Azura-Edo Independent Power Plant Environmental Impact ... - IFC

enefit the local communities. These programmes will be aimed primarily at
improving the health and education of the inhabitants of these communities.
7.14.1 Impact Description and Significance: Construction
Impact Description
The main negative impacts to infrastructure associated with the construction
phase will be associated with the influx of opportunistic job seekers and the
resulting pressure on already inadequate social amenities. These include:
• Influx of opportunistic job seekers into the communities, adding pressure
onto already overburdened infrastructure services (roads, schools, health
facilities, etc);
• Increased household waste and the inability to dispose of this in a safe and
healthy manner;
• Contamination of water resources used by local communities; and
• Disruption to road access from Project vehicles.
The main positive impacts to infrastructure associated with the construction
phase will be the construction, reinforcement and paving of roads and the
expenditures made by the developers on local community projects (eg
assistance in borehole construction and health and education projects).
Impact Significance
The extent of these impacts will be mainly local as the impact will be
experienced in the three communities only. The duration of the negative
impacts is restricted to the period of the construction phase but the duration of
the positive impacts is likely to subsist beyond the construction phase. Since
the Project plans around infrastructure use are yet to be fully developed, the
probability of impacts occurring is cautiously given as likely. The overall
magnitude of the impact is therefore low.
The sensitivity of the receptors is considered to be moderate as there is little
existing infrastructure.
It is also important to note the possible benefit to local education associated
with Project training opportunities. At this point, however, there is
insufficient information about how the Project proposes to provide training,
nor to what extent this will benefit local stakeholders. Thus the significance
rating of this neutral (negative and positive aspects) impact is assessed to be
minor prior to mitigation.
7.14.2 Impact Description and Significance: Operation
Impact Description
Key concerns during the operational phase include:
AZURA EDO IPP
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