Displaying items by tag: 2021

The Africa's Living Rivers Programme: Knowledge Capture Project, which started in April 2021, aims to develop libraries of generic DRIFT (Downstream Response to Imposed Flow Transformations) response curves that link physical-chemical-biological drivers and ecological-social responses for rivers and estuaries in the SADC (Southern African Development Community). These will allow a coarse-level DRIFT eco-social model to be set up for most major SADC river basins and provide a first level of predictions of the ecological and social implications (risks) of proposed management actions related to changes in the flow of water and sediment without the time or expense of a multidisciplinary team working over many months.

Southern Waters was commissioned by the GoM to evaluate the impacts on the Shire River associated with the updated design of Mpatamanga HPP, specifically the attenuation of peaking power releases by the RRD. The ToR for the assignment included: a. Update the technical due diligence model with the current RRD location  (RRD version 6), providing quantitative analysis for this assignment; b. Review the Multiconsult EFlows assessment in relation to the updated design of the Mpatamanga HPP (i.e., including the RRD) and identify risks, impacts, benefits and additional mitigation measures  as necessary; c. Assess the current trajectory of the overall ecosystem condition using available (desktop) information; d. Provide a conceptual evaluation of possible mitigation/offset options, with Mpatamanga HPP operating with the proposed RRD; and e. Prepare a Rapid Cumulative Impact Assessment (RCIA) according to the IFC Good Practice Handbook on Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA), based on information available in the Multiconsult EFlows Assessment.

The Terms of Reference for this assignment were to review the Environmental and Social (E&S) safeguard policies of selected Multilateral Financial Institutions (MFIs, such as EBRD, IFC and WB) for reference and recommendations related to EFlows in the E&S policy documents, comparing these with the Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) and recommend how/where to integrate EFlows in the new revised SPS of the ADB. The deliverables are linked to two main phases:

1. Review the safeguard policies of selected MFIs (such as EBRD, IFC and WB) for EFlows Issues/standards, comparing these with the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) SPS
2. Evaluate integration of EFlows into the new revised safeguards policy statement of the ADB.

A ‘high resolution’ EFlows Assessment for the Hlotse River, Lesotho was done to support implementation of the Lesotho Lowland Bulk Water Supply Scheme in Zones 2 and 3 (Hlotse and Maputsoe). The results will be used to better define the magnitude and extent of potential impacts (geomorphological, ecological and social) of the proposed operation (and mitigation of these) with an emphasis on key ecosystem drivers, fish, macroinvertebrates and downstream users.

The DRIFT EFlows assessment in this project provides advice on how aspects of the Dudhkoshi and Sunkoshi ecosystems can be expected to change under different water and sediment flow regimes (scenarios), and barrier conditions with the idea that this information should then be used to decide what a river is used for and what level of protection it will be afforded. As per the ToR, the source DB for this assessment was the DRIFT database set up for the Poonch River in Pakistan.