Environmental Assessment
Volume A-6
Introduction
Consultation
including government participation – can proceed on the basis of firm
decisions.
•
Interface with existing development plans (regional and urban and
transport): The project will interface with existing planning and
implementation of government-led infrastructure projects, for example
those related to port improvements, the building of a dry port, and/or
road and rail improvement. There was therefore a concern to ensure that
the project’s expectations and needs are fully understood by relevant
government agencies and departments on the one hand, such that they
can assist. On the other hand, there is a requirement to ensure that
project plans are consistent with these planned or existing infrastructure
projects.
•
HIV/AIDS: With a comparatively low HIV/AIDS incidence in
Madagascar, high incidence in countries from which expatriate workers
might be drawn, and the association between mining workers and
HIV/AIDS, there was concern to see that this issue is aggressively
addressed early in project development.
6.4.3
Civil Society
6.4.3.1 Methodology
The proponent and its EA consultants have met with representatives of NGOs
and donor agencies since January 2004. Interest in the project is largely related to
environmental and social impacts at the regional and local levels, as well as to
the interface between project mitigations and ongoing initiatives, particularly in
the Torotorofotsy and Mantadia-Zahamena forest corridor.
As information became available on the project, many formal meetings were
held, in which over 85 NGO representatives and other stakeholders attended.
6.4.3.2 Results
Results from these consultations in the first half of 2004 are summarized as
follows:
•
Community Development: There was concern to see community
development integrated with Commune Development Plans and that
community development initiatives and benefits are widely distributed,
extending beyond the immediate area of the mine site. NGOs asked for
assurance of transparency of project benefits, with funds tracked so that
stakeholders can see where funds have been spent.
Ambatovy Project
31
January 2006
