Environmental Assessment
Volume C-3.8
Slurry Pipeline
Visual Aesthetics
Ambatovy Project
76
January 2006
Table 3.8-4 Residual Impact Classification for Visual Aesthetics
Phase
Direction
Magnitude
Geographic
Extent
Duration
Reversibility Frequency
Environmental
Consequence
Issue: Effect of Pipeline Landforms on Visual Aesthetics
construction
negative
moderate
local
short-term
no
medium
low
operation
negative
low
local
medium-term
no
medium
low
closure
negative
negligible
local
long-term
no
medium
negligible
Issue: Effect of Pipeline Facilities on Visual Aesthetics
construction
negative
low
local
short-term
yes
low
negligible
Issue: Effect of Visible Emissions and Dust on Visual Aesthetics
construction
negative
negligible
regional
short-term
yes
medium
negligible
Monitoring
No monitoring is proposed specifically for visual aesthetics. Monitoring of the
effectiveness of erosion control measures and reclamation success, which have
important implications for visual effects, are described in Volume C, Section 6.
3.8.6
Conclusions
The slurry pipeline will have low environmental consequences for visual
aesthetics as a result of the construction scar to be left along the RoW and along
any new access routes to the RoW. This effect will be greatest during the
construction phase, when reclamation has not yet been initiated. The most
serious impacts on views likely to be seen by ecotourists, in areas like the
Torotorofotsy Ramsar Site and Mantadia-Zahamena Corridor, will be
progressively reforested after pipeline installation. The mitigation of both
operations-phase and construction-phase effects will depend on the success of
reclamation and erosion control applied all along the route.
Other effects of negligible consequence during construction will be the presence
of facilities along the pipeline route and the release of dust and emissions which
may be regularly visible from outside of the LSA. The greatest effects are likely
to be during the construction phase, on ecotourists in the Torotorofotsy area, who
will have specific notions about desirable views in the area and will not expect to
see a pipeline, or construction activity in the Ramsar site.
