THE GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE
RURAL and PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL impact assessment
REPORT
Prepared By:
Prof. C. dorm-adzobu
(consultant)
P. o. box lg 185, legon-accra
december, 2006
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.Introduction
1.1Background
1.2Study Objectives
1.3Terms of Reference
1.4Study Methodology
1.5National Administration of Environmental Management
1.5.1Sierra Leone National EIA Requirements
1.6World Bank Safeguard Policy
2.The Proposed Project intervention
2.1Project Background
2.2Project Objective
2.3Project Components
3.Environmental Baseline
3.1Land Resources
3.1.1Agro-Ecological Zones
3.1.2Physiography
3.2Climate
3.2.1Temperature and Humidity
3.2.2Evaporation and Water Balance
3.3Drainage and Hydrology
3.4Vegetation
3.4.1Closed Forests and Secondary Forests
3.4.2Savanna Woodlands
3.4.5Mangrove Swamp Forests
3.5Soils
4.Socio-Economic Baseline
4.1Population
4.2Land Tenure
4.2.1System of Land Holding in the Republic of Sierra Leone
4.3Road Infrastructure
4.4Key Agriculture Development Issues
4.4.1Small-Scale Farming Strategy
4.4.2Challenges and Constraints
5.ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
5.1Methodology of Impact Assessment
5.2Component A: Improving Domestic Marketing Impacts
5.2.1Domestic supply chains consolidation for specific crops and products
5.2.1.2Cash/Commercial Crops (Cocoa, Oil Palm and Cashew)
5.2.1.3Livestock
5.2.2Rural Market Infrastructure Improvement
5.2.3Knowledge Management and Technical Assistance
5.3Component B: Agricultural Export Promotion Impacts
5.3.1Upgrading and Creation of Market and Export Infrastructure
5.3.2Technical Assistance for Product Development and Adaptation, Proactive Marketing and Compliance with Quality and Phytosanitary Standards
5.3.3Market information System
5.4Component C: Improved Agricultural Technology and Services
5.4.1Demonstration and introduction of Improved Technologies
5.4.2Creation of Legally-Registered Farmer Organizations, Agribusinesses, Marketing Entities, and other Rural Businesses,
5.4.3Public and Private Rural Advisory Services, Decentralized to the District Level
5.4.4Studies in Strategic Areas (Rehabilitation of Agricultural Research, Export Promotion)
5.5 Component D: Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation Impacts
5.6General Intersectoral Impacts
5.6.1Gender
5.6.2HIV/AIDS
5.6.3Macro-level Impacts
5.6.4Pro-poor impact
5.6.5Non-financial remuneration
5.6.6Migrants
5.7Summary of Project Impacts
5.7.1Surface Water
5.7.2Air Quality
5.7.3Flora and Fauna
6.MITIGATION MEASURES
6.1Surface Water Management
6.2Air Quality Management
6.3Management of Flora and Fauna
6.4Management of Socio-economic Impacts
6.5Occupational Health and Safety
6.6Land Management and Soil Erosion control
6.7Training and Capacity Building
6.8Sustainable Forest Plantation Management
6.9Improved Food Security
6.10Agro-processing Chemicals Control and Management
6.11Livestock Management
6.12Pricing of Agric Products
6.13Rural or Feeder Road Construction
6.14Land Acquisition and Siting
6.15Public Involvement
6.16Project Management Support
7.Monitoring Plan
7.1Surface Water
7.2Air Quality
7.3Erosion and Sediment Control
7.4Costs of Mitigation Measures
7.5Checklist for Monitoring
7.6Community Responsibilities and Involvement
7.7Role of Stakeholders
7.8Household Incomes
7.9Rehabilitation and Maintenance of Feeder Roads and Tracks
7.10Publication of Leaflets, Handbooks and Guidelines
7.11Nursery Establishment and Laboratory Equipment
7.12Training Courses on Nursery Establishment and Management
7.13Timing and Phasing of Activities
7.14Financing and Costs
7.15Reporting
7.16Implementation Strategy
7.16.1Short and Medium Term
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Agriculture is the primary occupation in Sierra Leone, employing about two-thirds of the labor force and accounting for 45% of GDP. Most Sierra Leoneans live on small, scattered farms, following a scheme of bush-fallow rotation. Rice, grown by 80% of farmers, is the most important subsistence crop. Other domestic food crops include cassava, yams, maize and vegetables. Cash crops include coffee, cocoa and palm products.
The Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) has identified the agribusiness sector as a strategic sector for investment because of the catalytic force it can represent for poverty reduction, particularly in the rural areas where poverty is predominant. Against this background, the GoSL, jointly with the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank is preparing a Rural and Private Sector Development Project (RPSDP). The present study assesses the environmental and social impacts of the project with the following overall objectives:
- Identify opportunities, constraints and environmental and social risks inherent in the RPSDP and;
- Develop a plan to mitigate and address risks inherent in project design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.
For the analysis of the issues outlined above, the study used existing literature and stakeholder consultations mainly in the Freetown area. A major challenge faced by the study was that as presently formulated, the project document is not specific on some components, for example, project location, project activities and project beneficiaries.
National Administration of Environmental Management
The administration of environmental management in Sierra Leone has changed since the end of the civil war. The National Environmental Policy approved by cabinet in 1999 has been adopted and is now being implemented through the various provisions of its National Action Plan including a new legislation-Environmental Protection Act, 2000. The preparation and processing of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) is required to follow the EIA guidelines. A new Commission on Environment and Forestry was created by a Presidential directive in 2005 which has now taken up the mandate, responsibilities and functions of the original National Environmental Protection Board.
The EIA requirements in Sierra Leone do not conflict with those of the World Bank but are similar in many respects including project categorisation and the content of the EIA study and report. The major difference between the two processes is that while the World Bank recommends rather more public consultation during the scoping stage, the Sierra Leone national EIA procedures require more public consultation at the EIA review stage.
World Bank Safeguard Policy
Operational Policy and Bank Procedure (BP) 4.01 on Environmental Assessment (EA) 1999 describes the EA screening categories and their requirements. An annex of the OP defines the required structure of the EIA report. Another annex describes the structure of the Environmental Management Plan (EMP). During the implementation of the project, the borrower is expected to report on:
(a)Compliance with measures agreed with the Bank on the basis of the findings and results of the EIA, including the implementation of the EMP;
(b)The status of mitigation measures; and
(c )The results of monitoring programmes.
Proposed Project Intervention
The objective of the proposed Rural and Private Sector Development Project is to raise rural incomes through improved agricultural exports and farm revenues for project beneficiaries who will include the producers, private sector entrepreneurs, transporters, agro-processors and other stakeholders. The following commodities are to receive attention:
(a)Food Crops: Rice, Cassava and Irish Potato;
(b)Commercial Crops: Cocoa, Oil Palm and Cashew;
(c )Fresh Produce: e.g. Vegetables, fruits;
(d)Livestock and products.
The four components of the project are as follows:
Component A: Improving Domestic Marketing
This component aims at improving domestic distribution channels for crops and livestock products to improve the ability of farmers to market their goods in Freetown and other large domestic markets. This component comprises three sub-components:
Domestic supply chains consolidation for specific crops and products;
Rural market infrastructure improvement;
Knowledge management and technical assistance to improve access to market information and identification of opportunities.
Component B: Agricultural Export Promotion
This will provide tools and services for promoting agricultural exports of traditional and non-traditional products such as cocoa, cashew, oil palm, cassava and ginger. The component will support a pilot export promotion initiative for these commodities identified as promising. The component will support three main activities:
The upgrading and creation of market and export infrastructure to provide facilities where produce is transacted, assembled, processed and prepared for shipment;
Technical assistance for product development and adaptation, marketing and compliance with quality and phytosanitary standards;
A marketing information system.
Component C: Improved Agricultural Technology and Services
This aims at increasing farmers’ access to improved agricultural technology and practices to support the production and processing of commodities supported in components A and B. It targets rural producers and public and private providers of agricultural services. It will support:
The demonstration and introduction of improved technologies e.g. improved crop varieties;
The creation of legally-registered farmer organizations, agribusinesses, marketing entities, and other rural businesses;
Public and private rural advisory services, decentralized to the district level;
Studies in strategic areas to initiate future programmes.
Activities that will be carried out under this component will include introducing new crops and improved seeds. There could also be development of irrigation systems.
Component D Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation
This component will finance the project management function. The project will be advised by an inter-ministerial steering committee with representation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Environmental Baseline
A brief description of the physical environment in Sierra Leone is presented to facilitate a meaningful appreciation of the activities under the RPSDP. This is because the project activities are envisaged to be undertaken within the physical environment. Of the total land area of about 71,740km2, some 60,650km2 are classified as uplands and 11,650km2 are low lands. Out of the total land area 53, 620k km2 (5.36m.ha) has been estimated as suitable for crop production. Land in Sierra Leone is divided into arable agricultural land (60%) pastural (18%), mangrove and inland swamps (8%), forest under protection (4.5%) and others (9.75%). About 6.57m.ha (90%) of the land is owned privately by families, 360,000ha by communities and families and only 285000ha are held by Government in the form of forest reserves.
The land resource of Sierra Leone has been classified into five agro-ecological zones:
1.Uplands-moderately well-to well-drained soils. This covers about 84% of the land.
2.Inland Valley Swamps (IVS) – covers about 9% of the land.
3.Mangrove Swamps, land adjacent to the coast or along estuarine rivers (3%).
4.Bolilands-low-lying inland depressions (2%).
5.Flood plains-located along major rivers (2%).
The climate of Sierra Leone is classified as humid tropical and is largely determined by its geographical location. The mean annual temperature is 27oC and the mean wet season and dry season relative humidities are 90% and 70% respectively. The mean annual rainfall is distributed as follows:
-Coastal areas, more than 3,000mm with the Western Area recording up to 5,000mm.
-The north-central and south-eastern regions receive between 2500mm and 3000mm.
-The north receives from 2500mm to less than 2000mm.
The main vegetation types identified in Sierra Leone are as follows:
- Closed and Secondary Forests;
- Savanna Woodlands;
- Mangrove Swamp Forests.
Socio Economic Baseline
The GoSL hasimplemented several economic measures aimed at addressing the factors responsible for the pervasive poverty in the country. These measures include Structural Adjustment Programme (1989) and Poverty Reduction Strategy.
The present population of the country is estimated at 6 million, growing at a rate of about 2.6% p.a. Population density is about 58 persons/km2 with concentration in particular regions such as Freetown peninsula, the Kono, kenemaand Bo districts. A large section of the population is unemployed. Land tenure inSierra Leone is characterised by a dual ownership structure. Land in the Western Area is held under the English system of freehold interests. This area includes the capital city of Freetown. Land in the rest of the country is held in communal ownership under communal tenure and is controlled by traditional rulers.
The public road network constitutes the most important transport infrastructure in the country, carrying about 80% of the internal passenger and cargo traffic. The national road network totals about 11,000km of which some 8,000km have been functionally classified in the National Road System (NRS). Less than 1000km of the entire network is now paved with at least half of these reported to be in poor condition.
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
This section outlines existing environmental and social conditions, identifies potential impacts of the project intervention and develops mitigation measures to reduce or minimise the impacts.
The guidelines developed by the Environmental Protection Act 2000 were the main tools used for the ESIA. An Impact Identification Matrix was developed for the exercise by matching the proposed project interventions to the key baseline environmental and socio-economic parameters of the project area. The potential impacts identified by this method are categorised according to their imagined level and magnitude of impacts.
Component A: Improving Domestic Marketing:
The environmental and social implications of improving domestic marketing are largely positive. Details of the potential impacts are treated under the three main sub-activities under the component.
Component B: Agricultural Export Promotion Impacts:
This component will provide tools and services for promoting agricultural exports. The beneficiaries include agricultural producers, exporters and other private enterprises. Agricultural export promotion per se will not have any significant adverse impact on the environment. However aspects such as creation and improvement of export infrastructure, mechanization and increased use of agro-chemicals are likely to result in adverse impacts which have been identified for analysis.
Component C: Improved Agricultural Technology and Services:
Activities planned under this component, e.g. introduction of improved agricultural technology and small-scale irrigation schemes, are more likely to result in adverse social and environmental impacts. These have been identified and addressed under the respective subcomponents.
Component D Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation Impacts:
This intervention is mainly to support the implementation of programmes under the project. It will therefore have very little adverse environmental and social impact.
Other general inter-sectoral impacts identified with the project include beneficial impacts or improvedincome and livelihood of women and children, micro level economic impacts, pro-poor impacts, non-financial remuneration and voluntary migration.
Mitigation Measures
This section presents some proposals for mitigation of the significant adverse impacts identified in the previous section. The topics discussed include agro-processing, chemicals control and management, livestock management, rural and feeder road construction, land acquisition and project siting, pricing of agricultural products and educational support programmes.
Monitoring Plan
The results of the social and environmental impact assessment undertaken require a monitoring programme that will provide additional data for further requirement of the mitigation measures proposed. The monitoring programme will track the performance of the various components of the project. The plan includes a proposed environmental monitoring programme for the various parameters, e.g. air and water quality, noise, soils etc. It also provides for determination of cost of mitigation, checklist for monitoring and an implementation strategy.
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CHAPTER ONE
1.Introduction
1.1Background
Agriculture is one of the most important sectors in national economic development. At the national level, food security and consumption are headline indicators of human well-being, and some economists regard growth in agricultural productivity and incomes as indicators that developing countries are building the conditions for sustainable economic growth. In this sense, agriculture is an important step on the road to industrialization, and agribusiness is often a bellwether of industrial transformation. Even in economies further along the industrialization path, agriculture can still be a significant employer even when the sector comprises a declining percentage of GDP. Some argue that this is especially significant because agribusiness creates jobs for the rural poor, and a market for the produce of the poor, who otherwise may not benefit from industrialization.
Agriculture is the primary occupation in Sierra Leone, employing two-thirds of the labor force and accounting for 45% of GDP. Most Sierra Leoneans live on small, scattered farms, following a scheme of bush-fallow rotation, slash-and-burn field preparation, and limited use of fertilizer. Agricultural exports in 2001 amounted to nearly $7.5 million and consisted of coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, piassava, kola nuts, and ginger. Rice, grown by 80% of farmers, is the most important subsistence crop and, along with millet in the northeast, is a food staple; in 1999, 247,000 tons of rice were produced, down from an annual average of 508,000 tons between 1989 to 1991. The Rice Research Institute, located in the Northern Province, breeds high-yielding varieties for seed. Other domestic food crops include cassava, yams, peanuts, corn, pineapples, coconuts, tomatoes, and pepper.
Coffee is grown in the eastern and southern provinces; production totalled 15,000 tons in 1999. Cocoa is grown in the Kenema and Kailahun districts of the EasternProvince and in the Pujehun District of the Southern Province, mainly on smallholdings of about 0.4–1.2 hectares (1–3 acres). In 1999, an estimated 11,000 tons of cocoa beans were produced. Palm produce is derived from stands of wild palms, mainly in the northeast and southeast; production in 1999 included 22,000 tons of palm kernels and 36,000 tons of palm oil. Although there is substantial local consumption of palm kernels, they are a major agricultural export. Piassava, a raffia palm used for broom and brush bristles, is grown in the swampy areas of the extreme south. Small amounts of kola nuts were also exported, and modest crops of bananas, pineapples, and sugarcane were grown.
The 1991 invasion of rebels from Liberia in the eastern and southeastern provinces severely damaged agricultural production and exports. Whereas annual agricultural growth averaged 3.1% during 1980–1990, it was –0.1% during 1990–2000.
The Government of Sierra Leone (GOSL) has identified the agribusiness sector (in its broad definition) as a strategic sector for investment because of the catalytic force it can represent for poverty reduction in the country, particularly in rural areas where poverty is predominant. Agribusiness contributes both directly and indirectly to alleviating poverty by:
- reducing food costs and supply uncertainties and improving the diets of the rural and urban poor;
- generating growth, increasing and diversifying incomes, and providing widespread employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in both rural and urban areas; and
- inducing productivity gains by smallholder farmers and better integrating them into local, national, and international markets.
It is against this background that GOSL, jointly with the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank is preparing a Rural and Private Sector Development Project (RPSDP), which is proposed to be implemented with funds contributed by GOSL, the IDA and other donors.