Infrastructure Assessment in Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape
Client
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Project Period
May 2018 to September 2018
Project Area
Chitwan Annapurna Landscape (CHAL) districts
Context
Development of infrastructures such as roadways, railways, hydropower plants, transmission lines, airports and irrigation canals are taking fast pace in Nepal over the past few years. Increasing development of infrastructures and associated activities pose threat and pressure on natural ecosystem and the environment in the absence of poor planning and concrete mitigation measures.
Objectives of the assignment
Hariyo Ban Program, funded by USAID and implemented by WWF, assigned SW Nepal to explore, identify and assess the impacts of current and planned future infrastructures in the CHAL area.
Key activities and services provided by SW Nepal
SW Nepal carried out the following activities to meet the study’s objectives.
- Reviewed published/unpublished IEE/EIA/SIA reports, research works, municipality profiles, journal articles, project documents and literatures available on selected key infrastructures
- Carried out consultation with key stakeholders of federal, province and local level authorities, donors, infrastructure developers and conservationist.
- Visited key representative infrastructures that were suggested, reported or published to have critical impact on physical, biological and socio-economic environment
Outputs
SW Nepal delivered following outputs upon completion of the assignment.
- Created database of existing, under construction and planned infrastructures in CHAL area.
- Assessed and analyzed short and long term impacts of the key existing, under-construction and planned infrastructures.
- Prioritized and ranked Infrastructures based on their level of impact on the environment.
- Mapped basin wise geo- location of existing, under construction and planned hydropower plants, transmission lines, roadways and railways.
- Assessed status of fish ladders and fish passages in hydropower projects.
- Recommended measures to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts infrastructures have or will have on the environment.