Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) For the Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Public Disclosure Authorized Program (CARCIP) Installation of a Subsea Fiber Optic Cable Between St. Vincent and The Grenadines and Grenada Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized 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 February 2019 Point of contact: Mr. Niall Savage, Program Manager Digicel Group ESIA VC-GD CARCIP February 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 February 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 ............................................................................. 103 6.3.4 Chateaubelair (VC2), St. Vincent ......................................................................... 104 6.3.5 Owia (VC8), St. Vincent ....................................................................................... 105 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 .................................. 113 7.1 Physiography ................................................................................................................ 113 7.2 Marine Biology ............................................................................................................ 114 7.3 Fisheries ....................................................................................................................... 115 7.4 Terrestrial Biology ....................................................................................................... 116 7.5 Threatened Species ......................................................................................................