The Offset Design Process
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BBOP Pilot Project Case Study – Ambatovy Project
– Since many natural ephemeral pools occur in hollow rocky ground, benchmark data must be taken
where the rock outcrops are of natural origin and not the result of forest clearance or other human
disturbance.
Assumptions:
– Within the azonal and transitional habitats, the highest
ENDEMISM
is associated with the lowest human
impact.
– No sylviculture or tree enrichment has been carried out in Ambatovy.
The benchmark site is presented in Figure 6.
Quantifying biodiversity residual impacts calculations using the benchmark
Benchmark
A scoping exercise was undertaken to determine from the KBCM and other studies which biodiversity
components would be most appropriate as attributes of the benchmark. The data quality associated with
each of these components available in the ESIA was checked. The selected attribute types are:
Species:
– 3 lemurs:
Propithecus d. diadema, Indri indri, Allocebus trichotis (
the attributes of species such as
Prolemur simus
and
Daubentonia madagascariensis
will be re-examined in the next iteration of the
offset calculations); and
– 2 fish:
Ratsirakia sp and Rheocles sp
(suspended for the moment and to be re-examined in the next
iteration).
Communities / habitats:
– Forest (three habitats, azonal, transitional and zonal);
– Streams (suspended for the moment and to be re-examined in the next iteration); and
– Ephemeral pools (suspended for the moment and to be re-examined in the next iteration).
Impact assessment and mitigation hierarchy application:
An impact assessment of the biodiversity components was subsequently conducted based on the anticipated
impacts, of which the principal impact is forest clearance and subsequent habitat loss. The corresponding
mitigation strategies for each biodiversity component are presented below:
Species: lemurs are displaced from their habitats by forest clearance. The Project’s mitigation measure is
to monitor (through radio collars and telemetry) their ability to migrate from the clearance area towards the
refuge areas (see Figure 3, conservation zones). The mitigation measures include assisting stranded
individuals from all 16 known species identified on-site and limited off-site relocation to protected areas
(e.g. Propithecus diadema) following IUCN translocation guidelines.
Habitats: the main mitigation strategy for the three forest habitats is offsetting due to their fixed location.
AVOIDANCE
will also be applied to the azonal habitat since 26.4% of this habitat will be protected in the
form of the mine area conservation zones (see Figure 4).
The December 2008 iteration of the impact assessment and mitigation strategies is presented in Appendix 1.
