Environmental Assessment
Volume B-5.4
Mine
Human and Ecological Health
Ambatovy Project
378
January 2006
Impact Description Criteria
The assessment criteria used for evaluation of potential effects on livelihood
resources is presented in the table below.
Table 5.4-4 Assessment Criteria for Evaluation of Effects on Livelihood
Resources
Resource
Direction
(a)
Magnitude
(b)
Geographic
Extent
(c)
Duration
(d)
Reversibility
(e)
Frequency
(f)
livelihood
resources
positive
(beneficial
in nature),
negative
(adverse
in nature) or
neutral
for the
measurement
endpoints
negligible
: below
applicable guidelines or
no change from Baseline
Case
low and likely to be
negligible
: 10-100%
higher then guidelines
potentially elevated
: >
100% higher than
guidelines
local
: effect
restricted to the
LSA
regional
: effect
extends beyond
the LSA into the
RSA
beyond
regional
:
effect extends
beyond the RSA
short-term
:
construction
medium-
term
:
operation
long-term
:
post-closure
reversible
or
irreversible
low
: occurs
once
medium
:
occurs
intermittently
high
: occurs
continuously
(a)
Direction: positive (beneficial to, or protective of health), or negative (adverse towards health).
(b)
Magnitude: degree of change to analysis endpoint.
(c)
Geographic Extent: area affected by the impact.
(d)
Duration: length of time over which the environmental effect occurs. Considers a three-year construction period and a 27-year
operations period.
(e)
Reversibility: effect on the resource (or resource capability) can or cannot be reversed.
(f)
Frequency: how often the environmental effect occurs.
Results
Produce and Livestock
All parameters met the guidelines for both irrigation and livestock drinking water
(for those which guidelines were available) at the outlet of each assessed river
(Table 5.4-5). Therefore the operation of the mine facility is unlikely to pose
incremental risk to community livelihoods due to irrigation and livestock
watering.
