Summary
Social monitoring programs, ongoing consultations and the grievance
and dispute resolution mechanisms are also critical during construction
and operations in the Toamasina area. The primary objectives of
socioeconomic monitoring are to:
•
record the uptake of employment, business and training
opportunities over time and analyze the trends in relation to
expectations and targets;
•
monitor the implementation and effectiveness of socioeconomic
impact mitigations; and
•
evaluate the trends in local economic and social development and
well-being, as well as the relationship between these and project
operations.
PORT EXPANSION
Social Context
Toamasina is a large city, with an educated population, institutional
presence and some depth to business activity. The port at Toamasina is
Madagascar’s main port, handling approximately 80% of the country’s
imports and exports. In 2003, the port handled 1.5 million tonnes of
traffic. From 1997 to 2003, container traffic increased steadily, at an
average rate of 10% per year. Much of the country’s non-perishable
products are transported from secondary harbours to Toamasina where
shipments are loaded onto international cargo carriers. Education and
job experience in Toamasina is somewhat better than found in more
rural areas, and the urban population is over 200,000. As a result, it is
expected that there will be many people who would qualify for
employment.
Flooded road, Toamasina
The expansion of the port, construction of the plant and tailings facilities
and improvements to other infrastructure in association with the project,
all have the potential to transform the city’s economy. Whereas the
tailings and plant facilities will have effects on the immediate area around
their locations, the largest economic effect will be seen in the city of
Toamasina, including those parts of Toamasina II which are more urban
in character. This enables Toamasina to be in a position to take good
advantage of project benefits over time.
Environmental Context
The port has been active for about 75 years, while nearby shore areas
have been mainly dedicated to, or influenced by the port. Toamasina is
built on a 5 to 6 km-wide coastal sandy plain. The plain is bordered by
coastal reefs and inlets, which lie parallel to the coast at depths of 20 to
January 2006
Ambatovy Project — 44
