Botswana - Emergency Water Security and Efficiency Project : Addendum to the Environmental and Social Management Plan for the Boteti Southern and Central Cluster Villages Water Supply Scheme - Wellfield 4

Overview & Synopsis

The development objective of the Emergency Water Security and Efficiency Project is to improve operational performance of the Mambo Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and limit pollution of downstream water sources. Some of the negative impacts include : decline in air quality levels/ air pollution; noise disturbance/ pollution; soil erosion; increased risk of illegal procurement of biodiversity; increased incidents of veldt fires; loss of vegetation; land pollution due to improper solid waste handling; potential road traffic accident; vandalism, damage to and/ or theft of infrastructure, plant and /or equipment; potential injuries to workers; potential for Gender Based Violence (GBV), Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), Sexual Harassment (SH) and Violence Against Children (VAC); possible increase in STIs and HIV/AIDS infections; decrease in groundwater levels (overdrawing); and changes in wildlife behavior. Some of the mitigation measures include: Spray work areas, short access roads around the borehole sites, and raw water reservoir with water to suppress dust; ensure that all stationary equipment is carefully oriented away from sensitive receptors; a silt curtain should be erected at the outlets at the collector tank to screen runoff water; increase monitoring and surveillance for poaching through regular visits by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks and other security agencies; conduct staff training workshops on basic fire management and response procedures and fire suppression; in the bid to reduce amount of vegetation clearing (and the ecological footprint), consider aligning the pipeline route with existing vegetation cleared routes, where technically feasible; review, if necessary, waste management systems (Waste Management Plan) that defines and prescribes means of collection, temporary storage, transport and disposal of the various waste material generated from construction, operation and decommissioning of the proposed water infrastructure; truck drivers should have the necessary certificates/licenses to drive the trucks; work closely with the police to avoid security incidents and to effectively deal with incidents should they arise; implement a confined space entry program that is consistent with applicable national requirements; implement a Code of Conduct for prevention of GBV, SEA, SH and VAC; assist in intensifying HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns in the area; continue to develop a comprehensive water leaks’ monitoring and detection system for early warning; and monitor patterns and trends of wildlife mortality due to vehicle collision along the pipeline route.