising Consultant should work with the communities so that any PCR like sites of cultural significance which may have been missed are identified before construction and avoided. - Any chance finds should be taken to Uganda Museum for further scrutiny and study - Graves have been evaluated for compensation in - The community in conjunction with the local authorities should be widely consulted especially during RAP

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preparation on how best to handle the issue of graves. Loss of land and The impact is localized within the road reserve, impact is - Compensate for lost land and structures structures including long-term and irreversible as 117Ha of land will be shall be carried out graves permanently acquired in addition to temporary land to be - Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) acquired. Therefore the significance of impact is high. spelling out details of compensation and resettlement has been carried out. About 117Ha of land will be acquired and several buildings permanent, temporary and other structures including community infrastructure like 4 water tanks, 2 churches, 1 mosque, 3 blocks of school etc. will be affected.

Impact on agriculture The project area mainly depends on agriculture and the All crops that will be damaged have been impact will affect all crops and trees on the land to be valued will be compensated fairly and acquired. The loss will be permanent thus the significance promptly. of impact is high Impact on Water supply and The impact on sanitation, water supply and electricity is - Relocation of the public utilities (3 sanitation and electricity short-term, localized and will be easily mitigated. Thus of boreholes) should be done to reduce on medium significance public inconvenience with provision of services (water, electricity among others). - Budgetary allocation of funds specifically for repairing the pipelines that will be damaged during the construction of the road. The project has to set aside funds for the repair activities -The repair

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activities will be implemented with the close monitoring of the district water office. - Budgets should also be provided for alternative water supply facilities for communities whose facilities will have to be relocated. -District Water Office (DWO) and the communities should be involved in the relocation exercise. Climate change impacts on - Impacts related to temperature changes are expected to be infrastructure; minimal, gradual and manageable as the temperature change - Frequent cycles of wetting and drying in Uganda resulting from climate change is envisaged to be could warrant the use of more - Extreme maximum minimal especially considering that the design life for these bound/stabilized materials in pavements temperatures and length of hot roads is not more than 20years where temperature change - Pavements are typically designed for a spells; will not be expected to be significant. 20 year design life. Under these Annual rain-fall (reduction); timeframes, and in consideration of the - Extreme rainfall events, - Frequent cycles of wetting and drying will also limit gradual nature of anticipated climate influencing flood levels and performance of granular pavement layers. However change effects, it can be expected that potentially frequency of although it is long-term and will continue even when the normal maintenance activities and flooding; road is completed the impact resulting from climate change reconstruction of pavements will allow - is likely to be minimal as there are very few wetlands which Available moisture management and adaptation to climate will keep the water level high for a long time. (evaporation and rates of change. rainfall); - Wet and dry cycles: affecting water tables and surface and subsoil inundation

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Cumulative impacts – In last few years there have Loss of land to the project may add on what is already being been landslides especially in experienced in the region as a result of yearly landslides in the neighboring district of the Bugisu region. This is a long term impact as a solution Bududa causing loss of land, to the landslides is not yet in place. However this other property and lives. There cumulative impact is expected to be minimal as project area may be people who still do not is not directly experiencing the landslides. have land that are presently living in Mbale and Manafwa. Operation and Loss of land rights Loss of land is permanent however it affects a few people - Adequate consultation should be carried maintenance - Loss of livelihoods and who have land in the strip of land along the proposed road. out with the respective owners to reach violation of traditionally So significance of impact is expected to medium. consensus on the means of compensation exercised land rights - Prompt and fair compensation for land. (Cash for land should be avoided). -There should be a comprehensive plan for livelihood restoration especially for the vulnerable households. -Provision of seedlings for purposes of replacing affected crops. -Transition allowance should be provided to help relocated households survive during the transition period until the first harvest of the new crops.

Increased land conflicts as a Impacts related to land conflicts are long-term as wrangles - Consultations and sensitizations of both result of increased land value and resulting from land conflicts in Uganda may cross from the affected and host communities attracting other settlers generation to generation. However it is expected that such should be undertaken prior to allocation

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will be isolated cases and can be mitigated. Thus the impact of new pieces of land. significance is regarded as medium Area LC I officials should properly be educated and updated about the development taking place in their areas so that they can inform the communities about all the planned developments in their area. -Affected households should be given an opportunity to identify their preferred areas for resettlement. -Vulnerable groups should be assisted and consulted throughout the whole exercise. Increased accidents as a The impact is long-term but will be localized affecting - Contract should erect road signs and re- result of a upgraded road mainly those along and will be mitigated instate sign posts - Contractor should sensitize the community before road handover and distribute highway cords in schools and communities - Humps and ramble strips be constructed in busy areas like near markets, schools etc - UNRA should closely monitor to make sure that road furniture is always in place Breakdown of social fabric- This is expected to be localized (mainly in trading centres), Continuous sensitization of the change in behavior affecting long term but will affect a few people. Significance of communities by the local authorities the traditional bonds, norms impacts therefore is expected to be medium. xxvii

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and functions of the community, spread of disease and family breakdown - A detailed decommissioning plan has Decommissioning been included in the ESIA report

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Environmental Hazard Management Road construction could entail occupational hazards/ risks and accidents especially involving motorised road construction equipment, asphalt plant and stone quarries. The following measures are proposed to control this risk: a. Landslides: Immediate evacuation of all the workers and equipment in the event of any warning signs of landslides b. Accidents from equipment: Only trained/ certified operators will operate motorised equipment. c. Theft of property: All contractors equipment’s will be stored in one central place manned by a licensed company guard d. Blasting explosives safety: During road construction, the contractor will ensure the following: All explosives are delivered to quarry sites (under Police escort as Uganda’s security requirements demand) on the day of blasting and any remnants returned into police custody after blasting. After each blast, site inspection will be conducted for un- detonated explosives. Advance warning is given to local communities near quarry sites before a blasting episode. After each blasting incident, inspection is conducted in communities around quarry sites to identify any offsite damage to private property, which should be duly and equitably compensated. All workers should are adequately protected from risk of fly rock and blasting noise. Stone blasting is done by only licensed blasters. e. Risk of burns/ scald at asphalt plant: This risk will be averted by contractors using only licensed operators following stringent safety guidelines and operation procedures. Operations involving hot bitumen shall be limited to daytime in adequate natural light. d) Fire safety: Fire safety equipment and personnel will be provided in workers’ camp. Warning signs will be provided at areas of potential fire source, e.g. at fuel storage areas. e) Medical emergency response: The contractor will have a medical clinic and a standby vehicle to immediately transport any accident victims to a nearby hospital. First Aid facilities will be provided on construction sites, equipment yards and in camps. Monitoring Program Monitoring of the predicted impacts in the ESIA will occur to check if predicted impacts have actually occurred and check that recommended mitigation actions have been implemented and are effective. Monitoring will also identify any unforeseen impacts that might arise from project implementation. Among the issues to be monitored include the following: Soil erosion and drainage, waste/ cut to spoil OHS, dust, noise, road safety, gender equity, HIV/AIDS awareness; contamination at work sites. A provisional sum of

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$350,000 has been provided for social-environmental monitoring during project implementation. The contractor will be required to oblige by the prepared a stand-alone ESMP linking environmental and social activities road works in line with guidance issued by UNRA. The primary oversight to ensure mitigation actions are implemented will rest with UNRA’s Directorate of Projects working with Safeguards Unit under Directorate of Planning but District Environmental Officers of Mbale and Manafwa will have regulatory supervisory and monitoring roles on behalf of NEMA. UNRA will thus enforce a contract penalty for purposely of ensuring the execution of the proposed activities in the ESMP through monitoring. UNRA shall require contractors to comply with this ESMP and assign a fulltime staff (Environmental Officer) to undertake environmental supervision during construction. UNRA confers full mandate to supervising engineering (SE) consultant to supervise the road project on a day-to-day basis. SE overseas work of the contractor through an intermittent (not full-time) environmental specialist. The Environment Specialist should guide the contractor’s fulltime Environmental Officer in undertaking own responsibilities, including reporting.

Monitoring will be undertaken by UNRA (Directorate of Projects) and Mbale and Manafwa District Environmental Officers who represent NEMA at local government level. Monitoring by NEMA is “third party monitoring” but this is its regulatory mandate according to Sections 6 and 7 of the National Environment Act (Cap 135) and no funding is expected from UNRA. Another government agency that may undertake “third party monitoring” is the Occupational Health & Safety Department in Ministry of Gender, Labour & Social Development (MGLSD). This unit has the authority to inspect the contractor’s working facility for compliance with national requirements on safety in workplaces. It is expected that the Bank (AfDB) will periodically monitor project implementation to ascertain compliance with requirements of the ESMP. Monitoring will be undertaken monthly throughout the construction period by site inspection, review of grievances logged by stakeholders and ad hoc discussions with potentially affected persons. For each monitoring visit, a discussion with a chairperson of environment committee of the area’s local council (LC) could provide insight into views and grievances a given community has about the project.

Detailed monthly monitoring reports shall be compiled by the contractor’s environmental officer under oversight of the supervising engineer (SE). The reports will be based on records kept as per requirements of the General Specifications of the Road & Bridge Works, Section 77 of the National Environment Act Cap 153 and guidance issued by UNRA. These detailed reports with evidence of compliance shall be prepared and appended to summary monthly reports shared with AfDB and any interested stakeholder or lead agency. A grievance mechanism has been proposed to provide avenues for affected persons to lodge complaints or grievances against the project or contractors during road upgrade. It also describes procedures, roles and responsibilities for managing grievances and resolving disputes. Every aggrieved person shall be able to trigger this mechanism to quickly resolve their complaints.

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Public Consultations and Disclosure (a) Public Consultations Stakeholder consultations were carried out during the scoping stage and throughout the ESIA process. 15 Meetings were carried out with different political and technical district local government officials from the two districts of Mbale and Manafwa and the Sub-Counties through which the road traverses. 19 community meetings were conducted for the villages that are located along Bumbobi-Lwakhakha road. Community consultation meetings were conducted in local languages in consultation with the local leaders in the different villages within the project area. Five Government agencies responsible for water, tourism, cultural heritage, wildlife management, forests and petroleum products management were consulted. Non-Government Organizations including Nature Uganda, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and The Aids Support Organization (TASO). The aim of the stakeholder consultations was to provide an overview of the proposed project and project activities and possible impacts and obtain views from stakeholders on anticipated benefits, opportunities, and concerns of the project. Key issues raised from public consultations and proposed actions are outlined in table below. Issues raised by Stakeholders Consulted Stakeholder Issue Discussion Suggested solutions

Damage to property and compensation Mbale and Destruction This was a concern raised by all local - Compensation Manafwa District of property government stakeholders consulted. They feared should be fair and Local that property like buildings, crops, school prompt Government playground, fences and other infrastructure Official s along the along the road might be destroyed. - Valuation should take place before construction

- Sensitization of communities and encouragement of local participation

Lwakhakha Destruction There was concern that gravity flow scheme - It was suggested that Town Council of water crossing the road would be destroyed. This was the place should be officials. supply raised by Lwakhakha Town Council officials. handled with care so as not to destroy the water pipes.

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Stakeholder Issue Discussion Suggested solutions Environmental issues Borrow There was concern that borrow pits where They suggested that such pits Gravel and stones are excavated will be often pits should always be open. backfilled after extraction of the required materials. Mbale and Flooding It was reported that too much water comes from There should be strong Manafwa District and the mountains and crosses the road especially drainage systems to Local Government drainage during the rainy season. collect the water and the Officials water should be channeled to running rivers. Safety and security issues Mbale and Increase in This was a general issue raised by majority of the Installation of humps Manafwa District accidents stakeholders. There is fear of increased number and signposts in trading and SubCounty due to of accidents during construction and also after centres and near schools. Local Government overtaking construction. Officials and over speeding during and after construction

Mbale and Increase This concern was raised by Mbale District It was suggested that Manafwa District in HIV/AIDS Focal Person. There was concern there should be constant Local Government HIV/AI that the influx of people in the area during HIV/AIDS awareness Officials DS and construction will increase the problem of for the workers and other HIV/AIDS in the area. community in general. STIs Mbale and Land It was pointed out that there were several land The project was advised Manafwa District wrangles conflicts in the area and land is considered to be to be very cautious when and Sub-County an important asset. dealing with land issues Local Government in the area. Officials Business and trade Mbale and Increase It was expected that there will be increased Project should be Manafwa District in regional trade between Uganda and Kenya. established to increase Local Government regional regional trade between Officials trade Uganda and Kenya. Mbale and Accessibil There is hope that with a good road, there will Ensure a good road is Manafwa District ity to be easy accessibility to markets and therefore constructed to make and Sub-County markets increase in trade. accessibility to markets Local Government easier and therefore Official s increase in trade Mbale and Employm The issue of job opportunities was raised by First priority for Manafwa District ent most of the stakeholders. It is expected that employment should be Local Government opportuni during construction, there will be increased job given to local people in and Sub-County ties opportunities for the local people. It was the project areas, Officials requested that the local people be considered for espellially for unskilled

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Stakeholder Issue Discussion Suggested solutions jobs especially casual labour jobs. labour UNRA, Eastern Socio- Consult the political leaders, district officials so Consultations were Region issues that they are aware of the project carried out with district Compensation is likely to be an issue as the road local and political reserve is 30m leaders, and ensure The source of aggregate should come out as well regular consultation as concerns with contractors and further throughout the project. investigations on the options will be undertaken during the detailed field visits. All people to be affected Off-shots Communities should be involved in choosing by the project will be where to put the off –shots. Sometimes they compensated. need the storm water in their gardens or in some of the valleys they may want to use for different Ensure that borrow areas purposes. This will reduce on the impacts of the and quarries to be used storm water (from the off –shots) on the are identified and name communities and locations included in Construct Choice of location of the construction camps the ESIA report. ion should involve the local Involve the communities Camps communities/authorities. This could be located in choosing offshoots in an area such that the structures could be used as a school or any other community activity. Location of camps for the workers When identifying areas for location of camps, involve the local communities/leaders Warid Telecom Effects Extent of impact the project would have on The quarries to be used on masts their masts in the area. during road construction He stressed that any blasting within the vicinity should be located of the mast would cause vibrations with relatively far from the Zain Telecom implications of distorting transmission, swaying quarries to avoid off and tilting of the towers due to earth distorting transmission, movements. swaying off and tilting of He finally noted that having to relocate the mast the towers due to earth is an expensive exercise and they would movements. Relocation preferably have it avoided in whatever option of the mast would be possible. very expensive Zain/Warid asked to be given time to check with their geotechnical documents to be able to come up with envisaged implication in case of rock blasting close to their site. Ministry of Water Impacts These areas of wetlands experience floods Raise the road within and Environment, on during periods of heavy rains. There is need for sections with wetlands to Directorate of wetlands raising of the road within these sections. avoid floods Environment There is need of finding the way of free flow of Affairs, Wetlands water across the road without damming. On top Find the way of free flow Management of installing culverts, gravel should be graded in of water across the road Department-Luzira all stretches of wetland areas before putting without damming and tarmac on top. This will enhance free flow of grade all the gravel in all water across the road through percolation stretches of wetland

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Stakeholder Issue Discussion Suggested solutions without necessarily restricting water to particular areas before putting flow across the culverts. tarmac on top of the The issue of dumping of soil waste creating land culverts to enhance free in wetland areas has to be avoided. This she flow of water across the noted reduces the area of wetlands through road through percolation encouraging reclamation by the wetland without necessarily encroachers. restricting water to All rice growing areas that are in form of valleys particular flow across the with saturated soils should be taken as wetlands culverts. while taking precautionary cautions of -Avoid damping of soil construction in wetland areas. in wetlands Downstream of these wetlands exist springs -Avoid contaminating with some directly acting as a source of water water in the wetlands for the neighbouring communities. Precaution through oil spills because should therefore be taken to avoid water used by contaminating the quality of water through oil communities spills and dumping of any sort. downstream for domestic purposes will Raised need for closed supervision and/or be affected. monitoring of the works at wetland areas to -Ensure close minimize silting and avoiding workers monitoring/supervision collaborating with the wetland encroachers to of the works at wetland accelerate degradation. areas to minimize silting and avoiding workers collaborating with the wetland encroachers to accelerate degradation.

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Stakeholder Issue Discussion Suggested solutions Directorate of Water In case of abstraction from any water resource, Obtain a permit for Water Resources Regulatio the permit should be sought from the Water water Abstraction in case Management n Resources management. of any abstraction from Entebbe DWRM has monitoring stations on all the lakes DWRM and Rivers that need to be taken care of during construction within their vicinity; monitoring during construction should ensure that these Ensure that DWRM aren’t tampered with. monitoring stations on NEMA regulations protecting water resources lakes and rivers in the need to be put up with when it comes to project area are not dumping of waste into water resources. tampered with. It was also mentioned that the design team should present the Water Resources Management, department of Regulations with a sketch of the road network to be worked on containing list of lakes, rivers and swamps that are likely to be crossed. This will enable the department avail the design consultants with the Hydrological characteristics of these resources; Comply with available such as the highest water levels ever reached in regulations on protecting those areas. water resources. The Ground water department could also be utilized to avail the consultant with information regarding the water table levels of these low lying areas. Ministry of Energy A senior petroleum expert stressed that in cases and Mineral of spillage during oil storage, drums should be development, placed in areas that can be easily cleaned and Department of disposed to designated places approved by Petroleum Supplies NEMA. The responsible companies that have been licensed by NEMA to handle issues related to disposal of oil related waste should be identified and given the role of handling all these kinds of wastes generated from the campsites and the construction sites. She also recommended that drums used for oil storage should be placed on top of wooden structures during loading and offloading and these can be kept well for further use to minimize the extent of spilling oil in several locations. All records of major spillages should be well kept to enable proper monitoring and avoid unpleasant impacts that could result if no mitigation measures are put in place after the spillage All bitumen should be well stored under proper precautions with proper supervision and/or xxxv

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Stakeholder Issue Discussion Suggested solutions monitoring Qualified Environmentalists should be deployed to ensure proper monitoring for compliance with all the recommended mitigation measures during the construction activities.

(b) Public Disclosure According to the Uganda ESIA guidelines on public disclosure, the ESIS is a public document that may be inspected at any reasonable time by any person. The guidelines state that the Authority (NEMA) in consultation with the lead agency shall decide regions where it is necessary to display the ESIA report to the general public. The Scoping report of this ESIA was also disclosed to the District Natural resources committees of Mbale and Lwakhakha and their issues incorporated to this report. The ESIS was submitted to NEMA for review and approval and it is the decision of NEMA to carry out public disclosure of the report by placing it public libraries and the headquarters of the Districts through which the road passes. Complementary Initiatives A separate study on resettlement (resettlement action plan, RAP) was conducted for this road project and measures therein provided for compensation of property to be affected by the project. Preparation of the RAP has been based on socio-economic surveys, a census of PAPs undertaken from 1st October 2010 - 9th February 2011 and data provided by an independent surveying/valuation firm engaged by UNRA. Besides resettlement, the following initiatives are proposed for the proposed project: i. HIV/AIDS awareness programs: It is recommended that the project includes HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs for both construction workers and communities in project areas. Use can be made of NGOs, or CBOs and agencies (e.g. AIDS Information Center, TASO etc.), which are well established in the project districts and experienced in this service. Arrangement and cost for this service is provided for in the ESMP. Long distance truck drivers should be one of the target segments for HIV/AIDS awareness training. ii. Tree planting as climate change initiatives: Road construction will entail loss of trees and these are carbon sinks beneficial to slowing down climate change. This justifies tree planting along the road reserve as part of road beautification. To ensure that correct species are planted, this activity should be undertaken by a professional landscaping entity through an independent bidding process that would ensure best value and conformity to specifications prescribed by UNRA. This bid should specify number of trees to be planted, cost, long-term ownership and care. iii. Gender awareness and mainstreaming: The contractor should undertake sensitization programs to ensure that men and women equally participate and benefit from the xxxvi

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project. Participation of women will also require ensuring provisions of facilities and amenities in workplaces (camps, equipment yard, and worksites). By working with a competent training entity, capacity building for female road workers should be considered, if feasible, by the contractor. This has been costed in the ESMP.

iv. Road safety educational campaigns: It is important therefore that upgrade of this road also undertakes road safety awareness and educational campaigns both during construction and operation. The first group targeted should be the schoolchildren and teachers together with District Education Offices. The schools can be provided with charts and brochures developed by the project. The project should also undertake road safety training for public transport operators. These are the most prevalent group of vehicle drivers and major traffic increases on improved roads will most likely be minibus ‘taxis’ and motorcycles (boda-bodas). By undertaking these road safety activities, the project will improve overall road safety. Road safety training has been provided for in the ESMP.

v. Roadside amenities: The project should also be designed to support initiatives such as upgrading of roadside markets, establishment of rest areas for long-haul truck drivers across the Uganda These places will offer social amenities, including HIV/AIDS information infoshops, personal hygiene facilities, sleeping places and parking bays. UNRA should discuss this initiative with respective district local governments who would be expected to subsequently own and operate and sustain these facilities. vi. There are many protected water sources in use very near the project road. The Water users expressed worry over loses of their reliable water sources yet there is limited potential for drilling in the area. It is therefore recommended to hold more discussions with Water Development Departments of Mbale and Manafwa regarding these water sources for purposes of planning for their replacement in kind prior to the actual road construction activities.

Conclusion A number of envisaged negative impacts of improving the Mbale-Lwakhakha road are not significant, while others will even be less significant when mitigation measures in this report are implemented. Some impacts such as land and structures loss due to the road widening will be permanent. However, to a great extent the road design has followed existing alignment in most cases; with a few geometric adjustments in the towns and trading centres. This impact will therefore not be of great impact. Temporary land take will occur when land is used for borrow pits, quarries and contractor's camps. Land will also be required for temporary diversions (detours) during road construction. Considerable quantities of gravel, rock and embankment fill material will be required during road construction. Borrow pits and quarries might have a diversity of impacts but these will be assessed independently by the contractors who choose specific sites. Upon

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closure, it will be essential for the contractor to restore to original condition all depleted borrow pits and quarry sites used during road construction. Construction activities pose a possibility of contaminating land and watercourses from bitumen, fuel or oil spillage from construction vehicles and interruption of access to certain services like water supply and power in areas where these mains will be relocated during road construction. Road construction traffic will be associated with noise and dust nuisance and possibly increased road accident risk, especially through settlements and trading centres. Women, children and elderly and disabled people will be particularly at risk.

When the road is upgraded to bituminous standard, its routine maintenance will have negligible environmental impacts: indeed less than the equivalent maintenance work required for the gravel surface road. For instance, there will be no need for borrow pits for gravel, with associated impacts, or no grading operations associated with dust and noise pollution. The proposed project offers enormous distance and journey time savings for traffic to Lwakhakha from Mbale and across Uganda to Kenya via the Eastern route. Once the proposed project is completed, transport costs and time would significantly reduce. In addition, the proposed road would support on-going and planned East African Integration. Upgrade of the road will entail land take and impact of structures. The project will affect a total of 1,102 buildings and structures with compensation with a budget of 12.11 billion UGX. 102 acres of land will be acquired at an acquisition budget of 7.92 billion UGX among other public utilities that will be affected including Mayenze Police post that will have to be relocated. All environmental and social concerns will be mitigated as detailed in the ESMP. A framework for the implementation and monitoring of the ESMP has been proposed and budgeted for. Compared to socio-economic benefits of the road project, many of the negative impacts will be insignificant as long as fair compensation and mitigation actions are implemented.

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AKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) team wishes to express gratitude to all the persons who were consulted for their useful contributions that made the assessment successful. In this regard the following are acknowledged:

 Co-ordination Team at UNRA Headquarters.  Mr. Adam Matovu, in charge of the Eastern Region.  Mr. Kiboma Michael, Engineer in Charge of Mbale Roads  Nuruddin Wajihi, the Team Leader for Feasibility Studies at SMEC International.

 The political leaders and Technical staff of Mbale and Manafwa Districts; Rev. Watenga Abedinego-Director of Community Based Services, Christine Wandeba-Secretary for Gender & Social Services,Muliro Wanga Taribu ,Secretary for Works, Production & Natural Resources,Mawejje Andrew,CAO,Kiboma Michael District Engineer,Wandwasi Robert district HIV Focal Person,Duca Margaret-District Population Officer,Wamayi David, District Planner,Madoyi Ayub,District Health Inspector

 The political and Technical leaders in Manafwa district :Wanakina George David,District Senior Environment Officer; Gideon Khawuka; District Community Development Officer;,Nangoli Paul ;Resident District Commissioner (RDC),Mukhoya Milka;Community Development Officer Lwakhakha Town Council, Kisogotsi Muhamad; Chairperson, Lwakhakha Town, Zubairi Wakhasa; Chairperson LC II Buhoma, Wamoka Abudu;Councillor,Walyanya Sharif;Youth Councillor, Lwakhakha town council,Nalwanana MaryLwakhakha Town Agent,Kahora Adiya,Lwakhakha Town Agent,Nabuzare Grace;Manafwa District Senior Accounts Assistant,Nangombe Emma, HMIS Focal Person,,Nandeke Richard;Bubuto Sub County Office Attendant, Walyamboga Peter,LC III Chairperson, Bugobero Sub County,Wamono Ben;Chairperson NRM, Bugobero Sub County  All in leaders and community mebers where meetings were held

National stakeholders  Mr. Mutemo; Senior Environmental Officer, Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications  Dr. Isabirye Martin;Deputy, Project Co-ordinator/ Principal Veterinary Inspector Regulations;  Oloya Richard; Civil Engineer Warid Telecom  Mrs Norah Namakambo; Ministry of Water and Environment, Directorate of Environment Affairs, Wetlands Management Department-  Mr. Apollo; Mechanical engineer, Zain Telecom

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE STUDY TEAM ...... ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... iii AKNOWLEDGEMENT ...... xxxix TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... xl LIST OF FIGURES ...... xliv LIST OF TABLES ...... xliv LIST OF APPENDICES ...... xlv ACRONYMS ...... xlvi 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 Background ...... 1 1.1.1 Project objectives ...... 1 1.1.2 Scope of Services ...... 2 1.2 Justification for the proposed project ...... 2 1.3 Requirements for ESIA ...... 4 1.4 Study Objectives ...... 4 1.5 Environmental and Social Assessment Methodology ...... 4 1.0 E ...... 5 1.51 Impact Assessment Methodology ...... 6 1.5.1 Consultation Process ...... 7 1.5.2 Public Disclosure ...... 8 1.5.3 Report Structure ...... 8 1.5.4 Public Hearings ...... 9 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ACTIVITIES ...... 10 2.1 The Project ((Bubombi- Bubulo- Lwakhakha Road) ...... 10 2.1.1 Description of the proposed road routing ...... 11 2.2 Area of Influence ...... 14 2.3 Technical Design, Construction and post Construction Activities ...... 14 2.3.1 Civil Works ...... 14 2.3.2 Footpaths, Busbays and Road furniture: ...... 15 2.3.3 Camp sites and Workshops ...... 17 2.4 Planned activities...... 17 2.4.1 Pre - Construction Stage ...... 17 2.4.2 Construction phase ...... 18 2.4.3 Operation and Maintenance ...... 21 2.5 Materials and their Sources ...... 21 2.6 Project staffing and labour requirements ...... 22 2.7 CONSIDERATION OF ALTETRNATIVES ...... 22 3.0 REVIEW OF THE EXISTING POLICIES AND LAWS ...... 25 3.1 Policy Frame work ...... 25 3.1.1 The National Environment Management Policy ...... 25 3.1.2 Transport Sector Policy ...... 26 3.1.3 Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA) ...... 26 xl

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3.1.4 The Gender Policy, 1997 ...... 26 3.1.5 National Policy for Conservation and management of Wetlands, 1995 26 3.1.6 Uganda Forestry Policy, 2001 ...... 27 3.1.7 MoWT’s Resettlement/Land Acquisition Framework, 2002 ...... 27 3.1.8 The National AIDS Policy (2004) ...... 27 3.1.9 Road Sub-sector Policies ...... 28 3.2 Legal frame work ...... 31 3.2.1 The Constitution of Uganda, 1995 ...... 31 3.2.2 The National Environment Act, Cap 153 ...... 31 3.2.3 The Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 1998 ...... 31 3.2.4 The National Environment (Waste Management) Regulations 1999 .... 31 3.2.5 Uganda Wildlife Act Cap 200 ...... 32 3.2.6 National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003 ...... 32 3.2.7 The Local Government Act, 1995 ...... 32 3.2.8 Land Act, Cap 227 ...... 33 3.2.9 Land Acquisition Act, 1965 ...... 33 3.2.10 The Access Roads Act, Cap 350 ...... 33 3.2.11 Water Act, Cap 152 ...... 33 3.2.12 Mining Act, 9/2003...... 34 3.2.13 The National Environment regulation S.I No. 2/ 2 000 ...... 34 3.2.14 National Environment (Wetlands, River Banks and lakeshores Management) regulation S.I No. 2/2000...... 34 3.2.15 The Roads Act, 1964 (Cap 358) ...... 35 3.2.16 The Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2006 ...... 35 3.2.17 Workers’ Compensation Act 2000 ...... 35 3.2.18 The National Environment (Standards for Discharge of Effluent into Water or on Land) Regulations, S.I. No. 5 /1999...... 36 3.2.19 Water Resources Regulations, SI No. 33/1998 ...... 36 3.2.20 The Historical Monument Act, Cap 46 ...... 36 3.2.21 Petroleum Act, Cap 149 ...... 37 3.2.22 The National Environment (Audit) Regulations, 2006 ...... 37 3.2.23 Physical Planning Act 2010 ...... 37 3.2.24 The Water (Waste Discharge) Regulations S.I. No. 32/1998 ...... 37 3.2.25 The National Environment (the Control of smoking in public places) Regulations S.I, 2004 ...... 37 3.2.26 The National Environment (Management of Ozone Depleting Substances and Products) Regulations, S.I No. 63/2001 ...... 38 3.3 Institutional Framework ...... 38 3.3.1 Ministry of Works and Transport, MoWT ...... 38 3.3.2 Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) ...... 38 3.3.3 Ministry of Water and Environment ...... 39 3.3.4 The Directorate of Water Resources Management (DWRM) ...... 39 3.3.5 The Directorate of Water Development (DWD) ...... 39 3.3.6 The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) ...... 39 3.3.7 National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) ...... 39 3.3.8 The National Forestry Authority (NFA) ...... 40 xli

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3.3.9 Ministry of Gender Labour & Social Development ...... 40 3.3.10 Town and Country Planning Board ...... 40 3.3.11 Local Administration Structures and Road Committees ...... 40 3.3.12 Ministry of Tourism, Trade & Industry (MTTI) ...... 40 3.3.13 District Land Boards ...... 41 3.3.14 Department of Geological Survey and Mines ...... 41 3.3.15 Permits and Licenses ...... 41 3.4 Requirements of International Financial Institutions ...... 41 3.4.1 ADB Safe Guard Policies...... 41 3.4.2 The Environment Policy ...... 42 3.4.3 AfDBs Involuntary Resettlement ...... 42 3.4.4 AfDBs Policy comparison with the Relevant Uganda Legislation ...... 43 3.5 International Environmental Agreements ...... 43 3.5.1 Ratified Conventions ...... 43 3.5.2 The Ramsar Convention of Wetlands, 1971 ...... 44 3.5.3 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants ...... 44 3.5.4 Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management ...... 45 3.5.5 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 45 4.0 PUBLIC CONSULTATION ...... 46 4.1 Public Participation Process ...... 46 4.2 Participation Objectives ...... 49 4.3 Stakeholder Composition and Analysis ...... 49 4.4 Stakeholder briefings and community consultation ...... 57 4.5 Issues raised...... 57 5.0 DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ...... 73 5.1 Physical Environment ...... 73 5.1.1 Geology ...... 73 5.1.2 Geomorphology and Soils ...... 73 5.1.3 Hydrology, Drainage and Water resources ...... 74 5.1.4 Climate ...... 74 5.1.5 Water quality and existing pollution discharges ...... 75 5.2 Biological Environment ...... 75 5.2.1 Flora ...... 75 5.2.2 Fauna ...... 78 5.2.3 Avifauna (Birds) ...... 79 5.3 Human / Social – Cultural Environment ...... 80 5.3.1 Human Population ...... 80 5.3.2 Ethnic composition...... 82 5.3.3 Migration Patterns ...... 83 5.3.4 Religious Affiliations ...... 83 5.3.5 Marital Status...... 84 5.3.6 Education ...... 85 5.3.7 Vulnerable groups ...... 87 5.3.8 Land Use and Tenure ...... 88

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5.3.9 Housing and Settlement Patterns ...... 89 5.3.10 Infrastructure ...... 90 5.3.11 Education ...... 94 5.3.12 Water Supply ...... 95 5.3.13 Electricity ...... 97 5.3.14 Fuel Stations ...... 98 5.3.15 Transport and Communication ...... 98 5.3.16 Employment...... 99 5.3.17 Economic Activities ...... 100 5.3.18 Source of income and expenditure ...... 103 5.3.19 Food security ...... 104 5.3.20 Source of Energy and Fuel ...... 104 5.3.21 Cultural Property ...... 104 5.3.22 Tourism Potential...... 105 5.3.23 Planned Development ...... 105 5.3.24 Security ...... 105 5.3.25 Gender...... 105 5.3.26 Donor/Government Development Programmes ...... 106 6.0 EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ...... 108 6.1 Positive Impacts of the Action ...... 108 6.1.1 Preparation Phase/Planning ...... 108 6.1.2. Site Preparation and Construction Stage ...... 108 6.2 Negative Impacts ...... 113 6.2.1 Preconstruction Phase / Planning ...... 113 6.2.2 Site Preparation and Construction ...... 113 6.2.3 Operation and maintenance/ Post construction stage ...... 140 7.0 Decommissioning and restoration activities ...... 143 7.1 Resettlement Action Plan ...... 144 7.2 Overall Impact Assessment ...... 146 7.3 Residual Negative Impacts following Mitigation ...... 148 7.4 Environment and Social Mitigation Measures ...... 129 8.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING ...... 142 9.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 142 9.1 Conclusions ...... 142 9.2 Recommendations ...... 143 9.2.1 Institutional Cooperation ...... 143 9.2.2 Sensitization ...... 143 9.2.3 Employment Opportunities ...... 143 9.2.4 Cultural and Archaeological aspects...... 143 9.2.5 Water Quality Tests...... 143 9.2.6 Planning and Co-ordination with Local Authorities ...... 144 9.2.7 Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) and Property Valuation ...... 144 9.3 Complimentary Initiatives ...... 144 9.4 Further recommendations include; ...... 145

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Appendices: ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix A: Minutes of Stake holders meetings ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix B: List of People Consulted ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix C: Sampled Attendance Lists from the project area ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix D: Summary of selected minutes from the community Meetings ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix E: Sampled photographs of community sensitisation meetings along the Project road ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix F Terms of Reference ...... Error! Bookmark not defined.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 Assigning Values to Baseline Conditions ...... 6 Figure 1.2 Evaluation of Magnitude of impacts ...... 6 Figure 1.3: Overall Impact Assessment ...... 7 Figure 4.1: Sample Photographs of community meetings ...... 57 Figure 5.1: Intrusive granite rocks in Bukemo Village Lwakhakha town council ...... 73 Figure 5.2: Vegetation types along the road ...... 78 Figure 5.3: Reared animals tethered ...... 79 Figure 5.4: Storks seen up in the sky in the project area ...... 79 Figure 5.5: Ethnic Groups in the Project Area: ...... 82 Figure 5.7: Religious Beliefs along the Project Road ...... 84 Figure 5.8: Marital Status of the Population along the road ...... 85 Figure 5.9: Distance to the nearest Primary and Secondary Schools ...... 87 Figure 5.10: Housing in the Project area at Mayenze and Residential Structures in Namikyelo village ...... 90 Figure 5.11: Butiru Health Centre located along the road ...... 91 Figure 5.12: Common diseases in the project area ...... 93 Figure 5.13: Main sources of water supply in the project area ...... 96 Figure 5.14: Borehole along the road at Bunangabo ...... 96 Figure 5.15: Electricity Infrastructure located close to the road ...... 98 Figure 5.16: Communication means in the project area ...... 99 Figure 5.17: Example of tethered animals and crops along the road in the project area ...... 101 Figure 5.18: Petty trade along the road ...... 102 Figure 6.6.1: Waste Management Hierarchy ...... 115

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2-1: Table showing areas traversed by Bumbobi - Lwakhakha Road ...... 11 Table 2-2: Map showing Bumbobi-Bubulo-Lwakhakha Road with its drainage and urban centres ...... 13 Table 2-3: Proposed drainage structures Bumbobi- Bubulo -Lwakhkaha ...... 15 xliv

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Table 2-4: Road construction material sources ...... 18 Table 3-1: Permits required by the proposed development ...... 41 Table 4-1: Schedule of meetings for Mbale-Bumbobi-Lwakhakha Road ...... 47 Table 4-2: Analysis of stakeholders – Bubulo-Lwakhakha road ...... 50 Table 4-3: Issues Raised by National Stakeholders...... 58 Table 4-4: Issues raised by Local Government; District and Sub County Levels ...... 64 Table 4-5: Issues raised by community members ...... 66 Table 5-1: Vegetation types along the proposed road ...... 76 Table 5-2: Population by Sub-County in the Project Districts ...... 81 Table 5-3: Mbale and Manafwa 2012 projected populations ...... 81 Table 5-4: Level of Education by Gender ...... 86 Table 5-5: Health Facilities by District ...... 90 Table 5-6: Average crop production ...... 101 Table 5-7: Occupation by Gender ...... 103 Table 5-8: Location of wetlands and water sources on Bumbobi –Lwakhakha Road...... 106 Table 6-1: Map showing the potential material sources, physical-cultural resources and borrow areas ...... 136 Table 7--0-1: Decommissioning Plan ...... 143 Table 7-0-2: Overall Impact Assessment ...... 147 Table 7-0-3 Residual Negative Impacts ...... 148 Table 7-0-4: Mitigation Plan with Costs ...... 129

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix A: Minutes of Stakeholder meetings B: List of Stakeholders Consulted C: Attendance Lists for Community Meetings D: Minutes of Community Meeting E: Some of the Photographs F: Terms of Reference

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ACRONYMS

Acronym Meaning ACAO Assistant Administrative Officer AfDB Africa Development Bank AIDS Acquired immunodeficiency Syndrome BP Bank Procedures CAIIP Community Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Program CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CBOs Community Based Organisations DHO District health officer EIA Environmental Impact Assessment INDIA Indirect Impact Area DIA Direct Impact Area EMP Environmental Management Plan ES Environmental Statement ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ESMP Environment and Social Management plan HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus HMIS Health information Management Services I&APs Interested and Affected Persons JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency LC III Local Council three LC1 Local Council One LCV Local Council Five MP Member of parliament MT.N Mobile Telecommunication Network NEMA The National Environment Management Authority NPL New Plan Limited NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations OAU Organization Of African Unity OD Operational Directives OM Operational Manual OP Operational Policies PAP Project Affected People PEAP Poverty Eradication Action Plan RDC Resident District Commissioner ROW Right of Way SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SNO Senior nursing officer STD Sexual Transmission Diseases TC Trading Centre UETCL Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe xlvi

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Acronym Meaning UNESCO United national Education Scientific UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change UNFPA Uganda National Family Planning Association UNRA Uganda National Roads Authority USAID United States Agency for International Development UTL Uganda Telecommunication Limited UWA Uganda wildlife Authority

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) is responsible for managing, maintaining and developing the national road network across Uganda. UNRA became a legal entity in 2006, but officially began operations on 1st July 2008. Much of the network requires substantial improvement or development to meet current and forecast traffic demands, and to promote equal distribution of, and access to economic and social development across the country. As such the Government of Uganda has committed to fund a sizeable programme of works in the next few years.

UNRA has plans to develop road networks in different parts of Uganda. This is in response to its mission “to develop and maintain a national road network, for economic development needs of Uganda, to the safety of all road users, and to the environmental sustainability of national roads corridors. This includes the major part eastern Uganda road infrastructure of which Bubombi- Bubulo Lwakhakha is among.

To achieve this mission, UNRA intends to focus on optimizing the quality, timeliness and cost effectiveness of its road projects, and to promote the use of innovative and creative techniques and strategies to optimize the performance of the road network. UNRA expects the Consultants and Contractors that work for the Authority to adopt these objectives, to work with UNRA to achieve its mission, and to reflect this in the preparation of their proposals.

1.1.1 Project objectives

At National level the project objectives are i) To promote equal access to economic and social development opportunities across the country ii) To improve the quality of the National Road Network and improve connectivity to all areas of the country iii) To promote the continual improvement of the National Road Sector in Uganda.

At a local level the project objectives are i) To improve access to goods/ passenger transport services and reduce transport costs along the route i) To improve access to social and economic development opportunities along the route by providing high capacity infrastructure; ii) To ensure no road side communities to be worse off as a result of road upgrading works.

In line with National Road Development and Maintenance Programme highlighted above, the Government of Uganda is to finance the upgrading of a number of road 1

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schemes to bituminous standards of which Mbale(Bubulo)- Bumbobi -Lwakhakha road is among.

The development is intended to be a high quality that will generate significant benefits in terms of improving access to the remote areas of region and protecting the environment. However, this kind of development requires UNRA to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The Government represented by the Uganda National Road Authority (UNRA) therefore engaged M/S SMEC International Pty (SMEC) in association with Newplan Limited (NPL) to provide the required services.

SMEC and NewPlan are experienced in environmental management and assessment and are familiar with the Environment and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) requirements for road development and projects.SMEC and NewPlan are well known for their integrity, independence and skill in assisting stakeholders to participate in the ESIA process. The Consultant has no vested interest in the proposed project and is independent in terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations.

1.1.2 Scope of Services

The project involves feasibility study, including consideration of the alternative routes and pavement options, environmental and social impact study, road safety, land acquisition, preliminary design, economic and financial analysis. Services will also include detailed engineering, design for the approved option; including all necessary data collection, field surveys and analysis to cover all aspects of detailed design. However, this report will focus on Environmental Assessments.

Subsequently SMEC and NPL entered into a sub-consultancy agreement in relation to provision of services under the Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) as well as Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) components.

1.2 Justification for the proposed project

The Bubombi- Bubulo- Lwakhakha Road was identified for improvement by the Uganda Government based on the following considerations:

a) The project road is in a bad condition with potholes, rapid loss of gravel and scouring of drainage channels. The road alignment and carriage way width are all below standards and pose danger to driving especially during the rainy season.

b) The road links Mbale town to the people living on the slopes of mountain Elgon. The area has ample rainfall and fertile volcanic soils that support agriculture as the main economic activity. The area covered by the project is known for the production of subsistence crops such as maize, bananas, millet as well as vegetables (tomatoes, cabbages, onions) and fruits (watermelon, passion fruit).

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c) The Vermiculate Mining project near Busumbu Trading centre is likely to benefit from the improvement of the Bumbobi-Bubulo- Lwakhakha Road as it will ease the transportation of this mineral.

d) Mt.Elgon is a hot spot for the tourism industry but this foreign exchange earner industry is faced by the challenge of lack of good roads that are motorable throughout the year. The target road is a good link to the Mt. Elgon National park but is not motorable during the rainy season. The government has therefore deemed it befitting to upgrade this road from its current state to bitumen standards. This upgrade may improve the tourist inflow to Mt. Elgon National park thus enhancing tourist activity and mountain climbing in the area as well as creating more jobs for the local communities.

e) The proposed road connects Mbale and Manafwa districts to Lwahkakha Township on the Uganda-Kenya Border. Therefore, upgrading of the road will lead to an increase in traffic between the Kenya border and Mbale town and beyond hence a likely increment of trade and other commercial activities in the area of its influence. The increased inflow of vehicles to transport agricultural produce will help farmers to transport their produce to the market in and outside Uganda with ease.

It is for these reasons that UNRA is undertaking the project to upgrade the Bubombi- Bubulo- Lwakhakha road with the aim of improving the transport service for both goods and passengers as well as reduce transport costs along this route consequently fostering social and economic development opportunities in the project area by providing high capacity infrastructure.

However this development is likely to potentially affect structures (within the 30m proposed road reserve) including permanent, semi-permanent and temporary structures of mud and wattle with a number of persons facing disruption of their assets. The road will affect road side economic activities such as markets, shops and kiosks, etc. and other businesses like ‘Boda boda’ riding.

From the Uganda environment context, the proposed development (Bubombi- Bubulo- Lwakhakha Road) falls under the category of "major infrastructure development projects" which are listed under the Third Schedule of the National Environment Act, Cap. 153. Section 2 of the Third Schedule which obliges a developer with a project listed under it to conduct an EIA before implementation of such a project. Under the same Schedule, all major roads and all roads in scenic, wooded or mountainous areas are among transportation projects requiring mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment to be done before their implementation. In line with all these requirements, this ESIA for the Upgrading of Bubombi- Bubulo- Lwakhakha Road was undertaken.

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1.3 Requirements for ESIA

According to the ADB’s screening guidelines, major transportation projects, i.e. those exceeding 50 km and requiring major rehabilitation or upgrading, are classified as Category I projects which require detailed ESIA investigations. From the ESIA, the road will potentially affect 667structures (within the 30m proposed road reserve) including permanent semi-permanent and temporary structures of mud and wattle and a number of persons will have their assets disrupted. The road will affect road side economic activities such as markets, shops and kiosks, etc. and other businesses like ‘Boda boda’ riding.

From the Uganda environment context, the proposed development falls under the category of "major infrastructure development projects" which are listed under the Third Schedule of the National Environment Act, Cap. 153. Section 2 of the Third Schedule obliges a developer a project listed under it to conduct an EIA before implementation of such a project. In line with all these requirements, this ESIA was undertaken for the Upgrading of Bubombi- Bubulo –Lwakhakha Road which should be approved by NEMA before implementation.

1.4 Study Objectives

Principally, the main objectives of the ESIA study were: i) To describe the key components of the existing environment and social setting of the road project area. ii) To identify, analyse and evaluate the type and extent of the potential environmental and social impacts. iii) Conduct public consultations with stakeholders on the implications of the project on their social economic setting; iv) Propose feasible mitigation measures and strategies to minimize or avoid adverse environmental and social impacts including monitoring plans for implementation of the mitigation measures. v) Prepare an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) indicating Institutional roles and resources needs for their implementation.

1.5 Environmental and Social Assessment Methodology

The ESIA methodology will be subject to the EIA flow chart for Uganda illustrated below:

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DEVELOPE R

SUBMISSION OF PROJECT BRIEF TO PROJCET BRIEF FORWARED TO THE AUTHORITY LEAD AGENCY

AUTHORITY & LEAD AGENCY CONSULTATI ON ON S PROJECT C BRIEF R SCREEN 2 SCREEN 3 SCREEN 1 (ANNEX 2) E (ANNEX 2) (ANNEX 3) E WHETHER WHETHER N WHETHER ADEQUATE CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL OF I PROJECT PROJECT EIA N REQUIRES MITIGATION IS EXEMPT MEASURES G FROM EIA MANADATORY EIA FROM EIA HAVE BEEN INCORPORATE D

STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS ON SCOPING SCOPE

T.O.Rs 1.0 E AUTHORITY, LEAD AGENCY & I REVIEW OF STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS ON T.O.RS S T.O.RS T U EISTUDY AND COLLECTION OF PUBLC & STAKEHOLDER D INFORMATION CONSUL Y TATION PUBLC & STAKEHOLDERS CONSUL PREPARE TATION EIS EIS S LEAD AGENCY & PUBLIC COMMENTS & REVIEW D E REVIEW AND ANY FURTHER STAKEHOLDER C COMMENT ON AND LEAD AGENCY COMMENTS I EIS S I O APPROVAL OF EIS N CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL OF THE M EIA A K DECISION ON I N G PROJECT RECORD OF DECISION

ACTION BY DEVELOPER 5

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1.51 Impact Assessment Methodology

The assessment of impacts was based on a three step procedure making impact assessment, conclusions and recommendations more objective, easier to conceptualize, follow and trace back if desired. The core of the procedure was to combine the ‘value’ (step 1) of the affected environment and the ‘magnitude of impacts’ (step 2) to obtain the ‘overall impact assessment’ (step 3). Step 1. Base line data was collected using different methodologies as follows: i) Review of existing information ii) Onsite assessments –this involved site visits to` observe what exists in the area covering physical, biological and social –cultural issues iii) Focus group discussions iv) Public /stakeholder consultations – process is highlighted below. v) Social surveys by use of questionnaires vi) Data analysis Baseline environmental and social conditions were described in detail and valued on a continuous scale from ‘low value’ to ‘high value’, which was assigned to the impact zones and the characteristics thereof. This value was related to international, national or local guidelines, standards and evaluations. Values were only assigned to elements of the biological environment such as flora and vegetation, aquatic ecosystem etc. The human environment aspects were taken to have “high value” but not summed up and visualised in diagrams.

Value Low Medium High ------------------ ------------Figure 1.1 Assigning Values to Baseline Conditions

The second step was to describe and evaluate the magnitude of potential project impacts, measured in terms of their extent in time and space, the vulnerability of the environments affected, the reversibility of the impacts and the probability that the impacts will occur. The magnitude of impacts was evaluated on a scale from ‘high negative’ to ‘high positive’.

Phase Magnitude of Impacts High neg. Medium neg. Little / no Medium pos. High pos. ------------------------------ Planning ------------Construction ------------Operation Figure 1.2 Evaluation of Magnitude of impacts 6

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The third and final step combined ‘value’ (step 1) and ‘magnitude of impacts’ (step 2) to obtain the ‘overall impact assessment’ (step 3). This assessment evaluated the importance of an impact on a scale ranging from ‘very large negative’ to ‘very large positive.

Step 1: Value

Low Medium High

Large positive

Very large positive (++++)

Large positive (+++) Medium positive

Medium positive (++)

Small positive (+) Step 3: Minimal / no Minimal / no Overall impact (0) assessment

Magnitude of impacts of Magnitude Small

negative 2: 2:

(-) Step Medium negative (--) Medium negative

Large negative (---)

Very large negative (----) Large negative

Figure 1.3: Overall Impact Assessment

1.5.1 Consultation Process

Key stake holders were identified and programmes drawn for individual and community meetings. Communities were mobilised by the Local Council authorities of the respective villages while the study team made appointments with the Local Authorities of the different Districts as well as agencies. Community meetings were held at the village level at their usual meeting places and sometimes two villages combined in one meeting.

Views in all meetings were documented and they form part of this report. 7

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1.5.2 Public Disclosure

During Environment and Social Impact Study (ESIS), the project was discussed with the local authorities of Mbale and Manafa districts, heads of departments, District Environmental Committees and other stakeholders. Their views were captured and included in this report. Once the ESIS is ready UNRA will submit it to NEMA for review and approval. When the review is completed by NEMA, EIS shall be a public document and may be inspected at any reasonable time by any person.. Within two (2) weeks from date of receipt of the EIS, NEMA shall (if it finds it necessary), publicize receipt of the EIS, identify the concerned region and stakeholders, the places for inspection of the EIS, shall also make copies or summaries of the statement available for public inspection. NEMA shall also send copies of the EIS within 14 days from the date on which it was received to other relevant agencies and experts for comments. Public comments and/or objections shall be submitted to NEMA within 3 weeks of the publication of the Notice.

1.5.3 Report Structure

This report has the following chapters as outlined below:

Chapter 1: Introduction; Provides a description of the background of the project, the need for an EIA and the methodology used in the assessment;

Chapter 2: Project Description; Describes the project location, the area of influence, the project components, and project technical designs and the Alternatives considered;

Chapter 3 : Policy, Legal And Institutional Framework; Presents an overview of the legal and institutional framework under which this ESIA has been conducted including national and international EIA study requirements. Chapter 4 Public Consultation

Chapter4 : Public Consultations; Provides an overview of public disclosure and consultation activities undertaken in connection with the EIA study process. The major concerns raised are dealt with in the Environmental and Social Management Plan.

Chapter 5 : Description of The Existing Environment; Synthesizes the study methodology

Chapter 6: Evaluation of Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures; Describes the potential positive and negative environmental and social impacts according to their magnitude and presents the anticipated overall of impacts of the Project. It also lists the measures to be taken to mitigate or

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compensate the environmental impacts during the various stages of the project phases.

Chapter 7: Environmental Monitoring; Guidelines to be adopted in environmental monitoring and management of the project are presented in this chapter.

Chapter 9: Conclusion and Recommendations; Gives concluding remarks, recommendations on the way forward of the project.

1.5.4 Public Hearings

Where NEMA recognizes that it is necessary to further hear the opinions of the public in concerned areas, it shall, in consultation with the Lead Agency (developer), hold public hearings on the days contained in a Notice for the public hearings. The public in the concerned areas, and other interested parties, may present their opinions at the public hearings from points of view of environmental conservation and socio-economic considerations. NEMA gives notice of a public hearing at least 10 days to the meeting and such a notice may be; posted in or near the affected community, published in a daily newspaper in an official language, published in a local newspaper in an appropriate language, and notified to the public through any other suitable media. The notice shall contain full information about the location, time of the proposed meeting, and the items to be considered by the meeting; and shall also announce that no decisions are to be made on matters not so noticed. The public hearings can be held in the following areas; project site, meeting place within the lead agencies areas/board room, and any other facility within capacity, and available for this purpose, and social issues.

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2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ACTIVITIES

2.1 The Project ((Bubombi- Bubulo- Lwakhakha Road)

The Bubombi- Bubulo- Lwakhakha Road is a 44.5 km gravel road situated in the districts of Mbale and Manafwa in the Mt. Elgon region, eastern Uganda. It is among the National Roads Network that has been identified for upgrading from gravel to high class bitumen. The full road alignment follows the existing Bubombi- Bubulo- Lwakhakha gravel road from Bumbobi Trading centre in the Mbale- Tororo Road in Bunghokho sub-County through the trading centres of Nabumali, Mayenze, Bubulo,Bugobero, Butiru, Bubuto, Munamba to Lwakhakha Township on the Kenya Uganda border.

Details of other towns through which the road alignment passes and those to be bypassed are shown below: p) Km 4+365: Nabumali Trading centre; the existing roundabout has been retained but widened to control the traffic flow q) Km 6+500 to 7+100: The existing kink on the horizontal alignment has been removed and replaced by a straight line. r) Km 12+500 to 13+500: Mayenze trading centre; possibility of a by-pass investigated but the alignment was agreed to be passed through the centre but shifted to LHS to minimise impacts of structures on both sides s) Km 15+000-15+400: Bubulo-Manafwa trading centre; a single curve introduced to this trading centre to improve the road geometry and avoid the narrow existing road through the centre t) Km 15+800 to 16+600: Bridge over River Manafwa; the alignment has been modified to improve the approaches to this bridge. Affected structures within Nabwima trading centre are to be compensated u) Km 16+900 to 17+100: Kufu trading centre; A horizontal curve has been introduced at this location to improve the road geometrics v) Km 17+800 to 19+200: Alignment improved at Bunangabo area, affected structures to be compersated w) Km 21+700 to 24+100: Bugobero trading center; alignment shifted to the RHS to save more structures on the LHS x) Km 25+00 to 25+700: Alignment shifted to the LHS to save many structures on the RHS y) Km 29+300 to 30+200: Realignment carried out at this section z) Km 33+500 to 34+800: realignment to avoid congested Bubutu trading center aa) Km 37+200 to 37+800: Geometric improvements at Bumulekei trading center 10

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bb) Km 39+600 to 40+400: Munamba II bypass alignment passed on the RHS to improve geometry and minimise compensation cc) Km 40+700 to 41+800: Bukhomeli bypass; alignment shifted to the LHS minimising compensation dd) At Lwakhakha town, (km 44+200 to 44+672) centreline shifted to the LHs minimising structural destruction on both sides of the town This road connects to several districts in eastern Uganda and these include among others Butaleja and Tororo, and provide an alternative route to the border with Kenya.

The Project road is in a fair to poor condition with defects including, loss of gravel, potholes, blocked drainage channels and culverts.

2.1.1 Description of the proposed road routing

The proposed route covers 44.5 km along the existing Mbale-Lwakhakha road. A ROW of 30 m will be applied for the entire road with carriageway of 7m. Intersections/junctions have been proposed as per the design manual guidelines with segregated 2m wide footpaths in the trading centres. Service roads and 2m wide pedestrian footpaths have also been proposed at the trading centres of Mayenze, Bugobero and Sihana and Lwakhakha. Bus bays will be provided at all trading centers near institutions such as schools and near major junctions. The road lies within a predominantly agricultural area. Figure 2-2 below shows the proposed road route for upgrading while table 2-1 shows areas traversed by the road.

Table 2-1: Table showing areas traversed by Bumbobi - Lwakhakha Road

District Sub-county Major Trading Villages Centres Mbale Bumbobi Masalile, Lukii, Bukhumeka Busoba Nabumali Township Bubetsye central, Nabumali township, Bumuyelelo upper, Buwamalelo, Nashikaka, Siyantsa, Nakhaboko.

Nyondo Nakhaboko, Muyekhe, Bufukhula.

Bushiende Mulatsi Nabikhoso B, Mulatsi, Namala, Wapondo. Nabikhoso B, Mulatsi, Shikoye, Wapondo, Bumakika, Lutembete, Shiyantsa, Buyaka B, Namikyelo. Manafwa Manafwa Town Mayenze Buwere A, Buwere B, Namakese, Council Bubulo Muririnyi, Bumulyanyuma, Nabwima. Khabutola Kufu Namawanga, Buwerwe, Buwatsosi, Sibanga Bunambale, Buwebele, Bumutola, Kabale Bunangabo I, Kubuye, Bumatola I,

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District Sub-county Major Trading Villages Centres Bumurumu I, Mutala, Mutoto, Kabale.

Bugobero Nakhupa Bunabiro, Bumateyo, Bunangabo II, Bunangabo I, Buwafutu, Bumurumu II, Bugobero Kiwata, Butumwa I, Butumwa II, Bumufumi, Bukusu, Salosalo, Nambale, Nabikulu, Manyali, Busangayi III. Bukhofu / Sisuni Namaloko Buwalimbwa, Bukhonzo, Buwanyama, Bukhisa. Butiru Butiru Township Buwasibi, Bumuketsi Bumulekhwa, Busumbu. Buwafula, Buwamalelo. Bubutu Bubutu Township Butsekeleyi, Bumukhuyu, Buwetsala, Nemba Bumahafu, Bumuyonga, Bumandali, Buwangolo, Busiwuma, Bumusomi, Bumatanda, Buwandyambi, Bumulika, Busiemba, Bumalaga, Bumulegi. Bumwoni Munamba, Buyasele, Bukibumbi, Bukhomeli, Bukhomeli Bulyuli, Nabunulu.

Lwakhakha Town Sikhana Lwakhakha B, Nabutiti cell, Lwakhakha Council Lwakhakha Town Central, Bamboo cell, Mvule cell, Mango Council cell, Market cell, Kibayi cell, Lwakhakha north cell, Sikhana A, Bukemo A, Bukemo B, Bulyuli Cell, Senior quarters, Rock Cell, Butemulani II A, Kibayi.

In Association with

Bumbobi

Table 2-2: Map showing Bumbobi-Bubulo-Lwakhakha Road with its drainage and urban centres

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Within the road reserve are several permanent residential and commercial buildings. There are built up brick fences and live planted fences around the residential buildings. The road as it is today, even when properly rehabilitated is destroyed much faster due to the frequent rains that cause erosion of the road surface. The proposed bitumen road will have good drainage.

2.2 Area of Influence

This is defined as the area that will be affected by the project development. The zones in this area have been defined based on the intensity of the impacts. These were identified under the Direct Impact Area (DIA) and Indirect Impact Area (INDIA).The DIA is an area that will have a direct impact from the project activities. The key DIA areas include: the road reserve, the camp sites (temporary), the road diversions, the borrow pit areas proposed in 10 locations, the quarry site proposed at 1site (but others to be identified) and soil disposal sites like the abandoned existing borrow pits as well as the valley dam that is likely to receive storm water from offshoots.

The INDIA refers to areas that are surrounding the project area that may not be directly affected by the project, but may be influenced by human activities anticipated after the project has commenced. These areas include: the local communities along the road reserve on either side of the road, the rivulets and rivers on which bridges are to be constructed.

2.3 Technical Design, Construction and post Construction Activities

2.3.1 Civil Works

The following principles were adopted during selection of the appropriate alignment for the design: a) The project road has been designed to be upgraded to bitumen standard with 7.0m carriage way and 1.5m wide shoulders on both sides, b) The road geometrics will be improved as per design requirements and horizontal/ vertical curve improvements has been suggested. The improvement will be within the proposed Right of Way of 30m and more or less the existing alignment has been followed. This means that more land will be required for this expansion due to geometric and safety requirements as well as to accommodate future infrastructure. c) The vertical geometry will also be improved by readjusting the filling and cutting of the soil, d) Provide stone masonry drains in cut areas for road side drainage and e) Rectangular reinforced concrete paved side ditches with cover at selected positions as standard for all the towns and trading centres in the entire project road f) Design Speed; The road has been generally classified as flat and having gradient not exceeding 5.5%. The design speed of 90km/hr has been recommended with regulated speed of 50km/hr for the trading centres for pedestrian safety. These will be regulated at the trading centres using traffic signs.

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g) Service roads have been proposed at the trading centres of Mayenze, Bugobero and Lwakhakha to minimise conflicts between traffic and the local transports

2.3.2 Footpaths, Busbays and Road furniture:

Segregated 2m wide footpaths/cycle paths are proposed at trading centres with high level of non-motorised traffic (NMT) and pedestrian traffic. Bus bays will be provided at all trading centres, near institutions and at major junctions Bridges and Culverts

A total of 25 pipes and 8 box culverts have been proposed. a) The project road has 3 existing bridges and 47 concrete/metal pipes and 5 box culverts pipe culverts,

b) Two of the existing bridges will be replaced with new structure and additional bridges are proposed and

c) All the existing pipe culverts will be replaced with pipe/slab culverts and 47 new culverts have been proposed.

Structures: The proposed road requires the construction of new bridges and drainage structures. The location and type of structure are indicated in table below. In terms of recommended structures, a total of 61 piped culverts, 7 box culverts and more than 10 were identified for the entire project including 4 existing once.( Page 38 of the rev Jan 2012 design report) Two of the existing bridges will be replaced with new structures and additional bridges are proposed for the others A Camp sites and workshops will be established on at least three sites yet to be identified.

Table 2-3: Proposed drainage structures Bumbobi- Bubulo -Lwakhkaha

Proposed type structure Location Name of Status / Existing (chainage) Village structure(s) 13 larger pipes 0+025 - 5+095 Bumbobi 13 pipes 1 larger pipe 5+320 – 5+558 Nabumali 2 pipes 1 box culvert 6+050 – 6+800 Shikoye 2 pipes, 1 box culvert 1 larger pipe 7+880 – 10+110 Shikoye 6 pipes 1 box culvert 11+150 – 11+220 Wapondo 1 pipe, 1 box culvert 2 larger pipes 11+700 – 12+900 Kuboda 2 pipes 1 larger pipe 13+300 – 13+350 Mayenze 3 pipes 1 larger pipe 13+820 – 13+950 Mayenze 2 pipes Leave existing Bridge 14+110 – 15+650 Bubulo 5 pipes, 1 bridge 1 box culvert 16+130 – 17+900 Nbwima/ Kafu 4 pipes, 1 bridge 1 box culvert 19+100 – 23+950 Bunagabo/ 8 pipes Bugobero 15

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3 box culverts 24+500 – 28+550 Bugobero/ 21 pipes Namalogo/ Bukofu 2 pipe, 1 box culvert 28+920 – 33+100 Busumbu/ 8 pipes Butiru 1 larger pipe 33+690 – 34+120 Bwasimbi 3 pipes 1 larger pipe 34+300 – 35+350 Bunabwala 2 pipes, 1 Slab Repair Existing Pipe 36+000 Butiru 1 pipe Bridge existing opening 36+490 – 38+790 Munambai/ 3 pipes, 1 compo adequate Bumulekei/ Namunyiri 1 large pipe 38+890 – 39+640 Murwanda 2 pipes Bridge existing opening 40+650 – 42+920 Munamba II 6 pipes, 1 Slab adequate, 1 large pipe

Proposed type structure Location Status / Existing (chainage) structure(s) 13 larger pipes 0+025 - 5+095 13 pipes 1 larger pipe 5+320 – 5+558 2 pipes 1 box culvert 6+050 – 6+800 2 pipes, 1 box culvert 1 larger pipe 7+880 – 10+110 6 pipes 1 box culvert 11+150 – 1+220 1 pipe, 1 box culvert 2 larger pipes 11+700 – 2+900 2 pipes 1 larger pipe 13+300 – 3+350 3 pipes 1 larger pipe 13+820 – 3+950 2 pipes Leave existing Bridge 14+110 – 5+650 5 pipes, 1 bridge 1 box culvert 16+130 – 7+900 4 pipes, 1 bridge 1 box culvert 19+100 – 3+950 8 pipes 3 box culverts 24+500 – 8+550 21 pipes 2 pipe, 1 box culvert 28+920 – 3+100 8 pipes 1 larger pipe 33+690 – 4+120 3 pipes 1 larger pipe 34+300 – 5+350 2 pipes, 1 Slab Repair Existing Pipe 36+000 1 pipe Bridge existing opening 36+490 – 8+790 3 pipes, 1 compo adequate 1 large pipe 38+890 – 9+640 2 pipes Bridge existing opening 40+650 – 2+920 6 pipes, 1 Slab` adequate, 1 large pipe Proposed type structure Location Status / Existing (chainage) structure(s) 13 larger pipes 0+025 - 5+095 13 pipes 1 larger pipe 5+320 – 5+558 2 pipes 1 box culvert 6+050 – 6+800 2 pipes, 1 box culvert 1 larger pipe 7+880 – 10+110 6 pipes 1 box culvert 11+150 – 1+220 1 pipe, 1 box culvert 2 larger pipes 11+700 – 2+900 2 pipes 1 larger pipe 13+300 – 3+350 3 pipes

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2.3.3 Camp sites and Workshops 1 larger pipe 13+820 – 3+950 2 pipes Leave existing Bridge 14+110 – 5+650 5 pipes, 1 bridge These will be temporary land takes. It is expected that, the Contractor will establish 1 box culvert 16+130 – 7+900 4 pipes, 1 bridge camp sites along the road sections. In general, a camp site will require approximately 1-2 1 box culvert 19+100 – 3+950 8 pipes hectares of land. The Contractor will enter formal lease agreements with the landowners 3 box culverts 24+500 – 8+550 21 pipes prior to the construction of the camp sites. In setting up construction camp sites, 2 pipe, 1 box culvert 28+920 – 3+100 8 pipes consideration will be given to water availability, waste management, security in the camp 1 larger pipe 33+690 – 4+120 3 pipes site, and access routes and land to rent 1 larger pipe 34+300 – 5+350 2 pipes, 1 Slab The camps and works are expected to be located at the same site. The proposed camp Repair Existing Pipe 36+000 1 pipe sites are yet to be identified. Bridge existing opening 36+490 – 8+790 3 pipes, 1 compo adequate The campsites will consist of, water supply structures, workers housing, sanitation 1 large pipe 38+890 – 9+640 2 pipes facilities and access roads. The Contractor will provide their own water either by Bridge existing opening 40+650 – 2+920 6 pipes, 1 Slab` constructing bore holes or getting water from the nearby source like water springs, adequate, 1 large pipe various streams or connecting to the existing water supply gravity water schemes.

2.4 Planned activities

The project activities include those during the pre-construction (setting up servitudes and site camps before construction), construction and operational phases of the proposed Bumbobi- Bubulo Lwakhakha road development. Each activity has potential impacts on the environment.

2.4.1 Pre - Construction Stage

Setting out (Demarcation of Road Reserve) and Site clearing (including Access Roads)

a) Surveying: all sections of the proposed route have been surveyed using aerial survey and detailed surveys to mark off the project corridor on ground shall also be carried out,

b) Clearing and grubbing: the removal of all vegetation and topsoil in preparation of stable foundations for new construction works as well as along proposed access routes and in areas set aside for construction camps,

c) Topsoil stripping: topsoil within the servitudes will be stripped and stockpiled or removed,

d) Access road construction: this will involve the construction of the various roads required to access the construction areas, construction camps and other surface infrastructure sites.

Transport of Material to Site

Road transport: materials sourced outside of the study area will be transported to the construction site by road. The Bumbobi – Bubulo- Lwakhakha Road and other access roads will be utilized as a means of delivering these materials to site, with potential impacts on the transport infrastructure and road users in the region. Establishment of Construction Camps 17

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Construction of temporary camps: these will be established by the contractor, and involve clearing of the vegetation, fencing of camps and the construction of houses, workshops, store-rooms and vehicle parking areas. The camps will be electrified and ablution and potable water provided. The exact number and location of these camps has not been determined yet. An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) will be compiled as part of the EIA, which will describe parameters to be considered.

Establishment of Crusher plants During the detailed assessment stage, the engineering consultants shall identify the possible need for a crusher plant to crush rock obtained from road cuttings to be used for the construction of pavement layers. The responsibility for the establishment and operation of crusher plants will lie with the contractor, who will be required to follow the environmental and mining guidelines and regulations.

2.4.2 Construction phase

Earth Works

Cuttings: Cuttings will be initiated using bulldozers and back actors to remove the softer material Blasting: Drilling and blasting will occur where rock is encountered that cannot be ripped. There quite a number rocks within the vicinity of the road.

UNRA will take responsibility for property protection although the appointed contractor will also be responsible for issues that are clearly indicated in their contract documents.

Borrow pit and Quarry Establishment

Existing borrow pits along the route will be used. New borrow pits may have to be established where existing borrow pit material is not suitable or enough. Designated borrow pit areas will be identified once detailed design work has been carried out on the proposed project. The establishment of borrow pits will be done in consultation with the District Environment Officer and the Community however a project brief will be prepared and submitted to NEMA for Approval before extraction of construction material. In cases of Quarries identified for gravel extraction, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment shall be undertaken forwarded to NEMA for Approval.

Borrow pit and quarry establishment: There are a number of sources of materials for the construction of the road. These are located in various places as described in the table below.

Table 2-4: Road construction material sources

No Village Location Chain Side of the Road Type of Material Status (Chainage)

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No Village Location Chain Side of the Road Type of Material Status (Chainage) 1. Bukomo village Ch 43+000 Left Granite rock New Rocky quarry

2. Namihoma Sand Mining Ch.42+200 off set Left Sand mining Existing and extendable 30m

3. Bumuyonga Gravel pit Right Sandy Rock Exiting and extendable village, Bumuruka parish Ch.36+900 off set gravel 1.9 km

Kisokoti Balaki Ch. 34+300 off Left a. Rock Granite New Bumusomi parish, Bubuto set 50 Km Sub county

4. Busumbu Gravel pit Busubu 29+600 Gravel Existing Village

5. Buwelele Ch .20+300 off set Right Clayee gravel Existing 600 m

6. River Lisi for Sand and gravel Ch.19+400 off set Left Sand , gravel and Existing 19

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No Village Location Chain Side of the Road Type of Material Status (Chainage) about 7km from water Bububulo TC

7. Bwatogo on the road to Ch. 18+300 off set Right Sandy Lateritic Bududa 3.6 km Rock gravel Error!

8. Bukiende Village Ch. 7+300 off set Left Lateritic silt 5.0 km gravel

9. Bwalula in Bubulabe Parish Ch. 4+400 off set Right Rock/Granite Existing 3.0 km

10.Gravel pit in Bubirabi village Ch. 2+000 offset Left Lateritic silty Existing 2.7km Gravel

In Association with

No Village Location Chain Side of the Road Type of Material Status (Chainage) 11.Kac honga Granite Rock, Ch. 2+000 off set Rock Granite New Mazimasa in Buttleja District 7.7

12.Gravel Pit at Nambala in Ch. 1+000 off set lateritic silt Existing and Maweyo, Subcounty Butaleja 8.5 Km gravel expandable District

Road Construction

Road construction activities such as earthworks, the construction of pavement layers (preparation of sub-base, surfacing, drainage structures (culverts, side ditches and offshoots), bridge structures and ancillary works) are foreseen for this project. The work will be done in accordance to the Ministry of Works Housing and Communication standard specifications for Road and Bridge Works. Road furniture including; Road marking, Sign posts, warning signs and Guardrails for safety of the road users shall be put in place when construction has been completed.

Site Cleaning and Rehabilitation

Site cleaning and rehabilitation involves removal of structures of the camp site, waste material generated during construction, regressing and replanting of the exposed areas. All waste material must be removed from site and disposed off appropriately once construction is complete. If the location of some of the structures was agreed upon with the local authorities and the communities, some structures can be left to benefit the farmers or be used as community school etc.

2.4.3 Operation and Maintenance

This activity will mainly include, de-silting of side ditches, shoulder recharging and resurfacing.

2.5 Materials and their Sources

The materials required for the project are as follows i. Soil- for filling will be mainly sourced through cut material received from

In Association with

ii. Road cut material and partially from borrow areas. The borrow areas are along the project road provided in table2-1.below. iii. Natural gravel – for sub-base of pavement will be sourced from borrow areas indicated above and more that are likely to be identified in future. iv. Crushed rock – will be required for base and surface bituminous courses and concrete works. The rock will be procured from identified quarries where stones will be crushed to provide stone products. v. Sand- will be required in road and concrete works vi. Cement- The cement will be used mainly for concrete works.

vii. Steel- The steel will be required mainly for structure work and will be imported viii. Bitumen- will be required for bituminous surface and will be imported ix. Potential stone quarries are yet to be identified and will be used to produce rock materials for the road construction.

2.6 Project staffing and labour requirements

The contractors will be required to hire local labour for the casual jobs. Labours laws of Uganda such as the employment Act (2006), the employment regulation 1977, the workers compensation Act 2000, Labour Disputes (Arbitration Settlement) Act 2006, Labour Unions Act 2006 and the Employment Act 2006 will be observed. It is expected that during construction many people will benefit from direct labour working on the road sites and will be engaged in the various economic activities such as catering and hospitality that will be divided by the construction workers. It is UNRAs policy to avoid misdistribution of such benefits by encouraging local people especially women to take part in running small scale and micro-economic ventures.

2.7 CONSIDERATION OF ALTETRNATIVES

The analysis of alternatives is part of the ESIA process and is done to ensure that the best among all possible options is selected. In this road project, the concept of project alternatives has been considered in line with the feasibility study and the opinions of the stakeholders considered from national to villages level. Four alternatives are selected and analysed as follows:

Alt I Re-gravelling the entire road: This is a cheaper option than upgrading the road to bituminous standards. However, this alternative is rendered untenable due to a huge recurrent maintenance cost especially during or after rainy seasons; environmental cost of obtaining gravel. Additionally, this option has a host of attendant environmental and social concerns such as land uptake for borrow areas, landscape/ scenic blight due to borrow pits, erosion and siltation of water bodies, and dust nuisance to the road users and the public. The Option also yielded Negative Net present Value and economic benefits. Therefore, this alternative is not tenable considering its cost and recurrent negative environmental and economic impacts due to reliance on ever increasingly scarce gravel resources.

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The alternative of the project without climate change impacts vs the project with integrated adaptation measures for climate change. The Road project without climate change impacts would be a cheaper option compared to the one with integrated adaptation measures for climate change. This is considering that climate change is straining economic and Social Infrastructure and land productivity and threatening rural livelihoods, with adverse implications for water, food and energy security.

It should be noted that technonology, construction techniques, phasing and schedule, and operating, and maintenance procedures will be subject to the special specifications of the contractor.

NB: In all options the existing road alignment has been maintained. This is to avoid disturbance of more people. The settlements in the Elgon area are such that it is over populated and the population is more agricultural dependant. So going with the 23

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existing alignment will reduce the Social-environment disturbance and avoid the impact of threating the people’s food security.

In Association with

3.0 REVIEW OF THE EXISTING POLICIES AND LAWS

The proposed Bumbobi- Bubulo –Lwakhakha road is the type of project that is under obligation to comply with all Ugandan legal requirements. Different laws and legal instruments related environmental and social issues will apply. A number of key institutions and stakeholders will be involved at all stages of conducting an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). Among these institutions is the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the “principal agency” mandated under the (National Environment Act Cap 153) to coordinate and manage all environmental issues. Coordination and management of environmental issues at the district is the responsibility of the environmental; committee.

Whereas NEMA has the full responsibility of coordinating environment issues in Uganda, the key stakeholder in the project (UNRA in this case) must ensure that environmental and social impacts assessments for the road projects are adequately conducted with all impacts associated identified, mitigation measures suggested and adequately planned to ensure the project construction and operation is legally and environmentally compliant. It will also be the responsibility of UNRA that an appropriate Environment and Social Management plan ( ESMP ) is adequately prepared to ensure that all environmental and social concerns associated with the project at all levels are properly addressed.

3.1 Policy Frame work

The key policies applicable to the environmental and social management associated with the upgrading of the proposed Bumbobi- Bubulo –Lwakhakha road include but are not limited to the following;

3.1.1 The National Environment Management Policy

The National Environment Management Policy for Uganda seeks to meet the following objectives: i) Enhance the health and quality of life of all people in Uganda and promote long-term, sustainable socio-economic development through sound environmental and natural resource management and use; ii) Integrate environmental concerns in all development policies, planning and activities at national, district and local levels, with full participation of the people; iii) Conserve, preserve and restore ecosystems and maintain ecological processes and life support systems, especially conservation of national biological diversity; iv) Optimise resource use and achieve a sustainable level of resource consumption; v) Raise public awareness to understand and appreciate linkages between environment and development; and vi) Ensure individual and community participation in environmental improvement activities.

In Association with

3.1.2 Transport Sector Policy

The Transport Sector Policy aims at providing strategic support and linkage to the Government declared Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) under Pillar II that seeks to enhance production. One of the policy implications of PEAP is to remove constraints from the agricultural sector where the most poor are self-employed. One of the ways of removing constraints is improving transport. Furthermore, to give transport modal linkage, the sub-sector has four supplementary policies of which one is on the environment which provides that, the government will ensure an optimum and sustainable road network and bridge stock that balances traffic needs against safety and environmental demands.

3.1.3 Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA)

The plan for Modernizing of Agriculture is one of the government’s strategies under the Poverty Eradication Programme (PEAP) aimed at eradicating poverty through increased production thus ensuring that there is enough food for all the people at all times. The Bumbobi- Bubulo –Lwakhakha road currently a gravel road of about 6 metres wide serves a rich agriculture hinterland and aids in the transportation of agricultural produce to the markets dotted in many of the growth centres. The road with of 6 metres between the drains is sometimes rehabilitated but it gets degraded faster during the rainy season hence making transportation of produce very difficult leaving heavy trucks stranded for days. Improvement of this road therefore will be necessary in planning for increased agricultural production.

3.1.4 The Gender Policy, 1997

The overall goal of this policy is to mainstream gender concerns in the national development process in order to improve the social, legal conditions of the people in Uganda and in particular, the women. This policy has a bearing on the project in terms of the requirements to safeguard the interests of female headed households that are likely to be among the Project Affected Peoples (PAP). Other issues for mainstreaming include employment.

3.1.5 National Policy for Conservation and management of Wetlands, 1995

Wetlands cover over 10% of Uganda’s total land surface area and provide a wide variety of biophysical and socio-economic functions. However, these benefits are in jeopardy due to poor management practices of wetlands. The Government of Uganda adopted a National Policy for the Conservation and Management of Wetland Resources to promote the conservation of wetlands in order to sustain their values for present and future well being of the people. One of the strategies of this policy is to carry out Environmental Impact Assessment on planned developments that are likely to impact on wetlands as is the case in this project where the road proposed for upgrading will cross river Sironko, several streams and flood plains.

In Association with

3.1.6 Uganda Forestry Policy, 2001

Uganda's first forestry policy was written in 1929 but has undergone a series of changes since then, alternating between stricter conservation on the one hand and more liberal economic use of forest resources on the other hand. The last policy review was in 1988, but this contained limited guidance on principles and strategies for implementation, on forestry outside the gazetted reserves, and on the balance between production and conservation. It was also silent on the roles of government, the private sector and rural communities in forestry, and the linkages with other sectors and land uses. Wider policy and legal changes: there have been a number of recent national and international commitments that affect forestry. National policies and laws have been introduced to change environmental and governance practices and the government has signed international obligations to new conservation and trade practices. It was therefore found necessary for the new policy to be put in place, thus the Uganda Forestry Policy, 2001. The Forestry Policy, 2001 guided by principles that build on the government's national development priorities of poverty eradication and good governance. The proposed Bumbobi- Bubulo –Lwakhakha road traverses through areas with trees (Eucalyptus, Grevellea sp. etc) that have been planted by individuals.The above principles will therefore be applicable at different stages of the project.

3.1.7 MoWT’s Resettlement/Land Acquisition Framework, 2002

This provides for the following; i.Compensation should be aimed at minimising social disruption and assist those who have lost assets as a result of a road project to maintain their livelihoods. In accordance with Ugandan Laws and Standards, the disturbance allowance is to be provided to assist the project affected individuals or family to cover costs of moving and locating to a new holding.

ii.Community infrastructure must be replaced and ideally be improved in situations where it was deficient. This includes installation of sanitary facilities, electricity generation systems, road links and provision of water.

3.1.8 The National AIDS Policy (2004)

This provides overall policy framework for national HIV/AIDS response. The National Policy on HIV/AIDS recognises special groups, which include migrant workers. The Policy recommends the need to identify strategies to address migrant workers in view of the challenges posed by mobility and vulnerability to HIV. This is in line with the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995 Article 39. This Article creates the right to a clean and healthy environment, implying that workplace safety and health (including prevention of HIV infection), is a basic right of every citizen. Under its General Objective XIV, the State is committed to fulfilling the fundamental rights of all Ugandans to, among others, social justice and economic development and shall, in particular, ensure that all developmental efforts are directed at ensuring the maximum social and cultural well-being of the people. A number of workers will be expected to come to the project area during construction and these are likely to be exposed to an 27

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environment that encourages the spread of HIV /AIDS. The strategies to fulfil the objective of this policy will need to be incorporated in project during the planning process.

3.1.9 Road Sub-sector Policies

Gender Policy Statement

The MoWT recognises that women and men have different travel and transport needs and that these differences can affect the way in which they can access opportunities in the sub-sector. The Ministry also recognises that women experience a heavier travel and transport burden than men. This results in women facing many more trade-offs than men and restricts their economic choices as well as the enhancement and exercise of their capabilities, thus worsening their poverty.

In view of the above, the MoWT has prepared this Policy Statement for the roads sub- sector to ensure that gender is explicit at institutional and operational levels including phases of roads sub-sector policy formulation, programming, identification, design, appraisal, implementation, monitoring as well as evaluation.

Guidelines for mainstreaming gender into the sub-sector have been developed to translate this Policy Statement into action at the planning as well as the project levels. The overall objective of this Policy is to strengthen the sub-sector’s contribution to poverty eradication through providing an enabling environment where women and men participate in, and benefit from, developments in the sub-sector in an equitable manner. The purpose of the Policy is to institutionalise a gender perspective in the roads sub- sector institutions, and the operational and regulatory frameworks. The specific objectives of the Gender Policy Statement are to: i) promote gender-responsive sub-sector policies, programmes and plans; ii) promote gender-responsive service delivery; iii) enhance equality of opportunities between women/girls and men/boys in the sub-sector; iv) commit adequate resources to gender-responsive activities in the sub-sector; and v) strengthen the capacities of sub-sector institutions, partners and service providers to mainstream gender.

HIV/ADS Policy Statement

MoWT is committed to mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into its sector policies, programmes, projects and strategies, and to mobilising and ensuring availability and appropriate management of resources for HIV/AIDS activities as stipulated in the UNAP. MoWT is also aware that, some sub-sector activities contribute to the transmission of HIV/AIDS, while others directly or indirectly contribute to the fight against AIDS. The Ministry will therefore use its comparative advantage of the road network and transport services to increase access to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and mitigation services.

In Association with

MoWT has also put in place measures to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS that can affect the course of development efforts in the sub-sector. The Ministry will in addition , provide resources to implement interventions that are essential for reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS which private individuals or firms do not have sufficient incentive to finance. The Ministry will design programmes and activities that contribute to the achievement of the goals of the NSF, monitor and evaluate the programmes in accordance with the NAMEF and adopt a multi-sectoral approach under the coordination of the UAC. Ministry will regularly review and update the Policy Statement to align it with the revision of the National HIV/AIDS Policy Framework (NAPF) and as more facts about the disease are discovered. The Policy Statement provides the operational framework for mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into the sub-sector. It will guide the stakeholders in the development of all types of roads as well as means of transport.

The policy statement therefore has the following Goal and objectives The overall goal of the roads sub-sector Policy Statement is to guide the mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS activities so as to reduce the prevalence of HIV infection, provide care and support to the infected and affected and to mitigate the effects of the pandemic in the sub-sector. The aim is to institutionalise HIV/AIDS in the roads sub-sector institutions, and in the operational and regulatory frameworks.

They include:

(i) To reduce the vulnerability and risk of HIV transmission in the roads sub- sector; (ii) To mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS in the roads sub-sector; and (iii) To improve the sub-sector’s capacity to respond to HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Policy Statement for People with Disabilities and Elderly Persons (Dec. 2006);

The current road design standards and specifications do not adequately cater for the needs of the People with Disability (PWD) and EP which include lack of ramps and slabs, improper use of pedestrian walkways, lack of pedestrian facilities, lack of appropriate road signs, inadequate road maintenance, and limited involvement of the PWD and EP in the Road Sub-Sector.

Issues affecting PWD and EPs include unaffordable public transport, limited access to public transport; and road safety concerns, ignorance of the white cane, obstacles on the road; and inadequate provisions of assistive devices, lack of communication; lack of shades, unfriendly road infrastructure and social exclusion.

The overall goal of this policy is to plan, develop and maintain adequate and effective road infrastructure and facilitate provision of safe, efficient and effective road transport services that incorporate concerns of the People with Disabilities and Elderly Persons.

In Association with

The objectives of this is are to provide improved accessibility to the road infrastructure, Increasing participation of the PWD and EP in the construction and maintenance of roads, Ensuring improved accessibility to the road transport services by the PWD and EP and Increasing awareness and education campaigns towards the needs of PWD and EPs.

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Policy

Occupational health and safety is concerned with addressing the problems of workers in work environments by reducing the incidence of work-related hazards, injuries and illnesses. In the roads sub-sector, the work environment encompasses office premises, road construction sites, mechanical workshops, road surfaces and other auxiliary premises as well as the use of roads during transportation of passengers and goods. Each of these work environments faces different hazards which vary in nature and magnitude.

Transport and construction workers as well as road users are vulnerable to a number of occupational accidents, injuries and diseases whose causes range from physical, chemical, biological, mechanical to ergonomic risk factors. These factors are attributed to the use of new technology, hazardous chemicals and a wide variety of materials and equipment which expose workers to excessive heat, noise, dust, organic solvents and other chemicals, sometimes leading to back injuries, musculoskeletal diseases and stress- induced illnesses. Women, children and migrant works (including IDPs) work in stone quarries and other conditions which are characterised by long hours, low pay, occupational hazards and physical and psychological abuses. In order to address the above concerns, MoWHC has prepared a Policy Statement committing the government to reducing work-related injuries and illnesses and to improving the well-being as well as the quality of the work environment for the workers and other affected persons. The purpose is to protect workers and other persons from hazards and risks emanating from sub-sector activities in order to improve the well-being and quality of the work environment.

The Policy Statement seeks to: a) Provide and maintain a healthy work environment and safe systems of work. b) Institutionalise OHS in the sub-sector policies, programmes and plans. c) Promote efficient road safety management practices. d) Contribute towards safeguarding the physical environment.

The OHS Policy Statement is guided by the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and other global, national and sectoral regulations and policies. The Statement also takes into recognition of the PEAP, the Social Sector Development Investment Plan (SDIP), the Transport Sector Policy and Strategy Paper, and the Health Sector Strategic Plan, all of which, aim improving the quality of life for all Ugandans in their living and work settings. Guidelines for mainstreaming OHS in the sub-sector have been developed to translate this Policy Statement into action at the planning as well as the project levels. The mainstreaming of OHS will form part of the planning process of the Bumbobi - Lwakhakha road project.

In Association with

3.2 Legal frame work

The key laws applicable to the environmental and social management associated with the upgrading of the proposed Bumbobi- Bubulo –Lwakhakha road include but not limited to the following;

3.2.1 The Constitution of Uganda, 1995

Article XIII of the constitution indicates that it is the State’s the obligation to protect important natural resources on behalf of the people of Uganda. Article XXVII stipulates the need for sustainable management of land, air and water resources, Article 237 on Land ownership provides that Land in Uganda belongs to the citizens of Uganda and shall be vested in them in accordance with the land tenure systems provided for in this Constitution. Article 242 highlights land use in which Government may, under laws made by Parliament and policies made from time to time, regulate the use of land and Article245 among others concerning Protection and preservation of the environment from abuse, pollution and degradation as well as managing the environment for sustainable development; and promoting environmental awareness.

3.2.2 The National Environment Act, Cap 153

The National Environment Act, Cap 153 contains provisions for environmental management and protection including the need to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies in connection with some categories of projects that are likely to have significant impacts on the environment as contained in its Third Schedule. This act also provides for the implementation of the International Conventions ratified by Uganda. Road projects are listed under this category and are therefore required to be preceded by EIA.

3.2.3 The Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 1998

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) issued Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, S.I. No. 13/1998) for conduct EIAs, which are now part of the Environmental Legislation of Uganda. The actual implementation of the EIA process remains a function of the relevant line ministries and departments, the private sector, NGOs and the general public. Part I-V of the EIA Regulations describes the process of preparing environmental impact statement.

Furthermore, regulation 31 provides for self-auditing and section1stipulates that the developer is responsible for compliance to the measures provided in EIS. Section 2 of the same regulations requires that an initial audit be carried out within not less than 12 months after commencement and the audit shall be carried out by qualified persons approved by the Executive Director for the purpose. An audit report shall be prepared and submitted to the Executive Director.

3.2.4 The National Environment (Waste Management) Regulations 1999

In Association with

These regulations apply to all categories of hazardous and non-hazardous waste, storage and disposal of hazardous waste and their movement into and out of Uganda and to all waste disposal facilities, landfills, and sanitary fills and to incinerators. The regulations also describe issues such as sorting and disposal of domestic waste, cleaner production methods, application for licenses for transportation and storage of waste, packaging of waste and powers of environmental inspector among others. It also highlights Waste Management Hierarchy. Road construction is expected to generate waste of different types and the handling of these wastes has to follow the regulations. Hazardous waste such as used oil should be stored in specially designed facilities for that purpose and licensed by NEMA. Transportation of such waste should also be licensed by NEMA.

3.2.5 Uganda Wildlife Act Cap 200

The Uganda Wildlife Policy formed the basis for the enactment of the Uganda Wildlife Act, Cap 200 and the establishment of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) as a mandated agency to manage all matters of wildlife in Uganda. The purpose of this Act is to promote the conservation and sustainable utilization of wildlife throughout Uganda so that the abundance and diversity of their species are maintained at optimum levels commensurate with other forms of land use. Also, the Act puts emphasis on public participation in wildlife management. The development of the road may increase the number of visitors (good and bad) accessing the Mt. Elgon National park. The bad visitors may use this road to access the National park for its biodiversity resources.

The Act requires an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) to be carried out for projects that may have a significant impact on wildlife. Therefore since the planned road project may have low impacts but need to be highlighted just in case the road is being used to encroach on the protected areas resources.

3.2.6 National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003

The National Forestry and Tree Planting Act 2003 is the main law that regulates and controls forest management in Uganda by ensuring forest conservation, sustainable use and enhancement of the productive capacity of forests, to provide for the promotion of tree planting and through the creation of forest reserves in which human activities are strictly controlled. Section 38 of this act, provides for an environment impact assessment to be undertaken for an activity that may have significant impact on a forest. The road reserve has eucalyptus woodlots; Grevellea woodlots that need preservation .Therefore this Act will be very relevant to this project as the natural forest constitutes the major component of the park.

3.2.7 The Local Government Act, 1995

In Association with

This Act provides the legal foundation of the Government Policy on decentralization and devolution of functions, powers, and services to Local Governments. Under this Act, district and lower local councils are given the responsibility of managing their natural resources including the environment at the local government level. Thus, local governments will be involved in issues of land acquisition, compensation and environmental monitoring and compliance in this project.

3.2.8 Land Act, Cap 227

This Act makes provision for the procedures and method of compulsory acquisition of land for public purposes whether for temporary or permanent use. The Government or developer is to compensate any person who suffers damage as a result of a project development. The Law provides the legal basis for Land Tribunals that deal with land acquisition cases and land disputes in Uganda. Land acquisition is expected especially due to road widening.

3.2.9 Land Acquisition Act, 1965

This Act makes provision for the procedures and methods of compulsory acquisition of land for public purposes whether for temporary or permanent use. The Minister responsible for land may authorise any person to enter the land, survey the land, dig or bore the subsoil or any other thing necessary for ascertaining whether the land is suitable for a public purpose. The Government or developer is to compensate any person who suffers damage as a result. The Act requires that adequate, fair and prompt compensation is paid before taking possession of land and property. Dispute arising from the compensation to be paid should be referred to the court for decision if the Land Tribunal cannot handle. A road reserve of 50 m wide along the 37.7 km stretch is expected be acquired; thus this Act will be applicable to the planned upgrading of Bumbobi- Bubulo –Lwakhakha gravel road to Class II Bitumen.

3.2.10 The Access Roads Act, Cap 350

The Act seeks to ensure that a private landowner/developer who has no reasonable means of access to public highway may apply for leave to construct a road of access to a public highway. The Act establishes a mechanism of applying for an access road to public highway and a legal regime to ensure the safety of the neighbouring environment. The Act permits the owner of any land over which an access road is to be constructed to be paid compensation in respect of the use of land, the destruction of crops or trees and other property on the land. The Act also highlights provisions for grievance resolution between the developer and owner of land over which the access is to be constructed by applying to magistrate’s court for leave to construct a road of access. There are some access roads that join this Bumbobi- Bubulo –Lwakhakha road thus this Act will be applicable.

3.2.11 Water Act, Cap 152

In Association with

According to Part II (Water Resources) of the Water Act, the Minister and the Director are responsible for the implementation of this Act which provides for the use, protection and management of water resources and supply, provide constitution of water and sewage authorities as well as facilitating devolution of water supply and sewerage undertakings. Part I Section 4(1) of the Act spells out the objectives which include {a (ii)} the coordination of all public and private activities which may influence the quality, quantity, distribution, use or management of water resources. Part I Section 6 (1) stipulates that notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, no person shall acquire or have a right to; (a) Use any water (b) Construct or operate any works; or (c) cause or allow any waste to come into contact whether directly or indirectly with any water, other than under the provision of this Part of the Act. There are number of stand taps, boreholes and protected springs along the proposed road some of which are really very close to the road. This Act will therefore be relevant to this project to allow for the orderly development and use of water resources.

3.2.12 Mining Act, 9/2003

The Uganda Geological Survey and Mines Department is responsible for the implementation of the Mining Act, 9/2003 which establishes the framework for the utilization of mineral resources in Uganda. Application and granting of a mining lease is also provided for in Section 40, 41 and 42 of the same Act. Section 14 (2) provides for the health and safety of persons employed in the mine while the rights of owners or lawful occupiers of land on which the powers of the Commissioner are exercised for prospecting, exploration are also preserved under Section 14 (3) of this Act . Section 82 of the Act entitles the owner or lawful occupier of any land subject to a mineral right to claim fair and reasonable compensation from the holder of such mineral right for any disturbance of the rights of such owner or occupier, or for any damage done to the surface of any such land as a result of the mineral holder’s operations. Part XI of the Act, incorporating Sections 108 to 112, on the other hand, contains provision relating to the protection of the environment in accordance with the requirements of the National Environment Act, Cap 153. In this project there will be need for stones in the construction of Bumbobi- Bubulo – Lwakhakha road and these will be sourced from quarries yet to be identified. Since stones are categorized as industrial minerals; there is therefore need to highlight the section of the Mining Act that will be applicable in this project. Mining, including quarrying and opencast extraction of stone aggregates sand and gravel are listed in section 6 of this schedule and require compliance with the EIA process.

3.2.13 The National Environment regulation S.I No. 2/ 2 000

3.2.14 National Environment (Wetlands, River Banks and lakeshores Management) regulation S.I No. 2/2000.

In Association with

This regulation provides that any person carrying out a regulated activity as stipulated in the Second Schedule shall make an application to NEMA and obtain a permit. Second Schedule (8) lists construction of transport and communication facilities as one of the regulated activities that require a permit. Regulation 17 highlights the duty of the land owner or user neighbouring the wetland and indicates that any person who fails, neglects or refuses to protect the wetland commits an offence. In this case, this will be applicable to the Contractor and UNRA. Although most of the wetlands have been degraded and only relics are remaining along this route they have to be treated like any other wetland.

3.2.15 The Roads Act, 1964 (Cap 358)

Section 3 of the Roads Act declares a road reserve as an area bounded by imaginary lines parallel to at a distance of no more than fifty feet from the centre line of any road. The proposed road reserve of 18m is within the prescribed distance. Section 4, further prescribes that, the road reserve should be clear. It prohibits erection of any building or planting of any tree or permanent crops within the road reserve except with a written permission of the Road Authority. Any person who commits this offence will have the road authority write a notice to him requiring him to pull down buildings, cut down /uproot trees or crops, alter road entrance or close the means of access (section 6). In this Project, this section of the Road Act will be applicable once the road reserve is acquired.

3.2.16 The Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2006

This is a two way Act: It obliges employers to protect their workers and charges the employees to take responsibility of their safety while at work. The Act is concerned of not only the work area but also its immediate environment. According to section 13 (1)a of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, it is the responsibility of an employer to take as far as reasonably practicable, all measures for the protection of his or her workers and the general public from the dangerous aspects of the employer’s undertaking at his or her own cost. Section 19 (2) further spells that it shall be the duty of an employer to ensure that Personal Protective Equipment provided under sub section (1) is used whenever it is required. This Act is of relevance to this project road during its implementation to guarantee the safety of all the workers that will be involved in the project and even the surrounding community members of the respective communities.

Section 40 requires that the owner of premise services the Commissioner a notice in a format prescribed in Schedule 3 of this act in not less than one month before occupying or using the premise. Section 41 further stipulates that such work place shall be issued with certificate of registration by the Commissioner after appropriate fees have been paid. The certificate has to be in a format prescribed in Schedule 4 of this act. Section 41 also indicates that the Commissioner shall require the occupier of the premise sets up Safety Committee where applicable with 6 months from the time of occupying registered workplace.

3.2.17 Workers’ Compensation Act 2000

In Association with

The Act Provides for compensation of workers for injuries suffered and scheduled diseases incurred in the course of their employment. The Act further spells out degrees of compensation depending on the levels of incapacitation, calculation of respective earnings, medical examination and treatment of workers, agreement as to compensation by the worker, power of court to submit question of law, determination of claims and decisions of the court concerning the treatment of medical reports as well as procedures relating to claims. This Act is applicable to this project to deal with issues likely to accrue from accidents while at work.

3.2.18 The National Environment (Standards for Discharge of Effluent into Water or on Land) Regulations, S.I. No. 5 /1999.

Regulation 3 stipulates that standards for effluent or waste water before it is discharged into water or on land shall be as prescribed in the schedule of these regulations. Part 2 of regulation 3 also indicates that the Executive Director or his authorized representative may issue guidelines and recommend methods of discharge to ensure assimilation by water or land. Regulation 5 indicates that failure to comply with regulation 3 attracts imprisonment on conviction for a term not exceeding 18 months or a fine of not less than UGX 180,000 and not exceeding UGX 18 million and the Executive Director can give directions on how to mitigate the damage. Effluent or waste water is expected from worker’s camps and workshop areas which makes this regulation relevant to this road project.

3.2.19 Water Resources Regulations, SI No. 33/1998

Section 10 part 1 a) of these regulations stipulates that any person who occupies land, on or adjacent to which, i) there is motorized water pump which, whether temporarily or permanently, pumps water from a bore hole or water way; ii) there is a weir, dam , tank or other work capable of diverting or impounding an inflow of more than 400 cubic metres in any period of 24 hours; iii) there are works for non-consumptive uses, Shall register the works and the use of water with the Director. During construction of this road, it is envisaged that a lot of water will be required especially at the campsite and for dust suppression. This regulation therefore will be applicable.

3.2.20 The Historical Monument Act, Cap 46

This is an act to provide for the preservation and protection of historical monuments and objects of archaeological, paleontological, ethnographical and traditional interests and for other matters connected therewith. What is included in the terms used above is included in section 1 of this act. Section 8 of this act specifies acts that are prohibited. Section 11stipulates that any discoveries of the objects made that are considered to be of importance according to this act shall be reported to the conservator of antiquities or district commissioner or the curator of the museum within fourteen days.

In Association with

Any person who contravenes any of the conditions issued under this act commits and offence and this attracts a fine as stipulated in section 19 of this act. Road construction is usually associated with a lot of excavations, gravel and rock mining activities which may affect monuments where they exist. Within the project area, there are cultural sites for ritual circumcision ceremonies of the Bagisu people. Thus these will need to be protected according to the act.

3.2.21 Petroleum Act, Cap 149

According to section 2 of the Act, petroleum shall not be imported, unloaded, landed, transhipped, or transported except in accordance with the provisions of the rules (section 3) under this act. Any person who contravenes the rules specified in section 3 commits an offence as described in section 4-6. Penalty for contravention of these rules is provided for in section 9 of this act. During construction, petroleum products will be needed as a source of energy and therefore will be transported and stored in the project area. This act therefore will be relevant.

3.2.22 The National Environment (Audit) Regulations, 2006

Regulation 3 indicates that an environmental Audit is required and should be enforced as stipulated in section 3 (3) © and section 22 of the National Environment Act Cap 153. Regulation 4 requires that a person to carry out this audit should duly be certified and registered in accordance with the National Environment (Conduct and Certification of Environmental Practitioners) Regulations, 2003. Furthermore, regulation 14 provides for the manner in which the environmental inspector may carry out an enforcement audit. Road construction is likely to have significant impacts on the environment especially quarrying activities and excavations. Audits may be required as construction is going on.

3.2.23 Physical Planning Act 2010

According to section 3 of the Physical Planning Act, 2010, the entire country is declared a planning area. This indicates, that construction of the Bumbobi-Lwakhakha road will have to comply to any detailed plans and action plans of areas in which this road passes as indicated in Third Schedule of this Act.

3.2.24 The Water (Waste Discharge) Regulations S.I. No. 32/1998

Regulation 3 gives the standards for treated effluent or waste before discharge into waste or on land which is as provided in Section 25 of the National Environment Act, Cap 153. No person will discharge effluent contrary to the standards unless he or she has secured a waste discharge permit in the format specified in the First Schedule of this act. Fees to be paid by the holder of the waste discharge permit are specified in Regulation 18. Penalty for contravention of regulation 3 is provided in Regulation 21. During construction, it is expected that liquid waste will be generated at workers camp and workshop areas. This regulation therefore will be applicable.

3.2.25 The National Environment (the Control of smoking in public places) Regulations S.I, 2004

In Association with

The Regulations emphasize the right to clean and healthy smoke free environment. The regulations are in line with section 107 of the National Environment Act, Cap 153 which gives provisions of the requirements under these regulations. Furthermore the regulations give a list of Public places in which smoking is prohibited, and a list of Public places in which smoking is restricted. The areas where smoking is prohibited include; Offices, office buildings and work places including individual offices, public areas, corridors, lounges, eating areas, reception areas, lifts, escalators, foyers, stairwells, toilets, laundries, amenity areas;. Construction sites are usually characterized by eating places at workers camps, workshops, work sites, offices, toilets and others. These regulations will therefore be applicable to this project.

3.2.26 The National Environment (Management of Ozone Depleting Substances and Products) Regulations, S.I No. 63/2001 This law was formulated in response to the Vienna Convention for Protection of Ozone Layer of which Uganda is a signatory. Details of the Convention are discussed under section 3.4.3, International Agreements. According to this regulation section 3, this law seeks to: . Regulate the production, trade and use of controlled substances and products; . provide system of data collection that will facilitate compliance with relevant reporting requirements under the Protocal. . Promote the use of ozone friendly substances, products, equipment, technology and; . Ensure the elimination of substances and products that deplete the ozone layer. Schedule one and two of this law gives a list of Controlled Products (Greenhouse gases) and Controlled substances (Ozone depleting substances) and Prohibition dates respectively. A number of construction equipment will be used during construction and these usually use CFCs and HCFC which are ozone depleting substances and use of high efficiency equipment will reduce this amount used. Thus this law is applicable to the upgrading of this road just like in any other road infrastructure development.

3.3 Institutional Framework

3.3.1 Ministry of Works and Transport, MoWT

The Ministry of Works and Transport will be the lead Ministry for this project. It is charged with the responsibility of policy formulation in the transport sector in Uganda and sets standards in the sector.

3.3.2 Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA)

Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) was established by The Uganda National Authority Act, No. 15 of 2006 and became operational on 1st July 2008. The mandate of UNRA is to develop and maintain national road system, advise Government on general roads policy and contribute to addressing transport concerns. In this project UNRA is the developer but also an agency under the ministry of Works and Transport as it manages national roads infrastructure and is responsible for mitigation of impacts associated with road development. As a developer on the other hand, UNRA is required to comply with 38

In Association with

national environmental laws including undertaking EIA for road projects. UNRA, a semi-autonomous agency under the Ministry of Works and Transport will be responsible for implementation of the project.

3.3.3 Ministry of Water and Environment

Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) is responsible for ensuring sound environmental management that in turn ensures that there is sufficient water for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. MWE has the responsibility for setting national policies and standards, managing and regulating water resources and determining priorities for water development and management.

3.3.4 The Directorate of Water Resources Management (DWRM)

The Directorate of Water Resources Management (DWRM) under MWE is the lead agency responsible for water resources management in Uganda. Its key functions include; provision of water resources related advisory services to the government, private sector and NGOs at the national and local levels; regulation of water resources through issuing water use abstraction , wastewater discharge permits, wastewater discharge, hydraulic works construction, borehole drilling and easement certificates; water resource monitoring and assessment and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) activities. The Directorate comprises three departments namely Department of Water Resources Monitoring and Assessments, Department of Water Resources Regulation and Department of Water Quality Management. Aspects of water quality will be part of this project.

3.3.5 The Directorate of Water Development (DWD)

The Directorate of Water Development (DWD) under MWE is the lead agency responsible for coordinating and regulating all water supply and sanitation activities. It provides technical support services and capacity development to local governments and other service providers. DWD comprises three Departments; Rural Water Supply and Sanitation; Urban Water Supply and Sanitation and Water for Production. DWD will therefore be relevant to the project at Mbale-Manafwa areas. There are several water sources along the road that will be affected by the construction activities.

3.3.6 The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC)

NWSC is a parastatal that operates and provides water and sewerage services for 23 large urban centres across the Country. NWSC’s activities are aimed at expanding service coverage, improving efficiency in service delivery and increasing labour as well as ensuring the quality of water supplied its customers.

3.3.7 National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA)

The National Environmental Act provides for the establishment of NEMA as the principal agency responsible for coordination, monitoring and supervision of environmental conservation activities.

In Association with

NEMA is under the Ministry of Water and Environment (MoWE) but has a cross- sectoral mandate to oversee the conduct of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) through issuance of ESIA guidelines, regulations and registration of practitioners. It reviews and approves Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) in consultation with any relevant lead agencies. NEMA works with District Environment Officers and local environment committees at local government levels who also undertake inspection, monitoring and enforce compliance on its behalf. In Government ministries, NEMA works with Environmental Liaison Units to ensure that they effectively incorporate environmental issues in their activities, policies and programs.

3.3.8 The National Forestry Authority (NFA)

NFA is responsible for sustainable management of Central Forest Reserves (CFRs), supply of seed and seedlings, and provision of technical support to stakeholders in the forestry sub-sector on contract. NFA is a semi-autonomous business entity and generates most of its own revenues and finances its activities, i.e. NFA’s support is contingent upon payment for its services. Any intervention proposed to plant trees to mitigate project impacts will be done under the guidance of NFA.

3.3.9 Ministry of Gender Labour & Social Development

The Ministry is enjoined to operationalize Chapter 4 of the Constitution (Articles 31-42), which focus on affirmative action and promotion of fundamental human rights of the people of Uganda. The Department of Occupational Safety and Health in the Ministry is responsible for inspection of workplace environment to safeguard occupational safety, rights of workers and gender equity.

3.3.10 Town and Country Planning Board

The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda provides for the formation of the Town and Country Planning Board that should plan and oversee orderly progressive development of land in towns and rural areas. Hence Mbale and Manafwa towns are key institutions in this project.

3.3.11 Local Administration Structures and Road Committees

The proposed project road falls within jurisdiction of Mbale and Manafwa Districts. A district is headed by a Chairman Local Council Five (LC5) who is the political head and Chief Administration Officer, the technical head of district administration. Technical District personnel directly involved with the project include Environmental Officer, District Planner, Community Development Officer, District Director of Health Services, Wetlands Officer, Forestry Sector Manager, Agricultural Officer, District Water Officer and District Engineer. In addition, under MoWT there is provision for establishment of road committees that will be activated to sensitize communities about benefits of road development including participation in compensation matters and grievances, environmental monitoring and HIV/AIDS awareness.

3.3.12 Ministry of Tourism, Trade & Industry (MTTI) 40

In Association with

Archaeologists from the department responsible for museums and monuments in this Ministry would be useful in monitoring road project construction activities, especially excavations at borrow sites to ensure that chance finds or artifacts of cultural significance such as circumcision sites are not destroyed.

3.3.13 District Land Boards

The district land board is responsible for land allocation at local government level and setting compensation rates for crops and structures within District.

3.3.14 Department of Geological Survey and Mines

The Department of Geological Survey and Mines controls the mining sector (including stone quarrying) through the Mining Act.

3.3.15 Permits and Licenses

A list of permits and licenses necessary for execution of the project are indicated in table 4-5. Table 3-1: Permits required by the proposed development

Permit Issuing Agency Use Responsibility Environmental NEMA Approval UNRA Approval EIA commencement of certificate the EIA study Water abstraction WRMD Abstraction of water Contractor permit. during road construction for domestic (camp) Petroleum Petroleum Supply Dispensing Contractor construction permit Department petroleum fuel and petroleum Ministry of Energy during road operating license and mineral construction development Hazardous waste NEMA On-site storage of Contractor storage, used waste such as transportation and used oil disposal license

3.4 Requirements of International Financial Institutions

3.4.1 ADB Safe Guard Policies

The ‘Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies’ of the African Development Bank (AfDB) consist of: Environment Policy, Operations Manual and Guidelines; Policy on Involuntary Resettlement and Policy on Indigenous Peoples. Some of these policies are 41

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likely to be triggered by the proposed upgrading of Bumbobi-Bubulo–Lwakhakha. Some of the Safeguards are presented below.

3.4.2 The Environment Policy

The policy is grounded in ADB’s Poverty Reduction Strategy that recognises that environmental sustainability is a prerequisite for pro-poor economic growth and efforts to reduce poverty. It is derived from ADB’s Long Term Strategic Framework (2013-2022) that includes environmental sustainability as one of its crosscutting themes. The Environment Policy Addresses the following main challenges: i) Need for environmental intervention to reduce poverty ii) Need to main stream environmental consideration into economic growth and development planning iii) Need to maintain regional and global life support systems iv) Need to work in partnership with others v) Need to further strengthen the processes and procedures for addressing environmental concerns in ADB’s own operations.

The procedural and substantive elements of ADB’s environmental assessment requirement are described in detail in Integrated Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures. The procedures highlight the various steps that are followed to assess environmental and social risks and benefits along the project cycle Guidelines, October 2003. ESAP will helps accelerate the goals of promoting sustainable development in Africa region.

Furthermore, ADB has in place Environment policy (February, 2004) that brings out the need for a greater focus on pro-poor growth policies and programmes to counter unacceptable impoverishment rates; rapid progress in the inevitable integration of Africa in the globalization process; and the need for an improved governance with a clearer commitment of the majority of African governments to provide the necessary leadership for sustainable development. The Environmental policy has the following key environmental issues: i) Reversing land degradation and desertification ii) Protecting the coastal zones, iii) Protecting global public goods, iv) Improving public health v) Enhancing disaster management capabilities vi) Promoting Sustainable Industry, Mining and Energy Resources vii) Improving urban environmental management, viii) Environmental governance, ix) Institutional and capacity building x) Increasing awareness and, stakeholder participation

3.4.3 AfDBs Involuntary Resettlement

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ADB’s Policy on Involuntary Resettlement was adopted in and became operational in January 1996. This policy was up dated in November 2003 after incorporating in lessons learnt. The policy requires that involuntary resettlement be an integral part of project design, dealt with from the earliest stages of the project cycle. In general the policy has been developed to address involuntary physical displacement and/or loss of other economical assets of people caused by Bank-financed projects and programs. The policy is intended for the executing agencies in the borrower countries and for Bank staff involved in identifying, preparing, and appraising projects that involve involuntary resettlement. The policy specifically aims to i) Avoid involuntary resettlement wherever feasible ii) Minimize resettlement where population displacement is unavoidable by exploring viable project options. iii) The policy also provides for individual or communities in case of loss of land, means of livelihood, social support systems or way of life they should be Compensated for lost assets and loss of income and livelihood iv) Assisted for relocation v) Assisted so that their economic and social future will generally be at least as favourable with the project as without it vi) Provided with appropriate land housing infrastructure, and others.

3.4.4 AfDBs Policy comparison with the Relevant Uganda Legislation

According to the AfDB’s environmental categorisation, rehabilitation or upgrading of major transportation projects (i.e. those exceeding 50 km), is classified as Category I undertaking which requires detailed ESIA studies. Similarly, according to Third Schedule of the National Environment Act, Cap. 153 (Section 3a: “all major roads”, and Section 3b: “all roads in scenic, wooded or mountainous areas”), Ugandan environmental laws and regulations, require road projects to undertake a full EIA. Furthermore, AfDB’s Involuntary Resettlement Policy requires that a full Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) be prepared if number of project affected persons (PAP) exceeds 200 people.

3.5 International Environmental Agreements

Uganda has signed and/or ratified a range of international agreements relating to the environment, both regionally and globally. The National Environment Act Cap 153 provides for the implementation of the International Conventions on Environment ratified by Uganda. The relevant conventions for the upgrading of Bumbobi – Lwakhakha are discussed below

3.5.1 Ratified Conventions

Those ratified include: i) the RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, UNESCO ii) the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention) – UNESCO; iii) the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – United Nations; 43

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iv) the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources – OAU; v) the Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and its Montreal Protocol; vi) the Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (Basel Convention); vii) the Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Trans-boundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa – OAU; viii) the Framework Convention on Climate Change– United Nations; ix) the Convention relating to the Preservation of Flora and Fauna in their Natural State.

Although all of the above have some relevance to the project, those to be taken into account with the upgrading of Bumbobi – Bubulo –Lwakhakha are the ones discussed below.

3.5.2 The Ramsar Convention of Wetlands, 1971

This an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands that is to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in future recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural scientific and recreational value. Uganda has about 9 sites.

In 2006, Uganda added nine wetlands to the List of Wetlands of International Importance designated under the RAMSAR Convention, bringing the national total to 11 sites covering a total of 354,803 ha. This was a demonstration of Uganda’s commitment to the RAMSAR Convention on wetlands on international importance.

3.5.3 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Article one has the objective of protecting human health and environment from persistent organic pollutants as highlighted in the Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. Measures to reduce or eliminate releases from intentional production and use are set forth in article 3 of this convention; those for unintentional production are in article 5 while those measures regarding releases from stockpiles and wastes are provided for in article 6. Unintentional POPs are expected from Asphalt plant and open burning of waste in the camps. Some materials used in road construction like tar (or bitumen) consist of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and are classified as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) under UNCECE POPs protocol. According to UK Environmental Agency, some PAHs can cause cancer and genetic damage. Use of concrete blocks should be considered instead of bitumen.

PAHs are also released in vehicle exhaust gases as a result of incomplete combustion of fuels. The Contractor will need to use machines that are equipped with combustion devices such as burners, and internal combustion engines to improve quality of combustion (Source:Wikipedia). 44

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3.5.4 Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management

Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is a policy framework to foster the sound management of chemicals is a policy framework to foster the sound management of chemicals. SAICM was adopted by the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) in February 2006 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The overall objective of the Strategic Approach is to achieve the sound management of chemicals throughout their life-cycle so that, by 2020, chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to the minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment. According to the strategy, this will be achieved through risk reduction, knowledge and information, governance, capacity-building and technical cooperation and illegal international traffic.

During road construction and maintenance different types of chemicals are used and include but not limited to bitumen, cement, Lime and thinner. It therefore imperative that this strategy is put into consideration especially during construction and maintenance.

3.5.5 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

The Convention on Climate Change sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. It recognizes that the climate system is a shared resource whose stability can be affected by industrial and other emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The convention encouraged industrialized countries to stabilize greenhouse gases while the Kyoto protocol commits them to do so.

Uganda signed the convention in June 1992, ratified it Sept. 1993 and its enforcement was March 1994. As already discussed under section 4.4.3 (Convention for the protection of Ozone layer and its Montreal Protocol), greenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range and greatly affect the temperature of the Earth. Carbon dioxide is one of the main greenhouse gases and is expected to be released from road construction vehicles and equipment. Thus UNFCCC will be relevant to this project.

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4.0 PUBLIC CONSULTATION

4.1 Public Participation Process

Emphasis has been placed on a fully-inclusive, open and transparent public participation process and the transfer of information regarding the proposed upgrading of the road to interested and affected persons (I&APs). The provision of sufficient and useful information on an on-going basis to I&APs to allow them to participate in the project and offer comments is a cornerstone of this Environmental Assessment process.

The process of stakeholder identification was a combination of both snowball and purposive methods. This started in December 2009 but most activities were in May 2010 Appointments for meetings with the different stakeholders were arranged a few days prior to the meetings. However, in some cases impromptu meetings were carried out.

Meetings were carried out with different district officials from the two districts of Mbale and Manafwa and 3 Sub Counties through which the road traverses. About 15 interviews were held with different local government officials, the minutes of which are attached as Appendix A. For all stakeholders consulted, an interview guide was used. All meetings for the above stakeholders were carried out at their respective offices.

Community meetings were conducted throughout the project area from the 1st to 9th May 2010 for the villages that are located along Bumbobi-Lwakhakha road. In addition, community members from other villages were also encouraged to participate as they are also indirectly affected by the road. A total number of 19 community meetings were held throughout the project area. The Sub County and LC I officials helped in the selection of appropriate dates and venues and also mobilization for the different villages along the project area. The table below is a schedule of meetings held with the communities. Community meetings were scheduled about a few days prior to the actual meetings to give the community ample time to plan their activities around the meetings. However, in some cases impromptu meetings were carried out especially for community members who complained that the agreed venues for meetings were far from their homes and for business communities especially those in trading centres who couldn’t travel to the agreed venues for the community meetings.

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Table 4-1: Schedule of meetings for Mbale-Bumbobi-Lwakhakha Road Date District Sub-county Village Time Venue

1/05/2010 Mbale Bungokho Masalile, Bukhumeka II, Luki Bumbobi Catholic Church 09:00am Nyondo Muyekhe, Bufukhula upper Muyekhe 11:00am Buyaka B, Bumakika I, Lutembete, Namikyelo, 02:30pm Wapondo Bushiende Wapondo, Village 2/05/2010 Busoba Nabumali town, 11:00am Nabumali Bumuyelelo I, Bumuyelelo II, Nashikaka, Corner Bunywaka, Nakhaboko, Bubetsye lower Nyondo Bufukhula lower 1:00pm Mitolotolo Club

Bushiende Mulatsi, Shikoye, Shiyatsa, Nabikhoso 03:20pm Mulatsi S.S 3/05/2010 Manafwa Manafwa Town Council Buwere, Butsema, 10:00am Mayenze Cath.Church Khabutola Buwatsosi, Bunangabo I, Khabutola, Bumufuni, 1:00pm Khabutola Sub-county Busangayi, Buwambale, Buwebele, Buwamara. Manafwa Town Council Nabuyima,Bumwangu 3:40pm Bumwangu 4/05/2010 Manafwa Town Council Meeting flopped and rescheduled for 10:00am Bubulo Redcross grounds 6th/05/2010 at 2:00pm Bugobero Manyali, Katanga, Bunanyama, Bukusu, 12:00pm Bugobero Nambale, Bumalugu, Bumurumu, Salosalo, Growers Butumwa I & II, Nabikulu, Buwafutu, Bunabiro, Cooperative Society Khabungu, Bunangabo I & II Bumateyo.

Butiru Bunambwila, Bumulekhwa, Sukuru, Busilali, 2:00pm Butiru Trading Centre Buwanyera, Buwafula, Buwamalero 47

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Date District Sub-county Village Time Venue 05/05/201 Butiru Bumuketsi, Buwamalelo, Buwafula 10:30am Busumbu Corner 0 Bubutu Bumandali, Bumatanda, Busiwuma, Buwambwa, 1:00pm Bubutu Subcounty Hqtrs Busimawolya, Bubutu T/C, Buwangolo, Bukibeti Bumwoni Buyasele, Bukibumbi, Bumahafu, Bukitongo, 2:00pm Buyasele Church Bumusomi I & II Bukhomali, Bulyuli,

6/05/2010 Lwakhakha Town Lwakhakha A, Lwakhakha B, Bukeemo, Lwakhakha Town council Council Lwakhakha Town council 11:00am Manafwa Town Council Bumulyanyuma, Muririnyi, Bumulekwa, Bubulo Redcross Centre Towncouncil 3:30pm 7/05/2010 Sisuni Namaloko, Bukhonzo, Buwalimbwa, Buwanyama 10:00am Namaloko T/Centre lower Bubutu Bufumbula, Buwangolo, Bumalanga, Kisokoti. 12:00 noon Kawempe 9/05/2010 Manafwa Bubutu Bumahafu, Buwetsalo 12:45pm Bumahafu

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An average of 86 participants turned up for each community meeting of which only about 16% of the participants were women. Some of the reasons given for the low turn up of women included; women are the major cultivators of crops and were most of the time in the gardens, women remained behind to do the domestic chores and women did not own resources or assets so their contributions were not considered important by the men.

4.2 Participation Objectives

The objectives of stakeholder participation included the following;  To provide sufficient, accessible and objective information to all stakeholders and interested parties that will assist them to participate in the whole process of the project.

 To get views from stakeholders on anticipated benefits, opportunities, concerns and suggestions on how best to mitigate them and different aspects of the community in regard to the project.

 To introduce the project to all stakeholders and prepare communities for what will be happening in the near future.

 To create an enabling environment through which the project will smoothly operate in friendly co-existence with other stakeholders

 To collect all relevant information about the trends, practices and norms in the project area within which the project will operate

4.3 Stakeholder Composition and Analysis

The first step in the participation was to identify key stakeholders. Table 5-2 below shows the composition of key stakeholders identified and an analysis of their relevance to the project, the opportunities they come with, the threats from these stakeholders to the project and how they can be linked or utilized by the project. A full list of all stakeholders consulted is attached as Appendix B

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Table 4-2: Analysis of stakeholders – Bubulo-Lwakhakha road

Stakeholder Relevance Opportunity Threat Linkages/Involvement National Stakeholders ( Line Information on national Give guiding policies and Ministries, NEMA policies and guiding government regulations principles in relation to road development UETCL/UMEME Existence of transmission Technical support in Relocating electricity This category of stakeholders can lines along the road that is the relocation of infrastructure may take a take on the responsibility of likely to require relocation. transmission and long time and result into relocating the distribution lines along project delays. transmission/distribution lines along the road. the proposed roads, if necessary District Political Leaders (RDC, These are leaders Political support, Sabotage /Political Mobilisation of communities for LC V Chairperson, District representing the willingness from RDC interference/ in the process compensation. Councillor/Secretary for communities that are going and LC V offices to of project implementation Education and Health, to be affected by the road support road project to Attend meetings on sensitisation, councillor in charge of technical project. ensure safety of all land and compensation. services) involved. They are accountable for Share information on compensation development in their areas Security systems in modalities. of jurisdiction. place Have joint awareness creation Responsible for security meetings. within the area of operation. Can use the police bases at the sub Overall overseers of the county for community policing and planning for development in security in the project area the districts and therefore require information for Witnessing the land acquisition and planning purposes. compensation processes. District Technical Officers and These are responsible for Vital source of District personnel may be For purposes of facilitating the

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Stakeholder Relevance Opportunity Threat Linkages/Involvement sub county staff (Planner, district plans. information about the busy to participate. process of information among Environment Education, Water, population, trends and stakeholders, district officials can Fisheries, Engineer, Nursing, The environment office is other dynamics within Since it is a central participate in project progress and Health Inspector, Community directly responsible for the project area government road, interest in site meetings. Development, Production, Sub environment management at participation may be County Chief, CDA, HA, the district level Can be utilised as the limited. Can take up the role of liaising with HIV/AIDS Focal Persons) contact persons in the the local communities since they are Responsible for the planning project area Time wastage due to the based on ground. and development of the poor work ethics and the necessary infrastructure in Their structures at the busy schedules. Through the Environmental Officer, the districts including roads, lower local districts can take on the role of Health, water supply and government can be Poor quality results due to environmental monitoring under the schools. utilised in the poor work ethics, supervision of the Consultants mobilisation of inefficiency and attitude Responsible for the communities for the exhibited in the lack of self- Through the Districts procurement coordination of all other good of the project. motivation. entity, procurement of sub- development contractors can be fastened as it is projects/programs within Can be used in the Intense supervision easier to get an already existing pre- their respective sectors but follow up and required which sometimes qualification list. under the management of supervision of results into high other stakeholders including community and non- administrative costs Collaborate with existing health central government and non- technical programs centres through the District Health governmental organisations Corruption tendencies as is Office and the HIV Focal Person to (NGOs) Can come up with the case with most public offer HIV/AIDS VCT, family proposals on how to offices. planning services and other medical mitigate the impacts on Lack of a mechanism for services especially emergency help to water sources. public complaints and road workers. feedback Contract supervision can be done jointly by district to ensure that opened up areas are restored. 51

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Stakeholder Relevance Opportunity Threat Linkages/Involvement

Through the Community Development Office, mobilisation of communities can be jointly handled.

HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns can be jointly done with the HIV Focal Person at the district level.

Community (Residents) in They are regular users of the Own land for Project delays due to Continued involvement of affected villages along road road – transport. expansion of road landlords unwilling to community members and institutions Road traverses a rich vacate in time even after for purposes of information sharing They live in the agricultural hinterland being compensated Key informants to good sources of neighbourhood of the road. which could be a materials, trends and dynamics in the source of food for Misinterpretation of project project area. They will directly be affected road workers and other intentions and therefore people – the dust, land, stakeholders. sabotage which eventually Community policing. crops, businesses, residential results into project delays. and commercial structures. Can help in spreading Casual labourers. information from There is a possibility of Will provide casual labour sensitisation meetings local dealers conniving with Key informants on the norms and for road project to those who do not the contractor employees in practices of the residents within the attend. a bid to steal project project area. Have information on land materials including fuel and owners. Can provide labour cement. particularly unskilled Good source of information labour Employment of casual on the trends and dynamics labour not spread along within the project area. Raw Materials – entire road stretch may rocks/stones, water, cause disgruntling. gravel and food. 52

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Stakeholder Relevance Opportunity Threat Linkages/Involvement Riots/demonstrations as a result of contractor not being sensitive with people issues.

Conflicts as regards property ownership which might delay the project Impersonation Taxi drivers, motorcycle riders They are road users Assistance in They might interrupt Can be used in mobilisation and cyclists information transfer project activities especially Good channel for information Directly affected by road during the construction transfer and sharing works. Proposals on safety phase in a bid to fulfil their measures day to day activities. Their business is likely to be negatively disrupted Can easily mobilise particularly in the themselves into a riot/ construction phase. demonstration if sensitive issues are not well handled.

Potential market for stolen project materials

Might not respect road safety measures in place leading to accidents Roadside Stalls/Markets These conduct business Provide data on Loss of business and Good tool to be used in community along the road which will be business patterns and disruption of project policing. disrupted. operations along road activities during construction. Offer good potential for information

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Stakeholder Relevance Opportunity Threat Linkages/Involvement Use the road for accessing Provide information transfer and information sharing in their business joints – stalls. on how they can best Have potential to organise the project area co-exist with the riots and demonstrations if Likely to be project particularly issues affecting them are displaced/affected by road during construction not well handled. project – increased dust diversions, construction of Source of information Can facilitate the stealing of access culverts and roads on the trends, project materials by being dynamics and security the market for stolen goods They are accident prone as in the project area they operate very close the road. Shop owners Road users (Transportation Provide goods and Have potential to Tap on business opportunities as of their merchandise) services to project demonstrate against project they arise especially selling of workers. activities if sensitive issues cold and hot beverages. (access and management of Use their premises for displaying They are an important dust) affecting them are not Information and Education tool in information well handled. transfer and sharing materials like posters. Health Centres Being located near the road, Closeness of health Health centres may not be Collaboration with health facilities in they might be both directly centres to road means well equipped (staff, offering emergency medical services. or indirectly affected they can be easily laboratories, medicines, Could also be used as VCT centres through loss of property and accessed for testing kits) to handle all for road workers. customers emergency and any cases that they may receive. medical help. Staff could be used in offering To provide data on common Staff might not be sensitisation campaigns for STDs diseases in the area Health centre staff are competent enough to including HIV/AIDS. trained in HIV/AIDS handle emergency and To provide statistics on and management of complicated cases. Existing health centres could be used HIV/AIDS prevalence in other communicable as first aid centres

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Stakeholder Relevance Opportunity Threat Linkages/Involvement the area diseases

Could offer health care services to the contractor during the construction phase.

Proposals on coexistence with the project during the construction phase NGOs and CBOs Good mobilisation May not have time to NGOs can be used for mobilisation Generally work very closely skills participate in road project. and sensitisation of communities. with communities Some areas along the road Good channel of information Good source of information may not have transfer and sharing on people NGOs/CBOs working in their communities. Have the capacity to offer certain services like awareness campaigns, Sometimes some NGOs are promotion of vegetation restoration just brief case companies through tree planting. who actually do nothing on ground Schools Existence of schools along Play grounds have the Disruption of school Schools can offer parking space to the road potential of being used activities the road project. as overnight parking Students represent a spaces for project Unwillingness of schools to Avenue through which road safety significant percentage of the machines and lease or share adjacent land campaigns can be conducted. road users along the road equipment to road project Students are a vital channel of Proposals on coexistence information transfer and sharing.

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Stakeholder Relevance Opportunity Threat Linkages/Involvement with the project during the construction phase

School property (land, structures, fences, playgrounds) might be affected.

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4.4 Stakeholder briefings and community consultation

A brief description of the proposed project was presented in the local language of the area that is, Lumasaba (Lugisu) to the communities. The aim of the presentation was to provide a brief outline of the proposed project and project activities including EIA process, and to encourage the community to be cooperative and to participate in the different stages of the project.

Information presented included Project Activities which entailed the following; Community Sensitization meetings, Environmental Assessment, Geotechnical investigations/test pits, land survey, Design and tender documentation, procurement of Contractors and construction.

A discussion then followed whereby the communities were asked to submit any issues and /or concerns. Photographs of such meeting are shown in figure 4-1 below). The table below shows a summary of the issues raised. Attendance lists are attached as Appendix B & C. Minutes of the various meetings are attached as Appendix A & D while photographs of community meetings are attached as Appendix E.

Meeting at Bugobero Cooperative (4/5/10) Meeting at Bumahafu (5th May 2010)

Figure 4.1: Sample Photographs of community meetings

4.5 Issues raised

During the consultations, several issues/concerns were raised which include the following. The Tables 4-4, 4-5 and 4-6 below show the different issues raised by the different stakeholders in the area.

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Table 4-3: Issues Raised by National Stakeholders

Name Designation Issues raised Mr. Mutemo Senior Environmental Officials were briefed about the road upgrading projects in Lot E and they made the Officer, Ministry of Works, following comments: (16th Feb.10) Transport and  Suggested that programme of re-planting trees for purposes of beautification and marking Communications road reserve should be seriously considered. He further suggested that Road User Committees which are most times existing at the grassroots level should be involved in Tree clearing: replanting. These committees could be facilitated to take up these roles of both planting Implementation and maintenance since they will be remaining around other than the contractor who plants and goes. Off-shots:  Communities should be involved in choosing where to put the off –shots. Sometimes they need the storm water in their gardens or in some of the valleys they may want to use for different purposes. This will reduce on the impacts of the storm water (from the off – shots) on the communities. Construction Camps:  Choice of location of the construction camps should involve the local communities/authorities. This could be located in an area such that the structures could be used as a school or any other community activity Oloya Civil Engineer Warid  The official was concerned about what extent of impact the project would have on their Richard (4th Telecom masts in the area. march.10)  He stressed that any blasting within the vicinity of the mast would cause vibrations with implications of distorting transmission, swaying off and tilting of the towers due to earth movements.  They were going to do their preliminary surveys as they wait for the final road designs to determine what would be done.  He finally noted that having to relocate the mast is an expensive exercise and they would

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Name Designation Issues raised preferably have it avoided in whatever option possible. Mrs Norah Ministry of Water and  These areas of wetlands experience floods during periods of heavy rains. She therefore Namakambo Environment, Directorate of noted the need for raising of the road within these sections. th (4 Environment Affairs,  She emphasized the need of finding the way of free flow of water across the road without March,2010) Wetlands Management damming. She pointed that on top of installing culverts, gravel should be graded in all Department-Luzira. stretches of wetland areas before putting tarmac on top. This will enhance free flow of water across the road through percolation without necessarily restricting water to particular flow across the culverts.  The issue of dumping of soil waste creating land in wetland areas has to be avoided. This she noted reduces the area of wetlands through encouraging reclamation by the wetland encroachers.  What was also noted was that all rice growing areas that are in form of valleys with saturated soils should be taken as wetlands while taking precautionary cautions of construction in wetland areas.

 Downstream of these wetlands exist springs with some directly acting as a source of water for the neighbouring communities. Precaution should therefore be taken to avoid contaminating the quality of water through oil spills and dumping of any sort.

 Raised need for closed supervision and/or monitoring of the works at wetland areas to minimize silting and avoiding workers collaborating with the wetland encroachers to convert accelerating degradation. Mr. Apollo ZAIN TELECOM  The team had worries to do with masts foundation but no impact was envisaged on Mechanical transmission. engineer.  They also expressed worries of the cost implication in case of the need of relocation and 10th

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Name Designation Issues raised March,2010 would prefer the alternative of avoiding as much as possible to relocate.  The team then asked to be given time to check with their geotechnical documents to be able to come up with envisaged implication in case of rock blasting close to their site. They then promised get back to the consultant by mail regarding this. Ms Sylivia Directorate of Water  A senior hydrologist at the Directorate Water Resources Management Nanyunja, Resources Management  Emphasized that incase of any abstraction on any water resource, a permit of abstraction Hydrologist Entebbe should be thought from the Water Resources management.

 She also pointed that DWRM has monitoring stations on all the lakes and Rivers that need to be taken care of during construction within their vicinity; monitoring during construction should ensure that these aren’t tampered with.

 NEMA regulations protecting water resources need to be put up with when it comes to dumping of waste into water resources.

 It was also mentioned that the design team should present the Water Resources Management, department of Regulations with a sketch of the road network to be worked on containing list of lakes, rivers and swamps that are likely to be crossed. This will enable the department avail the design consultants with the Hydrological characteristics of these resources; such as the highest water levels ever reached in those areas.

 The Ground water department could also be utilized to avail the consultant with information regarding the water table levels of these low lying areas.

Ms Aguti Ministry of Energy and  A senior petroleum expert stressed that in cases of spillage during oil storage, drums Carolyne Mineral development,

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Name Designation Issues raised Department of Petroleum should be placed in areas that can be easily cleaned and disposed to designated places Supplies approved by NEMA.

 The responsible companies that have been licensed by NEMA to handle issues related to disposal of oil related waste should be identified and given the role of handling all these kinds of wastes generated from the campsites and the construction sites.

 She also recommended that drums used for oil storage should be placed on top of wooden structures during loading and offloading and these can be kept well for further use to minimize the extent of spilling oil in several locations.

 All records of major spillages should be well kept to enable proper monitoring and avoid unpleasant impacts that could result if no mitigation measures are put in place after the spillage

 All bitumen should be well stored under proper precautions with proper supervision and/or monitoring

 Qualified Environmentalists should be deployed to ensure proper monitoring for compliance with all the recommended mitigation measures during the construction activities.

The Ministry of Trade and  She pointed out that not all the physical-cultural and palaeontology information is Conservator Industry, Uganda National captured on their database. History and Museum Archaeology  It is important to always brief all the workers prior to the commencement of the work

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Name Designation Issues raised at the regarding the Archaeological values of certain cultures and to ensure they are maintained Uganda and/or replaced where they are affected in any way during the road works. National Museum  The elderly stakeholders from the project areas should always be called to such briefing meetings to point out areas that are of historical value to avoid upsets at the later stage.

 In that regard, she recommended that any “chance finds” relics should always be reported to be the Archaeologist who will deliver them to the museum for further investigation.

David Ministry of Gender, Labour  Principal Occupational Hygienist at the ministry elevated the need for inspection of all the Mugisha, and Social development, statutory equipments to be used prior to the commencement of the construction Principle department of OHS activities. He also stated that these will need to be periodically inspected to ensure their Occupational safety for the workers. Hygienist  He also pointed that it is the responsibility of the ministry to assess the workers state of incapacity in case of accidents to enable them process their compensation from the insurer

 All the workers should be registered and forms to be provided by the department of Occupational Health and Safety should be filled for all the daily minor injuries occurring at the site for easy reporting as and when they happen.

 Prior to the commencement of the project it should be registered with the department giving its description for easy supervision and monitoring of its compliance to the labour laws. Mr. Obed Plantation Development Areas that do not have NFA designated reserves should be handled with care through Tugumisirize Specialist at the National consultation and agreements with the private owners. Where such trees do not belong to any

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Name Designation Issues raised Forestry Authority (NFA) person, a plan should be put in place to ensure that seedlings are planted to replace those cut while expanding the road.  M/s Justine Uganda Wild life Authority, The officials acknowledged that the road does not pass in any of the Uganda Wildlife Namara, Senior Planning & Authority (UWA) reserve areas. 21/06/2011) Environmental Impact Assessment Officer The officials highlighted that all categories of animals whether within UWA reserve areas or spread out in the communities are within their responsibility to ensure that they are protected. Mr. Richard Senior Planning & They therefore emphasized that workers have to be sensitized that any killing of animals is Kapere Environmental Impact illegal and it is an offence therefore regarded as Poaching. Assessment Officer

Mr. John Senior Community They also pointed out that areas that are identified as rich in animals, the design should take Masereka Conservation Officer into consideration speed reduction techniques to avoid speed kills when the improved roads become operational. Senior Coordinator, Planning Mr. Edgar & EIA Officer There is also need to categories the type of animal species identified, this is to make sure that Buhanga rare and endemic animal species are not interfered with and/or can be transferred for conservation elsewhere. 

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Table 4-4: Issues raised by Local Government; District and Sub County Levels

Issue Discussion Suggested solutions Damage to property and compensation Destruction of property This was a concern raised by all local - Compensation which should be fair and prompt government stakeholders consulted. - Valuation should take place before construction They feared that property like buildings, crops, school playground, fences and - Sensitization of communities and encouragement of local other infrastructure along the along the participation road might be destroyed. Destruction of water There was concern that gravity flow - It was suggested that the place should be handled with care so supply scheme crossing the road would be as not to destroy the water pipes. destroyed. This was raised by Lwakhakha Town Council officials.

Environmental issues Borrow pits There was concern that borrow pits They suggested that such pits should always be backfilled after where Gravel and stones are excavated extraction of the required materials. will be often open. Flooding and drainage It was reported that too much water There should be strong drainage systems to collect the water and comes from the mountains and crosses the water should be channelled to running rivers. the road especially during the rainy season. Safety and security issues

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Issue Discussion Suggested solutions Increase in accidents This was a general issue raised by - Installation of humps and signposts in trading centres and near due to overtaking and majority of the stakeholders. There is schools. over speeding during fear of increased number of accidents and after construction during construction and also after construction.. Increase in This concern was raised by Mbale - It was suggested that there should be constant HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS and District HIV/AIDS Focal Person. There awareness for the workers and community in general. other STIs was concern that the influx of people in the area during construction will increase the problem of HIV/AIDS in the area. Land wrangles It was pointed out that there were The project was advised to be very cautious when dealing with land several land conflicts in the area and issues in the area. land is considered to be an important asset.

Business and trade Increase in regional It was expected that there will be increased regional trade between Uganda and Kenya. trade Accessibility to markets There is hope that with a good road, there will be easy accessibility to markets and therefore increase in trade. Employment The issue of job opportunities was raised by most of the stakeholders. It is expected that during opportunities construction, there will be increased job opportunities for the local people. It was requested that the local people be considered for jobs especially casual labour jobs.

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Table 4-5: Issues raised by community members

Issue Discussion Suggested solution Destruction of This was a general concern throughout the project area. The They Suggested that there should be structures, vegetation, communities feared that there will be destruction of property compensation for whatever will be affected crops and trees along like mahogany trees which were planted by Kakungulu along before the project commences and people with the road the road, buildings, crops, other types of trees, electricity crops within the road reserve should also be transmission lines, water sources and fences which are near compensated. the road. They further suggested that repairs be made to The community also feared that there will be ground the structures that will get cracks as a result of vibrations by heavy machines will affect people with diseases the heavy machinery and people with heart like heart attack and cause cracks to structures near the road related ailments should be catered for. which are not strong. Community members proposed replanting of Locals were also concerned about hunger and famine that the same type of trees and grass after might be caused as a result of cutting down crops. construction. Displacement and The business community members feared that they will be Business communities suggested that there disruption in businesses forced to go to other places which they are not used to and should be interference allowance and getting new customers for their businesses would take a very compensation made promptly and fairly to long time thus affecting their business. enable them get time to construct of new structures before the old ones are demolished by The people with commercial structures in trading centres the project. feared that their businesses will be interfered with.

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Issue Discussion Suggested solution Displacement of There was a general concern and people feared that the width The community suggested that the 30m width Trading centres. of 30m would affect most trading centres. Community be reduced to 30m to reduce the destruction of members were concerned about the 30m width they pointed most trading centres. out that they have been following guidelines of 10m and 15m from the centre of the road for feeder roads and high way roads respectively. They feared that people who had businesses in the trading centres would lose their businesses. Compensation The compensation issue was critical in all meetings. The They suggested that whoever is affected in any members feared that those who are currently in the road way by the project be compensated in a reserve might not be compensated at all. transparent manner. They also feared that in case of damage to structures and They further suggested that payments should be accidents, the affected people might not be compensated or made to affected people in their respective even given treatment. villages rather than telling them to go districts. A case in point was Lwakhakha road expansion whereby The fear with the district is that they have people’s structures were demolished within one week notice always cheated them. and no compensation was done to date. Under The community members expressed fears of under payment They requested to be compensated fairly and payment/compensation for the affected property as the package might be smaller than promptly before commencement of the project what they invested in their property especially buildings as to enable them relocate their families in time. most of them are permanent. They feared that the compensation money might not enable them set up new permanent structures. Un-surveyed land The communities expressed concern about unregistered land They requested the government to compensate and land without titles that they might not be compensated yet everyone even when they don’t have land titles.

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Issue Discussion Suggested solution customary land ownership is the common land tenure system in the area. Accidents Increase in accidents to both human beings and animals as a They proposed that humps be constructed in result of speeding and reckless driving during and after trading centres, near schools and points where construction were a general concern by all stakeholders animals cross from. throughout the project area. Also, another point of concern It was further suggested that pedestrian and was sharp corners currently along the road which have led to cyclists lanes be provided to help reduce the many accidents. number of accidents. Signposts, zebra crossings and roundabouts in different places were also suggested. The use of traffic police after construction and paving off sharp corners were also suggested. Theft and robbery Community members were worried that there will be an They proposed police posts in all major trading increase in theft and robbery. They feared highway robbers centres. will be attracted to the road due to its smoothness. They further noted that due to the influx of people in the area, criminals might get a chance of settling in their area. Uncovered excavated Community members feared that there will be environmental The community suggested that the terms of the sites. degradation if excavated sites and pits for extraction of contract should strictly be followed and guided materials like Gravel and aggregate are left uncovered. They by environmental issues and regulations. gave an example of such sites along Butiru – Lwakhakha road. There should also be maximum monitoring of the construction works by UNRA so that the procedures are followed.

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Issue Discussion Suggested solution Dust The community feared that there will be an increase in dust The community suggested that the contractor and dust related diseases like flu, cough and eye problems. should water the road during construction This was a general concern raised throughout the project area. period to reduce the dust. Noise and vibrations There was concern that there will be a lot of noise during The members suggested that emergency clinics construction due to the heavy trucks and machines used. This should be put in place to carter for this. would affect people with heart related diseases and pregnant mothers as might lead to miscarriage. Blockage of entrances There was a major concern about contractors opening up The community members suggested that drainage channels directing to peoples homes and heaping soil workers should endeavour to unblock these at entrances of people’s homes, access roads and social entrances and put culverts to make it easy for facilities like hospitals and schools which leads to the people to access the facilities. inaccessibility to these places. Destruction of water Destruction of water sources was a general concern The community suggested that new water sources throughout the project area that the water sources like sources should be provided for them before boreholes, protected and unprotected springs, earth dams and construction begins. protected wells which are found along the road and are used by the community will be destroyed leading to a problem of water in the area. Disruption in electricity There was concern of the destruction of electric poles and They suggested that the electric be relocated supply transformers in areas which have power transmission lines before construction to minimize the period of along the road that will lead to cut off in electricity supply, no power blackout. thus, disruption in businesses such as grain grinding mills and welding plants. This concern was raised by communities mainly in trading centres with electric supply.

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Issue Discussion Suggested solution Diseases The community fears that contractors and their workers will The community members suggested that the bring different infections especially sexually transmitted government should request the contractor to infections and Aids thus leading to an increase in the employ local people in the project area especially HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the area. This was raised in all for non-technical assignments. This will reduce community meetings. on the number of workers to be brought from other areas. The residents also feared that there will be an increase in heart They proposed that the contractor should come related diseases such as high blood pressure due to vibrations along with medicines and other healthcare and noise caused by heavy machines. facilities like first aid kits to give to cater for people with high blood pressure. Throughout the project area, there was concern that the The community suggested that the workers construction workers might seduce the local people’s wives should come with their wives and also should and disorganize their families as they usually tend to have look out for single women. more money than the local people.

The community members feared that school going girls will The community members proposed that LC I be seduced by road workers who might impregnate them and officials should form a road committee with leave them behind for the parents to bear the burden of some members to act as security and spies as looking after them and the children they will bear. They feared regards this problem. They vowed to deal with that in addition to contracting of diseases especially STIs, their the culprits in accordance with the area laws that education and future would be in question. will prevail at the time. Defilement and This was a general issue raised by most communities. They They warned the workers to be careful in their feared that the project workers might defile their daughters activities as community members will arrest and elopement and in some cases elope with them. prosecute the offenders Reduction in dust The community members said that there will be a reduction in related diseases dust related diseases as compared to now due to a reduction in

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Issue Discussion Suggested solution dust as a result of the tarmacked road. Cutting of sharp corners Residents of Khabutola, Bugobero, Bubutu and Bumoni They residents proposed cutting of the sharp pointed out that there was need to cut sharp corners along the corners and creating round about where road which have contributed to the number of accidents in necessary. different areas. Market for produce The issue of market was raised throughout the whole project and boom in businesses area. The community revealed that it expects to get market for agricultural products like matooke, beans, maize, irish potatoes, cassava, millet etc as more people and many cars will be using the road. The community members also expected roadside business to increase and improve. The community also expects to sell raw materials like Gravel, sand and aggregate and bricks.

Increase in value of The community members expressed hope that after land construction there will be an increase in the value of land especially plots along the road. Reduction in transport The community expressed optimism that after road costs construction there will be a reduction in transport costs as compared to what is being charged today. They attributed to the expected influx of cars in the area due to the good road.

Easy transportation The community members believe the upgraded road will ease their means of transport. They further said that transportation of the sick and expectant mothers to major hospitals will be quicker and easier. They said that the number of deaths

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Issue Discussion Suggested solution especially those related to poor transport means will be reduced.

Employment This issue was raised by all communities consulted. They said opportunities that they expected to get employment opportunities during the construction phase. They therefore requested the project implementers to give the local people first priority for employment.

Discipline and Another concern raised by many of the communities was that The community members said that they would cooperation contractors are usually ill mannered, rude and uncooperative like the contractor and workers to cooperate which might lead to a lot of problems in the areas. with them.

The communities further cautioned the construction workers against moving late in the night say beyond 11:00pm, fighting, quarrelling and over drinking.

They further revealed that greeting was part of their culture and requested contractors to respect this value. Government political The community members expressed concern that this might The community proposed that the road be tricks be a political ploy to trick people to vote for the NRM started upon immediately. government in the 2011 elections.

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5.0 DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT

5.1 Physical Environment

5.1.1 Geology

The Bubombi – Bubulo – Lwakhakha road is located in the districts of Mbale and Manafwa districts which are mainly underlain by tertiary to cretaceous carbonites dominated by Crystalline Precambrian basement. Pre-Cambrian rock system and the Cainozoic rock formations. The pre- Cambrian rock system is mainly wholly granitised or high to medium metamorphosed formations consisting of undifferentiated gneisses and elements partly granitised and metamorphosed formations (DOER 2004).There are few areas of intrusive granite and granitoid gneisses and these are mainly in Bukemo Village Lwakhakha town council and Kisokoti village in Bumusani Parish , Bubuto Sub county(Fig 5-1) . There are also cainozoic formations consisting of pleistocene to recent sediment, alluvium deposits in the flood plain areas.

Figure 5.1: Intrusive granite rocks in Bukemo Village Lwakhakha town council

5.1.2 Geomorphology and Soils

The Bubombi – Bubulo – Lwakhakha road lies in the area with geomorphological features identified with the rocks of eastern up warp, remnants of low land surface and remnants of volcanic activity. Almost the whole of Bukiende Sub County is located in areas of infill associated with

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cainozoic rocks composed of sandy loam soils (lacustrine deposits) of the flood plain. Most areas of Bugobero, Bubuto and Bumusani sub counties are also associated with rocks of eastern upward have predominant lateritic rocks which have been exposed in places where soil erosion has been rampant.

In general, the sub countries of Mbale district have sandy loams of medium fertility and support the growing of crops such as maize, coffees, Banana while the soils in the raised areas have lateritic loams and support the growing of bananas coffee, cassava,sweet potatoes and millet. In most of the wetlands such as Namekhalia in Butiru sub county, Manafwa district the flood plain (between Wopondo trading centre and Shikoye village) in Mbale District have hydromorphic alluvial sand deposits with thin layer of silt loam underlain with clay supporting the growing of crops such as rice , sugar cane , millet , rice and maize. The narrow river valleys have sand deposits.

5.1.3 Hydrology, Drainage and Water resources

Mbale and Manafwa districts are endowed with surface water mainly in form of rivers and streams. The project areas is drained by three big rivers of Manafwa Lwakhakha and Nankwasi all draining from the Mount Elgon catchment area and these rivers are associated with the Lake Kyoga basin through the Mpologoma river . These rivers have all been farmed up to the very edges and are coloured brown due to soil erosion during the rainy seasons. According to observation and information gathered from the local people some the streams and rivers burst banks and cause floods during the wet season but contain little flow or no flow at all during the dry season. Siltation as a direct effect of the catchment area degradation is a common phenomenon in these rivers and streams and makes the water turbid and brownish in colour speciality during the wet season. In some communities, rivers and streams are the main source of water for drinking, bathing and washing.

Other sources of water include under ground water represented by the numerous boreholes and protected springs the project area, rain water harvesting and gravity water especially in Lwakhakha, Bubulo, Makenze and much of Bugaborero

The quality of the water in the stream and rivers is compromised due high levels pollution stemming from catchment degradation, poor sanitation and waste management in community adjacent river banks, dumping of residues from distillation of potent gin (crude waragi) distillation, car washing bays and poor agronomic practices.

5.1.4 Climate

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The project is located in an area described as generally wet for about 8-9 months in year. The meteorological data available indicate that the areas of the two district covering the project area receives about 1,191 mm per annum experiencing a bi-modal type of rainfall with heaviest amount of rainfall occurring in March-July and the last in August-September. There is a short dry season between the two seasons, and a long dry period between January and March. The district’s climate is generally influenced by the Mt. Elgon ranges and experiences very low temperatures in areas with high altitude.

5.1.5 Water quality and existing pollution discharges

Surface water samples will be recovered from the 4 bridges to be worked, protected springs affected and water sources identified for extraction of water for the road works. The samples will be taken to the National Water and Sewerage Corporation Central laboratories for analysis to determine their baseline water quality conditions. These will be used as baseline for monitoring of the impacts of the road works on the general environment and water in particular.

5.2 Biological Environment

5.2.1 Flora

The vegetation of the project area falls under one major ecosystem (the agro- ecosystem) which consists of planted woodlots, agriculture, domesticated plants and exotic species. This secondary vegetation has emerged as a result of anthropogenic activities crop growing, settlement and cutting trees for charcoal making. The major wetlands crossed by the proposed road have been transformed and the major vegetation there in is associated with crops, tree and remnants of the original vegetation in few areas.

In this section the vegetation of the whole stretch of the road from Bumbobi through Bubulo to Lwakhakha on the Kenya Border has been discussed but mainly concentrating on the proposed road reserve and the neighbourhood.

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Table 5-1: Vegetation types along the proposed road

Stretch Sub counties Vegetation type Bumbobi - Nabumali TC Bunghokho Crops: bananas intercropped with coffee, cassava and maize. Trees: Sena siamea (Blackwood Cassia), Grevellea sp , Luceane luciphocola Markhamia lutea , Eucalyptus and Jacaranda , Albizzia correhrea, Tamarindus indica. Shrubs consist of Tithonia sp , Thevetea sp Wetland: in Bumuyelo seasonal wetland are remnants of Cyperus latifolius otherwise common plant is rice. Nabumali TC Border Bukyiende and Busoba Crops: Sweet potatoes, bananas cassava beans, maize millet, rice, sugar cane . with Manafwa Planted Trees : Teminalia Teak tree Grevellea sp and Eucalyptus woodlots Albizzia correhrea, Sycomore figs shrubs consist of Tithonia sp , Thevetea sp Wetland: Flood plain with several streams (e.g. Namiri, Makhuba, Matibo) and wetland vegetation completely transformed for rice growing. Mbale – Manafwa Border Manafwa Town council Crops: Sweet potatoes, bananas cassava beans, maize, to Bubulo TC Trees: Delonix regia. Shrubs consist of Tithonia sp , Thevetea sp Bubulo TC to Bugobero, Butiru Crops: Bananas, Beans , Ground nuts, Sweet potatoes, cassava beans, maize , Sugar Namakhalia wetland cane and Rice in the wetland Trees : Eucalyptus woodlot, Khaya ,Mahogany , Eucalyptus , Fruit tree ( Mangoes, Ovacado), Teminalia Teak tree Grevellea sp and Eucalyptus woodlots , Barkcloth fig Albizzia correhrea, Sycomore figs. Cypress and remnants of the original vegation comprised of acacia and combretum (Shibanga village).Shrubs consist of of Tithonia sp , Thevetea sp Wetland: In Namekhalia wetland are remnants wetland vegetation consisting of Typha australis, and phragmites . Wetland converted to Sugar and Rice growing. Namekhalia wetland to Butiru, Bubutu , Crops: bananas Sweet potatoes, cassava, beans, maize ,onions, Millet, Lwakhakha Bummoni Lwakhakha Trees : Elgon teak , Khaya ,Mahogany , Eucalyptus in woodlots, Markhamia sp,Fruit Town council tree( Mangoes, Jack fruit) Grevellea sp and Eucalyptus woodlots Bark cloth fig Albizzia sp, Sycomore figs, acacia and combretum sp Ficus ovata. Shrubs include; Tithonia sp and , Lantana camara

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Most of the different vegetation mentioned in the table above and tree types mentioned above were found in the whole stretch. Most of the fences on households along the road are made of live plant material dominated by Kei apple thorn and Thevetea species. The road edges in areas with raised terrain and with poor soils has grasses characterised by Hyparrhenia filipendula and Setaria trinervia, and some remnants of the endemic trees species such as Acacia, Combtretum and Albizzia

The common vegetation types are shown in Fig 5-2 below

Notive Grevellia and Ucalyptus trees in the rivulate A Stand of Terminalia trees planted by the road side in wetland adjacent to the road Shikoye village, Bukyiende Village . Notice few tree of Cassava

A hedge of Kei apple. Notice ornamental trees dominated Millet grown in the raised areas of the project. Acacia by Cassia and Albizzia in the background are the common tree species

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Banana growing is common Ornamental trees such as Cypress are common as hedge or compound trees

Namekheha wetland. The entire wetland has been Sugar cane along the Banks of River Manafwa converted for the growing of rice and Sugar cane

Figure 5.2: Vegetation types along the road

5.2.2 Fauna

Mt. Elgon National park is far away from the project area and therefore the project has no known big game. However, there are some animals that have been reported to exist around banks of the streams and swamps and these include monkeys, snakes, toads, frogs and lizards. Other animals reported to exist along the proposed project are those that have adapted to post and cultivated habitats and these include edible rats, moles and squirrels and common rats (Ratus ratus).The moles and common rats were reported to be common vermins in cassava and potatoes gardens.

Among the domestic animals are cows, goats and these are tethered on ropes and some are under the zero grazing system. The other common animals kept are pigs and chicken.

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Figure 5.3: Reared animals tethered

There are no endangered, threatened or near threatened wildlife in the area were found in the area.

5.2.3 Avifauna (Birds)

From observations, the common birds in the project area are those adapted to wetlands and cultivated or modified ecosystem. Several birds’ species were encountered during the field survey and include among others weaver birds, A few wetland birds were also reported by the community to exist in the wetland and others included crested crane, ibis, among others. Other birds included the Black headed heron (Ardea melanocephala) , African pied Wagtail (Motasilla aquimp) and the storks (Figure 5-4).

Figure 5.4: Storks seen up in the sky in the project area

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Mbale and Manafwa districts shares on Mt. Elgon national parks. The national park has a rich a rich variety of vegetation that varies with altitude. The vegetation diversity of the park includes; Bamboo, Giant podocarpus, Juniper and Elgon olive trees cedar Juniperus procera,pillarwood Cassipourea malosana, elder Sambucus adnata, pure stands of Podocarpus gracilior and many orchids. The faunal species there in include; Elephants and buffalos found on the lower slopes. The park is also home to a variety of small antelope and forest monkeys, including the Black-and-white Colobus and Blue Monkeys. Over 300 birds can also be found in the area, including the endangered Lammergeier, African Goshawk, and Weaver birds. These faunal and floral varieties plus the a variety of scenery including cliffs, caves, waterfalls, gorges, and the mountain peaks for make tourism an important activity in the districts. However this protected area is not close to the project site.

5.3 Human / Social – Cultural Environment

The human environment forms an important part of an EIA study. Humans have significant impacts on the surrounding natural environment and an EIA must examine these interactions in order to determine the extent of the project impacts and mitigation measured concerning socio economic, cultural and health issues.

This chapter is based on the baseline studies carried out in the period April to May 2010 in the project area as part of the socio economic, health and cultural studies. The studies were done through consultations with the local authorities, communities, institutions, household interviews, observation and literature review. The tools of data collection included an interview guide and in-depth questionnaires.

5.3.1 Human Population

The 2002 Uganda Population and Housing Census estimated the population of Mbale District to be 718,2401 of which 365,686 were females and 352,554 with an average household size of 4.4 persons. However, after the split of the district into 3 other districts of Manafwa, Bududa and Sironko, the total population of Mbale District was estimated to be 332,200 and that of Manafwa was 118,000 making a total population of 450,200 for the two districts. The total population of the 9 Sub Counties through which the road traverses is about 156,766 people with the female population slightly higher than that of the male population as indicated in Table 5-2. In terms of composition, the 2002 Census further revealed that 55% of the population was children below the age of 18 years.

1 Sironko, Bududa and Manafwa were part of Mbale District at the time of the census. 80

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Table 5-2: Population by Sub-County in the Project Districts

District Sub Males Females Total county Mbale Bungokho 15,125 15,539 30,664 Nyondo NEW* Busoba 12,879 13,333 26,212 Bushiende 11,397 11,849 23,246 Manafwa Manafwa 7240 7842 15082 Town Council Khabutola NEW* Bugobero 15257 14084 29341 Sisuni NEW* Butiru 15467 16754 32221 77,365 79,401 156,766 Source: The 2002 Housing and Population Census: Mbale District Report and Manafwa District Health Plan Report 2010-2011. *Newly Created Sub Counties

The 2012 projections for the towns traversed by the project road are indicated in table 5-3 indicating populations and projections for the towns of Mbale, Manafwa and Lwakhakha.

Table 5-3: Mbale and Manafwa 2012 projected populations

Name Adm. C Cf 1969-08-18 C Cf 1980-01-18 C Cf 1991-01-12 C Cf 2002-09-13 C P 2011-07-01

Lwakhakha EAS ...... 7,916 10,700

Manafwa EAS ...... 11,735 15,800

Mbale EAS 23,544 28,039 53,987 71,130 91,800

Source: http://www.citypopulation.de/Uganda-Cities.html

The results from the socio economic survey, the majority (90.6%) of the households along the project road were headed by males and only 9.4% were headed by females. The average household size was 5.9 persons. This was attributed to the high internal birth rate and extended families.

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As regards age, the results show that the mean age of household heads along the project road is 46 years with the majority (84.4%) falling in the age group of 18- 64 years and 15.6% lying in the age group of 65 years and above. The results imply that the population in the project area is highly commendable for employment as the majority is still in the productive stage. However, it should also be noted that there are vulnerable groups in the project area like the elderly that might need special attention especially when making decisions regarding them or the community as a whole.

5.3.2 Ethnic composition

The 2002 Uganda Population and Housing revealed that 83.7% of the population in the two districts belonged to the Bagisu tribe also known as Bamasaba and the major language is Lugisu (Lumasaba). Other tribes in the area include Banyole, Iteso, Basoga, Bagwere, Japhadhola and Baganda.

Likewise, along the project area the major ethnic group and language was Bagisu (Bamasaba) and Lumasaba respectively which comprised of 99.3% of the population (Figure 6-5). However, it was noted that towards the border of Uganda and Kenya, there was mixture of tribes and this was attributed to trade which is a characteristic of most border towns in the country. It should however, be noted, even at the border town and across the border, the main language used is still Lumasaba and not Kiswahili like many other border towns across the country. Other tribes included Baganda, Iteso, Bagwere and Basoga.

Figure 5.5: Ethnic Groups in the Project Area:

The results indicate that the community along the road is homogenous with similar cultural values and norms. However, the minority of the tribes should be 82

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taken into consideration by the project planners when making decisions regarding the community.

5.3.3 Migration Patterns

From consultations with the local authorities in the two districts, it was revealed that there is minimal migration into and out of the districts. The majority of the population belongs to the Lumasaba tribe. However, the few tribes that have settled in the area that is, Banyole, Bateso, Basoga, Bagwere and Baganda are as a result of the prevailing peace, presence of volcanic fertile soils, reliability and plenty of rainfall and trade. Rural urban migration is also minimal as the majority (over 90%) of the population in both districts lives in rural areas. The trend is the same along the project road.

5.3.4 Religious Affiliations

The majority of the population in the two districts belongs to the Anglican religion, followed by Catholic and Moslem religions respectively. Other religions in the area include Seventh Day Adventism, Born Again and some of the people do not belong to any religious group. These religions were also reported to be present along the project.

Similarly, the results from the socio economic survey indicated that the (89.6%) of households along the project road belong to the Protestant faith, followed by Catholics (18.8%), Muslims (3.5%), Seventh Day Adventists (2.1%), traditional beliefs (0.3%) and other religions (4.5%) like Born Again and atheism (no belief). Figure 5-6 below shows the religious distribution in the project area. During project implantation

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Figure 5.6: Religious Beliefs along the Project Road

5.3.5 Marital Status

The results from the socio economic survey indicate that the majority of the households (71.5%) along the road the two districts are married with one spouse and 13.9% are married with more than wife, 5.6% are widowed, 5.6% are single and 3.5% are either divorced or separated. The above results imply that the marriage institution is still highly respected in the area and should therefore be safeguarded through sensitization of workers against engaging in sexual relationships with married women.

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Figure 5.7: Marital Status of the Population along the road

Upon further analysis, it was revealed of the female headed households 92.6% were unmarried that is, 51.9% were widowed, 22.2% were single, 18.5% were separated or divorced and only 7.4% were married. The implication is that there are vulnerable groups of people in the project area whose views and ideas should be considered when making major decisions concerning the community. In addition, the nature of the above population also implies that it is highly vulnerable to behavioural change especially in sexual behaviour. Continuous sensitizations as regards behavioural change and risky sexual behaviour should be emphasized especially during the construction phase.

5.3.6 Education

The literacy rate of the population aged 10 years and above in Mbale District was 67% respectively which is slightly lower than the national rate of 68%. (2002 Population and Housing Census, Mbale District Report).

According to the results from the socio economic survey of households in the project area the majority of the households (62.8%) did not exceed primary level, 7.3% did not attain any education, 27.5% went up to secondary level, 8% attained tertiary or vocational education and 1.7% attained other levels of education like university. Upon further scrutiny, the results reveal that women in the project area also did not go far in education with the majority (81%) having attained primary level of 85

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education, 7% did not attain any education and only 11% reached secondary level. It was also revealed that 17.5% of households in the project area could neither read nor write and out of these 26% were women. The Table 5-4 shows the levels of education among household heads in the project area.

Table 5-4: Level of Education by Gender

Gender of Household Head Level of Total Total % Education Male Male Female Female Percentage Percentage None 19 7.3 2 7 21 7.3 Lower primary 34 13.0 10 37 44 15.3 (P1-P4) Upper Primary 104 39.8 12 44 116 40.3 (P5-P7) O-Level 63 24.1 2 7 65 22.6 A-Level 13 5.0 1 4 14 4.9 Tertiary 23 8.8 - - 23 8.0 Others 5 1.9 - - 5 1.7 Total 261 100 27 100 288 100

The above results indicate that the general literacy levels within the project area are very low. Out of the households interviewed 10.3% admitted that they had household members who were of school ageing age but did not go to school. 84.8% of these said that the children had never enrolled in school and 15.2% said that they had enrolled but later dropped out of school. Some of the reasons given for the above scenarios included lack of money to pay school fees and to buy scholastic materials, lack of interest from the child and sickness among others. The methods of information dissemination should therefore be pedagogical in nature and should use more of illustrations and verbal approaches than written text.

As regards distance, the majority of the households (56.9%) travel a distance of 500m – 1km to the nearest primary school, 26.9% travel more than 1km to reach the nearest primary school while only 16.2% travel less than 500m to the nearest primary school. The results further revealed that the majority (48.4%) travelled a distance of more than 1km to the nearest secondary school, 41.6% travelled between 500m – 1km while 10% travelled a distance of less than 500m to the nearest secondary school. The results therefore partly explain why there are low secondary levels of education in the project area.

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Figure 5.8: Distance to the nearest Primary and Secondary Schools

However, it was revealed that some of the household members within the project area (14.5%) had acquired some vocational skills like carpentry, bricklaying, masonry, catering, driving, engineering and mechanics repair among others.

Much as the communities did not go high in formal education, it was established that at least of them obtained some vocational skills. From the interviews, 21.7% of the households said that at least one of their household members had received training in vocational skills like, metal fabrication, construction, Traditional Birth Attendance, engineering and record keeping among others.

The implication of the population’s educational levels to the project is that there is limited highly skilled population in the area and therefore the majority can work mainly as casual labourers. However, the few who have skills should be given the opportunity to compete for the jobs that require skills.

5.3.7 Vulnerable groups

According to the 2002 Population and Housing Census Analytical Report on Gender and Special Interest Groups, there are over 15.3% orphans, 8.1% child mothers, 3.9% idle youths and 12.7% people with disabilities in Eastern Uganda.

According to 2002 Uganda Housing and Population Census, 9% of the Children in Mbale District were orphans and vulnerable. In Manafwa district 10,742 children were reported to be orphans (Manafwa District Five Year Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Strategic Plan Report – 2007-2012). The high number of orphans and vulnerable children was attributed to HIV/AIDS, poverty, 87

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conflicts (especially cattle rustling), natural disasters (particularly floods and landslides) and harmful cultural festivities (like circumcision) among others.

From consultations with different stakeholders in the project area, it was revealed that vulnerable groups along the road include female headed households, orphans, the elderly and people with disabilities among others.

The results from the socio economic survey indicated that in the project area there were 9.4% of the households that were headed by females, 15.6% were headed by the elderly that is, 65 years and above and 11.7% of the households reported to have a disabled person in their households.

The vulnerable groups face a number of problems which include; heavy workload on women, low level of participation in decision making, lack of ownership of resources, high levels of girl child school dropouts, early marriages for girls, abuse and neglect of orphans, discrimination against and marginalization of people with disabilities, low incomes and thus high levels of poverty, high levels of illiteracy among others.

5.3.8 Land Use and Tenure

Land Tenure Much of the land in Mbale and Manafwa districts is under customary land tenure system. According to the District Environmental Profile Mbale District (1999), about 90% of the land holdings in the district are under customary tenure while the remaining 10% is under leasehold and freehold tenure systems. Customary land tenure system is a system of land tenure under which the right over land is regulated by local customs. Typically, the land is held in trust of a clan and members of that clan may occupy portions of it on family lineage and inheritance basis. Freehold is most common in urban centres while leasehold is most common in Mbale Municipality.

Along the project road, it was reported that customary land tenure was the most common in the area. From consultations with the district authorities of the two districts, it was reported that there were many land conflicts in the area. It was further revealed that over 90% of the cases reported at the authorities were of land conflicts. The high number of conflicts was attributed to the fact that land was becoming scarce in the area due to the increasing population.

The results from the socio economic survey revealed that 96.5% of the households along the project road own land and only 3.5% do not own land. Of the female headed households, the results indicate 80% do not own land and 20% do own land. The implication is that there are vulnerable groups in the

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project area who would need to be taken into consideration when making decisions especially during the Resettlement Action Plan.

Land Use Along the project road, the land is comprised of farmlands, residential settlements, commercial structures, trees, swamps and rivers. Land is also used for civic centres like hospitals, schools and local government offices. The trading centres through which the road traverses are more of rural without electricity supply therefore industrial activities are at the minimum. In terms of farm use along the road, main crops cultivated include bananas, sweet potatoes maize, cassava, yams, millet and green vegetables among others.

The results from the socioeconomic survey indicated that the average land size owned in the project area was 1.5 acres with the lowest being 0.25 acres and the highest 15 acres. The majority of the households (48.2%) owned less than 1 acre, 36.8% owned 1-2 acres, 10% owned 2-4 acres and only 5% owned 5 or more acres. The results indicate that there is scarcity of land in the area and therefore land is considered as a very important asset by the people. The project planners should therefore put this into consideration when making decisions regarding land.

5.3.9 Housing and Settlement Patterns

The results from the 2002 Population and Housing Census reveal that majority of the households (89.2%) in Mbale and Manafwa Districts were located in rural areas as compared to their counterparts in urban areas (10.8%). The results further revealed that the majority (84.6%) of the people in Mbale and Manafwa Districts were staying in temporary houses and only a few (9.7%) were living in permanent structures while 5.7% were staying in semi permanent structures.

Along the project road, settlements are linear especially in trading centres. Most of the structures are either residential or commercial buildings(Figure 5.9) and these include; shops, eating places, bars, mills among others. In rural areas, settlements are scattered from each other hence making the provision of social services to these households difficult. It was noted that in some trading centres, structures were built in the road reserve (Figure 6-9 on the left hand side). A case to note is Mayenze and Manafwa trading centres whose structures were constructed in the road reserve. The majority of the households (66.3%) owned semi permanent structures, 10.1% owned temporary houses while 23.6% owned permanent structures. Permanent structures were mainly observed in a few trading centres like Manafwa trading centres. 97% of the households owned the structures while 3% were renting.

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Figure 5.9: Housing in the Project area at Mayenze and Residential Structures in Namikyelo village

5.3.10 Infrastructure

Health

Health Infrastructure The two districts of Mbale and Manafwa have quite a number of health facilities which are owned by the government and Non-Government Organisations as indicated in the Table below.

Table 5-5: Health Facilities by District

District Referral Hospital HC IV HC III HC II Hospital Public NGO Public NGO Public NGO Public NGO Total Mbale 1 1 2 16 17 37 Manafwa 1 1 12 1 3 5 23 Source: Manafwa District Health Plan 2010-2011; Mbale District State of Environment Draft Report 2008

Along the project road about 7 health facilities were cited and these included Bugobero Health Centre IV, Bubulo-Walanga CDU Health Centre and Butiru Health Centre III (figure 6-9). Most of the Health Centres’ buildings were in good condition.

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Figure 5.10: Butiru Health Centre located along the road

According to the socio economic interviews, the households along the project road go to Bugobero HC IV, Bubutu HC III, Bubulo HC III, Busiu HC III, Bushikori HC, Nesasa Health centre III for treatment. Other health units include, Lwangoli Health Centre II, Walanga Health Centre, Wangusi Health Centre, Sira Health Centre among others while some households said they went to private clinics for treatment.

The referral hospitals mainly used by the households along the project road include Mbale Hospital and Tororo Hospital.

Health Service Delivery According to Manafwa Health District Plan 2010-2011, the staffing levels of the health facilities in the district are at only 50% with only 2 Medical Doctors in the district thus indicating inadequate health personnel for the numerous patients that seek health services.

In Mbale District, staffing stands at 65% and this was partly attributed to non response of candidates to advertised posts. From consultations with the health facilities personnel, it was revealed that like most government health facilities in Uganda, the health facilities in Manafwa and Mbale were characterized by inadequate personnel, inadequate drugs, inadequate equipment, lack of accommodation for health staff among others thus poor services to the people.

Services offered by the health units within the project area include Outpatient Departments, Inpatient Departments, Antenatal and Maternity, Laboratory, Dental, HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing, Minor Surgery, Immunization among others. Theatre services are offered by Mbale and Tororo Hospitals.

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As regards distance, the results from the socio economic survey indicate that 31.7% of the households travel a distance of 500-1km to reach the nearest health centre, 29.6% travel 1-3kms, 25.1% travel 3-5kms, 5.6% travel 6kms or more in search of health services while only 8% travel a distance of less than 500m. It was further revealed that 94% of the households travel a distance of 6kms or more to the nearest referral hospital.

From interviews with the health facilities in the project area, it was revealed that on average each Health Centre was meant to serve 1 Sub County. However, practically, this was not the case as patients came from different Sub Counties in search of health services.

On average each health unit within the project area has 16 staff members with the lowest having 8 members and the highest having 24 staff members. On average the health facilities handled 10,129 patients 2009 implying that the average number of patients received per month was about 844.

The majority of the health facilities (60%) interviewed said that the staffing levels were inadequate, 20% said that they were adequate and 20% said that they average. As regards facilities like drugs, equipment and structures, 60% of the health facilities interviewed said that they were inadequate and 40% said that they were average. The inadequacy of the facilities was attributed lack of electricity, lack of new modern equipment, insufficient supply of drugs, and lack of safe and clean water for the health units among others.

The above results imply that the health facilities and services in the project area are not sufficient to handle additional patients most especially in the construction phase. The project should therefore properly plan for provision of health services to its workers so as not to increase pressure on the existing health services.

Diseases According to the District Health and Management Information System Reports of the Mbale and Manafwa Districts, the most common diseases in the area are malaria, respiratory conditions (flu, cough, and pneumonia), diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, sexually transmitted diseases like Syphilis, Gonorrhoea and HIV/AIDS, skin infections, worm infestations, trauma, measles, anaemia and eye infections. The HMIS Report of Manafwa District revealed that in 2008/2009, 1,062 cases of dysentery and 13 cases of cases of cholera were diagnosed and treated in the outpatients department. It further revealed that 347 cases of dysentery and 109 cases of cholera were admitted in the various health facilities of Manafwa District.

As regards the project area, the results from the interviews indicate that malaria is most prevalent disease (26.2%) followed by cough (22%), water related diseases like diarrhoea, bilharzia (13.7%), intestinal infections (9.7%), skin diseases (7.6%),

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ulcers (6.6%), respiratory infections (5.5%), STDs that is, syphilis, gonorrhoea and HIV/AIDS (4.8%), burns (1.9%) and other diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, joint pains dental infections among others account for 1.9%.

In addition, through consultations with the local authorities it was revealed that cholera and dysentery diseases usually broke out at the onset of rains especially in Manafwa District. The outbreaks of the diseases were mainly attributed at the poor levels of sanitation in the area.

Figure 5.11: Common diseases in the project area

HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS still presents a serious threat to socio economic development of the two districts. According to the Mbale District HIV/AIDS Status Report (2008/2009), the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the district is 7.2% which is much higher than the national prevalence of 6.4%. In Bushiende and Bunghoko Sub Counties, the prevalence rate of the disease was reported to be 11.4% and 10.7% respectively. HIV/AIDS infections in Mbale community are greatly attributed to heterosexual contact with infected persons and mother to child transmission and a smaller percentage through other means. According to Mbale District Health Management and Information Systems Annual Report (2008- 2009), 991 new cases of HIV/AIDS were reported in the district in that period.

In Manafwa District, the District Community Development Officer of the district revealed that the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Manafwa was 6.4% which is comparable to the national rate. Similarly, in Manafwa District, the main cause of HIV/AIDS is through sexual relations and contact with the infected person. In both districts, the prevalence of the disease was reported to be more in married couples and people in long term relationships.

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As regards HIV/AIDS services and awareness in the two districts, it was revealed that several organizations like TASO, Aids Information Centre, Uganda Women Concern Ministry, Bushikori Children’s Foundation, Childfund, Red cross, JCRC, World Vision among others provided services like HIV/AIDS counseling and testing, distribution of condoms, ARVs distribution, basic HIV/AIDS education through provision of HIV/AIDS pamphlets among others.

During the construction stage, there is usually an influx of people in the area due to the employment opportunities offered by the project. A major road construction project site can have far reaching impacts on the surrounding communities resulting from increased trade, migrant labour and mobility of populations, which all lead to the rise of HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. It is also likely that due to improved incomes, there will be a higher probability of engaging in risky sexual behaviours by the workers with the communities. Further still, the construction activities might lead to creation of stagnant water thereby providing breeding places for mosquitoes which in turn will lead to increased malaria cases in the area. The project should therefore put control measures in place to guard against the increase of the diseases in the area.

Disability According to the results from the socio economic interviews with households along the project road, 11.7% reported to have at least a disabled person in their household. The main causes of disability among members of the households included accidents, acute malaria, polio and birth defects. The common types of disability include physical lameness, dumbness and deafness. When making major decisions regarding the community, the project should also put into consideration the disabled so that they do not feel discriminated. The results imply that among the road users, there will be people with disabilities who are also intended beneficiaries of the road. The project should therefore put in place provisions for crossings especially in busy places for such people. In general, the population in the project area is highly vulnerable.

5.3.11 Education

Educational Infrastructure and service delivery In terms of educational facilities, Mbale district is said to have the highest number of institutions in the region. Among the institutions the district boasts of are universities such as Uganda Christian University- Mbale branch (UCU), Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Mbale Nursing Institute among others. The district also boasts of a number of primary and secondary schools both private and government.

According to a report on The School Quality Improvement Program in Mbale District (2008), Mbale district Local Government has a total enrolment of 72,797

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pupils of which 35,650 are boys and 34,147 girls. Manafwa district enrolment is estimated at 115,738 both in primary (108,300) and secondary (7,438) school. Both districts are faced with a problem of low completion rates which is attributed to the following factors; poor school management and administration, high ratio of pupil to instructional materials, low school attendance rates, high dropout rates and class repetition, poor hygiene and sanitation, low completion rates (58%) especially for the girls and disabled, low parental support/involvement in education often emanating from parental illiteracy, negative cultural practices including gender discrimination of girl children, early marriages, circumcision, high pupil to school facilities and infrastructure ratio among others.

Along the project road, there were about 8 educational institutions that were observed to be near the road and these include Zion Primary School, Mulatsi Primary School among others. The schools had both permanent and semi- permanent buildings.

From the interviews with the institutions, it was revealed that the average number of teachers in the institutions is 14 with the lowest having 11 and the highest 17 teachers. The average number of pupils in an institution is 870 pupils with the lowest having 700 pupils and the highest having 1,045 students.

As regards staffing, 50% of the institutions said that they did not have adequate staff to cater for the large number of students and 50% said that the staffing levels were average. Some of the reasons given for inadequacy of staff included lack of staff houses, lack of electricity among others. This clearly indicates that the children within the project area do not get the best education and can therefore not compete favourably with urban schools. In general therefore the status of education is poor and therefore an issue in the community, thus of high value.

5.3.12 Water Supply

The Uganda National Water and Environment Sector Performance Report (2009) reveals that safe and clean water coverage in Mbale and Manafwa by the year 2009 stood at 57% for each district and the functionality rate was 94% in Mbale and 89% in Manafwa District. The safe water coverage is much lower than the national coverage of 64%.

In the two districts, the safe water supply technologies include Gravity Flow Schemes, protected spring wells, boreholes and shallow wells predominantly in the rural areas while the municipality and some areas have pipe lines and are supplied by piped water from NWSC.

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The results from the socio economic interviews of the households along the road show that the majority of the respondents (51.9%) use boreholes as their main source water, 38.7% protected springs/wells, 4.5% rainwater harvesting, 3.1% stand posts or gravity flow schemes, 0.7% unprotected springs, 0.7% river, lake stream or swamp and 0.3% from valley tanks/dams. The figure below shows the different sources of water used by households in the project area.

Figure 5.12: Main sources of water supply in the project area

A few water sources were cited along the road and these included about 8 boreholes at Bunangabo, Butema village among others (figure 6-13). In addition, gravity flow scheme pipes were reported to be crossing the road in Lwakhakha Town Council and Nabumali Trading Centre. See table 6-7 showing water sources and associated wetlands.

Figure 5.13: Borehole along the road at Bunangabo

The main uses of water include domestic uses like drinking, cooking, bathing and washing. Other uses of water include brick making, watering animals, fish farming, agricultural use/irrigation and brewing. On average 5 (five) and 3 (three)

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20-litre jerry cans are used every day by households for domestic use and other uses respectively.

In terms of water quality, the households perceive their water sources to be good in terms of taste, smell, colour and hardness. The project should therefore ensure that levels of water contamination from the project activities are minimized.

Sanitation From consultations with the local authorities, it was revealed that the latrine coverage in Manafwa District was far much lower than that of Mbale District and this was also seen as a contributing to the cholera outbreaks in Manafwa Districts in the rainy seasons.

Most of the households interviewed along the road said that they had toilets and the most common type of toilet possessed by the households is pit latrines. Other types of latrines include shallow pits.

As regards waste disposal the majority of the households said that they burn, scatter in gardens and others use it as composite manure.

5.3.13 Electricity

Mbale and Manafwa districts are connected to the national grid from the Owen Falls Dam in Jinja. Most of the areas within and outside Mbale town are connected to the power grid. Manafwa district as well is connected to the grid from Mbale. However, along the project area electricity supply was lacking in most of the villages of Manafwa district such as Bugobero, Butiru, Bubutu and Lwakhakha town council among others.

The socio economic results indicate that the majority of the households along the project use firewood, charcoal and paraffin for their lighting and cooking energy needs. A very small section of the households use electricity or gas for their energy needs.

It was also noticed that there were electric poles and transformers close to the road reserve in some sections of the road as indicated in the figure below.

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Transformer in Bunghokho Sub County. Electricity Lines in Nabumali Trading Centre

Figure 5.14: Electricity Infrastructure located close to the road

5.3.14 Fuel Stations Along the Mbale-Bubulo-Lwakhakha road, there was one fuel station cited to be very near the road and might be affected by the proposed 30m width of the road and the road reserve. This fuel station is located in Bubulo Town Council.

5.3.15 Transport and Communication The current state of the road can be described as poor with several potholes and poor drainage systems. In addition, it is slippery and muddy especially in the rainy seasons coupled with streams crossing some sections making it impassable. As result of the poor state of the road, several problems are faced by the users which include passengers spending a lot of time on the road before reaching their destination, frequent breakdowns of vehicles, high maintenance of vehicles, accidents among others

The major means of transport in the area are commuter taxis, Boda boda cyclists, bicycles, trucks carrying sand and aggregates, trailers carrying goods to and from the Kenyan border, salon cars and walking. During the District consultations, it was emphasized by the district officials that due to the numerous fuel tanks heading to Northern Uganda and Sudan, the road was currently characterized by heavy traffic.

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Commuter taxi on its way to Mbale Telecom Masts at Lwakhakha Township

Figure 5.15: Communication means in the project area

The communication network within the project area is fairly good. MT.N, Zain, Warid, Orange and UTL and Safaricom across Kenya boosters have been erected. However, in some sections of the road towards Lwakhakha Town Council, Warid Telecom Network is not clear and sometimes cannot be accessed. A number of radio stations and TV channels exist such as Open, UBC TV, UBC Radio, WBS, and NTV Another means of information accessibility by the people in the area is through word of mouth from other community members or local leaders especially the LC I Chairpersons of the different villages. Internet can mainly be accessed through Mbale town. It was also noted that telecomunications infrastructure is not close to the road.

Results from the socio economic surveys indicate that 54.6% of the households in the project area said that they owned a telephone and 45.4% did not. When asked about the different ways in which they accessed information, 20% of the households said that they accessed it through a neighbour, 19.3% through radio, 19% at places of worship, 17.3% at community meetings, 11.4% through telephones, 7.4% through newspapers, 3.2% through television and other ways like the internet (0.2%). The project should therefore utilise the means of information accessibility mostly used by the community for proper and effective information dissemination.

5.3.16 Employment

The 2002 Population and Housing Census results show that only 10% of the population aged between 15-49 years in Mbale and Manafwa districts were paid employees. The report further revealed that 40% of the economically active population was working as unpaid family workers.

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Along the project area, the main employment opportunities are limited farming. According to the results from the socio economic survey, 12.5% of the households were salaried workers. Paid employment in the two districts is mainly at the various local government offices, schools, health facilities and in Non- Governmental Organizations. In addition, Mt. Elgon National Park has potential to provide employment opportunities as tourism develops.

During community consultations, the road project was looked at as a source of employment for the community especially during the construction phase. However, based on the low educational levels of the majority of people in the area, most of them can only be employed as casual labourers. The employment opportunities are therefore regarded as of high value since they are not easy to come by in the area.

5.3.17 Economic Activities

Agriculture

Subsistence agriculture is the main economic activity engaging over 77% of the population in Mbale District. Likewise agriculture is the backbone of Manafwa district as 95% of the population is engaged in the activity. The fertile volcanic soils and the abundant rainfall ensure ample yields of both cash and food crops. The major food crops grown include maize, rice, bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes and beans. Cash crops include; coffee, cotton and sugarcanes. However, with interventions of the NAADS program, there is a shift toward commercialized agricultural production of high value crops of carrots, Irish potatoes, horticultural crops in hilly area, rice, maize and groundnuts in low land areas with other horticultural crops. Farming is carried out mostly on small family holdings using family labour as common input. Agricultural production is mainly subsistence oriented with minimal levels of monetisation.

The socio economic results indicate that 68.1% of the households were engaged in farming and the above mentioned crops were grown in the project area. Out of these 50.1% were engaged in crop farming.

Livestock farming in both districts is at small scale due to mountaineous nature of the area and also due to inadequate land available. The results from the socio economic survey indicate that of those households engaged in farming, 32.2% were engaged in animal husbandry.Types of animals reared include cattle, goats, sheep and chicken From consultations with the Mbale District Chief Administrative Officer, it was revealed that at least each household had one animal. It was observed that most of the animals reared were tethered as most areas are cultivated .

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NAADS gives piglets to beneficiaries at Maize garden along the road (6th May 2010) Bunangabo (6th May 2010) Figure 5.16: Example of tethered animals and crops along the road in the project area

As regards crop production, table 5-5 summarises the average crop production per season and average income for the different crops as reported by the population along the project area under study.

Table 5-6: Average crop production

Type of crop Average Quantity Percentage of Annual Income Produced per population obtained per season crop Coffee 130 bags 25.0 401,314 Sugarcane 143 stems 1.0 147,500 Maize 504 kgs 51.4 261,868 Millet 5292 kgs 5.2 122,000 Beans 474 52.4 279,631 Ground Nuts 180 kgs 3.5 385,000 Bananas 63 bunches 13.5 178,241 Cassava 99 sacks 9.4 146,316 Sweet Potatoes 31 sacks 4.9 204,333 Tomatoes 53 kgs 2.1 658,750 Onions 25 sacks 2.8 910,000 Rice 261 kgs 3.1 347,222

As regards marketing of agricultural products, the majority of the households (45.1%) sell their produce at the local trading centre, 21.4% sell through local produce buyers (middlemen), 21.4% sell from their farm gates, 3.9% take their

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proeuce to far towns, 1.5% sell at village markets and 0.5% sell at border markets.

According to the results, 48.6% travel a distance of less than 500m to reach the main marketing point, 33.3% travel 500-1km and 18.1% travel more than 1km to reach their main marketing point.

Several challenges faced during marketing of produce were highlighted and these include poor roads, cheating by the middle men and other buyers, fake and faulty weighing scales, high transport costs, lack of enough buyers, poor storage facilities and fluctuations of prices among others.

Trading Small scale industries and businesses are a common activity for the people living in the trading centres. The socio economic results showed that 6.6% of the households along the road were engaged in trade. Trade and businesess include retail shops, carpentry, maize mills, restaurants, sale of fish, sale of agriculture produce like vegetables, tomatoes, bananas among others. Some of the products are sold from roadside markets along the road. The markets have specific days in both districts and these include Nabumali market which is a daily market, Lukhonge-Shikoye which is on every Thursday among others.

Brickmaking making, stone quarrying and sand harvesting are common economic activities in Manafwa district.

Bodaboda riding was a common activity in both districts especially in trading centres. Bodaboda stages were mainly noticed under big trees in trading centres.

Roadside fish selling at Lwakhakha Town Council Boda bodas operating at Bugobero Health Centre (6th May 2010) Figure 5.17: Petty trade along the road

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5.3.18 Source of income and expenditure

The results from the socio-economic baseline survey indicated that the main source of income for most of the households (68.1%) is farming, civil service 12.5% trading 6.6%, service provision 6.6% (restaurants/hotels, salons, driving, boda boda riding) (10.3%), casual labor (3.8%) (table 5-7). Other sources of income include, remittances from relatives, carpentry and brickmaking. The main type of farming practiced by most farmers is crop farming which is practiced by 50.1% of the households. Other types of farming include animal husbandry (32.2%), mixed farming (2%) and tree planting (14.9%).

Table 5-7: Occupation by Gender Sex of household head

Male Female Total Total Male Percent Female Percent Number Percent Farmer 177 68 19 70 196 68.1 Civil servant 35 13 1 4 36 12.5 Trader 17 7 2 7 19 6.6 Service provision 16 6 3 11 19 6.6 Casual labourer 11 4 0 11 3.8 Other 5 2 2 7 7 2.4

Total 261 100 27 100 288 100.0

According to the household survey, the average monthly income for households in the project area is UGX 203,844 while the average annual income is UGX 2,343,662. This implies that each household member survives on less than a dollar a day which is quite small to fulfill the basic necessities of life. The results indicate that the population is vulnerable because of the high level of poverty.The project should consider the community members for employment opportunties especially during the construction and operation phases so as to improve on their levels of income.

As regards expenditure, 39.2% said that school fees was the item that took up most of their income, 25.7% said medical bills, 22.2% said food, 5.6% clothing, 2.8% transport and others said rent and energy.

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Assets owned

As regards assets owned by the population along the road, the most common assets owned include land, houses, bicycles, radio and livestock. Very few people reported ownership of cars, motorcyles and television sets.

5.3.19 Food security

The results from the socioeconomic survey reveal that proteins were the most consumed types of food, followed by carbohydrates and vitamins. Posho, matooke and cassava were the most common carbohydrates consumed by households in the project area while beans and groundnuts were the most consumed proteins. Greens were the most common vitamins consumed by households within the project area.

In regard to food availability, the findings showed that 33.3% of the households either did not have supper or lunch or did not eat to satisfaction in the last 12 months because of lack of food. When asked further, 36.2% reported that they always did not have enough food throughout the year while 63.8% reported to always have enough food. Several factors were reported as having contributed to the insufficiency of food and these included not having enough land for 34.2% of the households, poor yields for 26.2% of the households, did not plant enough (15%) sick people at home (13.8%), poor seed used in planting for 9.2%, and sold most of the produce (1.5%).

The above results portray a highly subsistence way of living which makes life so dependent on land and natural forces with poor or limited planning for the future. The project planners should therefore ensure that, there is limited damage to food crops as the population solely relies on subsistence agriculture for survival.

5.3.20 Source of Energy and Fuel

The major source of fuel for cooking is firewood and paraffin for lighting especially in rural areas and electricity or gas for cooking and lighting in big towns like Mbale town. A big part of Manafwa district has no access to electricity supply.

5.3.21 Cultural Property

From community consultations, it was revealed that the significant sites along the road that might be affected by the project were graves. The actual number of graves to be affected will be established at Resettlemnet Action Plan stage. It was also revealed that there were several cultural sites for the ritual circumcision ceremonies which took place every even year. Such sites are found in

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Byakhitongo, Sekhendu and Bushiende villages among others. Most of these are located about 150m away from the road. In addition to the above, several places of worship like churches and mosques were cited along the road.

5.3.22 Tourism Potential

Mt. Elgon is the major tourist attraction for the two districts. According to Mbale District State of Environment Draft Report (2008), the site received 2659 visitors in 2007. The site has potential to contribute substantially to the local economy of the two districts. In addition, the major cultural sites are the Mutoto Cultural Site where ‘Imbalu’ is done and art crafts are collected is also a major tourist attraction for the area.

5.3.23 Planned Development

There were no reported planned development activities along the road.

5.3.24 Security

The Security in the project area was reported to be stable. According to the different stakeholders consulted there has not been any insurgency or threats to security in the area for a long time. Locally, the police, the Sub County and the LC systems are in control. Several police posts were cited along the road. Other organs in place are the District Internal Security Offices (DISO) which works hand in hand with the Gombolola (Sub County) Internal Security Offices (GISO) in matters of security intelligence. To the project, cooperation with the security organs in place would be paramount to the security of the project’s resources and the area in general.

5.3.25 Gender

Land and Property Ownership

Like in many other rural parts of the country, men in Mbale and Manafwa districts are the major owners of land and main decision makers as regards land. From consultations with local authorities it was revealed that land belongs to the family and the man as the head of the household has a right to make all decisions. Apart from women who buy their own land, women do not inherit land and have little over say. However, it was revealed that crops on any given land belong to both men and women although men still have the upper hand over them. The trend is the same along the project road.

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Gainful Employment

The 2002 Uganda Population and Housing Census Analytical Report revealed that nationally, the majority (66%) of the working women aged 14-64 years were unpaid family workers and only 10% of the working women were paid employees

The above trend was characteristic of the communities along the project road as very few women are engaged in gainful employment. The few who are engaged in gainful employed at the local government offices, schools and hospitals but at lower positions as compared to their male counterparts. Very few others are found in trading centres and road side markets. This trend was attributed to low levels of education of the women as compared to that of the men.

Division of Labour As regards division of labour or gender roles, the women in Manafwa and Mbale districts are engaged in activities such as farming, domestic chores like cooking, looking after the children, fetching water, washing clothes and collecting firewood among others. On the other hand men are involved in farming, trading, brick making, and sand mining among others.

5.3.26 Donor/Government Development Programmes

There are several Donors, Non-Government Organizations, Community Based Organizations and Civil Society Organizations that have established programs in the two districts of the project. These organizations have programs that target different interest groups like women, youths, people with disabilities, people living positively with HIV/AIDS, children, farmers among others. Such organizations include; AIDS Information Centre, Uganda Women Concern Ministry, Childfund, Uganda Red Cross, Bushikori Children’s Foundation, Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) and National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) among others.

Table 5-8: Location of wetlands and water sources on Bumbobi –Lwakhakha Road.

Name of Source Location Remarks Nabumali, Nakhupa, 2 boreholes in Bugobero. 1 7 Boreholes Bugobero, Butiru, Bubutu, each in Nabumali, Nakhupa, Lukii. Butiru, Bubutu, Lukii

Protected wells They are few within the road reserve 10 Streams:- Nyondo, Busoba, 1 each in Nyondo, Bushiende, 106

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Name of Source Location Remarks Kyesemulila, Makhuba, Bushiende, Manafwa, Busoba, Manafwa, Sisuni. 2 in Shikoye, Mayenze, Bubutu, Khabutola, Sisuni, Bumwoni & 3 in Bubutu Namweke, Bubutu, Bumwoni Nabunulu, Sibanga, Namikhoma, Sitiba

5 Rivers:- Manafwa, Manafwa, Khabutola, 1 each in Manafwa, Kufu, Nekina, Sisuni/Butiru, Bubutu Sisuni/Butiru, Bubutu & 2 in Khamitsaru, Namunyiri Khabutola

5 Swamps:-Makhuba, Nyondo, Bushiende, The Swamps have been Shikoye, Kufu, Manafwa, Sisuni, Bumwoni reclaimed for farming and Wapondo, Namweke, settlement. Namikhoma

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6.0 EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES

6.1 Positive Impacts of the Action

6.1.1 Preparation Phase/Planning

No positive impacts have been identified in this phase.

6.1.2. Site Preparation and Construction Stage

6.1.2.1 Employment opportunities and Source of Income

During construction, employment opportunities are anticipated to be available to the local communities that is, for both men and women. Based on the low educational levels of the communities along the road it is likely that they will provide mainly unskilled labour especially the men and the women will benefit through food vending and working as cleaners at the workers camps. About 130 unskilled people will be engaged in this area. In addition to this, rent will be paid to land where the workers’ camps will be built while other community members will benefit by renting out houses for accommodation such as in trading centres of Bubulo, Nabumali, Bumbobi, Lwakhakha and others. Community members involved in bricklaying might also benefit through provision of bricks to the project. Furthermore, local people whose land has raw materials like Gravel, stones and sand among others stand a chance to sell the raw materials to the project. Its estimated that about 50 skilled workers will be employed by the road project. Creation of employment and sources of income will both be a direct and indirect impact to the people. Those who will be directly employed by the project will benefit directly while those who will offer services like sale of foodstuffs, renting of houses among others will benefit indirectly.

It is expected that both women and men will benefit and therefore a positive impacts on gender will be the realization. Gender roles will be disaggregated with women getting more involved in the activities of cooking food for the workers while men taking roles in activities such as cutting down logs within the road reserve and other construction related activities.

Considering the fact that there is high unemployment in the area, few jobs anticipated and that much of the employment opportunities will phase out after construction and therefore short term, the magnitude of the impact is considered to be medium positive.

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Enhancement of positive Impacts

o Sensitization of communities on the existing work opportunities in the project o Training in entrepreneurship skills o Adopt Road Sub-sector policy strategies on Gender main steaming o Affirmative action in employment to provide women with an opportunity to earn cash income. o Promote labour –based road works to employ unskilled o Advertise the jobs locally to attract skilled labour resident to the areas

6.1.2.2 Market for local Commodities

During construction there will be need for local commodities like food, road construction materials e.g. stones and their related products, sand, gravel etc. Already there are few people involved in excavating these local materials for sale to whoever is in the building industry. The project is likely to create markets for some of these products as well as food produce hence improving the income level of the individuals involved during construction. However, this positive impact will cease (short term) when construction ends. Thus it is regarded as medium positive

6.1.3 Operation and Maintenance/ Post construction stage

6.1.3.1 Improved Trade and business

After construction, the condition of the road will improve and transportation of commodities to and from the project area will be easier. For instance, farming communities will be easily accessed to evacuate farm produce (maize, bananas, cassava, beans, coffee, cotton and sugarcanes among others) will easily and quickly be transported to different destinations. More traders will prefer to buy directly from farmers compared to markets at trading centres hence creating "a pull effect" that will encourage farmers in the hinterland sub counties to produce more for the market.

In addition, transportation will be eased for prospective visitors and tourists who would wish to see Mt. Elgon which is a major a tourist attraction in the area. It is also envisaged that more vehicle owners will be willing to have them operate on improved road surface which will result in attracting more vehicles on the road thus leading to low transport costs savings on general fuel consumption and reduction in travel time. Given the current state of this road, it is expected that the project impact will be medium positive as the improved road will facilitate inter and intra community communication and transport with better and wider 109

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regional connection and development. As a result of Improvement of infrastructure; it is anticipated that the following will accrue.  Boosting tourism potential in the Mt. Elgon region by providing faster Tourists connections within the region and even access tourist potential sites inside the project areas  Ensuring that regular and cheaper transportation facilities from Mbale and Manafwa towns to the Mountain areas of the two districts (Manafwa and Mbale). This will lead to continuous flow of products and commodities to Mbale town and beyond opening up communities to access markets.  Improved accessibility to facilities and services such as markets, health centres, schools, places of worship amongst others.  Increased economic opportunities and significant growth of the local markets along the road. The current existing road markets may be expanded and more trading centres emerge and making more farmers interested in increasing agricultural production due to market accessibility.  Lwakhakha border will also enjoy the boom in trade as other border Towns in Uganda.  Better and wider regional connection and development in the Great Lakes region i.e. better and easier connection to the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi areas.

Given the current state of this road, it is expected that the project impact will be high positive as the improved road will facilitate inter and intra community communication and transport.

Enhancement of positive impacts  Periodic and routine maintenance of the road should be properly streamlined.

6.1.3.2 Retention of qualified personnel and reduction in labour turnover

The baseline information indicated that service delivery of most health centres and schools was poor partly due to lack of enough qualified staff and this was attributed to the remoteness of the areas. Upgrading of the road to bituminous standards will make the remote areas easily accessible, open to development and will lead to retention of qualified personnel and a reduction in labour turnover. The improved road will also lead to a reduction in absenteeism of the personnel of health centres and schools and children in the education sector. All this will lead to improvement in delivery of health, education and other social services. This is a medium positive impact as it is not the only issue causing non retention.

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6.1.3.3 Prevention of Soil Erosion and Beautification The improvement of the hydrology and storm water drainage structures and the planting of trees will help in the control of soil erosion, thus protecting water resources/ improving water quality (most surface water sources in the project area are loaded with suspended solids). Secondary there will be improved road drainage infrastructure and general discharge of storm water from the road/carriageway. This channels storm water hence reducing flooding in some places .Through this, the road will be sustained. The planted trees in addition to marking the road reserve and stabilizing road sides the road will help in improving aesthetics as well. This impact is evaluated as Medium Positive as it is expected that one line of trees at about 50 m apart will be planted.

Enhancement of positive impacts  Involvement of the sub county leaders and local committees for supervision, monitoring and sustainability after the project has ended. There are road committees in most villages, and where they lacking, the local communities should be encouraged by the project to form them so as to enhance this benefit. .  Involve communities along the to plant trees in every village is recommended.  Build the capacities of the road committees to maintain drainages channels and trees planted in their area.  Draft UNRA trees planting guidelines will be utilised in enhancing tree planting

6.1.3.4 Installation of road furniture

Presently there are no sign posts except for institutions and NGOs, no road humps etc along the road. As per observation during the study , this road is narrow has so many corners and yet road users especially commuter taxes, food and building material trucks over-speed and causing accidents some times. Installation of road furniture will reduce these accidents. This impact is positive in nature, long-term, but because accidents are not only caused lack of road furniture, the magnitude of impact is medium positive

6.1.3.5 Appreciation of value of land and other property

The construction of road leads to appreciation of land values particularly near the market and existing trading centres and towns like Nabumali, Mayenze, Bubulo, Bugobero, Butiru, Bubutu, Munamba, Lwakhakha among others. The land price would increase due to the availability of reliable transportation facilities. There will be rapid increase in the constructions of commercial buildings. Areas along the road that are being used for agriculture may be turned into commercial and residential plots thus raising incomes of those who own land near the road. Commercial production of agricultural crops would increase due to road accessibility which is also a major factor to raise the land value. In addition, houses for rent along the road would also increase in value. This activity is likely to uplift the economic condition of the local people.

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Therefore, it is expected that the value of properties along these roads will appreciate and this will most likely be translated into more income for the residents of the area. The magnitude of impact of upgrading this road is evaluated to be Medium Positive as the road is not the only factor that will contribute to the appreciation of the value of the land in the area and only those areas very close to the road will appreciate.

6.1.3.6 Accessibility to Health Facilities Despite the fact that each sub-county in the project area has a health centre as per the Government of Uganda Health policy, accessibility to these facilities still remains a challenge to the communities along the project road. A bad potholed road coupled with impassability during the rainy season, has contributed to the number of deaths in the area especially for expectant mothers. In addition, the poor road has made facilitation and transportation of medical personnel and equipment very difficult during emergencies such as cholera outbreaks in the area especially in Manafwa District. With upgrading to bituminous standards, there will be quick means of transport and reduced time taken to health facilities for the communities along the project area. The impact on health is expected to be Medium positive because this road will not reach some of the health centres.

6.1.3.7 Increased Crop Productivity and Sale of Farm Products

The project is located in an agricultural area where majority of the people are engaged in subsistence agriculture and only a few in small scale commercial agriculture. The current status of the road is a deterrent for people to access far off markets. Sale of farm and livestock products will be increased in the settlements along the road corridor. The road has major areas known for the production of coffee, Bananas, maize and other assorted horticultural and vegetables. Improvement of the road will open accessibility to a wider range of markets which will in turn lead to increased production, increased trade, increased incomes and a reduction in the levels of poverty. The impact on market and production is therefore expected to be high positive.

6.1.3.8 Women Empowerment All the people will benefit from the road construction and upgrading. However, women in particular may benefit more from improved access to the market centres and various service providing agencies like health centres, banks, training institutions, community development offices etc. Frequency of visit to such agencies will increase awareness level and empower the women. This impact is Medium Positive

6.1.3.9 Other positive impacts Other positive -There will be a reduction in dust and its related diseases especially during the dry season. General cleanliness is also expected to improve as a result of the reduced dust. -Time spent in traveling along this road will be reduced which can be used to engage in other productive activities.

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6.2 Negative Impacts

6.2.1 Preconstruction Phase / Planning

During the pre-construction /planning phase, the impacts generated will be related to anxiety in regard to the involuntary displacement of people and goods located within the project area. Impacts mainly are related to land acquisition hence a precursor to land displacement.

6.2.1.1 Social expectations generated by disclosure of information to the Community.

This stage may give rise to higher social expectations in anticipation for jobs from the project considering the high rate of unemployment in the project area, fear generated in the minds of the public with regard to land acquisition and loss of structures and crops.

This is a high negative impact as it affects all the people in the community and it will continue until the project has been implemented.

Mitigation  All information regarding the project and its relationship with the local community, including aspects of hiring labour and compensation should be disseminated to the community.  There should be continuous community consultations and sensitizations throughout the project cycle so that all queries and fears are answered, reduced or eliminated from the public mind.  A road safety campaign will be implemented before the start of the project to inform residents and road users of the planned construction works, changes to traffic patterns (diversions or closure of roads or lanes) and the use of heavy construction equipment

6.2.2 Site Preparation and Construction

This is the phase with the highest number of activities that include; clearing of areas outside the existing road, establishment of camp sites, excavation and levelling of the road and its accessories. In this phase the negative impacts will be in various forms as described in the following sections.

6.2.2.1 Solid Waste Generation of (Including spoil material, Overburden and Stripped Vegetation)

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During levelling and construction of the road, camp sites and stores, vegetation will be stripped and the overburden will create the need for disposal. The widening of the road and cutting of corners in the process of road re-alignment is expected to generate huge volumes of debris. Presently, the width of the existing Bumbobi-Bubulo –Lwakhakha road is about 5-6 m and the proposed upgrade to bitumen standard will be 7.0m carriage way and 1.5m wide shoulders on both sides. This implies that 2-4 extra meters for a distance of 44.5 km will have to be excavated thus generating huge amounts of debris that will need to be disposed off. Other than soil and rock spoil, other wastes especially from the campsite will include metal scrap/ bars, waste oil, tyres, plastics, food waste, empty cement bags, human waste, paper and others. Sources of these will be the workers camp, workshop and worksite itself. The common likely problem from the inappropriate disposal of spoils is erosion which with unmanaged surface water runoff, leads to damage of farm lands, and properties downhill through direct deposition or indirectly as result of mass flow. Much as the generation of spoil material will stop after construction, the expected short term impact of the activity has a lot of overburden due to cutting of many corners, thus magnitude of this is evaluated as High Negative.

Camp sites and worksites are also major sources of waste. They include metal scrap/ bars, waste oil, tyres, plastics, food waste, empty cement bags, human waste, paper and others. These are usually a source of soil pollution, a health risk and others. A lot of waste will be generated as a lot of materials will be required and a number of people involved. However, this impact is short to medium term and can be mitigated. Thus the impact is expected to be medium negative. Other potential impacts of camp site location have been discussed under contamination of water and soil, health and safety etc. Campsite locations are yet to be identified.

Mitigation . Overburden or spoil material should be used for rehabilitation of abandoned borrow areas, sand pits and brick making areas that are located in different villages along the road . Any other top soil remaining should be stored and used in landscaping for grassing and tree planting. . Owners of areas identified and borrow pits for filling will need to be consulted so as to have a mutual consent before any dumping and the type and/or nature of spoils can start. General issues related to waste disposal will have to be implemented following the regulations stipulated in the National Environment (waste Management) Regulation 1999 e.g. requirement of licence for transport and storage of waste and licence for operating waste disposal site (if necessary) and others highlighted below; . Waste will have to be sorted into degradable and non-degradable eg metals etc

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. Dust bins shall be placed at different locations especially in the camp sites and properly labelled . The degradable shall be disposed off at dumping sites near Mbale town and Lwakhakha. Metal cuttings and cans shall be sold off to the metal vendors who sell it to steel meals while the non-degradable materials especially plastic shall be stored and taken for recycling in Jinja or Kampala and Mbale if any plant will have started there by that time. . Waste management hierarchy (3 or 4Rs – reduce, reuse, recyle (and recover) which is an acceptable guide for prioritizing waste management practices should be considered. See figure 7-1

Source http/encrypted.google.com Figure 6.6.1: Waste Management Hierarchy

6.2.2.2 Potential Contamination and disruption of water sources

During construction, the water quality of the rivers like Manafwa (0642463, 0103978), Kufu (0642928, 0103441), Kenya/Uganda border bridge(0653416,0087826), Nabihooma (0652965, 0089748), Namakooma (0647155, 0090114) and other established water sources such as the boreholes and protected water springs: borehole at ( 0630604, 0109126), protected water spring at 0634217, 0107634) among others where water will be extracted for the road construction will be compromised arising from excavations and soil erosion. The various water points, springs and gravity water supply systems along the road are likely to be broken hence exposing the hitherto clean water to possible pollutants emanating from storm water and oil spills. In spite of the many boreholes close to the proposed road, no contamination of this source (ground water) is expected. However in circumstances where the contractor has not

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provided adequate numbers of sanitary facilities to its workforce, the workers are likely to be forced to use any available space to ease themselves.

Furthermore, during construction a lot of fuel and other lubricating oils will be required and these will be stored on site. During offloading at campsites, fuelling of vehicles and repair of vehicles and other equipment at the workshop, there is likely to be accidental spillages. There is also a possibility of leakages from parked vehicles and equipment. This may result into contamination of the soils and water courses in the neighbouring areas. However, most of the fuel will be stored in underground tanks and mainly the lubricating oils will be stored in containers.

The impact on water quality in the project area therefore is envisaged to be medium negative since it will be short term, localised in a few places and it can be mitigated.

Mitigation: . Water supply pipes should be identified and relocated before site clearing and construction is done. . Material stock pile should be located away from the watercourses. . Maintenance of vehicles and equipment should be done in designated areas (workshop) and not in water ways such as wetlands. . Routine water quality monitoring should be undertaken by the project. . Client to ensure that within the contractor’s bid there is a provision for sufficient sanitary facilities for the contractor workforce including mobile ones. . Supplementary budget be set aside for the rehabilitation of all the water sources that will be damaged in liaison with the offices of the District water officers. . Drums used for oil storage should be placed on top of wooden structures during loading and offloading and these can be kept well for further use to minimize the extent of spilling oil in several locations . Oil interceptor should be installed at the workshop area so that any spill can be collected . Vehicles should be well serviced to minimize leakage

6.2.2.3 Blocking access roads to water sources Blocking of access to wells through cutting and leaving behind hips of soil in access roads that had hitherto been used as paths to sources of water and other resources and among residents. Even peoples compounds are usually affected in this way. This is a likely impact resulting from the expansion of the existing road without prior knowledge of access roads to essential water points in the 116

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community. Furthermore, some accesses are completely blocked and even when the road is completed no provision is left to cross the storm drainage. This impact is both short and long term but can be mitigated. Thus its magnitude is expected to be Medium Negative.

Mitigation  The contractor should always endeavour to work closely with a local community member or local council authority to identify areas where access can be availed.  The local area council will have to work with the contractor to identify suitable areas where to pill soil/rock spoil before being carried by tracks.  All accesses should be restored as much as possible.

6.2.2.4 Drainage Disruption and Impacts on Wetlands During construction, drainage is likely to be disrupted by excavations, backfilling and other civil works activities on flood plains and some rivulets crossed by the proposed road. This is likely to cause some temporary pools of water in the wet season as most of the flood plains are seasonal. Depositing of spoil material in flood plain and rivulets has adverse impacts on the flow of water and therefore an illegal activity as emphasized by the Wetland Department, Directorate of Environment. This is likely to happen in Namekhalia wetland and in the flood plain between Wopondo trading centre and Shikoye village. It should however be noted that none of these wetland areas are intact as many of them have been reclaimed for rice cultivation. Besides the soil types in the flood plain are typical wetland and disposal of spoil material in the flood plains or drainage routes will contribute to silting of the water ways which eventually will lead to road damage. Once soil spoil has been deposited it will be long term but this can be mitigated thus regarded as medium negative.

Mitigation Measures . Overburden or spoil material should not be dumped flood plain wetlands or river courses or drainage route such as valleys and rivulets. . Appropriate sizes of culverts should be installed to provide adequate space for water flow especially in the wet season . Where culverts will not be used, backfilling should not be with soils but hardcore/gravel material should be used to allow water to percolate slowly. . The site supervisor should cautious of the sensitive areas such as wetlands mentioned in the EIA. They should not be used as dumping ground and soils deposited therein during the road widening should be removed for disposal in the gazetted.

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6.2.2.5 Deterioration of Air Quality The implementation of the project will generate temporary dust nuisance to local residents emanating from movement of machines and vehicular transportation of materials.

Gravel and sand extraction as well as stone quarrying will also produce a lot of dust because of the earth movements and blasting. About 8 borrow areas, 4 rock quarries and 2 sand /water sources have been identified. Some of these are close to the proposed road while others are a few kilometres away. Although roads works, mining and excavation are expected to be executed all year round, these activities may not be done at the same time. Furthermore, emissions from machinery are also expected to contribute to deterioration of the quality of air as they haul gravel and other contraction materials as well as disposal of spoil material. Clearance of vegetation will expose some areas to wind erosion raising dust. Cement dust can be generated at the pre casting yards. All these activities will be continuous almost throughout construction period.

However, air pollution will only be of concern during the preparation and construction phases. Once construction is complete, air quality will improve. The impact on air quality is thus short term since construction period will not be permanent and can therefore be mitigated hence can be evaluated as Medium Negative.

Mitigation . Speed of vehicles should be controlled to reduce dust by use of speed calming devices e.g. rumble strips/humps . Water should be sprinkled (3-4 times a day) to suppress dust especially in the dry season not only where the works are on-going but in all the affected roads . All trucks carrying the granular material should be covered . Minimize vegetation clearing around all work sites including proposed campsite . Construction equipment and vehicles should be maintained to minimise gaseous emissions . Provision of dust respirator with filters to employees exposed directly during vegetation clearance excavations, transportation as well as Gravel mining and stone quarry operations . Air quality problems can also be addressed by tree planting for carbon dioxide sequestration as a long term strategy.

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6.2.2.6 Increased noise

National regulations on noise require that day and night time noise levels at a construction site should not exceed 75 and 65dBA respectively. There are no major noise sources presently, in the project area and its environs. Therefore excessive noise levels are likely to be generated by activities such as rock blasting at stone quarry, equipment operations and the workers themselves are expected to be a public nuisance to the surrounding communities. Noise will be produced for the life span of the project but at different locations depending on where heavy works are. The people that will mostly be impacted on are employees and residents close to these locations and the project area. Furthermore, there are about 51 educational institutions along the proposed road and noise from construction may interrupt class room activities. In addition, there several health institutions adjacent to the road and the noise are likely to affect the patients in these hospitals. However, this noise is expected to stop once construction has ended. The impact of the project on noise will therefore be temporary, short term and of medium term nature and therefore it is classified as Medium Negative.

Mitigation . The movement of heavy machines, where possible, will have to be synchronized with school programs, and the rock blasting will have to be preceded with ample notices to communities within the area. . Proper guidelines for workers will be put in place as a need to need to maintain order to in minimizing noise concerns. . construction equipment should be well maintained to minimize cracking noise from exhaust pipes . Noisy construction operations to be executed during the day (before 6pm) . Provide hearing protection devices to all workers exposed to excessive noise (quarry area) . Proper maintenance of construction equipment 6.2.2.7 Impacts of Quarries and Borrow Pits

A huge volume of Gravel, water and sand stone chippings will be required to complete a bitumen road of such a distance. A total of 8 borrow pits, 4 stone quarries and 2 sand / water sources have been identified. All required materials to complete this project are likely to be excavated from these sources. The identified borrow pits and stone quarries are within the haulage distance, the furthest being 8.5 km away from the project area. Preparation of borrow pits and quarry sites will generate nuisance such as such as noise, dust, flying stones, vibrations and erosion and these are likely to affect the surrounding environment including human settlement. Clearing of vegetation and loss of top-soils will make the area susceptible to erosion and results into silting of nearby streams and wetlands. Excavation for Gravel, gravel, stones create pits which make the 119

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landscape rugged and interfere with the aesthetics of the area; pose danger to livestock and children; hold stagnant water which breeds vectors such as mosquitoes; as well as reducing agricultural land. Dust is also generated during the transportation of materials. The materials required by the project are enormous and the effect irreversible thus, the overall impact of the quarry and borrow pits on the environment generally evaluated as High Negative.

Note: Stone quarries present complex environmental and social concerns which will require independent ESIA study once the project has been funded. Stone quarries are listed among projects that require separate environmental assessment (Environment Act, Cap 153, Third Schedule Section 6).

Mitigation . Where possible, locations of the neighbouring property should be avoided otherwise compensation should be effected after proper valuation or the quarry material got from somewhere else. . Separate EIA for the identified quarries be carried out, ensuring that community concerns are identified and addressed . Non-active areas of the quarry /borrow pits should be landscaped and re- vegetated as Soon as possible to avoid erosion and stagnant water . The mining of materials should be planned so that overburden and top soil is used in re-development . District Environmental Officers should be involved in sensitising borrow pit owners about their obligations in implementing sound environmental management measures. . Agreements between the contractor and borrow pit owners should clearly indicate the contractors obligations of sound environment management . Access roads to the borrow areas and quarry locations should be maintained and dust minimized by watering the road in dry seasons.

6.2.2.8 Impacts from Bitumen and road markings

Bitumen is usually viscous and chances of spill are minimal, it is usually stored in large containers. However, before it is used in road construction it has to be heated to make it less viscous and in the process releasing volatile compounds which contaminate the air. Being less viscous also makes it prone to accidental spillage. More so, sometimes a valve on the trucks that transport it can be left open or lose allowing some leakage. This being a big project it’s not expected that canisters will be used in heating the bitumen and thus use of open containers to spread bitumen. It is also important to note that bitumen if not properly handled can contaminate water sources through its leakage. Bitumen can also pose a health risk especially to workers from the fumes and emissions released during its preparations. 120

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Paints used in the road marking release odors affecting the air quality and this will be expected in this project. Accidental spillage can also lead to soil and water contamination when it is washed away from the road by storm water. Over all impacts resulting from these are expected to be medium negative as heating will be done using boilers and asphalt plants. These have controlled emissions and minimal accidental spillages during transportation.

Mitigation  Careful handling ensuring that all valves are always closed before the truck moves outside its working area.  All workers should be equipped with nose masks

6.2.2.9 Vegetation Clearing

The existing road has a width of about 5-6m which will be extended to about 11m within a road reserve of 30m. It will be inevitable that during the widening and construction of the proposed road, establishment of the campsite, opening up of borrow pit /quarry areas and construction of access routes to the borrow pit/quarry there will be need to clear all vegetation within the designed project area along the entire stretch of the proposed road.

Some sections of the road are lined with woodlots of Eucalyptus and Grevellea. There will be clearing of vegetation on either side of the road to make room for the construction works. Thus some impact is evident because trees of value will be lost. The impact of the project on vegetation although irreversible and long term for some few trees species can be mitigated and therefore Medium Negative Mitigation . Vegetation clearing should be minimised and restricted to the planned area of the road; . Landscaping and re-vegetation . Project should plan to plant trees at the boundaries of the road reserve which will improve aesthetics and mark the boundaries. Where possible the Mvule and Musizi should be included among the trees to be planted as they have intrinsic value especially Mvule. Road committees should be fully involved in this activity for sustainability. NFA and District Environment Department will help to recommend the types of trees, local authorities and road committees should be responsible for planting and taking care of the trees especially after construction. The project should plan for funds required for these activities. . - The project should deal with the owners as suggested by NFA of trees and compensate for them promptly and or harvest them for use as timber if mature

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6.2.2.10 Disruption of Animals and their Habitats

The Mt Elgon National Park is located over 20 km away from the project road therefore minimal or no impact will be expected from the project activities except when the road is complete which might ease transport to these areas . Otherwise the project area is located in a highly human settled area there are few wild animals dominated by monkeys, rats ( cane rat, mole rat and the common rat) , squirrels snakes, toads, frogs and lizards in cultivated communities and none of these is on the list of endangered, rare or threatened species. Some of the animals such as birds nesting in trees and vegetation close to the road will have their habitats lost as a result of bush / tree clearing and this is a permanent loss. Noise from construction site activities may also chase away some birds and other small animals from their nesting areas. However, disturbance will stop after construction (short term) and some animals including birds may return. Since there are no endangered, rare or threatened species; the impact on wild life is minimal.

On the other hand, clearing of vegetation and construction activities are likely to affect mainly domestic animals which are commonly tethered in the road reserve to graze. The grazing ground will be lost but also these animals are exposed to accidents and these accidents continue even beyond construction (long-term), and therefore this impact on domestic animals is regarded as Medium Negative

Given the current status of animal species and the fact that most of the habitat disturbance will occur along the road reserve with the other parts outside the 50 m reserve remaining intact the overall impact of the project on animals will be minimal.

Mitigation measures . Sensitize the community to tether animals away from the road reserve . Signs indicating domestic animals eg cattle crossing should also be placed in areas where most animals cross from. . Construction workers should be sensitized during orientation about the presence of these domestic animals and the strategies to avoid affecting them.

6.2.2.11 Aesthetic value The construction of Bumbobi – Bubulo- Lwakhakha road will result in both temporary and permanent visual impacts. Temporary impacts are clearance of vegetation, demolition of buildings, setting up camp and siting of construction equipment. Permanent impacts are the cutting of the woodlots, filling of wetlands, destruction of farmland, and demolition of existing trading centres. Once the road reserve has been cleared of vegetation (including trees) and buildings, the aesthetics of the area is likely to change significantly. Widening of the road coupled with cut and fill in some places, quarrying activities, gravel mining and other activities are likely to leave some areas bare and sloppy. This creates scars on the 122

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landscape hence changing the scenery of the project area. The magnitude of impact is evaluated to be Medium Negative. This is because most of the activities will be within the existing road alignment save the auxiliary activities.

Mitigation measures

. Control of clearing to the area in the construction limits and quick re- vegetation upon completion of construction. . Planting mixtures of grass, shrubs, flowers and trees should be tailored to help re-establish the original site flora. The trees could form boundary of the road reserve. . Establish a 2 meter wide soft, grassed strip outside the carriageway. . Adopt landscape design principles e.g. road must be in harmony with the existing landscape thus landscaped to blend and follow the surrounding topography without requiring excessive cuts and fills. . All the exposed areas should be planted with grass once construction activities are complete. This should be undertaken in phases; grassing activities should be undertaken on a section by section basis. Turfed grass species such as Paspalum and couch grass to easily bind the loose soils together preventing accelerated rates of soil erosion.

Note; Grassing and tree planting will be for both beautification and soil erosion reduction.

6.2.212 Increased Soil erosion The various activities associated with the upgrading of the proposed road will have impacts of not only loosening of the soil but also accelerating soil erosion. The region is prone to mud slides and soil erosion. However, although this project lies in a mountainous region, the road is located in low lying areas. The project therefore will have minimal impacts related to soil erosion.

6.2.2.13 Influx of People into the Area During construction, there will be a temporary increase in population whereby construction workers will settle in the area for a specific period of time. The expected workforce will include both skilled and non-skilled workers. The influx of people looking for work is a common phenomenon with all development projects since word spreads rapidly of the possibility of work and opportunities for earning money. The population increase and the project activities will have impacts on the community in the following ways.

 There will be pressure on social services and facilities like health, transport, sanitation and strain on resources like water and energy (fuel wood). The baseline information indicates that most of the people in the project area depend on wood for most of their energy demands. An increase in population will mean increased demand for wood which will 123

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in turn lead to deforestation and its consequences. This impact is long term and will not only affect the local area but the entire region.  There might be a decrease in sanitation levels which might escalate the already existing problem of cholera outbreaks in the project area especially in Manafwa District.  There will be an increase in conflicts in the area. This could be as a result of people of different characteristics settling in the area. Learning and complying with the values and norms of the area might take some time and the process might come along with clashes and conflicts between the local people and the new comers. In addition, conflicts might result from workers luring away married women, school children and in some cases there might be defilement and elopement.  There will be increased insecurity and theft in the area. Projects of such magnitude usually attract some people with the intention of stealing project raw materials like cement. Such unscrupulous people may involve the local community members and project workers in their activities which in the long run might affect the quality of the works.  There will be an increase in the prices of basic goods like soap, sugar, salt, and paraffin among others due to their increased demand. In addition, business speculators might hike the prices with a perception that workers are wealthier and have more money to spend than the local people.

Although the existing communities are highly vulnerable, the impacts caused by population influx are considered as Medium Negative due to the fact that it will be short term in nature and reversible since most people will go back after construction.

Mitigation  Local labour should be given priority for employment as this will solve many of the problems associated with influx of people.  There should be sensitization of the workers in cultural values and norms of the area.  The project should plan for additional infrastructure to cater for the increased population for example, water sanitation and health facilities.  The Project in partnership with the Districts’ Environment Offices, Sub County Environment Committees and the local people embark on a tree re-plantation program.  Fines and charges should be imposed on whoever is found felling trees.  Continuous sensitization of the communities about the dangers of deforestation should be carried out.  There is need to strengthen local authorities so that they are in position to handle the increased cases of indiscipline and conflict.  Local authorities shall need to be strengthened in order to deal with the 124

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increased cases of indiscipline brought about by the increased population influx, and any disputes that are likely to ensue;  Project should set up internal controls and security systems for its materials.  Issues of security should be handled hand in hand with the local Council administration to ensure that suspicious non-known members of the area who are also not part of the project are rounded up to avoid disrupting the security of the area.  Project should in addition have its own security system as it’s very common to find the local security organs conniving with the bad characters to exploit projects.

6.2.2.14 Increased Risk of Diseases

HIV /AIDS and other STDS

As indicated in the baseline the current HIV/AIDS prevalent rate in the Mbale and Manafwa districts is 7.2% and 6.4% respectively. An increase in the population and the introduction of new people in an area is usually associated with risky behaviours among the people. Workers tend to leave their wives behind and as a result may be tempted to engage in sexual relationships with women and young girls in the project area. In addition, prostitutes may be attracted to the area due to the presence of workers who are usually perceived to possess a lot of money. The road project is therefore likely to increase the risk of STDs including HIV/AIDS to both workers and the communities. This impact is likely to continue into the operation phase and is thus long term since the small trading centres are likely to develop into bigger towns. In addition, the new bitumen road will increase the number of mobile workers on the road such as truck and trailer drivers and mobility of workers is associated with risky behaviour. Although the workforce is expected to be big, it will be spread throughout the project. The magnitude of impact therefore, is estimated to be Medium Negative.

Mitigation  The project should work closely with respective government departments, local NGOs, and/or faith based organizations, and local communities involved in HIV and reproductive health  Mega awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS and other STDS should periodically be organized  Voluntary Counselling and testing services to the workers and community members should constantly be made available.  There is need for continuous sensitization of the workers and community members about HIV/AIDS and other STDs.

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 Contractor should hire a Social, Health and Environmental coordinator.

Malaria

According to the baseline results and from consultations with the local communities and local authorities, malaria was identified as one of the most common diseases in the project area. During construction, there is a tendency of pools of water stagnating in excavated and cleared areas especially during the rainy season and these usually act as breeding places for mosquitoes. In addition, the existing health facilities in the area might not be in position to handle the increase in malaria cases as they have inadequate facilities in terms of staff, drugs, equipment among others. However, since the prevalence of malaria in the area is already high plus the population will decrease in the operation phase and proper drainage channels will be constructed, the impact of the project on the disease therefore is expected to be Medium Negative.

Mitigation  The project should put in place strategies to control malaria such as distribution of mosquito nets and sensitization of communities along the road. This should be done through Health Centres and Non-Government Organisations operating in the area.  There should be provision of first line treatment for workers and their families.  The project can also support some of the health centres along the project area so as to improve on the service delivery.  The Project should have its own health facility, and offer services to its workforce and their families to reduce pressure on existing health

6.2.2.15 Disruption of Educational Programs

From observations there are about 8 educational institutions adjacent to the road. During construction, there is usually heavy machinery carrying out different activities like rock blasting, road expansion and grading among others. These activities might disrupt the attention of students in these institutions. In addition, students especially those at primary level might congest the work sites instead of proceeding to their respective educational institutions. The road construction will have several implications on both the student community and the company carrying out the construction;

. There is a probability of occurrence of accidents during construction, especially in locations near schools. School children might surround the construction site to gaze at machines at work thereby increasing the risk of accidents. There are about 8 schools that are adjacent to the road and some 126

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of the schools likely to be affected include; Mulatsi Primary School, Mayenze Primary School and Mulatsi Secondary School among others. However, given the fact that the impact will be short term and will only affect particular locations.

. Increase in the girl child school dropout rate as site workers may lure them with money while others might forego school and go into early marriages and elopement with the workers.

. The noise from the work site especially when construction is near the schools will disrupt the concentration of students already in class

. School attendance is also likely to be affected; some children might decide to skip school so as to earn money from the project while others may spend time simply watching machinery at work. The construction activities will also affect the punctuality of the students and teachers. Due to many activities along the road, movements to school might be slowed down.

The overall impact on school programmes is evaluated to be Medium Negative as this is short term occurring only during the construction phase.

Mitigation  There should be sensitization of school children, teachers and the community and construction activities before actual construction begins.  The project should work with the local authorities and school authorities to discourage students from seeking employment on the project.  The contractor should not employ underage persons.  A temporary fence should be erected at schools very near the road to minimize the disruption of school activities.

6.2.2.16 Disruption of Water Sources supply There are some water sources that are located along the road that might be affected by the project and these include about 8 boreholes, swamps/streams and gravity flow water pipes. The water pipes were reported to be Nabumali and Lwakhakha Trading Centres. The destruction of water sources and disruption in water supply might lead to a shortage of water in the area.

Poor sanitation; Toilet facilities will not be enough to cater for the increased population and the few that exist might be misused or destroyed leading to an increase in hygiene related diseases. The people might also be tempted to go to nearby bushes and plantations and in turn this will result into contamination of water sources and eventual outbreaks of water related diseases and an escalation of the cholera outbreaks in the area. 127

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Generally the magnitude of the impact on water sources and sanitation will be Medium Negative because it’s reversible, temporary, short term and can be controlled.

Mitigation . Relocation of the public utilities should be done to reduce on public inconvenience with provision of services (water, electricity among others). . Budgetary allocation of funds specifically for repairing the pipelines that will be damaged during the construction of the road. The project has to set aside funds for the repair activities The repair activities will be implemented with the close monitoring of the district water office. . Budgets should also be provided for alternative water supply facilities for communities whose facilities will have to be relocated.

6.2.2.17 Impact on Electricity Transmission line and other infrastructure

Along the road, it was observed that there is at least one petrol station at Bubulo sub-county while in some places where there is electricity supply there are electric poles, lines and transformers close to the road and these might be interfered with during construction. Some of the electricity poles were seen in Bunghokho Sub County and Nabumali Trading Centre. These might be disturbed thereby leading to an interruption in power supply in the area and loss of service from fuel station. The magnitude of the impact on electric supply and other infrastructure will be medium negative because it’s reversible, temporary, short term and can be mitigated.

In addition, there was a likelihood that nearby telecom infrastructure will probably be disrupted by the construction activities like blasting which could lead to tower tilting, swaying and distortion of transmission.

Mitigation . Relocation of electric lines and poles before construction begins . Relocation of fuel stations . Compensation . Involvement of the owners of the infrastructure in decisions regarding relocation of the infrastructure. . Activities in areas next to masts should be undertaken with extreme precaution as tower relocation is not an option.

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6.2.2.18 Impact on Housing and Settlements - Loss of Structures

About 667 structures are estimated to be affected during the process of land acquisition for the widening of the road and road reserve. These include both permanent and temporary structures which are both residential and commercial. However, it was observed that the majority of these structures are for commercial purposes. Among the temporary houses are market stalls, food kiosks, carpentry and welding workshops. Among the structures to be affected are several institutions like schools, health centres and religious places. These are likely to be affected through loss of land, fences and structures. In addition to the demolition of structures within the road reserve, the structures near the road are likely to become dirty as a result of dust and will be exposed to air and noise pollution which endangers human health.

The magnitude of the impact will be High Negative because the impact of displacement is irreversible and has long term effects.

Mitigation

. Based on local and international safeguard policies that require people not to be left worse off by the activities of a development project, it is recommended that for any loss of physical structures, land and agricultural production, compensation should be provided to the affected persons and institutions.

. A Compensation and Resettlement Action Plan should be prepared in consultation with the Chief Government Valuer in line with the national law and the International Standards

. Constant watering of project site especially in residential areas and trading centres to reduce dust that may damage buildings.

6.2.2.19 Vulnerable Groups As is the case in the entire country, there are vulnerable groups in every social setting and these include, women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities. However, the actual number of vulnerable people and their levels of vulnerability will be ascertained during the Resettlement Action Plan process.

The following are some of the impacts of the project on vulnerable groups in the area: . Child labour: Construction workers might knowingly or unknowingly employ children below 18 years of age. . Exploitation of vulnerable people. This could be in form of defilement, rape, sexual harassment especially those in search of jobs, theft and robberies. . Marginalization especially during the process of recruitment of workers.

The magnitude of the impact is evaluated as Medium Negative as it can be prevented.

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Mitigation . The developer and contractor should ensure that women are not marginalized during the employment process (35% of the employees be women). . The developer and contractor should ensure that persons below 18 years are not employed. . Workers should be sensitized about sexual harassment . Women who can do work should be encouraged to seek for employment in the project.

6.2.2.20 Oil spillage and consequent contamination

It is expected that during oil storage accidental spillages are likely to occur especially during loading and off-loading at the storage sites and/or campsites. This is more so during vehicle maintenance and repair at the park yards where these vehicles are parked The fuel related wastes are also envisaged to become a menace both at the camp sites and at the construction sites and/or park yards. This results from poor disposal techniques and occasionally burning causing contamination of the adjacent environment.

Volatile Organic Compounds as a result of emissions of several wastes to air around the campsites, park yards and crusher plants through combustion processes resulting to smog effects.

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Mitigation measures:

 In cases of spillage drums should be placed in areas that can be easily cleaned and disposed to designated places.  The responsible companies that have been licensed by NEMA to handle issues related to disposal of oil related waste should be identified and given the role of handling all these kind of wastes generated from the camp sites and the construction sites.  Drums used for oil storage should be placed on top of wooden structures during loading and offloading and these can be kept well for further use to minimize the extent of spilling oil in several locations.

 All records of major spillages should be well kept to enable proper monitoring and avoid unpleasant impacts that could result if no mitigation measures are put in place after the spillage  All bitumen should be well stored under proper precautions with proper supervision and/or monitoring

 Activities resulting to these emissions must be regulated and/or vehicles well serviced to reduce emissions that combine with the sunlight and Oxides of nitrogen during photochemical reactions to form smog.

6.2.2.21 Health and Safety

Projects of this nature that take long periods for completion and involve bringing in new people in an area are bound to have impacts on health and safety of the community members. The impacts will however vary depending on the level of exposure and relationship between the contractor, workers and the community. Some will however be as a result of the outcome of the project on the area that hitherto was not used to the new circumstances. The following are some of the impacts that are likely to occur.

 Psychological torture as a result of noise and dust. Even when it is not perceived consciously, chronic exposure to road construction noise can affect people in varying degrees, both physiologically and psychologically. Chronic noise exposure can be a source of annoyance, creating communication problems and leading to elevated stress levels as well as associated behavioural and health effects.

 Increase of respiratory related diseases like cough and flu as a result of dust and fumes emitted from the machines during construction. 131

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Other negative health impacts may be in terms of exposure to direct sunshine and equipment by the workers.  Likely increase in accidents among project workers (e.g. Traffic guides and in activities like boiling of Bitumen) as well as the communities.  The high rates of malaria and water related diseases present in the project area may be a danger to the construction workers.

Mitigation Occupational health and safety measures should be followed as provided in General Specifications for Road and Bridges (MoWH&C, 2005): . Regular maintenance of equipment, engines and electrical installations; maintaining clean and tidy workplace, providing guards and rails, signals and lighting; providing work site rules, safe working procedures and allocating appropriate places to carry out the work. . Contractor should locate stores as to reduce risks to workers on site and arrangements for the safe use, handling, storage, transport and disposal of articles and substances are made before work starts to the satisfaction of the engineer. . The Contractor should provide relevant protective clothing and safe equipment to all staff and labour engaged on the Works sites to the satisfaction of the engineer. These will include; high visibility vests, protective boots, gloves, masks, protective footwear and hard hats. . The Contractor should designate a full time Safety Officer qualified to handle the specific tasks. . All employees shall be trained in how to ensure their own safety and reduce risks at work site . Contractor should provide and maintain access to all work places in the condition that will reduce risks. . Contractor should provide adequate waterborne sanitation, and refuse collection and disposal complying with the laws of Uganda or Bye-laws. . Latrines and other sanitary arrangements should be put in place where work is in progress. . Contractor shall comply with Government regulations in case of epidemic outbreaks. . The Contractor should manage the risk of spreading of contagious diseases. . Contractor shall reduce occupational health hazards . Ensure full stocks of anti-malarials in the project clinic. . Provision of treated mosquito nets to workers.

Other measures related to the safety of the community and workers . Road warning signs, humps should be installed to minimize speed and reduce accidents . Diversion roads should be made and traffic guides put in place to avoid risk of

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accidents to the community. Constant watering of the road to reduce dust and related diseases. . Regulated speed and enforcement of speed limits for project workers as well as other drivers to minimize accidents.  Provide personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to project workers like masks, Helmets, Jackets and gloves,

 The people moving on foot from one point to another along the road during construction might be at a risk of being injured and getting accidents. The overall magnitude of the impact on health and safety is Medium Negative as it can be mitigated and short term in nature.

6.2.2.22 Disruption of economic activities It is also expected that some common economic activities in the project area will be temporarily disrupted during construction. Other impacts related to disrupting economic activities will involve the following:

 During construction, there is a possibility of blocking the road for some time. This will limit the movement of agricultural products from the farms to the market area. In addition, it is likely that there will be an increase in transport fares.

 The widening of the road and cutting of some sharp corners during construction will disrupt roadside community businesses like selling of agricultural produce in markets or kiosks, small businesses such as restaurants, bicycle and tyre repair shops among others and blocking of access roads to these markets and business places.

Disruption economic activities will be a short term impact as it will only last up to end of construction period and can be mitigated. Thus this impact is regarded as Medium Negative.

Mitigation . Sensitization of the community through Local area LC 1 authorities on the planned development in the area should continuously be done. . A road safety campaign will be implemented before the start of the project to inform residents and road users of the planned construction works, changes to traffic patterns (diversions or closure of roads or lanes) and the use of heavy construction equipment. . Motorable alternative routes or diversion roads should be created. . Kiosks should be relocated since the upgrading will not last for a long time after which they can reinstate their business on even a busier road due to increased

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traffic. . Access roads to markets should be provided during construction and after.

6.2.2.23 Impact on land Given the nature of the project, there are several issues regarding land that will arise and these include but not limited to the following:

Change of Land use and Land Tenure

Activities that are likely to contribute to this impact include demarcation of the road reserve, building, demolition and opening of access roads to quarries and borrow areas. The land acquired for the implementation of the project can undergo a long-term permanent change in the land use.

Changes of land use due to the construction of road are mainly conversion of agricultural land. Presently most of the land is used for agriculture, settlements while some has trees. Once the project land has been demarcated, these activities will not be allowed in the road reserve and this reduces the amount of land available for these uses. Trees will be cut completely or kept short outside the reserve and road structures. This will contribute to environmental degradation. Furthermore the land in the project area that is predominantly customary will be titled. The community members will therefore have limited use of this area. This impact will be limited to about 40m corridor since about 10m are being covered by the existing road and its structures but it will be long-term. The changes in land use will have impact on loss of agricultural land, which directly reduce the agricultural production. Thus this impact is evaluated as Medium Negative.

Land size

A considerable size of land will be acquired for purposes of road widening, construction of drainages and acquisition of the road reserve. Land acquisition was a major concern in the consultations carried out at all levels. The proposed width of the road and other components is 30m implying that an area of about 30m x 44.5km (1335 acres) will be acquired by the project implementers. This will result into permanent loss of land for households along the road due to road construction work. In addition, land for camp sites will be acquired temporarily but will be returned to the owners after construction and decommissioning. Considering that the average land size owned in the project area is about 1.5 acres but with a majority owning less than 1 acre, project land take would mean a big loss to the community especially in terms of livelihood since the community is basically agricultural depending on cultivation. The impact therefore may be considered High Negative.

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Mitigation . A Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) shall be put in place so that all persons affected are handled in accordance with the approved Resettlement Plan and in accordance with the Land Act (1998).

. Prior to construction, all land and property likely to be affected by the project should be fully compensated.

. Project implementers should closely work with the local leadership to ensure that grievances by the affected persons are solved.

6.2.2.24 Impact on agriculture

Given the fact that the project area is predominantly an agricultural cultivating community, it is therefore envisaged that permanent land acquisition will result into destruction of crops. Crops likely to be affected by the land acquisition include both cash and food crops such as coffee, sugarcanes, beans, sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas and maize among others within the road vicinity. The magnitude of the impact on agriculture is evaluated as High Negative because the effect will be permanent in nature, irreversible, wide in scope and mainly affecting people’s livelihoods. Mitigation All damaged crops should be valued and compensated fairly and promptly.

6.2.2.25 Physical Cultural Resources (Cultural Heritage)

No major physical cultural site was idendified save for the material sources that will be subjected to aproject brief and the envisaged impacts will be avoided. See table 6-1 showing proposed materials sources. The actual number of graves to be affected will be established at Resettlement Action Plan stage.

The impact on graves in particular by the project is envisaged to be Medium Negative due to the fact that they can be relocated. However during construction there may be chance finds and these should be properly handled as was suggested by the staff of Uganda Museum. Mitigation . The Contractor and supervising Consultant should work with the communities so that any PCR like sites of cultural significance which may have been missed are identified before construction and avoided. . Any chance finds should be taken to Uganda Museum for further scrutiny and study . RAP should include the cultural properties like graves so that they can be compensated. . The community in conjunction with the local authorities should be widely consulted especially during RAP preparation on how best to handle the issue of graves.

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Table 6-1: Map showing the potential material sources, physical-cultural resources and borrow areas

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6.2.2.26 Expected negative impacts on gender; Women are likely to be least favoured in the job provision. This is because of the nature of jobs available in the road construction that is perceived to be done by mainly men. There is likely to be developments of relationships between workers and the women of the area that are either engaged or already married, this can result into marriage break ups. There could be immorality especially with the young girls of the area in efforts to gain favour for employment opportunities, this can result into spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Impact on HIV will be long-term as its spread and associated impacts will continue even after construction. kiosks located in the road reserve owned by women are likely to be displaced especially in the trading centres such as Lwakhakha, Bugobero among others.Farming activities in rain seasons demand a lot of garden work by women, which may impede their employment in road construction. Married women may benefit less from construction employment because their spouses may dictate their level of participation in the available jobs if any.

In general therefore, the impact on gender is evaluated as High Negative as it is long- term and spreads beyond project area.

Mitigation

. Jobs should be equitably distributed to both women and men as long as one has the qualification rather than basing on gender to allocate jobs.

. Information dissemination about dangers of HIV/AIDS to the community should be done all throughout the period of the project. The messages should be passed on using the locally understood language for better understanding.

. Agender management plan be prepared by the contractor as provided for under general specifications for bridge and road works (GOU, 2005) under which it should ensure among others the following: - To the extent possible, equal employment opportunity shall be available for women for road construction jobs. To effect this, the contractor shall encourage women to apply for available jobs by indicating this in job adverts. Additionally Local council representatives working with the contractor on recruitment shall encourage women to apply for project jobs. The aim will be to have atleast 10% of workers being female. - During road construction, women can be involved in a wide range of activities including traffic control, store-keeping, security, painting stone pitching, beautification/ landscaping and sweeping. - The contractor should use gender-sensitive language such as: “Go Slow, Work in Progress” instead of “Go Slow, Men at Work”. This, coupled with women’s visibility in road works would, contribute to women’s empowerment as well as breaking the stereotype that road construction is a preserve of men. - To avoid severance of access to private property like homes, farmlands and grazing fields, the contractor should provide temporary access routes, or “bridges” that can be 137

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safely used by especially women, children, disabled and elderly people. - The contractor will be selective in awarding service contracts, giving preference to women- owned entities. This, for example, is in regard to supply of foodstuffs to workers camps, housekeeping and culinary services for workers.

. The parents should advice their girls against indulging in any kind of relationships with the workers.

6.2.2.27 Climate change impacts on the road

According to United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2001), impacts of climate change include;

0.09 to 0.88m sea level rise (central value 0.48m), which is up to 8.0cm per decade; Annual temperatures will increase by 2 to 6 degrees Celsius by 2100 with more extreme hot days. Recently published reports from the CSIRO (2007) indicate a 4.3 degree Celsius increase by 2070; Higher frequency of droughts in regions where average rainfall decreases and more extreme wet years where it increases; Projected increase in evaporation; and Expected increase in frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

In terms of road infrastructure, these translate to direct impacts as follows: Extreme maximum temperatures and length of hot spells; Annual rainfall (reduction); Extreme rainfall events, influencing flood levels and potentially frequency of flooding; Available moisture (evaporation and rates of rainfall); Wet and dry cycles: affecting water tables and surface and subsoil inundation

These impacts relate to the road as described below;

Temperature. Higher temperatures are expected to result in the need for increased frequency of resealing /resurfacing due to the more rapid oxidation of the bitumen. In the design of thick asphalt pavements, the asphalt is characterised in terms of its stiffness at weighted mean annual pavement temperature (WMAPT) for the location. The higher the WMAPT, the less stiff the asphalt. Therefore we expect that climate change may result into WMAPT increasing in some areas, resulting in thicker asphalt to accommodate the lowering of the asphalt stiffness. This applies to deep strength asphalt pavements for heavy duty (eg highway) applications.

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Pavements subject to low speed turning movements can lead to high shearing forces on pavements, especially when combined with heavy vehicle loads. Higher temperatures combined with the effects of shearing forces on pavement surfaces may require wearing courses/surfacings to utilise more expensive polymer modified bitumen, rather than conventional bitumen, in a greater number of situations (eg roundabouts, etc). These changes are expected to be minimal, gradual and manageable as the temperature change in Uganda resulting from climate change is envisaged to be minimal especially considering that the design life for these roads in not more than 20years where temperature change will not be expected to be significant. Moisture Granular materials are the predominant pavement material for the lower pavementlayers. These materials perform poorly under the effects of water and pavements with these materials are likely to be vulnerable to rising water tables or water levels in corresponding to sea level rise. Frequent cycles of wetting and drying will also limit performance of granular pavement layers. However although it is long-term and will continue even when the road is completed the impact resulting from climate change is likely to be minimal as there are very few wetlands which will keep the water level high for a long time. However some mitigation measures have been proposed.

Gauged stream flow data of sufficient length (at least 10 years) was not readily available in the project area save for River Manafwa. This made the estimates of peak discharges in terms of its probability of frequency of occurrence rely on extrapolation of design flow using drainage area ratios.

A summary of drainage challenges from the project road included inadequate existing drainage facilities, certain sections of the road traverse through major flood plains and marshy areas and long year of service of existing structures and inadequate structural capacity among others. Such areas are subject to flooding during heavy rains viz: Kufu bridge (0642928, 0103441), Manafwa bridge (0642463, 0103978), Namakoma bridge (0647155, 0090114) and Namihooma bridge (0652965, 0089748) among others.

It is also possible that decreasing rainfall could prove beneficial to the life of granular pavement materials due to reduction of wet and dry cycles. However this could be offset from the increasing frequency and severity of storm and rainfall events.

. Mitigation . Frequent cycles of wetting and drying could warrant the use of more bound/stabilized materials in pavements . Allow free flow of water across the road without damming . On top of installing culverts, gravel should be graded in all stretches of wetlands to enhance free flow of water . Pavements are typically designed for a 20 year design life. Under these timeframes, and in consideration of the gradual nature of anticipated climate change effects, it can be expected that normal maintenance 139

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activities and reconstruction of pavements will allow management and adaptation to climate change.

6.2.3 Operation and maintenance/ Post construction stage

During the post construction stage project works will concern only the existing road which would be already integrated in its natural environment. The project therefore wills have no effect on natural habitats, fauna and flora but will have impact on other physical features

6.2.3.1 Loss of land rights

Loss of livelihoods and violation of traditionally exercised land rights as a result of permanent acquisition of about 507 acres of land in addition to the existing road reserve lost. This impact is evaluated as Medium Negative since its affects very few people with land close to the road.

Mitigation . Adequate consultation should be carried out with the respective owners to reach consensus on the means of compensation . Prompt and fair compensation for land. (Cash for land should be avoided). . There should be a comprehensive plan for livelihood restoration especially for the vulnerable households. . Provision of seedlings for purposes of replacing affected crops. . Transition allowance should be provided to help relocated households survive during the transition period until the first harvest of the new crops.

6.2.3.2 Increased land conflicts Increase in economic activities may attract investors to the communities along the road. Physical conflicts might break out between local people and the new settlers that may be attracted by good access. The local community might feel that foreigners are encroaching on their land. Land being a sacred thing in the lives of the community, in extreme cases fights for the rights over land may break out. This impact may appear long term but can be mitigated and hence its magnitude is evaluated Low - Medium Negative.

Mitigation . Consultations with and sensitizations of both the affected and host communities should be undertaken prior to allocation of new pieces of land. . Area LC I officials should properly be educated and updated about the development taking place in their areas so that they can inform the communities about all the planned developments in their area. . Affected households should be given an opportunity to identify their preferred areas for resettlement. . Vulnerable groups should be assisted and consulted throughout the whole 140

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exercise.

6.2.3.3 Increased accidents

With an improved road there is likely increase of vehicular traffic and over speeding in busy sections of the road such as schools, churches, and trading centers thereby increasing risks of road traffic accidents to communities along the road.Although this effect is long term it can be mitigated hence Medium Negative.

Mitigation . The contractor should erect road signs with clear messages on the approach of possible dangerous sections such as bends, junctions climbing sharp corners trading centre areas, and trading centres, schools etc . Re-instate sign posts where they have been removed or have been affected by the construction . Conduct regular awareness and sensitization campaigns in among the residents of the project area . Distribute high way code brochure in schools neighbouring the project prior to commissioning. . Humps and rumble strips should be constructed in busy areas such as trading centres, schools and markets to check overspending of vehicles and thus accidents. . Issues of health and safety should be taken seriously even during the operation and maintenance phase. There should be closer supervision by UNRA of the Contractor’s activities.

6.2.3.4 Increased pollution Increased traffic may result into emissions of exhaust fumes. This is quite difficult to mitigate as road users cannot be traced to be sensitized on vehicle maintenance. In addition, during this period, re-sealing activities will have to be done. These are associated with bitumen heating which produces long-chain hydrocarbons of which excessive exposure is dangerous to workers but also to local residents and road users. Since this will last for a short time its impact is evaluated as Low Negative.

It is also likely that during road repairs accidental oil spillages will be common occurrences which eventually, if in contact with land and water will end up polluting the area and water sources.

Mitigation . Heating of bitumen should be done away from settlements, schools , clinics and markets and should be placed at least 1km away from residential areas or social infrastructures

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. Issues of health and safety should be taken seriously even during O&M. Closer supervision (by UNRA ) of the Contractor should be part and parcel of these activities . Silt should always be removed from the site and disposed off to designated areas.\

6.2.3.5 Increased waste

Increased volume of traffic and elevated economic activities could lead increased volumes of waste generated and corresponding problems of waste management. Waste generation problems could cause nuisance and serve as breeding place for disease causing organisms and choking of drains which may eventually lead to flooding. This effect is long term but can be mitigated and hence the impact is Low - Medium Negative.

Mitigation . Arrangements shall be made with the respective District authorities to put in place a road supervision committee. . Collect on daily basis and waste generated . Put in place sign post with messages “No littering” and posted along the project road to caution the general public against littering. . Put garbage collecting bins in busier section of the road. . Move the daily agriculture and other merchandise markets away from the main road

6.2.3.6 Breakdown of social fabrics

Change in Social Behaviour

Improvement of road conditions would result in increased number of persons using the road. There would be an increase in the number of trucks carrying goods and farm produce from various communities. This increase in the number of visitors in the area may influence the changes in the social behaviour. Truck drivers sleeping over in the communities are likely to solicit for sex with women and young girls in the communities hence increasing the risk of HIV /AIDS spread and teenage pregnancy cases. This will cause impact on social aspects including family breakdown and disease spread and ultimately affecting the traditional bonds, norms and functions of the community. Although it may affect a few people, this impact will be long term and thus Medium Negative.

Mitigation . Continuous sensitisation of the communities by the local authorities

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6.2.3.6 Cumulative impacts

Presently the traffic impact on this road is minimal as traffic is low but will be accumulative impact with the increased number of vehicles hauling gravel, water and the construction machinery. Diverting of traffic from Bugoma to Malaba will be accumulative impact as well.

Mitigation . The impact has been taken into consideration by the design engineer in approved design of August 2012.

7.0 Decommissioning and restoration activities

Although the developer (UNRA) has the overall responsibility of environmental compliance, at the project level the Contractor will be responsible for decommissioning. Table 7-1below shows the decommissioning plan.

Table 7--0-1: Decommissioning Plan

No Item Tasks Responsibility description 1 Borrow Pits Restoration of Borrow Pits by using soil from road Contractor and Quarries widening to top soiling and finally re-vegetation Compensate affected neighbours or land lords 2 Camp site Clearing of all debris Contractor Demolition of unwanted structures Removal of all wastes Removal of all temporary structures Compensate affected neighbours or landlords Empty the septic tank with cesspool emptier Back fill the pit as most of them are usually pit latrines, water supply can be handed over to the community

3 General site Removal from shoulders of all unused materials Contractor rehabilitation (aggregates, hardcore, sand etc) 4 Sanitary Removal of temporary shelters Contractor Facilities at Covering of all used and non used pits different work sites 5 Opened up Re vegetation of all opened up areas Contractor areas adjacent 143

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No Item Tasks Responsibility description to the road 6 Crushing Removal of all unused materials Contractor plant Restoration of all opened up areas through top soiling and re-vegetation Compensate affected neighbours Disassembly of crusher components and removal

7 Temporary Blocking of these accesses and top soiling Contractor access roads Planting grass 8 Access roads Restoration of blocked accesses to peoples homes Contractor

9 Material Areas that have been used for temporary storage of Contractor stockpile materials shall be leveled after materials have been areas used. Such areas shall be restored through grassing. 10 Fuel Initial soil tests for Volatile Organic Compounds Contractor station/Bulk (VOCs) storage Cordoning off of site. Dismantling of surface installations e.g. pipes, pumps, canopies, electrical systems etc Draining of tanks, pipes Safe transportation of residual products and pipes Tank exhumation by specialized contractor in presence of supervising Environmental Consultant, NEMA etc Haulage of tank to appropriate storage Soil and groundwater sampling and testing etc.

11 Asphalt Sub-surface soil assessment of hydrocarbons and Contractor plant/premix metals should be carried out. Any contaminated soils should be treated with fertilizers (NPK) and mixed with topsoil. This should be covered and left to recover naturally. Metals can be picked out and collected to be sold as scrup for recycling in Kampala or any other town with recycling plant. Demolition of asphalt plant components which can be parked for re-use in other projects

7.1 Resettlement Action Plan

ADB’s policy on Involuntary Resettlement (section 4.3.1) provides for individuals or communities in case of loss of land, means of livelihood, social support systems or any 144

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other way voluntary resettlement is to be avoided or at least minimized. Compensation must ensure the maintenance of the PAPs pre-project living standards. Through preliminary aerial surveys it was found out that several structures as indicated in table 7- 2 were projected likely to be directly affected by road widening. Preliminary Identification of this carried out came up with figures of affected people for relocation and structures due for compensation as indicated in the table 7-2. It has been determined that the project will affect about 3113 households, therefore a separate Resettlement Action Plan (RAP)has been prepared to cater for the relocation planning.

Table 7-2: Statistics of project affected structures and property

Type of Building/Structure No. Permanent Structures

Commercial 347 Residential 94 Incomplete 76 School Blocks 3 Churches 2 Mosque 1 Semi-Permanent Structures

Residential 317 Kitchen/stores 65 Other Properties

Pit latrines 12 + 26 (semi-permanent) Shades 14 Kiosks 5 Barbed wire fences 1685.5m2 Chain link 188.5m2 Local Hedges 2573m2 Earth Graves 93 Cemented Graves 35 Paved /Concrete yards 118.21m2 Gates 7 Septic Tanks 1 Boundary /retaining walls 98.3m Water Tanks 4

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7.2 Overall Impact Assessment

Figure 1-3 gives the overall impact assessment, arrived at by combining the value of the safeguard issues (the impact zone) and the magnitude of impacts. This overall assessment for the whole project has been summarized in Table 7-2. For example for the case of birds /avifauna; by combining the value of the impact zone (low) and the magnitude of impacts (low to medium negative), the conclusion is that the proposed project will have small to medium negative impacts (-/--) on the bird community in this area, without any mitigation measures.

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Table 7-2: Overall Impact Assessment

Degree Magnitude of impacts Overall impact Value/vulnerabil Assessment (without ity of mitigation measures) environmental component Scale Low/Medi/High Negative Positive High Medium Low /No Med. High

Planning Phase Social Expectations -♦- -♦- High Negative (---) Preparation and Construction Phase Employment -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (++) Increased market -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (++) Generation of spoil -♦- -♦- High Negative (----) Material Blocking Access roads -♦- Medium Negative (--) Potential cont. of water -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) sources Drainage& Wetlands -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Air quality -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Noise -♦- -♦- Medium-Negative (--) Impacts of quarry devt. -♦- -♦- High Negative (---) Vegetation -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Disruption of wildlife -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Aesthetic value -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Influx of people -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Increased disease -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Educational -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Disruption of water supply -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Electricity& other Infr. -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Housing & Settlement -♦- -♦- High Negative (---) Vulnerable groups -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Health and Safety -♦- Medium Negative (--) Other economic activities -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Land acquisition -♦- -♦- High Negative (---) Agriculture -♦- -♦- High Negative (---) Gender -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (---) Cultural Heritage -♦- -♦- Medium – Negative(--) Operational and Maintenance (O&M) Improved Trade -♦- -♦- High Positive (+++) Staff retention -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (++) Soil Erosion . -♦- -♦- Small Positive (+) Installation of Road -♦- -♦- Small Positive (+)

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Degree Magnitude of impacts Overall impact Value/vulnerabil Assessment (without ity of mitigation measures) environmental component Scale Low/Medi/High Negative Positive High Medium Low /No Med. High

furniture Land appreciation -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (+++) Access to HC -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (+) Women empowerment -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (++) Loss of Land Rights -♦- -♦- Medium – Negative(--) Increased Land conflicts -♦- -♦- Minimal/no impact (0) Increased Accidents -♦- -♦- Small Negative(-) Air pollution -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Siltation -♦- -♦- Small Negative(-) Increased Wastes -♦- -♦- Minimal/ No impact(0) Social fabric -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--)

7.3 Residual Negative Impacts following Mitigation

Upon successful implementation of the environmental and social management plan to address the environmental and social impacts of the project, most of the residual negative impacts are expected to be either small or minimal with a few exceptions. Therefore they are considered to be manageable and acceptable. The table below shows the predicted residual negative impacts with mitigation measures.

Table 7-0-3 Residual Negative Impacts

Degree Degree of impacts Overall impact Assess Value/vulnerability (without mitigation) Scale Low/ Medi /High Negative Positive High Medium Low /No Med. High

Planning Phase Social Expectations -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Preparation and Construction Phase Employment -♦- -♦- High Positive (+++) Increased market -♦- -♦- High Positive (+++) Gener. of spoil Material -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Blocking Access roads -♦- Small Negative (-) Cont. of water sources -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Drainage& Wetlands -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Air quality -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Noise -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Impacts of quarry devt. -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) 148

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Vegetation -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Disruption of wildlife -♦- -♦- Minimal/No impact (0) Aesthetic value -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Influx of people -♦- -♦- Minimal/No impact (0) Increased disease -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Educational -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Disrup. of water supply -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Electricity& other Infr. -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Housing & Settlement -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Vulnerable groups -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Health and Safety -♦- Small Negative (-) Other eco. activities -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Land acquisition -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Agriculture -♦- -♦- Medium Negative (--) Gender -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-) Cultural Heritage -♦- -♦- Small Negative(-) Operational and Maintenance (O&M) Improved Trade -♦- -♦- High Positive (+++) Staff retention -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (++) Soil Erosion reduction -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (++) Installation of Road -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (++) furniture Land appreciation -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (++) Access to HC -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (+) Women empowerment -♦- -♦- Medium Positive (++) Loss of Land Rights -♦- -♦- Small Negative(-) Land conflicts -♦- -♦- Minimal/no impact (0) Increased Accidents -♦- -♦- Minimal/No impact (0) Air pollution -♦- -♦- Minimal/No impact (0) Increased Wastes -♦- -♦- Minimal/ No impact(0) Social fabric -♦- -♦- Small Negative (-)

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7.4 Environment and Social Mitigation Measures

Table 7-4: Mitigation Plan with Costs

Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 Planning phase

Social expectations generated by - Conduct community sensitization and- 50 USD per meeting, one Sub county disclosure and information to the consultations throughout the project cycle meeting per month in each of leaders community. by holding quarterly meetings in every the 9 sub-counties for 3yrs Contractor’s affected sub-county 50 USD x 9 x36 = 16,200 Environmental - Provide all information regarding the- Information brochures lump Manager project and its relationship with the local sum of USD 200 per sub UNRA/Consulta community, including aspects hiring labour county per year for 3 years nt/ES/Project and rights to compensation for loss of Engineers/Road property Inspector - Informing all communities along the road 5,400 the rights to compensation. - Avail sufficient project information in form Total of brochures. USD=21,600 Site preparation and construction phase Increased income / Employment - Sensitization of communities about existing This is included in the cost UNRA/Consulta employment opportunities in the upcoming for sensitization above. nt/Project project and putting a deliberate strategy of Engineer/Road giving local residents first priority for job Inspector

2 Exchange rate estimated USD to UGX is 2000

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Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 opportunities for which they are qualified, before workers from outside the region are hired. The Developer should - The Contractor should investigate local contribute a lump sum of capacity to supply construction materials, USD 500 per sub county goods and services. Whenever goods or towards capacity building services are available on a competitive basis, programmes. 9x500=4500. the policy should be to purchase locally. USD 4,500 - Put in place capacity building programs to enhance entrepreneurship skills for women, young, poor and other vulnerable groups. Contamination of water - Provision for sufficient sanitary facilities for- Cost of 5 Mobile toilets @ USD1,500 Resources the contractor workforce. USD 300 =1500 - Supplementary budget be set aside for the rehabilitation of all the water sources that Cost of Pit latrines at each of will be damaged in liaison with the offices the 3 campsites of the District water officers. Cost to be determinate after evaluating the water sources to be relocated. Disposal of overburden and - Use the spoil to rehabilitate borrows areas- Cost for rehabilitation of stripped vegetation other solid in the project area that were abandoned. borrow areas has been put waste - Any excess spoil should be carefully under impacts resulting from landscaped and re-vegetated while granular borrow pit development. material should be covered - Consultation of owners of proposed dumping areas. 130

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Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 - Sorting of waste at camp sites and provision of dust bins. - Guidelines for managing waste be put in place. Oil spillage and contamination -Vehicle workshop area should be equipped No cost for this activity, the - CEM & of soils with oil interceptor. companies will collect and UNRA/Consulta sell this for use eg in furnaces nt -Companies registered with NEMA to transport and store oil waste (eg JOCCIS in Jinja) should be involved in management of waste. -Drums being used daily should be placed on surfaces which can easily be cleaned. -Drums used for oil storage should be placed on wooden structures as they are easy to handle than contaminated soil -All records of major spillages should be kept to enable proper monitoring -Bitumen if used should be well stored under proper supervision - - Increased noise - Due to its proximity to the Health Centre, - Included in the cost of (UNRA/Consulta another site for the quarry should be purchase of Personnel nt ES and identified Protective Equipment Department of - Schedule noisy construction operations to (PPE) under Health and Occupational be executed during the day (before 6pm) Safety. Safety and Health - Workers exposed to excessive noise should 131

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Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 have hearing protection (quarry area) - Proper maintenance of construction equipment. - Avoid unnecessary vehicle movements. Impacts of Quarries and Borrow - Where possible, more locations for stone To be determined after (CEM, pits. quarries should be identified so that these conducting EIA for borrow UNRA/Consulta alternatives can be compared and the best pit and quarries identified nt and option chosen. for the supply of materials Department of - Separate Environmental Assessments (EA) Geological for the proposed quarry locations should be Surveys and carried out before quarrying activities start Mines to ensure that community concerns are USD 6,470 identified and properly addressed. - Vegetation clearing should be minimised - Valuation of trees and (CEM),UNRA/C Vegetation clearing and forest and restricted to the planned area of the shrubs of economic onsultant and degradation road; importance to be done UWA - Landscaping and re-vegetation - Tree planting budgeted - Trees including Mvule and Musizi be under Aesthetic planted at the boundaries of the road improvement reserve as is the present policy of Ministry of Works and Transport... - Trees should be compensated for or properly harvested for use as timber Decreased Aesthetic and visual - Verges (a soft, grassed strip outside the- Planting of trees and grass for USD 1,640 Contractor value carriageway) should be made wider (2m) whole length (44.5km) of the - The road should be landscaped to blend road at a spacing of 25m on with the surrounding. either side of the road. =3280 132

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Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 - All the exposed areas should be planted trees. Each seedling tree is 143.5 hectares with Trees and grass once construction estimated at Ugx 1000 @ planted at activities are complete. Turfed grass species including labour the cost of at such as Paspalum and couch grass can be- Grassing of all exposed areas Ugx 75,000 per used to quickly hold soils especially on sections where hectare =Ugx - cut and fill has been done. 10,762,500 An estimated area of 35m (USD width on a stretch of 44.5 km 5,381.25) will be grassed so that 15m are left for the road and all the drainage structures and pavements. Influx of people looking for work - Local people should be given priority to - Cost of sensitization (CEM),UNRA/C leading to increased pressure on work. already catered for onsultant, Local facilities (health) and resources - Sensitization of communities in cultural - Awareness campaigns Government and (water, food, wood fuel etc values. included under health and NGOs - Awareness campaigns on the spread of safety Consultant, DEO sexually transmitted diseases like - Tree seedlings estimated at and District HIV/AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhoea, etc 10,000 seedlings to be Forest officer among local communities, workers. distributed each of the 9 - Tree planting programme in partnership Sub counties each seedling with the district Environment and forest at Ugx 300 =(10,000x 9x USD 13,500 officers. 300)=Ugx 27,000,000 Increased risks of Diseases - The project should work closely with - Cost of sensitization USD 21,600 respective government departments, local included in other NGOs, and/or faith based organizations, community sensitization and local communities involved in HIV and programmes. 133

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Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 reproductive health - Cost of hiring Social, - Voluntary Counselling and testing services Health and Environmental to the workers and community members coordinator for 3 years at should constantly be made available. 1,200,000 per month - There is need for continuous sensitization (1,200,000x36 Ugx of the workers and community members 43,200,000) USD = 21,600 about HIV/AIDS and other STDs. - Contractor should hire a Social, Health and Environmental coordinator.

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Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 Disruption of educational - Local authorities to discourage students - Cost for road sign has - (CEM),UNRA/C programmes from seeking employment on the project been put under health and onsultant - School authorities prohibit students from safety getting close to the site. - Install warning signs in places which are - Catered for under likely to be dangerous. compensation of - Contractor should ensure that there are structures clear rules and regulations for site workers - Compensation /replacement for damaged school facilities. - Electing a fence between the road and the schools Disruption of Infrastructure - Relocation of the public utilities - Detailed costs will be done ( Water, electricity etc) - Budgetary allocation of funds specifically in the RAP for repairing damaged utilities. - Budgets should also be provided for alternative water supply Loss of land and structures - Compensate for lost land and structures - Land for compensation is USD 712,500 UNRA/Consulta including graves. - Preparation of Resettlement Action Plan about 570 acres at 2.5 nt and the Local (RAP) detailing costs of compensation and million per acre = Ug Shs Government resettlement. 1,425,000,000 - About 570 acres of land will be acquired USD 5,002.5 and 667 structures (buildings) affected. An average of USD 15,000 Buildings include temporary permanent and per structure has been used semi-permanent 15,000*667=10,005,000

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Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 Health and safety for workers - Provide 3Personal Protective gear to project - Protective wear for 400 USD 40,000 (CEM),UNRA/C and the community workers. estimated at Ugx200,000 per gear onsultant and - Road warning signs and ramble strips 400x200,000=80,000,000 Million (USD DOSH 40,000) should be installed. A minimum of 2 road - 35 Road signs each at USD 7,735 signs and 2 road humps in the 10 trading 442,000x35=15,470,000 (USD 7,735) centres and on two Town councils. - Rumble strips at 4 spots - Diversion roads should be made and traffic per Trading Centre@ at USD 7,680 guides put in place 80,000*4)*4*12 = 15,360,000 (USD - Community sensitization on dangers of 7,680) construction activities. - HIV and other health - HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns issues estimated cost USD 50,000 - Provision of HIV Counselling and Testing =USD 50,000 - Provision of treatment for the workers - Distribution of condoms. Others costs (Road diversion - Ensure stocks of anti-malarial in the , watering (Lump sum) USD project clinic. 50,000 USD 50,000 - Provision of treated mosquito nets to workers. - Road warning signs, humps should be installed. - Constant watering of the road to reduce dust and related diseases. - Regulated speed and enforcement of speed limits for project workers as well as other drivers to minimize accidents.

3 Dust masks, Head gear, Helmets, overalls and gloves 136

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Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 Disruption of economic activities - Alternative route /diversion roads to be - Part of the contract sum. - Contractor’s created and should be Motorable Environmental - Local area LC1 will need to be used to - Relocation of businesses Manager (CEM), inform the community of the development to be calculated during - UNRA/Consul to widen the road. RAP preparation tant - Businesses in non-permanent structure (e.g. Kiosks) and road activities (e.g. Boda boda and taxi stages) should be relocated and can return after construction Impact on agriculture/loss of - Crops lost should be compensated for fairly - Affected crops to be - CEM & crops and promptly as will be laid in the valued UNRA/Consul resettlement action plan. tant Vulnerable groups (elderly, - The developer and contractor should - 50 USD per meeting, 2 - USD 900 - CEM, widows and children) ensure that women are not marginalized meetings (one before start - UNRA/Consul during the employment process. of construction, another tant, Local - Persons below 18 years should not be during construction) in Government employed. each of the 9 sub-counties - Sensitization of Women and young girls - 50*2*9 =900 regarding sexual harassment.

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Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 Negative impacts based on - Jobs should be equitably distributed to both - Cost of sensitization - CEM, gender women and men as long as one has the already included above - UNRA/Consul qualification. tant, Local - Messages of dangers of HIV/AIDS should Government be disseminated to the community all - HIV/AIDS budget is throughout the period of the project. included under health and - The parents should discourage their girls safety from indulging in any kind of relationships with the workers. Those with not work at the site should be restrained from staying there. Improved transport and - Proper and continuous maintenance of this - Part of the contract sum. - - UNRA communication road should be given as high priority Land user rights and land - comprehensive plan for livelihood - Sensitisation already - - conflict , agriculture loss restoration budged for - Provision of seedlings for purposes of - Other costs to be worked replacing affected crops. out in RAP - Transition allowance for household survival during the transition. - Provide sufficient information to the affected, host communities and community leaders prior to allocation of new pieces of land. - Give affected households an opportunity to identify their preferred areas for resettlement. - Consider the plight of Vulnerable groups 138

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Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 Prevention of soil erosion - Involvement of local committees in tree - Participation of local - USD 40,000 - Contractor, planting at the village level is recommended authorities including all UNRA and for sustainability after the contractor has other aspects where they Local left. are needed is estimated at authorities (LC USD 40,000. I and II) Prevention of Road accidents - Road signs with clear messages - - - Distribute high way code brochure in schools neighbouring. - Issues of health and safety should be taken seriously even during the operation and maintenance phase. There should be closer supervision by UNRA of the Contractor’s activities. Poor disposal of silt during - Silt removed from storm drains should be - Supervision budget be - - DEOs, UNRA drainage channel maintenance used to fill ditches and abandoned borrow included in the overall (Environment areas. No heaping of silt in front of budget for O&M Officer) peoples’ homes. - No soil/silt should be left close to the drain as it will go back fill it up again Air pollution from maintenance - Heating of bitumen should be done far Supervision budget be - DEOs, UNRA activities like bitumen heating for away from settlements included in the overall budget (Environment resurfacing - Closer supervision during these activities for O&M Officer) Increased accidents from over- - Ramble strips installed especially at trading Catered for under Health and - Traffic speeding vehicles due to good centres and towns and sensitive areas. Safety above Officers/District road - Enforce speed limits Environmental - Put warning signs in areas where obstacles Officers (DEOs) are likely to be experienced /Engineers 139

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Potential Impact Mitigation Measures/enhancement Cost description and Unit Total Cost Responsibility (USD)2 Air pollution from maintenance - Heating of bitumen be done far away from Supervision budget be DEOs, UNRA activities like bitumen heating for settlements included in the overall budget (Environment resurfacing - Closer supervision should be done during for O&M. Officer) these activities

Total USD 1,004,808.75

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The cost of the mitigation measures for the proposed upgrading of the Bumbobi Bubulo – Lwakhakha road is estimated at USD 1,004,808.75.

Note: The total cost indicated above covers only those items whose information was obtained during the ESIA Study. The total mitigation and Resettlement cost shall be obtained after Resettlement Action Plan has been completed.

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8.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

A standalone Environment and Social Management Plan ( ESMP) has been prepared for this ESIA.

9.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

9.1 Conclusions

A number of envisaged negative impacts of improving the Mbale-Lwakhakha road are not significant, while others will even be less significant when mitigation measures in this report are implemented. Some impacts such as land and structures loss due to the road widening will be permanent. However, to a great extent the road design has followed existing alignment in most cases; with a few geometric adjustments in the towns and trading centres. This impact will therefore not be of great impact. Temporary land take will occur when land is used for borrow pits, quarries and contractor's camps. Land will also be required for temporary diversions (detours) during road construction. Considerable quantities of gravel, rock and embankment fill material will be required during road construction. Borrow pits and quarries might have a diversity of impacts but these will be assessed independently by the contractors who choose specific sites. Upon closure, it will be essential for the contractor to restore to original condition all depleted borrow pits and quarry sites used during road construction. Construction activities pose a possibility of contaminating land and watercourses from bitumen, fuel or oil spillage from construction vehicles and interruption of access to certain services like water supply and power in areas where these mains will be relocated during road construction. Road construction traffic will be associated with noise and dust nuisance and possibly increased road accident risk, especially through settlements and trading centres. Women, children and elderly and disabled people will be particularly at risk.

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All environmental and social concerns will be mitigated as detailed in the ESMP. A framework for the implementation and monitoring of the ESMP has been proposed and budgeted for. Compared to socio-economic benefits of the road project, many of the negative impacts will be insignificant as long as fair compensation and mitigation actions are implemented.

9.2 Recommendations

9.2.1 Institutional Cooperation

The road passes in areas along which there are a number of boreholes, water supply lines, a functional valley and a number of schools. In order to enhance implementation of the proposed mitigation measures there is need for collaboration between UNRA and relevant Districts Departments including water and education. It is imperative that clear roles and responsibilities for the different institutions be streamlined before upgrading activities start.

9.2.2 Sensitization

Continuous sensitization should be done during project Construction, Operation and Maintenance phases. Key issues for emphasis during sensitization include but are not limited to; Health and safety, HIV /AIDS, Opportunities, Compensation issues, Grievance Procedures, Gender issues and others.

9.2.3 Employment Opportunities

The active work force will roughly be 400 of which 350 will be casual labourers. It is recommended that workers should be recruited from the local communities, especially in non-skilled positions, whenever possible. Employing local people will not only benefit the communities but also eliminate the costs of constructing new huts and providing logistics. Local people should be given priority and proper consideration should be made to ensure that some manual work is given to women such as work in the traditionally female areas of cooking and market activities.

9.2.4 Cultural and Archaeological aspects

Although it was indicated in the impacts that only graves are likely to be affected, the staff at the museum suggested that before the start of construction, they could be invited to address the contractors so that chance finds are not ignored. Once these are found, the museum officials should be informed and the finds delivered to the museum.

9.2.5 Water Quality Tests

Once the campsite locations have been identified, water quality tests including bacteriological tests should be carried out on the water sources especially springs and 143

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open waters that will be located nearby before establishment and use of these camps. This will give the baseline on the quality of the water in these sources before any activity so that any contamination resulting from campsite activities can be monitored.

9.2.6 Planning and Co-ordination with Local Authorities

Throughout all phases of the project, local authorities should be informed of the decisions taken by the UNRA and consulted whenever possible. This will ensure good cooperation with the communities and avoid misunderstandings. A committee with representatives from the Districts, Lower local Governments and Communities should be established in order to ease communication during construction.

9.2.7 Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) and Property Valuation

During this ESIA study, indicative property likely to be affected and types of Assets by the road side was documented. This is in line with Annex A of the Involuntary Resettlement Policy of African Development Bank. A RAP detailing individual affected persons, sizes of land and other individual property, grievance procedures, eligibility and criteria, payment mechanism and others is to be carried out in the next phase of this study. Actual valuation of property and crops to be destroyed should be done before construction. During construction, if any damage that was not envisaged is experienced, the valuation of such should be done. This will ensure that the process of compensation is prompt and fair. Further studies for the proposed quarry site are recommended. This is in accordance with the National Environment Act Cap 153, 3rd Schedule Par. 6 where stone quarrying requires a separate Environmental Impact Assessment.

9.3 Complimentary Initiatives

Road construction could entail occupational hazards/ risks and accidents especially involving motorised road construction equipment, asphalt plant and stone quarries. The following measures are proposed to control this risk: f. Landslides: Immediate evacuation of all the workers and equipment in the event of any warning signs of landslides g. Accidents from equipment: Only trained/ certified operators will operate motorised equipment. h. Theft of property: All contractors equipment’s will be stored in one central place manned by a licensed company guard i. Blasting explosives safety: During road construction, the contractor will ensure the following: All explosives are delivered to quarry sites (under Police escort as Uganda’s security requirements demand) on the day of blasting and any remnants returned into police

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custody after blasting. After each blast, site inspection will be conducted for un- detonated explosives. Advance warning is given to local communities near quarry sites before a blasting episode. After each blasting incident, inspection is conducted in communities around quarry sites to identify any offsite damage to private property, which should be duly and equitably compensated. All workers should are adequately protected from risk of fly rock and blasting noise. Stone blasting is done by only licensed blasters. j. Risk of burns/ scald at asphalt plant: This risk will be averted by contractors using only licensed operators following stringent safety guidelines and operation procedures. Operations involving hot bitumen shall be limited to daytime in adequate natural light.

d) Fire safety: Fire safety equipment and personnel will be provided in workers’ camp. Warning signs will be provided at areas of potential fire source, e.g. at fuel storage areas.

e) Medical emergency response: The contractor will have a medical clinic and a standby vehicle to immediately transport any accident victims to a nearby hospital. First Aid facilities will be provided on construction sites, equipment yards and in camps.

9.4 Further recommendations include;

 Communities should be involved in choosing where to put the off –shots. Sometimes they need the storm water in their gardens or in some of the valleys they may want to use for different purposes. This will reduce on the impacts of the storm water (from the off –shots) on the communities.

 A programme of re-planting trees for purposes of beautification and marking road reserve should be seriously considered. Local authorities should as much as possible be involved in replanting. These groups could be facilitated to take up these roles of both planting and maintenance since they will be remaining around other than the Contractor who plants and goes. According the Ministry of Works and Transport, there are supposed to be Road User Committees at the grass root; however, these are not on national roads and are project specific.

 Choice of location of the construction camps should involve the local communities/authorities. This could be located in an area such that the structures could be used as a school or any other community activity  All wetlands should be treated the same way whether degraded or seasonal because it can always change depending on weather dynamics and law enforcement.

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References

1. African Development Bank, 2004. African Development Bank Group’s Policy on the Environment. 2. African Development Bank, 2003. Involuntary Resettlement Policy. 3. African Development Bank, 1992. Environmental Assessment Guidelines. 4. African Development Bank, 1995. Guidelines on Involuntary Displacement and Resettlement in Development Projects. 5. African Development Bank, 2011. Environmental and Social Assessment Procedures for African Development Banks Operations. 6. Manafwa District Five Year Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Strategic Plan Report – 2007-2012. 7. Manafwa District Health and Management Information System Report 2008/2009 8. Manafwa District Health Plan Report 2010-2011 9. Mbale District Environmental Profile (1999 10. Mbale District HIV/AIDS Status Report (2008/2009) 11. Mbale District State of Environment Draft Report 2008 12. The 2002 Uganda Housing and Population Census 13. The Uganda National Water and Environment Sector Performance Report (2009) 14. Karungi Susan and Onward Mandebvu; (2008) The School Quality Improvement Program in Mbale District; SNV Netherlands Development Organisation Case Studies 15. http:en.wikipedia/wiki/combustion (Accessed on 31 January 2011)

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