EASTERN NILE TECHNICAL REGIONAL OFFICE DRAFT SSEA STAGE 1 VOLUME II - BASELINE CONSULTING SERVICES FOR STUDIES ON IDENTIFICATION OF PROJECTS CONSTITUTING THE FIRST JOINT MULTIPURPOSE PROGRAM (JMP 1) ON ABBAY/BLUE - MAIN NILE OUR REFERENCE: 606529 April 2011 in association with national sub-consultants: EcoConServ – Environmental Tropics Consulting Engineers Comatex Nilotica Ltd. Solutions Ethiopia Egypt Sudan EASTERN NILE TECHNICAL REGIONAL OFFICE (ENTRO) DRAFT SSEA STAGE 1 JMP 1 IDENTIFICATION STUDIES TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .................................................................................... VI 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1‐1 1.1 Content of Volume II ...................................................................................................... 1‐1 1.2 Determination of Spatial and Temporal Boundaries ..................................................... 1‐1 2. BIO‐PHYSICAL BASELINE IN THE STUDY AREA ..................................................................... 2‐1 2.1 Physical Environment ..................................................................................................... 2‐1 2.1.1 Regional Setting ................................................................................................ 2‐1 2.1.2 Climate .............................................................................................................. 2‐1 2.1.3 Hydrology ......................................................................................................... 2‐8 2.1.4 Water Quality ................................................................................................. 2‐11 2.1.5 Summary of the Physical Environment .......................................................... 2‐23 2.2 Biological Environment ................................................................................................ 2‐23 2.2.1 Land‐Use ......................................................................................................... 2‐23 2.2.2 Wetlands ......................................................................................................... 2‐30 2.2.3 Aquatic Fauna and Flora ................................................................................. 2‐36 2.2.4 Biodiversity ..................................................................................................... 2‐38 2.2.5 Invasive Species .............................................................................................. 2‐49 3. SOCIO‐ECONOMIC BASELINE IN THE STUDY AREA .............................................................. 3‐1 3.1 Demographics ................................................................................................................ 3‐1 3.1.1 Population Levels .............................................................................................. 3‐1 3.1.2 Age and Sex Distribution .................................................................................. 3‐2 3.1.3 Population Growth ........................................................................................... 3‐2 3.2 Urban/Rural Distribution and Settlement Patterns ....................................................... 3‐3 3.2.1 Population Movements .................................................................................... 3‐4 3.3 Ethnicity, Religion and Social Organization .................................................................... 3‐6 3.3.1 Abbay Sub‐basin ............................................................................................... 3‐6 3.3.2 Blue and Main Nile Sub‐basins in Sudan .......................................................... 3‐6 3.3.3 Lake Nasser Watershed in Egypt ...................................................................... 3‐7 3.3.4 Presence of Indigenous Peoples in Nile Basin .................................................. 3‐8 3.4 Health Conditions ........................................................................................................... 3‐8 3.4.1 Key Health Indicators ........................................................................................ 3‐9 3.4.2 Access to Potable Water and Sanitation ........................................................ 3‐10 3.4.3 Water‐Borne Diseases .................................................................................... 3‐11 3.5 Livelihood Systems ....................................................................................................... 3‐12 3.5.1 Traditional Rain‐Fed Agriculture ..................................................................... 3‐14 3.5.2 Mechanized Rain‐Fed Farming ....................................................................... 3‐17 3.5.3 Traditional and Small‐Scale Irrigation ............................................................. 3‐18 3.5.4 Medium‐Scale and Large‐Scale Modern Irrigation ......................................... 3‐19 3.6 Ecosystem Services for Livelihoods .............................................................................. 3‐20 606529 i SNC‐LAVALIN/HYDROSULT JV DRAFT SSEA STAGE 1 EASTERN NILE TECHNICAL REGIONAL OFFICE (ENTRO) JMP 1 IDENTIFICATION STUDIES 3.6.1 Recession Agriculture ..................................................................................... 3‐20 3.6.2 Pastoralism and Agro‐pastoralism ................................................................. 3‐21 3.6.3 Subsistence and Artisanal Fisheries ............................................................... 3‐22 3.6.4 Production of Gum Arabic and Other Resins ................................................. 3‐23 3.6.5 Fuel Wood and Other Forest Services ............................................................ 3‐23 3.6.6 Brick‐Making ................................................................................................... 3‐25 3.6.7 Artisanal Mining ............................................................................................. 3‐25 3.6.8 Hunting ........................................................................................................... 3‐25 3.6.9 Non‐Timber Forest Products .......................................................................... 3‐25 3.6.10 Ecotourism...................................................................................................... 3‐25 3.7 Socio‐Economic Profile ................................................................................................ 3‐27 3.7.1 Economic Activities and Employment ............................................................ 3‐27 3.7.2 Informal Sector ............................................................................................... 3‐28 3.7.3 Sources and Levels of Household Income ...................................................... 3‐28 3.7.4 Poverty Analysis ............................................................................................. 3‐29 3.8 Economic Development ............................................................................................... 3‐33 3.8.1 Commercial Agriculture .................................................................................. 3‐33 3.8.2 Commercial Fisheries ..................................................................................... 3‐33 3.8.3 Industrial Development .................................................................................. 3‐38 3.8.4 Transport Infrastructure ................................................................................. 3‐38 3.9 Archaeological and Cultural Resources ........................................................................ 3‐39 3.9.1 Ethiopia........................................................................................................... 3‐39 3.9.2 Sudan .............................................................................................................. 3‐40 3.9.3 Egypt ............................................................................................................... 3‐42 3.10 Gender Assessment ..................................................................................................... 3‐42 3.10.1 Women’s Roles in Households and Communities .......................................... 3‐42 3.10.2 Access to Land and Other Resources ............................................................. 3‐42 3.10.3 Women’s Health and Education Status .......................................................... 3‐43 3.10.4 Women and Natural Resource Management ................................................ 3‐43 4. WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................. 4‐1 4.1 Dam and Power Generation .......................................................................................... 4‐1 4.1.1 Abbay River ...................................................................................................... 4‐1 4.1.2 Dinder and Rahad Rivers .................................................................................. 4‐2 4.1.3 Blue Nile ........................................................................................................... 4‐2 4.1.4 Main Nile .......................................................................................................... 4‐2 4.2 Irrigation Modernization and Development .................................................................. 4‐3 4.2.1 Abbay River .....................................................................................................