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t 1 565 Vol. NLL Public Disclosure Authorized - I I Environmental Impact Assessment MOZAMBIQUE-MALAWI Public Disclosure Authorized INTERCONNECTION DRAFT - Malawian segment of the 400 kV power line Public Disclosure Authorized PI_ Public Disclosure Authorized 3e* Supplementary Volume 2 Specialist Reports CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION Coastal & Environmental Services P 0 Box 934 Grahamstown South Africa 6140 Coastal & Environmental Services: Mozambique Malawi Power Line Interconnecto r EIA, Supplementary Volume 2: Specialist Reports TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................. 7 1.1 Introduction .................................................. 9 1.2 Location and map protocol ....................................... 9 1.3 Power line project overview ...................................... 9 1.4 Purpose of the specialist baseline reports ............................. 10 1.5 Specialist team for the specialist studies ............................. 10 1.6 Assessing the severity and significance of environmental impacts ............ 12 1.6.1 Temporal scale ........................................... 12 1.6.2 Spatial scale ............................................. 12 1.6.3 Risk or likelihood ......................................... 12 1.6.4 Degree of confidence or certainty .............................. 13 1.6.5 Severity/beneficial rating scale ................................ 13 1.6.6 Significance scale ......................................... 14 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1: Three maps indicating the route of the proposed power line. LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1: List of specialists, their qualifications and their expertise. General Introduction:P Millgner 2: Specialist Reports Coastal & EnvironmentalService: Mozambique Malawi Power Line InterconnectorEA, Supplementary Volume D. The risk or likelihood of the impact occurring and E. The degree of confidence placed in the assessment of the impact. PM Illgner 8 GeneralIntroduction: Coastal & Environmental Services: Mozambique Malawi PowerLine Interconnecto r EIA, Supplementary Volume 2: Specialist Reports 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION In February 1998 a memorandum of understanding was signed by Electricidade de Mo,ambique (EDM) and the Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (ESCOM) to connect their respective power grids via a 220/400 kV transmission line. This line would join the Matambo substation in Mozambique to the proposed Phombeya substation in Malawi, a distance of approximately 220 km. Two environmental impact assessment's (EIA's), one for each national segment, were to be carried out prior to construction of the transmission line, from here on referred to as the Mozambique-Malawi interconnector or simply the "interconnector". Coastal and Environmental Services (CES) were commissioned by ESCOM to carry out the EIA and environmental management plan (EMP) for the Malawian segment of the power line. This volume presents the specialist reports of the baseline studies component of the Malawian EIA process. The biophysical studies are presented in Part I and the social studies in Part II of this volume (Volume 2 - Specialist Reports). 1.2 LOCATION AND MAP PROTOCOL The preferred route for the power line in Malawi is indicated on the three maps in Figure 1.1, namely a relatively large topographical locality map and two smaller maps which represent the geology and vegetation respectively. The vegetation sampling points (releves) are not indicated on the vegetation map for the sake of clarity. These numbers are indicated on the locality and geological maps. The transect lines on the three maps separate the one kilometre intervals used to describe the proposed route in some chapters (e.g. Chapter two). The proposed route enters Malawi near the village of Golowa, where after it proceeds in a northeasterly direction for about five km on the northern banks of the Mpandazi River. Approximately six kilometers after entering Malawi the route turns due east, passes south of Mwanza and crosses the Wamkurumadzi River, near the village of Mlongolola, changing direction a number of times in the process. From the Wamkurumadzi River the route proceeds in a northeasterly direction, again changing direction a number of times, adopting a more northerly bearing on each occasion. Between intervals 38 and 44 the route crosses the Lisungwi River and M6 respectively before terminating at the site of the proposed substation at Phombeya. Descriptions of the two alternative routes are not found in this volume, as they were discussed and assessed at the scoping phase of the EIA process. For further details the reader is therefore referred to the scoping report (Volume One). 1.3 POWER LINE PROJECT OVERVIEW The governments of Mozambique and Malawi would like to take advantage of the South African Power Pool, a body established to co-ordinate matters of regional power integration under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). ESCOM has been experiencing problems with the maintenance and rehabilitation of its power stations due to inadequate spare capacity. The proposed interconnector will enable ESCOM to refurbish its hydroelectric power stations. Secondly, the Shire River, where over 98 % of Malawi's hydropower is generated, is not a reliable source of electricity, as records show that the Shire River dried up between 1914 and 1935. The proposed interconnector will ensure a more GeneralIntroduction: P MIligner Volume 2: Specialist Reports Coastal& Environmental Service: Mozambique Malawi Power Line InterconnectorEIA, Supplementary reliable source of electricity should the Shire River dry up. This situation is likely to be exacerbated by present increases in the demand for electricity and system losses in Malawi. Other benefits include the likelihood of cheaper electricity and the facilitation of mining initiatives, which are currently hampered by the efficacy of the electricity supply. The power line will initially be used for the transmission of 220 kV, later to be upgraded to 400 kV. Steel pylons will be constructed to support the conductors. A 50 m wide servitude (i.e. 25 m on either side of a center line) will be cleared for the construction and maintenance of the power line. In addition, a further 15 ha (500 m X 300 m) will have to be cleared for the establishment of a substation at Phombeya, where the 220 kV will be stepped down to 132 kV for transmission within Malawi. ESCOM envisage constructing a maintenance road within the servitude directly below the conductors. This road will also be used for the construction of the power line. Additional technical specifications for the power line were not available for the specialist baseline studies. 1.4 PURPOSE OF THE SPECIALIST BASELINE REPORTS The primary purpose of the baseline specialist studies is to generate sufficient factual information to assess the significance and severity of environmental impacts. In order to achieve this, the specialist reports contain facts and information describing the affected environment, and include primary data collected specifically for the study, as well as secondary data from published and unpublished sources. Data relevant to identifying and assessing environmental impacts that might occur on a specific component of the environment under study were collected, and each specialist explained and interpreted the various components of the natural and human environments of the proposed route. During the baseline data-gathering stage, consultants were expected to not only provide baseline information in their particular field of expertise for the study area, but also to take this study further and identify which project actions will result in significant impacts, according to the pre-defined significance rating scales presented in section 1.5. Furthermore, consultants were asked to suggest ways in which these negative impacts could be mitigated, thus reducing their severity. A field visit to the proposed route by selected specialists between 7 and 14 April 2003 was used to assess whether there were any potential fatal flaws within the proposed servitude, to obtain primary and/or secondary data for the specialist studies and to determine the extent of current and potential impacts within the area. Data was obtained for the following during the field visit: * Landforms and physical planning (Chapter Two) * Vegetation and floristics (Chapter Three) * Social Impact Assessment (SIA) (Chapter Five) * Resettlement and compensation plan (Chapter Six) Note that this field visit did not include a faunal specialist, as a desktop study was deemed sufficient for the purposes of this report (Chapter Four). The baseline reports compiled in this specialist volume will be synthesized during the preparation of the Environmental Impact Report (Volume three). 1.5 SPECIALIST TEAM FOR THE SPECIALIST STUDIES General Introduction:PM Illgner 16 Coastal & Environmental Services: Mozambique Malawi Power Line Interconnecto r EA, Supplementary Volume 2: Specialist Reports A list of the specialists, their qualifications and their expertise are provided in Table 1.1. Table 1.1: List of specialists, their qualifications and their expertise. NAME & AFFILIATION STUDY/ EXPERTISE QUALIFI- CHAPTER CATION NUMBER Dr A.M. Avis, Coastal & Environmental Study leader, Director of Coastal and Environmental Services. PhD Services (CES) Project Ecologist and environmental scientist with 18 P.O. Box 934 manager & years of research and consulting experience in Grahamstown, 6140 reviewer EIA's,