Public Disclosure Authorized ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (ESIA) OF THE TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION NETWORK OF THE ECOWAS- REGIONAL ELECTRICITY ACCESS PROJECT (REAP) FROM THE SOMA SUBSTATION Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized SEPTEMBER, 2020 Public Disclosure Authorized SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOCUS (SD FOCUS) Ltd. Sahel WAIS Knowledge Campus, MDI Road, Kanifing CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................... ix EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Project Background ...................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Project Development Objective (PDO).................................................................... 2 1.3 Project Beneficiaries ................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Rationale of the ESIA .................................................................................................. 2 1.5 Objectives of the ESIA study ........................................................................................ 3 1.6 Consultant Responsible for this Study ........................................................................... 3 1.7 Methodological Approach for the ESIA ................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 2: PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND SCOPE ............................................................................ 7 2.1 Presentation of the Project Proponent ..................................................................... 7 2.1.1 Objectives of the Commission ................................................................................ 7 2.1.2. Roles and Functions of the ECOWAS Commission ......................................................... 7 2.1.3. Organizations of the Commission ................................................................................. 8 2.2 Location of Project Sites ......................................................................................... 8 2.3 Technical consistency of the works ...................................................................... 11 2.4 Description of Activities by Project Phases ............................................................. 13 2.4.1 Description of Construction Works of the 33/30 kV Medium Voltage (MV) lines .......... 13 2.4.2 Description of Construction Works of the Distribution Sub-Stations............................. 15 2.4.3 Description of Construction Works of the 400 V Low Voltage Lines .............................. 16 2.4.4 Description of the Supply and Installation Works of the Last-mile Connection Equipment, including Service Drops, Prepaid Meters, and Ready Boards for LV Customers ... 17 2.5 Works Input ........................................................................................................... 18 2.5.1 Personnel ................................................................................................... 18 2.5.2 Water ........................................................................................................................ 18 2.5.3 Quarries ..................................................................................................................... 18 2.5.4 Equipment ................................................................................................................. 18 2.6 Works Output ............................................................................................................ 18 2.6.1 Output from imported personnel ............................................................................ 19 2.6.2 Waste Generation ................................................................................................... 19 2.7 Assessment of Project Alternatives ...................................................................... 19 i CHAPTER 3: RELEVANT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLICIES, LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................................................. 25 3.1 Relevant National Policies ................................................................................... 25 3.2 The National Legal Framework ............................................................................. 28 3.3 Relevant International Conventions and Agreements ........................................... 31 3.4 Institutional Framework ...................................................................................... 31 3.5 Institutional Analyses .......................................................................................... 33 3.6 Relevant Bank Policies ......................................................................................... 33 3.7 Relevant ECOWAS Environmental and Social Safeguards triggered by the Project . 34 CHAPTER 4: DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE PROJECT AREA .................................................................................................................................................. 36 4.1 Geographical and administrative location of the project area ............................... 36 4.2 Delimitation of the Study Area ............................................................................. 36 4.3 Current State of the Environment of the Indirect Areas of Influence ..................... 38 I. The Physical Environment ................................................................................... 38 Climatic Conditions .............................................................................................. 38 Hydrology ........................................................................................................... 39 Topography and Land Use.................................................................................... 40 II. The Biological Environment ................................................................................. 41 The Vegetation and Forest Resources................................................................... 41 Wetlands Along the Corridors .............................................................................. 43 The Fauna ........................................................................................................... 45 Aquatic Vertebrate ............................................................................................................. 47 III. Human and Socio-economic Environment ............................................................ 49 Demography and Population Along the Line Corridors .......................................... 49 Physical Structures .............................................................................................. 50 Schools and Other Infrastructure ......................................................................... 50 Chance Finds and Cultural Heritage and Archaeology ........................................... 50 Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Groups ................................................................ 52 Gender and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) ........................................................... 53 Violence Against Children (VAC) ........................................................................... 54 Access of the Population to Education and Security Services ................................. 55 Access of the Population to Health....................................................................... 55 Access of the Population to Electricity, Telephone Sevices .................................... 55 Modes of Subsistence and Daily Chores in the Project’s Area of Influence ......................... 55 Agricultural Production ........................................................................................ 55 ii Market Gardening ............................................................................................... 57 Marketing and Petty Trading and Shop keeping ................................................... 57 Welding and Carpentry and Youth Employment ................................................... 58 Harvesting Non-wood Forest Products ................................................................. 59 Firewood Collection ............................................................................................. 59 Livestock Rearing................................................................................................. 59 Fishing ................................................................................................................ 60 4.4 Description of the Direct Influence Area and Location-Specific Baseline Conditions ..... 60 4.5 Main Stakes and Risks of the Project .......................................................................... 60 CHAPTER 5: PUBLIC CONSULTATION ........................................................................................... 64 5.1 Objectives of the consultation ............................................................................. 64 5.2 Methodological Approach .........................................................................................