ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROPOSED TOWNSHIP ESTABLISHMENT OF TWO NEW EXTENSIONS IN KARASBURG FINAL SCOPING REPORT APRIL 2019 Project Title: KARASBURG TOWNSHIP ESTABLISHMENT Type of Project: ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING ASSESSMENT Project Location: REMAINDER OF PORTION 8 (A PORTION OF PORTION A) OF THE FARM KALKFONTEIN WEST NO. 48; AND REMAINDER OF PORTION 7 (A PORTION OF PORTION A) OF THE FARM KALKFONTEIN WEST NO. 48. Competent Authority: MINISTRY OF URBAN AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT NAMIBIA PLANNING AND ADVISORY BOARD / TOWNSHIPS BOARD PRIVATE BAG 13289 WINDHOEK NAMIBIA Approving Authority DIRECTORATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND TOURISM PRIVATE BAG 13306 WINDHOEK Proponent/Client: KARASBURG TOWN COUNCIL PO BOX 33 KARASBURG Consultancy: WINPLAN PO BOX 90761, KLEIN WINDHOEK TEL.: (061) 246 761 E-MAIL: [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................. i LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................................ iii LIST OF MAPS .......................................................................................................................................... iv APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................................... iv ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................................................... v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ vi 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1 2. PROJECT LOCATION ...................................................................................................................... 2 3. PROJECT BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................... 5 4. TERMS OF REFERENCE ..................................................................................................................... 9 5. THE EIA PROCESS ............................................................................................................................ 10 6. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................... 12 6.1 EMPLOYMENT CREATION .......................................................................................................12 6.2 BULK SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE.................................................................................12 6.2.1 Access.............................................................................................................................12 6.2.2 Water Supply .................................................................................................................12 6.2.3 Strom Water ...................................................................................................................12 6.2.4 Electricity Supply ...........................................................................................................13 6.2.5 Sewage Disposal...........................................................................................................13 6.2.6 Solid Waste Disposal .....................................................................................................13 7. CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES ............................................................................13 7.1 CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ...................................................................................................13 7.2 OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES .......................................................................................................14 8. APPROACH TO THE STUDY ..................................................................................................................15 9. ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS ......................................................................................................16 10. ADMINISTRATIVE, LEGAL AND POLICY REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................16 11. AFFECTED RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................... 18 11.1 BIODIVERSITY AND VEGETATION ...........................................................................................18 11.2 VERTEBRATE FAUNA.................................................................................................................19 11.3 AVIAN DIVERSITY ......................................................................................................................19 12. TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND SOILS.......................................................................................... 20 13. CLIMATE .......................................................................................................................................... 20 14. HYDROGEOLOGY ........................................................................................................................... 20 15. SOCIO-ECONOMIC COMPONENT ............................................................................................... 21 i 16. CULTURAL HERITAGE ...................................................................................................................... 21 17. PUBLIC CONSULTATION PROCESS ................................................................................................. 21 18. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT EVALUATION ...................................................................................... 22 19. POTENTIAL IMPACTS IDENTIFIED AND ASSESSED ......................................................................... 24 19.1 CONSTRUCTION RELATED IMPACTS .....................................................................................24 19.1.1 Erosion and Sedimentation .........................................................................................25 19.1.2 Ground- and Surface Water Pollution ......................................................................26 19.1.3 Habitat Destruction and Loss of Biodiversity ............................................................27 19.1.4 Visual Aesthetics and Sense of Place .......................................................................27 19.1.5 Socio-economic Implication ......................................................................................28 (i) Income Generation & Skills Transfer ...................................................................28 (ii) Economic Benefit to the Construction Industry ...............................................28 (iii) Dust & Emissions ......................................................................................................29 (iv) Traffic safety ............................................................................................................30 (v) Health, Safety & Security ......................................................................................30 19.1.6 Natural Resources .........................................................................................................31 19.2 OPERATIONAL RELATED IMPACTS .........................................................................................31 19.2.1 Erosion and Sedimentation .........................................................................................32 19.2.2 Ground- and Surface Water Pollution ......................................................................33 19.2.3 Habitat Destruction and Loss of Biodiversity ............................................................33 19.2.4 Visual Aesthetics and Sense of Place .......................................................................34 19.2.5 Socio-economic Implication ......................................................................................35 (i) Income Generation & Skills Transfer ...................................................................35 (ii) Municipal Rates & Taxes .......................................................................................35 (iii) Noise & Disturbance ..............................................................................................36 (iv) Traffic safety ............................................................................................................36 (v) Land Use Change ..................................................................................................37 19.2.6 Natural Resources (Demand vs Supply) ...................................................................37 (i) Water Demand ......................................................................................................37 (ii) Electricity Demand ................................................................................................37 20. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 38 21. RECOMMENDATION ......................................................................................................................