Environmental Assessment
Volume D-5.3
Process Plant
Land Use
5.3
LAND USE
5.3.1
Introduction
This section presents the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the effects of the
process plant on land use. As per the Ambatovy Project (the project) terms of
reference, land use has been mapped in the process plant 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 D, Section 5.1.
5.3.2
Study Area
The process plant LSA is one-third of the Toamasina terrestrial LSA shown in
Volume A, Section 7.2, Figure 7.2-3. This area includes the process plant
property, Ivondro River water intake pipeline, supply pipeline from the planned
Logistique Petroliere terminal area, the start of the access corridor toward the
port to the north, and the marine water outfall pipeline corridor, with a 500 m
buffer around all of these areas. The specific boundaries of the process plant
LSA are presented in Figure 5.3-1.
5.3.3
Baseline Summary
Ongoing land uses at the site of the process plant include small agricultural plots
and household areas (Volume K, Appendix 3.1, Section 3.5.2). The land in this
area has a relatively low level of productivity due to the predominance of poor,
sandy soils, and it has been zoned by the government for industrial use.
However, plants being grown in the LSA in small homestead areas include rice,
eucalyptus trees, sugar cane, coconut, litchis, mango trees, avocados, jack fruit,
papaya, banana, pineapple, coffee and orange.
The LSA is near the edge of Toamasina, but outside the limit of urban
development. The east side of the plant property supports an area of degraded
coastal woodland which may be useful for the collection of non-timber forest
products.
Ambatovy Project
194
January 2006
