ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL OF ZAMBIA
Bovu Island Campsite
Kazungula District
Southern Province
Environmental Impact Study
August 2003

CONTENTS

BOVU ISLAND CAMPSITE ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT BRIEF (EPB)

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1Background1

1.2Aims and Objectives1

1.3Regional Setting1

1.4Management Guidelines and Policy 1

1.5Site Location, Project Description and Construction2

1.6Planning Consent and Public Consultation2

2.EnviroNmental Setting

2.1Climate5

2.2Geology and Hydrology5

2.3Topography and Soils5

2.4Vegetation6

2.5Fauna6

2.6Aesthetic Environment7

2.7Socio-Economics7

3.EnviroNmental Impact Identification

3.1Introduction7

3.2Impact Analysis8

3.3Mitigation9

3.4Summary9

4.Impacts and mitigation Measures identified

4.1Operational Phase10

4.2Impacts During Decommissioning Stage10

5.Summary of Main Impacts and Environmental Management Plan

5.1Summary of Main Impacts20

5.2Auditing21

5.3Environmental Management Plan21

Appendix 1 Communications - Copies of Letters

Appendix 2Photographs of the Project

Appendix 3 Maps

Appendix 4 Costings

Appendix 5Plant Species List

1.Introduction

1.1 Background

The Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) requested an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from the Directors of Bovu Island Campsite, to be submitted before 30 August 2003. (See Appendix 1 for the letter.)

This follows on from a verbal request in July 2003 for an Environmental Project Brief (EPB), which was accompanied by a two-page outline of information required. (See Appendix 1 for a copy of the outline for the EPB.) No deadline was given for the submission of the EPB.

During a telephone conversation between a Director of the company, Mr. Brett Saunders, and Mr. Brian Mwila of the ECZ, on 28 August 2003, it was ascertained that submission of a full EIA would override the need for an EPB. However, subsequently it was agreed that this document, an EPB, was the appropriate type of information to be submitted.

Bovu Island Campsite has already been constructed and is operational, being in its second year of a twenty-five-year lease from Kazungula District Council.

1.2 Aims and Objectives

The objective of an EIA is to, “...define and evaluate the foreseeable immediate and long-term effects on the physical environment, public health and welfare of the population affected by a specific project during its entire cycle and following completion.” (World Bank, 1984).

The specific aims of this EPB/EIA are:

  • To identify and evaluate the environmental impacts that have been caused by the construction and operation, and may be caused by the continued operation, of the camp.
  • To identify and describe procedures and activities that will mitigate adverse impacts and enhance any beneficial effects.
  • To make recommendations on how mitigation measures should be incorporated into the operation and decommissioning stages of the project as appropriate.
  • To produce an environmental management plan that summarises the impacts and mitigation measures in a formalised way, and designates responsibility for each of them. This will help ensure that items identified in the EIA are taken forward and incorporated into the operation and decommissioning stages as appropriate. It will also incorporate recommendations for on-going monitoring.

1.3 Regional Setting

Bovu Island is situated in the Kazungula District of Southern Province, Zambia. It is accessed from the main Livingstone to Kazungula road, from which a small bush track leads to Lizazi, the nearest village to Bovu Island. This track is 41km west of Livingstone, and is 11km long. The camp is thus easily accessible from Livingstone, one of Zambia’s major tourist centres. Most visitors to the island visit Victoria Falls and many participate in adventure sport activities such as white-water rafting in the gorge, booked through companies in Livingstone.

1.4 Management Guidelines and Policy

The company has been issued with a twenty-five-year lease from Kazungula District Council. A receipt was given at the time of payment, and annually when each payment is made, but no instructions or policy guidelines have been issued from the Council to Bovu Island Campsite.

The Management has its own policy of minimum clearance of bush, using only pre-existing paths, no collection of firewood, no starting fires except in designated fireplaces, careful use of water, proper use of septic tanks, and regular refuse collection and disposal. In addition, no new access roads were made to reach the island and the existing bush track is used by many other people and vehicles in the area.

These Guidelines and Policy have been compiled by the Resident Director who has drawn on fourteen years’ experience in safari camp development on the islands in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.

1.5 Site Location, Project Description and Construction

1.5.1 Location

The site is the whole of Bovu Island, co-ordinates 17°50S, 25°30’E. (See Map 1 in Appendix 3.) This is west of Livingstone and east of Kazungula, in the Southern Province of Zambia. The island is 1.2 km long and 150 metres wide at its widest point. There are seasonal fluctuations in the river level, reducing the exposed surface area of the island at times of high water, but this affects none of the camping sites or facilities. All camp buildings have been kept within approximately one-third of the island. (See Map 2 in Appendix 3.)

1.5.2 Project Description

The development for guests includes:

  • Sleeping accommodation in tents, which can be the guests’ own tents or can be provided by the camp. The camp’s tents are erected in small clearings under shade trees or within rainproof reed shelters. There are eight of these tent shelters and sixteen open camping spaces.
  • Two flush toilets with septic tanks, positioned in the middle of the island
  • One pit latrine used for emergency purposes should the water pump fail
  • Two showers heated by firewood
  • Four showers heated by solar power
  • A kitchen providing simple breakfasts, lunches and dinners. A gas-operated fridge-freezer is used for storing meat, fruit and vegetables.
  • A self-catering kitchen with basic utensils
  • A bar with a gas-operated fridge
  • A mud-and-thatch shelter with tables, benches and cushions for leisure activities such as reading.

Facilities for members of staff who require overnight accommodation include:

  • A mud-and-thatch bedroom
  • A pit latrine
  • Access to the showers
  • Use of the kitchen

Daytime staff members have access to:

  • A pit latrine
  • Mud-and-thatch shelters for eating lunch or resting
  • Standpipes for water

Other camp buildings include:

  • A mud-and-thatch storeroom for tents, bedding and extra kitchen equipment
  • A tool storeroom

(See Map 2 for the layout of the above facilities on the island.)

1.5.3 Construction Materials

A review of the main construction materials was carried out. This is summarised below. Local materials were utilised in the construction, as far as was practically possible. These were harvested from Chief Sekute’s area of jurisdiction, with permission from the Chief. The same materials are used in camp maintenance.

  • Supporting poles are made of suitably sized mopane poles.
  • Roofs are of local thatch/grasses, some of which are woven into matting.
  • Walls are of mud and wood, mud plastered, and coloured with local dyes, but some are of reed construction, tied with twine.
  • Fittings are made from reeds and small poles for simple shelving in the sleeping shelters. Kitchen and storeroom shelving, cupboards and work surfaces are made from materials purchased in Livingstone. This includes timber, nails, zinc, etc.

The materials selected are permanent enough to survive several years of the 25-year lease of the island without major renovation. However, on-going maintenance will be required throughout the lease period, as organic materials are susceptible to weathering and decay.

1.5.4 Construction Method

In order to assess the impact of the project, it is necessary to understand the main construction activities that took place, and consider maintenance. Therefore, a brief list is presented below:

  • Minimal bush-clearing for small camping areas and buildings
  • Raking of paths along the paths, not sideways. These paths, which provide access to the facilities within the camp, were pre-existing, established by monkeys and hippopotamus.
  • General building activities, including erection of single storey structures, mainly of poles and thatch or reeds, and the maintenance thereof.
  • Earthwork activities to dig holes for septic tanks, pit latrines and water reticulation. This did not involve machinery but was done manually. Water pipes were laid under tree roots, instead of cutting the roots.
  • Erection of water tank and installation of water pump with a petrol six- kilowatt generator, housed within a shelter to reduce noise pollution.
  • Use of natural materials in the construction, most of which were purchased locally.

1.6 Planning Consent and Public Consultation

In establishing Bovu Island Campsite, the procedures below were followed:

  • Consultation with the Lizazi village headman, Mr. Steven Lizazi
  • Consultation with the Late Acting Chief, Albert Sekute
  • Meeting with Chief Sekute and Mr. Steven Lizazi
  • Submission of letter to Kazungula District Council, applying for a lease and enclosing a letter of approval from Chief Sekute
  • Preliminary meeting with Kazungula District Council, which issued instructions to the Directors to have surveys done of Bovu Island
  • Surveyors completed the survey and submitted a report and maps
  • Full meeting with Kazungula District Council, submitting surveyor’s report and maps
  • Approval of Bovu Island Campsite by Kazungula District Council and twenty-five-year lease issued and paid for. (This is paid annually.)
  • Building commenced in 2001 and was completed in 2002.

From the above, it can be seen that there was consultation with representatives of the nearby villages, before the camp was established. The camp is viewed positively in these villages as it has brought employment to the area. Those presently employed were previously out of work or relied on subsistence farming and fishing.

Staff members come from several villages along the riverbank, and thus there is a distribution of increased income throughout the area rather than just the nearest village.

The location of the camp on an island, rather than on the mainland, greatly reduces the influence of tourists on the traditional cultural lifestyle of those villages.

Although the camp’s vehicles are used largely for transporting guests to and from the island’s harbour, the families of staff members are assisted with transport to the nearest clinic or hospital in the case of medical emergencies.

2.EnviroNmental Setting

2.1 Climate

There are three main seasons in this part of the country:

May to August – cool and dry, with daytime temperatures of 20°C to 25°C and night-time temperatures as low as 4°C.

September to October/November – hot and dry, with daytime temperatures rising to 40°C.

November/December to April – warm and wet. When the rains come, the temperatures drop by several degrees, and the humidity rises. The rainfall in this, southern, part of Zambia is low, with perhaps 150 to 200mm of rain in each of December, January and February.

2.2 Geology and Hydrology

Bovu Island formed by separation from the mainland, rather than from accretion of organic debris on a floating mat of reeds or papyrus, as many other small islands form. A small channel developed and cut off the island. This channel is approximately 50 metres wide.

The underlying rock of the island is basalt, as is the Zambezi river bed all along this stretch of the river.

Highest water levels are recorded at the end of March, falling to the lowest annual levels in November. The water table was measured at a depth of six metres.

2.3 Topography and Soils

2.3.1 Topography

Bovu Island is situated in the Zambezi River, close to the Zambian bank, 50 metres from the mainland. The river at this point is wide, deep and fast flowing, although there are seasonal fluctuations as outlined in 2.2 above.

The river forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and opposite Bovu Island is Zimbabwe’s Matetsi Safari Area. On that side of the river, the bank is steep and covered with mixed woodland. On the Zambian side, there is a fringe of riverine woodland, behind which is a flat area of mopane woodland and several grass-covered pans. North of that, the land rises gradually to the level of the main Kazungula-Livingstone road, and is heavily wooded.

The island itself is at an altitude of 950m and is almost flat. In the middle, however, there is a slightly raised area, and at the western end there is a seasonally inundated floodplain. An interesting feature is the distribution of termite mounds throughout the length of Bovu.

2.3.2 Soils

On soil maps, the island lies within the Kalahari sand mantle of southern Africa, and a visit to the island confirmed this. A soil profile of three metres deep showed little variation, although there was a thin but rich layer of humus in the topsoil. The soil on the island has poor water-holding capacity.

2.4 Vegetation (See Appendix 5 for Species List)

The vegetation on and around Bovu consists of five main types of association:

  • Riverine woodland, mainly Syzygium guineense, Diospyros mespiliformis, Mimusops zeyheri, with shrubs such as Salix mucronata and Rhus quartiniana, and creepers and vines such as Artabotrys brachypetalus and Rhoicissus.
  • Seasonally inundated floodplain, with recumbent herbaceous plants and grass species flowering from January to March.
  • Open bushland/thicket in the centre of the island, consisting of Erythroxylum zambesiacum, Combretum spp., Pteleopsis myrtifolia, Terminalia spp., Acacia nigrescens, Commiphora edulis, and good grass cover in the rainy season. Aloe chabaudii and Sansieveria pearsonii are found in shady areas of this part of the island.
  • Mature woodland towards the eastern end, with almost no ground cover at any time of year, due to low light intensity below the canopy. Tree species include Mimusops zeyheri, Garcinia livingstonei, and Kigelia africana.
  • Aquatic plants such as Nymphaea, Nymphoides, Potamogeton, Salvinia, and Trapa natans.

2.5 Fauna

In the river surrounding the island are crocodiles, otters, hippopotamus, terrapins, frogs, fish, aquatic birds such as the African finfoot, and a wide range of invertebrates.

On the island itself there are genets, cane rats, mole rats and other rodents, and perhaps twenty vervet monkeys, although no detailed study of the monkeys has been completed. The hippos come out on to the land to graze at night, and otters have been seen on many parts of the island.

2.6 Aesthetic Environment

All of the camp buildings are in keeping with the local traditional style, being made of reeds, mud, thatch and mopane poles. From the river, it is hard to see the tent shelters as they have been positioned within the riverine woodland.

(See Photographs 1 to 5.)

2.7 Socio-Economics

The economic base of the communities living in the areas adjacent to the island is based on subsistence agriculture and fishing.

Tourism in the area is focused on Livingstone, and Bovu Island Campsite provides an easily accessible alternative to accommodation in the town.

Bovu Island employs the following members of staff from nearby villages:

  • Three builders who carry out day-to-day maintenance
  • One groundsman
  • One maid/cleaner to take care of laundry, the ablutions and the sleeping shelters
  • Three paddlers who transport all guests, staff and supplies by mekolo on and off the island. They also take guests on guided walks and cruises.
  • One driver
  • One camp manager/chef
  • One barman

The villages from which the staff are employed include Lizazi, Mandiya, Mufana and Siakantu, and the manager is from Livingstone. It is expected that staff numbers should double, as the camp gains popularity and Zambian tourism increases.

3. Environmental Impact Identification

3.1 Introduction

This section identifies the impacts resulting from the project. Along the top axis is a list of project activities or features. Down the side axis is a list of environmental parameters considered in this assessment. The Impact Identification Matrix is shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Environmental Impact Identification Matrix

Key: C = during Construction Phase; O = during Operational Phase

Access Road / Paths on Island / Buildings / Waste Management / Water Supply / River Cruises / Staff & Guests
Management Guidelines / C O / C O / C O / C O / C O / O / C O
Vegetation / C O / C O / C O / C O / C O
Fauna / C O / C O / C O / C O / C O
Ground Water/Soils / C O / C O / C O / C O
River Water / C O / C O / O / C O
Air Quality / O / O
Noise / C O / O / C O
Land Use / O / O / O
Env’t. Health / C O / O / O / O
Visual / C O
Socio-economics / C O / O
Natural Resources / C O / C O / C O

3.2 Impact Analysis

Each of the identified impacts was analysed systematically as follows:

Impact Prediction: This involved the qualitative description of the impacts of the project on the environmental elements, as shown in Table 1.

Impact Significance: The assessments included the description of sources or causes of impacts, and their severity and significance. The significance of the impacts was determined by the interaction between the severity of the impact and the value of the resource affected or the sensitivity of the potential receptors.

The severity of the impact is determined by the degree of change to the environment, and includes consideration of the following factors:

  • The degree of certainty of the impact
  • The impact duration
  • The spatial influence of the impact
  • Whether the impact is a threat to environmental and health standards and objectives.

The significance of the impacts has been graded medium, low and insignificant. Impacts can be either positive or negative. A significance has been given to each impact after recommended mitigation measures are implemented (the Impact Significance after Mitigation).

A medium impact is likely to be important as a local issue, but is unlikely to be of significance in the decision-making process.

A low impact may be a local issue, which will be of little significance in the decision-making process. Nevertheless, there may be mitigation measures that will reduce a low impact further (if it is a negative impact). An accumulation of low impacts on a particular receptor or resource is unlikely to give rise to a medium impact affecting the decision-making process.