Summary
largely related to the more rural setting of people closer to the tailings
area, with less linkage to Toamasina.
People whose lands are required for the project will be resettled as per
the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP). This applies to people who live
and/or have agricultural lands within the tailings site boundaries. At
present, the RAP identifies 165 households to be resettled from the
tailings site. Planning for resettlement has been facilitated by the
establishment of a Resettlement Committee that currently includes 16
persons representing the regional and local governments, traditional
authorities from the affected population, the NGOs working in the area
and the proponents.
Resettlement
Business opportunities will be few adjacent to the tailings facility, as this
area is more rural than is the case nearer the plant site. The intention to
deepen training and education, to target people who are less educated
and require more education is especially relevant to those in the tailings
area.
Economic
opportunities
Depending on livelihood resources that are affected by project
infrastructure land disturbances and requirements for rights-of-way (for
roads, pipelines and power lines) people may or may not be resettled.
There are alternatives that may be preferable, including replacing that
portion of livelihood resources affected by alternative resources, which
could include compensation and/or employment. The intent is to ensure
that people are not harmed by the project. The water flow reductions
below the tailings area will be monitored to see if people are affected by
it; it is possible there will not be an impact in this very high rainfall area.
Water management practices and fisheries management may be
improved with assistance from the project to avoid impacts and enhance
benefits.
Access to natural
resources
Project contributions to the development of local infrastructure, including
road improvements, will be especially useful near the tailings area.
Infrastructure
As described above, the project represents a significant force of social
change, particularly in the more rural areas near the tailings site. This
area will be part of more general monitoring to be undertaken, as
described below.
Wellbeing
Of the ten archaeological
sites found in the tailings
footprint, five were judged to
represent significant historical
resources. For these five
sites, which cannot be
relocated,
further
work
consisting of preliminary
archaeological excavations to
determine the exact nature of
Culture
A Malagasy family southwest of Toamasina
January 2006
Ambatovy Project — 41
