Environmental Assessment
Volume E-5.3
Tailings Facility
Land Use
Ambatovy Project
214
January 2006
Changes in Wildlife Populations
Some wildlife species are caught by local populations for use as food. Therefore,
effects on wildlife and wildlife habitat may also impact people. The impacts of
the tailings facility on wildlife are described in Volume E, Section 4.2
5.3.7
Mitigation
For individuals affected directly by the project, the most important mitigation
measure is the provision of additional, equivalent properties for people to
relocate to. Lands for relocation are described in the relocation plan. In addition,
the tailings facility is being designed to occupy the minimum feasible area of
land, and the following mitigations will be applied:
•
All standard safety measures will be in place, such as dam engineering
to appropriate international standards, to reduce risks of impacts to
downstream land users (discussed in the natural risks section,
Volume E, Section 3.6).
•
Water volumes flowing within the watersheds downstream of the
tailings facility will be maintained at levels to support agriculture
downstream (as described above and in hydrology, Volume E,
Section 3.8). Water volumes and depths will be monitored; if there are
declines in water depths in streams feeding rice paddy areas, assistance
to local farmers in the form of improved water management conveyance
systems or additional water supplies will be considered.
•
Mitigation will be in place to reduce downstream impacts to Water
Quality (Volume E, Section 3.10).
•
Other socioeconomic mitigation and compensation measures for those
directly or indirectly affected by the project will be developed, as
described in the socioeconomics section (Volume E, Section 5.1).
•
Tailings facility areas will be reclaimed following the completion of the
project, to function ecologically in accordance with regional land use
objectives, although agricultural use may not be possible (described in
Volume E, Section 6 and Volume H, Appendix 7).
5.3.8
Conclusions
The project will have a large effect on land uses in the immediate area of the
project due to direct disturbance of lands used for agroforestry, plantations and
woodlots, rice paddies, and areas used for tavy agriculture and grazing. The
re-settlement of households to other areas will be required to mitigate the effects
of these impacts on livelihoods.
