Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) For the Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (CARCIP) Installation of a Subsea Fiber Optic Cable Between St. Vincent and The Grenadines and Grenada Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) For the Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (CARCIP) Installation of a Subsea Fiber Optic Cable Between St. Vincent and The Grenadines and Grenada April 2019 Point of contact: Mr. Niall Savage, Program Manager Digicel Group ESIA VC-GD CARCIP April 2019 Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... ii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vi Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................. viii 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................... 1 2.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 4 3.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................... 5 3.1 Project Rationale .............................................................................................................. 5 3.2 Project Components ......................................................................................................... 7 3.3 Location ............................................................................................................................ 8 3.4 Installation ........................................................................................................................ 9 3.4.1 Cable Installation ...................................................................................................... 9 3.4.2 Cable Lay ................................................................................................................ 10 3.4.3 Shore Ends .............................................................................................................. 11 3.4.4 Cable Repair Methodology ..................................................................................... 13 4.0 POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK ............................ 15 4.1 The ESIA Process and Approvals .................................................................................. 15 4.2 World Bank Safeguard Policies Targeted ...................................................................... 17 4.3 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines .................................................................................. 17 4.4 Grenada .......................................................................................................................... 22 5.0 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................ 29 5.1 Nearshore Cable Routes & Landing Site Selection ....................................................... 29 5.2 Grenada .......................................................................................................................... 33 5.2.1 Bathway north (G1) ................................................................................................ 33 5.2.2 Bathway South (G2) ............................................................................................... 34 5.2.3 Conference (G3)...................................................................................................... 35 5.3 Carriacou ........................................................................................................................ 37 5.3.1 Hillsborough Bay (Cu1) .......................................................................................... 37 5.3.2 L’Esterre Bay (Cu3) ................................................................................................ 39 5.4 St. Vincent ...................................................................................................................... 40 5.4.1 Arnos Vale (VC1) ................................................................................................... 40 5.4.2 Chateaubelair (VC2) ............................................................................................... 42 5.4.3 Owia (VC8) ............................................................................................................. 44 5.5 Union .............................................................................................................................. 46 5.5.1 Waterbreak (U2 and U3) ......................................................................................... 47 5.5.2 Union Airport (U4) ................................................................................................. 47 5.6 Canouan .......................................................................................................................... 49 5.6.1 Grand Bay (Cn2) ..................................................................................................... 50 5.6.2 Nen’s Bay (Cn1) ..................................................................................................... 51 5.6.3 Canouan Summary .................................................................................................. 52 5.7 Mustique ......................................................................................................................... 52 ii ESIA VC-GD CARCIP April 2019 5.8 Bequia ............................................................................................................................. 55 5.9 Offshore Marine Route Selection ................................................................................... 57 6.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ....................................... 59 6.1 Project Area of Influence ............................................................................................... 59 6.2 General Existing Conditions Across the Entire PAI ...................................................... 59 6.2.1 Existing Climate & Predicted Climate Change ...................................................... 59 6.2.2 Physiography........................................................................................................... 62 6.2.3 Terrestrial Environment .......................................................................................... 63 6.2.4 Marine Environment ............................................................................................... 70 6.2.5 Fisheries .................................................................................................................. 72 6.2.6 Historical and Archaeological ................................................................................. 74 6.2.7 Social Context ......................................................................................................... 74 6.2.8 Social Survey .......................................................................................................... 81 6.2.9 Public Consultation ................................................................................................. 96 6.3 Existing Conditions at BMH Landing Sites ................................................................... 97 6.3.1 Conference (G3), Grenada ...................................................................................... 98 6.3.2 Hillsborough Bay (Cu1), Carriacou ...................................................................... 101 6.3.3 Arnos Vale (VC1), St. Vincent ............................................................................. 104 6.3.4 Chateaubelair (VC2), St. Vincent ......................................................................... 105 6.3.5 Owia (VC8), St. Vincent ....................................................................................... 106 6.3.6 Airport (U4), Union .............................................................................................. 106 6.3.7 Nen’s Bay (Cn1), Canouan ................................................................................... 108 6.3.8 Endeavor Bay (M2), Mustique ............................................................................. 110 6.3.9 Lower Bay (B1), Bequia ....................................................................................... 111 7.0 ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL RISKS AND IMPACTS .................................. 114 7.1 Physiography ................................................................................................................ 114 7.2 Marine Biology ............................................................................................................ 115 7.3 Fisheries ....................................................................................................................... 116 7.4 Terrestrial Biology ....................................................................................................... 117 7.5 Threatened Species ....................................................................................................... 117 7.6 Socioeconomic ............................................................................................................