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Environmental Assessment for Cosecha: a Rainwater Harvesting Project in Southern Honduras

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Environmental Assessment for Cosecha: a Rainwater Harvesting Project in Southern Honduras Environmental Assessment for Cosecha: A Rainwater Harvesting Project in Southern Honduras December 30, 2015 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency1 for International Development (USAID). It was prepared under USAID’s Global Environmental Management Support (GEMS) project. Cover photo: A pilot site for small-scale reservoirs in Moracito, Nacaome, Honduras. Credit: Kathleen Hurley (Cadmus) Signatures Approving this Environmental Assessment January 6, 2016 ___________________________ Daniel M. Evans, Bureau Environmental Officer, USAID Global Development Lab CLEARED VIA EMAIL January 7, 2016 ___________________________ David Ferguson, Director, Center for Development Innovation, USAID Global Development Lab 2 Environmental Assessment for Cosecha A Rainwater Harvesting Project in Southern Honduras December 30, 2015 Prepared for: Development Innovation Ventures Global Development Lab United States Agency for International Development Prepared under: The Global Environmental Management Support Project (GEMS), Award Number AID-OAA-M-11-00021. The Cadmus Group, Inc., prime contractor (www.cadmusgroup.com). With support from Sun Mountain International, principal partner (www.smtn.org). DISCLAIMER Until and unless this document is approved by USAID as a 22 CFR 216 Environmental Assessment, the contents may not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................................ 8 1.0 Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................... 10 1.1 Environmental Assessment Methodology ......................................................................................................... 11 Data Collection & Relevant literature review ...................................................................................................... 12 Mapping /Geospatial Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 12 Stakeholder Consultations ...................................................................................................................................... 12 2.0 Purpose of the EA...................................................................................................................................................... 14 2.1 USAID/Global Development Lab ..................................................................................................................... 15 2.2 Summary of the Regulatory Framework ............................................................................................................ 16 USAID’s 22 CFR 216 Requirements .................................................................................................................... 16 Honduras’ Policy and Institutional Framework for Rainwater Harvesting and EIA ................................... 17 2.3 Purpose of and Need for the Proposed Project ............................................................................................... 18 Project Description .................................................................................................................................................. 18 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................. 19 Site Selection ............................................................................................................................................................. 20 3.0 Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action ......................................................................................................... 22 3.1 Proposed Action .................................................................................................................................................... 22 3.1.2 Project Beneficiaries ...................................................................................................................................... 23 3.1.3 Site Description .............................................................................................................................................. 23 3.2 No-Action Alternative .......................................................................................................................................... 32 3.3 Pump Irrigation from ground water, drilled or traditional well ..................................................................... 33 3.4 Water harvesting with Sprinkler technology ...................................................................................................... 35 4.0 Affected Environment ............................................................................................................................................... 35 4.1 Socioeconomic characteristics ............................................................................................................................. 36 4.1.1 Population ....................................................................................................................................................... 36 4.1.2 Poverty Indices ............................................................................................................................................... 39 4.1.3 Poverty Situation in Municipalities in Southern Honduras ..................................................................... 40 4.2 Basic Infrastructure in Municipalities ................................................................................................................. 40 4.2.1 Roadways ......................................................................................................................................................... 41 4.2.2 Housing ............................................................................................................................................................ 41 4.2.3 Network of Potable Water ............................................................................................................................ 41 4.2.4 Solid Waste Management .............................................................................................................................. 41 4.2.5 Sewage Sanitation ........................................................................................................................................... 42 4.2.6 Education ........................................................................................................................................................ 42 4.2.7 Access to Health Services ............................................................................................................................. 42 4 4.3 Physical and Environmental characteristics....................................................................................................... 42 4.3.1 Topography ..................................................................................................................................................... 42 4.3.2 Climate ............................................................................................................................................................. 43 4.3.3 Honduran Ecoregions ................................................................................................................................... 44 4.3.4 Current Status of Forest Resources............................................................................................................. 45 4.3.4 Soil Resources ................................................................................................................................................. 47 4.3.5 Water Resources and Watershed Management ......................................................................................... 48 4.3.6 Climate Change ............................................................................................................................................... 49 4.4 Local land and natural resources management ................................................................................................. 49 4.4.1 Land Use Patterns .......................................................................................................................................... 50 4.4.2 Poverty and Rural Marginalization .............................................................................................................. 50 4.4.3 Lack of Strategic Planning Practices for Land Use ................................................................................... 51 5.0 Environmental Consequences .................................................................................................................................. 51 5.1 Alternatives eliminated from analysis (and rationale for elimination)................................................................ 52 5.2 Comparison of Environmental Impacts of Alternatives
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