ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF WALVIS BAY GOLF COURSE AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS TO BE KNOWN AS THE PRESIDENTS LINKS ESTATE April 2021 Prepared for: Prepared by: The Presidents Links KPM Environmental Consulting P.O. Box 1705 P.O. Box 26328 Walvis Bay Windhoek Namibia Namibia Office: +264 813330300 Office: +264 811473344 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] 1 PROPOSED PRESIDENT’S LINKS GOLF RESORT AND WALVIS BAY RESIDENTIAL AREA, WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA …………………………………………………………………… 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 BackgrounD to the stuDy The proposed President’s Link Estate proposal comprises a unique and exciting opportunity for the development of strategically located vacant and unserviced land in the town of Walvis Bay. The main intention is to purchase and develop freehold title of the 111.049 ha, and concurrently working with the Walvis Bay Municipality in bringing forward residential development proposals for the current Walvis Bay Golf Course on Erf 449 in Walvis Bay. The property currently consists of virgin barren lands. Currently approximately 29.2% of the proposed development site is being considered for the proposed development of an 18-hole golf course, a clubhouse, a driving range and a parking area. In addition to this, a new access road will need to be constructed to the proposed new clubhouse. An application will be made for a water use license or permit under the Water Resources Management Act 11 of 2013. In Namibia, applications for Water Abstraction Permits are made to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF). Currently water allocations exist for urban, mining and irrigation applications. For urban and mining applications, the volumes are based on the predicted water demands of each development and the permits are issued accordingly. The permit allocations for irrigation are based on the area to be irrigated as well as on the water available and considerations for sharing with other users.1 The development will also include the construction or appropriate upgrading of existing infrastructure such as electricity, water and sewerage. Namibia has a number of legislations dealing with environmental related issues, which determine the objectives guiding, and the strategies to be used in order to strengthen the respect for environmental values, considering the existing social, cultural and economic situation. The foundation for the Namibian environmental policy framework is Article 95 (l) of the Constitution. The proposed activity constitutes a number of listed activities under the EIA Regulations, as promulgated under Section 27(1) and (2) of the EMA. The EIA Regulations describes the process for the submission of applications for authorization subject to the Scoping and Assessment phases. 1.2 The EnvironMental IMpact AssessMent Process The International Association for Impact Assessment (2018) defines an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as, "the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made."2 1 http://www.kunene.riverawarenesskit.com/KUNENERAK_COM/EN/MANAGEMENT/WATER_DEMAND/REGISTRATIONALLOCATION/AGREEABSRACT PE 2 https://www.iaia.org/iapa-journal.php 2 PROPOSED PRESIDENT’S LINKS GOLF RESORT AND WALVIS BAY RESIDENTIAL AREA, WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA …………………………………………………………………… The EIA process is guided by regulations made in terms of Section 27(1) and (2) of the EMA. The regulations set out the procedures and criteria for the submission, processing and consideration of and decisions on applications for the environmental authorisation of activities. The Government of Namibia is committed to sustainable development. Article 95(1) of the Constitution of Namibia states that:- “The State shall actively promote and maintain the welfare of the people by adopting policies aimed at … The maintenance of ecosystems, essential ecological processes and biological diversity of Namibia and utilization of living natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future…” The commitment of the Government of Namibia to environmental protection, socio-economic and sustainable development are expressed and articulated in the Vision 2030 and at the medium term, included in the National Development. In 2007, the Government of Namibia enacted the Environmental Management Act (Act 7 of 2007), herein after referred to as EMA, with the objective to prevent and mitigate the significant effects of activities on the environment by: • Ensuring that the significant effects of activities on the environment are considered in time and carefully; • Ensuring that there are opportunities for timeous participation of interested and affected parties throughout the assessment process; and • Ensuring that the findings of an assessment are considered before any decision is made in respect of activities3. The following are the trigger as in the EIA regulation: Activity Legislative ProposeD DevelopMent Activity 10.1 (a) The construction of – oil, water, gas and The proposed project includes the infrastructure petrochemical and other bulk supply installation of bulk municipal services since pipelines. is unserviced land. Activity 10.1(b) The construction of public roads. The proposed project includes the infrastructure construction of roads Activity 10.2 (a) The route determination of roads and The proposed project includes the route infrastructure design of associated physical determination of roads. infrastructure where – it is a public road. 2Because the proposed development triggers a listed activity, it will require a full Scoping and EIA. 1.2.1 The EIA process to Date The overall EIA process is summarised in Figure 1-1 below. Figure 1-1: The EIA process under current legislation (EMA 2007) 3 https://www.met.gov.na/services/environmental-impact-assessment-/233/ 3 PROPOSED PRESIDENT’S LINKS GOLF RESORT AND WALVIS BAY RESIDENTIAL AREA, WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA …………………………………………………………………… The aim of the detailed EIA Phase is to undertake a comprehensive evaluation and study that addresses all the issues raised in the Scoping Phase, and produce a report that contains all the relevant information that is necessary for the competent authority to consider the application and to reach a decision. More specifically, the EIA Phase has seven key objectives: 4 PROPOSED PRESIDENT’S LINKS GOLF RESORT AND WALVIS BAY RESIDENTIAL AREA, WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA …………………………………………………………………… • Describe the biophysical and socio-economic environment that is likely to be affected by the proposed development. • Undertake specialist studies to address the key biophysical and socio-economic issues. • Assess the significance of impacts that may occur from the proposed development. • Assess the alternatives proposed during the Scoping Phase. • Provide details of mitigation measures and management recommendations to reduce the significance of impacts. • Provide a framework for the development of Environmental Management Plans (EMPs). • Continue with the public participation process. This Report includes the following steps - 1. EnvironMental IMpact AssessMent: The main purpose of this report, the EIR, is to gather and evaluate environmental information, so as to provide sufficient supporting arguments to evaluate overall impacts, consider mitigation measures and alternative options, and make a value judgement in choosing the best development alternative. 2. CoMMents: which compiles comments, issues and concerns raised by I&APs during the EIR review period and the authorities and the relevant responses to these comments. 3. EnvironMental ManageMent PrograMMe: This informs the client and the technical team of the guidelines which will need to be followed during construction and operation to ensure that there are no lasting or cumulative negative impacts of these processes on the environment. 1.3 Details anD Expertise of the Environmental AssessMent Practitioner An EAP designated in terms of regulation 3, must - (a) Have knowledge of and experience in conducting assessments, including knowledge of the Act, these regulations and guidelines that have relevance to the proposed activity; (b) Perform the work relating to the application in an objective manner, even if this result in views and findings that are not favorable to the applicant; (c) Comply with the Act, these regulations, guidelines and other applicable laws and In fulfillment of the above-mentioned legislative requirement ―an EAP must have expertise in conducting environmental impact assessments, including knowledge of the Act; these Regulations and any guidelines that have relevance to the proposed activityǁ, provided below are the details of the Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) that prepared this Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIR) as well as the expertise of the individual members of the study team 1.3.1 Details of EAP KPM EnvironMental Consultants Postal Box 26326, Windhoek, Namibia Windhoek Contacts: 081 147 3344 Email: [email protected] 1.3.2 Expertise of the EAP KPM is a provider of environmental consulting services. We specialize in environmental consulting i.e. compilation of environmental impact assessments, natural resources management plans and formulation and implementation of health and safety plans as well as project evaluations. 5 PROPOSED PRESIDENT’S LINKS GOLF RESORT AND WALVIS BAY RESIDENTIAL AREA, WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA ……………………………………………………………………