Impact Assessment and Mitigation                                                            <<..back

Protecting the rights and welfare of the people and communities impact by major infrastructure projects world wide is an issue that has captured the attention and focus of concerned groups. It has become a highly emotive issue with entrenched attitudes on both sides of the debate. There is no doubt that a major construction project within a region has far reaching impact particularly in remote areas where communities have had little previous interaction with commercial society. But the debate should be addressed with balance, examining the positive contributions and devising methods of mitigating the negative aspects.

Within the Treaty of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, the parties agree to take all reasonable measures to ensure that the implementation, operation and maintenance of the Project are compatible with the protection of the existing environment and in particular, agree to address the maintenance of the welfare of the people and communities immediately affected by the Project.

Managing the mitigation of the environmental and social impacts of the Project in Lesotho has been an intense learning process for LHDA, the Project implementation organization in Lesotho. From an ill-prepared start at the beginning of Phase lA construction, much has been learned, understood and appreciated concerning the implementation of a social and environmental point.

From lessons learned on Phase lA, Phase IB has undertaken several steps to ensure proper, attention to environmental and social issues. This started with the timely undertaking of several baseline studies which culminated in a comprehensive environmental impact study (EIS) and an accompanying environmental action plan (EAP) to mitigate Project impacts.

The studies were implemented by the Hunting- Consult 4 Joint Venture according to the very latest in accepted and expected international standards and received commendations from the World Bank as a model for future ElA studies for similar large projects in remote areas of developing countries.

As a result of the study, mitigation of the environmental and social impacts of the project started well ahead of any construction activity. These included early consultation with the local affected communities to inform and prepare them for start of construction activity as well as consult with them on matters of resettlement and compensation.

It also directly impacted on the construction supervision contracts let for Phase lB as well as on the tender documents being prepared for each of the major Phase lB construction contracts. As a significant development from the supervision and construction contracts let for Phase 1A, the Phase lB contracts specified in detail the obligations of the engaged contractor and construction supervision teams towards the welfare and accommodation of the local communities. These specifications covered, for example, a commitment by the contractors to recruit and train workers directly from the local communities. It also specified that both the engineering supervision teams as well as the contractors employ full time health and safety, industrial relations, and community liaison officers.

For its part LHDA decentralized the decision making process to the construction sites via field operations branches. These are staffed with multi disciplinary teams to ensure effective attention to a range of social and environmental issues including compensation, resettlement, public health, natural environmental protection, community participation in the Project activity, and the generation of alternative income to compensate for loss of livelihood due to the impact of Project implementation.

These field operations branches are established to ensure speedy resolution to matters of concern and complaints. While there are still some problems in the delivery of services by LHDA, the Environmental Action Plan adopted for Phase IB is beginning to bear fruits to ensure maximum benefit and opportunity to recipients in the affected communities within the Project area. The mandate of LHDA's Phase IB Environmental Action Plan also endeavours to enhance the participation of external Project stakeholders through the invited and encouraged involvement of non-governmental organization and other role players with an interest and an opportunity to assist LHDA and the local communities optimise the benefits of the Project and its activity within the communities.

As an evolving process within major civil engineering projects world-wide, management of the environmental and social aspects of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project continues to develop with time and for the direct advantage and social betterment of the local communities.