SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: - Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
ROAD SECTOR INSTITUTIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT (RSISTAP)
FEASIBILITY STUDY AND DETAILED ENGINEERING DESIGN FOR
Public Disclosure Authorized UPGRADING TO PAVED (BITUMEN) STANDARD OF SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: DETAILED ENGINEERING DESIGN VOLUME 4A: E833 V. 3 ENVIRONMENTAL AND November 2003 SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
TABLE OF CONTENTS Paae Public Disclosure Authorized 0.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 0-1
0.1. INTRODUCTION .0-1
0.2. BIOPHYSICAL AND HUMAN ENvIRoNmENTs .0-1
0.3. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ROAD WORKS .0-2
0.4. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK .0-3
0.5. PUBLIC CONSULTATION .0-4
0.6. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS .0-4 Public Disclosure Authorized 0.7. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MONITORING .0-5
0.8. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT .0-6
0.9. CONCLUSIONS AND ONRECOMMENDATIONS .0-7
1.0 INTRODUCTION ...... 1-1
1.1. BACKGROUND 1-1
1.2. OBJECTIVES OF EIA AND SIA .1-1
1.3. APPROACH TO THE ASSIGNMENT .1-1 1.3.1. EIA/SIA .1-1 Public Disclosure Authorized 1.3.2. Public Consultation .1-3
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2.0 BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ...... 2-1
2.1. TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATEAND RAINFALL .2-1
2.2. GEOLOGYAND SOILS .2-1
2.3. HYDROLOGY AND DRAINAGE .2-2
2.4. LAND USE. 2-2
2.5. WATER RESOURCES .2-3
2.6. WETLANDS .2-3
2.7. VEGETATION/FLORA .2-3
2.8. FORESTS .2-4
2.9. WILDLIFE/FAUNA .2-5
2.10. MINERALS ...... 2-6
2.11. TOURISM ...... 2-6
3.0 HUMAN ENVIRONMENT ...... 3-1
3.1. ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP .3-1
3.2. LAND TENURE .. 3-1
3.3. POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS .3-3
3.4. SETTLEMENT TRENDS .3-6
3.5. ETHNICITYANDLANGUAGE .3-7
3.6. AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES .3-7
3.7. LIVESTOCK .3-9
3.8. FISHERIES .3-9
3.9. OTHER ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES .3-10
3.10. EMPLOYMENTPATTERNS ...... 3-11
3.11. HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ...... 3-12
3.12. HEALTH PROFILE ...... 3-14
3.13. EDUCATION PROFILE...... 3-17
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4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ROAD WORKS ...... 4-1
4.1. LOCATION. 4-1 4.1.1. Soroti District .4-1 4.1.2. Kaberamaido District .4-1 4.1.3. Lira District .4-2 4.1.4. Apac District .4-2
4.2. THE AREA OF INFLUENCE OF THE PROJECT ROAD .4-2
4.3. PHASES OF THE SOROTI - LIRA RoAD PROJECT .4-3
4.4. ROAD DESIGN. 4-4 4.4.1. Approach. 4-4 4.4.2. Design Specifications and Details .4-7 4.4.3. Construction Materials .Errorl Bookmark not defined. 4.4.4. Construction Methodology .Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.4.5. Contractor's Camp .Error! Bookmark not defined.
5.0 POLICY, LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ...... 5-1
5.1. POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK ...... 5-1 5.1.1. The Ugandan Legal Context ...... 5-1 5.1.2. Compensation and Resettlement ...... 5-3
5.2. INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES ...... 5-4
6.0 PUBLIC CONSULTATION ...... 6-1
7.0 ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS ...... 7-1
7.1. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS .7-1 7.1.1. Changes in Hydrology and Drainage .7-1 7.1.2. Soil Erosion .Error! Bookmark not defined. 7.1.3. Pollution .7-4
7.1.4. Materials Sources .Errorl Bookmark not defined. 7.1.5. Wildlife / Fauna .7-10 7.1.6. Wetlands .7-10 7.1.7. Workmen's / Contractors' Camps .7-10 7.1.8. Construction Waste .7-11 7.1.9. Clean Up on Completion .7-11 7.1.10. Workmen's / Contractor's Camp .7-11 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineerng Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
7.1.11. Construction Waste ...... 7-12 7.1.12. Clean Up on Completion ...... 7-12
7.2. ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL/ SocIo-EcONOMIC IMPACTS ...... 7-12 7.2.1. Settlement ...... 7-12 7.2.2. Loss of Land/Property ...... 7-13 7.2.3. Loss of Crops ...... Errorl Bookmark not defined. 7.2.4. Employment Opportunities ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. 7.2.5. Trade and Commerce ...... 7-16 7.2.6. Agricultural Activities ...... 7-16 7.2.7. Livestock ...... 7-17 7.2.8. Fisheries . 7-17 7.2.9. Public Health and Occupational Safety ...... 7-17 7.2.10. Health Services ...... 7-18 7.2.11. Education ...... 7-19 7.2.12. Disturbance to the Public ...... 7-19 7.2.13. Road Safety ...... 7-19 7.2.14. Archaeological or Cultural Sites ...... 7-20 7.2.15. Visual Impacts ...... 7-20 7.2.16. Other Infrastructure Services.7-0 ...... 7-20 7.2.17. Political Impact ...... Errorl Bookmark not defined.
7.3. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS ...... 7-22 7.4. COMPARISON OF PROJECT ALIGNMENTS ...... 7-26
8.0 MITIGATION OF ADVERSE IMPACTS .. 8-1
8.1. MITIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ...... 8-1 8.1.1. Hydrology and Drainage ...... 8-1 8.1.2. Erosion Control ...... 8-2 8.1.3. Pollution Control ...... 8-2 8.1.4. Materials Sources ...... 8-4 8.1.5. Deviations ...... 8-5 8.1.6. Vegetation ...... 8-5 8.1.7. Forests ...... 8-5 8.1.8. Wildlife / Fauna ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. 8.1.9. Wetlands ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. 8.1.10. Workmen's / Contractors' Camps ...... Error! Bookmark not derined. 8.1.11. Visual Impacts ...... Error! Bookmark not derined.
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8.1.12. Construction Waste ...... Error! Bookmark not derined. 8.1.13. Clean Up oCompletion n ...... 8-8
8.2. MITIGATIoN OF SOCIAL.IMPACTS ...... 8-8 8.2.1. Immigration and Settlement ...... 8-8 8.2.2. Loss of Land, Property and Crops ...... 8-8 8.2.3. Employment Opportunities ...... 8-10 8.2.4. Livestock ...... 8-10 8.2.5. Public Health and Occupational Safety ...... 8-10 8.2.6. Education ...... 8-10 8.2.7. Disturbance to Public ...... 8-10 8.2.8. Road Safety ...... 8-11 8.2.9. Archaeological and Cultural Sites ...... 8-11 8.2.10. Other Infrastructure Services ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. 8.2.11. Political Impact ...... Error! Bookmark not defined.
8.3. COST OF MITIGATION ...... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
9.0 MITIGATION OF ADVERSE IMPACTS ...... 9-1
9.1. MITIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS .9-1 9.1.1. Hydrology and Drainage .9-1 9.1.2. Erosion Control .9-2 9.1.3. Pollution Control .9-2 9.1.4. Materials Sources .9-4 9.1.5. Deviations .9-5 9.1.6. Vegetation .9-5 9.1.7. Forests .9-5 9.1.8. Wildlife / Fauna .9-6 9.1.9. Wetlands .9-6 9.1.10. Workmen's / Contractors' Camps ...... 9-6 9.1.11. Visual Impacts ...... 9-7 9.1.12. Construction Waste ...... 9-7 9.1.13. Clean Up on Completion ...... 9-8
9.2. MITIGATION OF SOCIAL IMPACTS .9-8 9.2.1. Immigration and Settlement .9-8 9.2.2. Loss of Land, Property and Crops .9-8 9.2.3. Employment Opportunities .9-10 9.2.4. Livestock .9-10
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9.2.5. Public Health and Occupational Safety ...... 9-10 9.2.6. Education ...... 9-10 9.2.7. Disturbance to Public ...... 9-10 9.2.8. Road Safety ...... 9-11 9.2.9. Archaeological and Cultural Sites ...... 9-11 9.2.10. Other lnfrastructure Services ...... 9-12 9.2.11. Political Impact ...... 9-12
9.3. COST OF MITIGATION ...... 9-12
10.0 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT MONITORING ...... 10-1
10.1. MONITORING PROCESS ...... 10-1
10.2. IDENTIFICATION OF PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ...... 10-1
10.3. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MONITORING COSTS ...... 10-3
11.0 PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ...... 11-1
11.1. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT .11-1
11.2. OTHER MEASURES TO ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT .11-1 11.2.1. Training .11-1 11.2.2. Safety Manual .11-10 11.2.3. Emergency Response Plan .11-11
11.3. INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES .11-11
12.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 12-1
12.1. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS ...... 12-1
12.2. RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 12-2
APPENDICES Appendix 1: Consultant's Team Appendix 2: List of References Appendix 3: List of People Consulted Appendix 4: Records / Minutes of Public Consultation Appendix 5: Water Quality Sampling Report
Appendix 6: Additional Data I Records Used During the Analysis Appendix 7: Technical Explanation of Impact Weighting Methodology
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Appendix 8: HIV/AIDS Campaign Appendix 9: Quarry Rehabilitation Plan Appendix 10: Costs of Mitigation Appendix 11: Terms of Reference for This Study
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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
AOI Area of Influence CBO Community Based Organisation CMR Child Mortality Rate EIA Environmental Impact Assessment FBO Faith Based Organisation GoU Government of Uganda IEC Information, Education and Communication IGA Income Generating Activity IMR Infant Mortality Rate km Kilometre LC Local Council MMR Maternal Mortality Rate NAADS National Agricultural Advisory Services NGO Non - Govemment Organisation NNMR Neo-Natal Mortality Rate PAP Project Affected People RAP Resettlement Action Plan SIA Social Impact Assessment STD Sexually Transmitted Disease(S) TFR Total Fertility Rate TOR Terms of Reference VCT Voluntary Counselling and Testing Services UBOS Uganda Bureau of Statistics UDHS Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, 2000-2001 UNHS Uganda National Household Survey 1999/2000
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0.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
0.1. INTRODUCTION
The road from Soroti to Lira forms the only unpaved link in the national paved road circuit north of Kampala. The eastern section of the circuit connects Kampala via Jinja and the border with Kenya, to Mbale and Soroti, while the western section comprises the Kampala- Karuma-Kamudini-Lira paved roads. The road is approximately 125 km in length, connecting the principal trading centres of Otuboi, Dokolo, Agwata and Adwila. Its upgrading to bitumen standard is considered to be important, not only in terms of completing the national paved road circuit, but also for transit traffic from Kenya to the Democratic Republic of Congo and southern Sudan.
The Government of Uganda (GoU) has received an International Development Association (IDA) credit, which it intends to apply towards the upgrading of the Soroti-Lira Road. In January 2003, H.P. Gauff lngenieure GmbH & Co. in association with Multiplan Consulting Engineers was awarded the contract to carry out a feasibility study and engineering design for the upgrading of the project road.
The study has been carried out in two phases: Phase I comprised the economic feasibility, preliminary environmental and social impact assessments, preliminary resettlement action plan and preliminary design, while Phase II covers the detailed environmental and social impact assessments, detailed resettlement action plan, detailed engineering design, and preparation of pre-qualification and bidding documents for the project road.
This report presents the findings of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment undertaken in Phase II. The objectives of the EIA/SIA Study are to investigate the possible environmental and social impacts resulting from the construction and operation of the proposed upgrading of the Soroti-Lira Road to bitumen standard. The preliminary study examined the existing alignment and a number of proposed realignments, of varying length, in order to compare the benefits and disbenefits of each option. The present study examines in more detail the environmental and social impacts of upgrading the road along the preferred alignment as evaluated in the feasibility study, namely alignment Option1.
The preliminary phase of this study was conducted between January and June 2003, in tandem with the economic feasibility and preliminary engineering studies.
0.2. BIOPHYSICAL AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENTS
The altitude within the project area ranges from approximately 1,036 m to 1,143 m (3,400 to 3,750 ft) above sea level. In topographic terms, the project road for the most part traverses gently undulating terrain, with occasional gently sloping hills.
The project area's climate is influenced by its altitude and its proximity to Lakes Kojwero, Kwania and Kyoga.
The geological formations of the project area comprise the basement complex consisting mainly of undifferentiated gneisses including partly granitized and metamorphosed formations.
The main watershed within the project area in Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts, as well as Lira District south of Boroboro and Akalu sub-county in Apac District drains south into Lake
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Kyoga/Lake Kwania Swamp Complex. North of Boroboro up to Lira Town, drainage flows westward in the Kyoga-Nile basin.
Approximately 50% and 64%, respectively, of Soroti and Lira Districts is under small-scale cultivation, whilst roughly 33% and 12.5% comprises grassland that is used for grazing. Open water and swamps make up about 12% of the total area in the project districts.
The most dominant vegetation type in the project area is the moist Combretum savanna associated with Hyperrhenia rufa. The project road bisects the Kachung Central Forest Reserve in Lira District.
There are no protected wildlife areas within the project districts, and therefore the project area is relatively devoid of wildlife; however, avifauna is prolific.
Three of the four land tenure systems found in Uganda occur in the project districts and the area of influence, viz: Customary, Leasehold and Freehold, the predominant one being customary land tenure. There is no Mailo tenure within the project area.
The total population of the area of influence of the project road is estimated at 348,372 (roughly 69,000 households), of which 217,123 are rural and 131,249 are urban. The major tribes within the project area are Kumam, Iteso, Langi and Acholi.
The major economic activity in the project area is subsistence farming, with some crops being grown for sale. Major food crops grown are cassava, millet beans, sorghum, groundnuts, potatoes, pigeon peas, cowpeas and maize. The major cash crop is cotton, but potatoes and groundnuts are increasingly being grown as cash crops as well.
The main source of income is therefore crop farming. Monthly rural household incomes average around UgShs 70,000, while urban incomes are estimated at an average of UgShs 100,000 per month in the project area.
Malaria, acute respiratory infections (ARI) and gastro-intestinal illnesses are the most prevalent diseases in the project districts.
Literacy levels in the project districts vary from 61 % to 65%.
0.3. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ROAD WORKS
The project road lies between latitudes 010 43' and 020 15' north of the Equator, and longitudes 32 0 52' and 33 0 36' east of the Prime Meridian.
The Soroti-Lira Road traverses three districts, namely Soroti, Kaberamaido and Lira Districts, although there is a very small section of road that runs along the border between Akalu sub- county in Apac District and Amach sub-county in Lira District.
The existing project road is 124.6 km in length, of which the last 10.5 km are already sealed. Various realignment options were considered for evaluation in the Feasibility Study. Essentially, these were:
i) A minimal realignment option for improved engineering, adhering to the existing alignment as much as possible, with minor improvements to smoothen out bends resulting in a road 123.04 km in length;
ii) An intermediate realignment option;
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iii) An optimum economic and engineered realignment option (to achieve maximum viable shortening of route).
The three alignment options were subjected to technical investigations, environmental and social impact assessments and economic appraisal during the feasibility phase of the project. The Feasibility Study concluded that the alignments proposed under Option 1, which substantially follows the existing road, be adopted for the upgrading of the road. This report is therefore primarily concemed with the environmental and social impacts of the Option 1 alignment.
The width of the carriageway is expected to be 6m, with shoulders of 1.5 - 2.Om and a total construction width of the road ranging from 13 m to 20 m.
The project road is categorized as a Class II bitumen road: consequently it has a road reserve of 30 m in rural areas, and 20 m in urban areas.
0.4. POLIcY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK
It is intended that this project comply with all Ugandan legal requirements. Existing laws applicable to environmental and social management with respect to this particular road project are: * The Constitution of Uganda 1995 * The National Environment Statute 1995 * The Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 1998 * The Local Governments Act 1997 * The Land Act 1998 * The Roads Act 1964 * The Town and Country Planning Act 1964 * The SurveyAct 1964 * The National Gender Policy 1997 * The National Forestry and Tree Planting Act 2003 * The Water Statute 1995
* The National Policy on the Conservation and Management of Wetland Resources 1995 * The Uganda Wildlife Statute 1996
While the National Environment Management Authority is responsible overall for the coordination of sectoral environmental issues, RAFU must ensure that environmental and social impact assessments for road projects are adequately carried out, that mitigation is incorporated as appropriate, and that the construction process is environmentally and legally compliant. Furthermore, RAFU will be responsible for monitoring the environmental and social repercussions of the road project after its completion.
With regard to the compensation and resettlement issues, the main items of legislation are the Constitution of Uganda and the Land Act. In this regard, the prime participants are the Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment (compensation and valuation), the Prime Ministers Office (resettlement) and RAFU (the Lead Agency). RAFU therefore must take the responsibility for resettlement, and identification and coordination of the other players. In
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addition, the Uganda Land Commision, District Land Boards, Land Tribunal and Local Councils need to be involved.
0.5. PUBLIC CONSULTATION
Due to the insecurity that has arisen in the project area, public consultations have been limited to interviews and discussions with stakeholders (including road users, transporters, and roadside communities), members of the various levels of LCs, and informal group discussions at the key trading centers. A Resettlement Action Plan has been prepared as a separate document.
This information has been compiled to construct a comprehensive social baseline of the Project Affected People (PAP) as well as the communities in which they live. It has not been possible to conduct the detailed social survey of the PAP nor undertake the cadastral survey and valuation of affected lands and buildings for compensation purposes due to the deterioration of security since June 2003.
0.6. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS
The primary objective of upgrading the Soroti-Lira Road is to enhance the national road network by providing a paved link connecting the eastern and westem sections of the national paved road circuit. Currently the road is functional, but in poor condition. In the shorter term, the upgrading of the project road will facilitate trade between Kenya and northern Uganda, as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo and southern Sudan. It is anticipated that in the long term economic gain will accrue to the area of influence of the project road due to stimulated agricultural production and fishing activities. A better road will lead to improved transportation services, which in tum will result in better access to health centres, improved delivery of social services by the Government (particularly in the health, education and agriculture sectors), and increased secondary school enrolment rates. These socio-economic benefits will contribute to higher household income levels and improved standards of living.
The project road is an existing one, which mainly traverses an area of non-uniform smallholder cultivation. Advantage can therefore be taken of the residual value of the existing road, including the existing road reserve, the reduced need for clearance of vegetation along the alignment, the materials of the existing road bed and swamp crossings and the existing cross-drainage and culverts. However, some minor realignment options have been considered which will pass through communal or private land.
At this stage, the major environmental issue of concern is the construction of the road through the Kachung Forest Reserve. The forest will be affected because of the realignment of the road to avoid the Kachung water pipeline. Acquisition of the extended road reserve will require an administrative order to be arranged between RAFU and the Forest Department.
Rehabilitation of the existing, and construction of new, swamp crossings will have impacts of similar magnitude on the wetland systems, mainly in the form of sediment loading.
No other environmental impacts of significant magnitude are foreseen that cannot be mitigated or that would hinder the proposed upgrading of the project road, whether along the existing alignment or the realignments. The hydrology and natural drainage of the area will not be greatly affected. Pollution due to air, dust, noise, oil and sediments will occur during construction and continue during operation. These impacts can be mitigated. Soil erosion is also likely to occur, particularly as a result of earthworks and excavation of gravel pits; but this can be mitigated. Water quality sampling has been undertaken at five swamp sites along
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the project road in order to enable monitoring of the impacts of sedimentation and oil contamination on the wetlands. Impacts on natural vegetation and wildlife/avifauna are considered to be minor. The road works will not harm any sites that are historically, culturally or environmentally sensitive.
The most significant social impact, however, is the loss of land and property for the road and its road reserve. This makes call for the preparation of a compensation and resettlement action plan. It is estimated that compensation for land, structures and crops (assuming a 15% disturbance allowance) will be UgShs 1,400,125,000. It must be noted that this cost does not include the cost of implementation of the RAP or income restoration activities; these can only be determined once security had improved.
There will also be temporary loss of land for gravel pits and hardstone sites, the workmen's camps and deviations, if necessary. People inhabiting these areas must be compensated for crops lost, and buildings/structures removed for the purposes of road construction.
The proposed realignments will bypass trading centers. A number of people consulted at the trading centres at Tiriri, Lwala and Agwata expressed concern on this aspect. In order to address their concerns, consideration should be given to the construction of link roads to connect the bypassed centres to the project road.
Impacts on public health are associated with pollution, occupational health and safety, STDtAIDS (encouraged by an influx of labour into the trading centres and terminal towns and during operation due to truck drivers), and the disposal of solid, liquid and sanitary waste. Proposals have been made to address these impacts. Disturbance to the public will also occur during and after construction. In this regard, it has been recommended that parking bays be constructed in the terminal towns where heavy vehicles can park and carry out maintenance activities if need be. Contamination by oil can also be reduced in this way and road safety will be enhanced.
The Contractor's/workmen's camps must not stress local fuel wood and water supplies at the expense of the local population. The contractors must maintain camp hygiene. There will be an increase in the number of vehicles plying the road as a result of its improvement, and higher traffic speeds will be the norm. Such higher speeds will increase the danger to non-motorised traffic and livestock. The provision of shoulders and installation of road signs will help to mitigate these impacts.
Other impacts relate to visual intrusion, construction waste and clean up after construction. These are relatively minor impacts which can be mitigated.
0.7. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MONITORING
Environmental and social monitoring allows measures to be implemented in order to prevent or avert negative impacts. The overall objective of environmental and social monitoring is to ensure that activities carried out during road construction and operation are environmentally and socially acceptable, and therefore sustainable. The activities and respective indicators that have been recommended to monitor specific impacts are summarized in Table 0.1 below:
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Table 0.1: Summary of Environmental and Social Monitoring
lmpactlAspect I Monitoring Activity Performance Indicator ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING Changes in hydrologyrimpeded - Monitor efficiency of drainage No. of blocked culverts drainage drainage structures ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~noticedNo. of new culverts where ponding is - Assess impact on erosion (on road, off Amount of siltation in side drains Soil erosion road, embankments, riverbanks, etc) Amount of erosion in side drains Soilerosion - Monitor efficiency of erosion control Quality of water at 5 swamp sites measures Water pollution - Monitor water quality Quality of water at 5 swamp sites Oil pollution - Monitor oil pollution in water bodies Quality of water at 5 swamp sites - Compensate individuals/ communities No. of people compensated Gravel sites as required for use of material - Rehabilitate gravel sites Use of site, established vegetation Hardstone sources - Compensate individuals/ communities No. of people compensated ~~~~~~~~~~~asrequired for use of material ______- Pay compensation for crops/property No. of people compensated Deviations removed/ destroyed by deviations - Monitor rehabilitation of deviabons No. of deviations fully rehabilitated SOCIAL MONITORING - Implement RAP No. of people relocated No. of people compensated Loss of land/property No. of grievances reported No. of income restoration activities initiated - Pay compensation for all crops outside No. of people compensated road reserve that are removed/ Loss of crops destroyed for clearing of carriageway, gravel pits and deviations - Compensation to be paid for perennial No. of people compensated crops within road reserve Lvestock movement - Monitor livestock kills No. of livestock killed - Use of PPE No. of road workers not wearing PPE Public Health and Occupational - Monitor impact on public health with Reported cases per month for each Safety regard to malaria, respiratory diseases, disease STDs (HIVMAIDS) - Impact on road safety No. of settlements covered during Road Safety road safety campaign No. of accidents along each link - Recruit local people No. of local people employed Employment - At least 25% of employees should be No. of women employed women - Monitor changes in Monthly income eamed income/expenditure levels Monthly expenditure Socio-economic status - Monitor changes in health status No. of people visiting health facilities - Monitor changes in education levels Morbidity rates Literacy levels School enrolment - Monitor changes in land use Area covered by settlement Area of arable land Land use Area of pasture Area of degraded land Area of shrub/bushland Area of social land - Changes in agricultural production and Crop yields, %sold / consumed at Economic activity in project area marketing home - Changes in livestock production and No. and type of livestock kept marketing No. and type of livestock sold
0.8. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT
An environmental and social management plan has been prepared to cover all the phases of the project life: planning, design, construction, defects liability, operation and maintenance. The plan describes each of the main mitigation measures to be implemented, their frequency, and who should be responsible during and after construction. Environmental and social monitoring, as integral parts of the EMP, have also been included.
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Prior to mobilisation, the Contractors should also prepare their own EMP/SMPs for review by RAFU and the Supervising Engineers. In their schedules of works, the Contractors must include all proposed mitigation measures, and the Supervising Engineers should ensure that the schedules and monitoring plans are complied with. This will also lend a sense of ownership to the Contractors, in addition to instilling in them a thorough understanding of the pertinent issues.
Other means to enhance environmental management during the project life include training of District Executive Engineers, the Supervising Engineers and the Contractors in environmental awareness and management relevant to road construction, operation and maintenance. In addition, the Contractors must each prepare a Safety Manual and an Emergency Response Plan.
The responsibility for implementing all the proposed mitigation measures (and ensuring that they are serviceable) during construction and the defects liability period will lie with the Supervising Engineers and the Contractors. RAFU will have the overall task of ensuring that mitigation is in fact implemented. After the defects liability period, responsibility for the maintenance of the project road will lie with the District Works Offices.
0.9. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The project road will result in appreciable benefits to the people in its area of influence, as well as beyond the terminal towns of Soroti and Lira.
A number of environmental and social impacts will result from the upgrading of the road. The main issues of concem revolve around the relocation of people along the existing and proposed realignments, and land take in the Kachung Forest Reserve. In order to reduce the amount of compensation and relocation, it is recommended that the width of the road reserve in peri-urban and urban areas be reduced from 30m to 20m..
In addition, the following recommendations have been proposed for the prevention and mitigation of any adverse impacts:
* Acceptable provisions for drainage;
* Controlled earthworks along road and at gravel pits, and appropriate seasonal timing;
* Installation of erosion control measures;
* Landscaping and re-vegetation of all disturbed areas (pits, deviations, road embankments, camp sites, other cleared areas);
* Planning and controlling access to gravel and hardstone sites;
* Proper management of excavation activities;
* Controlled blasting;
* Discouragement of pits being made into water pans after construction;
* Rehabilitation of old unused gravel pits;
* Extraction of sand to be restricted to the beds of large rivers during periods of low flow;
* Control of speed of construction vehicles;
* Imposition of speed limits for all vehicles, especially through towns and villages;
* Prohibition of idling of vehicles;
0-7 SOROTI - LIRA RoAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineerng Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
* Sensitization of workforce, drivers of construction vehicles, motorists and road users; * Maintenance of plant and equipment; * Maintenance of construction vehicles to be carried out in the Contractor's camp; * Planting of trees in trading centres and terminal towns as a pollution screens; care for treeslplants; * Proper disposal of construction debris and clean up of site; * Provision of proper handling, storage and disposal of oil and oil wastes; * Provision of adequate (potable and general purpose) water supply and sanitation facilities; * Provision of proper disposal of wastewaterl sewage at Contractor's/ workmen's camps; * Construction of parking bays at terminal towns for heavy vehicles, with oil interceptors in drains; * Management of use of water; * Planning of deviations, adhering to road reserve if possible; * Obtaining permission from inhabitants /community if deviations go outside road reserve; * Reinstatement of deviations to original condition; * Controlled clearing; * Avoiding clearing using herbicides; * Discouraging use of firewood/charcoal by workforce by providing altematives; * Location of camps in main trading centres/towns; * Providing central canteen facilities for site workforce; * Identification of project affected people (as part of RAP); * Notification of local population about non-compensation for annual crops within road reserve; * Informing people living at/near the sites that the pits have been selected for exploitation; * Implementation of compensation and resettlement action plan; * Consultation with Sub County chiefs and LCIII members during the implementation of the RAP; * Payment of compensation for land, property and crops on land to be acquired for the road and road reserve, as well as land used for deviations, gravel/hardstone sHtes; * Recruitment of local people, with particular emphasis on women; * Erection of warning signs, especially at schools and health centres * Conducting STD/AIDS awareness campaigns and distributing condoms * Provision of protective gear to workforce * Provision of link roads to bypassed centres * Provision of first aid kits on site
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* Appointment of Health, Safety and Environment officer on site * Ensuring Contractor has workmen's compensation cover * Avoidance of all graves.
Measures that can be included in the tender documents have been italicised so that, wherever possible, mitigation measures are included in the Engineering Drawings, Specifications and Bills of Quantities.
Diligence on the part of the Contractors and proper supervision during both the construction and defects liability period are crucial to the success of mitigating impacts. Once the road is in use, maintenance is a key factor in protecting the environment.
The cost of incorporating the recommended mitigation measures, including compensation and resettlement activities, is summarized in Table 0.2 below:
Table 0.2: Summary of Mitigation Costs Alignmen Total Mitigation Total Mitigation Alignment '000 UgShs US $
alignment 5,754,264 2,877,132
alignment 5,381,689 2,690,845
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1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1. BACKGROUND
The road from Soroti to Lira forms a link in the national paved road circuit north of Kampala. The eastern section of the circuit connects Kampala with Jinja, the border with Kenya, Mbale and Soroti, while the western section comprises the Kampala-Karuma-Kamudini-Lira paved roads. The Soroti-Lira section is the only link in the circuit that is not paved. Its upgrading to bitumen standard is considered to be important, not only in terms of completing the national paved road circuit, but also for transit traffic from Kenya to the Democratic Republic of Congo and southern Sudan.
The Soroti-Lira Road is approximately 125 km in length, connecting the principal trading centres of Otuboi, Dokolo, Agwata and Adwila. Its location is shown on Map 1. In 1991, M/s Norconsult International AS carried out a feasibility and preliminary engineering study. Subsequently, in 1992, M/s Sir Alexander Gibb prepared a detailed engineering design. Under the Northern Uganda Reconstruction Project (NURP), the road was rehabilitated in 1995. However, since then no major rehabilitation works have been carried out.
Against this background, the Government of Uganda (GoU) intends to apply a portion of the International Development Association (IDA) credit it has received towards the upgrading of the Soroti-Lira Road. In January 2003, Gauff Ingenieure GmbH & Co was awarded the contract to carry out a feasibility study and engineering design for the upgrading of the project road. The study has been carried out in two phases: Phase I comprised the economic feasibility, preliminary environmental and social impact assessments, preliminary resettlement action plan and preliminary design, while Phase II covers the detailed environmental and social impact assessments, detailed resettlement action plan, detailed engineering design, and the preparation of pre-qualification and bidding documents for the project road.
1.2. OBJECTIVES OF EIA AND SIA The objectives of the EIA/SIA Study are to investigate the possible environmental and social impacts resulting from the construction and use of the Soroti-Lira Road when upgraded to bitumen standard as proposed. The study examines the existing alignment, and a number of proposed minor and major realignments in order to compare the benefits and disbenefits of each option.
1.3. APPROACH TO THE ASSIGNMENT 1.3.1. EIA I SIA The preliminary phase of this study was conducted between January and June 2003, in tandem with economic feasibility and preliminary engineering studies. As part of the preliminary phase, the Environmental Consultant visited the field in January 2003. During this period, the project road was inspected, and meetings were held in Soroti, Lira and Kampala. The purpose of the initial field visit was to familiarise the Consultant with the project area, and to gain an understanding of the issues arising (existing and potential) in order to plan in detail the approach to the environmental and social impact assessments, as well as the resettlement action plan.
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Subsequently the Environmental Consultant and Sociologist visited the project area in May 2003. During this visit, the project road was examined in detail in order to establish actual and potential environmental and social impacts which could result from the road project and develop the social baseline. Areas that would be affected by each of the proposed realignments were visited. Proposed borrow pits were inspected, and baseline water quality samples were taken.
The Cadastral Surveyor and Land Valuer conducted investigations during May 2003 to present an assessment of the compensation value and to estimate the number of people affected by the road project, as well as determine the need for physical relocation of persons. It has not been possible to undertake the detailed household survey of affected persons (PAPs), nor the specific cadastral surveys of land and assets required, due to the insecurity that has arisen in the project area since June 2003. The insecurity has not only resulted in preventing the Consultant's personnel from visiting the field but also in the displacement of the local population causing the intended exercises to be unachievable. The cadastral survey, in which all dwellings, structures, crops, trees, etc, within the road reserve are to be valued item by item for the purposes of compensation, land acquisition and transfer of title deeds, will be undertaken when the security situation permits and the local population has re- established itself. 1.3.2. Public Consultation
The Consultant recognizes that it is most important that people are aware of developments that are going on or planned for in their localities, more so when it involves their land and their neighbourhood. Local communities have intimate knowledge of their natural, physical, cultural and social environment and are therefore best placed to assist in the identification of potential environmental and social issues, as well as for proposing practical solutions for any adverse repercussions. Moreover, if people are told well in advance of such projects, and the possibility that these projects may impact on them, they can prepare and plan for any upheavals or changes to their lifestyles. The mental and social impact of the project on the communities is consequently diminished. This road project will involve compensating, and possibly relocating, a number of people. World Bank experience indicates that if involuntary resettlement occurs as a result of a development project, the economic, social and environmental consequences can be dire, resulting in long-term hardship, impoverishment and subsequently environmental damage. The World Bank's involuntary resettlement policy therefore aims at safeguarding the project affected people (PAP), and mitigating impoverishment risks (refer World Bank Operational Policy 4.12 on Involuntary Resettlement). The resettlement policy framework for both RAFU and the World Bank requires that public consultation takes place right from the planning stages of a project through to its implementation and operation, so that the local communities are involved in the identification of environmental problems and solutions. During the Inception Phase, informal discussions were held with transport operators (truckers, taxi drivers/owners, and a bus inspector) at Lira to elicit, among other things, their view on the current status of the road, transport problems associated with it and whether upgrading the road from Soroti to Lira would be beneficial to them. Public consultations in Phases I and 11have been limited to informal interviews and discussions with stakeholders (including road users, transporters, and road side communities), members of the LC I and IlIl in Soroti, Kaberamaido, and Lira Districts, and informal group discussions at the key trading centers (Oculoi, Tiriri, Otuboi, Lwala and Agwata), as well as with other stakeholders who may be affected by the road project. A list of persons consulted is presented in Appendix 3.
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A social baseline of the PAP as well as the communities in which they live is presented in Chapter 3. More detailed public consultations to obtain further information of projected affected people (PAP) to construct a detailed social baseline of the PAP will be implemented through a structured household survey, and consultations with the public through organized meetings at LC I and LC Ill level once the security situation improves.
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2.0 BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
This chapter describes the current biophysical sefting around the project area and its area of influence, and generally refers to the sub-counties through which the road project will pass. Data and information presented here have been sourced from various documents which were used for reference, in particular the District State of the Environment Reports and the District Environmental Profiles for Lira and Soroti Districts (these have not yet been produced for Kaberamaido District), as well as the Statistical Abstract 2002. In addition, a considerable amount of information has been gleaned from discussions held with key informants in Kampala, Entebbe, Soroti District, Kaberamaido District and Lira District. Full lists of persons and references consulted are presented in Appendices 2 and 3, respectively. 2.1. TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATE AND RAINFALL
There is little variation in altitude within the project area, which ranges from approximately 1,036 m to 1,143 m (3,400 to 3,750 ft) above sea level. In topographic terms, the project road for the most part traverses gently undulating terrain, with occasional gently sloping hills. The section of road with the most undulations is that between Otuboi and Dokolo, and the last 20 km or so up to Lira town.
The project area's climate is influenced by its altitude and its proximity to Lakes Kojwero, Kwania and Kyoga, and the large areas of swamp that flank the project road. The annual mean maximum temperature ranges between 25.50 C and 31.10 C, the hottest month being February. The annual mean minimum temperature ranges from 180 C to 220 C, the coolest months being June and July.
The project area experiences two rainy seasons: between March and July (peaking in April/May) and from AugusVSeptember to November. There is a short dry spell between July and August, and a longer one between November and March. Average annual rainfall ranges from 1,200 to 1,500 mm per year. Rainfall varies across the project area, decreasing towards the north and east.
Relative humidity (average mean at 1200 hours) for Lira District ranges from 35% in January to 62% in June and July. In Soroti District, it ranges from 35% in January to 57% during May, June, July and August.
The wind generally blows from the north-east from around March to June. The wind turns from October to December, blowing from the south-east.
2.2. GEOLOGY AND SOILS
The geological formations of the project area comprise the basement complex consisting mainly of undifferentiated gneisses including partly granitized and metamorphosed formations.
Soil types within the project area fall within the following major categories: Dokolo Series. These soils have developed on ancient lake sediments overlying the Tanganyika Surface. They are typically greyish brown sand over reddish brown sandy clay loam. Organic matter in these soils is moderate, and the soils are considered to have medium to high productivity. They are found in Dokolo, Agwata, Kangai, Otuboi sub- counties.
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The Amuria Catena has also developed on the ancient lake deposits on the Tanganyika Surface. The soil types are predominantly shallow grey brown sandy loams over laterite. Productivity is said to be low, as these soils are acidic, have low organic matter and are phosphate deficient. They are found in Anyara, Otuboi and Katine sub-counties.
Buruli Catena. These soils are also associated to the African surface, and are reddish brown sand loam and loams on laterite, derived from gneisses and granites. The soils are fairly acidic, with variable organic content, and have medium productivity. They occur on gently undulating hills, and are found in Akalu, Amach and Agwata sub-counties, and between Otuboi and Dokolo.
Serere Series soils are mainly ferralitic, consisting of sandy sediments and sandy loams. They are well drained and friable. They occur predominantly from Soroti up to Tiriri.
Undifferentiated Alluvium occurs in the bottomlands of Lakes Kyoga and Kwania areas, in the flood plains and swamps of the project area. Alluvial deposits are dark grey clays with very infrequent thin lenses of fine sand. These clays are fairly acidic, while topsoil is low in organic matter.
Papyrus Peat are the soils found in the permanent swamps/wetlands that fringe Lakes Kyoga and Kwania. The soils have a moderately thin layer of fibrous peat over a clayey mineral soil.
2.3. HYDROLOGY AND DRAINAGE
The main watershed within the project area in Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts, as well as Lira District south of Boroboro and Akalu sub-county in Apac District drains south into Lake Kyoga/Lake Kwania Swamp Complex. North of Boroboro up to Lira Town, drainage flows westward in the Kyoga-Nile basin.
The Lake Kwania/Kyoga Swamp Complex covers an area of approximately 5,600 sq km, and lies at an altitude of between 1033 m and 1060 m above sea level. It comprises a series of shallow lakes formed by permanent flooding of some parts of a shallow dentritic valley system. The shallow lakes have a combined open water surface area of 3,416 sq km and 2,184 sq km of permanent wetland (Hughes and Hughes, 1992).
The River Nile drains Lake Victoria, flowing into Lake Kyoga. It is estimated that the river contributes some 25.6 billion m3 of water each year to Lake Kyoga. Other major rivers within the project area contributing to this complex include the Olwenyi, Adolwonek, Omunyal and Abalang Rivers.
Hydrological investigations are currently being conducted for catchments along the project road and are reported on separately.
2.4. LAND USE
Table 2.1 below gives a general overview of the land use in Lira and Soroti Districts. Figures for Kaberamaido District are included in those for Soroti, as available data were recorded before Kaberamaido was separated from Soroti District. SoRoTi - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
Table 2.1: Land Use in the Project Districts (sq km) Land Use Soroti District Lira District Broadleaved plantation 0.1 1.1 Conifer plantation 2.9 3.0 Fully stocked tropical high forest 4.6 0 Woodland 432.4 685.4 Bushland 55.6 79.2 Grassland 3306.6 906.5 Papyrus/reed swamp 353.4 110.7 Small scale subsistence farming 4963.3 4613.2 Large scale uniform farmland 4.2 6.1 Built up area 19.4 10.5 Open water 872.9 783.3 Impediments 0.5 1.9 Total District Area 10015.9 7200.9 Sources: District State of the Environment Reports 1997 for both Soroti and Ura Districts.
The predominant economic sector in the project districts is agriculture. From Table 2.1 it can be seen that approximately 50% and 64% of Soroti and Lira Districts is under small-scale cultivation. This area consists of the cultivated parts of household land holdings together with land that is cultivatable but which is not held by households. Approximately 33% and 12.5% of Soroti and Lira Districts, respectively, comprises grassland that is used for grazing.
Open water and swamps make up about 12% of the total area in both Districts.
More detailed descriptions of the various land uses specific to the project area are presented in the subsequent sections.
2.5. WATER RESOURCES
With about 12% of the project districts being covered by open water and swamps, the most abundant source of water in the project area is surface water. This water is used for both domestic and potable purposes, although it is generally considered unsafe for drinking.
All along the project road, there are a number of shallow wells and boreholes, from which the local communities obtain drinking water. However, only an estimated 20% of the population in the project area receives water from these sources.
2.6. WETLANDS
The National Wetlands Policy (1995) defines wetlands as being areas "where plants and animals have become adapted to temporary or permanent flooding by saline, brackish or fresh water", including sedge, papyrus or grass swamp, swamp forest, high altitude mountain bog, riverine wetlands, lake edges, as well as seasonal flood plains and depressions without flow (Mbugas or Dambos), and artificial wetlands. These are areas that stay wet long enough for only certain plant and animal species to grow, even when there is no rain.
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The wetlands in the project area fall under the following categories: * Cyperus papyrus swamps associated with Leersia hexandra, Ipomoea rubens, Polygonum spp.
* Acacia-Hyperrhenia dominate seasonally flooded wooded grasslands, associated with Setaria spp.
* Palustrine swamp forests, containing mixed species usually with Phoenix reclinata and Raphia palms.
According to the 2002 Statistical Abstract (UBOS, 2002), approximately 17% of Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts combined, and 15% of Lira District is under wetland. Hence, it can be expected that the project road crosses numerous swamps and marshes (see Plate 1).
Plate 1: Olwenyi Swamp - the Largest Wetland Area Traversed by the Project Road
Table 2.2 overleaf shows the chainages at which the main swamps across the project road are found. SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
Table 2.2: Chainages for Major Swamp Crossings along the Project Road Approx. Chainage at Approx. Length Swamp Name Start of Swamp (km) (km) 4.18 0.3 4.65 0.15 Akoyo 12.10 0.7 Awlokero 14.35 0.7 Oculoi 18.3 1.2 Olwelai (Katine) 25.6 0.3 Tiriri 27.75 1.4 Omunyal 49.1 0.1 50.8 0.1 - 51.2 0.1 - 52.7 <0.1 - 54.0 0.1 Lwala 56.6 0.04 60.1 0.05 61.9 0.15 Abalang 68.0 1.8 Aminkwac 73.5 < 0.1 Regu Regu 75.9 0.30 74.6 0.65 Akoloong 80.55 0.95 Adwoki 82.0 2.65 Olwenyi 89.35 0.4 Agwata 96.55 0.45 Badyang 106.9 < 0.3 Amach 115.1 < 0.25 Source: Study Field Survey, May 2003
Baseline water quality measurements were taken during the Preliminary EIA study at five swamps crossings, viz. Oculoi, Olwelai (Katine), Omunyal, Abalang and Olwenyi (refer Table 2.3). In selecting the parameters for measurement, consideration was given to the fact that the water in all these swamps is used for drinking, bathing and other domestic activities. In addition, the selected parameters give an initial indication of changes in water conditions which might affect flora and fauna in these wetlands.
Table 2.3: Swamps Selected for Baseline Monitoring Swamp Name Approximate Approximate GPS Chainage (km) Length (km) Coordinates Oculoi 14.3 0.9 200306 N 5548336 E Olwelai (Katine) 18.4 1.2 230888 N
Omunyal 28.1 1.5 549195 E
Abalang 63.1 0.2 522843 E
Olwenyi 83.5 2.6 219559 N
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Oculoi was selected as a sample point because it is intended that the road will bypass the two rock outcrops to the east, and this swamp lies just south of that minor realignment. Olwelai, also known as Katine Swamp, represents a stretch of wetland where road works will be carried out along the existing alignment. Omunyal was chosen for two reasons: firstly the Water Quality and Pollution Control Laboratory in the Directorate of Water Development, Entebbe, has recently carried out some measurements along this swamp and it may be useful to compare results when these are confirmed, and secondly because the road will be realigned at Tiriri, and it will be possible to monitor any changes in water quality resulting from those works. Abalang is a relatively small swamp, but it lies in a fairly hilly area. If a major realignment is to be considered, the sampling point is located approximately 800 m downstream of the proposed crossing; however, if the improved road follows the existing alignment, then it would be useful to ascertain whether sediment loading here is caused by soil erosion due to the impact of rain on hilly terrain, or whether it originates from the road rehabilitation works. Finally Olwenyi swamp was selected because it is a very large swamp, and in addition, the Water Quality and Pollution Control Laboratory in Entebbe has in the past sampled water quality in this swamp. (The results of the tests carried out by the Water Quality Laboratory in Entebbe have not been confirmed as yet, as they require measurements to be taken over the different seasons. By selecting two of the same sites, this study can contribute to establishing more detailed baseline).
The results received from the Water Quality Laboratory in Entebbe are presented in Table 2.4 below:
Table 2.4: Water Quality Sampling Results
ample Site National Unit Oculoi Katine Omunyal Abalang Olwenyi Standards[a] Parameter NEMA, 1999) pH 6.5 6.1 6.4 6.5 7.1 6.0-8.0 Colour TC >500 >500 346 >500 102 300
Conductivity F±S/cm 100 55 87 114 154 - TSS (105 °C) mg/I 60 42 30 74 4.0 100
TSS (500°C) mg/I 46 33 23 47 <1.0 - Oil & Grease mgA 0.6 0.9 0.3 0 0 10 T. Coliforms counts/1 00mI 365 138 73 91 43 10,000 E. coli counts/1 00ml 2 0 0 2 1 10
Source: Analysis conducted by the Water Quality and Pollution Control Laboratory, Directorate of Water Development, Entebbe. [a] The National Environment (Standards for Discharge of Effluent into Water or on Land) Regulations, 1999.
pH of water may be as a result of various dissolved compounds in water. In most natural water, pH is controlled by the carbon dioxide - bicarbonate - carbonate equilibrium. The pH of water is important because of its influence on many chemical and biological processes in water bodies. The samples had acceptable pH values that are within the guideline values.
Colour in water is mainly due to the presence of coloured organic substances usually humic acids, metals such as iron and manganese or highly coloured industrial wastes. The primary importance of colour in drinking water is aesthetic but the sensory effects may be regarded as a health effect. Consumers whose drinking water contains aesthetically displeasing levels of colour may seek alternative, possibly unsafe sources. Colour may also arise from
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suspended matter (turbidity) in water. The elevated colour in all the samples may be attributed to organic acids such as humic acids and fulvic acids. Analysis showed that all the four sites had very high values that are far beyond the guideline values.
Electrical Conductivity of a water sample may be defined as the measure of the ability of the water sample to conduct electrical current. In water, EC is an indicator of the mineralisation of the water sample. Mineralisation of water is due to dissolved compounds in the water. Most surface waters generally show low mineral content unless associated with deep ground water sources. Pollution from human activities is another source of mineralisation of surface waters. The five samples generally showed moderate EC values.
Total Suspended Solids (1050 C and 5000 C): Suspended particles affect water clarity and light penetration, temperature, the dissolved constituents of surface water, the adsorption of toxic substances and the composition, distribution and rate of sedimentation of matter. Suspended matters have high surface area and manifest varieties of surface effects. The physical and chemical properties of these particles are important in evaluating their behaviour towards solutes in water. Loss on ignition (difference between TSS -1050 C and 5000 C) gives an indication of the organic portion of the suspended materials. The results show that about 20 to 50 percent of the suspended matters are organic in origin. Oil and Grease is defined as any material recovered as a substance soluble in a solvent. It includes other materials extracted by the solvent from an acidified sample. Oil and grease in normal circumstances is not present in surface waters. However, bitumen, vehicles and construction plant and equipment are possible sources from which oil and grease may enter the water courses during road construction. The results, however, showed very low levels of oil and grease in the water samples. Bacteriological Characteristics (Total Coliforms and Faecal Coliforms): The coliforms group of bacteria originate from the gut of warm blooded animals and their presence in a sample indicate faecal contamination of the water source by animals, human and bird waste. Presence of faecal coliforms specifically is an indication of recent faecal contamination of the water source which can cause disease. It also implies a high risk of contracting water borne diseases if the water is used for drinking purposes. The above results for both total and faecal coliforms are acceptable for surface water bodies. Except for colour, the samples showed good physical characteristics for pH, electrical conductivity and suspended solids. The samples were also acceptable in terms of chemical and biological characteristics for domestic use. The full analysis and report are presented in Appendix 5. In order to obtain a complete baseline for the assessment of the impact of the road on the water quality within these swamps, additional sampling will need to be carried out as a baseline once more in the dry season, and then every 6 months during construction, and every year during operation.
2.7. VEGETATION I FLORA Vegetation growth depends largely on soil and moisture conditions, and is closely correlated with agro-climatic zones. Within the project area, there are a number of vegetation types. Moist Combretum savanna associated with Hyperrhenia rufa is probably the most dominant vegetation type in the project area. This community comprises moderate to light tree cover, and Combretum molle, Terminalia glaucescens and Albizia zygia are the predominant woody species. Grasses are dominated by Hyperrhenia rufa, but Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass) is also abundant, while post-cultivation succession is dominated by Imperata cylindrica.
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Albizia-Combretum woodlands are found on soils associated with the Amuria series, near Otuboi and Katine. Dominant species in this community include Albizia zygia, Combretum binderanum, Combretum molle, while common grass species are Brachiaria spp, Hyperrhenia spp and Sporobolus spp.
Moist Acacia savanna associated with HyperThenia spp comprise deciduous broad leaved trees mixed with Acacia and Albizia spp. This type of vegetation is found on sandy loam soils. This vegetation type is found south of Agwata, and is common through much of western Kaberamaido District.
Palm savanna is found on the sandy loams between Amach and Boroboro in Lira District. This vegetation type is made up of Borassus-Hyperrhenia spp.
The seasonally water-logged areas within the project area are dominated by tree species such as Acacia seyal, Balanites aegyptiaca and Terninalia spp, while common grasses are Hyperrhenia spp and Setaria spp.
The swamps within the project area are classified as Cyperus papyrus swamps. 2.8. FORESTS
There are no gazetted forests in Soroti or* Kaberamaido Districts which will be directly affected by the project road. The Atigo and Angutewere Central Forest Reserves are located along the Lwala-Kaberamaido Road, about 4-5 km from the project road. Onekokeo Central Forest Reserve in Lira District lies about one kilometre south of Dokolo on the road to Kangai. These forests are not situated along the project road and are considerably degraded.
Also in Lira District is the Kachung Central Forest Reserve which is bisected by the project road (see Plate 2). The total gazetted area of the forest is 3,590 hectares. The forest begins approximately 2.1 km north of the roundabout at Agwata. It penetrates about 2 km eastwards from the project road. Information obtained from the DFO Lira District indicates that about 90% of the Kachung Forest is degraded, and the remaining 10% (350 ha) is under pine or broad leaf plantation. The degraded areas are to be leased to individuals for private plantations.
Plate 2: The Project Road Passing Through the Kachung Forest Reserve.
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Discussions with the District Forestry Officer in Soroti revealed that most of the timber used for building purposes in the project area comes from plantations in Nebbi and Arua Districts. Logs are transported by relief vehicles which are returning empty to Kampala or Nairobi. Other sources of wood for building comes from the pine plantations in Pingire Forest, Mbale and Kapchorwa. Hardwoods such as Mvule (Milicia excelsa) are sold by individuals who grow them.
In the project area more than 95% of the population use wood fuel for cooking. Charcoal is available for sale at several places along the project road (e.g. between Tiriri and Otuboi, at Dokolo and Agwata). Charcoal is burned and sold under licence and revenues from this activity are collected by the sub counties. It is an important source of income for many families. Other threats to the forests and woodlands in the project area include the opening up of new land for agriculture, use of wood for smoking fish, the increased demand for fuel wood and timber in the urban centres and the trading centres along the road, and annual bush fires. Large-scale tree planting and forest management was hampered by political instability during the 1970s and 1980s, and the limited resources available to the districts currently have made it difficult to re-establish the plantations.
The DFOs support various farmers who grow seedlings for tree planting. In addition there are a number of NGOs in the project area who are involved in tree planting and also give support to tree nurseries, such as Socadido and Christian Children's Fund.
2.9. WILDLIFE I FAUNA
There are no protected wildlife areas within the project districts, and therefore the project area is relatively devoid of wildlife. Wildlife species such as Oribi (Ourebia ourebl), Hartebeest (Alcelaphus jackson,), Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), Uganda Kob (Kobus thomas,), Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and the Common Duiker (Cephalophus grimmia) that are found within the districts have usually migrated into the district from Karamoja or Moroto, in search of pasture. However, they are rarely seen in the project area. The Sitatunga (Tragelaphus speki,) and otters (Lutra spp) are classified as threatened. Snakes of various types, Baboons (Papio cynocephalus) and Black-faced Vervet Monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) are commonly found in the project area, but are considered to be vermin.
Due to the enormous extent of wetlands within the project area, bird life is prolific. While no inventories of avifauna have been undertaken in the Kyoga system (which includes the project area), a study was conducted for Bird Life Intemational in 2001 in Lake Nakuwa in the very south of Soroti District (Byaruhanga, Kasoma and Pomeroy, 2001) which gives an indication of the importance of bird life in the project area. The project area falls within the Lake Victoria Biome, and the bird species are restricted to this biome are listed in Table 2.5:
Table 2.5: Bird Species Restricted to the Lake Victoria Biome
Bird Species Common Name Turdoides sharpei Sharpe's Pied Babbler Bradypterus carpalis White-winged Warbler Cisticola carruthersi Carruther's Cisticola Nectarina erythrocerca Red-chested Sunbird Ploceus castanops Northem Brown-throated Weaver Sefinus koliensis Papyrus Canary Source: A. Byaruhanga, P. Kasoma and D. Pomeroy (2001)
2-5 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
The Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), the Papyrus Gonolek (Laniarius mufumbin) and the Papyrus Yellow Warbler (Chloropeta gracilirostris) are species of global conservation concern occurring within the Lake Victoria Biome. However, their presence and distribution in the project area itself is not confirmed.
2.10. MINERALS
While detailed investigations have not been carried out on the mineral wealth within the project districts, the limited surveys that have been done indicate that there are no major minerals of importance within the project area.
2.11. TOURISM
Given the lack of major tourism attractions and social amenities in the project districts tourism is not considered to be an important activity in the project area. While the upgrading of the project road may have implications on access to tourist attractions beyond the project districts, for example by providing a more direct route from the Kenya border to Murchison Falls National Park or to Kidepo Valley National Park, it will not stimulate tourism within the project area.
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3.0 HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
This section describes the social and socio-economic status of the project area and provides a social baseline of the PAP as well as the communities in which they live. The description has at times been presented for two districts together, combining Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts, and Apac and Lira Districts. This is because the former two districts belong to the Eastern Region, while the latter two belong to the Northern Region and some of the data referred to have been inferred from regional statistics. Also Kaberamaido District was until 2001 part of Soroti District, and they therefore shared several social resource indicators.
As described earlier, the information provided relates to the relatively stable period in the project area in the first six months of 2003. The security situation has deteriorated since June 2003 resulting in some instances in the displacement of the local population and changes in the observed social factors. It is assumed that an improvement in the security situation will result in the re-establishment of the social norms described. 3.1. ADMINISTRATIVE SET UP
The administrative structure of all districts in Uganda is similar, although the number of administrative units in each district may differ. Each district has established political and administrative structures up to parish and then village level.
The Local Councils make up the political structures, i.e. LC V at the district level to LC I at the village level. The key decision making councils are LC V, LC IlIl and LC I. Local Councils IV and 11are administrative unit councils. The Local Council V and Ill are independent local govemments at the district and sub-county levels respectively. The LC V chairperson is the district political head and the local council chairperson at the district level. The LC IlIl chairperson is the political head of the sub-county.
The chief administrative officer (CAO) heads all the civil servants in the district and is therefore the chief executive officer. The sub-counties are headed by the sub-county chiefs, or Assistant CAOs, who co-ordinate all the district and central government development programmes at that level. Parish chiefs head the lowest administrative units, namely the parishes. 3.2. LAND TENURE
Of the four land tenure systems found in Uganda, three occur in the project districts and the AOI, viz: Customary, Leasehold and Freehold. There is no Mailo tenure within the project area. Reference Map 3 overleaf.
The project districts and the AOI are predominantly characterised by customary land tenure system. Occupants of customary land are occupants of former public land, and occupy the land by virtue of their customary rights. Thus they have proprietary interest in the land and are entitled to certificates of customary ownership. Certificates may be obtained for customary ownership through application to the Parish Land Committee, and they are issued by the District Land Board. Customary land is not governed by written law, but instead by generally accepted rules which are binding to the people they apply to. Furthermore, customary land may be owned in perpetuity, as it is controlled through the clan and family lineage system, and ownership is largely through patriarchal inheritance. There is very limited sale of land under the customary tenure with first priority given to fellow clansmates
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and with the permission of the clan elders. The land boundaries are defined by a description of features of a general nature such as rivers, swamps, roads, trees, hilltops, drains, cultivation boundaries, etc.
Leasehold tenure is created by contract or by operation of the law. In this case, the landlord of the lessor grants the tenant or lessee exclusive possession of the land, usually for a defined period, in return for rent. The tenant has a security of tenure and a proprietary
interest in the land. In the big towns of Soroti and Lira, the land tenure system is largely leasehold, with registered individual interests. Some leasehold properties are also found in a few of the trading centres along the project road, such as Arapai, Otuboi, Dokolo and Agwata.
Freehold tenure involves the holding of land in perpetuity, or for a period of less than perpetuity fixed by a condition. The holder is allowed to exercise full powers of ownership. Its legality is derived from the Constitution and written law. Freehold is even less common within the AOI, and is mainly restricted to institutional land, e.g. church land, sub-county land and a few gazetted areas like Olwenyi Rice Scheme and Agwata Forest Reserve.
3.3. POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
The demographic characteristics of the AOI described here relate mostly to the sub-counties through which the project road will pass (including the proposed new alignments). These are presented in Tables 3.1 and 3.2 below.
The population in Soroti District exhibited a fair rate of increase mostly during the 1969 - 1980, when the population grew from 379,913 to 476,629. However, the District recorded a negative growth rate of 0.93% between 1980 and 1991 mainly due to the civil strife, which induced outward migration to other safer districts, and also into Soroti town. In fact over that period Soroti Municipality registered urban growth of over 200%. After the civil strife, there was outward migration to the rural areas from Soroti Municipality, which is illustrated by the very low urban population growth rate of 0.11% between 1991 and 2002. Presently, Soroti District itself has a very high growth rate (5.10%). Katine, Arapai, and Kamuda sub-county countries are the more populated sub-counties along the AOI in Soroti district, with Arapai Sub-county having the highest population and a growth rate of 10.00%, followed by Soroti and Katine Sub-counties.
Kaberamaido District was formed in 2001. It has an average population growth rate of 4.1% (this is high compared to the national average of 3.3%). As with Soroti District, this is attributed to persistently high fertility levels and a decline in crude and infant mortality rates over the past decade. In Kaberamaido District, the project road will pass through Kalaki, Otuboi and Alwa Sub-counties. These have recorded significant population increases since 1991. Kalaki Sub-county has the biggest population with the highest population growth rate (5.75%) along the project road, followed by Otuboi Sub-county and Alwa Sub-county.
Between 1991 and 2002, Lira district had a population growth rate of 3.55%, which was slightly above the national average of 3.3%, while Apac District had a growth rate of 3.4%. Along the AOI in Lira district, Lira Municipality has the highest population (89,781) and population density. It also has the highest growth rate (11.34%). This has been mainly due to rural-urban migration resulting from insecurity in the neighboring districts, a high fertility rate resulting partly from early/teenage marriages, and search for employment and better social
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services in the Municipality. Adekokwok and Amach Sub-counties also have relatively large populations. Agwata, Amach and Dokolo Sub-counties have population growth rates well above the national average. The implication of this is that the population in the sub-counties along the AOI will significantly increase over the next decade.
The population density of Soroti District is currently 107 persons/sq km. Some sub-counties have more than 150 persons per sq km e.g. Soroti Municipality and Serere sub-county. Kaberamaido has a population density of 99 persons/sq km. In Lira District, the population density is 124 persons/sq km, while that of Apac District has 115 persons/sq km. The project districts have mean household sizes ranging from 4.8 in Kaberamaido to 5.2 in Lira (National Housing and Population Census, 2002).
The age distribution of the populations for those under 15 along the AOI for Soroti are adapted from the District Development Plan (DDP 2001-2003). It is observed that the district has a young population with the 0-4 year age group (infants) forming 16%, 5-14 year age group constituting 28% (children) 15-64 age group (economically active) forming 52% and 65+ (the aged) constituting 3.9% giving a dependency ratio of 92/100 working population. No figures are available for age distribution of the population for Kaberamaido, but the Soroti District averages would suffice to reflect the situation in Kaberamaido for the same period. In Apac and Lira Districts, the population below 15 years of age constitutes 54.4% and 52.1% of the total district population respectively. The implication is that the dependency ratio is high, since the young (below 15 years) and the aged (above 65 years) exert a lot of pressure on the economically active group of 15-64 year olds. Most of the household heads in the project districts are in the age bracket of 26-49 years. More women are seen to achieve headship at an advanced age, especially in rural areas mainly because of widowhood: the life expectancy of women is higher than that of men (see Section 3.12). This is also due to the high incidence of HIV/AIDS (see: UNHS 1999/2000 Vol. III).
The population figures for the sub-counties along the AOI in the project districts is reflected in the table below.
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Table 3.1: Population of Sub-counties in the AOI
Sub-county Pop'n Population Figures of 2002 Growth 1991 Males Females Total Rate %
Soroti District 204,258 181,399 190,587 371,986 5.14 Arapai 8,915 12,432 12,983 25,415 10.00 Kamuda 11,930 11,685 11,944 23,629 6.42 Katine 10,094 9,869 10,690 20,559 6.69 Soroti 5,229 5,785 5,936 11,721 7.62 Soroti MC 40,970 20,701 20,769 41,470 0.11 Tabur 6,644 6,919 7,537 14,456 7.33 Total AOI 83,782 67,391 69,859 137,250 Kaberamaido 81,535 60,069 62,855 122,924 3.52 Kalaki 9,743 8,737 9,268 18,005 5.75 Otuboi 15,367 7,472 8,088 15,560 0.11 Alwa 9,670 7,158 7,557 14,715 3.89 Total AOI 34,780 23,367 24,913 48,280 Lira District 500,965 373,974 383,789 767,763 3.55 Lira Dokolo 23,193 16,835 18,005 34,840 3.77 Agwata 18,551 14,224 14,335 28,559 4.0 Amach 27,632 20,281 21,176 41,457 3.76 Lira MC 27,568 44,981 44,800 89,781 10.1 Total AOI 96,944 96,321 98,316 194,637 Apac District 454,504 331,361 344,883 676,244 3.41 Akalu 9,745 11,131 20,876 3.41
AOl sub-counTes 196,824 204,219 401,043 Source: 2002 National Housing and Population Census
While the total population of the sub-counties in the AOI is estimated at 401,043 (roughly 80,000 households) estimates based on populations in the parishes in these sub-counties along the project road indicate a total population of 348,372 in the AOI, of which 217,123 are rural and 131,249 are urban (see Appendix 6).
Household characteristics are depicted in the following table.
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Table 3.2: Household Characteristics of the Project Districts Household Characteristics District Mean Household Size No. of Households Pop'n. Density Soroti 5.1 72,138 107 Kaberamaido 4.8 25,721 99 Apac 5.1 131,145 115 Lira 5.2 145,736 124 Source: 2002 National Housing and Population Census
3.4. SETTLEMENT TRENDS
The settlement pattern in Soroti District shows that the majority of the population (more than 80%) lives in rural areas, implying that district's economy is agro-based. Soroti Municipality and Serere County became the major settled areas mainly due to the fact that there were more economic opportunities here than in other areas.
In the 1970s, a small number of Somali refugees settled in Soroti District following a UNHCR programme. However, the refugee issue became significant when there was an influx of people from the neighbouring district of Karamoja as a result of drought (and food scarcity) in that area. With the event of civil war in 1979, most of the rural population in Soroti District had themselves to seek refuge elsewhere. The long term insecurity up to 1991 due to this civil strife, as well as cattle rustling from the neighbouring district of Moroto, meant that most of the original inhabitants of Soroti District remained in safer areas in neighbouring districts and only recently (after 1991) began to return. The social amenities in Soroti town also attracted more people to the urban centre.
Tiriri is the other main centre along project road in Soroti District. It is not heavily settled, but it provides a centre for communications (stop over), trading and health services for community members along the AOI in Katine and Tabur Sub-counties.
The settlement pattern in Kaberamaido shows that the majority of the population is rural with very small urban populations in the centres of Otuboi, Kaberamaido, Ochero and Lwala. Kaberamaido is predominantly an agro-based economy, with fishing activities being a pronounced economic activity; consequently there are more settlements along landing sites in Ochero, Kaburuburu and Bululu Sub-counties.
Along the AOI in Kaberamaido District, most of the community members are settled in rural areas, but they largely depend on the existing road alignment and the adjacent feeder road network. There are slightly more dense settlements in Otuboi and Kalaki due to the urban influence and social services/amenities around these areas. Whereas Otuboi is a predominant commercial trading centre, Lwala is mainly a schooling and health centre.
In Lira District, the majority of the population also lives in the rural areas, but the urban population is concentrated in Lira Municipality. Within the AOI, the trading centres of Dokolo, Amach, Agwata, Boroboro are more densely populated than other centres. In addition, these places are centres for communication, stopovers, education and health services. Agwata is also an important link to Kachung Water Works, Kachung landing site, Aduku and other productive areas in Apac District.
The rural-urban population ratios (%) for the project districts are shown in Table 3.3 overleaf.
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Table 3.3: Rural Urban Population Ratio for the Project Districts
District Rural % Rural Urban %Urban Totals | pop'n. pop'n pop'n pop'n. | _l Soroti 330,516 88.85% 41,470 11.15% 371,986 Kaberamaido[a] 122,924 >95% N/a N/a 122,924 Apac 665,952 98.48% 10,292 1.52% 676,244 Lira 667,982 88.1% 89,781 11.9% 757,763 Source: 2002 National Housing and Population Census-Provisional Results. [a] Kaberamaido became functional as a distnct in the year 2001. Most of the statistics available are therefore implied from those of Soroti. However, in some cases data specific to Kaberamaido could not be extracted, hence figures were not available.
3.5. ETHNICITY AND LANGUAGE
The 1991 Housing and population census noted the following tribes as found in Soroti: Iteso, Kumam, Bagisu, Basamia, Langi: Acholi Lugbara, Arabs, Bakenyi, Bahima, Bagwaro among others. The main languages in Soroti District are Ateso, Kumam and Swahili.
The major tribes in Kaberamaido District are Kumam, Iteso, Langi, Japadola, Bakenyi, Alur, Swahili and Acholi.
The major tribes in Lira and Apac are Langi, Acholi, Alur, Kumam, Banyoro, Iteso, Bagisu (mainly in Lira), Lugbara/Madi and Bakenyi. The main languages spoken in Lira and Apac Districts are Luo and Kumam.
3.6. AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES
The economy of the project area is predominantly based on agriculture (see Section 2.4 above). It is estimated that the farming population comprises about 74% of the total population in the project districts (source Agricultural Development Project, 1998), but in the project area itself, this figure would be higher, as cultivation is seen along the length of the entire project road, i.e. in its direct area of influence. Crop production is carried out for the most part under the communal land tenure system. Average land holdings for immediate use range from 2 to 4 hectares (5 -10 acres) per family. Typical land holding characteristics are presented in Table 3.4 below.
Table 3.4: Land Holding Characteristics (ha)
Description Soroti Lira Land Holding 3.91 3.71 Net cultivated area 1.71 1.51 Gross cropping area 3.46 2.98 Cropping intensity 2.02 1.97 per capita land holding availability (assuming a family size of 5) 0.78 0.74 Source: Agricultural Development Project 1998
Cropping intensity in the project area is high. The area of land actually cultivated each year is almost twice as high as the land used for cultivation, implying that more than a single crop is grown each year, and crops are grown in combination (inter cropping). This is common
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Within the project area, the main food crops are maize, finger millet, sorghum, beans, groundnuts, cowpeas, pigeon peas, cassava and sweet potatoes. Cotton, paddy rice, cassava, sweet potatoes and groundnuts are also grown for cash. Sesame and sunflower are sold to local mills for oil.
Table 3.5 on the following page illustrates cropping patterns and crop production in the project districts.
Table 3.5: Cropping Patterns and Production for Major Crops in the Project Districts Lira Soroti District Ha per Ha per Yield | Ha per Ha per Yield T Holding District kg/ha [Tonnes Holding District kg/ha onnes Perennial Crops Cocoa/Cashew l 0.03 2712 | Annual Crops Cotton 0.46 43334 460 19933 0.41 37060 440 16307 Sunflower 0.19 17899 1117 20000 Na Na na Na S. Potato 0.13 12246 1021 12500 0.26 23502 1113 26157 Beans 0.15 14130 1422 20100 0.12 10847 1345 14589 Maize 0.2 18841 1358 25580 0.12 10847 1402 15207 F. Millet 0.19 17899 1212 21693 0.35 31637 1284 40622 Sorghum 0.18 16957 1489 25243 0.16 14463 1512 21867 Cassava 0.18 16957 1303 22100 0.36 32541 1335 43442 G. Nuts 0.17 16015 640 10250 0.28 25310 670 16957 Simsim 0.23 21667 445 9642 0.18 16270 445 7240 Mixed Veg [a] 0.01 942 8900 660 0.33 29829 900 26846 ______0.01 904 8900 8045 Inter Cropping Maize/beans 0.5 47102 850 40036 0.22 19886 850 16903 Maize/G. Nuts 0.15 14130 600 8478 0.22 19886 600 11932 Sorghum/Millet 0.12 11304 1200 13565 0.23 20790 1200 24948 S. Potato/Beans 0.12 11304 725 8196 0.18 16270 725 11796
Area/Production 2.98 280726 257977 3.46 312754 302860 Source: pers. comm., District Agricultural Officers, Ura and Soroti Districts, January 2003. Note [a] Tomatoes and Onions.
Movement of Crops
There is significant movement of cash and food crops to and from Lira to Soroti. Cotton is brought from the Lira area to the mill in Soroti as it is the biggest mill in the area. Sunflower is taken from Soroti to Lira. Soroti is a key producer of cassava, and this is exported to Lira, 3-8 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ~ to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
Arua and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Groundnuts and sweet potatoes are also taken to Lira for sale. Rice is transported from Lira to Soroti and even further to Kampala and Busia.
Most of the agricultural produce grown in Kaberamaido District from the district goes to Soroti via Kalaki and Kakure.
Crops grown around Agwata include maize, beans, bananas, plantains, cassava, and these are grown for both cash and subsistence. Agricultural produce from about a 5 km radius around Agwata corner is brought to the centre for sale and for transporting to Lira or Soroti and beyond. In addition, some crops and milk produced by farmers along the road from Aduku (in Apac District) to Agwata are brought to Agwata for transport to Lira.
There is a limited amount of settlement and agricultural activity to the east of the project road north of the Kachung forest, and north of the Olwenyi Rice Scheme, as this area is fairly swampy. Most of this produce is taken to Lira for sale.
3.7. LIVESTOCK
Cattle are very precious to the Teso people, and play a great role in certain economic and social obligations. Animal husbandry especially cattle keeping is slowly regaining pace in the AOl as an economic activity after several years of cattle rusting (which occurs across the district border with Moroto) and civil strife (1987 -1992) greatly depleted the animal stocks'. Currently there is a drive by the Government and various NGOs to revive livestock keeping in the project area. A prominent weekly cattle market operates every Tuesday just off the project road at Katine, attracting livestock and producer traders from as far as Jinja in the south and Gulu in the North. The weekly cattle market at Otuboi attracts traders from Katakwi, Jinja, Gulu and Pader.
Livestock used to be the second most important economic activity in Lira District in the early 1980s. But here too, between 1982 and 1992 it is estimated that livestock numbers declined by almost 95%, again as a result of cattle rustling and insurgency across the borders with Kitgum and Kotido District.
Most of the households also keep hens, pigs, goats and sheep in small numbers, but these are nevertheless significant assets to those households.
3.8. FISHERIES
Fishing is a very important activity in the project area, and while previously it was done mainly for home consumption, is increasingly becoming commercialised. A fair amount of fishing is done in the swamps along the project road. However, while the swamps provide important breeding habitats for fish, most of the fishing done in Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts is in Lakes Kyoga and Kowidi to the south of the two districts. In Lira District the landing sites within the project area in Lakes Kwania and Kyoga are at Agwata (Kachung) and Namasale, respectively. Most of the fish comes from Namasale and Muntu, but also Awelo and Aputi. Fish is taken to Soroti, Lira, Kitgum and Mbale for sale. Accurate data on the amount of fish caught was not available at the District Fisheries Offices, as most of the fishing is done informally. However, it is estimated that the annual fish catch in Lake Kyoga between 1997 and 2001 has been in the region of 80,000 tonnes (refer, UBOS, 2002 Statistical Abstract).
The number of catUe in Soroti District (which included Kaberamaido District at that time) decreased from 317,563 in 1986/87 to 18,651 in 1992/93. CwcwE^ 1.-.\T,, I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~3-9 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
There are five species that have commercial value: Lates nilotica (Nile perch), Oreochromis niloticus (tilapia), Clarias (catfish) and Protopteus anthieopius (lungfish) and Rastribeuba argentea. Other species found in the lakes, rivers and swamps include Mormyrus, Bagrus, Barbus and Rastineubola argenthieopus.
Traditional methods of processing fish include hot smoking (in which wood-fueled kilns are used), sun drying and salting. While both men and women are involved in fishing as an economic activity, women are mainly responsible for fish processing, as well as selling the smoked fish at various roadside markets.
The volume and structure of fishing as an economic activity is relatively low, partly due to the current condition of the road which affects the potential number of clients, results in high transport costs and therefore high price levels. Consequently some of the women who are involved in fish vending and other economic activities cannot afford transporting their small merchandise to towns like Soroti.
3.9. OTHER ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Other economic activities in the AOI include selling of farm produce as well as non-farm products at roadside markets. Women are involved in the sale of farm produce in small quantities at these roadside markets. Women are also involved in the sale of cooked food (including smoked fish, dry cassava and dry potato chips) and local brew at these points. A few men operate butcheries at the trading centres, with pork and beef being the major items in these butcheries. The roadside markets are also stopovers for buses and taxis plying the Soroti-Lira Road. A few male youths operate 'boda boda' services from these stopover points to various destinations in the hinterland.
There is limited involvement in crushing quarry stone by hand for sale (for example at Oculoi Rocks, see Plate 3), this being done mainly by women and children. Burning and sale of charcoal is on the increase. It is largely practiced by men and sold at most of the roadside markets.
Plate 3: Crushing Hardstone by Hand at Oculoi Rocks
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Light small-scale industrial activity like metal fabrication, woodwork, grain milling, oil processing and transport are found mainly in Soroti and Lira towns.
3.10. EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS
Data from the Uganda National Household Survey 1999/2000 for Soroti and Kaberamaido, show that 36.2% of the population was engaged in gainful economic activities2, while 36.2% were students and 27.5% were engaged in other activities. Thus those persons not engaged in economically gainful activities in these districts are slightly over 60%. The main economic activity engaged in by the working population is the agriculture sector, followed by the sales/service sector, the professional sector and other sectors as illustrated in Table 3.6 below. It should be noted that the percentage of women engaged in the agricultural sector in these districts is greater than men (UNHS-UBOS 1999/2000).
Table 3.6: Employment Activities for Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts
Activity/Sector Sex Female Male Agriculture 84.3 38.1 Professional services, e.g. teaching, managing 2.3 9.0 Sales/services 7.9 23.8 Manual skilled 1.5 3.7 Manual unskilled 3.6 22.1 Other 0.4 3.4 Total 100.0 100.0
Data from the table above show that most men and women who are engaged in non- agricultural activities work in sales/service and in the manual unskilled sub-sectors. The professional, clerical, managerial and manual skilled sub-sectors require more skills but have a higher income earning potential. In this sector, only 3.8% of those employed are women, while 12.7% are men. It is anticipated that the upgrading of the Soroti - Lira Road will improve on the chances of employment in such sub-sectors, thereby positively impacting on the income levels in these areas.
The employment pattem in Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts shows that 51.3% of the household members are self employed, 39.0% are unpaid family workers, 3.9% are government employees, 5.9% are private employees. Paid employment is dominant in urban areas (such as Soroti, Tiriri, Otuboi, Lwala) while unpaid family workers are prevalent in rural areas. There are more women than men who are unpaid family workers (see UNHS-UBOS 1999/2000).
Table 3.7 shows employment rates in various economic activities in Lira and Apac Districts.
2 Activities engaged in are normally divided into two groups: gainful activities and non-gainful activities. Gainful activities include work for pay, profit or family gain. Non-gainful activities are activities without profit or family gain e.g. attending domestic duties, full-time students, voluntary political and religious work etc (UNHS-UBOS, 1999/2000).
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Table 3.7: Employment by Sector in Lira and Apac Districts (%)
Activity % Employed in % Employed in Apac District Lira District Farming 90.4 85.2 Manufacturing 1.5 2.8 Trade 2.5 5.1 Other 5.6 6.9 Total 100.0 100.0 Source: UNHS-UBOS, 1999/2000
In Apac and Lira Districts, most household members were self-employed (52% and 50.5%, respectively). Other members of the household are unpaid family workers (45.9% for Apac and 42.4% for Lira district); Government employees (1.9% for Apac and 3.9% for Lira district); and privately employed (1.3% for Apac and 3.2 % for Lira district). This indicates that government and private employment is not common in both Apac and Lira Districts with percentages well below the national average of 3% and 10% for govemment and private employment respectively.
The desegregation by sex depicts that males dominate self-employment compared to their female counterparts who were mostly unpaid family workers. The UNHS-UBOS 1999/2000 household survey for Apac and Lira shows that 80% and 67% of the males were self- employed in Apac and Lira, respectively. In addition, females in the category of unpaid family workers were 73% for Apac and 62% for Lira, while females in government employment were 0.7% for Apac and 0.6% for Lira. However, more females in both districts are engaged in farm crop production than males. This is not surprising in a largely patriarchal society such as this.
3.11. HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND EXPENDITURE
Income
Indicators of household income3 show that in the 1999/2000, rural households in Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts had a monthly income of UgShs 101,100, while urban households had an average monthly income of UgShs 207,700. This shows a fair increase from the 1997/96 levels which were UgShs 71,500 and UgShs 147,100 for the rural and urban households respectively in the same region. However, the figures for household income 1999/2000 are still below the national average for rural and urban areas, these being UgShs 110,900 and UgShs 302,900 per month, respectively (See UNHS-UBOS, 1999/2000). In addition, 35% of the households in these districts eam between UgShs 0-50,000 per month, while 31% eam between UgShs 50,000-100,000 per month. The household income for Lira and Apac District for the 1999/2000 year was UgShs 62,200 and UgShs 37,600 per month, respectively, again well below the national average of UgShs 141,000 and the Northem Region average of UgShs 70,700. In these two districts, over 63% of the households earned below UgShs 50,000 per month, while 24% earned between UgShs 50,000-100,000 per month. In general, a larger percentage of the households along the AOI in Lira and Apac Districts have very low incomes.
Household income is the sum of income both in cash and in kind that accrues from economic activities performed by members on a regular basis.
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Table 3.8 gives the main sources of income in the project districts. The main source of household income in 1999/2000 in the project districts was crop farming accounting for 36% of household income in Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts combined, 44% in Apac District and 39% in Lira District. This is followed by other household enterprises (e.g. animal husbandry, brewing, cottage industry etc), salaries and wages, current transfers and other remitted benefits, and lastly property income.
Table 3.8: Main Sources of Income in the Project Districts (%) Soroti & Source of Income Kaberamaido Lira District Apac District Districts Crop farming 36 39 44 Household enterprises 24 20 20 Salaries & wages 18 19 16 Current transfers, etc 17 16 15 Income from property 5 6 5 Source: UNHS-UBOS 1999/2000
There are, however, marked variations between the urban and rural areas in respect of sources of household income. In Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts, for example, crop farming accounts for 41% and 14% of the rural and urban household sources of income respectively, while other household enterprises accounted for 20% and 50% of the rural and urban household sources of income respectively. Current transfer accounted for 19% and 11% of the rural and urban household sources income respectively (see UNHS-UBOS, 1999/2000). This pattern of household income is similar to that found in Apac and Lira Districts.
Irrespective of sex, income from crop farming constitutes the highest percentage. However, male-headed households get more income from other household enterprises than female- headed ones; on the other hand female-headed households receive more income from current transfer and other benefits in both districts (see: UNHS-UBOS, 1999/200.0).
Expenditure
The 1999/2000 monthly household expenditure for the Eastern Region (in which Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts fall) was UgShs 120,000, a significant increase from UgShs 85,000 in 1997/98. For the urban areas this was UgShs 211,100, and UgShs 110,200 for rural areas. Per capita expenditure for the 1999/2000 period was UgShs 22,800, an equally significant increase from UgShs 16,800 in 1997/89, but still below the national average per capital expenditure of UgShs27, 200 for 1999/2000. The household expenditure indicators for the AOI in Lira and Apac District are derived from the district average based on the UBOS household survey conducted in 1999/2000. The monthly household expenditure for Apac is UgShs 74,600 and Lira district is UgShs 74,200, while the per capita expenditure is UgShs 14,900 and UgShs 15,200 for Apac and Lira respectively, far below the national average per capital expenditure of UgShs 27,200.
The household expenditure pattern for Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts is consistent with that of Apac and Lira Districts, with food, drinks and tobacco comprising about 50% of the expenditure. Expenditure for specified items for the project districts is presented in Table 3.9.
It 11TITMAFC - SIA ll. 3-13 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: - Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
Table 3.9: Expenditure by Item Groups for the Project Districts (%)
Item Item | ~~KaberamaidcSoroti LraALira Apacc Food, drinks, and tobacco 55 52 56 Clothing and footwear 4 5 4 Rent, fuel and power 16 15 13 Household appliances /equipment 5 7 9 Transport and communication 4 3 3 Health and medical care 4 8 8 Education 6 5 4 Other consumption expenditure 2 1 0 Non Consumption expenditure 4 4 3 Total 100 100 100 Source: UNHS-UBOS 1999/2000
Household Assets
Table 3.10 below indicates the proportion of households in the project districts owning various assets based on information derived from the UNHS-UBOS 1999/2000. While combined figures were available Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts, only indicative figures were available for Apac and Lira Districts, as part of Northem Region.
Table 3.10: Ownership and Value of Assets in Project Districts Soroti & Kaberamaido Northern Region (Apac & Lira) Asset Ownership Value of Assets Ownership Value of Assets (%) (UgShs / unit) (%) (UgShs I unit) Land 74 368,000 62 105,600 Cows 23 167,800 20 128,400 Bulls 10 195,000 11 197,600 Oxen 5 222,000 6 167,700 Goat 33 21,000 46 16,000 Chicken 48 2,800 50 2,800 Source: UNHS-UBOS 1999/2000. 3.12. HEALTH PROFILE
Data obtained from the Health Information Management System (HIMS) 2001 for the project districts indicates that the most prevalent diseases in the four districts are malaria, followed by acute respiratory infections (ARI) and gastro-intestinal illnesses. The main causes of morbidity are shown in Table 3.11 below.
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Table 3.11: Major Causes of Morbidity in the Project Districts
Health Districts Conditions/Diseases Soroti Kaberamaido Apac Lira Malara 48.9% 49.2% 37.9% 33.4% ARI-Not pneumonia 14.8% 14.7% 18.2% 15.1% Intestinal worms 8.3% 10.7% 10.6% 11.3% Other OPD cases 8.4% 5.6% 11.2% 12.0% ARI-pneumonia 3.7% 2.8% 2.0% 5.9% Trauma/injuries, burns etc 4.9% 5.2% 7.5% , 7.9% Diarrhoea 4.4% 3.8% 4.7% 4.8% Skin disorders/diseases 2.5% 3.8% 4.4% 6.3% Anaemia 2.1% 1.8% 0.9% 1.6% Eye infections 2.1% 2.5% 2.5% 1.8% Totals 100% 100% 100% 100%
Source: Health Information Management Systems (HIMS) Abstracts Jan-Dec 2001. MoH Kampala.
Like in other districts in Uganda, the knowledge of HIV/AIDS is universal in the project districts. However, the level of awareness is not matched by knowledge of how to avoid contracting the virus. The HIV/AIDS infection rates in Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts are estimated at 18% (above national average of 8.3%), with infection rates among women six times higher than men (see DDP-Soroti, 2001-2003). About 15.8% of women and 9.0% of men could not mention any programmatically important way of avoiding AIDS, 6.7% of women and 7.0% of men mentioned at least one way, 77.5% of women and 84.0% of men mentioned at least two or more ways. The use of condoms was mentioned by 71.6% of women and 83.2% of men, while limiting sexual partners/faithfulness is known by 81% of women and 68% of the men. There are significant differences between rural and urban areas, the educated and none educated among other variables.
In the Northem Region, about 25.5% of women and 5.1% of men could not mention any important way of avoiding AIDS, 20.5% of women and 12% of men mentioned at least one way, 53,9% of women and 83% of men mentioned at least two ways. The use of condoms was mentioned by 46.4% of the women and 72.3% of men, while limiting sexual partners and faithfulness was mentioned by 72.3% of women and 92.6% of men (see UDHS 2001), this difference was more pronounced between the urban and the rural areas, the educated and non-educated, among other variables.
Maternity-related deaths are high in the project area partly due to the unfavorable referral system, and this is exacerbated by poor and unreliable public transport due to the poor condition of the road and thus the public service vehicles. It is difficult and costly to transport pregnant mothers who require emergency services to hospitals along the project road, especially during the rainy season and at night. It is anticipated that the upgrading of this road will reduce on maternity-related deaths (and death from other diseases as well). Like other districts the health sectors in Soroti and Kaberamaido districts are heavily donor funded with local government contributing only about 10% of total health annual expenditure. SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineerng Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
Infant mortality rates (IMR), child mortality rates (CMR) and under five mortality rates (U5MR) are strongly determined by the health delivery system and socio-economic well-being of the communities. According to the 1991 National Housing and Population Census the health indicators for the project districts are as shown in Table 3.12 below.
Table 3.12: Development Indicators for the Project Districts, 1991
District IMR U5MR CMR Life Expectancy at Birth Per 1000 Per 1000 Per 1000 Male Female Average Soroti/ Kaberamaido 116 192 17.9 42.8 48.8 45.5 Lira 127 214 17.2 44.1 50.0 46.9 Apac 114 191 15.5 47.7 53.0 50.3 Source: The 1991 National Housing and Population Census-Uganda.
The updated figures for health indicators for the project districts are generally not positive. For Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts, the infant mortality Rate (IMR) is 116, Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is 6, Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) is 192, while Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is 566 (See: DDP Soroti, 2002 -2005)4. Also regional estimates put antenatal care by trained providers at 94%, however, intra-natal care by trained provider for same region drops to a mere 40.2% (see UDHS, 2001) mainly due to accessibility factors, poverty and lack of trained health providers at especially rural health facilities.
Information from regional statistical summaries for Apac and Lira from the UDHS 2001 indicates that the average figures for the Northem Region for IMR, CMR, NNMR (neo-natal mortality rate) and U5MR are 106, 80.6, 42.2, 178 respectively, all of which are higher than the national average.
It is important to note that causes of neonatal mortality are more biological, while causes of infant mortality and under five mortality are connected to the socio economic conditions and has a direct bearing on the quality of health service, accessibility, districts health referral system and general economic status of the communities. Sometimes, referral may involve transporting the sick to hospitals in Soroti, Lira or Lwala. Inevitable delays and discomfort of the public service vehicles, let alone the high travel costs, decrease the survival chances of the referred sick.
In Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts, the percentage of the population living within 5 km radius from a health unit is 19.1%, far below the national average of 49% (MOH, Health Facility Inventory, 1993) The doctor to population ratio is 1:22,000, midwife to population ration is 1:8,545 and nurse to population ration is 1:7,705.
For Apac and Lira Districts, the average distance to the nearest health facility is 8 km for Apac and 5 km for Lira. The average distance to hospital facility was 19 km for Apac and 10 km for Lira. However, the average distance to drug shops and traditional healers was shorter for these districts than Soroti and Kaberamaido. Also other health status indicators show that 73% and 77% of pregnant women attended ante-natal care by trained staff in Apac and Lira respectively. However, very few received intra-natal care by trained staff (6% for Apac and 9% for Lira). The UDHS for Apac and Lira further shows that 71% and 73% of the people in
The UHDS 2000/2001 however, put the Under Five Mortality for eastem region at a near figure of 143, and Infant Mortality Rate at 89.3% and Neonatal Mortality (NN) at 29.5. The slight differences in figures are understandable since these are regional estimates.
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Apac and Lira respectively do not seek medical treatment at all when they fall sick, mainly because of poverty accessibility and ignorance. However, for those who see medical services private clinics are widely used followed by government health facilities and home treatment.
Several areas along the AOI in the project districts are grossly underserved by health infrastructure especially at health levels IlIl and il.5
3.13. EDUCATION PROFILE
The literacy levels in Soroti and Kaberamaido District have been inferred from regional statistics of UNHS (1999/2000) and the UDHS (2000/2001). The literacy6 rate for men in this area by 2000 was 72% and 52 % of for females, bringing the average literacy rate to 62%. The literacy rates for the urban areas are higher than rural areas.
The Iteracy rates for Apac District in 2000 was 81.3% for males and 49.4% for females bringing the overall literacy rate in Apac District to 65%. The literacy rates for Lira District for the same period are estimated at 82.4% for males and 41.8% for females, that is an overall district literacy rate of 61.8% (UNHS-UBOS, 1999/2000). In all the project districts, the male literacy rates are far higher than for females, mainly because of parental preference to giving boys education than girls, early pregnancy and lack of educational facilities, among others.
The adult literacy rates for Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts for 2000 is put at 74% for males and 45 % for females, against an average 59% for the whole region. Figures for adult literacy rates for Apac District are 91.3% and 53.5% for males and females respectively, with an overall adult literacy rate of 64%. The adult literacy rates for Lira District are 88.1% and 45.1% for males and females respectively with an overall literacy rate of 56.4%. In all the project districts, male adult literacy rates are higher. The differences between adult literacy rates in Lira and Apac are partly due to the fact that the Functional Adult Literacy Program (FALP) started much earlier in Apac (1992) than in Lira District (1996).
The primary school enrollment figures for the sub-counties along the AOI project districts are presented in Table 3.13. Secondary school and tertiary school enrollment figures were not readily available at time
According to the Soroti DDP 2002 - 2005, the staffing level for qualified health workers in Soroti districts is still low. The district had 3 medical officers out of the recommended 6, 25 clinical officers out of the recommended 29, 2 anaesthefic officers out of required 6, 107 enrolled nurses out of the required 122, and 122 enrolled midwives of the required 143. There were only half the required comprehensive nurses, nursing assistants, heafth assistants, public health dentists (100%), laboratory technicians, and laboratory assistants. Level IlIl health units in rural areas are particularly hard bit by poor staffing, including areas along the AOI. The current state of existing road is poor and a demotivation factor to health providers because they have to periodically travel to Soroti town to receive salaries, supplies, etc. Yet transport costs are high, the travel is uncomfortable, dusty and bme consuming. The health sector staffing profile for Apac and Ura Districts was not available at the Ume of the study. 6 Literacy rate is computed using persons aged 10 years and above according to intemational convention, while adult literacy rate is computed using the (majority adult age) 18 years as the lower age limit.
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Table 3.13: Primary School Enrolment Figures for Sub-counties in the AOI
District Sub-counties No. of Primary Schools No of Pupils (No of Pupl) Arapai 11 14,037 Kamuda 14 6,826 Katine 10 6,690 Soroti Soroti 5 1,980 Tabur 8 4,431 Soroti Municipality 20 17,959 Sub Total 51,923 Kalaki 13 6,126 Otuboi 13 8,031 Kaberamaido AI 10n, 4 ,1 Sub Total 19,573 Dokolo 13 10,039 Adekokwok 19 16,573 Lira Amach 22 16,201 Lira Agwata 9 754 Lira Municipality n/a n/a Sub Total [a] 43,567 Total [a] 167 115,063 Source: District Education Offices, Soroti and Ura Districts Note [a] total does not include Lira Municipality+
Figures for enrollment in Apac District were also not available at the time of the study.
The crude enrollment ratio for Apac District is 30.8%, while that of Lira district is 33.5%. The crude enrollment ratio by sex shows that males are more enrolled in schools than females. In Apac District, crude enrollment ratio for males is 34.7 % while that of females is 27.2%. In Lira District, the crude enrollment ratio for males is 38.7%, while that of females is 28.1% (see UNHS- UBOS 1999/2000).
The pattem of enrollment shows high rates of enrollment at lower primary levels and a progressive decrease (drop out) towards high primary levels in the two districts. In Apac District all of the males (100%) dropped out of school because of cost implications, while only 28.7% females did so because of cost implications. Other reasons for dropping out are early pregnancy (10.7%), need to work (40%), and other reasons (20.6%). In Lira District, most boys dropped out of primary school due to cost implications (68.8%), sickness (7.7%) and other reasons (23.5%), while females dropped out of primary school due to cost implications (10.8%), sickness (7.8), pregnancy (30.2%), and other reasons (51.2%).
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4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ROAD WORKS 4.1. LOcATION
The project road lies between latitudes 010 43' and 020 15' north of the Equator, and longitudes 32 0 52' and 33 0 36' east of the Prime Meridian.
Map 1 shows the location of the road project.
The Soroti-Lira Road traverses three districts, namely Soroti, Kaberamaido and Lira Districts, although there is a very small section of road that runs along the border between Akalu sub- county in Apac District and Amach sub-county in Lira District.
The sub-counties that the project road passes through are shown in Table 4.1 below:
Table 4.1: Districts and Sub-counties Through which the Project Road Passes District Sub-counties Soroti Soroti, Katine, Arapai, Kamuda, and Soroti Municipality Kaberamaido Kalaki, Otuboi and Alwa Lira Dokolo, Agwata, Amach, Adekokwok and Lira Municipality (Ojwina Division). Apac Akalu
4.1.1. Soroti District
Formerly known as part of Teso District, North Teso District was created in 1970s and became Soroti District in 1980. The district is situated in the mid-eastern part of the country. Soroti District is bordered by the districts of Kaberamaido and Lira to the west, Kumi to the east, Katakwi to the north, and Kamuli and Pallisa to the south. The district covers an approximate area of 9,149 sq km. It lies at an altitude of 1,036 m to 1,127 m above sea level, with rainfall of 1,000 to 1,500 mm per annum.
The major administrative town is Soroti. The district has three counties: Kasilo, Serere and the Municipality of Soroti. The district has the following sub-counties: Tabur, Katine, Kamuda, Aswet, Soroti, Arapai, Gweri, Atiire, Olio, Kyera, Katera, Bugondo, Kadungulu, Piingire and three divisions in Soroti Municipality. 4.1.2 Kaberamaido District
Kaberamaido District was part of Soroti District until 2000. It now borders the districts of Soroti to the east, Lira to the west and Kamuli to the south. The district has an area of about 870 sq km and lies at an altitude of 1,036 m to 1,127 m above sea level, receiving rainfall of between 1,000 and 1,500 mm per annum.
The major administrative town is Kaberamaido. The district has two counties Kaberamaido and Kalaki. The district is composed of the following sub-counties: Alwa, Kaberamaido, Obulubulo, Ochero, and Anyara. SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: - Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
4.1.3. Lira District
At independence, Lira District was part of Lango District. In 1979, under the provincial administration, Lango District was divided in West Lango and East Lango Districts. East Lango was renamed Lira District in 1980. Lira district borders the districts of Apac to the west, Kaberamaido to the southeast, Kitgum to the north, while Lake Kyoga forms the southem boundary. The distnct covers an approximate area of 7,200 sq km. It lies at an altitude of between 975 m and 1,146 m above sea level, and receives an annual rainfall of 1,200 to 1,750 mm.
The administrative headquarters is Lira town. The district has four counties: Dokolo, Erute, Kyoga Otuke, Moroto and Lira Municipality. The district has 24 sub-counties: Namasale, Muntu, Awelo, Aputi, Kangai, Kwera, Dokolo, Agwata, Bata, Amach, Abako, Amugo, Bar, Aloi, Omoro, Adekokwok, Lira, Apala, Ogur, Aromo, Okwang, Adwari, Orum, Olilim, and four divisions in the Municipality. 4.1.4. Apac District
Apac district was formerly part of Lango District which existed at independence. Under the 1974 provincial administration, Lango was divided into West Lango and East Lango. West Lango was later renamed Apac. Apac District lies north of Lake Kyoga and borders the districts of Masindi in the west, Lira in the east, and Gulu in the north. The district lies *between 700 m and 1,383 m above sea level. The rainfall average is between 1,000 to 1500 mm per annum.
The administrative headquarters is Apac town. The district has four counties: Maruzi, Kwania, Kole, and Oyam, and the following sub-counties: Ibuje, Akokoro, Cawente, Abiece, Apac, Aduku, Cegere, Aber, Minakulu, Ngai, Acaba, Loro, Iceme, Otwalo, Alito, Aboke, Ayer, Bala, Akalu, and Inomo.
4.2. THE AREA OF INFLUENCE OF THE PROJECT ROAD
For the purposes of this study, the project road's direct socio-economic area of influence (AOI) has been defined as a 20 km wide corridor, straddling 10 km on either side of the centreline of the project road, along the entire project road. This is based on the assumption that a person would on average travel by foot a distance of 10 km in a day (or by the next day) to reach a main road.
At this preliminary stage the AOI includes all sub-counties through which the project road will pass (including the proposed new minor and major alignments). Thus the road AOI will amount to 800 sq km in Soroti and Kaberamaido Districts, or 8% of the joint area of both districts, while in Lira District the AOI occupies an area of 1600 sq km, or 22% of the District.
The indirect socio-economic area of influence extends well beyond the extremities of the project road and of the 20 km wide AOl defined, for example to national marketing centres for agricultural produce grown within the direct AOI.
The environmental AOI also extends beyond this 10 km limit, because of media such as watercourses and wind which may carry pollutants for significant distances downstream or downwind, as the case may be.
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4.3. PHASES OF THE SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PROJECT
In order to be able to identify the positive and negative impacts arising from the upgrading of the Soroti - Lira Road, it is necessary to understand the components of each phase of the project, design features, construction methodologies and operation and maintenance procedures constituting the project. In general, the main phases of the road project are tabulated in Table 4.2 below:
Table 4.2: Phases of the Soroti - Lira Road Project
Project Phase Engineering Activities Non Engineering Activities Preliminary Environmental Impact Planning Feasibility Assessment Preliminary Design Preliminary Social Impact Assessment Preliminary RAP Detailed Environmental Impact Detailed Design Assessment. Design Preparataionof Tender Detailed Social Impact Assessment Design Preparation on Detailed Resettlement Action Plan Documentation Incorporation of recommended mitigation measures into design. Invitation to Bid Incorporation of environmental and Tendering Process Evaluation of Tenders social mitigation measures into tender Award of Contract documentation Construction Construction works Implementation of mitigation measures Construction Supervision of construction Implementation of RAP Implementation of mitigation measures Defects Liability Monitoring structures, Environmental monitoring Phasets paveilRyM enitoring etructures, Social monitoring Phase pavement, etc Implementation of RAP and monitoring of PAPs Implementation of mitigation measures Maintenance of environmental Operation and Routine maintenance protection structures Maintenance Periodic maintenance Environmental monitoring Social monitoring (including monitoring of PAPs)
This study deals with the Planning and Design Phases of the Project, where the Feasibility (including the Preliminary EIA, SIA and RAP) and Preliminary Design have been carried out in Phase I and the Detailed EIAISIA, Resettlement Action Plan, Detailed Design and Preparation of Tender Documentation are being carried out in Phase 11.
The other reports associated with the detailed design phase of the project, namely the RAP, Detailed Design and Tender Documentation, are being submitted as separate documents.
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4.4. ROAD DESIGN 4.4.1. Approach
Three alignment options were considered during the feasibility and Preliminary Engineering Phase for the design of the road. The first involved following the existing alignment as much as possible, whilst adopting the minimum level of realignment to achieve the engineering requirements of the improved standard of road. The principal improvements in this regard concerned the smoothening of very sharp bends at Tiriri, Amidakan, Lwala and Agwata, where the centres would be marginally bypassed.
An alternative approach sought to achieve the optimum alignment in the terrain from both the engineering and economic standpoints and involved longer realignments that would bypass Tiriri, Amidakan, Otuboi, Lwala and Agwata. The third approach was a compromise, which secured a proportion of the benefits of shortening the route with reduced environmental impact, and comprised intermediate realignments which bypassed Tiriri, Amidakan, Lwala and Agwata.
The three alignment options considered are illustrated in Map 2 overleaf. For reference purposes, the project road was divided into sections as shown in Table 4.3, with the various realignment options numbered 1, 2 and 3 accordingly:
Table 4.3: Alignment Options
Alignment Option Location of Section or Realignment Chainage No.
1 2 3 Section from Soroti to before Tiriri Km 0+000 to A A A Km 24+000 __ Possible realignments at Tiriri KmKm 24+000 28+565 to B2 B2 B3 Possible realignments at Amidakan/ Km 28+565 to C1 C2 C3 Otuboi Km 48+740 Possible realignments at Lwala Km 48+740 to Dl D2 D3 Km_66+970 __ Section from before Dokolo to before Km 66+970 to E E E Agwata Km 86+080 E E E Possible realignments at Agwata Km 86+080 to Fl F2 F3 Km 94+685to Section of road Km 94+685 to G G G
109+030______Section of road Km 109+030 to H H H Section of ~~~~Km124+614
A summary of the merits and disadvantages of the various re-alignments, as considered during the earlier phase, for each of the sections is presented below.
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Tiriri Bypass (Road Section B)
The existing alignment passes through Tiriri, from south to north, before meeting a roundabout. From there, traffic can either tum westwards to continue to Otuboi and Lira (the project road) or proceed to the north towards Aloi. This unlit roundabout in a peri-urban environment on a (bitumen standard) trunk road would be considered to be a traffic hazard and is untenable.
The minimal realignment option (B1) substantially retains the existing infrastructure. This route would necessitate the removal of some buildings at the fringe of the trading centre. In effect, this route follows the existing alignment and provides no shortening of road length. In addition, retention of the existing roundabout is unacceptable for safety reasons.
The intermediate realignment (B2) begins just before the swamp at Tirii and rejoins the existing alignment midway between the roundabout and Omunyal Swamp. It is 1.5 km long, and would give a route shortening of about 0.37 km. For this realignment, a section of new crossing at the Tiriri swamp would have to be constructed.
The proposed major realignment (B3) is about 3.55 kilometres in length, and would pass to the southwest of Tiriri, avoiding all the infrastructure, but traversing small-scale farmland. It would rejoin the existing road at the start of the crossing of the Omunyal Swamp. This option would shorten the project road by approximately 0.97 kilometres. It would also require a new crossing to be constructed at the Tiriri swamp.
AmidakanlOtuboi/Lwala Bypass (Road Sections C and D)
The project road between Omunyal Swamp and Dokolo follows an exaggerated chicane shape; inHtially it heads to the northwest as far as Amidakan, then to the southwest to Lwala before resuming a northwesterly direction to Dokolo. Approximately in the middle of this road section lies the trading centre of Otuboi.
The minimal realignment at Amidakan (C1) involves minimal smoothening of the existing curve and would shorten the route by 0.06 km. The intermediate realignment (C2) begins at roughly Km 37, bypasses Amidakan, and rejoins the existing road just after the junction to Ojukot Dam before the heart of the trading centre. This would shorten the project road by 1.1 km. The route would traverse one wetland section.
At Lwala, the minimal realignment (Dl) would serve to smoothen the very sharp bend, and give a route shortening of 0.63 km. An intermediate realignment (D2) would leave the existing realignment at Oteke, and rejoin it just before Abalang. This realignment would result in a route shortening of 1.53 km.
The section from Omunyal Swamp to Dokolo measures some 33 kilometres in length. A major realignment of the road in an east -west direction and passing close to Otuboi (C3), then bypassing Lwala (D3), would result in a total route shortening of approximately 6.8 kilometres. This route would follow a series of ridges, such that the vertical profile would be easy with superior characteristics to that of the existing profile, and would facilitate drainage. However, at least three wetland sections have to be negotiated.
The existing road alignment through Dokolo would be retained.
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Agwata Bypass (Road Section F7
After crossing the Olwenyi swamp, the project road swings a little to the south to pass through Agwata. The latter consists of sparse ribbon development which extends for some 4 kilometres; it starts with educational, administrative and residential establishments and ends with a conglomeration of a few small trading establishments prior to a roundabout.
From the roundabout the project road heads northwards, across a swamp, towards Lira.
The minimal realignment option here (Fl) would serve to bypass the roundabout, shortening the route by 0.5 km.
The intermediate realignment (F2) is 3.45 km in length. It would leave the existing road just after the intersection with the road to the sub-county offices, avoiding Agwata centre, but rejoining the existing road some 2 km north of the roundabout, just before the Kachung Forest Reserve. This realignment would require a new crossing to be constructed across the swamp immediately north of Agwata.
The major realignment proposed (F3) would involve a substantial route shortening of 2.1 kilometres, achieved by the introduction of a bypass measuring 6.34 kilometres. The bypass would avoid the wetland areas and join the existing alignment after passing through the Kachung Forest Reserve.
The three alignment options were subjected to technical investigations, environmental and social impact assessments and economic appraisal as reported in the Phase l: Feasibility Study and Preliminary Engineering Design (December 2003). The Feasibility Study concluded that the alignment proposed under Option 1 be adopted for the upgrading of the Soroti - Lira road. This Phase II Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Study is therefore based on the adoption of the Option 1 alignment for the improvement works. This alignment substantially follows the existing road alignment. 4.4.2. Design Specificatons and Details
The following Table 4.4 below summarizes the design specifications as recommended in the Feasibility Study and Preliminary Engineering Report.
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Table 4.4: Road Design Specifications
Description Specification Existing Road Length 124.6 km, of which 6 km is already sealed B2 1.505 km at Tiriri (a saving of 0.365 km) Minimal realignment options for improved Cl 1.250 km at Amidakan (a saving of 0.060 km) engineering Dl 1.850 km at Lwala (a saving of 0.630 km) Fl 1.515 km at Agwata (a saving of 0.505 km) Improved road length (Option 1) 123.04 km, including Lira Bypass. Width of bitumen carriageway 6 m 1.5 m, except at the following places: Km 0-5 Soroti to Tirri): 2 m Width of each shoulder Km 45-48 (Otuboi township): 2 m Km 67-69 (Dokolo township): 2 m Km 114-123 (Crossroads to Lira): 2 m
Total width of project road 13 - 15 m No. of existing swamp/river crossings to 15 be improved No. of new swamp crossings required for 5 (including Agwata - Lira pipeline section) re-alignments No. of existing culverts 353 Diameter of culverts variable Maximum gradient of fill slopes Approx 1:1.5 Maximum gradient of cut slopes Approx 1:1.5 Road reserve for Class II bitumen road 30 m (15 m on either side of the carriageway)
4.4.3. Construction Materials
The construction materials which are anticipated to be required for construction of the improved road include earthfill, gravel, rock, sand, water, cement or lime and bitumen. Detailed investigations have been carried out of potential sources of the materials which are to be sourced locally and the locations of these sources are shown on Map 4 overleaf.
A total of 21 gravel sites have been identified. Each of these sites is currently under cultivation, or is fallow land. Each site is individually owned, apart from two that are owned by institutions.
The volume of gravel required for the proposed pavement construction is estimated to be 224,000 m3.
The capacity of the above sites is of the order of 430,000 m3, corresponding to some 330,000 m3 after allowing 30% for compaction and wastage.
The overburden overlying the gravel at these sites, estimated to total some 263,000 m3' will be available for use as soil borrow.
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A total of seven potential hardstone sources sites have been identified, sampled and tested at four locations: Oculoi, Gorogoro, Akia Rock and Angarapoch. All are rock outcrops (kopjes) and are found to be suitable for this project. The volume of hardstone required is estimated to be 175,000 m3 . This quantity should be easily obtainable from the large outcrops concerned.
Four sources of sand have been identified at locations in the vicinity of Soroti, Lira and on the Dokolo - Aloi road.
All haul routes will be along existing access routes. 4.4.4. Construction Methodology
The initial construction activities envisaged will include bush clearing, widening, shaping and smoothening of the existing carriageway and realignments to form the subgrade support of the road. An improved sub grade (comprising either suitable soil or gravel) of a thickness of about 175 mm is then to be placed on the earthworks where necessary. This will support a 250 mm thick layer of improved gravel (subbase), and a 150 mm, base layer consisting of graded crushed stone. Thereafter a bituminous prime coat is to be laid, followed by two layers of bituminised chippings as a wearing course.
At this stage the requirement for, and locations of, deviations cannot be identified. However, consideration will be given to the advantages of avoiding deviations by passing the traffic through the works. At the major swamp crossings, there will probably be no option but to construct half the road width at a time.
Where realignments are to be constructed in the vicinities of Tiriri, Lwala and Agwata, there will not be a requirement for deviations or passage of traffic through the works. Such may also be the case where the road is to be re-aligned along the Kachung - Lira water pipeline. 4.4.5. Contractor's Camp
The Contractor will have a number of choices for the location of his camp. The contract is likely to be split into two separate tenders: Soroti to Dokolo, and Dokolo to Lira. It is likely then that the Contractors will select centres such as Otuboi, Dokolo and Agwata for their main camps, as these centres are roughly midway along each of the two proposed contract sections. However, issues such as availability of land and water are often the determining factors for camp locations.
In addition, it is expected that the Contractors will have subsidiary offices in either Soroti or Lira.
It is anticipated that the Contractors would each employ in the region of 300-400 people (skilled and unskilled).
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5.0 POLICY, LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
5.1. POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK 5.1.1. The Ugandan Legal Context
It is intended that this project complies with all Ugandan legal requirements. Existing laws applicable to environmental and social management with respect to this particular road project are: * The Constitution of Uganda 1995 * The National Environment Statute 1995 * The Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 1998 * The Local Governments Act 1997 * The Land Act 1998 * The Roads Act 1964 * The Town and Country Planning Act 1964 * The Survey Act 1964 * The National Gender Policy 1997 * The National Forestry and Tree Planting Act 2003 * The Water Statute 1995 * The National Policy on the Conservation and Management of Wetland Resources 1995 * The Uganda Wildlife Statute 1996 The Constitution of Uganda 1995 is the supreme law in the country and it provides for environmental protection and conservation. It states that the government will promote development, utilization, and public awareness of the need to manage land, air and water resources in a balanced and sustainable manner for present and future generations. The Constitution vests all land in the country in the citizens of Uganda, and protects property and other individual rights. The Government, or Local Government, may acquire land in the public interest, subject to provisions of Article 26 of the Constitution. This gives every person in Uganda the right to own property, and stipulates that the land or property cannot be compulsorily acquired unless prompt, prior and adequate compensation has been paid to the owner of the land/property.
The National Environment Statute 1995 is regarded as the coordinating law for environmental management in the country through cooperation between the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and other government agencies and stakeholders. Issues for which NEMA is responsible include management of lakes, rivers, wetlands, forests, rangelands, hilltops and mountainous areas; conservation of biodiversity; control of pollution; environmental restoration; and land use planning. The EIA Regulations developed under this Statute makes it mandatory to carry out ElAs for all projects listed in its Third Schedule, including road construction.
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The Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 1998 stipulate that no developer may implement a project for which environmental impact assessment is required under the Third Schedule to the National Environment Statute, unless the environmental impact assessment has been concluded in accordance with the procedures specified in the regulations. The Third Schedule of the Statute lists major road projects as requiring ElAs.
The Local Governments Act 1997 provides for a district-based system of local governments. The district councils provided for in this act have both legislative and executive powers, rendering them the highest political authorities in the districts. With regard to natural resource management, the district councils are responsible for land surveying, land administration, physical planning, forests and wetlands, environment and sanitation and road services that are not the responsibility of the Central Government. Thus the district councils play an important role during the establishment of road reserves, acquisition of land for road construction purposes, and in the sensitization and mobilization of the local communities.
The Land Act 1998 is the principal legislation on land tenure in Uganda. The Act states that all land in Uganda, whether alienated or not, is subject to all existing public rights of way which are reserved and vested in the Govemment on behalf of the public, and that all such rights of way are maintained by the public uninterrupted unless they are terminated or altered by the decision of the Minister in writing. Under this Act, an authorized undertaker executing public works on land shall promptly pay compensation to any person having an interest in the land for any damage caused to crops or buildings and for the land and materials taken or used for the works. However, the after effects of such works which may lead to environmental degradation are not addressed by the Act.
Under the Roads Act 1964 the Minister may declare by statutory instrument an area bounded by imaginary lines parallel to and distant not more than fifty feet from the centreline of any road to be a road reserve. The Act also stipulates that no person may, without the written permission of the road authority, erect any building, plant any tree or permanent crops within a road reserve, subject to any order made under the Act. A road authority may dig and take away materials required for the construction and maintenance of roads in any part of a road reserve approved by the district commissioner without payment to any person. (The statutory instrument required to establish the road reserve was not gazetted, and the legality of the existing road reserves is currently under dispute).
Land use and land planning in urban and rural areas are governed by the Town and Country Planning Act 1964. The Act establishes guidelines for planning schemes, acquisition of land and compensation for acquired lands, as well as considerations to safeguard the natural environment.
The Survey Act 1964 requires that before any attempts are made to construct a road or highway in any part of the country, a survey of the area has to be carried out in accordance with survey operations as govemed by the Act. Compensation provided for under this Act applies only to trees, fences and standing crops that are damaged or injured during the survey. The Act implies that where there is a road reserve, no compensation of any sort is due to the owners of property standing or lying on the area gazetted as a road reserve. However, these clauses referring to compensation have been superseded by the Land Act 1998.
The overall goal of the National Gender Policy 1997 is to mainstream gender concerns in the national development process in order to improve the social, legal/civic, political, economic and cultural conditions of the people of Uganda, and in particular women. Thus in the context of the road sector, it aims to redress the imbalances which arise from the existing
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gender inequalities promotes the participation of both women and men in all stages of the project cycle, equal access to and control over economically significant resources and benefits. It also strives to promote recognition and value of women's roles and contributions as agents of change and beneficiaries of the development process.
The National Forestry and Tree Planting Act 2003 prohibits the construction or reopening of any road, track, bridge or airstrip in a forest reserve. However, certain prohibitions may be excepted if a right to the forest area is exercised or if there is an interest in the forest area. The Act stipulates that in the event of reduction of part of a central forest reserve, an area at least equivalent in size to the reduction shall be simultaneously declared a central forest reserve, and that before such an area is declared a central forest reserve, an EIA establish the area to be equivalent or of greater value than the area that is removed. The intention is to maintain a Permanent Forest Estate. The Act establishes the National Forestry Authority, whose duties are, among others, to develop and manage all central forest reserves, prepare and implement management plans and reports on the status of central forest reserves.
Under the Water Statute 1995, the Director of Water Development may temporarily close all or any part of a road to traffic in order to carry out works on the land adjacent to the road. The water authority may also break up the surface of the road and open or break any works under the road. The Statute also requires any infrastructure that may be have to be removed for the purposes of a development to be relocated as necessary at the expense of the proponent, and in consultation with the water authority.
As yet there is no separate legislation addressing the protection of wetland resources. This is catered for under the National Environment Statute of 1995. However the National Policy for the Conservation and Management of Wetland Resources was drawn up in 1995, and aims to curtail loss of wetland resources, to ensure that the benefits from wetlands are sustainable and equitably distributed to all people of Uganda. It calls for the prohibition of the drainage of wetlands, and environmentally sound management of wetlands.
The control, management and maintenance of national parks and other protected areas are provided for in the Uganda Wildlife Statute 1996. The law however does not set up procedures specific to the construction of roads in protected areas. 5.1.2. Compensation and Resefflement
With regard to the compensation and resettlement issues, the main pieces of legislation are the Constitution of Uganda and the Land Act, and these have been described above. The existing legislation emphasizes adequate, fair and prompt compensation. However, there appears to be no legal basis for resettlement.
RAFU's Resettlement / Land Acquisition Framework recognizes the requirements of World Bank Operational Directive (OP) 4.12 (see below). Among other guiding principles contained in RAFU's ResettlementV Land Acquisition Policy Framework are that: i) Compensation should be aimed at minimizing social disruption and assist those who have lost assets as a result of a road project to maintain their livelihoods through income restoration.
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.
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Donor Policies on Resettlement
The World Bank's Operational Policy OP 4.12 (December 2001) on Involuntary Resettlement requires that displaced persons should be compensated at full replacement cost, assisted with relocation and resettlement as well as during the transition period. Resettlement measures should be executed as sustainable development programmes, and the displaced persons and communities should be involved in planning and implementing the resettlement programmes.
The World Bank policy differs from Ugandan law in several ways. The former covers the provision of altemative land (i.e. compensation on a land for land basis), compensation in kind and resettlement, and goes beyond monetary compensation by specifying that income must be restored at full replacement cost (including labour). Ugandan law only requires the affected people to be monetarily compensated. Furthermore under Ugandan law, affected people are only eligible for compensation if they have legally recognized rights to that land, while the World Bank requires that all affected people should be compensated, regardless of their occupancy status. Perennial crops must be compensated for in cash at an established rate, while no compensation is necessary for annual crops.
Other donors, e.g. the European Union, African Development Bank and the Nordic Development Fund, have similar requirements.
5.2. INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
As a result of the different laws and legal instruments which apply to road-related environmental and social issues, a number of players are involved at various stages of an environmental impact assessment and a social impact assessment.
The National Environment Management Authority is mandated to be the 'principal agency in Uganda for the management of the environment" (National Environment Statute of 1995). At district level, the responsibility of the management of environmental issues lies with the District Environment Committees.
While NEMA is responsible overall for the coordination of sectoral environmental issues, RAFU must ensure that environmental and social impact assessments for road projects are adequately carried out, that mitigation is incorporated as appropriate, and that the construction process is environmentally and legally compliant. Furthermore, RAFU will be responsible for monitoring the environmental and social repercussions of the road project after its completion.
Also of concern in this project are the impacts of road construction activities on forests and wetlands. In this case the Forest Department and the National Wetlands Programme (both within the Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment), as well as NEMA, are key players.
In terms of compensation and resettlement, the prime participants are the Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment (compensation and valuation), the Prime Ministers Office (resettlement) and RAFU (the Lead Agency). RAFU therefore must take the responsibility for resettlement, and identification and coordination of the other players. In addition, the Uganda Land Commision, District Land Boards, Land Tribunal, Local Councils need to be involved.
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6.0 PUBLIC CONSULTATION
In this chapter, a synopsis of the views of the road users and beneficiaries, as well as representatives of the Local Councils, who have been interviewed are presented. Sector specific information elicited during these discussions has been included in the analysis of impacts (see Chapter 7). Detailed records of discussions held with the various stakeholders are presented in Appendix 4.
Informal discussions were held with transport operators (truckers, taxi drivers/owners, and a bus inspector) at Lira to elicit, among other things, their view on the current status of the road, transport problems associated with it and whether upgrading the road from Soroti to Lira would be beneficial to them. The transporters complained that the condition of the road is very poor, which takes its toll on their vehicles. They stated that very few private vehicles go along the road for that reason. They also suggested that more road signs be put up near schools and hospitals, and some mentioned that bumps be installed to slow down vehicles as they approach these institutions. As expected, the transporters welcomed the prospect of upgrading the project road to bitumen standard.
The feeling among the sector ministries, as well as at local government level is that long-term and immediate benefits of the road will outweigh the problems, provided proper mitigation measures are planned and implemented on time, these being specifically related to compensation issues. The community members were very positive about the road project and were keen to have the construction begin as soon as possible.
Perceived benefits included cheaper and more efficient transport options, resulting in improved marketing of agricultural produce and non-farm items, better communications throughout the district, and better access to social services.
A major concern was the bypassing of trading centres. In all cases it was understood that the minimal realignment options would result in the destruction of more buildings and properties than the intermediate and major realignment options. Most people consulted at the trading centres obviously preferred that the road should adhere to the existing alignment through the towns. However, the LC I and Ill leaders, as well as many of the district officials, recognized the danger of having a high-speed road pass through a trading centre. If a realignment was inevitable, they stressed that consideration should be given to a link road connecting the centres to the new alignments. In addition, the communities and local leaders emphasized the need for road safety signs and speed control interventions at critical spots along the rehabilitated road, and any proposed realignments.
The local leaders also urged the Consultant to ensure that local people were employed during the construction phase of the project road. In addition, construction workers have a reputation for undesirable social interaction, and the contractors must control their workforce in this regard.
All the proposed realignments will affect a number of people, and the communities and local leaders pointed out that all affected persons must be compensated appropriately. In this connection, the sub-county chiefs urged the Consultant to involve them in the mobilization of local people during both the RAP and the construction phase.
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7.0 ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS
This chapter describes the anticipated environmental as well as social/socio-economic impacts which may result from upgrading the Soroti - Lira Road to bitumen standard. The discussion describes the impacts of improvement of the road along the Option 1 alignment as recommended in the feasibility study. The discussions of the merits of the other realignments were presented in the Preliminary Environmental and Social Impact Assessment report and are not repeated here as these alignments are excluded from consideration.
7.1. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS 7.1.1. Changes in Hydrology and Drainage
The project area has moderate to high rainfall ranging from 1200 mm to 1500 mm per year, and this implies that watercourses along the road have moderate flows.
The project road traverses a number of swamps or wetlands. Some of the larger swamps are extensive, and the crossings are in excess of one or even two kilometres in length, while other marshy areas occur around smaller rivers or depressions. Those longer than one kilometre are located at Km 18.3, Km 27.75 Km, 68.0 and Km 82.0. A list of the swamps crossed by the project road is presented in Section 2.6.
The original hydrological regime in the swamps and marshes would have already been altered when the existing road was first constructed. This is evident along the numerous swamp crossings, where it was noted that the culvert spacings at the existing crossings are irregular (varying from 5 m to 100 m in some cases) and do not adequately provide for cross flow of water. The inadequacy of the drainage structures along the project road is also reflected in the fact that there are only about 350 culverts along its entire length, despite the many swamps it traverses. At most of the culvert sites at the swamp crossings, ponding has occurred: on the upstream side, indicating that flow has been impeded, and on the downstream side, indicating that concentrated flows through the culverts have caused eddying and erosion of the swamp floor (see Plate 4). At these inlets/ouffalls vegetation in the ponds (mainly water lilies) is distinctly different from that in the rest of the swamp areas (sedges and grasses). It can be argued that since the construction of these crossings, the wetlands have now stabilised or reached equilibrium. However, this assumption cannot be substantiated without data on the status of the wetlands pre-dating construction of the swamp crossings. SoRoTi - LRMA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
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Plate 4: Changes in Wetland Vegetation due to Concentration of Flow and Eddying
Road improvement will cause some temporary changes in hydrology during the construction phase, particularly where culverts are to be replaced or installed. All the proposed new alignments will affect the surface hydrology of the area.
Discussions with the District Executive Engineer for Soroti District and the District Engineering Assistant and Road Inspector in Lira District revealed that during the rainy season, certain swamp crossings are prone to flooding, for example at Arapai (which overtopped in April 2003), Awlokero, Katine, Omunyal and Olwenyi (which last overtopped in October 2000, and before that during the El Nino in 1997). Water levels at the swamp crossings at Adwoki and Aminkwac are often very high during the rains, but neither has overtopped to date.
Overtopping and damming are indications that the design of these swamp crossings is not adequate, and requires raising the level of the crossing and installation of more culverts. All the major swamp crossings along the existing alignment will have to be upgraded, raised and widened. Because the existing crossings are narrow, these upgrading works will involve extending the cross-section by about 3 m on each side. In order to do this, the existing culverts will have to be extended (lengthened) and trenches excavated through the existing embankments to enable new culverts to be laid. The construction works envisaged will comprise widening and raising of the existing embankment by placing a rockfill foundation on each side of the existing earthworks, overlain by compacted gravel fill at an elevation well above the maximum water level to support the new pavement structure. There will be a need to surcharge this construction with soil in order to promote its initial settlement. There will consequently be a danger that these earthworks and the surcharging operation will result in soils accidentally falling into the swamp resulting in pollution of the swamp waters.
The impacts of the upgrading construction works on the swamp crossings will be of the same magnitude whether the original alignment or a new alignment is followed, as both rehabilitation works and construction works will result in additional concentrations of suspended material in the swamps.
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New swamp crossings will be necessary for the proposed realignments as shown in Table 7.1 below:
Table 7.1: Proposed Swamp Crossings along New Alignments
Swamp Name(s) Realignment(s) No. of New Crossings Tiriri Swamp B2 I Agwata Fl 1 Agwata - Boroboro (alongside pipeline) G/H 3
The advantage with a new swamp crossing is that it can be designed to allow for unimpeded water flow across the swamp without causing a dam-like situation, as described above and observed along some sections of the existing road.
After construction, depending on the number and design of the culverts installed in the swamp sections, the drainage pattern should improve, in that it may revert towards the original conditions before the road was constructed. The design of the culverts at swamp crossings should be such as to allow water to flow through in a manner that will not encourage flooding, water logging or erosion.
The new road is likely to produce high volumes of road runoff along certain sections, on account of the high rainfall in the project area. Between Lwala and Dokolo the terrain undulates markedly, and the soils are fairly non-porous; therefore road runoff is likely to result in erosion along the drains unless the grades are controlled adequately. Discharging runoff may be problematic between Amach and Lira Municipality (the other undulating section along the project road) because the farms and plots are located right beside the road, allowing little room for water to be discharged through mitre drains. According to the sub-county chiefs and LC IlIl chairmen representing this area, people will be reluctant to have water flowing into their properties.
As no major diversion of drainage to other catchments or basins will occur, the overall impact on the catchment itself due to the rehabilitation of the existing road, or the major realignments proposed, will be minor, provided adequate measures are incorporated into the design to control road runoff and to allow natural flow in the swamps and water courses. 7.1.2. Soil Erosion
As mentioned earlier, along the existing alignment, erosion was noticed at a number of places along the road, for example, just before the rocks at Oculoi and near the ginnery at Arapai. Along the section between Otuboi and Dokolo, where the undulations along the road are frequent, erosion was noted along the side drains and rutting in the middle of the road. Along this section it was noted that a number of existing culverts are located seemingly at the crests of hills (Km 54.8, Km 56.3, Km 59.6), hence their efficacy is questionable. The section of road from Amach to Lira is also prone to erosion, as there are stretches where the slopes are greater than 4%. SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineerng Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
Soil erosion will be a major issue during the construction, and will result from earthworks, borrowing/quarrying and deviations. Improper drainage of runoff from the road to the lower catchment can also cause erosion, and lead to subsequent sediment loading in the swamps.
Clearing of vegetation from road reserve encourages erosion by runoff and wind. Excavating murram from gravel pits could also result in erosion, particularly if gravel pits have slopes exceeding 4%.
Some erosion may occur after construction due, for example, to the impact of rain/wind and trampling by livestock. 7.1.3. Pollution
Air, dust and noise pollution and disposal of oil wastes are already occurring to an extent (whether significant or not) along the project road. The situation will be exacerbated temporarily during construction, but will also occur during operation as a result of the anticipated increase in traffic along the road7. The impacts are likely to be similar for all proposed realignment options.
Air and Dust
Exhaust and engine emissions from vehicles cause air pollution both during and after construction. The main pollutants are sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, suspended particulate matter and lead, all of which can have an impact on public health, as well as soils and crops.
During construction, there will be air and dust emissions from construction plant and equipment, and particularly from the asphalt plant. Dust emissions will also result from earthworks and borrowing activities, particularly in the dry season. After construction, as a result of itemizing the project road, it is expected that the amount of dust emitted along the road will in fact reduce.
Traffic levels are expected to rise moderately after construction, leading to an increase in the amount of vehicle emission levels.
However, the project area is generally open, and pollutants will be dispersed by wind. Thus the impact of air pollution is considered to be minor.
Noise and Vibration
Construction works are always associated with noise, but this will be temporary. Noise and vibration will result from activities such as earthworks and from construction equipment and vehicles.
Blasting may be necessary to obtain hardstone from rock outcrops. While this is also a temporary impact, it may have serious health and safety repercussions and therefore has to be carefully controlled.
Increased traffic levels resulting from the improved road will cause noise and vibration, particularly in the terminal towns, but the increase will be small in relative terms.
Traffic forecasts for 2003-2005 show a growth rate of motorcydes of 5.5%, cars/LGVsiMGVs of 2.5% and HGVs/truckslorries of 3% (refer to the Economic Feasibility for this study).
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Oil Oil wastes are currently a problem along the project road: during the field survey it was noted that many vehicles were being washed beside the swamps. This behaviour will continue during and after construction. During construction, oil may be carelessly stored, handled, or drained from construction vehicles, plant and equipment. This could lead also to contamination of the soil and water bodies. Oil wastes will be a problem along the road where the heavy commercial vehicles make rest stops, and oil is drained (or leaks) from the vehicles onto the ground. This occurs mainly in the terminal towns, i.e. Soroti and Lira, but also in Otuboi and Dokolo which are the bigger centres along the project road.
Water Quality Where culverts are to be constructed, sediment loads in the swamps and rivers will temporarily increase as a result of construction debris and excavation works. Sediment loading due to soil erosion could continue after construction, but to a lesser extent. But the impact is not expected to be significant. During the rains, soil from the earthworks may be washed into rivers/streams, consequently reducing the water quality. Sewage from the Contractors' and workmen's camps is another possible contaminant of water sources. There is some risk to water quality in the swamps and rivers from spillage of oil product, either by construction vehicles or when servicing plant and equipment. 7.1.4. Materials Sources The amount of material required (gravel, hardstone and sand) is detailed in Section 4.4.3. The assessment of the impacts on materials sources is as follows:
Gravel Pits Twenty one (21) potential gravel sites have been identified. All are new pits located adjacent to the road, or fairly close to the road but having relatively easy access to it. The material will be extracted mechanically, without the use of explosives. Investigation and laboratory testing of the material from the pits was undertaken during the preliminary engineering phase and their suitability confirmed for use as subbase material with chemical improvement. Fourteen pits were visited during the field survey. A summary of the characteristics of the gravel pits that were inspected is presented in Appendix 9. The field inspection in the remaining sites has not been possible due to the deterioration of the security situation.
Currently all these gravel sites are either fallow or under cultivation, and are either individually owned or owned by an institution (see Plate 5). Thus the Contractor will have to acquire this land temporarily, and pay for the material being excavated.
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Plate 5: A Typical Site for a Proposed Gravel Pit along the Project Road
The soils along the project road are fairly stable in terms of proneness to erosion; moreover, the natural gradient is generally flat and the project area is well vegetated. However, excavation activities, as well as the gradient of excavated slopes, may affect erodability of the soils.
When gravel pits are being excavated, the affected land cannot be used for cultivation or grazing. After excavation it may still not be possible to cultivate the land because the topsoil has been removed. A substantial portion of the cropping or grazing land therefore becomes unproductive. Furthermore, excavation sometimes leaves an uneven land surface, which makes it difficult to cultivate later.
Drainage is a major issue during the excavation of pits, as water tends to accumulate at the lowest point. When pits become saturated with water, it is difficult to remove material. Pits that are left open after excavation also tend to collect water. Accumulated water provides a breeding habitat for mosquitoes, thus propagating malaria; this is not desirable in the project area where malaria is reported to be one of the main causes of morbidity.
Other concerns relating to gravel pits include dust, disturbance during excavation and access (including destruction of structures and graves), and hazards posed to children and livestock. Often trucks collecting material from such sites will use several routes to access one graveVquarry site. This has severe implications on environmental degradation around the excavated area.
Some of the proposed gravel pits are located close to people's homes. These homesteads will therefore be affected by dust and noise during excavation. Provision of access and traffic to the gravel sites may also pose a nuisance to people living around them.
Over twenty open gravel pits exist along the project road. No attempt had been made to rehabilitate these pits (or even part of them), and a few had accumulated water (see Plate 6). Most of them could still be extended for gravel. According to the District Executive Engineer (Soroti District), these pits are still in use for road maintenance works, and will need to be
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standard, the amount of gravel required for maintenance will be reduced significantly, and these pits could therefore be closed and rehabilitated.
Plate 6: Accumulation of Water in a Disused Gravel Pit along the Project Road
The TOR for this study requires borrow pits to be sited at 5 km intervals along the project road. Whilst one could argue that it is less environmentally damaging to have numerous smaller pits as opposed to a few large pits, the eventual impact is dependent on how well the contractor rehabilitates these pits. It is in fact easier to landscape and re-vegetate larger pits. Due to their size, it is often easier to reduce external damage by lessening the number of access routes to and from the gravel sources and arranging for rehabilitation and excavation to be carried out simultaneously, if possible. This is a more practical approach, whereas for smaller pits rehabilitation would have to take place after excavation.
Hardstone
Hardstone quarrying was noticed at various kopjes (rock outcrops) along the road. At approximately Km 16 there is a large amount of hardstone being produced by manual methods. The rock is heated using firewood, and fractured by sudden cooling with water. It is then chipped by hand into aggregate. Dealers come to buy the chippings directly from the site and the chippings are sold in Soroti, being used mainly for construction purposes.
There are a number of benefits and disbenefits resulting from this activity. Provided the rock outcrops do not harbour plant or animal species of special conservation value or have traditional or cultural importance, it is considered less environmentally damaging to use kopjes for hard stone, as opposed to mining the rock from the ground. Hardstone quarries that are mined often result in enormous pits which cannot be easily landscaped or rehabilitated. In addition, to fill one pit, another has to be dug. This situation does not arise if rock outcrops are hewn. But if the rock outcrops are blasted and mined, the landscape of the area will noticeably change.
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While blasting is the norm for obtaining hardstone from mined quarries, the "heat and cool" method is less offensive socially. In this particular case, the kopjes have no cultural or traditional importance, and hence the quarrying activity has been allowed. However, in environmental terms breaking up kopjes changes the landscape and may destroy the habitats for bird and animal species. Furthermore, the use of firewood for heating the rocks encourages deforestation in the area.
The majority of people working on the site at Oculoi are women, who derive an income from chipping rock by hand. These miners anticipate having more clients and better prices for the crushed stones with an improved road. However, since most of the miners do not use any protective wear while crushing the stones, personal injuries may also increase as demand and price rise. The community, and women in particular, would benefit if the Contractor were to buy their chippings. However, the miners would be unable to provide the quantity of rock required for construction purposes. The Contractor will therefore have to blast the rock in order to obtain the material required, and the miners may temporarily lose their income- generating resource.
Noise and vibration, as well as the physical dangers of being struck by flying rock splinters, are major concerns.
Sand
Sand is mainly required for concrete works such as culvert head- and wingwalls, and for reinforced concrete pipes. It is expected that the head- and wingwalls will be constructed by masonry, which will reduce the need for concrete and thereby sand. Sand may also be required for mechanical stabilization of the subbase if this can be shown to be a technically acceptable altemative to chemical improvement.
Four sources of sand have been identified along the project route.
Sand mining can have a number of impacts: it can destabilize river/stream banks, if the sand is taken from the top, side or base of the bank; it can change the profile of the stream/river from which it is being mined, it can result in an increase in sediment loads; and it may destroy flora, fauna and faunal habitats.
Water Sources
There is an abundant supply of water along the project road which can be used for construction purposes. However, sources of potable water are limited, and there may be risk that potable water sources are put under pressure during construction. Pollution of water sources is dealt with in Section 7.1.3. 7.1.5. Deviations
At this preliminary stage, the exact locations of the deviations have not been established; however, consideration should be given to the advantages of avoiding deviations by passing the traffic through the works.
At the major swamp crossings, there will be no option but to construct half the road width at a time.
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In some instances it may not be possible to construct half the road width at a time, in which case traffic will have to be diverted temporarily across private/communal land. Permission will have to be obtained from the inhabitants of that land, as well as the local leaders, and compensation paid accordingly. Any deviations that must be constructed must take into consideration the location of buildings, settlements, villages and graves.
The selection of any of the realignments would allow unimpeded flow of traffic along the existing road without the need for deviations in such sections. 7.1.6. Clearing of Vegetation
Much of the natural vegetation along the road has already been altered by cultivation and grazing. The predominant land use along the project road and its area of influence is small scale non-uniform farming. The land is mainly communal, and any uncultivated areas are usually fallow.
Vegetation will have to be cleared during widening/reshaping of the carriageway, construction of re-aligned sections of the road, for the Contractor's/workmen's camp, and for deviations if these are necessary. The vegetation is unlikely to have any special conservation value, but some tree species have economic value (e.g. Shea nut tree and mvuli). In addition, trees and bushes provide shelter for birds and small animals. Clearing of vegetation may also encourage erosion.
The demand for fuel wood by the workforce may result in felling of trees, thereby having significant long-term impacts.
Currently, dust thrown up by passing vehicles forms a fine film on the roadside vegetation (including crops), particularly in the dry season. When the road is bitumised, this will not occur. 7.1.7. Forests
The Kachung Forest Reserve straddles the project road, and is located about 2.1 km north of the roundabout at Agwata. From observations in the field, the natural forest here is entirely denuded, and currently, there is a considerable amount of cultivation in the forest area (see Plate 7). Recently the Forest Department (Lira District) has embarked on establishing a pine plantation and pine trees of various sizes can be seen along the road. The Forestry Department is also considering leasing plots of land within the forest to private individuals for agroforestry.
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In view of the time constraints affecting implementation of the road project, the latter is the recommended approach as it required less time-consuming and cumbersome procedures.
Apart from the Kachung Forest, no other gazetted forest reserves are found along the project road. The Atigo and Angutewere Central Forest Reserves are located along the Lwala- Kaberamaido Road, about 4-5 km from the project road. Onekokeo Central Forest Reserve in Lira District lies about one kilometre south of Dokolo on the road to Kangai. These forests are considerably degraded, and the impact on them as a result of upgrading the proposed road is considered to be negligible. 7.1.8. Wildlife / Fauna
The project area is devoid of larger wildlife species. However, there will be minor disturbance to small animal/bird life due to clearance of vegetation, noise/dust pollution and construction activities. However, the situation will probably revert to those similar to the present after construction. 7.1.9. Wetlands
Wetlands serve an important role in terms of water retention and buffering. Wetlands could be impacted in several ways during construction. Eroded.or loose soil due to earthworks may wash into wetland systems, particularly during the rehabilitation of existing swamp crossings and construction of new ones (see Section 7.1.1). There is also a danger that construction debris may be disposed of into the wetlands. These will contribute to increased sediment loads in the swamps.
Construction activities may also create physical disturbances to wetland habitats, and consequently to the flora and fauna dependent on those habitats. These can be temporary and minimized provided proper attention is given to implementing construction works.
During construction and operation, oil product may find its way into the wetland systems because of leaks and spills from plant and equipment or vehicles. 7.1.10. Workmen's / Contractors' Camps
Land to be utilized for the Workmen's / Contractors' camps is considered to be temporary land take.
It is expected that the Contractors will establish their main base camps near Agwata and Otuboi. If concrete pipe culverts are required, casting will probably be done at this site. The living quarters for the engineers, administration, foremen and machine operators are likely to be located there too. The Contractors may also choose to have support camps/offices in Lira and Soroti.
In addition to any permanent camps it is expected that the Contractors will establish work sites along the road according to the progress of the work. These work sites will be temporary, being set up for periods ranging from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. They will probably be staffed with around 20 people and equipped with some heavy equipment (e.g. graders, front loaders and trucks).
In general a camp would require approximately 2 to 5 acres of land. The Contractors will need to pay rent to the landowners as agreed prior to construction. In setting up a workmen's camp, consideration must be given to water availability and fuel supplies. It is likely that the workforce will put an additional demand, albeit temporarily, on fuel wood/charcoal for
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cooking. This demand may affect local fuel wood supplies and may also compromise its availability to the local people. It will obviously impact negatively on the environment.
While water availability is good along the project road, potable (or piped) water supplies are limited. Water in the camp is important in terms of maintaining hygiene and sanitary conditions. The demand for water may also put pressure on local supplies.
Neither the terminal towns nor the trading centres are served by sewage systems or waste collection services. Sanitation and solid waste disposal will be a significant negative impact resulting from the workmen's camp.
The actual locations of the camps will determine the magnitude of the impacts due to the camps. 7.1.11. Construction Waste
There will obviously be a considerable amount of construction debris, comprising stone, metal, pipes, etc. as well as spoil from earthworks. Apart from its visual impact, debris can affect water quality. 7.1.12. Clean Up on Completion
During construction the Contractors will construct various facilities, which have to be removed and dismantled on completion of works. In addition, there will be a lot of scrap and waste material on the site, and possibly at locations along the road where the Contractors establish lay down areas or work sites. 7.1.13. Workmen's/ Contractor's Camp
Land to be utilized for the Workmen's / Contractor's camps is considered to be temporary land take.
It is expected that the Contractors will establish their main base camps near Agwata and Otuboi. If concrete pipe culverts are required, casting will probably be done at this site. The living quarters for the engineers, administration, foremen and machine operators are likely to be located there too. The Contractors may also choose to have support camps/offices in Lira and Soroti.
In addition to any permanent camps it is expected that the Contractors will establish work sites along the road according to the progress of the work. These work sites will be temporary, being set up for periods ranging from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. They will probably be staffed with around 20 people and equipped with some heavy equipment (e.g. graders, front loaders and trucks).
In general a camp would require approximately 2 to 5 acres of land. The Contractors will need to pay rent to the landowners as agreed prior to construction. In setting up a workmen's camp, consideration must be given to water availability and fuel supplies. It is likely that the workforce will put an additional demand, albeit temporarily, on fuel wood/charcoal for cooking. This demand may affect local fuel wood supplies and may also compromise its availability to the local people. It will obviously impact negatively on the environment.
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While water availability is good along the project road, potable (or piped) water supplies are limited. Water in the camp is important in terms of maintaining hygiene and sanitary conditions. The demand for water may also put pressure on local supplies.
Neither the terminal towns nor the trading centers are served by sewage systems or waste collection services. Sanitation and solid waste disposal will be a significant negative impact resulting from the workmen's camp.
The actual locations of the camps will determine the magnitude of the impacts due to the camps. 7.1.14. Construction Waste
There will obviously be a considerable amount of construction debris, comprising stone, metal, pipes, etc. as well as spoil from earthworks. Apart from its visual impact, debris can affect water quality. 7.1.15. Clean Up on Completion
During construction the Contractors will construct various facilities, which have to be removed and dismantled on completion of works. In addition, these will be a lot of scrap and waste material on the site, and possibility at locations along the road where the Contractors establish lay down areas or work sites.
7.2. ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL / SocIo-ECONOMIC IMPACTS 7.2.1. Settlement
Due to the employment opportunities provided by the construction of the project road, there will be a temporary influx of people into the project area, this primarily being the workforce. This may cause some antagonism among the local inhabitants, as unemployment rates are high within the project area. The sudden influx of new faces will raise security concerns, particularly in the trading centres where the Contractors may set up their camps. In addition, transient workforce are often associated with a rise in the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases.
The project road is also likely to stimulate unplanned ribbon development along its length, as well as in the trading centres that currently exist along it as a result of an anticipated influx of cash into the economy resulting from improved communications, and easier access to markets.
Community members talked to also anticipated an increase in the level of urbanization along the AOI. Tiriri, Amidakan, Otuboi, Lwala, Dokolo and Agwata are likely to experience higher rates of urbanization.
The service sector (restaurants, accommodation, clinics/drug shops, bars etc) in these towns is likely to grow as an outcome of increased vehicles and human traffic along the project road. By implication, some community members may be employed in these service sub- sectors around these towns. Rural to urban migration is also anticipated into the trading centres, though its significance is unlikely to have any impact on household agricultural productivity levels along the AOI. Inevitably, the value of land, level of sub-division and rate of land sales are likely to increase around these trading centres. However, people moving into the project area would put pressure on fuel wood resources, and also on the demand for farmiand.
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At this stage, it has not been determined exactly how roads linking the bypassed centres to the new project road will be connected. The shortest distances to the project road from the bypassed centres are presented in Table 7.2 below:
Table 7.2: Distances from Bypassed Trading Centres to Proposed Realignments
Location Realignment Approx. Distance Location_____ Realignment___ to Centre (km) Tiriri B2 0.40 Lwala Dl 0.40 Agwata Fl 0.40
The distances from the realignments to the centres that will be bypassed are not excessive. Nevertheless, the proposed new alignments may affect the zoning plans of the bypassed trading centres to some extent. Information from the District Land Office in Soroti (which serves Kaberamaido District as well) indicates that a detailed lay out and physical development plan for Otuboi is complete, while that of Tiriri is underway. While neither has actually been implemented as yet, budgets have been prepared for them. Plans to provide an underground water system for Otuboi are also under way. These plans may require some adjustment. 7.2.2. Loss of Land/Property
The most significant issue that will result from the upgrading of the Soroti - Lira Road is permanent land take for road reserves, realignments, and temporary land take for gravel pits and quarries, deviations and the workmen's/contractors' camps. Land for gravel pits, quarries, deviations and the workmen's/contractors' camps have been discussed in Sections 7.1.4, 7.1.5 and 7.1.10 respectively.
The Land Act of 1998 requires that any undertaker executing public works on land shall promptly pay compensation to any person having an interest in the land for any damage caused to crops or buildings and for the land and materials taken or used for the works. The legal issues goveming compensation of structures, houses, crops, etc, within road reserves are not clear. A road reserve of 100 ft (50 ft each side of the centreline) was gazetted in 1964, but the necessary legal instruments for implementing this were not effected. As the situation stands today, it is understood that although road reserves exist, persons cultivating or having structures within the reserve are required to be compensated for any perennial crops and structures therein. Compensation for land itself is an issue only if the person occupying part or all of the road reserve holds a title deed for that land. Any land beyond an existing road reserve which needs to be acquired for the purposes of road construction must be acquired by the MOWHC/RAFU.
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The community leaders consulted during the study indicated that, in general, the people residing along the road are aware of the road reserve and its purpose. When the project road was rehabilitated in 1995, the chiefs and LC IlIl committee members had conducted awareness raising in their areas with respect to the road reserve. However, no one knew the exact width of the road reserve.
In general, only few houses or structures lie within the road reserve along the length of the project road. But the stretch from Amach to Lira (roughly 20 km in length) is fairly densely settled. Crops and some trees were seen to be planted right up to the edge of the road in some cases. As one approaches the trading centres and within the centres, the dwellings and buildings begin to encroach onto the road reserve.
RAFU's Resettlement / Land Acquisition Policy Framework indicates that land acquired for road construction purposes should be "30 and 20 metres from the centreline in rural and urban areas respectively...". While this document is still under review, the statement implies a total road reserve of 60 m in rural areas and 40 m in urban areas. If this were upheld, then the number of buildings and structures to be acquired along the project road would be considerable, and many of the settlements along the existing road would require to be dismantled if the original alignment was adhered to. For this study, therefore, the MOWHC's road reserve classifications have been followed, i.e. a total road reserve width of 20 m (10 m either side of the centreline) and 30 m (15 m either side of the centreline) in urban and rural areas, respectively.
Where the project road involves realignment, there will be social dislocation and displacement. Resettling in other places might involve readjustments to new social values, norms, expectations and environment. In addition, it may result in separation from relatives, kin or friends. Furthermore, new areas for resettlement may be less productive than the old areas. In the context of the project road, urban dislocation will have greater impacts than rural displacement in terms of the number of people displaced as well as the options available for resettlement. In the rural areas of the project area, land use is mainly non- uniform small scale farming on communal land; hence to find alternative sites for resettlement will be easier, and total relocation may not be necessary. In other words, it may be possible to find sites on the same affected land or adjacent to it, resulting in less upheaval.
Thus if the existing alignment is retained, there will be less displacement and resettlement along the rural sections of the project road, but compensation will have to be paid for crops and trees that are removed within the road reserve. Where the road reserves need to be acquired for the existing road in the trading centres and urban areas, the concentration of settlement will mean that a lot of people would have to be displaced. An initial assessment indicates that approximately 100 properties will be affected along the existing alignment, assuming a road reserve corridor of 20 m to 30 m. Of these, roughly one third are on leasehold land and the remainder are located on customary land.
The minimum realignment option being adopted for Agwata, Fl, will cause some disruption within the centre of Agwata, as it passes through urban settlement. The social displacement costs will be relatively high, and resettlement options more complex.
The minimum realignment options at Amidakan, Cl, and Lwala, Dl, will not necessarily affect urban settlement, but will entail some acquisition of land and perhaps displacement. At Amidakan the realignment serves to smoothen a sharp bend, whilst at Lwala the realignment substantially smoothens out the existing sharp corner.
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The proposed intermediate realignment at Tiriri, B2, leaves the existing road just before the Tiriri swamp, rejoining it again midway between Tiriri roundabout and Omunyal Swamp. The buildings at the trading centre commence immediately to the north of the Tiriri swamp and this realignment will pass in close proximity to some of the buildings at the near end of Tiriri. It will then traverse through farmland, before rejoining the existing road.
The actual numbers of people that will be affected by the road can only be confirmed once the security of the area has been re-established, the local population has returned to their homes and the cadastral and social surveys to determine PAPs can be undertaken. However, a preliminary estimate of land take for the existing road and proposed realignments is presented in Table 7.3 below:
Table 7.3: Estimated Cost of Land and Property for the Various Realignment Options AlignmtTotal Estimated Estimated Alignment Length Value of Value of Total Value Assumptions (km) Land/Crops Property (UgShs) (kin) (UgShs) (UgShs) - Existing route adhered to 124.600 115,000,000 1,295,000,000 1,410,000,000 Option 1 alignment 123.040 117,500,000 1,100,000,000 1,217,500,000
The table above indicates that in terms of compensation and resettlement, it would be more expensive and require more resettlement should the existing alignment be retained rather then adopting the realignments proposed in Option 1, because of disturbance and upheaval that will be caused to the buildings and property in the trading centres. 7.2.3. Loss of Crops
Loss of crops will result from various construction activities associated with the project road. Crops along the existing road alignment which are within the road reserve will need to be cleared. In this case, compensation will have to be paid for all perennial crops.
Compensation has to be paid for affected perennial crops on land outside the road reserve and on private property through which any new road alignments and new road reserves will pass. In addition, crops that are removed from land to be used for gravel pits will also have to be compensated.
The value of the crops and trees are obtained from the respective District Land Offices. Estimates for crops that will be lost during construction of the Option 1 alignment have been combined with land costs in Table 7.3 above. The amount of compensation to be paid will be directly proportional to the length of road that needs to be cleared. 7.2.4. Employment Opportunities
There is much anticipation among the roadside communities that local labour be employed on the road project, especially to carry out manual and unskilled tasks. The principal work activity will be the placement of improved gravel material and graded crushed stone along the existing road or along new alignments, an activity which is mechanized and utilises a limited number of local unskilled labour. Other unskilled positions would include casual labourers, watchmen, etc. The number of local people who could be employed on each contract of the project will be in the region of 200 to 300 people.
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The skilled workforce will most likely be non-locals from other parts of the country, operating the heavy equipment. However, masons and truck drivers can be sourced from the local population. The skilled workforce is estimated to be in the range of about 100 persons on each contract. The professional and administrative staff will principally be non-local people. Most of the skilled workforce will have to be brought in from outside the project area, and this may cause some resentment among the local people.
This temporary employment will lead to increased incomes for those employed and will, indirectly enable parents/guardians to pay for scholastic materials and tuition for their children or dependants, thereby positively affecting school attendance at primary and secondary levels along the AOI. This temporary employment should also positively affect the community members' ability to access other basic social services such as health and farm extension services. The employment opportunities will, however, be temporary and therefore it is unlikely that the impacts of increased spending power will have permanent benefits.
However, increased volume of trade resulting from an improved road will lead to higher employment levels in the "off the farm" sub-sector among the communities within the AOI. This will result in more stable earnings and would have a greater overall impact.
Key informants interviewed expressed reservations that increased incomes and temporary employment opportunities might increase the level of alcoholism, domestic violence and indiscriminate sexual behaviour. 7.2.5. Trade and Commerce
It is anticipated that the road will lead to an increase in the volume of trade and other commercial activities in the AOI. This is because more vehicles and human traffic will be using the road from the east and southern part of the country to travel to the north, and vice versa. The current state of the road discourages traders from these areas because of the high transport costs, vehicle maintenance costs and the length of time taken to reach commercial centres. Thus it is expected that traders will reap higher rates of return and greater profit margins as a result of road improvement.
Established trading and commercial activities may suffer some negative impacts if centres such as Tiriri, Lwala and Agwata are bypassed, the extent of which will depend on the distance from the centres to the new road (see Section 7.2.1). However, the new road alignment will present an opportunity for other entrepreneurs and developments of new business. 7.2.6. Agricultural Activities
During construction of the project road, agricultural production will not be affected, although transportation of produce may experience delays due to deviations and construction works.
Following upgrading of the road agricultural activities in the AOI will be stimulated by better and faster access to markets, and the likelihood that there will be more opportunities for, and development of, local transport facilities. As a result of reduced maintenance costs and the resultant competition between public service vehicles, transport costs should decrease along the project road, resulting in the improvement of accessibility levels to basic social services by community members. For example, the majority of the population along the project road walks or cycles to market in order to buy or sell produce. This situation is likely to change with a reduction in transport fares, and community members will be able to access markets to sell their produce at competitive prices more easily.
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It is anticipated that increased volume of trade and better transport services will lead to better prices for farm produce within the AOI, as well as facilitating access to farm inputs and services. Indirectly, befter farm produce prices are an incentive to increasing farm productivity at the household level. This should result in the households along the AOI becoming more food secure8. Furthermore, with the anticipated increase in economic activities and higher price levels for farm produce, household incomes are expected to rise.
As has been noted in Section 3.9, a number of women are involved in the marketing of small quantities of farm produce at urban and market centres along project road. Some of the women are also involved in selling cooked foodstuffs and local brew. The community members felt that the improvement of the project road will positively affect the structure and volume of business undertaken by women. This should result in an improvement in the health status of women and children at the household level. 7.2.7. Livestock
Appreciable activity involving livestock takes place in the project area and the AOI. Livestock markets are held at various trading centres along the road (particularly Katine and Otuboi), and livestock is trekked along the project road to these markets. It can therefore be expected that livestock frequently crosses at certain points along the existing alignment.
Once the road is complete, access to the livestock markets will be greatly improved, and consequently better prices for livestock can be expected, eventually resulting in higher rural income levels. The major traders for livestock come from Katakwi, Gulu, Pader and Jinja.
Livestock often cause damage to structures by trampling, and may induce erosion along side drains and embankments. 7.2.8. Fisheries
It is anticipated the fishing activities in the numerous swamps along the AOI will increase slightly due to increased demand. However, the main fishing activities are undertaken in Lakes Kwania, Kyoga and Kowidi to the south of the immediate AOI. No doubt a better road will result in boosting the fisheries sector, particularly as this very perishable product will be able to reach markets in Lira and Soroti (and beyond) much more quickly.
One worry however, may be over-fishing as a result of increased demand, especially if the wrong methods are employed (smaller nets, trawling). However, this is not likely to happen in the near and medium future. 7.2.9. Public Health and Occupational Safety
During construction and operation, a number of aspects may impact on public health. Earthworks, excavation of gravel pits, blasting at the quarries, crushing of aggregate and asphalt plant operation, construction traffic and regular vehicular traffic along the road will create dust, air and noise pollution which can have an impact on public health. The workforce may be more exposed to these impacts. The impact will be greater in the urban areas of Soroti and Lira, where people and traffic are found in a more concentrated area. Oil wastes from vehicles also impact on public health if they find their way into water sources. These issues have been discussed in Section 7.1.3. Conditions such as eye infections and
8 Conversely, improved market conditions and demand for farm produce is likely to promote indisciiminate sale - including food reserves, and could compromise household food security.
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respiratory infections are linked to dust emissions. Conversely, the health status of communities living and working near the project road should improve as a result of reduced dust after the road has been upgraded to bitumen standard.
Road projects are associated with an increase in sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV/AIDS) due to the influx of workmen interacting with the local people, as well as the greater number of drivers who are expected to pass through the towns and villages/ settlements along the road as a result of the improved road conditions. Community and political leaders consulted in the project districts were particularly concerned about this issue. Water accumulating in open gravel pits would encourage malaria.
Sanitation and hygiene in the Contractors'/workmen's camps are also issues of concem, and if not properly addressed may lead to outbreaks of illnesses such as hepatitis, typhoid, intestinal worms, etc. Public health issues related to the workmen's/contractors' camps have been dealt with in Section 7.1.10. 7.2.10. Health Services
It is anticipated that upgrading of the project road will strengthen the health delivery system, in particular the referral systems to hospitals and health centres at Soroti, Otuboi, Lwala, Dokolo and Lira. Three project outcomes will directly lead to this: i) reduced waiting time for transport, ii) reduced transport costs to health facilities and iii) improved access for the communities (in terms of physical as well as financial resources) to both government and private health services.
Thus it is anticipated that the numbers of pregnant women attending ante-natal and intra- natal care will increase, as will the numbers of community members seeking health services from qualified providers. In this respect, a higher population growth may be expected in all the districts within the AOI.
The current road condiion has contributed to demotivating health providers posted or assigned to centres along the project road. This is because they have to travel regularly to Soroti or Lira to collect salaries and supplies, a time consuming and expensive exercise. An improved road will therefore serve to boost morale among health providers working in the AOl of the project road. Furthermore, LC I and IlIl members for the project districts who were consulted during the study felt that an improved road would result in reduced running and maintenance costs of vehicles and motorcycles used in health delivery services (as well as other social services). Currently, potholes, dust and slippery surfaces, during the rains contribute to high vehicle maintenance and running costs.
Better delivery of social services resulting from an improved road will also affect household sanitation, and enhance civic responsibility (for example taking children to centres to be immunized).
The hospital at Lwala is a major referral health facility for Kaberamaido District. The realignment Dl will bypass Lwala. The distance to Lwala and its hospital will remain the same, and it is not expected that the frequency and volume of public transport along the route to Lwala itself will diminish, nor that there will be an increase in accessibility costs to the hospital from the new junction.
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7.2.11. Education
It is anticipated that improved household incomes will positively affect primary and secondary school enrollment. This is in relation to the fact that most of school drop outs are caused by cost related implications (tuition, materials) uniforms transport etc). For example during boarding school opening and closing times, transport fares almost double along the Soroti - Lira Road. Most of the affected students are those who study in boarding schools within the AOI. An improved (bitumen) road is likely to lead to reduced transport fares along the project road.
There are a number government aided primary schools and a few government secondary schools along the project road, but very few private primary secondary schools. This is partly due to the general poverty in the area and the poor state/condition of the road which makes it unfeasible to run private schools. However, with the upgrading of Soroti - Lira road to bitumen, private educational infrastructure investment may take place, giving chance to several UPE graduates to access secondary education nearer their home areas.
It is anticipated that the monitoring and supervision of delivery of educational services in the sub-counties of the AOl will become easier, more routine and less time consuming, e.g. the monitoring of UPE funds.
A concern cited by the District Education Departments in the project districts is that improved agricultural activities and sale of produce would attract child labour (since it cheap and easy to procure) thereby affecting school enrolment and attendance.
At Kaberamaido, the District Education Officer noted that the swamp crossing at Omunyal frequently overtops during the rainy season, which affects school attendance. Girls are particularly reluctant to cross such flows. When the project road is upgraded, this overflow will stop, and school attendance during the rainy season will stabilise.
The anticipated improvement in social services delivery is also expected to have a long-term indirect positive impact on adult literacy. 7.2.12. Disturbance to the Public
During construction there will be temporary disturbance due to construction traffic and noise, disruption of routine, etc, to people living in the terminal towns of Soroti and Lira, and possibly in the trading centres where the contractors set up their camps. The settlements along the road would also be affected by noise, dust, construction activity, but to a lesser extent.
During operation, noise levels and air emissions, issues which may be considered to be a nuisance, will increase slightly. However dust emissions from a sealed road would be expected to reduce. 7.2.13. Road Safety
During construction there will be some danger to road users due to construction traffic and the transportation of equipment, etc., particularly in Soroti, Lira and where the Contractors' camps and lay down areas are located. After construction, it is expected that volume of construction traffic along the road will be reduced, but other vehicular movement will increase. SOROTI - LiRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineerng Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
The existing road is relatively narrow along some stretches and there are a number of black spots. Accidents are fairly common because vehicles struggle for the limited space and need to swerve off the road. As vehicle characteristics change favouring wider trucks and lorries, vehicles must swerve off the road to pass safely. This means that they encroach on to the drains and shoulders, thus posing a serious danger to pedestrians and NMTs.
Accidents occur frequently during the rainy season, as vehicles slide off into the side drains. Such accidents will decrease after the road is bitumised. The proposed realignments will also improve road safety, in that they provide better sight distance and alignment and bypass busy trading centres.
The project road will be designed for a speed of 100 kph. Most of the key informants interviewed anticipated that road accidents, especially near busy trading centres like Otuboi, Dokolo and Agwata, will increase after the road is upgraded.
Although the residents along the project road may be accustomed to traffic, they may not be used to fast traffic nor large volumes of traffic, particularly along the proposed realignments. This may result in an increase in the number of accidents (for both motorised and non- motorised traffic), at least in the initial months of operation. 7.2.14. Archaeological or Cultural Sites
It is not anticipated that sites of cultural, historic or traditional significance will be affected during construction or operation, as the road design should avoid any such sites.
There may be graves that have not yet identified been along the proposed realignments. All selected realignments would have to avoid such sites, and construction works should not interfere with them. 7.2.15. Visual Impacts
During construction, the main visual impacts which will occur will be those associated with the earthworks along the road, excavation of gravel pits, construction traffic and clearing activities. Such visual impacts should only be temporary and will be assimilated into the environment within a few years, with regeneration of grass and vegetation.
After construction the situation for the existing alignment will be very similar to and arguably better than what it is at present. For the short sections of realignment, the visual impact will be more dramatic, but a judgement as to whether the sight of a road is pleasant or not is undoubtedly subjective. 7.2.16. Other Infrastructure Services
Certain infrastructure services will be affected by the construction of the project road. These include the water services from Kachung Water Works to Lira town, water services within the section of road in Soroti town, the relocation and diversion of electricity lines at various locations along the project road, the relocation of telephone lines and installations along the road in Soroti and Lira towns.
Costs for relocation of the various services are presented in Table 7.4 below: SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineenng Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
Table 7.4: Summary of Costs for Relocation Services Item Description Estimated Cost (UgShs)
N o.______1 Water Services Relocation at Soroti Town 75,000,000 Mains Electricity relocation and line diversion at 2 various areas along proposed Soroti - Lira Road 150,000,000 including materials, labour and overheads 3 Relocation of Uganda Telecom lines and plant in 75,000,000 3_____Soroti and Lira Towns TOTAL 300,000,000
It should be noted that the above table excludes any costs in respect of movement of, or protection to, the Kachung - Lira water pipeline as the decision has been made to leave this undisturbed and to re-locate the road 15 m to the east. All costs associated with this exercise are therefore included in the estimates for civil works and the compensation estimates for land take and buildings.
The water pipeline from Kachung Water Works runs along the project road from Agwata to Lira. The pipeline is located only 5 m from the centreline of existing carriageway and, along a major portion of its length is located in the side drain. Construction of the improved road would compromise the operation and maintenance of the pipeline. The three options to address this problem which were evaluated during the preliminary engineering phase were: i) to move the water pipeline by about 10 m to the west so that it is located 15 m away from the existing centreline;
ii) to leave the pipeline where it is, but to shift the alignment of the road to the east so that the pipeline will lie at the edge of a new road reserve; and iii) to leave the pipeline where it is, and confine road improvement works to the existing alignment.
On the basis of Option (ii) a 15 m corridor within the Forest Reserve (4 km in length) and private land all along the road from Agwata to Boroboro (about 25 km) will have to be acquired for the road and road reserve. 7.2.17. PoliticalImpact
All local government leaders consufted during the study expressed the view that improved household incomes and employment opportunities will widen the tax base of local govemments along the project road and in its area of influence. Improved tax collection will enhance social services delivery and promote good govemance. Furthermore, the supervision and monitoring of public funds utilization will be easier for local politicians within the AOI. The project road will promote national identity and integration after construction. Currently community members along the existing road feel isolated and neglected, in part due to its poor condition. It is anticipated that community mobilisation along the project road will be more easily undertaken, and that the security of the local population and travellers along the road will improve.
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Local government leaders queried what would happen to the existing sections of the road which are to be bypassed by the new alignment.
7.3. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS
The impacts resulting from or affecting the various components during construction and operation are presented below in Table 7.5 for ease of reference. Impacts can be positive or negative, direct or indirect. The magnitude of each impact is described in terms of its being significant, minor or negligible, temporary or permanent, long-term or short-term, specific (localised) or widespread, reversible or irreversible.
These qualities are indicated in the assessment table as follows:
Key Type of Impact Key Type of Impact
++ major positive impact + minor positive impact
__- major negative impact _ minor negative impact 0 negligible/ zero impact NC no change sp specific/localised w widespread r reversible ir irreversible S short term L long term t temporary p permanent c continuous ? uncertain Y mitigation of negative impacts/ N mitigation of negative enhancement of positive ones IS impacts/ enhancement of possible positive ones is NOT possible
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Table 7.5: Summary of Environmental and Social Impacts
Impacts on or due Construction Operation Remarks to Mit Mit
The original hydrological regime would have already been altered when the existing road was first constructed. The new alignments will have a minor effect on surface hydrology, but will not involve diversion of water from major Changes in catchments. The design will have to ensure hydrology/ drainage Y ++ unhindered flow of water from upper to lower catchment, and address areas where drainage along the road is impeded. After construction the drainage pattern will improve along the existing alignment as road runoff will be discharged properly, and flow at swamp crossings will be enhanced. Caused by earthworks. Erosion may continue to occur after construction. Incorporating Soil erosion __ L sp Y Y appropriate soil conservation measures and proper drainage facilities during construction would mitigate impacts during operation. Air, dust, noise pollution and oil pollution will increase as a result of construction activities. Pollution: The installation of culverts and construction of air/dust ___ t ir Y _ ir Y swamp crossings will result in a temporary noise _ t ir _ ir increase in sediment loads in wetlands. oil wastes _ ir Y _L ir Y After construction, air/dust emissions are water quality __t -NN Y likely to reduce, noise will still occur, and contamination by oil products will still be there. Water quality (including contamination by oil) will be monitored. Gravel pit owners will benefit from the sale of material. Soil erosion will be the major negative impact + resulting from borrowing activities. Other Gravel Pits ___ sp r Y _ _ L r Y impacts include dust emissions, hazards to children and livestock. These impacts could also apply after construction. Mitigation will include compensation, reinstating and/or fencing. Rock outcrops may harbour species of conservation significance, and their exploitation Hardstone sources _ _ sp ir Y __ L y may temporarily deprive miners of their resource. Other impacts are associated with .______blasting, and changes in landscape. Sand will be required during construction in Sand sources - sp ir Y 0 very small quantities. Impacts can be mitigated by selective and careful mining. Water required for construction purposes as well as for the Contractors/workmen's camps Water sources _ _ w L y 0 may compete with local supplies. Planning the construction schedule and proper manage- ment of water use will help to mitigate this.
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continued) Impacts are related to clearing of vegetation and acquisition of land. Permission must be Deviations t sp Y Y obtained from the respective community Deviatis _ leaders and land owners for constructing deviations. After construction the deviations .______must be reinstated. _ sh sp r Y 0 Clearing of vegetation will be necessary for road works. This vegetation is unlikely to have any special conservation value, but nonetheless, uncontrolled clearing of Vegetation/Flora vegetation by the Contractor should not be Vegetation/Flora ~~~~~~~~permitted. L w ir Y The demand for fuel wood by the workforce may result in felling of trees, thereby having significant long-term impacts. The workforce must be provided with alternative fuel sources. Rehabilitation of the existing alignment as well as construction of realignment alongside the Forests L sp N O pipeline will affect Kachung Forest Reserve. Forests- L s~P N Although affected forest is degraded, it will need to be degazetted, or made available by administrative agreement. There will be minor disturbance to small animals/bird life, due to clearance of Wildlife/Fauna t Y O Y vegetation, noise/dust pollution and construction activities. This will probably revert to the present situation after construction. There will be sedimentation in swamps due to
w- -L construction activities. Impacts from existing Wetlands Y _ w and new alignments will be similar. This may continue to occur after construction but to some extent. This will have to be monitored. Short-term benefits are expected from increased business at the trading centres due + sh to the workforce. Contractor's and 0 The demand for water, fuel wood in these Workmenta 's cams centres will increase, possibly having long- WokmnP capL ir Y term effects. The issues of sanitation and solid waste disposal arise. Selection of appropriate sites for the ______workmen's camps is important. Construction waste is unsightly and can cause Construction waste _ L sp Y 0 pollution of watercourses. Proper disposal of wastes is necessary. Clean up after L sp Y The Contractor should ensure that when works completion P_ are completed, the site is left clean and tidy. There will be a temporary influx of people into the project area due to employment of con- struction workers. Improved accessibility to Soroti and Lira re- sulting from the rehabilitation of the project Settlement _ t sp Y road is likely to stimulate the economy, thereby + L Y encouraging ribbon development along the road, and higher urbanization in centres along the road. Realignments bypassing centres will result in ______economic changes within those centres.
CIOOCVMS-,UO4ILAOCAA-f_Sltmn.,R.II MaDiR(A .ad SIA.~~1.O 7-24 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY continued) The existing road is already a change of land use from the original vegetation, so there will sp Y be minor changes in land use resulting from O camps/clearing. Changes in land The new alignments would cause major use, Loss of land change in land use from farmland to road. and property ? Sp N The maximum realignments will require the andproprty? spN Omost acquisition of land. p/t Sp y Compensation must be paid for land required _ - p/t sp Y for the new alignments, new and old road reserve, deviations, borrow pits, and for demolished/removed property. Some crops and trees along the road reserve for the existing road will have to be cleared for Loss of crops _ sp L Y 0 construction activities. Crops along new alignments will also have to be cleared. Compensation must be paid for crops lost. The project will provide temporary employment for some of the local people. ++ t Skilled labourers will have to be brought in Employment from outside the project area. This may cause opportunities some resentment among the local people. Discussions must be held with LCIII leaders and chiefs during recruitment of labour. Women must be given opportunities to work on the road project. During construction, the workforce will + + w stimulate local businesses. After construction, Trade and trade and commerce in the trading centres + + t sp along the road will be boosted. commerce The bypassed towns may be negatively _ L sp Y affected in terms of trade. This can be mitigated by having link roads to the new road. NC During construction, agricultural activities will not be affected. After construction, agricultural Agricultural + + p w production is expected to improve in the activities project area, due to better transport facilities and access to markets. Livestock Transport services along the road will husbandry and NC + L increase, facilitating veterinary extension marketing services, and access to livestock markets. Sedimentation loads during construction may affect fish breeding grounds in the swamps. Fisheries -w L + + L Sediment loads will be monitored. After construction, marketing opportunities will .______im prove. During construction, increased dust, noise and - ir Y air pollution levels could impact on public t ir Y heafth. During operation, there will be a slight t_ increase in levels of pollutants due to more traffic. Public health The workforce may also propagate STDs in L ir Y the trading centres, the effects of which will L ir Y carry over to the operational stage. STD awareness drives should be initiated in the workmen's camps and in centres along the road.
C:\OOCUS-ll.1\TD" M EL wdVWI.S1M ide7-25 SOROTI - LitA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
continued) Health Services NC + + Access to health facilities will improve in general. The improved road should lead to better Education 0 + + L staffing and supervision of schools, and facilitate the building of more schools. During construction there will be temporary Y disturbance to people due to noise, dust, Disturbance to the construction activity, etc. This can be partly public t Y - L mitigated through diligence on the part of the Contractor. After construction, noise levels and air emissions are likely to increase slightly. Road construction always presents some element of danger. Mitigation measures may include introducing road signs and awareness Road safety _ t sp r Y campaigns. w Y After construction, there is a risk of increased number of road accidents due to speeding and increased traffic volumes. Sites of cultural, It is not anticipated that any sites of cultural or historic or historic significance, will be affected during traditional 0 0 construction or operation. The new alignments significance and excavation activities (e.g. gravei sites) siniicc must avoid all graves. During construction, visual intrusion will be attributed to earthworks, deviations and construction traffic. Mitigation can be achieved through controlling traffic, sensitizing motorists, clearing debris after construction and Visual intrusion _ t/p Y rehabilitating/ landscaping quarries and deviations. NC After construction the situation for the existing road will be the same as it is presently. v New alignments will result in a minor change .____ of landscape. Infrastructure services such as water services, telephone lines, electricity lines will have to be Other infrastructure relocated during construction. Kachung Water services t _ p sp Y 0 Pipeline presents a problem in terms of realignment of the road within the forest area and on private land. Compensation will be necessary. Increased household incomes and Political impact 0 + + L employment opportunities will result in a broader tax base. Project road seen as serving to promote integration and national identity.
7.4. COMPARISON OF PROJECT ALIGNMENTS
As discussed in Section 4.4.1, three alignment options were evaluated in the Feasibility Study and Preliminary Engineering phase, resulting in the recommendation on both technical and economic grounds that Option 1, involving the minimum extent of realignment, be adopted for
A comparison of the various alignments and realignments in terms of their environmental and social impacts was carried out and reported on in the Preliminary Environmental and Social Impact Assessment study. This focused on negative impacts only, as these impacts require mitigation and will have the greatest repercussions if not addressed adequately.
C WCIJI*IOAfl C .S\-S8T.,..R.mNC Ph.dESEAIII.ll 7-26 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: -| Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
The weighting methodology employed is described in Appendix 7. Table 7.6 presents a summary of the outcome of the weighting procedure for the various sections comprising Option 1 only, where the maximum score for any one aspect or impact is 10, while the minimum score is 2.
Table 7.6: Comparison of Existing Alignment with Option I Alignment
Aspects and Impacts mpvt Exist- A B2 C Dl E Fl G H
Hydrology / drainage 10 2 2 8 7 7 2 7 2 2 Deviations 5 9 9 2 2 2 9 2 9 9 Materials sources 2 10 10 9 9 9 10 9 10 10 Clearing of vegetation 2 8 8 10 9 9 8 9 8 8 Forests 2 10 2 2 2 2 2 2 10 2 Wildlife / Fauna 2 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 5 3 Wetlands 8 7 7 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 Induced SeKtlement 4 7 7 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 Loss of Land/Property 3 10 10 9 8 8 10 10 8 8 Loss of Crops 3 7 7 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 Trade and Commerce 10 2 2 7 6 6 2 4 2 2 Road safety awareness 7 7 7 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 Road safety (design) 10 10 6 7 7 9 6 a 6 6 Archaeological or cultural sites 2 2 2 5 5 5 5 5 2 2 Other infrastructure services 2 5 5 2 2 2 5 5 10 10 Political impact 9 6 6 8 6 8 6 6 6 6 TOTAL SIGNIFICANCE 81 105 93 106 97 99 97 100 107 97
It can be seen that in some cases, realignments are less impacting than adhering to the existing road. This applies particularly to the impacts of deviations, the impact on Kachung Forest, destruction of property for the acquisition of the road reserve in the trading centres, impact on infrastructure services to be relocated and the impact on materials sources. Impacts on wetland systems will be similar for improved and existing alignments. On the other hand, impacts on surface hydrology, clearing of vegetation, the effects on economic activities due to bypassing trading centres, and political impacts are lower if the existing alignment is followed.
Table 7.6 also considers the 'no improvement" option. In this case, the impact on hydrology and drainage and consequently on the wetlands (resulting from siltation due to the road surface being eroded, and gravel being washed into the wetlands) is significant. Traffic along the road is currently constrained by the condition of the road. This adversely affects trade and commerce in the centers along the project road, as well as its terminal towns, and with no improvement to the road, the situation will remain the same, if not deteriorate. Road safety will continue to be highly dangerous. Finally, improvement of this road has long been awaited at LCIII and LCV level, and it is therefore politically desirable; if no improvement is undertaken, there may well be political repercussions.
V VOCUWE.8O4,-W#14540CAIS_f\Th,.fl..,., O A Sfld 4A' . 7-27 SoROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
8.0 MITIGATION OF ADVERSE IMPACTS
8.1. MITIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS 8.1.1. Hydrology and Drainage
The road design, whether for the existing road or the new alignments, must ensure that flow of water is not impeded from the upper to lower sides of catchments by rehabilitating culverts, and by installing side drains and mitre drains to direct road runoff away from the road. It is important that these features are well designed, properly constructed and regularly maintained so that runoff does not accumulate by the side of the road, water that is drained off the road does not create gullies, and siltation of the structures does not occur. Drainage structures must therefore ensure safe final disposal of water and must also be self-cleaning.
For swamp crossings, where the road will have to be raised and widened at several locations, it is imperative that the hindrance to flow in the swamps be minimised. It is recommended that as many pipe culverts as possible be installed along the swamp crossings. Multiple culverts should be installed where there are large concentrated flows in channels. Consideration is being given to installing pipe arch culverts which are less restrictive to flow.
The major impact occurring from the construction and rehabilitation of swamp crossings is sediment loading into the wetland systems. In this respect, baseline sampling has been carried out at five swamp sites along the project road in order to monitor the impact of sedimentation in the wetlands due to road construction and operation (see Section 2.6, and Appendix 5).
Consideration will be given to the construction of cut-off drains, connected at intervals to cross drains to facilitate the safe discharge of runoff between Km 6.9 and Km 11.0. The present cross-drains have drop inlets which are subject to siltation and require excessive maintenance. The discharge from the cross-drains will be directed via shallow channels, approximately 80 m in length, in the lower catchment perpendicular to the road, which will lead water to the adjacent swamp. The spacing of these drains will vary from 300 m at the beginning of the section to 150 m towards its end, as the volume of flow increases. In this area there is some cultivation in the lower catchment, and permission will have to be obtained from farmers and/or community leaders to discharge water in this manner.
Again care must be taken during design and construction so that the waterway itself does not cause erosion and gullying.
The last 20 km of the road, from Amach to Lira, is densely populated and cultivated. Plots come right up to the road on both sides. This makes it difficult to discharge water from the side drains as frequently as would be optimal, as farmers and landowners are reluctant to have drains passing through their land. In this case, the landowners must be asked permission to allow these drains to be constructed on their land, while the LC IlIl committee members must be asked to assist in sensitizing these people. Experience from Kenya has shown that in similar circumstances, dialogue with the affected landowners has served to resolve the problem. As a compromise, drains were constructed along the boundaries of properties.
BAAS dlAnD 8-1 SOROTI - LIRA RoAD PHASE 11:VOLUME 4A: ~ Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ~JZ~J to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
8.1.2. Erosion Control
The speed of road runoff is one of the main contributing factors to erosion, scouring, and consequently siltation, along a road. Provision must be made in the road design for directing road runoff away from the road by installing side drains and mitre drains. The principle is to dispose of water "little and often". The construction of artificial waterways to achieve this has been discussed under Section 8.1.1 above. In addition to enhancing drainage, the impact of runoff in steeper sections of the road (especially between Otuboi and Dokolo, and Amach and Lira, where the gradient of the road exceeds 4%) should be controlled by introducing check dams, scour checks or impact dissipators in the side drains. Check dams and scour checks need to be installed at specified intervals, depending on the gradient of the slope. Dissipators are usually made of concrete and can be more expensive. Nevertheless, all these structures must be well designed, properly constructed and regularly maintained so that runoff does not accumulate by the side of the road, water that is drained off the road does not create gullies, and siltation of the structures does not occur.
Earthworks should be controlled during the construction phase, so that land that is not required for the road alignment, deviations, camps or gravel sites is not disturbed. Gravel sites which were used previously and new sites which are to be opened must be landscaped and revegetated after use in order to prevent erosion. (This is discussed further in Section 8.1.4). The tender documents should stipulate that, wherever possible, earthworks should be carried out during the dry season to prevent soil from being washed away by the rain.
The embankment along the road should be planted with shrubs and grasses to stabilize it as well as to reduce the chances of erosion.
Proper management of excavation activities and organisation of spoil will make rehabilitation of the gravel pits and worked areas easier (see Appendix 9). The construction schedule should be organised such that as works on one section of the road are completed, replanting activities for that section are undertaken immediately. Topsoil and overburden should be stored in separate piles. The spoil heaps should be covered to reduce the amount of soil washing/blowing away. The spoil can then be reused (e.g. for backfilling or landscaping).
In order to ensure that environmental protection is taken into account during construction, these issues must be specified in the tender documents. 8.1.3. Pollution Control
Dust emissions during earthworks (along the road and in gravel pits) can be reduced by sprinkling the working surfaces with water. Dust emissions will reduce substantially once the road is bitumised.
The impact of dust, air and noise pollution emanating from the asphalt and crushing plant can be reduced by locating the plant downwind of settlements. Plant should not operate during the night. Proper maintenance of construction plant and equipment (including trucks) will reduce emissions of noxious fumes (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides), as well as mitigate noise levels. In addition, drivers of construction vehicles should be instructed not to leave them idling, in order to reduce the emission of exhaust fumes.
During construction and operation, the speed of construction and other vehicles along the project road and along any proposed deviations, should be limited to reduce dust levels.
I:WOCUSEDilElrlIAI . . Ill\UIle -l\T_I 8-2 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineerng Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
These measures can be achieved by creating awareness among equipment/machinery operators, drivers of construction vehicles, as well as other road users.
Planting trees along the road in the urban centres, and if possible at the villages and settlements along the road, would also help to screen the adjacent farms and homesteads from vehicle emissions, and to an extent, noise.
Noise abatement, particularly in the towns, can also be done through sensitizing motorists/ truck drivers, by using signboards and conducting awareness campaigns. Regulations should be introduced that prohibit movement of heavy vehicles and hooting after dark. While noise from blasting operations at the hardstone quarries cannot be avoided, the residents and workers around those areas must be forewarned when blasting will occur. LC IlIl committee members can be used to disseminate this information to the local people.
Oil is often drained from trucks and lorries by the side of the road. During construction, maintenance activities should be carried out within the Contractors' camps at a specially designated sites, where the concreted work area is surrounded by a drain leading to an oil interceptor. The Contractor must be aware of proper storage and handling procedures for oil and lubricants (as well as other hazardous substances). Drip trays should be used when draining oil from plant and equipment, and waste oil stored in containers until they can be safely disposed of.
Parking bays should be constructed at the principal intermediate towns which fall on the chosen route where trucks and heavy vehicles can park. Trucks and heavy vehicles should be made to park here through legal means. These bays should also be surrounded by stormwater drains fitted with oil interceptors, so that maintenance activities can be carried out there. Contamination by oil of soil and/or water sources resulting from oil in stormwater drains can thus be controlled. Obviously compensation would have to be paid for property and crops on the land that is acquired for this purpose.
During the rehabilitation of existing swamp crossings, and the construction of new ones, an increase in sediment loads in the swamps is unavoidable. However, it is imperative that the Contractor controls the amount of material that is required to be laid onto the crossings, and that this material is applied carefully, and immediately compacted. Rehabilitation of the culverts and swamp crossings should be done during the dry season, wherever possible. Sediment loads in the rivers and streams can also be reduced by incorporating erosion control measures. In addition, the Contractor must ensure that construction debris is disposed of in a sensible manner and not thrown into the swamps and rivers, or along the roadside.
Wastewater and sewage from the contractors camp must also be disposed of properly so as to prevent pollution of water bodies (see Section 8.1.10).
In order to monitor the impact of pollution along the project road during both construction operation, baseline sampling has been done at five swamp sites (see Section 2.6). Through analyzing samples from these sites over the life of the project road, concentrations of sedimentation, oil and grease, organic pollution, faecal contamination, among others, can be measured. Thus trends in environmental improvement or degradation can be established, possible adverse impacts predicted. The results of water quality sampling are presented in Appendix 5.
oNoe^LsOFn161_dS.,Red R8-3. SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
8.1.4. Materials Sources
Whilst the locations of potential gravel pits and quarries have been identified, their selection will be undertaken by the successful Contractors. Mitigation measures for soil erosion and dust emissions from gravel pits have been discussed under Sections 8.1.2 and 8.1.3.
The Contractors should be required to plan access routes to gravel pits and hardstone quarries ahead of excavation. Access routes should avoid going over infrastructure such as water pipelines. The Contractors should be prevented from opening up several routes to one materials site which would have severe implications on environmental degradation around the excavated area.
People living at or near the materials sites must be informed of the environmental implications of excavation at the time of selection of the sites. The owners of the sites should be told at the earliest whether testing has revealed that material from their plot is acceptable or not for use on the project road; material from the sites found to be acceptable and which the Contractor selects for excavation must be compensated. Gravel pit owners must also be told of the options available to them after excavation, for example rehabilitation/landscaping, or fencing. Leaving a gravel pit open for use as a water pan or for further exploitation is not recommended by NEMA. The tender documents should instruct the Contractors to maintain fences and 'make good" afterwards, in accordance with the written agreement with the landowner.
Gravel pits must be excavated such that drainage is controlled, and water is not allowed to accumulate. Any water that does collect has to be pumped out and disposed of sensibly. The area to be excavated should be cordoned/fenced off, to keep livestock and children away.
Gravel pits must be landscaped, then reinstated or backfilled with overburden/topsoil. If excavation is properly planned, organised and executed, it should be possible to rehabilitate all the gravel pits. It is therefore important to have separate stockpiles for topsoil, overburden, gravel, etc. A simplified procedure for the rehabilitation of gravel pits is presented in Appendix 9. Terracing and replacement of fencing is part of the rehabilitation process. The tender documents should instruct the Contractors to plant trees to replace those that have been removed during excavation. As part of the contract, the old gravel pits that were opened for maintenance works and that have now been abandoned, or will be abandoned, should also be rehabilitated9. Those that will still be required by the District Works Office should be fenced off.
For hardstone sources, if the rock outcrops proposed as hardstone sites are found have no special environmental or social significance, then they may be exploited. However, all material that has been chipped by the miners at these rock outcrops that is available for sale at the time of acquisition of the site should be bought from them. The miners should also be given compensation for income lost while the contractor is using their resource. Blasting at the hardstone quarries should be carefully controlled and monitored. Blasting should be done at specified times during the day, and the residents in the vicinity of the quarry should be informed of the blasting schedule. The area to be blasted should be sealed off to prevent access to unauthorised persons. All excavated hardstone sources must also be landscaped and rehabilitated.
9 It is anticipated that once the road is bitumised, there will be less demand for gravel for road maintenance.
CN VW- 1.OCACWE -1\T, 1 0f i Pl EZ 11ESIA Jl. 84 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: ~ Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL Cl.!~I to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
If sand is to be mined, it must be ensured that the source is a large riverbed or bank where the volume extracted will be negligible in relation to the amount of material to be found there. In larger rivers the flows and currents can more easily overcome any alteration to the hydrological profile as a result of extraction. Extraction should also be done during low flow to avoid increased sediment loads in the rivers.
Water for construction may be obtained from any of the perennial rivers and swamps. However, abstraction of water should not be done during times of low flow. 8.1.5. Deviations
Deviations may be avoided by passing the traffic through the works. However, at the swamp crossings the Contractors may have no choice but to construct half the road width at a time.
Should deviations be unavoidable, they must all be planned and their routes specified in the tender documents. They must take into consideration the location of homesteads, settlements, villages, graves, as well as infrastructure such as power lines, water pipelines, etc. Deviations should, wherever practical, adhere to the road reserve. However, this may not always be possible, and in some cases traffic may have to be diverted temporarily across private land. In such cases, permission must be obtained from the farmers/inhabitants of that land, as well as the relevant community leaders. Compensation will have to be paid for loss of crops/grazing land, nuisance, fencing, etc.
As a condition of contract, deviations that cease to be of use when the road works are complete must be returned (as near as possible) to their original state, through landscaping and rehabilitation. Any trees or crops removed for the purposes of a deviation must be replanted. 8.1.6. Vegetation
Clearing of vegetation and trees should be strictly controlled: it should be limHted to what is absolutely necessary, and should not be done indiscriminately. Clearing should be done manually or mechanically; the use of herbicides should be avoided. Diligence on the part of the Contractors and proper supervision of the workforce are important in this respect.
The workforce should be provided with altematives to fuel wood and charcoal for cooking (e.g. kerosene cookers), so that the pressure on fuel wood and charcoal will be reduced.
During construction, the imposition of speed limits will lessen the impact on vegetation/flora caused by dust being thrown up by construction (and other) vehicles.
After road improvement is complete, grass and trees must be replanted wherever vegetation has been inadvertently or unnecessarily destroyed. Trees should be planted along the roadside at the main trading centres and the local councils should be asked to look after them. During discussions with the local councils, they indicated their willingness to do so. 8.1.7. Forests
The realignment of the road adjacent to the Kachung Water Pipeline will necessitate the acquisition of land within the Kachung Forest Reserve to the east of the road. The new National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003, establishes a Permanent Forest Estate, which requires that if any area of a central forest is to be removed/reduced, an area at least equivalent in size to the reduction must be simultaneously declared a central forest reserve, and the area to be equivalent or of greater value than the area that is removed. Thus
C COCUME-1_X%0C411\T-II11 ...... CnitAnzlEFlA8-5 SOROTI- LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
degazettement cannot be done without the identification and acquisition of another area of land that can be gazetted as forest land.
Discussions with the Forestry Resources Department in Kampala indicated that the process of degazettement may be avoided if RAFU urgently applies to the Commissioner of Forests for acquisition of the area of land in question. This can then be resolved as an internal administrative arrangement between the Forest Department and RAFU. However, the Forest Department will have to be compensated for all produce lost for the purposes of the road and the road reserve. 8.1.8. Wildlife / Fauna
Disturbance to small animal/bird life due to clearance of vegetation or noise/dust/air/oil pollution can be mitigated by limiting negative impacts as described under Sections 8.1.3 and 8.1.6 above.
In addition, the workforce should be instructed not to harm any wildlife or bird life. 8.1.9. Wetlands
No reclamation of wetlands is intended as part of this project. Therefore, the major threats to wetlands are from water pollution, for example due to oil contamination and sediment loading. Mitigation of these issues has been discussed in Section 8.1.3 above.
Physical disturbance to wetlands should be controlled by the Contractors who should instruct their workforce not to cut down wetland vegetation, unless it is essential for the construction/ rehabilitation of swamp crossings. Again, diligence on the part of their Contractors and their workforce is a key mitigating factor here.
Because of the sensitivity of wetland habitats, water quality measurements have been taken at five swamp crossings along the project road in order to obtain a baseline against which it will be possible to assess the impact on water quality, and thereby on the wetlands, due to the construction of the project road (see Section 2.6 and Appendix 5). 8.1.10. Workmen's / Contractors' Camps
During the detailed design phase, specifications for the establishment of permanent bases and temporary work sites will be elaborated upon. These will include, amongst others, sanitation, disposal of garbage and wastewater, handling of fuel and oil, etc.
The major issues of concern as regards the workmen's/Contractors' camp are water supplies, fuel wood and sanitation.
The location of the camps will determine the impact on water sources. Water may be available from local sources. However, care should be taken not to stress the supply of potable water, at the expense of the local population. In this connection, the Contractors must consult with the LCIII members to identify acceptable potable water sources so that there is no conflict with the local people.
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Compensation for crops deals with perennial crops along the existing road alignment that are within the road reserve that have be cleared, as well as perennial crops on land outside the road reserve and on private property through which the new road alignments and the new road reserve will pass. In addition, compensation may have to be paid any forest land if that can be acquired.
Table 8.1 below gives an estimate of the cost of compensation that would have to be paid out as a result of the road project. The costs cover compensation for land, property as well as crops. Usually compensation costs include an additional disturbance allowance of 15%, or if the PAPs are given less than 6 months notice, the disturbance allowance is 30%. Table 8.1: Estimated Costs for Compensation Value of Total Value Total Value Alignment Land/Property/Crops Assuming 15% Assuming 30% Assumptions to be Compensated Disturbance Disturbance (UgShs) Allowance (UgShs) Allowance (UgShs) Existing route 1,410,000,000 1,621,500,000 1,833,000,000 adhered to Option I alignment 1,217,500,000 1,400,125,000 1,582,750,000 followed J I
The actual numbers of people affected can only be confirmed once the security situation has improved and the detailed social and cadastral surveys can be undertaken. At that stage the actual costs of relocation and livelihood restoration will also become known. The initial assessment indicates that, assuming a road reserve corridor of 20 m to 30 m, approximately 100 properties will be affected along the existing alignment, of which 20 will be in rural areas and about 80 in urban and peri-urban areas. Should adjustments be made to reduce the width of the road reserve in urban and peri-urban areas, the amount of displacement, and consequently resettlement can be substantially reduced.
A Resettlement Action Plan is submitted as a separate document. Temporary Land Take
Some land may have to be acquired temporarily for deviations that cannot be contained within the road reserve. In such cases, compensation must be paid for crops lost as well as any permanent structures that need to be removed, provided they lie outside the road reserve. At this stage it has not been determined where exactly deviations will be located. Once this has been done, the contractors will have to negotiate with the landowners as to the amount of compensation to be paid to them.
Land will have to be rented temporarily for workmen's camps. In setting up the workmen's camps, the Contractors will have to negotiate lease of the land from the individuals or from the local councils involved. This is normally included in the BOQ as part of the mobilisation costs.
New gravel sites will have to be opened up. Crops and structures that may be destroyed in the process will have to be compensated. However, it is recommended that for gravel sites outside the terminal towns, once the sites suitable for exploitation have been verified, the Contractors should meet with the relevant LC IlIl committee members to discuss fthe modalities of payment.
11- " P~ m - 3~ 3~ 8-7 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
The tender documents should specify the proper disposal of construction waste. 8.1.11. Clean Up on Completion
The tender documents must stipulate that each Contractor should leave the site in a clean and sightly condition on completion of works. The Contractors should be required to restore and landscape all areas to the satisfaction of the Supervising Engineer. 8.2. MITIGATION OF SOCIAL IMPACTS 8.2.1. Immigration and Settlement
It is important that the physical planners for all the project districts plan properly for possible expansion of trading centres within the area of influence of the project road. Residential, commercial and industrial areas should be clearly demarcated, and ribbon development should be controlled. Encroachment onto the new road reserves should not be allowed. Where plans have already been finalized and budgeted for, the cost of readjusting physical development plans should be paid to the Districts as mitigation.
One of the main concems cited by communities along the project road was that the trading centres that are bypassed by the realignments will 'die off". In reality, for most of the realignments the distance to the centres is acceptable. Nevertheless, to address this situation it is recommended that a link road or suitable junction to the existing road be constructed from the bypassed centres to the new road where appropriate.
Transient workforce are associated with the spread of STDs/HIV/AIDS. An awareness campaign should therefore be initiated to sensitise the local communities on the risks of STDs and AIDS. A preliminary STD/AIDS/HIV awareness campaign strategy is included in Appendix 8 of this report.
The influx of people into the project area will raise security concerns. The Local Councils should be made aware of this, so that they can plan to address the security situation. 8.2.2. Loss of Land, Property and Crops
Permanent Land Take
It is envisaged that a number of persons will be affected as a result of the construction of the road, either because their land will have to be acquired, or that they will be displaced, their property and crops will be destroyed or all of these. These persons will have to be compensated, relocated and resettled in accordance to RAFU's Policy Framework on Resettlement, the World Bank's OP 4.12 on Involuntary Resettlement, and the governing Ugandan laws (mainly the Constitution of 1995 and the Land Act of 1998), as indicated in the Preliminary Resettlement Action Plan.
Resettling of people in other places might involve re-adjustments to new social values, norms, expectations and environment. People in rural areas therefore normally prefer to settle near their clansmates or relatives. Where land acquisition is inevitable, the affected communities should be given options to resettle as near to their relatives/areas/friends as possible, so as to minimize undesired social costs of re-integration in totally new areas/communities. In the case of the project road, particularly in the rural areas, there is adequate amount of communal land where the displaced persons could be resettled, so this is a feasible approach.
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Compensation for crops deals with perennial crops along the existing road alignment that are within the road reserve that have be cleared, as well as perennial crops on land outside the road reserve and on private property through which the new road alignments and the new road reserve will pass. In addition, compensation may have to be paid any forest land if that can be acquired.
Table 8.1 below gives an estimate of the cost of compensation that would have to be paid out as a result of the road project. The costs cover compensation for land, property as well as crops. Usually compensation costs include an additional disturbance allowance of 15%, or if the PAPs are given less than 6 months notice, the disturbance allowance is 30%.
Table 8.1: Estimated Costs for Compensation Value of Total Value Total Value Alignment Land/Property/Crops Assuming 15% Assuming 30% Assumptions to be Compensated Disturbance Disturbance (UgShs) Allowance (UgShs) Allowance (UgShs) Existing route 1,410,000,000 1,621,500,000 1,833,000,000 adhered to______Option 1 alignment 1,217,500,000 1,400,125,000 1,582,750,000 followed
The actual numbers of people affected can only be confirmed once the security situation has improved and the detailed social and cadastral surveys can be undertaken. At that stage the actual costs of relocation and livelihood restoration will also become known. The initial assessment indicates that, assuming a road reserve corridor of 20 m to 30 m, approximately 100 properties will be affected along the existing alignment, of which 20 will be in rural areas and about 80 in urban and peri-urban areas. Should adjustments be made to reduce the width of the road reserve in urban and peri-urban areas, the amount of displacement, and consequently resettlement can be substantially reduced.
A Resettlement Action Plan is submitted as a separate document. Temporary Land Take
Some land may have to be acquired temporarily for deviations that cannot be contained within the road reserve. In such cases, compensation must be paid for crops lost as well as any permanent structures that need to be removed, provided they lie outside the road reserve. At this stage it has not been determined where exactly deviations will be located. Once this has been done, the contractors will have to negotiate with the landowners as to the amount of compensation to be paid to them.
Land will have to be rented temporarily for workmen's camps. In setting up the workmen's camps, the Contractors will have to negotiate lease of the land from the individuals or from the local councils involved. This is normally included in the BOQ as part of the mobilisation costs.
New gravel sites will have to be opened up. Crops and structures that may be destroyed in the process will have to be compensated. However, it is recommended that for gravel sites outside the terminal towns, once the sites suitable for exploitation have been verified, the Contractors should meet with the relevant LC IlIl committee members to discuss the modalities of payment.
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8.2.3. Employment Opportunities
The Contractors must take care to ensure that the maximum possible number of employees hired is sourced from the settlements and villages along the project road and within the area of influence. Women must also be given opportunities to participate on the road, and a specific quota (e.g. 25%) of all job categories should be reserved for women.
People who work at the rock outcrops that are proposed to be used for hardstone should be given priority for any manual labour required at those sites. 8.2.4. Uvestock
The volume of traffic on the road may not warrant special provision for livestock crossings to be incorporated into the road design. Instead, drivers must be sensitised about the presence of livestock along the road, and clear and obvious warning signs must be put up at the most popular crossing sites and near the regular cattle markets (e.g. at Otuboi and Katine). 8.2.5. Public Health and Occupational Safety Mitigation of impacts due to air, dust and noise are discussed in Section 8.1.3 above. Hygiene and sanitation issues conceming the workmen's/Contractors' camps have been dealt with in Section 8.1.1 0 above.
STD/HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns should be conducted in the camps as well as in the towns and villages, during which condoms should be distributed. A campaign outline is provided in Appendix 8.
Workmen should be provided with suitable protective gear (such as nose masks, ear muffs, helmets, overalls, industrial boots, etc), particularly during earthworks, excavation and blasting activities. There must be a fully equipped first aid kit on site and a designated Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Officer who has first aid training and knowledge of safety regulations. Potable water should be available to the workforce at all times. In addition, the Contractors must have workmen's compensation cover.
All these issues should be included in the tender documents. 8.2.6. Education
Concern was expressed by the District Education Departments in the project districts that improved agricultural activities and sale of produce will attract child labour, thereby affecting school enrolment and attendance. In this case it is important that local leaders and market tenderers be sensitized about child rights and role of community members in promoting child rights including school attendance. 8.2.7. Disturbance to Public
All construction activities will cause disturbance to the public, whether to road traffic, pedestrians or roadside inhabitants. In order to lessen the antagonism that these disturbances may create, it is recommended that the LC IlIl committee members be notified in advance of possible activities that may cause disturbance. In addition, construction should follow a schedule, and the Contractors must adhere to that schedule, so that the general public can know when to expect such disturbance.
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WarningAnformative signs should be erected wherever construction works are in progress, and where there may be disruption to pedestrian or vehicular traffic. Signs should indicate when works are likely to begin and end, and what alternatives are available for access.
In the more heavily trafficked areas, for example in Soroti and Lira towns, assistance should be sought from the traffic police to ease potential bottlenecks.
To minimise disturbance to settlements and homes in the locality of the work site, construction activities should not be carried out at night. 8.2.8. Road Safety
During construction, awareness campaigns should be initiated, waming signs erected, and specific entry/exit points to work sites allocated for construction traffic (e.g. sections of road, swamps, gravel sites and quarries and the workmen's/Contractors' camps). Construction traffic should be strictly controlled, particularly with regard to speeding, as there is a considerable amount of pedestrian and non-motorised traffic along the road.
The danger posed to pedestrians and non-motorised traffic after construction (particularly at towns and villages along the road) would be due to increased traffic volumes and higher speeds. This can be mitigated by installing clear and frequent road signs and markings (both directional and warning). In addition, the design must consider a wide enough carriageway to accommodate the new trucks and lorries which are close to 3 m in width (especially those used by relief organizations), so that they do not go off the road on to the shoulders in order to pass, and so that pedestrians and NMTs can safely use the shoulders at all times. Signs are also necessary near health centres and schools. Primary and secondary schools along the project road should be targeted for a road safety campaign.
Although a better designed and upgraded road may serve to reduce the number of road accidents, a faster road is likely to cause more accidents. Emergency and casualty services would need to be strengthened at all health centres along the road. This will require training of districts health providers in handling emergency cases, deploying competent staff and installing communication facilities, as well as improving the ambulance system for referral cases. These issues should be taken on by the respective District Directorates of Health, who must make allowances for this in their annual budgets.
The provision of shoulders will also contribute to making the road safer, in that they can be used as foot and cycle paths.
Currently trucks and heavy vehicles stop on the road at the main trading centres, imposing a danger for on-coming traffic. Truck parking bays at the principal intermediate towns, would be enhance road safety.
The tender documents should specify that the Contractors must ensure safe access and egress to all work areas, as well as the erection of warning signs. 8.2.9. Archaeologicaland Cultural Sites
It is unlikely that any cultural or historical sites will be discovered during the road construction. However, should any archaeological or historic findings be discovered, construction work should immediately stop along that section, and the Supervising Engineer should be informed forthwith. The Supervising Engineer should in turn subsequently contact RAFU, NEMA, and the Department of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.
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If traditional sites are found, then construction work should immediately stop and the local people informed, in order to establish the value of the site and to develop altematives for continuing construction.
Care must be taken during construction works (especially during the excavation of gravel pits) to avoid all graves and graveyards.
These issues should be stipulated in the tender documents. 8.2.10. Other Infrastructure Services
As mentioned in Section 7.2.16, there are some infrastructure services that will have to be removed and relocated as a result of the road project. Discussions will have to be held with the relevant authorities, in this case Uganda Telcom and UEB. The cost of relocation of these services is expected to be in the region of UgShs 300,000,000.
The section of the Kachung Water Works pipeline from Agwata to Lira is problematic. As mentioned in Section 7.2.16, the road and its reserve are to be moved 15 m to the east. This will involve acquisition of gazetted forest land (Kachung Forest Reserve). Before and beyond the forest, this option will also necessitate the acquisition of individually owned farmland, and probably the destruction of property. About 60 ha (100 acres) of rural, peri-urban and urban land would have to be acquired, and 6 ha (13 acres) of forest land. Costs for acquisition of this land, and buildings/properties on it have yet to be confirmed, but an initial estimate is UgShs 1,550,000,000.
The third option is then to leave the pipeline as it is, and adjust the road design for this section. 8.2.11. Political Impact
While the political leaders in the project districts are all generally in favour of the project road, there are some issues which may be sensitive, for example some of the realignments bypassing trading centres, and the issues of land acquisition and resettlement. It is therefore essential that during the design and construction phases of the project, there is constant dialogue with these leaders. The responsibility will lie with the Consultant at the detailed design phase and with the Supervising Engineer during construction. Another concem expressed by the community leaders was the fate of the sections of the existing road leading to the bypassed centres. It is expected that the District Roads Engineers will take on the maintenance of these short sections of road.
8.3. COST OF MITIGATION
An estimate of the cost of mitigation for the project is presented in Table 8.2 below, the bases for which are described in Appendix 10. Many environmental and social mitigation measures, such as the installation of culverts, grassing of embankments, replanting trees, rehabilitation of borrow pits, etc, would normally be included in works estimates. The cost of resettlement and activities associated with its implementation are estimated here, and will be prepared as part of the detailed RAP once the insecurity of the area is addressed and the detailed surveys can be undertaken.
The cost estimates presented here therefore are additional to the works costs. Mitigation costs for adhering to the existing alignment are about 6% more than mitigation for following Option 1 alignment.
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Table 8.2: Preliminary Estimate of Mitigation Costs
Forest Land take Compensatior Income Additional Environmental HIV/AIDS Total Mitigation for Water for lard take/ Restoration Environmental monitoring campaign Costs Alignment works properties/ RAP mitigation (Over 20 years crops @15% Implementation Over 20 years) project lIfe disturb. and Expert fees . 000 UgShs '000 UgShs '000 UgShs '000 UgShs '000 UgShs '000 UgShs Existing 5,754,264 alignment 15,000 1,188,564 1,621,500 1,929,200 400,000 500,000 100,000 (US$ 2,877,132)
Option 1 5,381,689 alignment 15,000 1,188,564 1,400,125 1,778,000 400,000 500,000 100,000 (US$ 2,690,845)
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9.0 MITIGATION OF ADVERSE IMPACTS
9.1. MITIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS 9.1.1. Hydrology and Drainage
The road design, whether for the existing road or the new alignments, must ensure that flow of water is not impeded from the upper to lower sides of catchments by rehabilitating culverts, and by installing side drains and mitre drains to direct road runoff away from the road. It is important that these features are well designed, properly constructed and regularly maintained so that runoff does not accumulate by the side of the road, water that is drained off the road does not create gullies, and siltation of the structures does not occur. Drainage structures must therefore ensure safe final disposal of water and must also be self-cleaning.
For swamp crossings, where the road will have to be raised and widened at several locations, it is imperative that the hindrance to flow in the swamps be minimised. It is recommended that as many pipe culverts as possible be installed along the swamp crossings. Multiple culverts should be installed where there are large concentrated flows in channels. Consideration is being given to installing pipe arch culverts which are less restrictive to flow.
The major impact occurring from the construction and rehabilitation of swamp crossings is sediment loading into the wetland systems. In this respect, baseline sampling has been carried out at five swamp sites along the project road in order to monitor the impact of sedimentation in the wetlands due to road construction and operation (see Section 2.6, and Appendix 5).
Consideration will be given to the construction of cut-off drains, connected at intervals to cross drains to facilitate the safe discharge of runoff between Km 6.9 and Km 11.0. The present cross-drains have drop inlets which are subject to siltation and require excessive maintenance. The discharge from the cross-drains will be directed via shallow channels, approximately 80 m in length, in the lower catchment perpendicular to the road, which will lead water to the adjacent swamp. The spacing of these drains will vary from 300 m at the beginning of the section to 150 m towards its end, as the volume of flow increases. In this area there is some cultivation in the lower catchment, and permission will have to be obtained from farmers and/or community leaders to discharge water in this manner.
Again care must be taken during design and construction so that the waterway itself does not cause erosion and gullying.
The last 20 km of the road, from Amach to Lira, is densely populated and cuftivated. Plots come right up to the road on both sides. This makes it difficuft to discharge water from the side drains as frequently as would be optimal, as farmers and landowners are reluctant to have drains passing through their land. In this case, the landowners must be asked permission to allow these drains to be constructed on their land, while the LC IlIl committee members must be asked to assist in sensitizing these people. Experience from Kenya has shown that in similar circumstances, dialogue with the affected landowners has served to resolve the problem. As a compromise, drains were constructed along the boundaries of properties.
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9.1.2. Erosion Control
The speed of road runoff is one of the main contributing factors to erosion, scouring, and consequently siltation, along a road. Provision must be made in the road design for directing road runoff away from the road by installing side drains and mitre drains. The principle is to dispose of water "little and often". The construction of artificial waterways to achieve this has been discussed under Section 8.1.1 above. In addition to enhancing drainage, the impact of runoff in steeper sections of the road (especially between Otuboi and Dokolo, and Amach and Lira, where the gradient of the road exceeds 4%) should be controlled by introducing check dams, scour checks or impact dissipators in the side drains. Check dams and scour checks need to be installed at specified intervals, depending on the gradient of the slope. Dissipators are usually made of concrete and can be more expensive. Nevertheless, all these structures must be well designed, properly constructed and regularly maintained so that runoff does not accumulate by the side of the road, water that is drained off the road does not create gullies, and siltation of the structures does not occur.
Earthworks should be controlled during the construction phase, so that land that is not required for the road alignment, deviations, camps or gravel sites is not disturbed. Gravel sites which were used previously and new sites which are to be opened must be landscaped and revegetated after use in order to prevent erosion. (This is discussed further in Section 8.1.4). The tender documents should stipulate that, wherever possible, earthworks should be carried out during the dry season to prevent soil from being washed away by the rain.
The embankment along the road should be planted with shrubs and grasses to stabilize it as well as to reduce the chances of erosion.
Proper management of excavation activities and organisation of spoil will make rehabilitation of the gravel pits and worked areas easier (see Appendix 9). The construction schedule should be organised such that as works on one secton of the road are completed, replanting activities for that section are undertaken immediately. Topsoil and overburden should be stored in separate piles. The spoil heaps should be covered to reduce the amount of soil washing/blowing away. The spoil can then be reused (e.g. for backfilling or landscaping).
In order to ensure that environmental protection is taken into account during construction, these issues must be specified in the tender documents. 9.1.3. Pollution Control
Dust emissions during earthworks (along the road and in gravel pits) can be reduced by sprinkling the working surfaces with water. Dust emissions will reduce substantially once the road is bitumised.
The impact of dust, air and noise pollution emanating from the asphalt and crushing plant can be reduced by locating the plant downwind of settlements. Plant should not operate during the night. Proper maintenance of construction plant and equipment (including trucks) will reduce emissions of noxious fumes (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides), as well as mitigate noise levels. In addition, drivers of construction vehicles should be instructed not to leave them idling, in order to reduce the emission of exhaust fumes.
During construction and operation, the speed of construction and other vehicles along the project road and along any proposed deviations, should be limited to reduce dust levels.
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These measures can be achieved by creating awareness among equipmentmachinery operators, drivers of construction vehicles, as well as other road users.
Planting trees along the road in the urban centres, and if possible at the villages and settlements along the road, would also help to screen the adjacent farms and homesteads from vehicle emissions, and to an extent, noise.
Noise abatement, particularly in the towns, can also be done through sensitizing motorists/ truck drivers, by using signboards and conducting awareness campaigns. Regulations should be introduced that prohibit movement of heavy vehicles and hooting after dark. While noise from blasting operations at the hardstone quarries cannot be avoided, the residents and workers around those areas must be forewarned when blasting will occur. LC IlIl committee members can be used to disseminate this information to the local people.
Oil is often drained from trucks and lorries by the side of the road. During construction, maintenance activities should be carried out within the Contractors' camps at a specially designated sites, where the concreted work area is surrounded by a drain leading to an oil interceptor. The Contractor must be aware of proper storage and handling procedures for oil and lubricants (as well as other hazardous substances). Drip trays should be used when draining oil from plant and equipment, and waste oil stored in containers until they can be safely disposed of.
Parking bays should be constructed at the principal intermediate towns which fall on the chosen route where trucks and heavy vehicles can park. Trucks and heavy vehicles should be made to park here through legal means. These bays should also be surrounded by stormwater drains fitted with oil interceptors, so that maintenance activities can be carried out there. Contamination by oil of soil and/or water sources resulting from oil in stormwater drains can thus be controlled. Obviously compensation would have to be paid for property and crops on the land that is acquired for this purpose.
During the rehabilitation of existing swamp crossings, and the construction of new ones, an increase in sediment loads in the swamps is unavoidable. However, it is imperative that the Contractor controls the amount of material that is required to be laid onto the crossings, and that this material is applied carefully, and immediately compacted. Rehabilitation of the culverts and swamp crossings should be done during the dry season, wherever possible. Sediment loads in the rivers and streams can also be reduced by incorporating erosion control measures. In addition, the Contractor must ensure that construction debris is disposed of in a sensible manner and not thrown into the swamps and rivers, or along the roadside.
Wastewater and sewage from the contractors camp must also be disposed of properly so as to prevent pollution of water bodies (see Section 8.1.10).
In order to monitor the impact of pollution along the project road during both construction operation, baseline sampling has been done at five swamp sites (see Section 2.6). Through analyzing samples from these sites over the life of the project road, concentrations of sedimentation, oil and grease, organic pollution, faecal contamination, among others, can be measured. Thus trends in environmental improvement or degradation can be established, possible adverse impacts predicted. The results of water quality sampling are presented in Appendix 5.
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9.1.4. Materials Sources
Whilst the locations of potential gravel pits and quarries have been identified, their selection will be undertaken by the successful Contractors. Mitigation measures for soil erosion and dust emissions from gravel pits have been discussed under Sections 8.1.2 and 8.1.3.
The Contractors should be required to plan access routes to gravel pits and hardstone quarries ahead of excavation. Access routes should avoid going over infrastructure such as water pipelines. The Contractors should be prevented from opening up several routes to one materials site which would have severe implications on environmental degradation around the excavated area.
People living at or near the materials sites must be informed of the environmental implications of excavation at the time of selection of the sites. The owners of the sites should be told at the earliest whether testing has revealed that material from their plot is acceptable or not for use on the project road; material from the sites found to be acceptable and which the Contractor selects for excavation must be compensated. Gravel pit owners must also be told of the options available to them after excavation, for example rehabilitation/landscaping, or fencing. Leaving a gravel pit open for use as a water pan or for further exploitation is not recommended by NEMA. The tender documents should instruct the Contractors to maintain fences and "make good" afterwards, in accordance with the written agreement with the landowner.
Gravel pits must be excavated such that drainage is controlled, and water is not allowed to accumulate. Any water that does collect has to be pumped out and disposed of sensibly. The area to be excavated should be cordoned/fenced off, to keep livestock and children away.
Gravel pits must be landscaped, then reinstated or backfilled with overburden/topsoil. If excavation is properly planned, organised and executed, it should be possible to rehabilitate all the gravel pits. It is therefore important to have separate stockpiles for topsoil, overburden, gravel, etc. A simplified procedure for the rehabilitation of gravel pits is presented in Appendix 9. Terracing and replacement of fencing is part of the rehabilitation process. The tender documents should instruct the Contractors to plant trees to replace those that have been removed during excavation. As part of the contract, the old gravel pits that were opened for maintenance works and that have now been abandoned, or will be abandoned, should also 9 be rehabilitated . Those that will still be required by the District Works Office should be fenced off.
For hardstone sources, if the rock outcrops proposed as hardstone sites are found have no special environmental or social significance, then they may be exploited. However, all material that has been chipped by the miners at these rock outcrops that is available for sale at the time of acquisition of the site should be bought from them. The miners should also be given compensation for income lost while the contractor is using their resource. Blasting at the hardstone quarries should be carefully controlled and monitored. Blasting should be done at specified times during the day, and the residents in the vicinity of the quarry should be informed of the blasting schedule. The area to be blasted should be sealed off to prevent access to unauthorised persons. All excavated hardstone sources must also be landscaped and rehabilitated.
It is anticipated that once the road is bitumised, there will be less demand for gravel for road maintenance. C:-...A"J W 9.4 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: ~ Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL R1.!s: to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IUPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
If sand is to be mined, it must be ensured that the source is a large riverbed or bank where the volume extracted will be negligible in relation to the amount of material to be found there. In larger rivers the flows and currents can more easily overcome any alteration to the hydrological profile as a result of extraction. Extraction should also be done during low flow to avoid increased sediment loads in the rivers.
Water for construction may be obtained from any of the perennial rivers and swamps. However, abstraction of water should not be done during times of low flow. 9.1.5. Deviations
Deviations may be avoided by passing the traffic through the works. However, at the swamp crossings the Contractors may have no choice but to construct half the road width at a time.
Should deviations be unavoidable, they must all be planned and their routes specified in the tender documents. They must take into consideration the location of homesteads, settlements, villages, graves, as well as infrastructure such as power lines, water pipelines, etc. Deviations should, wherever practical, adhere to the road reserve. However, this may not always be possible, and in some cases traffic may have to be diverted temporarily across private land. In such cases, permission must be obtained from the farmers/inhabitants of that land, as well as the relevant community leaders. Compensation will have to be paid for loss of crops/grazing land, nuisance, fencing, etc.
As a condition of contract, deviations that cease to be of use when the road works are complete must be returned (as near as possible) to their original state, through landscaping and rehabilitation. Any trees or crops removed for the purposes of a deviation must be replanted. 9.1.6. Vegetation
Clearing of vegetation and trees should be strictly controlled: it should be limited to what is absolutely necessary, and should not be done indiscriminately. Clearing should be done manually or mechanically; the use of herbicides should be avoided. Diligence on the part of the Contractors and proper supervision of the workforce are important in this respect.
The workforce should be provided with alternatives to fuel wood and charcoal for cooking (e.g. kerosene cookers), so that the pressure on fuel wood and charcoal will be reduced..
During construction, the imposition of speed limits will lessen the impact on vegetation/flora caused by dust being thrown up by construction (and other) vehicles.
After road improvement is complete, grass and trees must be replanted wherever vegetation has been inadvertently or unnecessarily destroyed. Trees should be planted along the roadside at the main trading centres and the local councils should be asked to look after them. During discussions with the local councils, they indicated their willingness to do so. 9.1.7. Forests
The realignment of the road adjacent to the Kachung Water Pipeline will necessitate the acquisition of land within the Kachung Forest Reserve to the east of the road. The new National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003, establishes a Permanent Forest Estate, which requires that if any area of a central forest is to be removed/reduced, an area at least equivalent in size to the reduction must be simultaneously declared a central forest reserve, and the area to be equivalent or of greater value than the area that is removed. Thus
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degazettement cannot be done without the identification and acquisition of another area of land that can be gazetted as forest land. The sections of the forest which need to be acquired will require degazettement. As an altemative, the upgrading of the road may have to be accommodated within the existing corridor, and the road cross-section modified accordingly for this 4 km long section of the project road such that it can be accommodated within the available reserve.
Discussions with the Forestry Resources Department in Kampala indicated that there is a possibility that the process of degazettement may be avoided if RAFU urgently applies to the Commissioner of Forests for acquisition of the area of land in question. This can then be resolved as an internal administrative arrangement between the Forest Department and RAFU. However, the Forest Department will have to be compensated for all produce lost for the purposes of the road and the road reserve. 9.1.8. Wildlife / Fauna
Disturbance to small animal/bird life due to clearance of vegetation or noise/dust/air/oil pollution can be mitigated by limiting negative impacts as described under Sections 8.1.3 and 8.1.6 above.
In addition, the workforce should be instructed not to harm any wildlife or bird life. 9.1.9. Wetlands
No reclamation of wetlands is intended as part of this project. Therefore, the major threats to wetlands are from water pollution, for example due to oil contamination and sediment loading. Mitigation of these issues has been discussed in Section 8.1.3 above.
Physical disturbance to wetlands should be controlled by the Contractors who should instruct their workforce not to cut down wetland vegetation, unless it is essential for the construction/ rehabilitation of swamp crossings. Again, diligence on the part of their Contractors and their workforce is a key mitigating factor here.
Because of the sensitivity of wetland habitats, water quality measurements have been taken at five swamp crossings along the project road in order to obtain a baseline against which it will be possible to assess the impact on water quality, and thereby on the wetlands, due to the construction of the project road (see Section 2.6 and Appendix 5). 9.1.10. Workmen's/ Contractors' Camps
During the detailed design phase, specifications for the establishment of permanent bases and temporary work sites will be elaborated upon. These will include, amongst others, sanitation, disposal of garbage and wastewater, handling of fuel and oil, etc.
The major issues of concem as regards the workmen's/Contractors' camp are water supplies, fuel wood and sanitation.
The location of the camps will determine the impact on water sources. Water may be available from local sources. However, care should be taken not to stress the supply of potable water, at the expense of the local population. In this connection, the Contractors must consult with the LCIII members to identify acceptable potable water sources so that there is no conflict with the local people.
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Contractors often drill boreholes for their camp supplies. From available information, groundwater potential in the project area is good. As there are very few boreholes/wells in the project area, it is unlikely that boreholes sunk by the Contractors will impact on the aquifer. Nevertheless, should the Contractors decide to sink a borehole, they must ensure that the right procedures for obtaining abstraction permits is followed.
The workforce should be discouraged from buying charcoal. Use of gas or kerosene should be made mandatory in the camps. A central canteen to serve the entire workforce should be set up within each camp which would be more economical in terms of use of fuel as well as other resources. In addition, a central canteen would contribute towards the general health in the camp as kitchen wastes can be disposed of in an organised manner, while hygiene can be monitored. Solid wastes should be disposed of in an acceptable manner. Waste should be segregated into metals, paper, plastics and organic waste, so that it can be sold, reused, buried or bumed as appropriate. Wastes that do not fall into these categories should be taken to an approved council dump.
Pit latrines are the most common sanitation facility in the project area. However, these must be carefully located and designed because of the high water table. Ideally, the drop should be between 2.5-3.5 metres (8-12 feet), but where the water table is high, a composting style double shallow pit design is more suitable. The location of pit latrines in the camp should preferably be downhill of potable water sources, or 30 m from any surface water body, and protected from runoff. Communal bathrooms/lavatories leading to soakaway pits are another option, but would be slightly more expensive.
To minimise the impact of the workmen's camps, the camps should not be located at isolated points along the road where they will attract periphery businesses, and provide a nucleus for the growth of unplanned settlements. It would therefore be better to locate the camps at Agwata or Otuboi. In these two towns, the natural environment is already substantially altered. In addition, facilities for water supply and electricity are available, and food supplies are also readily obtainable. 9.1.11. Visual Impacts
A properly organised and implemented construction schedule would serve to mitigate the visual impacts during construction by limiting their duration.
Once roadworks are complete, the Contractors must ensure that the landscape is restored as much as possible to its original form. Landscaping/reinstating gravel pits and deviations and replanting them would reduce visual intrusion caused by excavation and clearing. Planting trees along the project road, particularly in the trading centres, would also greatly improve aesthetics, as well as reduce the impact of dust.
Mitigation can also be achieved through controlling traffic, sensitizing motorists, reducing dust levels, clearing debris after construction. 9.1.12. Construction Waste
Diligence on the part of the Contractors during construction activities will minimise the amount of debris, and will also ensure that debris is disposed of in a sensible manner, at a specified and approved dump.
Baseline data gathered at the five swamp sites will allow sediment loading to be monitored in the swamps during and after construction.
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The tender documents should specify the proper disposal of construction waste. 9.1.13. Clean Up on Completion
The tender documents must stipulate that each Contractor should leave the site in a clean and sightly condition on completion of works. The Contractors should be required to restore and landscape all areas to the satisfaction of the Supervising Engineer. 9.2. MITIGATION OF SOCIAL IMPACTS 9.2.1. Immigration and Settlement
It is important that the physical planners for all the project districts plan properly for possible expansion of trading centres within the area of influence of the project road. Residential, commercial and industrial areas should be clearly demarcated, and ribbon development should be controlled. Encroachment onto the new road reserves should not be allowed. Where plans have already been finalized and budgeted for, the cost of readjusting physical development plans should be paid to the Districts as mitigation.
One of the main concems cited by communities along the project road was that the trading centres that are bypassed by the realignments will 'die off". In reality, for most of the realignments the distance to the centres is acceptable. Nevertheless, to address this situation it is recommended that a link road or suitable junction to the existing road be constructed from the bypassed centres to the new road where appropriate.
Transient workforce are associated with the spread of STDs/HIV/AIDS. An awareness campaign should therefore be initiated to sensitise the local communities on the risks of STDs and AIDS. A preliminary STD/AIDS/HIV awareness campaign strategy is included in Appendix 8 of this report.
The influx of people into the project area will raise security concems. The Local Councils should be made aware of this, so that they can plan to address the security situation. 9.2.2. Loss of Land, Property and Crops Permanent Land Take
It is envisaged that a number of persons will be affected as a result of the construction of the road, either because their land will have to be acquired, or that they will be displaced, their property and crops will be destroyed or all of these. These persons will have to be compensated, relocated and resettled in accordance to RAFU's Policy Framework on Resettlement, the World Bank's OP 4.12 on Involuntary Resettlement, and the governing Ugandan laws (mainly the Constitution of 1995 and the Land Act of 1998), as indicated in the Preliminary Resettlement Action Plan.
Resettling of people in other places might involve re-adjustments to new social values, norms, expectations and environment. People in rural areas therefore normally prefer to settle near their clansmates or relatives. Where land acquisition is inevitable, the affected communities should be given options to resettle as near to their relatives/areas/friends as possible, so as to minimize undesired social costs of re-integration in totally new areas/communities. In the case of the project road, particularly in the rural areas, there is adequate amount of communal land where the displaced persons could be resettled, so this is a feasible approach.
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Compensation for crops deals with perennial crops along the existing road alignment that are within the road reserve that have be cleared, as well as perennial crops on land outside the road reserve and on private property through which the new road alignments and the new road reserve will pass. In addition, compensation may have to be paid any forest land if that can be acquired.
Table 8.1 below gives an estimate of the cost of compensation that would have to be paid out as a result of the road project. The costs cover compensation for land, property as well as crops. Usually compensation costs include an additional disturbance allowance of 15%, or if the PAPs are given less than 6 months notice, the disturbance allowance is 30%.
Table 8.1: Estimated Costs for Compensation Value of Total Value Total Value Alignment LandlProperty/Crops Assuming 15% Assuming 30% Assumptions to be Compensated Disturbance Disturbance (UgShs) Allowance (UgShs) Allowance (UgShs) Existing route 1,410,000,000 1,621,500,000 1,833,000,000
_ _ _ adhered to ______Option 1 alignment 1,217,500,000 1,400,125,000 1,582,750,000 followed
The actual numbers of people affected can only be confirmed once the security situation has improved and the detailed social and cadastral surveys can be undertaken. At that stage the actual costs of relocation and livelihood restoration will also become known. The initial assessment indicates that, assuming a road reserve corridor of 20 m to 30 m, approximately 100 properties will be affected along the existing alignment, of which 20 will be in rural areas and about 80 in urban and peri-urban areas. Should adjustments be made to reduce the width of the road reserve in urban and peri-urban areas, the amount of displacement, and consequently resettlement can be substantially reduced.
A Resettlement Action Plan is submitted as a separate document. Temporary Land Take
Some land may have to be acquired temporarily for deviations that cannot be contained within the road reserve. In such cases, compensation must be paid for crops lost as well as any permanent structures that need to be removed, provided they lie outside the road reserve. At this stage it has not been determined where exactly deviations will be located. Once this has been done, the contractors will have to negotiate with the landowners as to the amount of compensation to be paid to them.
Land will have to be rented temporarily for workmen's camps. In setting up the workmen's camps, the Contractors will have to negotiate lease of the land from the individuals or from the local councils involved. This is normally included in the BOQ as part of the mobilisation costs.
New gravel sites will have to be opened up. Crops and structures that may be destroyed in the process will have to be compensated. However, it is recommended that for gravel sites outside the terminal towns, once the sites suitable for exploitation have been verified, the Contractors should meet with the relevant LC IlIl committee members to discuss the modalities of payment.
s\IKALIS1\T_sD_P_EI^-dS. A 9-9 SOROTI - LiRA RoAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
9.2.3. Employment Opportunities
The Contractors must take care to ensure that the maximum possible number of employees hired is sourced from the settlements and villages along the project road and within the area of influence. Women must also be given opportunities to participate on the road, and a specific quota (e.g. 25%) of all job categories should be reserved for women.
People who work at the rock outcrops that are proposed to be used for hardstone should be given priority for any manual labour required at those sites. 9.2.4. Livestock
The volume of traffic on the road may not warrant special provision for livestock crossings to be incorporated into the road design. Instead, drivers must be sensitised about the presence of livestock along the road, and clear and obvious warning signs must be put up at the most popular crossing sites and near the regular cattle markets (e.g. at Otuboi and Katine). 9.2.5. Public Health and Occupational Safety Mitigation of impacts due to air, dust and noise are discussed in Section 8.1.3 above. Hygiene and sanitation issues conceming the workmen's/Contractors' camps have been dealt with in Section 8.1.10 above.
STD/HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns should be conducted in the camps as well as in the towns and villages, during which condoms should be distributed. A campaign outline is provided in Appendix 8.
Workmen should be provided with suitable protective gear (such as nose masks, ear muffs, helmets, overalls, industrial boots, etc), particularly during earthworks, excavation and blasting activities. There must be a fully equipped first aid kit on site and a designated Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Officer who has first aid training and knowledge of safety regulations. Potable water should be available to the workforce at all times. In addition, the Contractors must have workmen's compensation cover.
All these issues should be included in the tender documents. 9.2.6. Education
Concem was expressed by the District Education Departments in the project districts that improved agricultural activities and sale of produce will attract child labour, thereby affecting school enrolment and attendance. In this case it is important that local leaders and market tenderers be sensitized about child rights and role of community members in promoting child rights including school attendance. 9.2.7. Disturbance to Public
All construction activities will cause disturbance to the public, whether to road traffic, pedestrians or roadside inhabitants. In order to lessen the antagonism that these disturbances may create, it is recommended that the LC IlIl committee members be notified in advance of possible activities that may cause disturbance. In addition, construction should follow a schedule, and the Contractors must adhere to that schedule, so that the general public can know when to expect such disturbance.
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WarningAinformative signs should be erected wherever construction works are in progress, and where there may be disruption to pedestrian or vehicular traffic. Signs should indicate when works are likely to begin and end, and what altematives are available for access.
In the more heavily trafficked areas, for example in Soroti and Lira towns, assistance should be sought from the traffic police to ease potential bottlenecks.
To minimise disturbance to settlements and homes in the locality of the work site, construction activities should not be carried out at night. 9.2.8. Road Safety
During construction, awareness campaigns should be initiated, warning signs erected, and specific entry/exit points to work sites allocated for construction traffic (e.g. sections of road, swamps, gravel sites and quarries and the workmen's/Contractors' camps). Construction traffic should be strictly controlled, particularly with regard to speeding, as there is a considerable amount of pedestrian and non-motorised traffic along the road.
The danger posed to pedestrians and non-motorised traffic after construction (particularly at towns and villages along the road) would be due to increased traffic volumes and higher speeds. This can be mitigated by installing clear and frequent road signs and markings (both directional and warning). In addition, the design must consider a wide enough carriageway to accommodate the new trucks and lorries which are close to 3 m in width (especially those used by relief organizations), so that they do not go off the road on to the shoulders in order to pass, and so that pedestrians and NMTs can safely use the shoulders at all times. Signs are also necessary near health centres and schools. Primary and secondary schools along the project road should be targeted for a road safety campaign.
Although a better designed and upgraded road may serve to reduce the number of road accidents, a faster road is likely to cause more accidents. Emergency and casualty services would need to be strengthened at all health centres along the road. This will require training of districts health providers in handling emergency cases, deploying competent staff and installing communication facilities, as well as improving the ambulance system for referral cases. These issues should be taken on by the respective District Directorates of Health, who must make allowances for this in their annual budgets.
The provision of shoulders will also contribute to making the road safer, in that they can be used as foot and cycle paths.
Currently trucks and heavy vehicles stop on the road at the main trading centres, imposing a danger for on-coming traffic. Truck parking bays at the principal intermediate towns, would be enhance road safety.
The tender documents should specify that the Contractors must ensure safe access and egress to all work areas, as well as the erection of waming signs. 9.2.9. Archaeological and Cultural Sites
It is unlikely that any cultural or historical sites will be discovered during the road construction. However, should any archaeological or historic findings be discovered, construction work should immediately stop along that section, and the Supervising Engineer should be informed forthwith. The Supervising Engineer should in turn subsequently contact RAFU, NEMA, and the Department of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.
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If traditional sites are found, then construction work should immediately stop and the local people informed, in order to establish the value of the site and to develop alternatives for continuing construction.
Care must be taken during construction works (especially during the excavation of gravel pits) to avoid all graves and graveyards.
These issues should be stipulated in the tender documents. 9.210. Other Infrastructure Services As mentioned in Section 7.2.16, there are some infrastructure services that will have to be removed and relocated as a result of the road project. Discussions will have to be held with the relevant authorities, in this case Uganda Telcom and UEB. The cost of relocation of these services is expected to be in the region of UgShs 300,000,000. The section of the Kachung Water Works pipeline from Agwata to Lira is problematic. As mentioned in Section 7.2.16, the road and its reserve are to be moved 15 m to the east. This will involve acquisition of gazetted forest land (Kachung Forest Reserve). Before and beyond the forest, this option will also necessitate the acquisition of individually owned farmland, and probably the destruction of property. About 60 ha (100 acres) of rural, peri-urban and urban land would have to be acquired, and 6 ha (13 acres) of forest land. Costs for acquisition of this land, and buildings/properties on it have yet to be confirmed, but an initial estimate is UgShs 1,550,000,000.
The third option is then to leave the pipeline as it is, and adjust the road design for this section. 9.2.11. PolitfcalImpact
While the political leaders in the project districts are all generally in favour of the project road, there are some issues which may be sensitive, for example some of the realignments bypassing trading centres, and the issues of land acquisition and resettlement. It is therefore essential that during the design and construction phases of the project, there is constant dialogue with these leaders. The responsibility will lie with the Consultant at the detailed design phase and with the Supervising Engineer during construction. Another concern expressed by the community leaders was the fate of the sections of the existing road leading to the bypassed centres. It is expected that the District Roads Engineers will take on the maintenance of these short sections of road. 9.3. COST OF MITIGATION
An estimate of the cost of mitigation for the project is presented in Table 8.2 below, the bases for which are described in Appendix 10. Many environmental and social mitigation measures, such as the installation of culverts, grassing of embankments, replanting trees, rehabilitation of borrow pits, etc, would normally be included in works estimates. The cost of resettlement and activities associated with its implementation are estmated here, and will be prepared as part of the detailed RAP of the area is addressed and the detailed surveys can be undertaken.
The cost estimates presented here therefore are additional to the works costs. Mitigation costs for adhering to the existing alignment are about 6% more than mitigation for following Option 1 alignment.
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Table 8.2: Preliminary Estimate of Mitigation Costs
Forest Land take Compensatior Income Additional Environmental HIV/AIDS Total Mitigation for Water for land take/ Restoration Environmental monitoring campaign Costs Alignment works properties/ RAP mitigation (Over 20 years, crops @15% Implementation Over 20 years) project life disturb. and Expert fees 000 UgShs '000 UgShs '000 UgShs '000 UgShs '000 UgShs '000 UgShs '000 UgShs '000 UgShs Existing 5,754,264 alignment 15,000 1,188,564 1,621,500 1,929,200 400,000 500,000 100,000 (US$ 2,877,132)
Option 1 155,381,689 alignment 15000 1,188,564 1,400,125 1,778,000 400,000 500,000 100,000 (US$ 2,690,45)
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10.0 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT MONITORING
10.1. MONITORING PROCESS
Monitoring is a long-term process, which should begin at the start of construction and should continue throughout the life of the project. Its purpose is to establish benchmarks so that the nature and magnitude of anticipated environmental and social impacts can be continually assessed. So monitoring involves the continuous or periodic review of construction and maintenance activities to determine the effectiveness of recommended mitigation measures. Consequently, trends in environmental degradation or improvement can be established, and previously unforeseen impacts can be identified or pre-empted. Environmental monitoring allows measures to be implemented in order to prevent or avert negative impacts. At this point it would be apt to distinguish between monitoring and the management plan discussed in the following chapter. Monitoring focuses on specific parameters that can be measured to determine environmental or social change (i.e. improvement or degradation) during and after the construction of the project road. On the other hand, environmental and social management plans provide a complete overview of the considerations to be taken during planning, design, construction, defects liability, operation and maintenance. That is, it covers the entire project life. Environmental and social monitoring must therefore be incorporated into the EMP/SMP.
The overall objective of environmental and social monitoring is to ensure that activities carried out during road construction and operation are environmentally and socially acceptable, and therefore sustainable. 10.2. IDENTIFICATION OF PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
In identifying performance indicators, it must be bome in mind that the construction of a road is not the only factor that may contribute to changes in the natural, physical or socio- economic environment. The political and economic climate, agricultural productivity, availability of extension services, population density, etc, also affect environmental and social conditions. In the context of this road project, it is possible to narrow down the number of parameters that need to be measured. More importantly, it is important to select performance indicators that are simple to monitor, and which will not necessitate the use of highly technical equipment or require specialized training.
Performance targets have to be established before performance indicators are identified. In the case of this road project, four overall performance targets can be put forward to cover the construction, operation and maintenance phases of the project. (i) Improved environmental management; (ii) Improved social management; (iii) Enhanced occupational health and safety; (iv) Increased gender sensitivity.
Various project impacts and aspects relate to these overall performance targets. When the activities and indicators are established, the first activity is to collect baseline data which serves as a benchmark and against which changes in the identified indicators can be measured.
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The types of parameters that can be monitored may include mitigation measures or design features, or actual impacts. In some cases, such as drainage structures and soil conservation interventions, monitoring is fairly straighfforward and can be done as part of routine or periodic maintenance. However, other parameters, particularly those related to socio- economic and ecological issues can only be effectively assessed over a period of 3 to 5 years.
There are a number of activities that need to be undertaken for the purposes of monitoring. These are:
Environmental Monitoring Activities:
i. Drainage structures must be monitored for their efficiency; ii. The impact on erosion (on road, off road, embankments, riverbanks, etc) must be assessed; iii. The efficiency of erosion control measures must be monitored; iv. Water quality must be monitored; v. Oil pollution in water bodies must be monitored; vi. Individuals/ communities must be compensated as necessary use of material (e.g. gravel and hardstone); vii. Gravel sites must be rehabilitated; viii. Compensation must be paid for crops/property removed/ destroyed by deviations; ix. The rehabilitation of deviations must be monitored.
Social Monitoring Activities: i. The RAP must be implemented; ii. Compensation must be paid for all crops outside road reserve that are removed/ destroyed for clearing of carriageway, gravel pits and deviations; iii. Compensation must be paid for perennial crops within road reserve; iv. Livestock kills must be monitored; v. Use of PPE must be ensured during construction; vi. The impact on public health with regard to malaria, respiratory diseases, STDs (HIV/AIDS) must be monitored; vii. Impact of the project road on road safety must be determined; viii. Local people must be recruited wherever possible during construction and operation, and it must be ensured that at least 25% of employees should be women; ix. Changes in income/expenditure levels, health status, education levels must be monitored; x. Changes in land use, agricultural and livestock production and marketing must be assessed.
The monitoring plan in Table 9.1 below lists the indicators that should be monitored during the course of this project. It describes parameters that can be monitored, and suggests how monitoring should be done, how frequently, and who should be responsible for monitoring and action.
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10.3. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MONITORING COSTS
Costs for monitoring will be incurred for the analysis of water quality, which should be done twice a year during construction and then once a year every 3 years throughout the project life. In addition, to monitor the impacts of the project on the human environment, a number of independent studies have been recommended, specifically to assess changes in public health, socio-economic status and land uses. These will have to be carried out through independent studies, once every five years throughout the project life.
Costs for environmental and social monitoring during the entire project life are estimated at approximately UgShs 500 million, and are depicted in Table 8.2 in the previous chapter, as monitoring is integral to mitigation.
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Table 9.1: Monitoring Plan
Responsibility for Responsibility for, Monitoring Means Project ImpactstlPa dt 1 t monitoring during monitoring after' (d) =design Recommended and Aspects Activity Perormance ndicator Baselne Da design, construction defects liability (c) = construction Frequency of and defects liability period (o) = operation Monitoring ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING Changes in - Monitor efficiency of No. of blocked culverts No. of existing Supervising Engineer District Works Offices (o) routine (o) once a year hydrology Aimpeded drainage structures No. of new culverts where culverts rehabilitated maintenance and drainage ponding is noticed No. of new culverts road condition survey Installed - Assess impact on Amount of siltation In side Zero siltation Supervising Engineer District Works Offices (c) inspection, sampling (c) siltation/erosion erosion (on road, off drains RAFU (o) routine maintenance once in2 months road, Amount of erosion Inside and road condition (c) Water quality Measurements for survey once in aiyear, Soil erosion riverbanks,embankments, etc) Qualitydrains of water at 5 suspended solids and once in rainy season, - Monitor efficiency of swamp sftes colour once indry season erosion control (see Appendix 5) (o) once in 6 months measuresApedx5 - Monitor water quality Quality of water at 5 Measurements for: Design Consultant RAFU (d) sampling (c) twice in a year, swamp sites pH, colour, Supervising Engineer (c) sampling once in rainy season, conductivity, SS, Contractor (o) sampling once in dry season Water pollution coliforms (o) twice in a year (see Appendix 5) (once in rainy season, once in dry season) every 3years - Monitor oil pollution Quality of water at 5 Measurements for oil Design Consultant RAFU (d) sampling (c) twice in a year, in water bodies swamp sites and grease Supervising Engineer (c) sampling once in rainy season, (see Appendix 5) and Contractor (o) sampling once in dry season Oil pollution (o) twice in a year (once in rainy season, once in dry season) every 3 years - Compensate No. of people Zero payment Contractor (c) payment records (c) once before individuals/ compensated excavation begins, and communities as at specified periods required for use of thereafter, as agreed Gravel sites material (c) once in 2 months - Rehabilitate gravel Use of site, established Excavated site, zero Supervising Engineer District Works Offices (o) inspection (o) once in 6 months sites vegetation vegetation RAFU
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continued) - Compensate No. of people Zero payment Contractor (c) payment records individuals/ compensated (c) once before excavation Hardstone sources communiUes as begins, and at specified periods required for use of thereafter, material as agreed - Pay compensaton for No. of people Zero payment Contractor (o) payment records (c) once crops/property compensated before constructing deviations removed/ destroyed Deviations by deviations No. of deviations fully Zero rehabilitation Contractor District Works Offices (o) Inspection (o) once in 6 months - Monitor rehabilitation rehabilitated RAFU I of deviations I SOCIAL MONITORING
- Implement RAP No. of people relocated Zero people resettled Resettlement Expert RAFU (c) payment No. of people records (o) continuously Zero people MWLE, PMO, RAFU, (o) consultations (o) biannually for first 2 compensated compensated LC Ill with LCIII; follow up years, then yearly. PAP Loss of land/property No.ofgrievances Zero grievances PAP survey Impact study after reported years 5 No. of income restoration Zero restoration activities initiated activifies Initiated (baseline income level) - Pay compensation for No. of people Zero payment Resettlement Expert n/a (c) payment records (c) once, after all crops outside road compensated Supervising Engineer reserve that are assessment of loss, and Contractor before construction removed/destroyed for clearing of Loss of crops carriageway, gravel pits and deviations - Compensation to be No. of people Zero payment Resettlement Expert paid for perennial compensated MWLE, PMO, RAFU, crops within road LC III reserve
Livestock - Monitor livestock kills No. of livestock killed Zero killed at start of N/a movement Livestock Production (o) reports received (o) once a year project Dept, Ministry of Agriculture - Use of PPE No. of road workers not Assume all wear PPE Supervising Engineer RAFU / Ministry of (c) inspection (c) continuously wearing PPE and Contractor Health . Monitoimpac Reported cases per PAP survey and Socio- Public Health (o) Independent (o) once in 5 years and - Montor impac on month for each disease economic baseline study Occupational Safety public health with regard to malaria, respiratory diseases, STDs (HIVMAIDS)
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continued) - Impact on road No. of settlements Zero coverage Supervising Engineer RAFU (c) campaign (c) every 6 months safety covered during road and Contractor reports/ minutes safety campaign Road Safety Records from traffic No. of accidents along police and Economic (o) police reports (o) once a year each link Feasibility Study
- Recruit local people No. of local people Zero employment Contractor n/a (o) certificate of (o) quarterly employed employment Employment - Employment employeesAt least 25% should of be No. of women employed women
- Monitor changes in Monthly income eamed Baseline from EIA/SIA n/a RAFU (o) Independent (o) once in 5 years income/expenditure Monthly expenditure and from PAP survey study Soclo-economic levels No. of people visiting status - Monitor changes in health facilities health status Morbidity rates - Monitor changes In Literacy levels education levels School enrolment - Monitor changes in Area covered by Baseline from EIA/SIA nta District Agriculture (o) Independent (o) once in 5 years land use settlement Offices study Area of arable land District Physical Land use Area of pasture Planning Dept Area of degraded land Area of shrub/bushland Area of social land - Changes in Crop yields Baseline from EIA/SIA, n/a District Agricultural (o) Independent (o) once in 5 years agricultural production %sold / consumed at Economic Feasibility Offices/ RAFU study Economic activity in and marketing home and PAP survey project area project area- Changes in livestock ~~~~~~~No.keptand type of livestock production and No. and type of livestock I marketing sold
CICOCUME- L-1%sT- N UAMWEIA-SUV.^ 1 0-6 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE Il: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineerng Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL 1!1N to Paved AND SOCIAL (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
11.0 PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN
11.1. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT
In this section, an environmental and social management plan has been prepared to cover all the phases of the project life: planning, design, construction, defects liability, operation and maintenance.
Table 10.1 overpage presents the environmental and social management plan. It describes how each of the main mitigation measures proposed in Chapter 8 should be implemented, how frequently, and who should be responsible during and after construction. Chapter 9 discussed environmental and social monitoring, which is an integral part of environmental and social management, and therefore monitoring indicators and means of monitoring have also been included in the table below.
Mitigation measures can be included in the tender documents have been italicised, and therefore should be accounted for in the BOQ. It is imperative that this EIA/SIA Report is made available to the Contractors during the tendering process so that they can appreciate what is involved in implementing proposed mitigation measures, and he will then be able to include mitigation measures in the bills of quantities.
Prior to mobilisation, the Contractors should also prepare their own EMP/SMP for review by RAFU and the Supervising Engineer. In their schedules of works, the Contractors must include all proposed mitigation measures, and the Supervising Engineer should ensure that the schedule and monitoring plan are complied with. This will also lend a sense of ownership to the Contractors, in addition to instilling in him them thorough understanding of the pertinent issues.
11.2. OTHER MEASURES TO ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
In addition to the mitigation and monitoring described above, a number of other measures should be considered to facilitate and enhance environmental management during the road project. 11.2.1. Training
Unless there is some understanding of the environmental impacts resulting from road works by all persons involved in construction, operation and maintenance of the project road, environmental management during road activities will not be effectively implemented or monitored.
Training should focus on imparting an understanding of the rationale for incorporating mitigation measures, and the importance of implementing the monitoring plan. Certain persons, for example the District Engineers, may have to undergo specialised training so that they are capable of implementing the monitoring plan, as well as sorting, storing, analysing and evaluating all the data that is collected.
QVM:ME-1C 0CN E-SNPT. 1 1 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: ~ Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL E1fiF to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
Table 10.1: Environmental and Social Management Plan Responsibility for Responsibility for monitoring means Environmental/ Proposed Mitgatlon and Aspects for Intervention and monitoring mitigation, monitoring (c) = construction Recommended frequency Social Impact Monitoring during design, construction and/or maintenance after (o) = operation of monitoring and defects liability period defects liability period ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN - Install drainage structures properly Design Consultant (c) inspection (c) during construction and Supervising Engineer and on completion of each Changes In hydrology Contractor structure /lmpeded drainage - Efficiency of drainage structures Supervising Engineer District Works Offices (o) routine maintenance and (o) once a year road condition survey - Control earthworks Supervising Engineer and (c)inspection (c)daily; - Install drainage structures properly Contractor (o)routine maintenance and erosion control measures: - Install erosion control measures road condition survey during construction and on - Landscape and grass road completion of each measure embankments (o) once a year - Landscape and re-vegetate gravel sites Soil erosion - Management of excavation activities - Impact on erosion (on road, off Supervising Engineer District Works Offices (c) inspection (c) once a month road, embankments, riverbanks, RAFU (o) routine maintenance and (o) once in 6 months etc) road condition survey - Efficiency of erosion control measures - Control speed of construction Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection I observation (c) daily/random vehicles Contractor - Prohibit idling of vehicles - Sensitise workforce - Maintenance of plant and equipment Air poliution - Plant trees in towns as apollution screens
- Impose speed limits for all LC I I LC III (o) observation (o) random vehicles, especially at towns and Traffic Police villages - Sensitise motorists/road users
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continued) Sensitise workforce Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection / observation (c)daily/random Supervise construction traffic Contractor Sensitise drivers of construction vehicles Noise pollution - Maintain plant and equipment Impose speed limits for all LC I / LC III (o) observation (o) random vehides, especially at towns and Traffic police villages Sensitise motorists/road users Incorporate erosion control Supervising Engineer and n/a (c) inspection (c) daily measures Contractor Works on culverts to be done in the dry season Proper disposal of construction debris Proper handling, storage and disposal of oil and oil wastes Water pollution - Proper disposal of wastewater/ sewage at Contractor's/ workmen's camps
Monitor water quality inswamps Design Consultant RAFU (d) sampling (c) twice in a year, once in Supervising Engineer (c)sampling rainy season, once in dry Contractor (o) sampling season (o) twice in a year (once in rainy season, once in dry ______~~ ~~season)every 3 years Construct parking bays at terminal Design Consultant District Works Offices (c)inspection (c) during construction and towns for heavy vehicles, with oil Supervising Engineer and (o) routine maintenance on completion interceptors in drains Contractor (o) once in 6 months
Proper storage, handling and Supervising Engineer and (c) daily disposal of oil and oil wastes Contractor Maintain plant and equipment Oil pollution - Maintenance of construction vehicles should be carried out in the Contractor's camp. c) twice In a year, once in Monitor oil pollution in swamps Design Consultant rainy season, once indry Supervising Engineer season Contractor (o) twice in a year (once in rainy season, once in dry season) every 3 years
C:0CCUWUCE-I11OCAtS-UT-e-.II D.*F[EIA.SILAS~. 1 1-3 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
continued) Inform people living at/near the Supervising Engineer and (c) meeting (c) once, immediately after sites that the pits have been Contractor selection of sites selected for exploitation. Plan access to gravel sites Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection (c)daily Control and restfict access to Contractor gravel sites (e.g. by fencing) Control earthworks Proper management of excavation activities Landscape, terrace ifnecessary, and grass sites. Replace trees that Gravel sites were removed during excavation Discourage pits being made Into water pans after construction Rehabilitate old unused gravel pits Compensate individuals/ Contractor (c) payment records (c) once before excavation communities as required for use of begins, and at specified material periods thereafter, as agreed
Progress of rehabilitated gravel Supervising Engineer District Works Offices (o) inspection (c) once in2 months sites (use of site, established RAFU (o) once in 6 months vegetation) Inform communities living at/near Supervising Engineer and (c) meeting (c) once, immediately after the sites that the sites have been Contractor selection of sites selected for exploitation. Plan access to hardstone sites Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection (c) daily Control and restrict access to Contractor hardstone sites (e.g. by fencing) Control blasting Proper management of Hardstone sources exploitation activities - Landscape site after exploitation and grass sites. Replace trees or vegetation that were removed during excavation
Compensate individualsl Contractor (c) payment records (c) once before excavation communities as required for use of begins, and at specified material periods thereafter, as agreed
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'continued)______- Take sand from beds of large Supervising Engineer and n/a (c) inspection (c) during mining Sand sources rivers only Contractor - Extraction to be done during low
- Consult with communities during Supervising Engineer and n/a (c) meetings, inspection, (c) during rains, Water Sources identification of sources during Contractor check plans and schedule abstraction at sources, and - Management of water usage at random - Plan deviations Supervising Engineer and (c) check plans; (o) daily when deviations - Adhere to road reserve if possible Contractor inspections are in use - Obtain penmission from inhabitantV community if deviation goes beyond road reserve - Reinstate deviations (and old Deviations tracks) to original condition * Pay compensation for Contractor (o) payment records (c) once before cropslproperty constructing removed/destroyed deviations by deviations
- Monitor rehabilitation of deviations District Works Offices (o) once in 6 months RAFU - Control clearing Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection (c) daily - Avoid clearing using herbicides Contractor - Replant areas where vegetation is unnecessarily removed. * Landscaping and planting all disturbed areas (pits, deviations, embankments, camp sites) - Plant trees at main towns4rading Vegetation centres along road - Planting and grassing should be done just before the rains. - Discourage use of firewood/charcoal by providing altematives
- Care for trees/plants. Contractor LC III (c) observation (c) weekly (o) observation (o) random
C.IDOCUME-1I41. ,T11-11 M*.FloEAlIASdl to. 1 1-5 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
(continued) - Adjust road design to minimise Design Consultant (c) inspection (c) continuous land take in forest area
- Control clearing in forest area Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection (c) daily - Avoid clearing using herbicides Contractor - Replant trees wherever they are Forest unnecessarily removed. - Landscape and replant all disturbed areas - Discourage use of firewood/charcoal by providing altematives
- Locate camps in main trading Supervising Engineer and n/a (c) inspection (c) daily centres and/or towns Contractor - Provide water supply - Provide proper sanitation facilities on site Workman'scamp Provide proper solid waste Workman's camp disposal facilities - Have central canteen facilities - Discourage use of firewood/charcoal by providing altematives - Manage water use in camps - Landscaping and planting of Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection (c) daily / random embankments, deviations, gravel Contractor sites and camp Visual EnancementPlant trees at terminal towns and Visual Enhancement trading centres
- Care for plants and trees Contractor LC I / LC Ilil (c) observation (c) weekly .__ _ _ (o)_ observation_ (o) random - Proper disposal of construction Supervising Engineer and n/a (c) inspection (c) weekly Construction waste wastes including oil, solid wastes, Contractor and debris - Clean up site. Supervising Engineer and n/a (c) inspection and certificate of (c) on completion of road Clean up on completion - Remove all debris Contractor completion construction works - Restore to original condition
CIDOCWME-IG54LsOCMAS-1~TWgII D.Ii EOdIA..1AmGI.A. 11-6 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: to Paved (Bitumen) Standard ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
continued) SOCIAL MITIGATION PLAN - Plan for increased population, and LC Ill, District Physical LC 111,District Physical (c) meetings, barazas (c) once during construction subsequent expansion of trading Planning Dept Planning Dept centres (o) reports (o) annually - Provide link roads to bypassed Design Consultant settlements (c) inspection (c) continuously during Supervising Engineer construction Settlement Contractor - Conduct STD/AIDS awareness Supervising Engineer (c) inspection, records (c) continuous campaign Contractor - Plan for local security LC III (c) meetings, barazas, (c) continuous deployment of local police (o) continuous - Consider reducing width of road Design Consultant / RAFU n/a (c) inspection reserve in urban/peri-urban areas (c)continuous - Identify project affected people Design Consultant's team (c) notices, meetings - Notify people about non- LC IIl (c) once before construction compensation for annual crops commences within road reserve - Evaluate land/property loss Loss of land/property - Prepare compensation and resettlement action plan - Implement RAP Resettlement Expert RAFU (c)meetings, PAP baseline (c) continuously MWLE, PMO, RAFU, LC Ill and follow up studies (o) at regular intervals - Compensation to be paid for land Resettlement Expert RAFU (c) payment records and all property on land to be MWLE, (c) once, after assessment PMO, RAFU of acquired for road and road reserve loss, before construclion - Limit clearing of crops as much as Supervising Engineer and n/a (c) inspection (c)daily possible Contractor - Pay compensation for all crops Resettlement Expert (c) payment records (c)once, after assessment outside road reserve that are MWLE, PMO,RAFU, LC III Loss of crops removed/destroyed for clearing of of loss, before construction cariageway, gravel pits and deviations - Compensation for to be paid for perennial crops within road reserve
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:continued) Employment- Recruit local people, of which at Contractor n/a Employment ~~least 25% should be women (o) certificate of employment (o) quarterly - Sensitise construction traffic Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection and observation (c) at random Contractor
Livestock - Erect waming signs, especially at Supervising Engineer and District Works Offices (c) inspection (c) when erecting crossing points Contractor (o) routine maintenance (o) once in 6 months
Monitor livestock kills Livestock Production Dept, (o) reports received (o) once a year Ministry of Agriculture - Reduce/minimise pollution as Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection (c) daily above Contractor - Provide water supply at camps - Proper disposal of solid and sanitary waste at camps - Design and locate pit latrines prudently - Have communal ablution facilities - Conduct STDIADS awareness campaign and distribute condoms Public Health and - Provide potable water for Occupational Safety workforce - Provision of protective gear to workforce - First aid kit on site - Appoint Health, Safety and Environment officer on site - Contractor should have workmen's compensation cover. RAFU / Ministry of Health (o) Independent study (o) once in 5 years - Monitor impact on public health (incidence of malaria, respiratory diseases, STDs (HIV/AIDS) - Minimise pollution as above Supervising Engineer (c) inspection (c) daily Contractor
- Erect infommation and waming Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection (c) when erected signs Contractor Disturbance to the public - Control construction activities Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection (c) daily Contractor
- Construct special parking bay at Design Consultant District Works Offices (c) inspection c) during construction and terminal towns for trucks /heavy Supervising Engineer and (o) routine maintenance on completion vehicles Contractor (o) once in 6 months
W II FI\d Td EIA 81At1 1 1-8 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY continued) - Supervise construction traffic Supervising Engineer and (c) inspection (c) daily - Ensure safe access/egress to work Contractor sites
- Erect waming signs Supervising Engineer and District Works Offices (c) inspection (c) when erecting Contractor (o) routine maintenance
Road Safety - Construct shoulders which can be Design Consultant District Works Offices (c) inspection used by pedestrians and NMTs Supervising Engineer and (o) routine maintenance - Construct special parking bay at Contractor tenrninal towns for trucks /heavy vehicles
- Impact on road safety (number of RAFU (o) police reports (o) once in 6 months accidents) Sites of cultural, - Report all findings to Supervising Supervising Engineer and n/a (c) inspection and reports historical and traditional Engineer, RAFU, Ministry of Contractor value Antiquities and NEMA - Avoid all graves - Changes In income levels n/a RAFU (o) Independent study (o) once in 5 years Socio-economic status - Changes In health status - Changes in education levels . - Changes In land use area covered n/a District Agriculture Offices (o) Independent study (o) once in 5 years Land use by settlement, arable land, District Physical Planning pasture, degraded land, Dept shrub/bushland, social land) - Changes In agricultural production n/a District Agricultural Offices/ (o) Independent study (o) once in 5 years Economic activity in and marketing RAFU projec area - Changes In livestock production prDoject E-s1tskT" hl6z marketing5and
C ~~~~Wg--WUIILOCALS-W-p~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.11 ~~~~~~1 F~~~~ EIA.M M ~~~~~~1 1-9 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: ~ Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL E1= to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
Hence it will be necessary to give personnel within the District Works Offices training in environmental management. The level and contents of training required will depend on the qualifications of the members of staff, and their particular responsibilities, but in Table 10.2 below, a basic indication is provided of the type of training required for various groups which would be involved in the construction and maintenance of the project road.
Table 10.2: Proposed Training Requirements
LevelT | Target Group Contents of Training Course
* Supervising Engineers Introduction to environmental concepts, benefits of I * Senior personnel in the EIA, the rationale for incorporating mitigation meas- Contrator'personnlfirm t ures (cost benefts), and the importance of imple- Contractor's firm menting the monitoring plan.
* District Executive Engi- Introduction to environmental concepts, benefits of neers, EIA, identification of impacts, development of miti- * District Engineering gation measures, rationale for incorporating mitiga- 2 Assistants, tion measures, importance of implementing the * Resident Engineers monitoring plan, monitoring methods, data collec- * District Road Inspectors tion for use by RAFU and the District Engineers and * Contractor's foremen reporting systems.
Training level 1 targets senior personnel within the Supervising Engineer's firm as well as the contractor's firm. It is felt that if the necessity and benefits of environmental management are grasped at this level, an environmentally sustainable approach for all road-related activities will trickle down through to all levels in the organisation.
The District Works Engineers, their assistants and the road inspectors, and the Contractors' foremen, also require exposure to environmental management and monitoring (Training Level 2), as they are closely involved in the operation and maintenance of the roads and their impacts on the immediate environment. They will be the key people in implementing and monitoring mitigation measures, and providing feedback to RAFU. 11.2.2. Safety Manual
The Contractors should each have a safety manual which stipulates the company's health and safety policy. It addresses the general requirements on both the employer and employee, the structure by which these requirements are to be met, and the induction of new employees in terms of safety (covering, for example, accident procedures, fire and medical emergency procedures, responsibilities, reporting, information dissemination). The safety manual should address safe working procedures in very great detail. It should deal with, inter alia, handling of oils and other chemicals, cleaning of plant and equipment, earthworks and excavation, electrical safety, emergency procedures, safe use of equipment, hygiene/house keeping in the contractor's or workmen's camps, use of weed killers for clearing vegetation, fire procedures/precautions, fire risk assessment, flammable liquid safety, disposal of hazardous chemicals (including oils and lubricants), protective clothing, tools, occupational safety (e.g. exposure to dust, noise and air pollution). The safety manual should also provide a checklist of issues that require monitoring.
C\DOUS-WXIt\IDLS_\TJant WASUd1A, RmEtA 1110 SOROTI - LIRA RoAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineerng Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
It is recommended that each contractor prepares a safety manual (or revises his existing one), and that the manual is followed and referred to constantly. A Health, Safety and Environment Officer should be appointed to work on the site, and he/she must be familiar with the requirements and guidelines contained in the manual.
In addition Social Officers should be appointed to ensure that social mitigation measures as stipulated in the SMP are implemented and/or adhered to. 11.2.3. Emergency Response Plan
There are a number of activities that the Contractors will engage in that may result in accidents, where the situation may become an emergency. These include the preparation of asphalt, blasting of rock, or accidents involving plant and equipment. There is also a risk of fire from cooking at the workmen's camps, or from careless storage, handling or disposal of oil product.
Bearing this in mind, the Contractors should prepare an emergency response plan (ERP), which can be included in the Safety Manual. The ERP should focus on, inter alia: * health and safety training; * evacuation procedures; * public relations during an emergency.
11.3. INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Institutional responsibilities for incorporating mitigation measures and for monitoring various environmental/socio-economic aspects have been indicated in Table 10.1.
During construction, the Supervising Engineer and the Contractors will be responsible for implementing all the proposed mitigation measures. However, the overall task of ensuring that mitigation is in fact implemented lies with the RAFU.
During the defects liability period the contractors must make sure that the road is completely serviceable, which entails ensuring optimal performance of all structures. The Supervising Engineer will need to oversee this.
After the defects liability period, responsibility for the maintenance of the project road will lie with the District Works Offices. Certain parameters, such as efficiency of drainage structures and gravel pit rehabilitation, can then be monitored by the District Executive Engineers during routine or periodic maintenance, or when annual road condition surveys and maintenance needs assessments are being carried out.
RAFU will be responsible for ensuring that monitoring of mitigation takes place after the construction and defects liability period. Monitoring of certain parameters should become part of the RAFU's routine monitoring activities. RAFU will also be responsible for analysis of data collected during monitoring, so that overall performance in terms of environmental degradation or improvement can be assessed. RAFU can then instruct the relevant District Executive Engineers as to what (further) measures should be implemented, or whether changes or modifications are necessary to interventions or monitoring methodologies.
C OuUMO-5C5WIU-1T_ 0C Ph EK.l_. 11-11 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineerng Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
12.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
12.1. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
The primary objective of upgrading the Soroti - Lira Road is to enhance the national road network by providing a paved link connecting the eastern and westem sections of the national paved road circuit. Currently the road is functional, but in very poor condition. In the shorter term, the upgrading of the road will facilitate trade between Kenya and northern Uganda, as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo and southern Sudan. It is anticipated that in the long term there will be some economic gain accruing to the areas of influence of the project road due to stimulated agricultural production and fishing activities. It is felt that a better road will lead to improved transportation services along the project road, which in tum will result in better access to health centres, improved delivery of social services by the Govemment (particularly in the health, education and agriculture sectors), and increased secondary school enrolment rates. These socio-economic benefits will contribute to higher household income levels, and improved standards of living.
The project road is an existing one, and mainly traverses an area of non-uniform smallholder cultivation. Much of the initial works (such as clearing of vegetation for the alignment, extending the carriageway, etc) have already been carried out for the existing alignment. However, various realignment options have been considered which will pass through communal or private land.
At this stage, the major environmental issue of concern is the construction of the road through the Kachung Forest Reserve. The forest will be affected because of the realignment of the road to avoid the Kachung Water Pipeline and acquisition of road reserve. Acquisition of the extended road reserve will require an administrative arrangement between RAFU and the Forest Department.
Rehabilitation of the existing crossings and construction of new swamp crossings will have impacts of similar magnitude on the wetland systems, this being mainly sediment loading.
No other environmental impacts of significant magnitude are foreseen that cannot be mitigated or that would hinder the proposed upgrading of the project road, whether the existing or the realignments. The hydrology and natural drainage of the area will not be greatly affected. Pollution due to air, dust, noise, oil and sediments will occur during construction and continue during operation. These impacts can be mitigated. Soil erosion is also likely to occur, particularly as a result of earthworks and excavation of gravel pits; but this can be mitigated. Water quality sampling has been undertaken at five swamp sites along the project road in order to be able to monitor the impacts of sedimentation and oil contamination on the wetlands. Impacts on natural vegetation and wildlife/avifauna are considered to be minor. The road works will not harm any sites that are historically or culturally or environmentally sensitive.
The most significant social impact, however, is the loss of land and property for the road and its road reserve. This has called for the preparation of a compensation and resettlement action plan. It is estimated, compensation for land, structures and crops (assuming a 15% disturbance allowance) will be UgShsl,621,500,000 for the existing alignment and UgShs 1,400,125,000 for the chosen Option 1 alignment. Adhering to the existing alignment without avoiding the trading centres is the most expensive option, and will require the most relocation. It must be noted that these costs do not include the costs of implementation of the RAP or income restoration activities - these can only be determined once security has improved. SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
There will also be temporary loss of land for gravel pits and hardstone sites, the workmen's camps, and perhaps deviations. People inhabiting these areas must be compensated for crops lost, and buildings/structures removed for the purposes road construction.
The proposed realignments will all bypass some trading centres. The people at the trading centres at Tiriri, Lwala and Agwata expressed concern on this aspect. In order to address their concerns consideration should be given to the construction of link roads to connect the bypassed centres to the project road.
The local authorities must plan for an anticipated influx of people into the project area in search of employment during construction and resulting from a boosted economy.
Impacts on public health are associated with pollution, occupational health and safety, STD/AIDS (encouraged by an influx of labour into the trading centres and terminal towns and during operation due to truck drivers), and the disposal of solid, liquid and sanitary waste. Proposals have been made to address these impacts. Disturbance to the public will also occur during and after construction. In this regard, it has been recommended that parking bays be constructed in the terminal towns where heavy vehicles can park and carry out maintenance activities if need be. Contamination by oil can also be controlled to an extent in this way and road safety will be enhanced.
The Contractors'/workmen's camp must not stress local fuel wood and water supplies at the expense of the local population. The contractor must maintain camp hygiene. The location of the workmen's camps is critical in mitigating its impacts.
As a result of the improved road, there will be an increase the number of vehicles plying the road, and higher traffic speeds will develop. This will pose an increased danger to non- motorised traffic and livestock. The provision of shoulders and installation of road signs will help to mitigate these impacts.
Other impacts relate to visual intrusion, construction waste, clean up after completion, all of which are minor impacts which can be mitigated.
12.2. RECOMMENDATIONS
The main issues of concern revolve around the relocation of people along the existing road and proposed realignments. In order to reduce the amount of compensation and relocation, it is recommended that the width of the road reserve in peri-urban and urban areas be reduced. Furthermore, to avoid delays resulting from acquisition of a wider road reserve in the Kachung Forest, arrangements should be put in hand to obtain the necessary administrative order from the Forest Department without delay.
Additional recommended measures for the prevention and mitigation of environmental and social impacts have been summarised below.
Environmental mitigation measures include: * Installation of drainage structures properly; * Controlled earthworks along road and at gravel pits, and appropriate seasonal timing; * Installation of erosion control measures; * Landscaping and re-vegetation of all disturbed areas (pits, deviations, road embank- ments, camp sites, other cleared areas);
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* Planning and controlling access to gravel and hardstone sites; * Proper management of excavation activities; * Controlled blasting; * Discouragement of pits being made into water pans after construction; * Rehabilitation of old unused gravel pits; * Extraction of sand from beds of large rivers only, and during low flow; * Control of speed of construction vehicles; * Imposition of speed limits for all vehicles, especially through towns and villages; * Prohibition of idling of vehicles; * Sensitization of workforce, drivers of construction vehicles, motorists and road users; * Maintenance of plant and equipment; * Planting of trees in trading centres and terminal towns as a pollution screens; care for trees/plants; * Provision of proper disposal of construction debris and clean up of site; * Provision of proper handling, storage and disposal of oil and oil wastes; * Provision of adequate (potable and general purpose) water supply and sanitation facilities; * Provision of proper disposal of wastewater / sewage at Contractor's/ workmen's camps; * Maintenance of construction vehicles should be carried out in the Contractor's camp; * Construct parking bays at terminal towns for heavy vehicles, with oil interceptors in drains; * Management of use of water; * Planning of deviations, adhering to road reserve if possible; * Obtaining permission from inhabitants / community if deviations go outside road reserve; * Reinstatement of deviations (and old tracks) to original condition; * Controlled clearing; * Avoiding clearing using herbicides; * Discouraging use of firewood/charcoal by workforce by providing aternatives; * Location of camps in main trading centres/towns; * Providing central canteen facilities for site workforce.
Recommendations for social mitigation are as follows: * Identification of project affected people; * Notification of local population about non- compensation for annual crops within road reserve; c:DoOlJ<_s_1ELOOL3_s\T U DSEIA W .UAahS .d. 12-3 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
* Informing people living at/near the sites that the pits have been selected for exploitation; * Implementation of compensation and resettlement action plan; * Consultation with Sub County chiefs and LCIII members during the implementation of the RAP; * Payment of compensation for land, property and crops on land to be acquired for the road and road reserve, as well as land used for deviations, gravel/ hardstone sites; * Planning and controlling access to gravel and hardstone sites; * Proper management of excavation activities; * Controlled blasting; * Limiting clearing of crops as much as possible; * Recruitment of local people, with particular emphasis on women; * Sensitization of workforce, drivers of construction vehicles, motorists and road users; * Erection of warning signs, especially at schools and health centres; * Provision of proper disposal of construction debris and clean up of site; * Provision of proper handling, storage and disposal of oil and oil wastes; * Provision of adequate water supply and sanitation facilities; * Provision of proper disposal of wastewater / sewage at Contractores/ workmen's camps; * Conducting STD/AIDS awareness campaigns and distributing condoms; * Provision of potable water for workforce; * Provision of protective gear to workforce; * Provision of link roads to bypassed centres; * Provision of first aid kits on site; * Appointment of Health, Safety and Environment officer on site; * Ensuring Contractor has workmen's compensation cover; * Avoidance of all graves. Diligence on the part of the Contractors and proper supervision by the Supervising Engineer during construction and the initial operation period is crucial for mitigating impacts. However all mitigation measures need to be specified in tender and contract documents, and must be included in the Engineering Drawings, Technical Specifications and Bills of Quantities. During operation, maintenance of the road is a key factor in protecting the natural and social environment. For example, if the project road is always in motorable condition, vehicles would not have to drive off-road or in the side drains, thereby destroying vegetation, road structures, and posing a danger to pedestrians and livestock.
4IIOCALE1'mS1CR_LA.IdSIAd 7 124 SOROTI - LIRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY
Environmental monitoring allows measures to be implemented in order to prevent or avert negative impacts. RAFU will need to set up a monitoring system whereby the District Executive Engineer can feed the necessary environmental data to RAFU for analysis, evaluation and future action.
It is recommended that the following aspects be monitored, particularly after the completion of works: * Efficiency of drainage structures; * Efficiency of erosion control measures; * Impact on of the road on erosion (e.g. on road, off road, embankments, along water courses at culvert outlets, areas of siltation); * Progress of rehabilitated gravel sites (e.g. use of site, established vegetation); * Progress of rehabilitated deviations; * Water quality at selected swamp sites; * Payment of compensation for acquisition of land, destruction of structures and crops, use of materials at graveVhardstone sites; * Implementation of the RAP; * Livestock kills; * Impact on public health (incidence of malaria, respiratory diseases, STDs (HIV/AIDS); * Impact on road safety; * Recruitment of local people and gender consideration in recruitment procedures.
Other aspects that could be monitored over time are changes in socio-economic status, land use, and economic activity.
In order that the Contractors can appreciate what is involved in implementing proposed mitigation measures, and for them to be able to include mitigation measures in the bills of quantities, the EIA should be made available to the all contractors bidding for the contract during tendering.
Finally, it is recommended that training in environmental management be carried out at district level as well as to the Supervising Engineers and Contractors, as to impart an understanding of environmental procedures, the importance of incorporating mitigation measures and for the purposes of monitoring environmental impacts due to road construction, operation and maintenance activities.
==UME-MW#141U=A-1T.W- . OMftWPEIAJIA.- 1 2-5 SOROTI - LiRA ROAD PHASE II: VOLUME 4A: Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design for Upgrading ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL to Paved (Bitumen) Standard IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY