Batoka Gorge Dam ESIA Meeting - 21 Jan

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BATOKA GORGE HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME

The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) is a statutory organization equally owned by the Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The ZRA has been mandated by the Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe to develop Batoka Hydro Electric Scheme (BHES).  The proposed HES is proposed approximately 47km downstream of the Victoria Falls.   In Zimbabwe, it falls within the province of Matabeleland North and in the Hwange Rural District.  In Zambia, it falls in the Southern Province, in the Kazungula, Livingstone, Zimba, Choma and Kalomo Districts.

In line with Statutory Instrument No. 7 of 2007, the Environmental Management (Environmental Impact Assessments and Ecosystems Protection Regulations) in Zimbabwe and the Environmental Management Act, 2011 and Statutory Instrument 28 of the 1997 EIA Regulations in Zambia, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) is required.   The ZRA has commissioned Environmental Resources Management (ERM) and its local partners (Kaizen Consulting International in Zambia and Black Crystal in Zimbabwe) as the Consultants to undertake the ESIA.  

The project is currently in the Scoping Phase of the ESIA and as such the Project Consultants are identifying issues of concern and gathering comments to inform the scope of more detailed specialist investigations for the ESIA. Open days and information sharing meetings were held between 30^th September 2014 and 13^th October 2014 in Zimbabwe and Zambia. At these engagements it was requested that a further meeting be held prior to the completion of the Scoping Phase of the Project. This notice serves to invite any interested and affected parties to attend this meeting.

INVITATION TO PUBLIC MEETING – VICTORIA FALLS

The meeting will be held on the 22^nd January 2015 in Victoria Falls . Representatives from the ZRA, ERM, Black Crystal and Kaizen Consulting will be present to answer your questions and gather comment.  Details of the public meeting are listed below.

Date	Venue	Time
22/01/15	Victoria Falls Municipal Chamber, Livingstone Way, Victoria Falls	09:00 – 12:00

A Background Information Document is also available on the following website: http://www.erm.com/BatokaHESESIA for further information. Where stakeholders have already registered for the project, they will also be sent personalised invitations.