ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT KUISEB DELTA NEW SCHEME ERONGO REGION A PROJECT BY NAMIBIA WATER CORPORATION FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR REVIEW BY THE COMPETENT AUTHORITIES AND OFFICE OF THE ENVRONMENTAL COMMISSONER 27 JULY 2020 PROJECT INFORMATION Study Phase ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT Project Title Kuiseb Delta New Scheme Project Location South-east of Walvis Bay, Erongo Region Project Number 2019/02/NW BID Number SC/RP/NW-11/2019 Competent Authority Ministry of Mines & Energy (powerlines) Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (fauna & flora) Approving Authority Directorate of Environmental Affairs (Ministry of Environment and Tourism) Proponent Namibia Water Corporation Private Bag 13389 176 Iscor Street Windhoek Executing Agent Namibia Water Corporation Private Bag 13389 176 Iscor Street Windhoek Department of Engineering and Scientific Services Environmental Assessment Urban Green cc Practitioner PO Box 11929 Klein Windhoek Telephone: +264-61-300 820 Fax: +264-61-401 294 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.urbangreenafrica.net Acknowledgements Photos: NAMWATER and Environment and Wildlife Consulting Environmental Impact Assessment for the Kuiseb Delta New Scheme Final Environmental Impact Assessment Report for review by Competent Authroities & EC – 27 July 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... i LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................................... iv ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ......................................................................... viii APPENDICES ................................................................................................................. x GLOSSARY OF TERMS ............................................................................................... xii 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 SCHEME’S BACKGROUND ........................................................................................ 1 1.2 SCHEME’S CHALLENGES .......................................................................................... 1 1.3 NEED AND DESIRABILITY TO UPGRADE AND EXPAND THE SCHEME ................. 3 1.4 STUDY TERMS OF REFERENCE ............................................................................... 3 1.5 STUDY ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS ............................................................... 3 1.6 PURPOSE OF THIS EIA REPORT .............................................................................. 4 2 STUDY TEAM AND EXPERTISE ............................................................................. 5 2.1 ROLE PLAYERS .......................................................................................................... 5 2.2 EXPERTISE OF THE EAP ........................................................................................... 5 3 STUDY APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY .......................................................... 7 3.1 REGISTRATION OF APPLICATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE .............................................................................................................. 7 3.1.1 LISTED ACTIVITIES ........................................................................................7 3.1.2 THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY ..................................................................... 8 3.1.3 ASSESSMENT PROCESS ..............................................................................8 3.1.4 ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ................................................................... 8 4 LEGAL AND REGULATORY REVIEW .................................................................. 10 4.1 NAMIBIAN LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR EIA .............................................................. 10 4.2 NAMIBIAN SECTORAL LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS ......................................... 11 4.3 INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AND CONVENTIONS ................................................. 16 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT .................................................. 18 i Environmental Impact Assessment for the Kuiseb Delta New Scheme Final Environmental Impact Assessment Report for review by Competent Authroities & EC – 27 July 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5.1 THE CENTRAL NAMIB AREA & KUISEB DELTA SCHEME ...................................... 18 5.1.1 LOCALITY .....................................................................................................18 5.1.2 OVERVIEW & SCHEMATIC LAYOUT OF EXISTING SYSTEM .................... 18 5.1.3 KUISEB DELTA WATER SCHEME BULK INFRASTRUCTURE .................... 19 5.1.4 CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY ................................................. 23 5.1.5 DEMAND AND SUPPLY PROJECTIONS...................................................... 24 5.1.6 SUSTAINABLE YIELDS ................................................................................24 5.1.7 INSTITUTIONS AND SUPPLY RESPONSIBILITY ........................................ 25 5.1.8 CHALLENGES WITHIN THE KUISEB DELTA WATER SCHEME ................. 25 5.1.9 NEED AND DESIRABILITY ...........................................................................26 5.2 THE PROJECT .......................................................................................................... 27 5.2.1 THE STUDY AREA ........................................................................................27 5.2.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .............................................................................27 5.2.3 SUPPLY CAPACITY ......................................................................................30 5.2.4 INFRASTRUCTURE ALIGNMENTS ..............................................................30 5.2.5 INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN AND SPECIFICATIONS ................................. 37 5.2.6 ESTIMATED COST .......................................................................................39 5.2.7 CONSTRUCTION PHASE ACTIVITIES .........................................................44 5.2.8 OPERATIONAL PHASE ................................................................................46 5.2.9 DECOMMISSIONING AND CLOSURE .........................................................46 6 DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT .......................................... 47 6.1 BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................ 47 6.1.1 CLIMATE AND AIR QUALITY........................................................................47 6.1.2 GEOLOGY AND SOILS .................................................................................47 6.1.3 DUNES AND DUNE MIGRATION ................................................................. 48 6.1.4 TOPOGRAPHY .............................................................................................49 6.1.5 HYDROGEOLOGY ........................................................................................49 6.1.6 BIODIVERSITY .............................................................................................55 6.2 SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................ 64 6.2.1 REGIONAL OVERVIEW ................................................................................64 6.2.2 WALVIS BAY TOWN .....................................................................................65 6.2.3 WALVIS BAY RURAL CONSTITUENCY ....................................................... 65 ii Environmental Impact Assessment for the Kuiseb Delta New Scheme Final Environmental Impact Assessment Report for review by Competent Authroities & EC – 27 July 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6.3 ARCHAEOLOGY AND HERITAGE ............................................................................ 69 6.3.1 Overview .......................................................................................................69 6.3.2 Archaeological CHARACTERISTICS .............................................................69 6.3.3 Monuments ....................................................................................................72 6.4 VISUAL AESTHETICS AND SENSE OF PLACE ....................................................... 72 7 PUBLIC CONSULTATION ..................................................................................... 74 7.1 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ............................................................................................ 74 7.1.1 FIRST ROUND OF CONSULTATION ............................................................74 7.1.2 SECOND ROUND OF CONSULTATION ....................................................... 89 8 IMPACT ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................... 100 8.1 METHODOLOGY OF ASSESSMENT ...................................................................... 100 8.2 MITIGATION APPLICATION METHODOLOGY ....................................................... 103 8.3 POTENTIAL IMPACTS IDENTIFIED .......................................................................