For the Liberia ACE Cable Landing Project
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
reve ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK Public Disclosure Authorized (Draft Report) For Public Disclosure Authorized The Liberia ACE Cable Landing Project Public Disclosure Authorized Prepared by: Environmental Resources Managers Limited Plot 107A Imam Abibu Adetoro Street Off Ajose Adeogun Street Victoria Island Public Disclosure Authorized Lagos, Nigeria November, 2010 Environmental and Social Management Framework for ACE Cable Landing Project in Liberia Draft Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures Executive Summary xi CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Project Objective 2 1.3 Program Description 2 1.4 Structure of the Report 4 CHAPTER TWO: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK; OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF WORK 5 2.1 ESMF Objectives 5 2.2 Scope of Work 6 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 8 3.1 Data Gathering 8 3.2 Environmental and Social Screening Tool 8 3.3 Environmental Impact Analysis 9 3.4 Mitigation Measures 9 3.5 Environmental Management Plan 9 3.6 Capacity Building and Training 9 CHAPTER FOUR: POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK 10 4.1 National Environmental Legislation 10 ii November, 2010 Environmental and Social Management Framework for ACE Cable Landing Project in Liberia Draft Report 4.1.1 The Liberian National Constitution (1986) 10 4.1.2 The National Environmental Policy 10 4.1.3 The Liberian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Act 12 4.1.3.1 The EPA EIA Process 12 4.1.4 The Land Use Act (1929) 13 4.1.5 The Liberian Labour Law 13 4.2 International Environmental Legislation 14 4.2.1 The IMO Convention for Prevention of Pollution from Ships 14 4.2.2 UN Convention on Law of the Sea 14 4.3 International Labour Laws 15 4.4 The Core Labour Standards 15 4.5 World Bank Policies 16 4.5.1 Triggered World Bank Policies 16 4.5.2 Other World Bank Policies 18 4.6 Adequacy of Environmental Legislation 19 CHAPTER FIVE: PROJECT DESCRIPTION 20 5.1 Project Overview 20 5.2 Project Justification 21 5.3 Benefits of the Project 22 5.3.1 Direct Benefits 22 5.3.2 Indirect Benefits 22 5.4 Cable Description 23 5.5 Cable Technology 25 5.6 Repeaters and Branching Units 26 5.7 Landing Sites 26 5.8 Project Alternatives 26 5.8.1 Technology Alternatives 26 5.8.2 Routing Alternatives 27 5.8.3 Landing Site Alternatives 27 5.9 Project Phases 31 5.9.1 Construction Phase 31 5.9.2 Operations Phase 33 5.9.3 Repair /Recovery Activities 34 5.9.4 Decommissioning Phase 34 5.10 Cable Laying Personnel 34 5.11 Project Schedule 35 iii November, 2010 Environmental and Social Management Framework for ACE Cable Landing Project in Liberia Draft Report CHAPTER SIX: ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISITCS OF THE PROJECT AREA 36 6.1 Geographical Location 36 6.2 Topography 38 6.3 Geology and Soils 38 6.4 Climate 38 6.5 Marine and Coastal Wildlife 39 6.5.1 Marine Species 40 6.6 Threats to Coastal and Marine Resources 41 6.7 Governance 41 6.8 Ethnic Groups 42 6.9 Culture 43 6.10 Religion 44 6.11 Macro Economy and Livelihood 45 6.12 Health Situation 46 CHAPTER SEVEN: STAKEHOLDER AND ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE 47 7.1 Stakeholder Identification 47 7.2 Stakeholder Engagement Phases 49 7.3 General Guidelines for Stakeholder Engagement 50 7.4 ESMF Disclosure 50 CHAPTER EIGHT: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 51 8.1 Positive Impacts 51 8.2 Potential and Associated Adverse Impacts 51 CHAPTER NINE: IMPACT MITIGATION 55 9.1 Introduction 55 9.2 Project Mitigation Principles 56 iv November, 2010 Environmental and Social Management Framework for ACE Cable Landing Project in Liberia Draft Report CHAPTER TEN: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS 60 10.1 Overview of ESMF Implementation Process 60 10.2 Project Screening and Categorization 61 10.2.1 Categorization for EIA 61 10.2.2 Applicable Standards, Limits and Permit Requirements 62 10.2.3 Screening Report 63 10.3 Preparation of EIA Reports 63 10.4 Environmental Management Plan 63 10.4.1 Policy 64 10.4.2 Environmental and Social (E &S) Management Department 64 10.4.3 Training 65 10.4.4 Communications 66 10.4.5 Monitoring and Reporting 67 10.5 Budget to Implement ESMF 67 APPENDICES Appendix 1 Documents Consulted 70 Appendix 2 Illustrated EPA EIA Process 71 Appendix 3 Guidelines for Preparing Terms of Reference for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study 72 Appendix 4 List of Participants at Stakeholder Workshops and Meetings 79 v November, 2010 Environmental and Social Management Framework for ACE Cable Landing Project in Liberia Draft Report LIST OF TABLES Table 4-1: Summary of Other Key International Environmental Agreements, Treaty, Convention, Regulation Ratified By Liberia 14 Table 4-2: Labour Convention/Treaty Ratified by Liberia 15 Table 5-1: Submarine Telecommunication Cable Types 24 Table 6-1: Ethnic Groups and Tribes of Liberia 42 Table 7-1: ACE Cable Project in Liberia - Stakeholder Categories 48 Table 8-1: Types of Project -Related Occupational and Public Health Hazards 54 Table 9-1: Impact Mitigation Principles for Sub Project Activities 56 Table 10-1: Elements of Environmental and Social Management Process 60 Table 10-2: Project Categorization Checklist for EA 61 Table 10-3: Roles and Responsibility of Environmental and Social Management Officer 65 Table 10-4: Estimated Annual Budget to Implement ESMF 67 vi November, 2010 Environmental and Social Management Framework for ACE Cable Landing Project in Liberia Draft Report LIST OF FIGURES Figure 5-1: Cable Design Types 24 Figure 5-2: Modern Submarine Cable 25 Figure 5-3: Location of Landing Site Alternatives in Monrovia 29 Figure 5-4: Picture of Preferred Landing Site 29 Figure 5-5: Alternative Site Along 17th Street, Sinkor 30 Figure 5-6: Alternative Project Site around Fish Market 30 Figure 5-7: Alternative Project Site along Benard Beach, Congo Town 30 Figure 5-8: Typical Submarine Ploughs 33 Figure 6-1: Location of Liberia in Africa 36 Figure 6-2: Location of Liberia among Neighbouring Countries 37 Figure 6-3: Liberian Counties 37 Figure 6-4: Annual Climate Distribution of Liberia 39 Figure 6-5: Flow Chart of Local Administration 42 Figure 6-6: Distribution of Liberian Ethnic Groups Across the Country 43 vii November, 2010 Environmental and Social Management Framework for ACE Cable Landing Project in Liberia Draft Report LIST OF ACCRONYMS ACE - Africa Coasts to Europe BTC - Barclay Training Centre Bus - Branching Units BPEO - Best Practice Environmental Options C&MA - Construction and Maintenance Agreement CBD - Convention on Biological Diversity CBO - Community Based Organisations CCL - Cable Consortium of Liberia CEO - Chief Executive Officer CLS - Core Labour Standards CSO - Civil Society Groups E&S - Environmental and Social EA - Environmental Assessment ECOWAS - Economic Community of West African States EEZ - Exclusive Economic Zone EIS - Environmental Impact Study EPA - Environmental Protection Agency ESIA - Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ESMF - Environmental and Social Management Framework viii November, 2010 Environmental and Social Management Framework for ACE Cable Landing Project in Liberia Draft Report FONSI - Finding of No Significant Impact GBPS - Gigabits per second GEF - Global Environmental Facility GHG - Green House Gas GoL - The Government of Liberia HIV/AIDS - Human Immuno deficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ICT - Information and Communications Technology IFC - International Finance Corporation IMO - International Maritime Organisation LCIP - Liberia Communications Infrastructure Program LIBTELCO - Liberian Telecommunications Corporation LMA - Liberian Maritime Authority LTA - Liberia Telecommunications Authority MDG - Millennium Development Goals NGOs - Non Governmental Organisations PIU - Project Implementation Unit PPP - Polluter Pays Principle ROV - Remotely Operated Vehicle RPF - Resettlement Policy Framework SAT-3 - South Atlantic-3 ix November, 2010 Environmental and Social Management Framework for ACE Cable Landing Project in Liberia Draft Report SR - Screening Report TOR - Term of Reference UN - United Nations UNCLOS - United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea UNDP - United Nations Development Programme WARCIP - West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Program WARCIPLP - West African Regional Communications Infrastructure Program Liberia Project WDM - Wavelength Division Mulitplexing WGB - World Bank Group x November, 2010 Environmental and Social Management Framework for ACE Cable Landing Project in Liberia Draft Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ES 1 - BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION The Government of Liberia in its plan to improve communication in the country and international connectivity with the rest of the world, is planning to link to the ACE submarine fibre optic cable, which is an approximately 17,000 km submarine cable system, connecting South Africa to Europe and potentially connecting up to 24 countries including a landing station in Liberia. Towards successful actualization of this goal, the government formed the Cable Consortium of Liberia (CCL) to own and operate the ACE landing station in Liberia. The benefit of the Liberia Communications Infrastructure Program (LCIP) will be significant, as a direct access to broadband will set the foundation for digital revolution. The Project is supported by the World Bank as part of the Bank‟s West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (WARCIP), which seeks to contribute to lowering the cost and improving quality of regional and international connectivity across the region. The overall objective of the project is to improve communication