ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED BAEKER AND MAI KADRA STAPLE FOOD PROCESSING ZONE (SCPZ) PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS, ETHIOPIA GCF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT WESTERN TIGRAY REGION, ETHIOPIA October, 2020 Report produced by: Zereu Girmay Environment Consultancy (ZGEC) Liberia Street, Block 015/014B, Lideta, Woreda 08, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia In collaboration with WSP/UNOPS On behalf of: UNIDO and Tigray Industrial Parks Development Corporation, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Preamble This ESIA report was an Initial document prepared in July 2018 for the Baeker IAIP and Maikadra RTC to fulfill the National EIA requirements and AfDB ESS. The present ESIA report was submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in early 2018 for review and approval, following which it was approved by the stated National competent authority and has been issued with environmental clearance certificate to precede in late 2018. The review and approval process carried by the competent authority involved public disclosure and information dissemination of the ESIA findings contained in the document before issuance of the environmental clearance. Valuable comments were also provided by the competent authority to be considered during the project implementation phases. The present review and update process of the ESIA carried during October 2020 was initiated to integrate the proposed project activities to be supported by the GCF funds. Efforts were also made to update the ESIA by addressing aspects that occurred in the IAIP and RTC during the past two years of implementation. The ESIA and RAP reports of IAIP and RTC have been prepared comprehensively covering the development of all infrastructure components and operational activities that will take place during the construction and operation phases of the IAIP and RTC project. As a result all other ESS requirements are adequately captured in the relevant sections of the ESIA. ESIA REPORT Proposed Baeker IAIP and Mai Kadra RTC, Tigray July 2018 Western Tigray Region Page i ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT WESTERN TIGRAY REGION, ETHIOPIA Tigray Region IPDC TYPE OF DOCUMENT (FINAL) Reviewed and updated by: Zereu Girmay Environment Consultancy October 2020 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................ 1-1 TABLE OF 1.1 Background to the Project..................,,.............. 1-1 CONTENTS 1.2 Land Tenure and Land Use ............................... 1-4 1.3 Purpose of This Report (ESIA Report) ............. 1-5 1.4 Structure of this Report ...................................... 1-5 1.5 Details of the ESIA Project Team ...................... 1-8 1.6 Details of the Applicant and Environmental Assessment Practitioner ..................................... 1-9 1.7 Assumptions and Limitations ........................... 1-10 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .......................... 2-11 2.1 Baeker IAIP ........................................................ 2-11 2.2 MaI Kadra RTC ................................................. 2-19 2.3 Phases of the Proposed Project.......................... 2-24 2.4 Project Status ...................................................... 2-25 4.1 NEED AND DESIRABILITY....................... 3-26 4.2 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ........................ 4-28 4.3 Introduction.......................................................... 4-28 5 Consideration of Alternatives ............................. 4-28 5.1 Comparison of Alternatives ................................ 4-30 5.2 LEGAL FRAMEWORK ................................ 5-34 5.3 Institutional Framework ..........................,,,........ 5-34 Policy and Legal Framework in Ethiopia …...... 5-35 5.4 Specific Legal Framework for Industrial Parks in 5.5 Ethiopia ................................................................. 5-38 National Strategies and Plans .............................. 5-39 5.6 National Standards, Directives and Guidelines 5-39 Regional Plans ..................................................... 5-40 ESIA REPORT Proposed Baeker IAIP and Mai Kadra RTC, Tigray July 2018 Western Tigray Region Page ii ESIA REPORT Proposed Baeker IAIP and Mai Kadra RTC, Tigray Western Tigray Region Page iii 5.7 International Conventions, Protocols and Agreements ...................................................... 5-40 5.8 International Guidelines and Standards ......... 5-41 6 THE ESIA METHODOLOGY ................. 6-44 6.1 Scoping Phase ................................................. 6-44 6.2 Impacts Assessment Phase ............................ 6-45 7 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ......... 7-52 7.1 Approach to Stakeholder Engagement ........... 7-52 7.2 Project Stakeholders ....................................... 7-58 7.3 Feedback Mechanism ...................................... 7-58 8 BASELINE OF THE RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT .................................... 8-59 8.1 Introduction...................................................... 8-59 8.2 Climate ............................................................. 8-60 8.3 Topography and Geomorphology ................... 8-63 8.4 Geology ............................................................ 8-64 8.5 Soils ................................................................. 8-67 8.6 Surface Water (Hydrology) .............................. 8-76 8.7 Groundwater (hydrogeology) .......................... 8-79 8.8 Wetlands .......................................................... 8-83 8.9 Air Quality ........................................................ 8-83 8.10 Climate change ................................................ 8-87 8.11 Noise ................................................................ 8-88 8.12 Transport / Access........................................... 8-94 8.13 Visual................................................................ 8-95 8.14 Waste Management ......................................... 8-97 8.15 Biodiversity ...................................................... 8-99 8.16 Socio-Economic Environment ...................... 8-102 ESIA REPORT Proposed Baeker IAIP and Mai Kadra RTC, Tigray Western Tigray Region Page v 9 IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS ............................................ 9-111 9.1 Soils ............................................................... 9-111 9.2 Surface Water ................................................ 9-114 9.3 Groundwater .................................................. 9-116 9.4 Wetlands ........................................................ 9-117 9.5 Air Quality ...................................................... 9-117 9.6 Climate Change.............................................. 9-118 9.7 Noise .............................................................. 9-119 9.8 Transport and Access ................................... 9-121 9.9 Waste Management ....................................... 9-122 9.10 Visual.............................................................. 9-123 9.11 Biodiversity .................................................... 9-124 9.12 Socio-economic ............................................. 9-127 10 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS .................. 10-137 10.1 Soils ............................................................. 10-137 10.2 Surface water ............................................... 10-138 10.3 Groundwater ................................................ 10-139 10.4 Wetlands ...................................................... 10-139 10.5 Air Quality .................................................... 10-139 10.6 Noise ............................................................ 10-140 10.7 Transport and Access ................................. 10-140 10.8 Waste Management ..................................... 10-140 10.9 Visual............................................................ 10-141 10.10 Biodiversity .................................................. 10-141 10.11 Socio-economic ........................................... 10-142 10.12 Cumulative Impacts ..................................... 10-143 11 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (ESMP) ......... 11-145 11.1 Introduction and Objectives ........................ 11-145 11.2 Summary of Impacts .... 11-146 11.3 Mitigation and Enhancement Measures...... 11-148 11.4 Environmental and Social Monitoring Programmes................................................. 11-163 11.5 Public consultation and dissemination of information ................................................... 11-175 11.6 Organisations and Institutions Responsible for Implementation of the ESMP ....................... 11-175 11.7 Reporting and Reviewing ............................ 11-177 11.8 Project Feedback Adjustment ..................... 11-178 11.9 Project Grievance and Redress Mechanism ..... 11179 11.10 Training and Capacity Building ................... 11-181 12 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................... 12-185 BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................. 12-1 TABLES TABLE 1-1: ACPZS SELECTED AND ASSOCIATED PILOTING FACILITIES .......................................................... 1 ---- 3 TABLE 1-2: REGIONAL DATA - LAND USE AND LAND COVER TYPE .................................................................. 1 --- 4 TABLE 1-3: STRUCTURE OF THE ESIA REPORT ............................................................................................ 1 ------ 5 TABLE 1-4: ESIA PROJECT LOCAL TEAM .....................................................................................................