Batoka Gorge HydroElectric Scheme - ESIA

Stakeholders who registered their interest in the Batoka Gorge HES project will have received the following announcement by email:

Background

The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) is a statutory organization equally owned by the Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe. ZRA has been appointed by the Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe as the implementing agency for the development of the Batoka Hydro Electric Scheme (BHES). The proposed HES will be situated 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, covering Kazungula, Livingstone, Zimba, Choma and Kalomo Districts.

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)

As part of the statutory requirements in Zambia and Zimbabwe, before development of the project commences, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) must be completed and environmental authorization granted for the project by both the Zambian and Zimbabwean regulatory authorities. The ESIA will determine and assess the social and environmental impacts that may result from the proposed scheme and will identify ways to manage these impacts through the development of appropriate mitigation strategies.

The ESIA will be undertaken in alignment with the legislation of both countries, as well as international good practice guidelines such as the IFC’s Performance Standards. The ZRA has commissioned Environmental Resources Management (ERM) and its local partners (Kaizen Consulting International in Zambia and Black Crystal in Zimbabwe) as the Project Consultants to undertake the ESIA.

The following documents are currently available for public review:

·   Draft Scoping Report (located in libraries and website as detailed below);

·   Non-Technical Summary of the Scoping Report (available electronically on request);

·   Comments and Response Report (included in the Draft Scoping Report and available electronically on request); and

·   Grievance Mechanism (included in the Draft Scoping Report and available electronically on request)

Our website for the retrieval of the full Scoping Report is:  http://www.erm.com/batokahesesia and public places where hard copies of reports have been made available are:

Zimbabwe

-        Hwange Rural District Council Office

-        District Administrators Office in Hwange

-        Jambezi Clinic

-        Chisuma clinic 

-        Matebeleland North Provincial Administrators Office

-        Victoria Falls Municipal Offices

-        Environment Africa Office Victoria Falls

-        Black Crystal’s Office in Harare (see address below)

Zambia

-        Livingstone City Council

-        Livingstone District Commissioner’s Office

-        Kazungula District Council

-        Kazungula District Commissioner’s Office

-        Lusaka Kaizen Consulting Office

-        District Commissioners offices in Zimba, Kalomo and Choma

-        District Council Offices in Zimba, Kalomo and Choma

-        National Assembly Offices Zimba, Kalomo and Choma

-        Chiefs Palaces (Sipatunyana, Simwatachela & Chikanta)

We are keen to hear your comments and concerns about the Project The comment period runs from 4th December 2015 and 22nd January 2016, after which:

·   comments received will be forwarded to the regulatory authorities; the Environmental Management Agency of Zimbabwe (EMA) and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) for their further attention;

·   the scope of work for the assessment phase of the Project will be modified; and

·   the Comments and Response Report (CRR) will be updated.  The current CRR (also enclosed) records all the comments we have received to date on the Project, and provides responses to these. 

Please send through any comments you may have by 22nd January 2016 via any of the contact means below.

Black Crystal Consulting (Zimbabwe)

queries@blackcrystal.co.zw

+263 (0)772876616

1 Fairbairn Drive, Mt Pleasant Harare,  Zimbabwe

Kaizen Consulting International (Zambia)

Godfrey_chileshe@yahoo.com, kaizen0601@gmail.com

+260(0) 977-758-591

Suite 3, Floor 21st, Findeco House, Cairo Road, P.O. Box 33526, Lusaka, Zambia

Environmental  Resources Management

Email: batokagorgehes@erm.com

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