Environmental Assessment
Volume B-4.5
Mine
Protected Areas
Ambatovy Project
301
January 2006
Potential effects of the mine on protected areas may occur due to:
•
direct alteration of habitat within an area due to project development;
•
fragmentation of habitat within an area due to project development;
•
indirect impacts in an area due to changes in water quality or quantity;
•
indirect impacts within an area due to induced development, changes in
land use or changes in tourism; or
•
enhanced protection and management of protected lands as a result of
financial support from the project.
Linkages of effects on protected areas to other components are shown in a
linkage diagram (Volume H, Appendix 9).
The key question for protected areas is:
Key Question PR-1
What Effects, Direct and Indirect, Will the Mine
Have on Protected Areas?
4.5.5
Impact Assessment
The mine footprint will directly affect part of the Torotorofotsy Ramsar site,
including part of the watershed of the wetlands, although not the wetlands
themselves. Due to the mine’s location at the west side of the Torotorofotsy
Wetlands and outside of the Mantadia-Zahamena Corridor, it does not fragment
the protected areas.
Changes in stream flow or groundwater flow could occur to the Torotorofotsy
Wetlands and streams flowing into the Mantadia-Zahamena corridor. These
effects have the potential to cause changes to vegetation at the edges of the
wetlands and streams.
The development of the mine will lead to an increase in the population of the
area. This may result in additional threats on the protected areas, including land
use from induced development, and higher tourism levels. These effects may be
positive or negative.
The project has committed to protect two azonal conservation areas at the mine
site and to assist with support for management of other protected areas in the
RSA. This represents a positive effect for protected areas.
