JANUARY Project brief for Rural Electrification Projects in West Nile 2017 ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT BRIEF FOR THE PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION OF RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PROJECTS IN WEST NILE ALONG WANDI – YUMBE – MOYO, ONDUPARAKA – ODRAMACHAKU – ABIRIA LINES Prepared by: BIMCO Consult Ltd P.O Box 75383, Kampala Tel: +256-312-114891 Plot 49 Ntinda Road, Ntinda www.bimco.co.ug [email protected] i Project brief for Rural Electrification Projects in West Nile AUTHORS OF THE PROJECT BRIEF This project brief was prepared by the following certified Environmental practitioners Moses Otim - Team Leader Environmental systems analyst ____________________________________ Edith Kahubire – Sociologist ____________________________________ Suzan Nambuusi - Environmental Engineer ____________________________________ The environmental assessment team was supported by the following; 1) Omute Paul – Surveyor 2) Dr. James Kalema – Biodiversity Specisalist 3) Mutebi Samuel – Natural Resource Ecologist 4) Kasozi Herbert – Wildlife biologist 5) Kigoolo Steven – Herpetologist 6) Bukenya Ahmmed – Botanist 7) Edimu Ivan – Electrical Engineer 8) Odeke Joseph – Hydrologist 9) Olivia Nantaba – Sociologist 10) Kunihira George – Sociologist 11) Anguyo John – Environmental Engineer 12) Osama Isaac – Sociologist 13) Ongwen Dismas -Archaeologist ii Project brief for Rural Electrification Projects in West Nile ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Environmental Assessment team is thankful to the Government Lead Agencies, District Local Governments in the Project Area (Arua, Moyo, Koboko, and Yumbe), Sub County officials and the local community for their participation and information provided that enabled the preparation of this project brief. iii Project brief for Rural Electrification Projects in West Nile TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTHORS OF THE PROJECT BRIEF ................................................................................. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...................................................................................................... iii LIST OF ACRONYMS .............................................................................................................x EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... xi 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 24 1.1 Overview and background ..................................................................................................................... 24 1.2 The project brief outline ........................................................................................................................ 24 1.3 Requirement for a Project Brief ............................................................................................................ 25 1.4 Purpose of the Project brief .................................................................................................................. 25 1.5 Objectives of the project brief .............................................................................................................. 25 1.6 Developer and contact details .............................................................................................................. 26 1.7 Structure of the project brief ................................................................................................................ 26 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................ 27 2.1 General overview of power transmission ........................................................................................... 27 2.2 Project location ....................................................................................................................................... 27 2.3 Target of ERT III project ..................................................................................................................... 28 2.4 Project objective .................................................................................................................................... 32 2.5 ERT III project areas ........................................................................................................................... 32 2.6 Project components and activities ...................................................................................................... 33 2.6.1 Design Stage .......................................................................................................................................... 33 2.6.2 Materials and Specifications ................................................................................................................ 33 2.6.3 Route alignment and Pole installation ............................................................................................... 33 2.6.4 Pole Framing, Erection and Installation of Stay wires ................................................................... 34 2.6.5 Conductors ............................................................................................................................................ 34 2.6.6 Transformers ........................................................................................................................................ 34 2.6.7 Service drops ........................................................................................................................................ 34 2.6.8 Line hardware ...................................................................................................................................... 34 2.6.9 Post Construction Clean up .............................................................................................................. 35 2.6.10 Operation and Maintenance ............................................................................................................. 35 2.6.11 Decommissioning ............................................................................................................................. 35 2.7 Distribution line and network capacity ............................................................................................. 36 2.8 Project justification .............................................................................................................................. 37 2.9 Line diagrams for the distribution network ..................................................................................... 38 2.10 Description of the distribution line routes ...................................................................................... 40 2.10.1 Onduparaka – Odramachaku – Abiria Line ................................................................................... 40 2.10.2 Wandi- Yumbe- Moyo Line ............................................................................................................ 41 2.10.3 Yumbe/Midigo - Koboko Line ...................................................................................................... 44 3 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BASELINE CONDITIONS ............................. 45 3.1 Ecology and Biodiversity ................................................................................................................... 45 3.1.1 General vegetation description ......................................................................................................... 46 3.1.2 Results of the flora assessment ........................................................................................................ 47 3.1.3 Fauna ................................................................................................................................................ 53 3.1.4 Ecosystem services ......................................................................................................................... 59 3.2 Climate............................................................................................................................................. 60 iv Project brief for Rural Electrification Projects in West Nile 3.2.1 Rainfall ................................................................................................................................................. 60 3.2.2 Temperature ...................................................................................................................................... 60 3.3 Air quality .......................................................................................................................................... 61 3.4 Geology, Soils and Topography ..................................................................................................... 70 3.4.1 Geology ............................................................................................................................................. 70 3.4.2 Soils ................................................................................................................................................ 71 3.4.3 Topography .................................................................................................................................. 71 3.5 Drainage and water resources ........................................................................................................... 72 3.5.5 Wet areas along the proposed route .............................................................................................. 74 3.6 Noise ................................................................................................................................................