Biodiversity Impact Assessment

Biodiversity Impact Assessment

African Wilderness Restoration [email protected]; c: +264 81 1246033 Biodata Consultancy cc, P.O. Box 30061, Windhoek, Namibia PO Box 11997, Klein Windhoek, Namibia [email protected] Project: Proposed Mining of the Z20 Uranium Deposit: Phase 1 Biodiversity Impact Assessment Reporting period 2012-10-01to 2012-10-24 For Aurecon and SLR Document history Draft 1 (Version 1.0): Submitted on 2012-10-29 Draft 2 (Version 1.1): Internal reviewed Draft 3 (Version 1.2): Submitted Draft 4 (Version 1.3): Internal revisions, response to reviewer Final draft Draft 5 (Version 1.4): Submitted Document catalogue no. TR2012-10.1 Accompanying documents None Main authors Dr Theo Wassenaar (AWR) Dr John Irish (Biodata) Reviewed by John Irish (internal) Assistants NA Sub-consultants NA Biodiversity provides the framework that supports life; without it we won’t survive. Rational custodianship of nature is therefore a non-negotiable obligation on all of humanity. Project: AWR TR2012-10.1 Proposed Mining of the Z20 Uranium Deposit: Phase 1 Biodiversity Impact Assessment Acceptance1of report by client: Signature..................................................................................................... Signed by On date On behalf of Of address 1Acceptance means that AWR and Biodata Consultancy have fulfilled the Terms of Reference for the project to the client’s satisfaction. Proposed Mining of the Z20 Uranium Deposit: Phase 1 Biodiversity Impact AssessmentOctober2012 BIODIVERSITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF RÖSSING URANIUM Z20 PROJECT Contents Contents LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................................... III LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................................................... III ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND SHORTHAND TERMINOLOGY ......................................................................... IV GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................................................... V 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1 2. APPROACH TO STUDY .................................................................................................................................... 2 2.1. Outline of Terms of Reference ............................................................................................................................... 2 2.2. Methods ................................................................................................................................................................. 2 2.2.1. Fieldwork methods ............................................................................................................................................ 2 2.2.2. Habitats ............................................................................................................................................................. 2 2.3. Information Reviewed ............................................................................................................................................ 3 2.3.1. General .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 2.3.2. Vegetation species lists...................................................................................................................................... 3 2.3.3. Animal species lists ............................................................................................................................................ 3 3. ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS ................................................................................................................. 5 3.1. Limitations .............................................................................................................................................................. 5 3.2. Assumptions ........................................................................................................................................................... 5 4. LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT ................................................................................................................................... 6 4.1. Acts and policies relevant to the management of impacts on biodiversity ............................................................ 6 4.2. Guiding principles and standard concepts ............................................................................................................. 7 4.2.1. Strategic Environmental Assessment for the central Namib Uranium Rush ..................................................... 8 4.2.2. The Equator Principles and best practices ......................................................................................................... 9 4.2.3. Landscape-Level Assessment of key Biodiversity Vulnerability and Land use for the Central Namib ............. 10 5. DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................ 12 5.1. The National Context ............................................................................................................................................ 12 5.1.1. The study area ................................................................................................................................................. 12 5.1.2. Climate ............................................................................................................................................................. 12 5.1.3. General biogeography ..................................................................................................................................... 12 5.1.4. Floristic biogeography: national and regional diversity patterns .................................................................... 15 5.2. The Regional Context ........................................................................................................................................... 16 5.3. The Local and Site Context ................................................................................................................................... 16 5.3.1. Habitats and their sensitivity ........................................................................................................................... 16 5.3.2. Species expected or recorded in the habitats, conservation issues and important risks ................................ 24 5.4. Important biodiversity features ........................................................................................................................... 26 5.4.1. Key organism-related issues ............................................................................................................................ 26 5.4.2. Key functional and cross-cutting issues ........................................................................................................... 27 6. IMPACT ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................................................. 28 6.1. Impact of watercourse habitat loss due to road construction ............................................................................. 28 6.2. Impact of road construction and operation on animal movement ...................................................................... 29 6.3. Impact of road construction and operation on Husab Sand Lizard ...................................................................... 30 6.4. Impact of aquatic habitat loss due to road construction ...................................................................................... 31 6.5. Impact of Hillslope habitat loss due to conveyor construction ............................................................................ 33 6.6. Impact of conveyor and power line on bird populations due to bird collisions ................................................... 34 6.7. Impact of road operation on susceptible vertebrate populations due to road kills ............................................. 36 6.8. Impact of habitat loss on Khan Hillslope habitat range-restricted endemics ....................................................... 36 6.9. Impact of project on ecological integrity of Namib-Naukluft Park ....................................................................... 37 6.10. Impacts not considered further ............................................................................................................................ 38 6.10.1. Poaching ..................................................................................................................................................... 38 6.10.2. Genetic contamination ............................................................................................................................... 38 7. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ..................................................................................................... 39 8. RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 40 8.1. General approach ................................................................................................................................................

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