Metolong dam environmental and social impact sssessment volume 1 : main report

This report concerns the Metolong dam environmental and social impact assessment for the Second Water Sector Improvement Project in Lesotho. Some of the negative impacts of the project and their mitigation measures are: Impacts from construction activities can lead to increased soil erosion in and around work sites including the quarry site and soil/sand borrow areas. A foreshore management plan will reduce the significance of the impact by stabilizing the land surface (construction of surface water flow structures) and promoting more sustainable land use practices. The resident fish species in the Phuthiatsana River are both fairly hardy species and direct impacts from the proposed development are therefore generally expected to be of a low to a moderate significance. Design an appropriate environmental management plan to address site-related construction activities such as spills, excavations, drilling, and blasting. Monitor and evaluate the environmental management plan (EMP). Provide a variable level off-take structure to allow the best water quality flow releases from the top layers of the reservoir. During the agricultural cultivation season, cattle are often taken to graze along the river to prevent them from damaging crops on the field. The project impacts will include loss of this land, especially in the upper reaches of the reservoir, and of access to water from the Phuthatsana River for livestock watering. Impacts are expected to be long term and of medium significance. Metolong Reservoir storage will inundate up to seven graves. The exhumation and re-internment of graves is a sensitive matter that will be managed according to the wishes of the relatives of the deceased and with their full cooperation. The presence of a large body of water will pose a danger to community members, particularly of drowning. Some households will be located close to the flood level of the proposed reservoir which can lead to safety concerns. The issue of proximity to the water body and associated safety impacts, especially for children and livestock, was frequently raised at community meetings. In all cases, communities demanded that either the entire reservoir or village areas in close proximity to the Reservoir should be fenced.