Environmental Assessment
Volume C-5.3
Slurry Pipeline
Land Use
5.3
LAND USE
5.3.1.1 Introduction
This section presents the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the effects of the
slurry pipeline on land use. As per the Ambatovy Project (the project) terms of
reference, land use has been mapped in the slurry pipeline local study area (LSA)
and changes in land use areas predicted in comparison to baseline levels. The
implications of changes in land use for people are discussed in the context of
socioeconomic effects in Volume C, Section 5.1.
5.3.1.2 Study Area
The slurry pipeline land use LSA is the same as the general pipeline LSA shown
in Volume A, Section 7.2, Figure 7.2-2. This area includes the planned pipeline
route and a buffer of 1 km on both sides. Because the location of access roads,
laydown areas and construction camps have not been finalized, these footprint
areas are not included in the current assessment, and will be evaluated at a later
date.
5.3.2
Baseline Summary
Three major land use sub-areas have been defined along the slurry pipeline LSA
(Volume K, Appendix 3.1, Section 3.4): the western section, which is within the
forest corridor (corridor zone); the central section, which passes around primary
forest fragments through an area defined primarily by tavy matrix (tavy zone),
and the eastern section, containing entirely secondary vegetation (the agricultural
zone).
Along the planned slurry pipeline route in the corridor zone, land uses include
agriculture, protected/tourism areas, eucalyptus plantations / woodlots,
residences, and forest areas being used for extraction of non-timber forest
products. An additional land use being proposed in the area is a project to restore
ecological connectivity and sequester carbon by re-foresting lands within the
Mantadia-Zahamena corridor conservation area.
Along the planned slurry pipeline route in the tavy zone, the most common land
use is tavy agriculture, but other important land uses include rice paddies,
villages, and forest fragments being used as a source of both timber and non-
timber forest products.
Ambatovy Project
187
January 2006
