Geographical, Geomorphological and Geological Framework
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Pyramids Plateau Groundwater Lowering Activity Contract No. EDH-I-00-08-00024-00 Order No.2 Environmental Assessment Report October 2010 October – December 2009 This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. Prepared by AECOM in association with ECG and EDG Pyramids Plateau Groundwater Lowering Activity USAID Contract No. EDH-I-00-08-00024-00-Order No.02 Environmental Assessment Report Submitted to USAID Disclaimer This report is made possible by the support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under the terms of contract number EDH-I-00-08-00024-00 Order No.2. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of AECOM and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. Acronyms and abbreviations AECOM Architecture, Engineering, Consulting, Operations & Management Technology Corporation AMBRIC American and British Consortium ARCE American Research Centre CAPMAS Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics CAPW Organization of Cairo and Alexandria Water & Sewage CDA Community Development Association CMRI Channel Maintenance Research Institute CU Cairo University ECG Engineering Consultants Group EDG Environment & Development Group ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan DRI Drainage Research Institute EA Environmental Assessment ED/CM Engineering Design and Construction Management EEAA Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency EIS Environmental Impact Statement EHCW Egyptian Higher Committee for Water EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ESMP Environmental and Social Monitoring Plan GCR Greater Cairo Region GoE Government of Egypt GOPP General Organization for Physical Planning GOGCWS General Organization for Greater Cairo Water Supply GPS Global Positioning System IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature LMT Local Monitoring Team MoHP Ministry of Health and Population MHINC Ministry of Housing, Utilities and New Communities MALR Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation MSEA Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs MWRI Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation NGO Non-Governmental Organization NOPWASD National Organization for Potable Water and Sanitary Drainage NRI Nile Research Institute NWRC National Water Research Centre OSH Occupational Safety and Health RIGW Research Institute for Groundwater UNESCO United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization SCA Supreme Council for Antiquities SWRI Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute USAID United States Agency for International Development USEPA US Environmental Protection Agency WCHS World Conservation Heritage Site WHO World Health Organization Weights and measures µg/l Micrograms per liter µg/ m3 Micrograms per cubic meter Acre A unit of area equal to 4,047m² asl Above sea level dB Decibel dB Leq (A) A-weighted average sound level BOD5 5-day biochemical oxygen demand COD Chemical Oxygen Demand ºC Temperature in degrees Celsius Feddan A unit of area equal to 4,200m² hr or hrs Hour or hours km Kilometer LE Egyptian Pounds l Liter m Meter m asl Meters above sea level mm Millimeter m² Meter squared m3/day Meter cubed per day m3/hr Cubic meters per hour mg/l Milligrams per liter mgO2/l Milligrams of Oxygen per liter ml Milliliters mg/m3 Milligrams per cubic meter mm Millimeters m/s Meter per second MNP/ml Mononuclear phagocytes per milliliter NTU Normal Turbidity Units pH Power of Hydrogen (acidity/alkalinity) PM Respirable particles ppm Parts per million $ United States Dollars TDS Total Dissolved Solids TSP Total Suspended Particles TSS Total Suspended Solids TABLE OF CONTENT 1. SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 6 2. PURPOSE ...................................................................................................................... 9 3. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................... 13 3.1 THE PHYSICAL SETTING .................................................................................................... 13 3.1.1 GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE ........................................................................................................... 13 3.1.2 GEOLOGY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY ............................................................................................ 13 3.1.3 HYDROGEOLOGY ................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.4 SURFACE WATER ................................................................................................................... 18 3.1.5 AIR QUALITY ........................................................................................................................ 24 3.1.6 NOISE LEVELS ....................................................................................................................... 26 3.1.7 CLIMATE ............................................................................................................................. 28 3.2 THE CULTURAL HERITAGE SETTING ....................................................................................... 33 3.2.1 THE GIZA NECROPOLIS ........................................................................................................... 33 3.3 THE BIOLOGICAL SETTING .................................................................................................. 39 3.3.1 VEGETATION ........................................................................................................................ 39 3.3.2 REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS ..................................................................................................... 40 3.3.3 BIRDS ................................................................................................................................. 40 3.3.4 MAMMALS .......................................................................................................................... 41 3.3.5 INVERTEBRATES .................................................................................................................... 41 3.3.6 FRESHWATER FISH ................................................................................................................. 41 3.4 SOCIAL SETTING ............................................................................................................. 42 3.4.1 METHODOLOGY OF SOCIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION ...................................................................... 42 3.4.2 EXISTING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ............................................................................ 43 4. ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION .................................................... 49 4.1 GROUNDWATER LEVELS AND DEWATERING TARGET ................................................................. 49 4.1.1 PRE-DEWATERING CONDITIONS................................................................................................ 49 4.1.2 GROUNDWATER CONDITIONS FOLLOWING THE INTERVENTION OF SCA/CU ...................................... 50 4.2 ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO GROUNDWATER LOWERING ........................................................ 53 4.2.1 GROUND WATER SOURCE CURTAILMENT ................................................................................... 54 4.2.2 THE VERTICAL WELLS ............................................................................................................. 54 4.2.3 EXCESS WATER DISCHARGE ..................................................................................................... 55 5. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ............................................................................. 60 5.1 IMPACT IDENTIFICATION ................................................................................................... 60 5.1.1 IMPACT SCOPING .................................................................................................................. 60 5.1.2 PROJECT COMPONENTS AND ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................... 62 5.2 IMPACT PREDICTION AND INTERPRETATION ............................................................................ 68 In association with ECG & EDG 2 5.2.1 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE ..................................................................... 68 5.2.2 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE OPERATION PHASE ........................................................................... 69 5.3 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................................. 73 5.3.1 DEWATERING SCHEME AND THE NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE............................................................. 73 5.3.2 DISCHARGE ALTERNATIVES ...................................................................................................... 73 5.3.3 DISCHARGE FORCE-MAIN AND STATION ALTERNATIVES.................................................................. 73 6. MITIGATION MEASURES AND MONITORING PLAN ...................................................... 76 6.1 MITIGATION MEASURES AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (ESMP) ................ 76 6.1.1 MITIGATION OF CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS .................................................................................. 76 6.2 MONITORING PLAN ......................................................................................................... 83 6.2.1 MONITORING